Seafood processors are backing the North East Scotland Green Freeport (NESGF) bid.
The push for an Aberdeen and Peterhead-focused freeport already has high profile support, including from The Press and Journal.
More than 100 senior industry leaders, academics, politicians and business owners signed a statement backing the bid.
The campaign is expected to deliver a major boost for the seafood sector, if successful.
A successful bid will see the entrepreneurial spirit of the region come to the fore once again.”
Ryan Scatterty, chief executive, Thistle Seafoods.
Partners in the NESGF bidding consortium include economic development organisation Opportunity North East, whose Seafood Transformation Project (STP) aims to inject £77 million into the industry over five years.
Nearly £50m of this would be invested directly in processing businesses.
The project is also expected to tackle acute labour shortages and improve productivity, while growing the industry’s annual turnover by up to £175 million.
In addition, a development group has been established to draw up plans for a Sustainable Seafood Park in Peterhead for new and expanding processors.
The park would be net-zero through shared renewable energy sources, infrastructure and waste facilities.
The Scottish Seafood Association (SSA), representing 75 firms throughout Scotland, described the proposals as “truly transformational”.
Sector ‘has worked hard to punch above its weight’
SSA chief executive Jimmy Buchan said: “Scotland’s seafood sector produces nutritious, low-carbon protein food of the highest quality.
“It has worked very hard to punch above its weight in recent years amid some serious challenges, especially around investment and labour supply.
“We are hugely supportive of the North East Scotland Green Freeport bid.
“It recognises the intractability of those challenges and proposes concrete solutions that will have a truly transformational impact on the sector.
“Ministers in both of Scotland’s governments must recognise the breadth of vision, not only for seafood but for sectors across the north-east economy, and approve the bid.”
Bill McKenzie, a director of Don Fishing Company, of Peterhead, said: “Securing green freeport status will create a more favourable investment climate in the north-east and catalyse momentum in the Seafood Transformation project. This will strongly benefit the fishing industry.”
The managing director of another Peterhead firm, David Leiper at Seafood Ecosse, said: “With the north-east of Scotland a vital part of the new world, where energy and food security is top of the agenda. I can see no better area in the UK for green freeport status.
Green freeport status would be ‘major step forward’ for the sector
“It is vital the seafood industry accelerates the scale of investment to enable its full economic potential.”
Securing green freeport status will complement the STP and represent a major step forward for the whole fishing and seafood sector, Mr Leiper added.
Ryan Scatterty, chief executive of Thistle Seafoods, based in Boddam, near Peterhead, said: “With our growing export markets and the ever competitive international scene, this can only be a boost to the north-east and wider Scottish economy.”
Mr Scatterty added: “A successful bid will see the entrepreneurial spirit of the region come to the fore once again.
“We encourage the Scottish and British governments to back the north-east bid to maximise the potential of the region and help with the transition to a more balanced and sustainable economy.”
NESGF is one of five groups aiming to secure green freeport status.
Led by Port of Aberdeen, Peterhead Port Authority and Aberdeen International Airport, with support from the region’s two councils, the north-east consortium has estimated a green freeport will deliver 32,000 jobs and an £8.5 billion economic boost for the region.
Two green freeports are due to be announced soon but there is a growing clamour in the north and north-east to make it three.
NESGF’s bidding rivals include Opportunity Cromarty Firth, Orkney Council, Firth of Forth Green Freeport and Clyde Green Freeport.
Conversation