North and north-east seafood firms are hoping for new orders from across the Atlantic after attending a major industry showcase in Boston.
A total of 10 Scottish firms were represented on the trip, which was organised by trade body Seafood Scotland.
The line-up consisted of Coast and Glen, the Deveron Fishing Company, Downies of Whitehills, the Edinburgh Salmon Company, International Fish Canners, J K Thomson, Kintyre Smokehouse, the Scottish Salmon Company, Nor-Sea Foods and Marine Products Scotland.
Their four-days at the Seafood Expo North America event was meant as an introduction to the North American market, supported by meetings with importers and distributors as well as a networking dinner and visits to wholesalers, retailers and foodservice outlets.
Some of the delegation also joined a trip to the city of Gloucester, America’s oldest seaport, hosted by Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken.
Graham Young, head of Seafood Scotland, said: “The US is definitely a land of opportunity for seafood companies but they must be willing to put the groundwork in first to ensure they get it right.
“By offering trips such as this learning journey, along with market insight, we hope to help them get a foothold in the market.
Figures from industry body Seafish show the top five export markets for UK seafood in 2013 were France, the US, Ireland, Spain and Italy.