Up to 20 jobs will be created in a north-east town as part of a £600,000 investment into fish processing.
The boost for Fraserburgh comes as a new plant prepares to launch in the port with the backing of Scottish Government funding.
Seafood Sourcing Ltd took over a former Young’s factory on Harbour Road earlier this year and now bosses plan to relaunch the business under their own name after pumping £614,000 into the sector.
Last night, the firm’s director, Derek Hutchins, said the move will create new opportunities for quality fish exports.
He said: “As part of phase one for the first year of the project we are in talks to bring in a fish trainer specialising in all types of hand filleting.
“We see a need to bring back these skills as there’s huge market potential out there for these products.
“We will also be doing some in-house training on quality standards to ensure our staff are trained to the highest standard for the production of fillets.”
The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Scottish Government has met 50% of the firm’s costs for the venture.
The funding is part of a new project to supply European markets with Scottish whitefish.
Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “This funding will transform a site that’s been vacant for some time into a fantastic new processing factory creating valuable jobs for the north east.
“This type of investment in our onshore sector is crucial for the growth of our seafood industry.
“It will enable the company to add value to the fish landed in Scotland and target a range of new markets across the world, supporting Scotland’s ambition to double the value of the food and drink industry.”
Conservative MSP Peter Chapman added it was a “step forward” for the town.
“Once we regain control over our waters out to 200 nautical miles, there is the potential for a huge increase in landings which will require more investment in onshore infrastructure,” he said.
Young’s abandoned the factory in 2014 but retained a presence on Watermill Road.
A year later, concerns were raised that the firm would collapse completely after it lost a processing contract to a rival.
Hundreds of jobs were axed but the processing site remains in use.
