Monday, 26 May 2008

 

NAFC MARINE CENTRE DIRECTOR SEEKS STRONGER LINKS WITH LOCAL INDUSTRIES

 

NAFC Marine Centre director, Tony Hawkins, welcomed industry members, Shetland Islands Council representatives, Alistair Carmichael MP and Tavish Scott MSP to the Centre on Friday (23 May), many of whom he was meeting for the first time.

 

Introducing himself to the assembled guests, Tony Hawkins said: “My main task is to work towards achieving the success that the Centre deserves.

 

“I’ve only been here six weeks but I’m already tremendously impressed with the breadth of the programme at the Centre, the quality of the staff and the excellent facilities here.  Shetland Islands Council showed great foresight when it set up the Centre.”

 

He continued by giving a brief overview of the services provided by the marine centre.  “Our main purpose is providing education and training facilities for fishermen, fish and shellfish farmers, and Merchant Navy cadets.  We also provide all the engineering training for Shetland.  The Centre is really important in supporting training for the maritime industries which underpin the Shetland economy.

 

“We also act as mentors and advisers to fishermen.  We are currently helping Shetland vessels gain accreditation under the Responsible Fishing Scheme which helps to promote more sustainable fishing. 

 

We play an important role in raising the quality of fish from Shetland.  Shetland Seafood Quality Control Ltd – the independent quality assurance arm of the Centre – provides a wide range of services to the industry, including hydrographic and seabed surveys, microbiological testing and chemical analyses.

 

“Our strong scientific programme includes studies of various species of fish and shellfish.  We have established very good links with a range of research establishments throughout the UK, and our work is recognised at an international level.”

 

And to the future, Professor Hawkins said: “We want to continue to liaise with the fishing and fish farming industries to find out exactly what they need in terms of information and resources.  We have to work in partnership with the maritime industries to offer them the appropriate support.  We are also keen to cement our relationship with Shetland Islands Council and work closely with the Development department to help secure a sound economy for the islands.

 

“The local community is extremely important to us and, through the second year of our ‘Seas Around Us’ project, we hope to enable young people to engage with marine life and potentially spark interest in future careers in the maritime industries.

 

“Our overall aim is to be a one stop shop for everything concerning the sea and we want to work in partnership with industry, Shetland Islands Council and the people of Shetland to be an integral part of the local economy.”

 

Notes to editor:

Professor Hawkins took over as interim director of the NAFC Marine Centre in April.  He is a former head of the FRS Marine Laboratory in Aberdeen and currently works with the North Sea Regional Advisory Council in promoting the involvement of fishermen in the management of North Sea fisheries.

 

Further information from:

Tony Hawkins, NAFC Marine Centre, tel 01595 772000, email or visit www.nafc.ac.uk

Or, Louise Rosie, Shaw Marketing and Design Ltd, tel 01595 692465 or email