Stonehaven is to host an engagement event that could help open a £1.2 million fund for sustainable development in Aberdeenshire fisheries communities.
The community is being encouraged to turn out in numbers and make their voices heard.
Four events will take place this month, aimed at helping fisheries industries and communities benefit from the European cash.
Aberdeenshire Council officers are seeking approval from councillors to try to draw down money from the £4.5 million European Fisheries Fund’s Axis 4 resource.
Its purpose is to increase capacity of fishing communities and business networks to build knowledge and skills, and help innovation and co-operation.
Seeking to promote economic diversification and build capacity in fisheries-dependent communities across the EU, it comes with the proviso there must be no consequent increase in catching effort.
The programme will be managed by Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs), which will represent the fisheries areas in which they are based and implement an Axis 4 local development strategy for their area.
The programme for this area will be managed by the Aberdeenshire FLAG, a partnership between the public, private and civic sectors.
The local FLAG will develop and implement a Local Fisheries Development Strategy (LFDS) and will assess and approve applications for funding under the project.Views soughtMarine Scotland has identified Aberdeenshire as one of the key beneficiary fisheries areas under the programme, allocating a provisional budget of £1.2 million from the resource, which will require match-funding by the public sector.
It is thought much of the match-funding required will draw upon council and other programmes already approved, or in preparation, such as Regeneration Priority Zones.
Public sector partners could include organisations such as Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Coastal Communities Fund (Crown Estate) and the National Lottery.
Local communities are encouraged to submit views on strategic priorities for the strategy, beginning at the public meetings.
The first of the Aberdeenshire public meetings will be held at the Invercarron Resource Centre in Stonehaven on Tuesday, August 16, at 6.30pm.
Community-driven projects are encouraged, including those relating to local harbours, tourism, food and drink, renewable energy, training and environmental protection.
The intended beneficiaries include micro, small and medium sized enterprises, third sector organisations and public sector organisations.
All sections of the community with an interest are invited to attend the meeting.
At the infrastructure services committee (ISC) on August 18, councillors will be asked to commit the council to securing public-sector match-funding, identifying and recruiting appropriate candidates to sit on the FLAG, providing the chairman and bearing some of the set-up and administrative costs.
The Aberdeenshire LFDS will have to be drawn up and submitted to Marine Scotland by September 9, following consultation with local stakeholders to determine regional priorities.’Active part’ encouragedISC chairman Peter Argyle said, “We really need folk from local fisheries communities to attend and engage at the meetings, to help identify which programme priorities are appropriate for their area.
“Their views will then be incorporated into the strategy, which will define which types of projects are most likely to be supported when it launches towards the end of this year.”
ISC vice-chairwoman Jill Webster said, “These four events are open to all and we would like to see as many people as possible there we would strongly encourage people from coastal communities to attend and play an active part.
“We are working to a very tight timescale, as the strategy needs to be submitted by September 9, and although responses can be emailed to the council until around September 5, the public meetings are the best opportunity for communities to have their say.”
Budgets will be confirmed by Marine Scotland during October.
It is anticipated FLAGs will become operational and consider project applications in November.
The Axis 4 programme will contribute to a number of the council’s economic development priorities, including encouraging businesses to be more market-focused and add value, working with partners to strengthen the market for Aberdeenshire fisheries, helping businesses to develop new products or enter new markets, and helping to safeguard existing jobs.
It has the potential to lead to new employment opportunities in previously fisheries dependent communities.
At £1.2 million, Aberdeenshire has a significant share of the Scottish budget of £4.5 million.
Funds need to be committed by the end of 2013, although the cash drawdown period extends to the end of 2015.
Photo used under Creative Commons licence courtesy of Flickr user glenbowman.