Coronavirus (COVID-19) business support: equality impact assessments

Sea Fisheries Hardship Fund – Fishing Vessels Over 12m

Name of Grant:

Sea Fisheries Hardship Fund (Tranche 2): Registered fishing vessels over 12 metres.

Policy Lead

Allan Gibb, Sea Fisheries Div.

Legal power used:

Section 37 of the Aquaculture & Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007 and EC Temporary Framework State Aid Measures to support the economy.

Grant Overview:

To support the Scottish fishing industry and its communities, providing emergency hardship support to business operating fishing vessels 12 metres and over in length who experienced market failure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Executive Summary:

The Scottish Government understands the impact COVID-19 has had on businesses, particularly those reliant on export markets, which is why £3.5 million has been committed to business support in this vessel sector. This emergency funding has supported otherwise strong and viable businesses, protecting the business base, jobs and livelihoods of people across a range of protected characteristics many of whom have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic due to the remoteness of their communities and volatility of markets, thus helping prepare for a stronger economic recovery.

In order to address the needs of this sector, which was adversely impacted by the pandemic, this business support fund was introduced at speed in order to provide emergency funding to help secure jobs, safeguard businesses and to alleviate immediate hardship.

Within this context of needing to react quickly, there was limited opportunity to gather evidence on the possible impacts of these measures. Nevertheless in developing this fund we spoke to a range of fisheries organisations representing people with one or more of the protected characteristics which included Inshore Fisheries Groups and trade bodies which are representative of the sector. We also drew from existing evidence and work undertaken in respect of Scotland’s Future Fisheries Management Strategy and its associated EQIA. Together this helped us shape the funds in a way which recognises the importance of assessing new and revised policies against the needs of the general equality duty as set out in section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not, and foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. The Scottish Government also considered whether the measures could constitute direct and/or indirect discrimination.

We are also mindful that the equality duty is not just about negating or mitigating negative impacts, we also have a positive duty to promote equality. We have sought to do this through provisions contained in the measures or by support and guidance available. For example we designed the fund to be in line with the principles of the National Performance Framework which supports a range of national outcomes including delivering a sustainable economy, delivering fair work and thriving businesses.

Key Findings - impact assessment of benefits and/or disadvantages.

Measures that provide support to people and businesses are expected to particularly positively affect people of different ages by supporting and safeguarding existing businesses and income streams across fishing communities and the wider supply and logistics chain. Communities and their varied demographics have been financially supported through the deployment of this hardship fund, protecting their income and helping to advance equality of opportunity. Those measures grants etc. have helped by supporting fishers and related businesses by maintaining incomes due to immediate loss of markets during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic and the implementation of lockdown measures. We sought to mitigate any potential equality negatives by basing eligibility criteria solely on the vessel track record:

• To deliver hardship support to certain sectors of the over 12m fishing fleet. Nephrop trawlers, scallop dredgers and creel boats (where nephrops consists of more than 50% of the value of their earnings in 2019).
• All vessels must have made a minimum of £20k landings value in 2019 to be eligible.
• Eligibility was only for those who have or will suffer market failure and not where alternative markets clearly remain.

Individual grant payments were based on a fully equitable basis:

• Up to £21,370 was granted per vessel.
• Payments were capped at £42,740 for businesses operating more than one vessel.

Age: Older People and Children and Young People

Children and young people would not be directly affected by Business Support funding, indeed they may well be indirectly supported though it is recognised that data was not available to assess the impact.

Further consideration of this characteristic as it relates to fisheries policy is undertaken in the EQIA in respect of the development of Scotland Future Fisheries Management Strategy - Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) record (www.gov.scot)

Sex: Men and Women

The immediate priority of the vessel hardship fund support was to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and help fisheries based businesses survive. We rightly focused our efforts on protecting as many businesses and jobs as possible, and we were determined nobody would be left behind, including women-led businesses.

The Covid19 business support schemes were designed to support established businesses, and the grants awarded reflect the pre-existing gender imbalance in the established business base.

Closing that gap will require a cross-government approach and we have made a commitment of £50m for the Women’s Business Centre over the course of this Parliament.

