Fishing support vital

MORE than £22 million has been invested in renewing the isles’ whitefish fleet since the end of decommissioning ten years ago, Shetland Fish Producers’ organisation said on Tuesday.

The SFPO said since then three new and eight second-hand boats have joined the fleet.

Of the overall investment £10.5 million has come in the form of commercial loans from Shetland Islands Council.

SFPO chief executive Brian Isbister said continued investment in the fleet was vital for the survival of the whitefish catching industry.

“The industry in Shetland remains almost entirely owned by skippers and crews who do not have large amounts of capital to invest.

“Without the belief that Shetland Islands Council has shown in our industry and in the importance of investment to build for the future, we wouldn’t be in a position to make the best of the abundant stocks of fish off our shores at the moment,” he said.

Whitefish landings in Shetland reached 300,000 boxes last year, a record since the opening of the electronic auction system more than 10 years ago.

Sheila Keith, of the SIC’s economic development department, added: “When the European Commission and national governments lost confidence in the industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the council believed that it was crucial to continue to invest.

“We have had good communications with fishermen and worked closely with the industry to help underpin it for the future.

“But the investment has not only been good for the fishing industry – it has been good for the council too.”