I was pleased to contribute to a recent debate at Westminster on Remote Coastal Communities, highlighting how, beyond the challenges facing tourism and housing, there are many businesses, particularly in the fishing industry that could benefit from investment to deliver economic growth.
In May, the Government launched their Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, worth £360 million over 12 years, but three months on, we’re still to get an update on the progress of that funding.
I believe these funds should be allocated proportionately to reflect the size of Scotland’s fishing industry, which would benefit the North-east where we punch well above our weight in this sector.
With two of the largest fishing ports in the UK, with Peterhead the largest in Europe, a diverse inshore fleet of trawlers, creelers, netters, dredgers and divers, and an estimated 14,092 people directly employed in the seafood sector, some 95% of commercial fishing jobs are located in areas of Scotland that, together, are home to less than a third of the total population. That’s quite a statistic. Add to the mix the £300 million masterplan in development at Fraserburgh harbour, the large marine industry at Buckie, and Portsoy, where the Scottish traditional boat festival is a tremendous event in the calendar, not to mention Seafest at Peterhead back up and running this year, and the potential for coastal communities to flourish is as rich as its people.
So, why are so many of these communities struggling? It shouldn’t be this way. I raised this with the previous Minister for DEFRA, Daniel Zeichner MP, and have written again to his successor post cabinet reshuffle, Emma Reynolds MP, asking for a clear timeline on when these funds will be forthcoming. I hope it’s now at the top of her to do list in her new role.
