Tag Archives: Scottish Seafood Association
SNP and Greens face fight on HPMAs as salmon farmers and fishers join forces in ‘Seafood Coalition’
Scotland’s nationalist government is facing a huge fight on its proposal for Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), amid claims they are being used to appease the Scottish Green Party. The country’s salmon farmers and fishers have joined forces to launch a petition against the move at Holyrood. The ‘Seafood Coalition’ wants to see the plans, which could limit activities such as fishing and aquaculture in 10 per cent of Scottish waters, scrapped. The SNP and Greens claim the zones will “provide high levels of protection” for the marine environment. The coalition includes Salmon Scotland, the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, Seafood Scotland, Scottish Association of Fish Producers’ Organisations, Community Fisheries Inshore Alliance and Scottish Seafood Association. >click to read< 10:28
No auction at Peterhead Fish Market after boycott by processors
The Aberdeenshire town is the biggest white fish port in Europe and the market is one of the largest. The dispute centres around Peterhead Port Authority’s decision to stop certain buying practices which it said are anti-competitive. It operates as a traditional shout auction with processors bidding for boxes of fish landed at the harbour. Until recently, as part of that, the practice of so-called bid sharing or ringing was commonly used, which is when buyers sometimes bid in groups rather than individually. However, Peterhead Port Authority, which runs the market, is putting a stop to this. >click to read< 07:29
New measures announced to boost Scots seafood industry
The Scottish Government has published its first strategy for the seafood sector, detailing how the fishing and aquaculture sectors are being supported to remain internationally competitive and attract skills and talent to some of Scotland’s most rural and coastal areas – despite the challenges of the post-Brexit trading environment. The strategy also highlights ongoing work to monitor and manage the marine space, so that consumers can have confidence in the sustainability of Scottish seafood. >click to read< 07:49
Jimmy Buchan: energy costs will drive fish processors out of business
Mr Buchan has sent a letter to the two candidates vying to become Prime Minister, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, ahead of their campaigning visits to Scotland tomorrow. In the letter Mr Buchan, the chief executive of the Scottish Seafood Association, warned that on top of Brexit and Covid, escalating fuel costs were having a “devastating impact on our ability to remain viable”. Meanwhile, the body representing the fishing industry has also issued an open letter to the prospective PMs. Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, highlighted the need for “fairer decision making” over use of the seas in order to prevent fishing becoming “collateral damage” ahead of the spansion of wind farms. >click to read< 15:21
Scottish fishing chief blasts latest Good Fish Guide as ‘blatantly anti-fishing’
Jimmy Buchan has branded a prominent marine preservation group as a “blatantly anti-fishing organisation” after it urged consumers to stop buying crab and lobster landed in the north-east. It is its latest Good Fish Guide, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) found that Shetland brown crab was the only “best choice” option in the UK. Now Scottish seafood processors have launched a scathing attack on the charity over misleading advice given in its latest guide to sustainable fisheries. >click to read< 17:49
Scottish seafood left to rot with exports tangled in Brexit bureaucracy, exports could grind to a halt
The Scottish Seafood Association said exports to the EU are being hindered by “red tape” delays in Scotland and France. It claims as many as 25 trucks were backlogged for clearance due to IT problems in Boulogne on Tuesday. Jimmy Buchan, chief executive of the Scottish Seafood Association, said: “Trucks laden with fresh seafood are being held up in central Scotland due to problems with customs barcodes and lack of veterinary service capacity. >click to read< 12:25
Monkfish Price Tumble in Scotland Shows Pain of French Shutdown
At the Peterhead fishing port in Scotland, prices for haddock and monkfish were inverted on Monday, skewed by a closed border with France and a ticking clock that threatened to render some of its catch worthless. The price gyrations mark the latest setback for the U.K. fishing industry, With French borders closed since Sunday, thousands of pounds of seafood could be left to rot in lorries that would normally speed through the Port of Dover to Europe. “This is the most important sales week of the year and it’s been caught up in a hurricane,” said Jimmy Buchan, chief executive officer of the Scottish Seafood Association. “We’ve got Brexit, we’ve got Covid and now on the back of Covid we’ve got this further restriction.” >click to read< 10:34
Jimmy Buchan warns no-deal Brexit ‘will hurt’ Scottish fishing industry
The warnings come just days after the final round of scheduled talks between London and Brussels broke off, with EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier accusing his opposite number, David Frost, of not showing “any true will” to reach a deal. Since the outset of negotiations the EU has demanded “status quo” access to UK waters, which would essentially mean a continuation of the common fisheries policy, something that has been categorically rejected by Boris Johnson. Jimmy Buchan, chief executive of the Scottish Seafood Association, told the Commons environment committee that, despite the differences, a deal must be done “no question”. >click to read< 16:57
Cod Crusader Carol Adams wants Scots to boycott French produce
She believes consumers should stop buying wine from France’s best grape-growing regions, Champagne and Camembert cheese because French retailers are turning their backs on Scottish fish. The row sparked when the Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association (SWFPA) claimed French fishers had applied pressure “through political routes” to make sure France’s largest retailers only purchased their catch – including fish from Scottish waters – at auction. SWFPA chief executive Mike Park said: “The genesis of their actions is unclear but understood to be linked to poor returns for a quantity of French fish. “What is clear is the impact their actions will have for Scottish fishermen, with exports of fish to France now reduced to very low levels. >click to read< 17:18
David Duguid: Coronavirus putting “huge strain” on sector – There is no question that the Covid-19 crisis is putting huge strain on our seafood sector. Boats that should be out fishing are tied up in harbours across the north-east. >click to read< scroll down.
Coronavirus: North-east fishing chiefs fear Holyrood funding package may not be enough to rescue ‘all’ of industry
More than 1,000 businesses dependent on fishing are now eligible for financial assistance. The scheme will help businesses operating a vessel larger than 12 meters, about 40ft, to land shellfish by providing capped payments of up to £21,370. Those operating more than one boat could be eligible for up to £42,740. Chief executive of Peterhead-based Scottish Seafood Association, Jimmy Buchan, said the processing sector welcomed measures to ensure it would still have catches to sell. He said: “I welcome the new funding and I hope it is enough to save all of the industry, and not just part of it. “Fishermen and processors play a significant role in feeding the nation, now even more so. We play an important part in keeping people healthy.” >click to read< 07:23
