If all goes according to plan, the scheme will create 970 jobs in local food manufacturing.
Speaking at the Humber Seafood Summit last week, Jorgen Lund, md of the Norway-based North Atlantic Seafood Forum described Grimsby as “one of the most important seafood clusters in the world” and the bid as “critical”.
He said the seafood sector was under-communicated in the UK and the bid was a“fantastic opportunity” for growth.
Final decision
The bid has got through the first round of approval and the government will make a final decision in November.
Lund also praised Grimsby’s high competencies in processing and its strong interaction with retailers.
He said the sector was being eyed up by transatlantic investors as a growth industry for the future.
Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell predicted that “phenomenal growth” would be driven by global acquaculture, which is already a £3.3bn business in Norway.
Damien Jaines White, head of economic development at NELC – the team that has built the bid – said: “This is a true endorsement of everything we have done to date and highlights the case for foreign investment in to the UK, which will ultimately grow UK Plc.”
