Funding Secured For Seafood Market Development
11th September 2006
ENTERPRISE funding has been secured to enable a range of Seafood Scotland (SFS) market development services to continue to be delivered to the Highlands and Islands seafood sector.
The £57,000 financial package from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will provide funding towards the costs incurred by SFS in the Highlands and Islands over the next two years and builds on the success of a previous package of assistance.
SFS market development executive, Anne Mosley, based near Inverness will lead SFS activity in the Highlands and Islands which will include:
* keeping members of the seafood industry informed and up-to-date with activities and initiatives;
* developing, marketing and promoting Scottish seafood products in the UK and overseas;
* encouraging greater supply chain efficiencies between catchers and processors; and
* providing expert strategic business development assistance and advice on external funding to seafood businesses.
Anne Mosley says: "We will be building on previous activity which included working with major supermarkets to source seafood from Scottish suppliers, and delivering a range of sector specific workshops in places like Inverness and Portree and the Western Isles."
HIE has provided funding for this project as the seafood industry makes a major contribution to the economic viability of many of the most remote communities in the Highlands and Islands. In recent years the inshore shellfish fleet has sustained its level of
activity with positive developments in overseas markets, local sustainability badging of fisheries and a shift by operators towards quality rather than volume.
Iain Sutherland, senior development manger with HIE said: "With many firms either too busy or lacking the necessary know-how to explore the initial ideas they may have to develop their businesses, Seafood Scotland can now provide them with the right information and guidance on how to exploit new markets and develop new products through people like Anne."
Related Businesses
Related Articles
As a result of HIE's support, businesses in the area are set to see combined turnover rise by £22.4m, while international sales will grow by £661,000. Figures compiled by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) show that businesses and communities supported by the agency in Caithness and Sutherland during last financial year are set to create or retain more than 50 jobs.
Architects have been appointed to design the spaceport that is being developed to launch small satellites from the Highlands. Development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is leading the £17.5m Space Hub Sutherland project, including a £2.5m grant from the UK Space Agency (UKSA).
Two brothers are celebrating as the first spirit at their new micro distillery in Dornoch began to flow this month. Phil and Simon Thompson's dream of opening their own distillery has become a reality as the Dornoch Distillery opened for business producing hand distilled gin, vodka, rum and whisky.
High speed fibre broadband is now available to order in Ardgay. Fibre services are completely different to existing broadband services, and download speeds in the village will see a boost from a previous maximum of 8Mbps, to up to 76Mbps.
A new community-owned sports facility is being formally opened in Sutherland later this week. The Scourie Sports Pavilion will be opened on Saturday 7 June by Lady Jane Grosvenor followed by the annual Far North Shinty Sixes competition.
A series of events is underway to provide information and advice to anyone interested in woodland crofts. The Scottish Crofting Federation, the Community Woodlands Association and the Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust have joined forces to form the Woodland Crofts Partnership.
Is your business a winner? Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is offering a two-day trip worth £1,000 to a high-profile event in Glasgow for Scotland's leading entrepreneurs. If your business is based within the HIE geographical area, you've got at least one ready-for-market product or service and are actively seeking ways to expand your sales base beyond local boundaries, you are eligible to win a maximum of two delegate places at this prestigious event taking place on Friday 5th - Saturday 6th October 2007.
Highlands and Islands food and drink producers have attributed £9.2 million of new sales to events and exhibitions organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), through its UK Market Development programme. A recent evaluation of the programme commissioned by HIE has demonstrated that bringing together food and drink producers and buyers is an effective way for speciality companies in the Highlands and Islands to do business.
A replica of the 30 foot bronze statue commemorating the Highland Clearances is being cast and shipped to the Canadian City of Winnipeg. 'The Emigrants' memorial in the Sutherland town of Helmsdale was originally cast by Highland foundry Black Isle Bronze in 2003.
Dornoch Academy pupils have been given a taste of running their own business over the past few weeks, by creating a new ice cream. The pupils have been working with Harry Gow and Highland Fine Cheeses on a Food and Drink School's Challenge, which culminates in a final event on Saturday 15 March for 12 S3 pupils from the school.