Skippers are being invited to visit the Lerwick Port Authority (LPA) and Shetland Islands Council (SIC) stands at this year’s Expo, to hear about a planned campaign to encourage them to land their catches in the islands.
Representatives of both organisations will be on stands 165 (LPA) and 167 (SIC) respectively to provide details about time- and cost-saving potential. They have invested heavily in state-of-the-art new fish markets at Lerwick and Scalloway, and are now launching a campaign to encourage skippers to land their catches at these first-class ports.
Shetland sits in the heart of the rich North Sea and Atlantic Ocean fishing grounds and studies show that more than half of the fish landed in the UK comes from within 100 nautical miles of the islands.
At this time of high fuel prices, there are clearly significant cost and carbon footprint savings to be made from landing in Shetland. The new markets have increased daily landing capacity and the modern infrastructure and its efficient chilling ensures best quality of produce is maintained. The electronic auction gives vessels the option of selling directly, guaranteeing quality, efficient and quick sales and better prices. Daily transport links provide quick routes to market, reaching customers faster and fresher.
