Sea Anglers, Clubs & Skippers Encouraged to Apply for £6 Million A Year Fund

The recreational sea angling community is among those applicable to funding under the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme which has earmarked £18 million over the next three years for England’s seafood sector.

The Fisheries and Seafood Scheme (FaSS) re-launched last week with the ambition of supporting “the long-term sustainability, resilience, and prosperity of the seafood sector across England”. At least £6 million in funding has been secured every year until 2025 to support projects that enhance the marine environment and develop the sector sustainably.

Funding will be available for projects that address the following outcomes:

• Creating a more sustainable and resilience sector
• Boosting the demand for English seafood and accessing new markets
• Improving participation through co-design and co-management
• Achieving good environmental status through the conservation and restoration of the marine environment
• Supporting net zero through reducing emissions within the industry

Examples of projects that can be considered for funding include improvements to the resilience and sustainability of shore-based facilities, health and safety and marine conservation projects such as litter and habitat improvement. Additional funding rounds will also be announced for a defined period later in the year. Projects that would negatively affect or increase the exploitation of fish stocks will not be considered. For further information on projects that would and would not be applicable please visit the website.

For the first time, the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme will now support multi-year projects which can be completed up until the end of February 2025 alongside single-year projects. All projects will be assessed for value for money, benefits to be delivered, affordability and deliverability.

It’s important to note that this scheme is facilitated through matched funding by applicants. Please refer to the guidance documents to see the latest rates that apply.

The scheme is administered by the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on behalf of Defra. The MMO has a team ready to provide advice and support to potential applicants. The Angling Trust advises all potential applicants from the recreational sea angling community to make full use of this service. Queries can be directed to [email protected]

For further information and guidance please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/fisheries-and-seafood-scheme

Hannah Rudd, Policy & Advocacy Manager said “It’s with great pleasure that we can share that the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme has been re-launched. Under the Fisheries Act (2020) the recreational sea angling community are able to apply for this funding, and we look forward to funds being provided to support the sustainability of the sector. We urge anglers, skippers and sea angling clubs to consider applying for funding through the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme and to make full use of the support available through the Marine Management Organisation. If your project is not fundable through the Fisheries and Seafood Scheme, please get in touch, as it may be fundable through other government funding pathways, such as the UK Seafood Scheme.”