In a recent Scottish Parliamentary debate, the future of Aquaculture was discussed and Scotland’s achievement in dramatically increasing its export of high quality salmon was recognised. Dr Richard Simpson MSP for mid Scotland and Fife, praised the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture for leading the way in this increasingly important field.

Two Barony College fisheries students have been awarded top honours at the Lantra Land-based Learner of the Year Awards. Sixteen year old Dean Marshall from Dumfries was awarded the Land Based Curriculum for Schools Learner of the Year while Jamie McAndrew from Aberdeenshire was a joint winner in the GC Taylor (Farms) Ltd Outstanding Achievement Awards.

THERE is mixed news on fish supplies in the UK in the run up to Easter - traditionally the fish trade's busiest period of the year. The rise in salmon prices is particularly worrying, says suppliers.

FISHING is now one of the largest contributors to the New Zealand economy, contributing more than $4 billion NZ dollars a year.

A PROPOSED international trade ban on Atlantic Bluefin is this week creating widespread division across the fishing world.The United States and Europe are supporting the ban to prevent its extinction. But Japanese fish merchants are bitterly fighting the move and Australia has refused to join in which has brought an outcry from conservation groups.

While welcoming the overall commitment of resources for the national Helicopter Search and Rescue (SAR) service from 2012, the Federation of Irish Fishermen today rejected as "scandalous" the reported proposal to downgrade the SAR Helicopter service based at Waterford to a daytime only service.

Aquaculture equipment manufacturer Fusion Marine has won orders worth £2.4m to supply salmon pens and associated equipment from three Scottish fish farming companies.

THOUSANDS of fishing and seafood executives arrived in Boston at the weekend for one of the world's largest and most important industry trade shows - with the message that the industry may be turning the corner out of recession. .

THE Aberdeen based Onward Fishing Company has purchased a new trawler for an undisclosed sum, it has been announced.

Lighthouse Caledonia plans to refurbish and reopen the Marybank processing plant in Stornoway this summer, with the creation of around 90 jobs.

YOUNG'S have announced they are putting 25 per cent more fish into their biggest selling ready seafood meal - Admiral's Pie. The change will consolidate the product’s appeal to its millions of regular buyers as hopefully well as making it even more attractive to new consumers. Around 14 million Admiral’s Pie are sold every year which means one is eaten approximately every three seconds, according to the company.

MORE halibut should soon be appearing on UK retail markets in the next few weeks, helping to ease the high prices that have been a feature since the start of the year.

THE Grimsby TFA Box Company, which has a long historyof supplying the East Coast fishing industry with a wide selection of plastic fish boxes plus collection and hygienic washing services has changed hands.It will also mean a move to a moremodern location.