Seafood Scotland is helping Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment, to keep his week-long pledge to ‘eat Scottish’. The organisation has provided a number of quick, tasty recipes using fresh Scottish seafood that will ensure fish and shellfish feature on his menu.
The aim of the Minister’s initiative is to support Scottish fishermen, farmers and food producers, by promoting to consumers the high-quality and variety of Scottish food that can be enjoyed as part of a healthy, balanced and easily prepared diet.
“Scotland is home to some of the freshest, finest food in the world and supporting our home-grown produce is in our national interest,” states Mr Lochhead. “From speaking to people across Scotland during our recent food discussion, I know there is a growing appetite for seasonal, quality, local produce. I will be checking labels when out shopping and asking about the origin of the food when eating out – simple things we can all do in our day-to-day lives to check where our food comes from. It also flags up an important green message, that by buying more seasonal and unpackaged food we can help cut down the environmental impact of our food.”
Libby Woodhatch, CEO of Seafood Scotland says the organisation is pleased to add weight to the initiative by highlighting the quality, variety and availability of fresh Scottish seafood. “The seafood industry remains very important to Scotland’s economy, with more than 400,000 tonnes of fish landed each year. And with 60 different species to choose from, including top quality herring, mackerel, haddock, whiting, saithe, Scottish langoustines, crab, scallops and lobster all from sustainable sources, Scotland is one of the largest seafood producers in Europe,” she says.
“We were promoting Scottish seafood to international buyers at the European Seafood Exposition recently, because a great deal of the catch is exported to countries including France, Spain and Italy. However, it is important to encourage Scottish consumers to include seafood more often in their diet because it is easy to prepare, nutritious, and very good to eat. In following Richard Lochhead’s example, they will be helping local fishermen and choosing a healthy meal option,” adds Libby.
