£10m fishing support packaged welcomed by Ross-shire MSP; Coronavirus impact on seafood markets prompts resilience fund help
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MSP Kate Forbes – who has fishing communities on the west and east coasts of her Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch constituency – has welcomed a new £10 million scheme for seafood processors.
Because of the coronavirus outbreak, the international markets have shut and demand has also been greatly reduced as restaurants and cafes have been ordered to close across the UK.
Ms Forbes said she hoped the new Scottish Seafood Business Resilience Fund – which provides a combination of grants and loans – will be a boost to seafood businesses that are fighting for survival and thereby threatening livelihoods in coastal areas.
The MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch added: “Fish processors are reliant on buoyant markets, which have clearly collapsed with Covid-19.
“It is important that we support them through this difficult period and so I am pleased that the Scottish Government has established a hardship fund for fish processors.
“They depend on the quality fish and seafood caught by fishermen, particularly those on the west coast so the hope is that in supporting the fish processors there will also be support for the fish catching sector as well.”
