Pete Bevington

15 October, 2009

FISHERIES scientists in Shetland are hoping for European funding to purchase state of the art equipment to help the industry check the health of their stocks and create new employment opportunities at Scalloway’s NAFC Marine Centre.

Shetland Seafood Quality Control has been awarded £25,000 by Shetland Islands Council’s economic development unit towards upgrading their equipment, and is awaiting a decision by the European Fisheries Fund on an extra £137,000.

SSQC general manager Niall O’Rourke said the improvements would help them deliver a more accurate and faster service for the aquaculture and fisheries sector.

He said that health checks on fish and shellfish for bacteria such as listeria and salmonella currently could be reduced from five days to 24 hours using the latest equipment on the market.

SSQC also want to employ a co-ordinator for two years to run five pilot projects on areas such as traceability and adding value to fish products through, for example, smoking white fish.

Mr O’Rourke said: “These could create work for one and eventually more people.”

The SIC Grant is the largest of almost £300,000 worth of grants handed out by the SIC between May and August that were announced this week.

Money has also been awarded to erect wind turbines at Bridge End Outdoor Centre, Burra, Skeld and Muckle Roe public halls, Aith lifeboat station and the Church of Scotland in Unst, though that project has been shelved after the kirk failed to gain planning permission.

The second largest grant of £23,410.50 went to the recently formed Shetland Rural Development Advisers, set up with council assistance from the ashes of the Shetland Crofting, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (SCFWAG) which helps crofters apply for grants under the government’s Scottish Rural Development Programme.

Full details of the grants can be found here.

Meanwhile Shetland Charitable Trust yesterday (Wednesday) announced that it had awarded three grants to Skeld public hall (£1,000) for new tables and chairs; Shetland Country Music Club (£3,000) towards last month’s country music festival; and Shetland Needleworkers (£292) for workshops.