The fishing industry in Northern Ireland has been handed a £1.5 million support package in response to urgent calls for help during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Fisheries Minister Edwin Poots has announced a substantial £1.5 million support package for Northern Ireland’s fishing industry.
Fishermen are struggling to handle social distancing measures on vessels and many ships have been grounded for the foreseeable future coupled with the collapse of the European and domestic fish markets have made trading virtually impossible.
Councillor on the Ards Peninsula, Robert Adair, said: “We have been calling for help, we have been urging Government to remember our fishing industry and fleets in these desperate times.
“I will be meeting with members of the fleets and the community to hear their views on this support package as soon as possible.”
The assistance will be for three months with a maximum amount of total funding capped at around £104,000. It will be delivered via monthly payments varying with vessel size as below:
Vessel overall length in metres Monthly payment in Sterling
- 0-10 £1,050
- 10.01-11.99 £1,800
- 12.00-14.99 £3,550
- 15 and over £4,550
Mr Poots said: “Northern Ireland’s fishing industry has faced extreme difficulties as a result of COVID-19 and is in urgent need of our support to ensure we have a profitable fishing industry to return to, once COVID-19 subsides.
“I have therefore announced a £1.5 million support package to help the fishing industry weather the storm.
The scheme I’ve announced is the most far-reaching in the UK and will help the fishing fleet to cover their fixed costs for three months. It’s not an answer to everyone’s problems, but it will certainly help the fleet survive what has been one of its most difficult periods.”
The following conditions apply:
- The vessel must be a fishing vessel registered in NI
- The vessel must normally be active during the period March to May
- The vessel must have had fish landings of at least £10,000 in 2019
- Vessels of overall length 28m and over are not eligible
- The vessels must be available to fish if there is a market for their product - so not a “tie-up” scheme
The Department will inform vessel owners on how to apply for the scheme and provide further details including appeals. It is anticipated that the first payments would be made early next month.
The Department is aware that the EU intends to further amend the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to give additional support to the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in response to COVID-19. The details of these changes will be considered by the Department as they emerge and industry will be consulted.
