Export honours for Scottish salmon

MARINE Harvest and the Scottish Salmon Company have been shortlisted in a number of categories in the Scottish Export Awards, announced yesterday.
The two companies are both in the running for the Large Exporter of the Year prize, while Marine Harvest is also up for the High Growth Markets Exporter of the Year, and the Scottish Salmon Company has been shortlisted for the Most Entrepreneurial Exporter of the Year award.
Other Scottish shortlisted firms include Aqualife Services, nominated alongside St James Smokehouse for the Small Exporter of the Year accolade.
St James Smokehouse is also vying for the Export Team of the Year award, with John Ross Jr Aberdeen.
The awards, sponsored by HSBC in association with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, features companies from Shetland to the Scottish borders.
Judges from HSBC, Scottish Development International, Strathclyde Business School and BQ will meet towards the end of the month to decide the overall winners of each category and select the overall Scottish Exporter of the Year.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘Through our enterprise agencies and their international arm, Scottish Development International, we are focused on growing Scotland’s international ambition.
‘We recently announced Scotland’s international exports – excluding oil and gas – had grown to £29.8 billion in 2016.
‘This success is down to the hard work, determination and commitment from companies across Scotland and it’s right we should celebrate their efforts through events like this.’
Scottish salmon exports were valued at a record £600 million in 2017, according to the latest HMRC figures released on Friday.
The winners of the Scottish Export Awards will be announced at a black-tie dinner at the Hilton Hotel in Glasgow on March 22.