© SAIC
Following the recent UK general election - which saw a landslide victory for the Labour party - the government’s new Business Secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, has announced his commitment to supporting the Scottish salmon sector, and growing the industry’s exports to the EU.
“If we can sell more whisky, more salmon, to a market which is so significant to us, of course we should explore an opportunity like that – and I think moving forward to a relationship [with] Europe that is not determined by the internal politics of the Conservative Party is very much in the national interest in the UK,” said Reynolds, according to a press release.
The support of the government for Scottish salmon was called for by the sector in the run up to the election. A manifesto published by Salmon Scotland – an industry trade body – called for a “serious, pragmatic approach to the UK’s relationship with the EU, with a clear focus on the nation’s export businesses which depend on a positive, professional relationship with France and the other countries of the EU".
Tavish Scott, Salmon Scotland chief executive, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Jonathan Reynolds has immediately recognised how important this is, sending a clear signal that the new government is committed to our sector and the growth of Scottish salmon. As the UK’s largest food export, there is huge potential to grow Scotland’s economy by resetting the relationship with the EU and focusing on exports of world-renowned produce like Scottish salmon.”
