Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to administer new £15.4 million funding scheme for English fishing industry

Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers, today delivered a boost for the English fishing and seafood industry ahead of Brexit by opening applications for £15.4 million from two UK fishing funds.

The £14.7 million share of a £37.2 million UK-wide fund announced last December, will encourage the take up of innovation and technology, supporting jobs in coastal communities. In addition, £700,000 from a £2 million UK-wide fund announced in the 2018 Budget is ring-fenced for fishing safety improvements on board English vessels and around ports and harbours.

English fishermen and those working in the seafood sector will today be able to apply for a share of the new Maritime Fisheries Fund (MFF) run by the MMO Grants team, which is designed to ensure the fishing and seafood industry continues to thrive once the UK leaves the EU on 31st October.

The three-year fund builds on the government’s commitment to secure a fairer share of fishing opportunities for UK fishermen as it takes back control of fishing waters and establishes the UK as an independent coastal state. The fund in England is open to applications that:

• deliver productive investment in the processing of fisheries and aquaculture products
• support innovation – in technologies to enhance economic growth, increase energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact and improve fishing safety
• improve port infrastructure – so more fish can be landed in UK ports, and help the sector take advantage of new export opportunities after Brexit
• boost coastal communities – by providing benefits to areas that depend on a vibrant and profitable industry
• help the sector adjust – to new arrangements on access and fishing opportunities by improving capacity and capability to exploit new export opportunities and markets, and
• improve safety on fishing vessels or on shore – funding safety measures that prevent accidents such as new handrails and ladders This fund is in addition to the existing European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) which is currently administered by the MMO Grants team. The government has already guaranteed that all EMFF projects approved before 31 December 2020 will continue to be fully funded.

This new fund is open for applications in England from today until March 2022.

Submissions are to be made through the Marine Management Organisation MFF E-system