Seafood Scotland has launched a strategic action plan designed to be a catalyst for change in Scotland’s seafood sector.
In the ‘Changing Tides’ foreword, cabinet secretary for the rural economy, Fergus Ewing, said he welcomes the plan which will help deliver the next steps to drive the sector forward. "Key building blocks are the need for sustainable management of resources and a willingness to innovate, helping to create investment and maintain high-value jobs, often in the most remote and rural communities in Scotland,” he said.
The plan aims to effect change under four key themes of marketing development and brand, investment and innovation, people and skills and the supply chain. The report highlights 18 actions to be delivered by various bodies including industry representatives and local and national government.
Scottish seafood’s reputation is global, reaching to Brussels, Boston, Beijing and beyond. Recent figures show that around 466,000 tonnes of fish are landed each year in Scotland and, along with just under 200,000 tonnes of farmed seafood, the value equates to around £560 million.
Around 64% of the UK fishing fleet is Scottish, but the economic impact of their catch goes much further, with 8,380 processing jobs across 150 sites, and a further 12,000 jobs supported by the wider aquaculture sector.
Patrick Hughes, Head of Seafood Scotland said: “Changing Tides is the beginning of a process – to clearly set out the steps required to help the Scottish seafood sector reach its long-term potential.
