Putting Scottish Haddock Firmly on the Map

The extra product is welcomed by the processors, who are in discussion with the catching sector to ensure that fish is not landed to market without consideration for demand.

To put Scottish haddock more firmly on the map, Seafood Scotland is helping industry to create greater awareness of the product amongst the retail, wholesale and fish & chip sectors.

"The aim is to make seafood buyers aware of the quality and quantity of sustainable haddock available from Scotland, especially the MSC-certified North Sea haddock stocks. There is also a role in helping to counter the major Norwegian marketing campaign planned for the UK this year on cod and haddock," explained CEO Libby Woodhatch.

Research is underway to ascertain the demand for Scottish haddock and to understand its key attributes and unique selling points. Work is also in hand on improvements to SFS's Advanced Landings Site, which plays an important role in informing the processing sector about the type and volume of fish en-route from the fishing grounds to market.

"We need this information to help plan our workforce requirements and to ensure that markets are ready and waiting," said processor and SFS Vice Chairman Will Clark. "We also need the public to get behind our fantastic fresh, Scottish haddock."

BBC TV's Landward programme is playing an important educational role by making a short film about the Scottish haddock industry, from sea to plate, which will be aired later this Spring.

"We are putting considerable effort into assisting industry to make better contacts throughout the supply chain, and we are confident that we can help raise the profile and sales of Scottish haddock to match increased landings," said Libby Woodhatch.