Over £16m awarded to Scottish fisheries and aquaculture projects

More than £16 million will be awarded to 99 Scottish seafood and aquaculture projects under Marine Fund Scotland 2026-27, aimed at supporting 122 jobs across coastal and island communities. The funding covers data collection on fish stock health, safety training, and trials of new net technologies, with several priority projects led by groups including Seafood Scotland, Seafish, Salmon Scotland and the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation. Aquaculture receives the largest share at £5.4 million, followed by sea fisheries with £4.7 million. Seafood processing gets £2.0 million and marketing £1.8 million, alongside smaller allocations for recreational fishing and wild salmon (£1.5m), tackling marine litter (£0.5m), and marine planning and conservation (£0.4m). Minister Jim Fairlie said the fund has backed 499 projects since 2021, generating more than £185m investment.