Seafood Scotland has launched an initiative to encourage businesses in the industry to capitalise on the booming tourism trade.
Beyond the Boat will be used by Seafood Scotland to help businesses within the Scottish seafood industry attract additional revenue from tourist streams.
It aims to help firms grow and help offset the dual impact of Brexit and Covid-19.
It was reported in 2021 that because of Brexit, seafood exports in Scotland had fallen drastically losing almost £700million in revenue.
Scotland has a rich and storied history with the sea and seafood.
It is also the backbone of many coastal towns economies including Fraserburgh, the largest shellfish port in Europe and Peterhead, the largest fishing port.
‘Inspire and ignite seafood tourism’
Meanwhile Skye and the Western Isles are known for hand-dived scallops, which are a firm favourite on many menus across the country.
The new initiative aims to help businesses tap into the huge growth of the food tourism industry, perhaps by developing an experience that tells visitors about the relationship between Scotland and the sea.
Beyond the Boat is expected to run for six months from February.
Donna Fordyce, chief executive at Seafood Scotland said: “We want to seek out seafood entrepreneurs that have been harbouring a nugget of an idea for business growth within the tourism sector, something that they haven’t had time or resource to explore before now. We will help them make that idea a reality.
“This program is designed to help inspire and ignite seafood tourism in Scotland; a market we know has huge potential and should be an area for growth for the Scottish seafood industry.”