Posts by Sandy Neil
Taking back control
Physical checks on plant and animal products imported from the EU into the UK will start from 30 April. Will the UK’s seafood exporters feel that they have a level playing field at last? Sandy Neil investigates.
The UK left the EU’s Single Market and Customs Union on 31 December 2020, leaving the UK and EU with separate customs and regulatory regimes.
Innovation at sea
The marine sector is changing, with alternative fuels and bigger vessels coming onto the market, says Sandy Neil The world’s first hydrogen workboat, the UK’s first 100% electric workboat, the return of shipbuilding to Stornoway, a new super-sized wellboat and a merger between marine operators have all helped to make it an eventful 2023 and…
Read MoreX marks the spot
It’s an election year for the Westminster parliament, so what is the aquaculture industry looking for from the politicians? Sandy Neil investigates Brace yourself for a UK election year. A Labour landslide? A Conservative revival? A king-making coalition? Whatever happens, 2024 will surely become another turning point for the country and, for this short time…
Read MoreGimme shelter
Kelp forests are a cornerstone environmental resource. One seaweed farmer in the west of Scotland is doing its bit to restore them, reports Sandy Neil Highland coastal kelp forests are among seven major environmental projects being supported by Scotland’s salmon farmers to help save iconic wild salmon and sea trout. More than £118,000 has been…
Read MoreHPMAs: what’s next?
Proposals to bar all commercial activity from 10% of Scotland’s waters have been dropped. Where do we go from here? Sandy Neil finds out The decision, after all the debate, was hardly a surprise. Early in November, the Scottish Government’s Net Zero Secretary, Màiri McAllan MSP, knocked the plan for Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs)…
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