Cooke Scotland is one of 67 different projects sharing GBP 14 million (USD 18 million, EUR 16 million) in grants from the Scottish government geared toward marine industries and coastal and island communities.
Marine Fund Scotland supports eligible individuals, businesses, organizations, and communities by funding projects that help support Scotland’s “Blue Economy” policy, which was revealed in 2022. Scotland First Minister John Swinney announced the latest round of funding during an event in Shetland, unveiling how the fund will provide assistance for everything from the needs of individual fishermen to widespread marketing efforts for Scottish seafood.
“Our island and coastal communities and the marine industries based here make a huge contribution to Scotland – not just to our economy but also to our efforts to drive innovation and sustainability,” Swinney said. “I’m very pleased, therefore, to be here in Shetland to confirm these awards to a wide range of projects, all of which have demonstrated that they will help to drive innovation in the marine sector and help sustain coastal communities.”
Cooke Scotland was among the 67 projects granted funding, with Marine Fund Scotland contributing GBP 374,000 (USD 486,000, EUR 448,000) to a GBP 1.25 million (USD 1.63 million, EUR 1.5 million) project that will install a new feeding system.
“We are grateful for the grant assistance which will enable us to trial and develop a new waterborne feed delivery method where rural communities such as Shetland can continue feeding the world with premium Scottish salmon,” Cooke Scotland Shetland Regional Manager David Brown said.
Brown said the system is designed to help minimize wildlife interactions, reduce energy consumption, and reduce other environmental challenges. The system will also be more durable than older systems, he said.
Hendrix Genetics also received GBP 660,000 (USD 858,000, EUR 792,000) in funding toward a GBP 4.4 million (USD 5.7 million, EUR 5.3 million) project to expand its Ormsary site, and Blue Shell Mussels Limited was granted GBP 641,000 (USD 833,000, EUR 769,000) for a GBP 1.28 million (USD 1.66 million, EUR 1.54 million) project to upgrade its mussel-growing processes.
“Other awards to island-based businesses include for Vonin Scotland to help establish a net service station for the aquaculture sector at Kyleakin on Skye, initially creating 15 new jobs,” Marine Fund Scotland said. “This project means nets will now only need to be transported a short distance by boat rather than via an extended road journey to the Central Belt, reducing CO2 emissions, and will improve recycling rates of nets preventing material ending up in landfill or incineration.”
According to Marine Fund Scotland, this year is the last year that funds for projects are guaranteed from the government, and the fund is awaiting confirmation of its budget from 2025-2026 onward.
