Hastings Borough Council is pleased to announce that they have been awarded a share of £4.8 million in the latest round of funding.
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) made the announcement this week (01 November) that £800,000 funding under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) has been offered to each of the six Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs).
Hastings, Cornwall, Dorset and East Devon, Holderness, North of Tyne and North Thames will each receive £800,000 to progress their local development strategies to benefit and develop fisheries, coastal communities and the wider supply chain infrastructure
“This is really excellent news and our thanks must go to all who have been involved in supporting the FLAG programme and developing the bid for the second round of funding” said Cllr Dawn Poole vice chair of FLAG and the council’s lead member for regeneration.
She added: “As a small scale fishery there are several challenges from the Common Fisheries Policy reforms, which may or may not change as a result of leaving the EU, and this local development strategic will work to mitigate some of these challenges at a local level. Now with this new funding in place we hope to start implementation of the programme early in 2017”
Commenting on the offer of funding to FLAGs MMO Chief Executive John Tuckett said:
“We are delighted to be able to offer such significant funding to each of the FLAGs. Having worked with the FLAGs to develop their strategies and help them through the EMFF FLAG selection process over the last 11 months it is very rewarding to reach the point where these strategies can come to fruition.
We look forward to seeing the benefit the FLAGs will bring to their local areas, the wider fisheries sector and fishing communities as a whole”