Trout farmers net European funding
Scotland’s two biggest trout farmers have received more than £570,000 between them to support their continuing investment in aquaculture.
Kames Fish Farming, based at Loch Melfort, Kilmelford, Oban was granted £370,000 from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) towards the £740,000 cost of a new feed barge at Loch Pooltiel.
Dawnfresh Seafoods was given £202,500 to help fund a harvest boat costing £675,000. Both the barge and boat have already been purchased.
EMFF funding round
The grants made up more than half of an £860,000 distribution to 11 aquaculture companies, in the latest round of EMFF funding, with 75% of the money coming from the European Union and 25% from the Scottish government.
Seaforth Mussels, based on the Isle of Harris, received £98,758 towards the £203,758 cost of expansion, and Eastvoe Shellfish, Shetland was granted £75,000 towards a workboat upgrade.
Blairgowrie-based Cloan Hatcheries Ltd, which produces trout for restocking fisheries, was given £59,385 towards the £118,770 cost of improving the status of the River Ericht.
Bird predation
Other beneficiaries included Tobermory Oysters, Mull (£12,800), Sound of Luing Bivalve Seafarm, Isle of Luing (£10,433), Isle of Mull Oysters Ltd (£12,942), Orkney Oysters ((£11,463), Mackenzie Oysters (£4,898) and Invicta Trout, Dumfries (£1,930).
The EMFF funding round also included nearly £1.5 million for two Marine Scotland Science (MSS) integrated marine planning projects.
MSS was given £859,000 to cover the full cost of a cumulative effects framework for marine Natura 2000 sites and priority species, and £625,000 to produce work on piscivorous bird predation on salmon.
