Working alongside our partners - Seafood Shetland and the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) - membership of the ASSG provides support for businesses facing the challenges and opportunities of sustainable shellfish production.
Specific policy topics of direct importance to Scottish businesses are routinely raised with the Scottish Government and its agencies. Representation on the Scottish Aquaculture Council ensures that the views of individuals are promoted on behalf of the sector, at the appropriate level, to achieve results.
Joint liaison with the various agencies of Scottish Government include; Crown Estate Scotland, Food Standards Scotland, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and, NatureScot. The views of the shellfish cultivation sector are registered with the appropriate bodies alongside direct engagement with Marine Scotland regarding detailed policy issues.
Input into the Regional Marine Planning Partnership process ensures spatial planning issues are recognised. The process of gaining planning consent for individual business developments is assisted through liaison with the local authority planning process and specifically through local development plan consultations.
Wide ranging issues relating to environmental monitoring, transport, distribution, shellfish processing, staff training, food safety, and research initiatives involve liaison with a range of institutions. These include the Sea Fish Industry Authority (Seafish), Enterprise Agencies and the rural industries training provider LANTRA. Research and innovation are at the forefront of our industry development objectives and along with engaging university research students the ASSG promotes joint initiatives. Working in partnership with the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock (CIEL) together with membership of the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) ensures that industry has access to innovative thinking and development support.
Targeted updates for members on current operational issues allows an informed view to be taken by production businesses. There is also the opportunity for direct promotion of the sector through general media interest and ad hoc public enquiries. Given the close inter-relationship between cultivated shellfish and wild bivalve stocks, there is often information provided on our industry and the protection of, and dependence on, a healthy and productive marine coastal environment.
The Grower Newsletter is a quarterly publication from the ASSG team which ensures that members are kept up to date on both national and international developments concerning bivalve shellfish. The communication is distributed electronically and attracts a wide-ranging readership from around the globe. ASSG members receive a hard copy in advance of each general release.
The ASSG convenes in the autumn for its annual conference and dinner. This not only provides an opportunity for members to meet and confer, but attracts a wide range of delegates including producers from abroad, development organisations, policy makers and researchers. Service companies and equipment suppliers also attend the event. ASSG members enjoy a reduced entrance fee to this and other topical workshops held during the year.
The ASSG seeks to work closely with aligned research programmes through government or university research initiatives. Where research has a direct practical application to the development of the Scottish shellfish cultivation industry and the commercial businesses involved, the ASSG will always seek to provide dedicated technical knowledge, drawing on the collective practical experience and expertise of its membership.
The ASSG seeks to provide all member businesses with the most appropriate support through collective representation at the right level. It is possible for any business - whether at start-up stage or fully established - to capitalise on this support structure.
The initiatives undertaken are given oversight by the ASSG Management Committee elected annually by the Membership (Producers and Associates) and so all have the opportunity to contribute to the governance of the organisation.
Supporter members are encouraged from non-business interests on the basis of shared values of environmental safeguarding and the wider benefits to society of shellfish cultivation and consumption.
Annual Membership – categories consist of:
Processor Membership
Producer Member (establish business or trader)
Associate Producer Member (start-up business eligible rate for 3 years)
Supporter Member (non-business interest)
Please submit your details for application on the following form.
You can join online by filling in the form below.
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