pdate from the processing sector
Scotland’s seafood processors have accused both the Westminster and Holyrood governments of letting the sector down “in its hour of greatest need”
JIMMY Buchan, chief executive of the Scottish Seafood Association said that while members welcomed the promise of financial support, the £23m Seafood Disruption Scheme for the seafood industry pledged by the UK government to offset the impact of Brexit and Covid-19 only represented 50% of losses.
It also excluded larger businesses and those exporters which decided not to send larger consignments because the cost exceeded the value.
He said: “The truth is that while the financial support that has been forthcoming has been gratefully received, its partial nature means that businesses are being left in great difficulties in their hour of greatest need.
“There have been a lot of promises relating to smoothing the export path post-Brexit, but very few of them have been delivered.”
Buchan further criticised the UK government for failing to spell out how the £100m funding scheme promised for fisheries when the Brexit deal was signed at Christmas would work and which businesses would benefit.
He declared: “This funding package now looks like a convenient headline designed to appease the sector. When will they start taking bids, who will be eligible, when will pay-outs be made?
“We need to know, but we are greeted with silence on this at every turn.”
He also accused the Scottish government, which has set up its own scheme to compensate seafood producers and ports, for failing to use its devolved powers or funds to help the processing industry.
He said: “They have a £14m fund, yet there are no guidelines and application process in place. We know only that all projects must be for SMEs and completed by 31 March 2022 – far too tight a timetable for major works.”
Buchan said it was time for both governments to step up to the plate and back their promises with meaningful action.
There have been a lot of promises... but very few have been delivered”
ONE of Norway’s leading suppliers of farmed salmon is investing around NOK 400m (£35m) in a large new processing centre and cold store. The development will cover an area of 14,000 square metres at the Bremnes Seashore factory at Kvednavikjo in the Bømlo municipality in the south west of the country.
The Seashore group said: “It will enable us to produce larger volumes by utilising state-of-the-art and sustainable production methods, at the same time as we increase value creation and the ripple effects from our operations.”
The new centre will also be built adopting a sustainable and energy-efficient production system.
Bremnes Seashore AS is one of the largest privately owned salmon farmers in Norway with facilities spread across 23 locations in nine different municipalities, with SALMA as its main brand.
The company has its own research and development facilities using competitors.
CEO Einar Eide said consumers were today demanding a more refined product which the group intended to deliver.
“The new factory will enable us to process significantly larger volumes than we are doing today and it will also allow us to expand the number of products.”
He added: “Consumers all over the world can look forward to more quality products from us.”
Factory manager Geir Ivar Adnanes said that for the past 29 years the site at Kvednavikjo has been a laboratory for quality and providing innovative products, which has formed the basis for the company’s strong brands.
The cold store will be built first, but the entire project should be completed by the end of 2023. Current production will be unaffected.