Aquaculture: Finance

(asked on 15th March 2021) - View Source

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what support his Department is providing to (a) tilapia farmers and (b) other aquaculture businesses.


Answered by
Victoria Prentis Portrait
Victoria Prentis
Attorney General
This question was answered on 18th March 2021

In England funding is available through the Maritime and Fisheries Fund for applications from aquaculture businesses, including those that farm tilapia, looking to make the fisheries and aquaculture sectors more sustainable or to conserve the marine environment, as well as those seeking to adapt their seafood businesses to new trading requirements following EU exit. This funding is delivered by the Marine Management Organisation. Seafood businesses in the rest of the UK should contact their fisheries administrations to see what development support may be available to them.

In addition to this funding, on 9 March the Government opened the Seafood Response Fund which provides a one off grant payment to help businesses cover up to three months of average fixed costs between January and March 2021. This emergency scheme is targeted at catching and shellfish aquaculture businesses. All eligible business will be contacted and invited to apply by the Marine Management Organisation and we expect all payments to be made by 31 March.

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