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

Aquaculture Hardship Fund

Name of Grant:

Aquaculture Hardship Fund

Policy Lead

Nikki Milne, Marine Scotland

Legal power used:

Section 37 of the Aquaculture and Fisheries (Scotland) Act 2007

Grant Overview:

Applicants who applied for a grant under the Aquaculture Hardship Fund were required to demonstrate that the business operates on a full-time basis and have suffered hardship as a result of the loss or reduction of domestic and international food markets due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The intervention was to protect the future of Scotland’s aquaculture sector in the short term, so that they can continue to provide food and employment in the long term. The Scottish Government acted immediately, providing a package of financial support for our most vulnerable fishing businesses, with payments to be made direct to eligible shellfish growing and trout farming businesses, this includes mussels, oysters and scallops, many of which operate in remote and island communities.

The support was provided through grants. The maximum level of grant varied depending on the business and the application, with payments capped at a maximum of £27,000 / eligible business.

The Aquaculture Hardship Fund we have developed will see an initial payment of 50% of two months’ average gross monthly revenue being made to eligible active Scottish registered shellfish and trout farming businesses that are authorised under the Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009. This includes mussels, oysters, scallops and trout businesses many of which operate in remote and island communities. These are the aquaculture businesses we have identified as being most immediately impacted by Covid-19. It is also important that this initial support goes to those who need it most and make a living wholly or predominantly from aquaculture production. As a result only those shellfish growing businesses with annual earnings above £15,000, and all those trout farming businesses with annual earnings above £20,000 will be eligible which is a threshold similar to previous schemes.

Executive Summary:

The Scottish Ministers made available a round of funding for the Aquaculture Hardship Fund, to provide emergency support to authorised shellfish growers and trout farming businesses who have lost all or part of their relevant market due to the Covid-19 pandemic with support available up to £3 million.

The purpose of the Aquaculture Hardship Fund was to provide support to businesses that have encountered severe hardship as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Aquaculture Hardship Fund had to be set up at pace and 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 these funds it is considered that protected characteristics were unlikely to be affected. The immediate priority was to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic and help all Scottish shellfish and trout businesses, particularly in our most remote and fragile communities that were encountering severe hardship as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic survive.

In delivering these funds we spoke to key representatives of the sector and gathered intelligence which 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 support and guidance available, in writing to applicants, and on the Marine Scotland website.

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

Age: Older People and Children and Young People

Children and young people would not be directly affected by the fund.

Sex: Men and Women

Data was not available to assess the impact/specific characteristic is not likely to be affected.

Race

Data was not available to assess the impact/specific characteristic is not likely to be affected.

Disability

Data was not available to assess the impact/specific characteristic is not likely to be affected.

Religion and Belief

Data was not available to assess the impact/specific characteristic is not likely to be affected.

Sexual Orientation

Data was not available to assess the impact/specific characteristic is not likely to be affected.

Pregnancy and maternity

Data was not available to assess the impact/specific characteristic is not likely to be affected.

Gender reassignment

Data was not available to assess the impact/specific characteristic is not likely to be affected.

Marriage or Civil Partnership

Data was not available to assess the impact/specific characteristic is not likely to be affected.

Socio-economic disadvantage: any people experiencing poverty

Data was not available to assess the impact / specific characteristic is not likely to be affected. The fund helped to support a number of shellfish and trout businesses in Scotland’s most remote and fragile communities.

Stakeholder Engagement:

We have had discussions with the key representatives of this sector including the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers. It was highlighted that as a result of Covid-19, Scottish shellfish growers were facing hardship as a result of lost access to export markets as well as domestic food service markets. The evidence gathered made it clear that if emergency funding for the sector wasn’t put in place immediately, then some of these businesses would not survive.

We designed a streamlined application process, enabling grants to be paid as quickly and efficiently as possible in the exceptional circumstances.

Mitigations:

No adverse impacts were identified on groups with protected characteristics.

Support was made available to potential applicants requesting advice in completing the application form.

Next Steps (if any)

The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with aquaculture industry representatives, including keeping the support package under review as the situation evolves.

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: Donald Carmichael

Date: 10 December 2021