The effects of the Covid pandemic are still being felt and, contrary to the idea that fishing communities are being left to sink or swim, the Scottish Seafood Exports Taskforce, which I chair, has been working hand-in-hand with the industry to secure their future.
The taskforce has achieved much thanks to key industry stakeholders who have brought invaluable expertise to bear. But while there is more to do, the taskforce is reaching the end of its natural lifespan.
The reasons are twofold. Firstly the taskforce was always intended to be a specialist, time-limited group, designed not as a talking shop, but to drive solutions. Secondly, the complexity of the industry means we need to consider different issues for different groups in a tailored fashion
The public tend to think only of the catchers when they consider fishing, the doughty crews out in mountainous seas winning the harvest from Scotland’s pristine waters and delivering the catch to markets that are…
