Fine shellfish to be centrepiece of visit for fisheries minister

The country’s finest shellfish will be on the agenda when Scotland’s fisheries and agriculture minister Richard Lochhead visits Shetland on Monday.

He will make a funding announcement as he visits the North Atlantic Fisheries College (NAFC) in Scalloway and find out about the collaboration between the college and the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO), which recently achieved world-first Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) status for king scallops and brown and velvet crab.

Mr Lochhead said: “I am really looking forward to returning to Shetland and meeting with a wide range of people involved in fisheries and agriculture. The North Atlantic Fisheries College carries out important research work and I’m sure this visit will prove highly informative.

“Earlier this month I joined Shetland interests for a celebratory meal in Edinburgh to mark the outstanding achievement by the Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation, in securing

MSC certification for their scallops and crab. I’m sure that such high quality Shetland produce and renowned hospitality will once again be well evident during my visit.”

While in Shetland Mr Lochhead will also hold meetings with members of the local NFUS branch, Shetland Islands Council and representatives of the aquaculture industry.