Scots seafood industry heading Stateside on trade mission

A group of fish and shellfish producers from north of the Border is heading to the US, with the aim of increasing global trade for the industry, which says it is Scotland’s and the UK’s largest food export, employing thousands of people.

The Crab Company, Loch Duart, Organic Sea Harvest, Scottish Langoustines, Scottish Seas, Thistle Seafoods and Wester Ross Salmon will be exhibiting at Seafood Expo North America (Sena) from March 13 to 15, along with representatives from Seafood Scotland, to showcase the country’s premium and sustainable products.

The organisation noted that this is the first time that the event has been able to take place since 2019, and Adam Wing, the newly appointed head of trade marketing for the Americas, UK and emerging markets for Seafood Scotland, noted that the US market imported Scottish seafood worth £63.7 million in 2020.

"We look forward to extending this even further over the next few days,” he said. “After a three-year hiatus, and given the challenges of that intervening period, it’s been vital to ensure a strong attendance from the Scottish industry, and we are delighted to be able to represent it so comprehensively.”

It comes as new data published by Salmon Scotland, citing figures from the UK government, revealed that Scottish salmon exports continued their post-Covid recovery with a year-on-year increase of 95 per cent to £37 million in January.

The farm-raised salmon sector directly employs 2,500 people in Scotland, said the trade body. Its chief executive Tavish Scott said: “These export sales produce a massive economic benefit for rural and coastal communities in Scotland, delivering thousands of highly-skilled, well-paid jobs."

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The US market imported Scottish seafood worth £63.7 million in 2020, it has been calculated. Picture: contributed.

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