MAJOR retailers yesterday vowed to continue to work closely with the Scottish fishing industry with a view to stocking more Scottish seafood.

Representatives from Aldi, Asda, The Co-Operative, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Waitrose, Scottish Retail Consortium and the Scottish Grocers’ Federation met with Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead, and voiced their support for ‘catching for the market’ work.

 Speaking after chairing yesterday’s Retailers’ Forum in Edinburgh, Mr Lochhead said: “I was delighted to hear that so many retailers are reporting strong sales of fish sourced from Scotland. It’s clear that there is a real opportunity to build on existing work in terms of being more joined-up when promoting the health and cost benefits of seafood, which in turn will benefit our communities.

“There are a number of obstacles which can be overcome to get more Scottish produce into the supply chain – particularly around environmental sustainability. We have today reached agreement that my officials will work with fish buyers from the major retailers to increase our understanding of retailer fish sourcing policies. 

“We have already created a Retailers’ Charter to set a common agenda, and it’s encouraging that leading retailers are increasingly recognising the value of Scotland’s food and drink and converting that into tangible investment.

 “We will shortly unveil plans for a major new campaign to boost sales of seafood both at home and abroad, building on the success of our ‘Eat More Fish’ and ‘Eat Fresh, Eat Seasonal’ campaigns. We need to add value and that is not just about landing more fish – it’s about finding and keeping new markets, and impressing upon consumers across the world that our nation’s product is healthy and of outstanding quality.”

Minister for Public Health Shona Robison, who also attended the forum, said: “Fresh Scottish produce is healthy, nutritious and of excellent quality so it is fantastic news that retailers are keen to stock more Scottish seafood.

“Scotland is suffering from an obesity epidemic and we are committed to tackling this by ensuring that it gets easier for people to make healthy food and drink choices. Working in partnership with grocery retailers is the best way to deliver our ambitions for developing Scottish food and drink and improving Scotland’s diet.”

Ian Gatt, president of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation said: “We wholeheartedly welcome this endorsement from Scottish retailers for Scottish seafood and fully support the development of a strategy for the efficient and co-ordinated marketing of fish and shellfish at all levels of the supply chain. 

“The seafood harvested from around our shores is a wonderful renewable resource that forms an important part of the nation’s food supply and an essential element in ensuring that people eat healthily. Scottish fishermen are committed to environmental sustainability and, in recent years, under the ‘Conservation Credits’ scheme, have spearheaded a range of conservation initiatives to help ensure a sustainable future. 

“This has been boosted by the Seafish Responsible Fishing scheme and proven by the growing list of accreditations of Scottish fisheries by the Marine Stewardship Council. These initiatives are giving retailers and consumers the confidence that seafood from Scotland is sustainable and caught responsibly, which in turn will help stimulate demand.”