Scots offer community vision
The Scottish industry’s Community Engagement Charter featured in a talk at the annual Aquaculture in Motion event in Brussels today, which highlighted how achieving social acceptability is vital for the success of the sector.
The Charter is a publication which promotes the ongoing commitment of Scottish salmon producers to the communities where they farm. It highlights the deep-rooted connections developed over the last 40 years and the benefits resulting from wider community engagement.
Leading discussions, Jamie Smith, Technical Executive for the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) said: “People have always been the foundation of salmon farming and, in return, the industry has provided a diverse range of careers backed up by a wide variety of qualifications and training.
“But people also want to see tangible benefits from having a sustainable industry operating locally – and that can mean very different things, depending on the challenges faced by each community. We need to be aware of what these are.
“As for the communities, they want to be kept informed, consulted on things that matter to them and allowed to play their part. They see great value in industries like ours that can look beyond financial returns. Collaboration with communities is the proven way forward and essential to carving out a successful path for the industry as it develops”.
The roll out of the Community Engagement Charter began in September with local launches in each of the operating areas in the West Coast and Highlands and Islands of Scotland where it has received a warm from local and national politicians.
