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Chef's recipe to revive fishing fortunes


By Will Clark

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Jim Cowie outside the Captain’s Galley.
Jim Cowie outside the Captain’s Galley.

Now a fish conservation champion from Caithness is urging all organisations associated with the industry to work together to help improve the fortunes of the nation’s fishing industry.

Jim Cowie said the sector has not done enough to improve the situation it has found itself in recent years.

Today, the head chef of the Captain Galley’s in Scrabster will be speaking to over 160 delegates at the Inshore Fisheries Conference in Inverness, pleading with representatives to work together to attract customers to buy Scottish fish again.

Mr Cowie said a lot more needs to be done to convince buyers in Scotland to buy local fish rather than source stock from abroad, saying the industry has lain stagnant for years.

“We have lost a number of markets in recent years, including the fish and chip trade which accounts for three out of every five fish which is consumed in this country,” he said.

“Scotland has fallen behind in this market as owners choose to buy catches from the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Norway.

“Out of the entire amount of fish used by fish and chip restaurants, the percentage of fish that is bought from Scotland is in single figures.

“Even fish and chip restaurants that are based in small rural towns on the coast are using foreign fish.

“It is more convenient for them to buy foreign than Scottish, but we need to get the market to realise the goodness of our products for what they are.

“There are no fishermen’s jobs being supported buying Faroese or Icelandic fish – we need to be in this together and ask what do we need to get the customers back.”

The conference at Eden Court, hosted by Marine Scotland, is being attended by representatives from across the industry, ranging from fishermen and chefs to conservationists and scientists to discuss the issues facing the sector.

Scottish Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead will be delivering the keynote speech and will have talks with delegates, including Mr Cowie.

He said he will not be using the forum to have a swipe at other conservationists, but use it to publicise statistics that he has gathered on fish stocks.

“My message will be for everyone to take part in joined-up thinking in terms of all aspects of the fishing industry,” he said.

“Individual organisations should not be going off in their own direction and say that we should ban fishing certain species.

“Now is the time for people to get together and hold discussions. This conference represents an excellent opportunity to do so and one which we should seize upon.”

He added: “I want to direct the fishermen to certain markets which need to be developed and show them how they could enhance their income by listening more to what the customers want.

“Mr Lochhead is the industry’s eyes and ears and the more information we can give him, the more knowledge he can take to Brussels to fight our corner.”


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