Written evidence submitted by Seafood Shetland (CISFL0026)

Background

Seafood Shetland is a members’ trade organisation based in Lerwick, Shetland, representing the interests of fish processing, shellfish and finfish aquaculture companies.  The body is pleased to submit this evidence, given the significant benefits which seafood production – both wild-caught from the sea and from aquaculture – provides to the northern Shetland Isles of Unst and Yell, as well as the wider Shetland, Scottish and U.K. economies.

In total, the Shetland salmon farming sector employs 390 souls, with 530 staff in ancillary supply-chain jobs, while the total worth to Shetland’s economy (gross value added) is £91 million, with £173 million of salmon exports from Shetland.

Cooke Scotland is part of the Cooke family of companies, established in 2014 following acquisition of seawater and freshwater assets in Orkney, Shetland and the U.K. mainland.  In Shetland, its operation is largely based in and around the northern isles of Unst, Yell and Fetlar, while its ethos holds the natural environment and heritage of these locations in high esteem and a determination that its impact is one of positivity. 

The company has invested heavily in these economies, assisting communities and providing local jobs and skills, allowing people to stay on the islands.  With 138 employees in Shetland alone, 20% of the workforce of the isles of Unst, Yell and Fetlar is accounted for by Cooke, with the age range of staff (2025) 16 – 65, with the maximum length of service 37 years: these are skilled, permanent, long-term jobs paying more than the national average, with the company’s total pay package in the region of £5 million, while wider community benefit funds support all of Shetland.  In 2024, Cooke spent £15 million in the Shetland business community, working with 114 Shetland-registered businesses: a significant proportion of this begins with its operations in Unst, Yell and Fetlar. 

Whilst the shellfish farming sector is small by comparison to its finfish colleagues, Shetland dominates the overall Scottish scene, producing 10,234 tonnes of mussels in 2024, with an estimated value of £10.7 million and representing 87% of Scottish recorded tonnage at 11,690 tonnes.  It supports jobs across Shetland’s community, employing some 95 souls directly and in wider ancillary operations, with mussels grown in Unst and Yell contributing approximately 10% to overall production levels and £1 million in value. 

Meanwhile, the port of Cullivoe in north Yell currently ranks 9th in Scotland and 11 in the U.K., with demersal and capture shellfish landings estimated to be worth £7 million. 

All seafood emanating from these northern Shetland Isles of Unst and Yell leaves in refrigerated trailer transport via Shetland’s internal ferry network, ultimately bound for the overnight external ferry from Lerwick to Aberdeen and onward. 

Writing today - 10th December, 2025 – the northern isles of Shetland are contending with the impacts of Storm Bram, with internal ferry services to the islands of Unst and Yell currently suspended.  While, it is likely that services will resume – albeit limited, confined to single vessel operation and all bookings revoked - this brings utter chaos and misery, as producers are forced to question their planned harvesting and working schedules and haulage operators endeavour to ensure they can reach the isles, load seafood shipments and return to the Shetland mainland timeously to meet the external ferry connection to Aberdeen.  This is by no means an isolated case, coupled with an ageing local authority ferry fleet, crew shortages and illness, the system has become completely unpredictable and unreliable. 

In recent times, these challenges have become more acute, with seafood enterprises supplying local, national and international markets faced with consequent knock-on and grave impacts to their daily operations: 100% dependable and efficient logistics are fundamental and key to any fresh and perishable food transport, with these initial links critical to supporting the supply chain, while continued and future confidence in economic development can be both diminished and threatened. 

These northern Shetland Isles are highly economically productive and, in Seafood Shetland’s view, would benefit significantly from the creation of fixed links, thus conserving and protecting their current economic prowess, present and future employment prospects, while being in a position to attract prospective new staff to commute from the Shetland mainland more easily, and enhancing wider community support and benefits.  Seafood Shetland also believes that there are little or no downsides to the provision of fixed-link infrastructure, the prospect of which is widely welcomed by businesses and residents alike.

Both governments must work together for the good of the people, acknowledging the significant and vital contribution which these northern Shetland isles make to the wider British economy, ensuring the need for fixed-link infrastructure comes to fruition.

In addition - and from a wider perspective - the strategic location of Shetland and these islands must be explored further and kept in mind by both governments.

Seafood Shetland has been pleased to receive a copy of the Unst and Yell Tunnel Action Groups’ report: “Subsea Tunnels, are we crazy”, which highlights the successful impacts of the provision of fixed-link infrastructure in the Faroe Islands, a location not too dissimilar in nature to Shetland, with the population rising in areas which are now connected to the main island by subsea tunnels and bridges, whilst falling on islands with none.  The social impact of subsea tunnels in the Faroe Islands appears positive in respect of population retention, re-population, age profile, access to employment, services, leisure activities and housing development: all matters which require to be addressed – and swiftly - in Shetland’s islands. 

While the northern isles of Unst and Yell are highly dependent upon the seafood sector, support to diversify and broaden the economic base is vital to ensure the survival and future growth of these communities: new opportunities are to the fore in space, renewables and tourism. 

To provide encouragement to business and community sectors, Seafood Shetland holds the view that to achieve further positive outcomes, the creation of permanent, fixed transport links to these islands - such as tunnels - is paramount.

Additional information supplied on Monday, 5th January, 2026.

Figures obtained from Shetland Islands’ Council demonstrate that in the period 2023/24, at the port of Cullivoe, Yell, the local authority earned £172,149 from fish landed, £315,547 from dues levied on salmon and £10,982 from fresh shellfish landings: this serves to emphasise the importance of these seafood sectors to the northern isles of Shetland and the major economic benefits which they bring. 

From a mussel farming member of Seafood Shetland who is based on the Shetland mainland but has operations in Yell:

“Working from Yell is a major issue from a logistical perspective, as staff are not based in the island, hence it is necessary to undertake two ferry journeys each day, together with further operational trips, as and when required.  Marine support for one site is undertaken from Collafirth (the north of the Shetland mainland), a 4-hour daily steam, costing in the region of £1,200 per day.  Additional operations add major costs, through the constraints of a short operating day, caused by waiting for, and travelling on, ferries.  Efficiency is estimated at 80% by comparison to the company’s Shetland mainland mussel farming sites, with additional operational and logistical costs.  When stock is harvested and landed in Mid-Yell, for example, DFDS (haulage operator) imposes a surcharge for its refrigerated transport, with its working time reduced, bearing in mind the need to return to Lerwick to catch the overnight ferry service to Aberdeen.  During 2024, £3,372.50 was spent on ferry fares to and from Yell; for the first 10 months of 2025 the spend is £1,834, while the company is also hit by sub-contractors recharging any ferry fares incurred.  During 2024, the company undertook 92 x boat days in Yell, with an average of 2.4 crew/day; during 2025 to date (information supplied in December, 2025), the company operated 147 x boat days in Yell, with an average of 2.8 crew/day and additional maintenance days in both years.

“Whilst not related to seafood particularly, the provision of fixed link infrastructure must investigate further opportunities: it is likely Sullom Voe Oil Terminal and the Gas Plant could have many residents in Yell if there was a fixed link in place; secondary education and the provision of accommodation hostels for students could be reduced by utilising the Junior High School at Brae; benefits for medical staff and care centres and emergency services: coastguard helicopter v ambulance etc.  The overall business case must be considered fully.  Meanwhile, many isles’ residents are leaving to take up jobs on the Shetland mainland, which can lead to the departure of entire families.  If a fixed link to the mainland had been in place when the company purchased a processing unit in Mid-Yell, this would have ensured the facility was retained in the isle, rather than having to be relocated to the Shetland mainland, as was the case.”

December 2025