Local companies exhibiting under the ‘Shetland’ banner will be highlighting the strategic location of the islands close to key fishing grounds, making it a logical option for fishing vessels looking for a quick turnaround.
Kevin Moreland, marketing officer for Shetland Islands Council, said: “With the tight restrictions on days-at-sea and spiralling fuel costs, we feel it makes economic sense to land in Shetland rather than steam to mainland ports.
“We have an excellent infrastructure here to support fishing vessels and the prices achieved at the fish markets in Lerwick and Scalloway are comparable, or sometimes even higher, than those on the mainland.
“We have been running our ‘Land in Shetland’ campaign for several years now and Fishing 2010 presents an excellent opportunity to remind skippers of the advantages of landing in Shetland.”
QD Events, the new organisers of Fishing 2010, says that uptake for the show has been excellent with over 90 per cent of stand space now taken up.
Highlights include the discussion sessions and seminars in a theatre sponsored by the Seafish Industry Authority. The events lined up will include an address from Scottish Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead, and an update on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy by a leading EC fisheries official.
Marketing will be another key theme and will include a seminar on what multiple retail buyers are looking for and the challenges they face when buying fish. Another seminar will look at the most efficient ways of getting the fish catch to the plates of consumers.
Fran McIntyre, managing director of QD Events, said: “We have been really encouraged by the level of interest in Fishing 2010 and despite these difficult economic times we are detecting an underlying optimism in the industry, which can only bode well for the future.”
Fishing 2010 will be held at the SECC in Glasgow from 20-22 May.
