Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon has condemned the UK Government’s allocation of the new £360 million Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, branding the funding share for Scotland’s fishing industry “totally unacceptable.”
Scotland is set to receive just £28 million, only 7.78% of the total fund despite making up nearly half of the UK’s fishing industry by size and economic value.
The Scottish Government had argued for a 46% share, amounting to £166 million, in line with the levels Scotland received from previous EU fisheries funding.
“The UK Government has chosen to ignore the needs of Scotland’s fishing industry and coastal communities,” said Ms Gougeon.
“This decision is an insult to Scotland and its vital fishing industry.”
According to the Scottish Government, the vast majority of the fund over £300 million will go to England, leaving Scottish fisheries underfunded at a time of growing economic strain.
Ms Gougeon said the allocation failed to recognise the scale of Scotland’s contribution to the sector and undermined fair funding principles.
“It is disastrously short of the share we sought,” she said.
The announcement comes as Scotland’s fishing sector faces a raft of challenges, from EU access agreements to complex negotiations over cod and mackerel quotas for 2026.
The Rural Secretary warned the shift in funding priorities could lead to a competitive disadvantage for Scottish vessels, with English fleets potentially enjoying higher subsidy support.
She also criticised the UK Government for abandoning a previously agreed approach that linked funding to fishing effort, a move the Scottish Government argues was vital for fairness and sustainability.
“This decision must be reversed because it is unjustifiable and it is unacceptable,” Ms Gougeon said.
“I am writing to the UK Government as a matter of urgency, calling for this decision to be reconsidered.”
