HPMAs: 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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The business reset needs to be turbo-charged

Salmon Scotland’s Chief Executive Tavish Scott explains the Scottish Government is saying the right things but needs to act faster After replacing Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister, Humza Yousaf promised to reset the Scottish Government’s relationship with business. The wider private sector had grown increasingly frustrated with several policies emerging from St Andrew’s House, in…

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Homegrown success for the Scottish salmon sector

UK sales for salmon are up more than 3% year on year, and that is just one indicator of the importance of the industry to the national economy. So says Salmon Scotland Chief Executive Tavish Scott in the December issue of Fish Farmer (starting page 26), which you can read or download here. Scott also…

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Salmon continuing to boost Scottish economy

The Scottish aquaculture sector’s direct economic contribution is now approaching the half a billion pounds mark, a new Scottish government report has disclosed. And it is also continuing to create new employment opportunities. The government’s marine economy statistics for 2021 (published this week) says it has increased by 154% to £472 million over a decade,…

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Salmon Scotland calls for more investment in rural housing

THE trade group Salmon Scotland is calling for £10 million-a-year in licence fees paid to Crown Estate Scotland to be reinvested in affordable housing to tackle the growing property crisis in rural communities. The demand comes after the Highland Council warned that parts of the region are being “drained” of people. Salmon Scotland points out…

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SEPA to go ahead with wild salmon protection zones

The Scottish Government is to press forward with the roll-out of “Wild Salmon Protection Zones” which will restrict fish farming in areas seen as high risk for wild salmon. The proposed regulatory framework has not, however, been welcomed by Scotland’s salmon industry. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has been consulting on its plans for…

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Salmon even more popular with UK consumers, data shows

Salmon’s position as the UK’s favourite seafood has been further strengthened, the latest retail figures show. Sales figures for the year to September 2023 compiled by industry authority Seafish, with marketing group Nielsen, reveal that salmon sales totalled around £1.25bn, up 3.2% on the same period last year. Salmon accounted for around 30% of total…

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From egg to plate

The value of Scotland’s salmon industry – which creates an estimated £766m in gross value added for the economy – benefits not only the fish farmers but also the many businesses and their employees operating up and down the entire supply chain. So says Salmon Scotland CEO in his latest column for Fish Farmer, which…

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Scottish salmon exports leap 7% year-on-year

The value of Scottish salmon exports has jumped by 7% in a year as international demand continues to grow, according to the latest data from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). An analysis of the HMRC data by trade body Salmon Scotland shows that, for the first three quarters of 2023 to September, there was a…

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Scottish business bodies call for rate freeze

Salmon Scotland is among 35 leading business representative groups and industry bodies calling for a business rate freeze for Scotland. The 35 organisations have jointly written to the Scottish Government’s Deputy First Minister and Finance Secretary. They represent a broad cross section of Scottish industry and commerce, including retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, tourism, leisure, and commercial…

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