Politics
Norway fighting fake news on salmon
THE Norwegian Seafood Council has revealed it is spending a lot of time and resources fighting fake news reports circulating around the safety of farmed salmon. The battleground appears to be concentrated in Asia – and South Korea, in particular. Salmon exports to that country have increased by 172 per cent in volume and 300…
Read MoreMowi expects to move sites within two years
PLANS by Mowi Scotland to relocate two of its inshore farms to offshore sites could happen within two years, the company’s managing director, Ben Hadfield, told BBC Radio Scotland this morning. The proposals, announced by Mowi last week, to move the sites at Loch Ewe and Loch Duich were driven by the need to produce…
Read MoreIndustry pays tribute to Tavish as he bows out of politics
THE Scottish salmon industry has paid tribute to one of its staunchest champions, Tavish Scott, as he stands down from frontline politics. The former Liberal Democrat leader and MSP for the Shetlands was elected to the first parliament 20 years ago and has long celebrated the impact of aquaculture in his constituency and beyond. During…
Read MoreSSPO seeks new chair in ‘period of change’
THE Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation is recruiting for a new chairman to ‘help drive the SSPO agenda forward and to bring rigour and focus to the board’. The successful candidate will replace Gilpin Bradley, managing director of Wester Ross Fisheries, who stepped into the post two and a half years ago. The organisation, which currently…
Read MoreCrown Estate shake-up empowers local communities
LOCAL communities will have more say in how the seabed and coastline is managed as changes to the Scottish Crown Estate come into force. Crown Estate Scotland launched the Local Pilots Management Scheme in 2018 to create opportunities for organisations to get more involved in managing Crown assets. Four communities – Orkney Islands Council, Shetland…
Read MoreHow UK can narrow global ‘protein gap’
AN insect feed lobbying group has called on the UK government to support the growth of its sector, which it said could help narrow the global ‘protein gap’. The Insect Biomass Conversion Task and Finish Group (IBCTFG) said the insect for feed industry could transform agri-food productivity in the UK. The sector could be worth…
Read MoreSea lice legislation next year says Ewing
THE Scottish government is to introduce new legislation next year requiring all marine fish farms to report weekly sea lice levels, one week in arrears, it was announced today. Fergus Ewing, Rural Economy and Connectivity Secretary, outlined the first part of a programme of regulatory reform in the industry, following two parliamentary inquiries into the…
Read MoreFishermen’s champion Bertie to bow out
THE fisheries leader who has spearheaded the fight to take British fishermen out of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is to leave his post in the autumn, it was announced yesterday. Bertie Armstrong, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) for the past 14 years, has driven Brexit talks on behalf of the industry.…
Read MoreChina suspends direct Scottish route
THE only direct flights between Scotland and China are to be suspended from September, according to reports. The route, which opened less than a year ago, was described by salmon companies as a huge advantage in getting fresh fish to the growing Chinese export market as quickly as possible. The freight service, which provided an…
Read MoreScottish seafood’s blueprint for growth
SCOTLAND’S seafood industry has launched a growth blueprint that includes strategies for better marketing, access to funding, improving skills and building processing capacity. The 18-point ‘action plan’ has been launched on the eve of the world’s biggest seafood show, beginning in Brussels on Tuesday, with Scottish companies and seafood representatives expected to be out in…
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