Calls for more local fish to be available in Scotland

Richard Muir, owner of Cafe Fish, says much of the catch is bought in bulk and taken to Europe and to London for redistribution.

Fish for sale in restaurants and retail outlets in Scotland may have been driven through the night to London and then transported back again before they reach the Scottish plate.

Mr Muir, who won Scottish Fish Restaurant of the Year award last month for his Stockbridge restaurant, said: “We have the finest natural larder in the world – the finest seafood and the finest shellfish.

“The trouble is, we are not getting enough of it.

“Fish from the huge fishing grounds of the Atlantic Ocean comes into Lochinver and Ullapool and gets put into 40-tonne lorries and shippped south.

“You have got a situation where of everything that comes into that part of the world a very small percentage of it comes into the Scottish market.”

The chef said he had a great deal of sympathy for Scottish fishermen. “It is not easy for small fishermen and small businesses to market their product in the UK.

“It makes it difficult for me to buy the best Scottish shells.”

Mr Muir, who buys all his fish and shellfish from Scottish businesses, says he has to pay a premium to get fish and shellfish couriered to his restaurant. That cost is then passed on to the customer.

“Luckily my customers are happy to pay – we don’t have any complaints.

“But it seems bizarre that there is not some mechanism for supporting Scottish products. Alex Salmond should look at introducing some sort of distribution scheme or tax breaks for people who promote Scottish goods.”

The lack of a home-grown market and the difficulties of transportation mean it can be easier, and cheaper to buy Scottish seafood and shellfish on the Continent than it is here.

Mr Muir said he had been astonished to find fresh Mull crabs for sale at a restaurant in Portugal for a cheaper price than he could buy them at wholesale in this country.

And he said when he needed five different types of fresh white fish to put in a bouillabaise at a restaurant in Edinburgh a few years ago, he had to order them especially from a fishmonger.

“We need to find new ways of supporting this industry in Scotland. It is great that you can go to the seafood bar in Grand Central Station in New York and see products from Mull and Skye. People love our shellfish in Singapore and Hong Kong, which is great. But we need to find a way to promote them in Scotland.”

Libby Woodhatch, chief executive of Seafood Scotland, said it was true that a lot of good quality products went abroad. She agreed that because of bulk buying of seafood it was possible for fresh fish in restaurants or shops in Scotland to have travelled to London, or even Europe, before being transported back for sale in Scotland.

“I think that is happening less nowadays.

“But the trouble is southern Europe is a nation of seafood and shellfish addicts and we are not.

“We don’t appreciate quality, we don’t expect good food and we don’t like to eat with our fingers.

“The markets where they pay the best price are beyond the UK shores.”

She said fishermen had to go to where they could get the best price.

“It does sometimes make sense for a load to be transported to a wholesale centre at 3am.

“It does happen, but things are getting better.”

This week the World Fisheries Congress took place in Edinburgh and was attended by around 1,000 delegates from around the world.

Prince Charles, who was pictured eating fish and chips, said it was time for “urgent and collective action” to protect fish stocks and that governments, institutions and fishing communities needed to work together.

Scottish Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead told the conference: “As one of the foremost fishing nations, Scotland is at the centre of international efforts to sustain the world’s fisheries.

“Bringing together leading scientists and experts will provide stimulating and thought provoking discussions, and I look forward to building on our work and exchanging ideas with international partners.”

He said fishing made a “massive contribution” to Scotland’s economy and stressed: “The Scottish government is committed to doing all we can to preserve the marine environment and to ensure a sustainable, long-term future for the fishing industry in Scotland.”

Scottish export figures for 2011 showed that fish and shellfish were the highest value food sector export, with a value of £648.4 m. Overall food exports from Scotland are worth £1.6bn a year, with fish and shellfish accounting for 56 per cent.

The industry provides work for 5,000 fishermen and employs more than 9,000 people in processing plants.

Ms Woodhatch said as well as exploring new markets abroad, Seafood Scotland was making it a priority to find new markets in the UK and in Scotland.

The industry is seeking European and Scottish Government funding which would enable it to help suppliers develop new ways of moving their products round the country.

She said encouraging Scottish consumers to develop more adventurous tastes was also part of a long-term strategy for developing more of a home market for fish: “There is a lot more interest these days in sustainability and in using local produce, but it tends to be limited to certain sectors of the population.