28 November, 2007

THE HIGHLANDS and Islands are to get around one third of the money coming to Scotland from a new fund set up by Brussels to support the fishing industry.

The European Fisheries Fund is to hand out £39 million to fishing and aquaculture, to help the industries modernize and make them more competitive.

Almost £12.5 million of the Scottish cash is to be delivered to the north of Scotland.

The money will initially go to the Scottish Government who are expected to invite applications for grants early next year after they have sorted out their priorities.

Scotland is receiving 40 per cent of the total funding coming into the UK under this scheme.

Fisheries minister Richard Lochhead said: “I am delighted that we have negotiated hard to achieve the lion’s share of the UK’s allocation of the European Fisheries Funds.

“The significance of Scotland’s fisheries and food industries, in both UK and European terms, is rightly recognised in this settlement.”

Meanwhile northern isles MP Alistair Carmichael emerged from a meeting with EC fishing commissioner Joe Borg yesterday with a stern warning for both Scottish and UK fishing ministers ahead of the December Fisheries Council.

Mr Carmichael said: “It is clear that the real challenge for UK and Scottish ministers will be to ensure that the Scottish white fish fleet has sufficient days at sea available to it to take full advantage of the extra quota for cod which has been obtained from the EU Norway negotiations. It is on that basis by which our ministers will be judged as a success or failure.”