Further consideration of this characteristic as it relates to fisheries policy is undertaken in the EQIA in respect of the development of Scotland Future Fisheries Management Strategy - Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) record (www.gov.scot)

Race

The immediate priority of the vessel hardship fund support was to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and help fisheries based businesses survive. We rightly focused our efforts on protecting as many businesses and jobs as possible, and we were determined nobody would be left behind.

The fishing sector is heavily dependent on foreign crews and migrant workers. The seafood processing industry is heavily dependent on EU labour, with 70% of the workforce in the Grampian region being from the EU.

Further consideration of this characteristic as it relates to fisheries policy is undertaken in the EQIA in respect of the development of Scotland Future Fisheries Management Strategy - Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) record (www.gov.scot)

Disability

There is very little available information or data available about the employment of disabled people in different fishing industry roles.

The immediate priority of the vessel hardship fund support was to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and help fisheries based businesses survive. We rightly focused our efforts on protecting as many businesses and jobs as possible, and we were determined nobody would be left behind.

Further consideration of this characteristic as it relates to fisheries policy is undertaken in the EQIA in respect of the development of Scotland Future Fisheries Management Strategy - Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) record (www.gov.scot)

Religion and Belief

This specific characteristic is not likely to be affected and data was not available to assess the impact.

The immediate priority of the vessel hardship fund support was to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and help fisheries based businesses survive. We rightly focused our efforts on protecting as many businesses and jobs as possible, and we were determined nobody would be left behind.

Sexual Orientation

This specific characteristic is not likely to be affected and data was not available to assess the impact.

The immediate priority of the vessel hardship fund support was to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and help fisheries based businesses survive. We rightly focused our efforts on protecting as many businesses and jobs as possible, and we were determined nobody would be left behind.

Pregnancy and maternity

There is very little available information or data available about this protected characteristic in relation to employment in the fishing industry.

The immediate priority of the vessel hardship fund support was to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and help fisheries based businesses survive. We rightly focused our efforts on protecting as many businesses and jobs as possible, and we were determined nobody would be left behind.

Further consideration of this characteristic as it relates to fisheries policy is undertaken in the EQIA in respect of the development of Scotland Future Fisheries Management Strategy - Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) record (www.gov.scot)

Gender reassignment

There is very little available information or data available about this protected characteristic in relation to employment in the fishing industry.

The immediate priority of the vessel hardship fund support was to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and help fisheries based businesses survive. We rightly focused our efforts on protecting as many businesses and jobs as possible, and we were determined nobody would be left behind.

Further consideration of this characteristic as it relates to fisheries policy is undertaken in the EQIA in respect of the development of Scotland Future Fisheries Management Strategy - Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) record (www.gov.scot)

Marriage or Civil Partnership

This specific characteristic is not likely to be affected and data was not available to assess the impact.

The immediate priority of the vessel hardship fund support was to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and help fisheries based businesses survive. We rightly focused our efforts on protecting as many businesses and jobs as possible, and we were determined nobody would be left behind.

Socio-economic disadvantage: any people experiencing poverty

This specific characteristic is not likely to be affected and data was not available to assess the impact.

The immediate priority of the vessel hardship fund support was to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and help fisheries based businesses survive. We rightly focused our efforts on protecting as many businesses and jobs as possible, and we were determined nobody would be left behind.

Further consideration of this characteristic as it relates to fisheries policy is undertaken in the EQIA in respect of the development of Scotland Future Fisheries Management Strategy - Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) record (www.gov.scot)

Stakeholder Engagement:

We have engaged extensively with a broad range of stakeholders across Scotland in the development and delivery of the Sea Fisheries Hardship Fund, including key stakeholders, national organisations and representative bodies. This engagement also took in intel from Ministerial correspondence etc.

Mitigations

There are no negative impacts identified for any of the equality groups considered above. For those characteristics where we did not have any relevant existing evidence for assessing whether impacts would occur or not, we would be looking to review within the development of future policy and initiatives under Scotland’s Future Fisheries Management Strategy.

Next Steps (if any)

This was a time limited support scheme but sectoral support policy will continue to be reviewed under Scotland’s Future Fisheries Management Strategy (2020-2030).

Declaration and Publication

I have read the Equality Impact Assessment and I am satisfied that it represents a fair and reasonable view of the expected equality impact of the measures implemented.

Signed: Allan Gibb, Head of Sea Fisheries Division

Date: 20 December 2021