Salmon Scotland calls for greater investment in rural housing

Tavish Scott.

The body representing Scotland’s salmon sector has called for greater investment in rural housing.

Salmon Scotland is urging ministers to overhaul the current system so that money sent to Crown Estate Scotland by salmon farmers is instead used for investment in coastal areas.

Currently money sent from rural areas to Crown Estate Scotland in Edinburgh is handed to the Scottish government and redistributed across the entire country, Salmon Scotland said.

They are calling for around £10 million of the revenue to be reinvested in rural communities, with a particular focus on housing.

Salmon Scotland chief executive Tavish Scott said: “The shortage of available, affordable housing in island and Highland communities is pricing people out of the housing market, and businesses are experiencing problems recruiting and retaining staff – leading to hard-to-fill vacancies, skills shortages and depopulation.

“There is an opportunity in the Programme for Government for ministers to ensure the millions sent to quangos are put to better use by building affordable housing, ensuring the economic success generated by Scotland’s biggest food export is enjoyed by the communities where we operate.”

Following the calls from Salmon Scotland, a spokesperson for Crown Estate Scotland, a Scottish investment corporation, said:”The seabed is a shared, public space and, like many multi-national businesses, salmon farmers pay to use it for their commercial purposes. Crown Estate Scotland then passes profits to the Scottish Government and Ministers decide how that money is used. From 2017 to 2021, over £28m from Crown Estate Scotland was passed by Scottish Government to coastal local authorities to support COVID-19 recovery projects, economic regeneration and job  creation, flood protection, environmental projects, and more.”