Shetland crab and scallop fishers star in new TV advertisements forming part of a campaign to highlight and promote sustainable seafood.
Whether they become the “new Jimmy Buchan” – the former north-east skipper who made a name for himself in the BBC’s popular Trawlermen series – remains to be seen.
But their faces will soon be familiar to many thousands of viewers through their appearances on multiple channels.
Channel 5, Food Network, Sky Arts, Discovery, Nat Geo, Sky Nature, Wild and Animal Planet are all showing the ads.
They are paid for by Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) UK as part of its annual Sustainable Seafood Week.
Now in its third year and running from September 16-23, Sustainable Seafood Week is a nationwide drive to support and promote sustainable fish and seafood.
It involves retailers and brands including Waitrose, Aldi, Lidl, Wholefoods and Youngs.
Whalsay scallop fisherman George Andrew Williamson, 54, who features in the ads, said: “It’s such a small community here, that scallop fishing keeps everything going. If we keep it sustainable, we actually have a future.”
New MSC “ambassador”, chef, and sustainable living expert James Strawbridge visited Shetland to film Sustainable Seafood Suppers, aimed at home cooks, as part of the campaign.
These are being shown across MSC’s own digital channels and include a smoky crab stew with pearl barley and Shetland bannock, as well as smoked scallops with haggis.
Want to know how to ‘shuck’ scallops?
Mr Strawbridge is also sharing essential seafood skills, alongside Shetland fishers, to help people learn how to “shuck” scallops – the name of the skill used to take meat out of the shell – and tackle crabs.
Filming took place on Whalsay and at West Burrafirth, on the Walls Peninsula in the West Mainland of Shetland.
Mr Strawbridge said: “Shetland scallops and brown crab are the perfect seafood choices for my Sustainable Seafood Suppers this year.
“Knowing they were sourced from local, certified sustainable fisheries that support rural, hardworking communities is a real plus.
“It’s brilliant to be able to cook great food and reduce your ocean impact all at once.”
MSC senior fisheries outreach manager Katie Keay said: “It’s fantastic to see the Shetland scallop and brown crab fishery being highlighted in this year’s Sustainable Seafood Week.
“The fishermen work really hard to ensure they fish sustainably, so seafood can be around for generations to come.
“I hope this week will inspire people to look out for the blue MSC ecolabel in supermarkets to support these small but important fishing communities.”
World-first for brown crab fishery
The Shetland scallop and brown crab fisheries gained MSC certification in 2012.
This means it maintains healthy stocks, minimises its environmental impact and is certified to the MSC’s independent standard for sustainable fishing.
The brown crab fishery is said to be the only one certified as sustainable in the world, highlighting how Shetland is leading the way in best practice fisheries management.
Sustainable seafood in demand
A recent study carried out independently by the GlobeScan consultancy on behalf of MSC found about 70% of UK consumers know the fish and seafood choices they make can help make a difference to the health of oceans.
Nearly four-fifths (77%) of people from the UK believe consumers should only eat seafood from sustainable sources, the research across 23 global markets revealed.
MSC is an international non-profit organisation which sets globally recognised, science-based standards for sustainable fishing and the seafood supply chain.
Its ecolabel and certification programme recognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices.
Conversation