Rural Affairs Secretary to address Skipper Expo in Aberdeen
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Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon will describe the fishing industry as “the lifeblood of coastal Scotland” when she officially opens the Scottish Skipper Expo 2023 in Aberdeen this morning.
In her speech, the Rural Affairs Secretary is expected to stress the importance of fishing to rural economies and communities, and pledged to continue close engagement with the sector as improvements to how the sea area is managed are made.
Addressing the recent debate about Highly Protected Marine Areas, Ms Gougeon will acknowledge the strength of feeling in the sector and their uncertainty about the space that fishing will have to operate in.
She will say: “There must always be space for fishing – the fishing industry must and will survive and thrive.
"I know that’s what you want, and it is firmly what the Scottish Government wants too.”
The Cabinet Secretary is expected to emphasise that change is needed to help to sustain and restore Scottish fisheries for the future, and the communities and people that depend on them.
Ms Gougeon will add: “Our knowledge about the impact of human activity on the seabed, the need to guard against biodiversity loss and mitigate against climate change, drives us to seek improvements.
“This means taking measures to improve our marine environment, but it also requires us to balance the sustainable use of marine resources.”
The Cabinet Secretary is also expected to say that retaining consumer confidence in Scottish seafood as a brand relies on the accountability of Scotland’s sea fisheries and the ability to provide reassurance to buyers across the world that Scottish seafood is sustainably fished.
In 2022 Scotland’s seafood was the single largest overseas food export, worth £1 billion.
