Scottish Quality Salmon chairman calls for more government incentive Scottish aquaculture: quality key to future' Scottish Quality Salmon chairman Lord Lindsay has called on the Scottish Executive to promote and reward quality as the key to delivering a long-term sustainable future for Scottish aquaculture. This week the industry has been under the spotlight at a conference in Edinburgh, part of the Scottish Parliament's rolling inquiry which will lead to the Scottish Executive developing a strategy. Environmental concerns are putting the industry under pressure to follow a more premium and added value and less volume driven route. Lord Lindsay told the conference that a quality led strategy would deliver a win-win' situation for industry, jobs and the economy. "Quality is surely the key ­ and if aquaculture is the key then those who commit to it and deliver must be recognised and encouraged by that strategy if it is to succeeed. "At present government offers little incentive for the industry to strive for standards higher than the legal minimum. This undermines and demotivates Scotland's long-term ability to deliver premium standards of production and premium environmental systems. It also undermines our competitiveness." Lord Lindsay added: "A strategy that promotes and rewards quality will provide a positive, collaborative basis for long-term investment. Deputy environment minister Rhona Brankin was told that more information was needed about the impact of the industry on the environment. She has refused to yield to calls to impose a moratorium on new fish farms until the inquiry is concluded. Shetland councillor Bill Manson has told the rolling inquiry that the ZCC Act, which governs development of fishing in the islands, pre-dated the emergence of fish farming and needed to be adapted to deal with the industry. Scottish Quality Salmon has insisted the industry can live with new EU regulations on dioxin in food which come into force July 2002. Salmon farming pumps around £2m a week into the Scottish economy and is now worth more than the Highland beef and lamb industries combined. {{MEAT }}

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