Funding boost for fishing jobs

The funding is expected to protect hundreds of jobs

A multi-million pound funding package aimed at securing and creating jobs in the Scottish fishing industry has been announced.

Almost 50 projects are expected to benefit from £4m of funding from the European Union and the Scottish Executive.

The cash will be spread across several sectors of the industry, including fish processing and marketing, vessel modernisation and port facilities.

Several parts of the industry will share the cash

The Scottish Executive expects that the grant awards will trigger further private sector investment of £17m.

It estimates that this will create more than 300 full-time and part-time jobs, while safeguarding another 1,300 jobs across the industry.

The funding package was announced by Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie on Friday.

The minister said: "The Scottish Executive remains committed to the development in Scotland of a viable and sustainable fisheries industry - an important sector of the Scottish economy.

Improving quality

"The awards provide much-needed support and amply illustrate our continuing determination to encourage sustainability and to improve product quality at all stages of the food chain.

"Most of the aid is for projects located in fisheries-dependent areas or remote communities whose economies are heavily reliant on aquaculture and fishing.

"Employment is a vital consideration in such communities, and was again an important factor in the assessment of applications received."

The latest money is included in the third round of awards under the European Union's Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance.

A total of £55m will be made available in Scotland under the scheme, almost a third of it in the Highlands and Islands area.