The Welsh government has announced a £1 million fund to help the Welsh fishing industry adapt to the “rapidly changing market conditions” for seafood products.

The European Maritime Fisheries Fund (EMFF) is co-financed by the Welsh government and the European Commission and has supported projects in Wales since being introduced in 2014.

The £1 million funding will, in part, support improvements to the marketing and processing of fishery and aquaculture products. Projects selected and supported under the programme will have to be completed within a 12-month period starting from July 2022.

The EMFF application window is now open. Guidance is available for those interested in applying and a project outline form 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 25th March.

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.

“As the European Commission funding is only available until 2023, this £1 million 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.”

The Welsh government said a long term EMFF replacement scheme is currently being developed and is expected to be available later this year.

Details of the EMFF programme and scheme guidance can be found on the Welsh government website.