Seafood Scotland board welcomes new vice chair

“My organisation was a founder member of Seafood Scotland and it has been a privilege to see it evolve into a highly efficient body that is going from strength to strength in developing, marketing and promoting sustainable seafood. My appointment as vice-chair will help to strengthen representation of the northeast processing sector, and I hope that this remit will soon widen to cover the whole of Scotland,” he said.

“The processing industry, as all other seafood sectors, works in an increasingly challenging environment and we feel the time is right to seek increased political recognition and representation.  We need to ensure that government does not think the industry stops at the pier end, and our new organisation, which currently has more than 40 members, aims to address this. In short, it will take the whole of the Scottish processing industry onto a new footing,” he advised.

Will Clark believes there is a lack of representation for the downstream services that rely on a viable catching and processing industry.

“The SSA will be open to affiliated interests such as net manufacturers, haulage and transport companies, box manufacturers and even elements of the catching sector. There has been criticism by politicians and unelected officials that the industry is fragmented, so the new association will bring everyone together. We will seek to ensure a viable industry, which in turn supports our fishing dependent communities,” he stated.

“We will also workwith SFS to deliver a strong message that the industry is a rewarding, highly skilled career.”