The SSA elects its first chairwoman

The body that represents Scotland’s seafood processing industry has elected its first chairwoman.

Amber Knight of MacNeil Shellfish was unanimously chosen to lead the Scottish Seafood Association (SSA) at its annual general meeting.

She thanked outgoing chairman Ryan Scatterty for his able stewardship during his tenure, and said she looked forward to steering the industry through a very challenging and uncertain time, while remaining optimistic that opportunities can be seized when they arise.

Amber Knight manages and runs a significant export of live crustaceans to EU and global markets, and is fully aware of the pressures of Brexit and the impact it has had, both on her own business and that of the communities that she supports through procurement.

SSA chief executive Jimmy Buchan said he was delighted that the executive committee had elected Amber Knight to steer the ship through these difficult times.

“The executive has demonstrated diversity and collaboration with all the seafood sector, which demonstrates beyond doubt that the SSA is the voice of the processing sector across Scotland,” he said.

Andrew Brown, representing Macduff Shellfish, was elected to serve as vice chairman, giving a strong voice to the processing sector across Scotland, regardless of size.

He said that with the changes on the horizon on many fronts, it was never more important that the processing sector is at the table debating and shaping its future for the greater good of the catching and processing sector.

Both Amber Knight and Andrew Brown said they looked forward to working with Jimmy Buchan in serving all members in making sure the industry’s voice is heard at UK and Scottish government level.

This story was taken from the latest issue of Fishing News. For more up-to-date and in-depth reports on the UK and Irish commercial fishing sector, subscribe to Fishing News here or buy the latest single issue for just £3.30 here.