NEW SCOTTISH SEAFOOD CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE WILL PROVIDE MAJOR BOOST TO INDUSTRY

New Scottish Seafood Centre of Excellence will provide major boost to industry.
By Fish Focus
The new ‘Scottish Seafood Centre of Excellence’ planned for Fraserburgh will ensure that Scotland is put on a par with other northern European fishing nations by providing a modern state-of-the-art facility for fishing industry training and other services.
Mike Park, CEO of the Scottish White Fish Producers’ Association (SWFPA), told Fish Focus that the innovative project will deliver tangible benefits for communities around the coast and help ensure a positive future for Scottish fishing.
The UK Government announced in October that as part of the UK Seafood Fund Skills and Training Scheme, £3m had been awarded to help fund the creation of the Seafood Centre of Excellence in Fraserburgh. The facility will replace a temporary training space with a high-quality industry facility in the northeast of Scotland. It will include purpose-built classrooms, technology demonstration spaces, and facilities for blended training so trainees around the country can benefit from the facility.
The idea for such a facility was first conceived in 2017 and plans and costings were developed to move the proposal forward, but were then unavoidably delayed with the onset of the Covid pandemic. Following Covid, costs had significantly increased for the building work, which led to the development of a new refined concept, which has now secured the required financial support to proceed.
The concept has been enthusiastically embraced and supported by Aberdeenshire Council’s Fraserburgh Regeneration Strategy, which will promote seafood industry career pathways in partnership with Fraserburgh Academy and other schools, strengthening the industry’s links with the community.
The Seafood Centre of Excellence will offer in-person and virtual training for fishermen both in Scotland and beyond, and facilities include a bespoke fire-fighting training area. The centre will be the new home of SWFPA and its sister operation, SWFPA Crew Services Ltd, and will provide meeting and office facilities for other seafood businesses in the northeast. It will also provide a venue for high-level fisheries meetings and will even offer electric car-charging points.
Mike Park said:
“At the moment the North East Fishermen’s Training Association is using a church hall 12 miles inland to deliver training, which does not project a professional image, especially when one considers the modern facilities that countries such as Norway and Denmark offer their fishermen. Our new facility will bring us into the 21st century to offer vital training and other services for fishing.”
He added:
“Attracting people into the fishing industry has been a major problem in recent years and we hope the seafood centre of excellence will provide a platform to encourage new entrants into the seafood sector and pursue worthwhile and rewarding careers.”
Work on the new building will commence next April and it is envisaged it will be completed by the end of 2024.
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