A bid to attract European fisheries funding to Aberdeenshire has been successful. The Scottish Government has allocated nearly £1.1 million to the area from the European Fisheries Fund Axis 4. This will be matched by an equal sum from the public sector.
Date:
Tue, 17 Jan 2012
Source:
Aberdeenshire Council
The purpose of the European fund is to promote sustainable development of fisheries areas by supporting measures to build skills and knowledge and generally increase the capacity of local fishing communities and business networks through innovation, collaboration and diversification.
The programme is managed by Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs), which represent the fisheries area in which they are based, and who are responsible for devising and implementing an Axis 4 development strategy.
The local programme will be managed by the Aberdeenshire Fisheries Local Action Group. The fisheries industry, the public and third sectors are all represented on the Aberdeenshire FLAG, whose members will assess and approve applications.
AEFF is the abbreviation for European Fisheries Fund Axis 4 in Aberdeenshire.
Chair of the Aberdeenshire FLAG and Head of Economic Development at Aberdeenshire Council, Belinda Miller, said: “The Minister’s announcement of EFF Axis 4 funding for Aberdeenshire is excellent news and most welcome.
“I believe AEFF will be tremendously beneficial in so many ways for coastal Aberdeenshire.
“Work to recruit an AEFF coordinator and provide application forms and guidance is already well underway and we aim to launch AEFF at the end of March.”
Local fisheries communities and industries stand to benefit from the cash, which represents a significant share of the Scottish budget of £4.5 million.
Axis 4 aims to promote economic diversification and increase the capacity of fisheries communities across the EU through support for ‘bottom up’ projects to build knowledge and skills and in turn facilitate innovation and cooperation in fisheries areas, but without increasing catching effort.
To enable drawdown of EU funds, AEFF projects will require to secure match-funding from public sector sources such as Aberdeenshire Council, the Coastal Communities Fund (Crown Estate), Seafood Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, the National Lottery and Landfill Tax.
The AEFF Programme budget requires to be committed by the end of 2013, although the cash drawdown period extends to the end of 2015.
In particular, Axis 4 will support projects which promote:
- the strengthening and competitiveness of fisheries areas
- restructuring and redirecting economic activities
- business diversification and value-adding activities
- supporting small fisheries and tourism-related infrastructure and services
- for the benefit of small fisheries communities
- protecting the environment in fisheries areas
- re-establishing the production potential following natural and industrial disasters
- inter-regional and trans-national co-operation.
Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC) endorsed the council’s role as Lead Partner for the Axis 4 programme in Aberdeenshire in August.
Council officers were asked to undertake the necessary work to establish the FLAG and carry out community consultation to develop the Local Fisheries Development Strategy for Aberdeenshire. This was submitted to Marine Scotland in September.
Chairman of Aberdeenshire Council’s Infrastructure Services Committee (ISC), Cllr Peter Argyle, said: “Fisheries communities are a key part of Aberdeenshire’s economic and cultural landscape and we warmly welcome the news that the area will benefit from Axis 4 funding to enable local groups to further enhance those assets.
“The AEFF programme aims to support a very broad range of potential projects and I hope this announcement will encourage and motivate community groups and small businesses to work up their proposals in preparation for the launch of AEFF in March, by which time we expect to have a coordinator in post to help advise project organisers and guide them through the application process.”
ISC Vice-chair Cllr Jill Webster said: “A considerable amount of preparation has already gone into AEFF to engage with local fisheries areas and help ensure that Axis 4 fulfils its full potential.
“Identifying suitable sources of public sector match funding will be an important factor. The Council has been in touch with potential co-funders and is looking closely at how it can make best use of existing resources for the benefit of the programme.
“Since the AEFF community engagement events there has been a steady flow of enquiries from interested groups and businesses.
“Our coastal communities are full of resourceful and well organised folk who know a good opportunity when they see one and I am confident there will be no shortage of applications for the FLAG to consider.”
Anyone with an interest in AEFF is invited to download, complete and submit the AEFF Expression of Interest form on the council website.
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