Fisheries

The first stage of an ambitious review of how fish farms are regulated is complete and the Scottish Government has accepted all its recommendations in principle.

The independent review is part of a programme to make the Scottish aquaculture regulatory system one of the most effective and transparent in the world and benefit rural communities.

Are you an onshore seafood business looking for support to upskill your team? 

Details of a financial package worth up to £9 million for Scotland’s vital tourism sector have been confirmed by Tourism Minister Ivan McKee. 

The funding package is to be administered by VisitScotland and will be split between affected businesses in the following areas:

An ambitious strategy which aims to bring the wild salmon population in Scotland back from crisis point has been launched.

Atlantic salmon is an iconic species featuring highly among the wildlife readily associated with Scotland at home and abroad.

Salmon are affected by a wide range of pressures, some at sea, but many others acting within the Scottish freshwater and coastal environments. A key contributory factor appears to be climate change.

Seafood Scotland has launched an innovation programme to stimulate new seafood tourism initiatives.

The pilot will see the trade body work with organisations to explore and support business diversification and to establish new tourism opportunities for the Scottish seafood industry.

Scottish Government scientists, collaborating with a Spanish university, have uncovered a new family and species of deepwater soft coral, from seas to the west of Scotland.

Better recycling of fishing equipment and changing what we flush down the toilet could help cut the amount of litter in Scotland’s waters.

These proposals are included in a consultation on an updated Marine Litter Strategy, which aims to prevent litter reaching our seas and shores, remove rubbish from the marine environment, and strengthen monitoring.

Last week the Scottish Government announced details of its budget programme for 2022-23 which underlines their commitment to rural and island communities and businesses.

Scotland’s budget underlines the Scottish Government’s commitment to rural and island communities and businesses.

The 2022-23 budget will see more than £650 million in ongoing support across the rural economy in agriculture, fishing, and seafood.