04.12.06
Grant for new fish filleting machine

Fresh & Freeze Company Limited, a fish processing business based in Hayle, has recently had Objective One fisheries investment of over £12,000 to purchase and install a fish filleting machine. The new machine is capable of heading, gutting and filleting the sardines and herring, fish which are landed by the company's own fishing vessel into Newlyn Harbour. This means that the company can market fresh and frozen fillets of sardines and herring as well as whole fish and this means more income to the region from each fish caught.

Before the machine was purchased the company headed and gutted approximately 5% of its fish by hand, and none of it was filleted. Heading and gutting the fish is a time consuming and expensive process, so it was not economically viable to head and gut any more fish than this.

The machine will allow the company to produce a consistent supply of a quality products as well as creating new job opportunities within the company.

Nicky Harrison, Objective One Fisheries Project Officer commented: "This is a simple yet highly beneficial project that will not only add value to Cornish fish products, but will also create two new jobs in the Cornish fishing industry."

Stefan Glinski, owner of Fresh & Freeze Company Limited, added: "This will help to develop the Cornish sardine fishery and will lead to the establishment of value added products from Cornwall in all the multiple retail outlets."

For further information contact Clare Leverton of the Objective One Fisheries Programme on 01872 270333 or email admin@swpesca.co.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in fisheries through the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance (FIFG) Fund.

Editor's notes:

Cornwall's Objective One Fisheries programme will provide over £10 million from April 2001 to December 2006 to the fishing industry in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. The funds are a mixture of EU and national funds, through the Financial Instruments for Fisheries Guidance fund (FIFG) and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The projects are approved by the Marine Fisheries Agency in partnership with an Objective One Fisheries Priority Management Group, made up of local fishing sector representatives. South West Pesca Ltd helps applicants to develop projects by providing guidance and help on completing application forms and submitting applications.

Up to 40% (35% EU and 5% National) grants are available for the private sector projects and 75% grants for the public sector projects. So far 275 projects have been approved with £7,699,202.96 of funds committed to these projects.

Examples of projects funded by the Objective One Programme:

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

back to top