MP Angus hits back at seafood scheme saying it's not good enough.

There's a real worry that some in this sector will struggle to survive without proper financial aid.

Isles SNP MP Angus MacNeil says criteria for the Seafood Disruption Support Scheme (SDSS) must be altered to ensure that parts of the sector do not miss out on vital funding.

Mr MacNeil has tabled questions to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to ask that the criteria and funding allocation for this scheme be looked at again and to ensure that the correct support is available.

Commenting Mr MacNeil said: “The damage done to our seafood sector because of Boris Johnson’s Brexit Deal is being widely felt across Scotland.

“I have great concerns that the UK Government’s Seafood Disruption Support Scheme does not go far enough to compensate the seafood sector for their financial losses.

“The scheme asks that the sector needs to prove verifiable financial losses, but this is not wide ranging enough criteria for those who have had to cancel orders, had customers cancel orders or have had to freeze product resulting in 80% less product value, as well as the groupage issues many have faced while exporting to market.

“The industry has also rightly expressed their disappointment in the narrow criteria for the scheme. There has been no consultation with the industry about this scheme, it has simply been prescribed to them.”

The Chief Executive of Seafood Scotland, Donna Fordyce, earlier commente: “We hoped the £23m would go some way to alleviating the pressure, while the existing problems could be resolved. However, the initial industry feedback is one of disappointment, with many companies instantly realising they will be ineligible for support.

Mr MacNeil added: “I am calling on the Chancellor to expand the criteria for this scheme, £23 million will not go far enough to account for the losses faced by the industry.

"It has been 40 days since the Tories disastrous Brexit came into play, the Scottish fishing industry estimate that Brexit is costing them over £1 million a day meaning that this scheme already needs to be greater and so I urge the Chancellor to top up this scheme as a matter of some urgency.”