Fishermen in Southwold are celebrating the arrival of new equipment for the whole community after being awarded the first-ever grant from Orsted’s Hornsea 3 Fishing Fund.
Members of Southwold Fishermen’s Association used the pot of almost £10,000 to buy and share a fish skinning machine, a pressure washer to clean out their boats, equipment and fish boxes, as well as a weighing scale which is linked up with the Catch App to more easily calculate the total catch.
Association member Simon Drake (pictured using the pressure washer) said: “It was very straightforward to apply for funding and the Orsted team offered invaluable assistance when necessary. We were kept updated and we received the money as soon as our grant was approved.
“The equipment has provided an array of benefits to commercial fishermen from accurate landing weights, vastly improved high pressure cleaning equipment for boats, pots, fish boxes etc… and the ability to process local fish and improve financial returns on catch.
“We will continue to build on this positive relationship with Orsted and intend to apply for further grant funding to provide improved facilities for local fishermen.”
The Hornsea 3 Fishing Fund was set up to support fishing communities in areas near Orsted’s artificial nesting structures for kittiwake. These structures protect against potential impacts from Hornsea 3 and provide specially designed homes for this endangered sea bird.
Commercial fisheries manager at Orsted Lee Thompson said: “The purpose of these funds is to help finance, set up and support community projects that are a direct benefit to the local fishing industry.
“Money can be used for a range of reasons including upgrading fishing port infrastructure, supporting training in the fishing industry, improving safety and providing necessary equipment.”
Communities along the coast from just above Lowestoft down to Sizewell (including Southwold and Minsmere) are eligible to apply for the fund, which provides £20,000 yearly until 2027. The Southwold Fishermen’s Association was awarded £9944.
Located in the North Sea, Hornsea 3 is approximately 120km off the Norfolk coast and 160km off the Yorkshire coast in the UK.
Once operational, it will have a capacity of 2.9GW, generating enough clean electricity to power more than 3 million UK homes.