Organisers of the Biannual Scottish Fishing Conference, being held in St Andrews on the 9-10th July, have announces that they have secured top speakers, representing Governments of Scotland, The Faroes and Norway, to add to a programme of talks and demonstrations. These key speakers will address delegates on the second day of the conference.
According to Fisheries Innovation Scotland (FIS) executive director Richard Slaski, Scotland is way ahead when it comes to recognising that improved fishing has to be underpinned by sound science, and this is the subject of the first day of the conference which will concentrate on the various FIS projects under the theme of Innovation and Knowledge to support Scottish Fishing, which were carried out in 2016/17.
Projects cover topics ranging from innovation in governance and management, selectivity, quota management and selective retention to economic analysis of quota allocation, predator prey interactions, Nephrops survivability and management in shared seas. Project leaders will provide overviews of the projects and their conclusions so far, and answer questions from delegates as to how the knowledge gained can be used to improve Scottish fisheries.
‘We are in an excellent position in Scotland to be able to help fund such a range of research. What is crucial is that the FIS board, which is made up of people with experience from all sectors of the fishing industry, have continued to design projects that have real application and real worth when it comes to improving how the industry performs in Scotland; these research projects are designed by the industry, for the industry. The projects completed over the last few years have made real contributions to better understanding and working practices and that has to be good for Scottish fishing and the Scottish marine environment,’ Richard Slaski said.
The second day of the conference sees Bertie Armstrong, Chief Executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, and Fergus Ewing MSP, Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, being joined by Vidar Landmark, Director General of the Norwegian Department of Fisheries, and Faroese Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Fisheries Høgni Hoydal. They will be sharing their expertise and experiences while addressing the subject of Fisheries Management in Changing Times.
John Goodlad, Chair of Fisheries Innovation Scotland and one of the conference organisers is thrilled at having pulled off this coup:
‘Across the industry we are facing changes and uncertainty, so having this opportunity to hear first-hand from those who are negotiating on behalf of Scottish fishing, and our two international guests who have a wealth of knowledge to share, is not to be missed. We can learn much from our near neighbours and I especially urge skippers to make the time to come to the conference, listen to these speakers and quiz them on how their experiences can benefit all sectors of the Scottish fishing industry,’ he said.
‘The fact that Vidar Landmark and Høgni Hoydal have given up their time to travel to Scotland to speak at the conference reflects their appreciation of the important role that Scotland will play in the management of fisheries post-Brexit.’
A further three key speakers will pick up the conference’s sustainability theme. Steve McLean, Head of Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture at Marks & Spencer plc, Dr Euan Dunn, Principal Marine Advisor at the RSPB, and Dr Sarah Pilgrim-Morrison, Director of sustainability and public affairs at Macduff Shellfish (Scotland) Ltd, will all share their views on The Importance of Sustainability.
During the afternoon Mike Park, Chair of The Scottish Fisheries Sustainable Accreditation Group, will put the business case for marine conservation. Professor David Paterson, University of St Andrews, rounds off the presentations with his take on the Future of science and its funding – as it applies to fisheries and the marine environment and science. Finally on the second day there will be an opportunity to put questions to a panel comprising SFF President, Ian Gatt, Sarah Pilgrim-Morrison of Macduff shellfish and Alan Gibb of Marine Scotland. This event – The Future of Scottish Fisheries – will be chaired by John Goodlad.
The conference runs from 12.00on Monday 9th and closes at 16.30 on Tuesday 10th July, is FREE to attend. There is a charge for attending the Conference Dinner. For more information and to sign up for the conference visit the FIS website.
