Press release

Government announces support for fishermen affected by the storms

The government has announced further measures to help fishermen whose livelihoods have been affected by the recent storms across the UK.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Marine Management Organisation and The Rt Hon George Eustice
• Published: 6 March 2014

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Funding will be made available towards the cost of replacing lost or damaged fishing gear such as crab and lobster pots and other static gear, which could be worth up to £5,000 to fishermen.

The government will also continue to pay lighthouse dues for another year, saving the industry up to £140,000.

This is in addition to measures already promised, such as:

• flexibility on quota allocations to allow fishermen to make up lost income when conditions return to normal

• access to a £10 million business support grant for flood-affected businesses

Fisheries Minister George Eustice said:

The appalling storms over the last few months have had a severe impact on fishing communities and we recognise that many fishermen have lost static gear such as lobster and crab pots.

I saw first-hand the damage to net gear during a recent visit to Newlyn. We have made this funding available to minimise the impact on their livelihoods and help them to get back on their feet as quickly as possible.

Notes:

1. Applications for support should be made by 6 June 2014 through the Marine Management Organisation.

2. Funding will be through the European Fisheries Fund storm damage replacement scheme.

3. The MMO will prioritise applications from storm affected areas.

Published 6 March 2014