In response to the ways in which the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting market conditions for seafood products, the Welsh fishing community is being invited to apply to a £1million fund.

The fund by Welsh Government is primarily to mitigate the effects to the fishing industry caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is co-financed by the Welsh Government and the European Commission, and will support investments in the small-scale coastal fleet and aquaculture.

However, any project selected under the programme will have to be completed within 12 months of July this year.

With the application window open, guidance is available along with a project oOutline form which should be submitted to Rural Payments Wales as soon as possible.

A full application will then be issued and will need to be completed and returned by the closing date of Friday, March 25.

All projects which have applied will be assessed on the information provided and will only be considered once the application window has closed.

Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said: “I’m pleased to be able to make £1 million available to support the fishing industry in what remains an incredibly challenging time.

“More than £15 million in approved grant awards has already been made for projects across Wales through the European Maritime Fisheries Fund, and a further £1 million of projects are under consideration.

“As the European Commission funding is only available until 2023, this £1million will primarily focus on providing support to help the industry mitigate the ongoing impact of Covid and adapt to the changes in the market for seafood products.

“I encourage all with an interest to submit a project outline form to Rural Payments Wales as soon as possible, before completing a full application by March 25.”

Details of the fund guidance can be found on the Welsh Government website.

For further assistance, applicants should contact the Rural Payments Wales Customer Contact Centre on 0300 062 5004.

The long-term European Maritime Fisheries Fund replacement scheme is currently being developed and is expected to be available later this year.