Groups Urged to Tap into £1.1million European Fisheries Fund

Fraserburgh SNP councillor and Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s Fisheries Working Group Charles Buchan is urging individuals and organisations hoping to promote sustainable development in Aberdeenshire’s fisheries areas to tap into the European Fisheries Fund.

The Aberdeenshire European Fisheries Fund (AEFF), formally launched in March, awards grants to fisheries-related projects which demonstrate innovation, increase community capacity and improve economic output in Aberdeenshire’s fisheries areas.

The AEFF budget of around £1.1 million is financed by the European Commission. The fund is administered locally by the FLAG partnership, a collective group of fisheries, public, private and voluntary sector organisations, of which Aberdeenshire Council is the lead partner.

Money awarded to a project will have to be matched by an equal sum from the public sector, which means there is a total of around £2.2 million available for local initiatives.

So far this year, eight projects, designed to revitalise Aberdeenshire’s fisheries areas and provide a legacy for fishing communities, have been approved for funding from the AEFF.

They include:

• A project to scope potential for a Seafood festival and Trail.
• Redevelopment of a Johnshaven lifeboat shed into a heritage hub
• Plans to deepen Cairnbulg Harbour, allowing for the installation of an extra 20 berths
• New facilities and equipment for the Scottish Marine Safari, based in Fraserburgh
• Funding for the Portsoy Scottish Traditional Boat Festival
• Transforming an unused fisheries building at Whitehills Marina into a new seafood restaurant
• Introduction of a dedicated Seafood Pavilion at the annual Taste of Grampian festival
• Development of Banff Coast Tourism Partnership

A total of just under £350,000 has been awarded to the eight projects, which means there is still a significant amount of funding available to eligible groups.

Chair of the Fisheries Working Group, Aberdeenshire councillor Charles Buchan, said:

“Fisheries communities are a vital part of Aberdeenshire’s economic and cultural identity and it is great that they are being supported by the AEFF fund and match-funding from the public sector.

“There are many innovative and exciting projects being planned around Aberdeenshire coastal areas and I would encourage any individuals or groups looking for financial support, to get in touch with us and get more information.”

Applications for AEFF funding are welcomed from micro, small and medium businesses, private and voluntary groups and organisations and public sector organisations.

Staff are on hand to offer advice on the application process, ideas for potential sources of match funding and to help with the development of projects which have been awarded funding.

Anyone interested in applying for funding, or finding out more, should contact AEFF Co-ordinator, Ann Marie Macaskill, on 01467 628278 or visit www.aeff.co.uk.

For more information on the projects which have already received AEFF funding this year, go to: www.aeff.co.uk/funds-awarded/table-of-funds-awarded.