More than 100 hard-pressed trawler crews have claimed almost £2million in financial aid as part of a Scottish Government hardship scheme.
The fund was set up to help fishermen through tough times and bring some family businesses back from the brink of collapse.
Poor landings of North Sea prawns had left skippers struggling to make ends meet and low catches also meant effort was switched to the already pressured white-fish sector.
Now, the Scottish Government has revealed that 113 vessels from across the country have shared in £1.9million of hardship grants.
More than £1.1million went to 59 boats in the north-east.
The government agreed to make payments to vessels that failed to achieve a net profit of £17,000 in 2013.
A total of 41 boats received the top award of £24,714 – the maximum amount available under EU state aid rules.
Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead underlined the significance of protecting the sector as he announced the awards last night.
“The fishing industry is very important to Scotland’s economy and contributed £500million last year,” he said.
“It is the lifeblood of many local communities, supporting over 5,000 coastal jobs across Scotland.
“These awards will help those experiencing substantial hardship to remain viable. The money can be used towards the costs of new or repaired sets of gear, along with some minor maintenance work or costs in maintaining lifesaving equipment.”
One of the most high-profile vessels to apply for funding was the Peterhead-registered Fruitful Bough, which featured in the BBC documentary series Trawlermen.
Skipper Robert West said: “It has been a very difficult few years for us, so these funds will certainly make a big difference and help pay the bills, which are always accumulating.”
Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, also welcomed the pay-outs.
“This assistance was fought for by the industry and agreed by the Scottish Government and we are very pleased to see the hardship scheme becoming a reality,” he said.
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