Prince supports island abattoirs

The vision for the Sustaining Island Abattoirs in Scotland Project was originally unveiled in November 2013. It was born from a successful research exercise instigated by the prince in that year, but its launch now follows a visit to Islay by him in June this year.

A spokesman said everything was now in place to implement the project. It will share expertise, mentoring support and investment funding across seven island locations.

Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and the Environment said: “Local abattoirs play an important part in the food chain and the economy of these islands, providing locally sourced produce, support for farming businesses and employment.

“By providing a slaughter and meat processing facility, Scotland’s island abattoirs are able to give farmers and butchers a local option instead of having to ship their livestock out of the area.

" As well as savings on haulage costs, there are also environmental benefits thanks to the reduction in food miles."

According to the research there are over 2,000 farming and crofting businesses on Scotland’s islands which depend on the sustainability of their abattoirs. But in recent years they have faced significant challenges to meet new regulations in a competitive environment with ageing workforces.

The project organisers say that an immediate dividend of the new project will be that 15 young people on the islands will benefit from improved skills and job opportunities, whilst local food and hospitality businesses will receive a boost from new commercial opportunities.

Bringing together abattoir businesses from Shetland, Orkney, Islay, Mull, Lewis, Barra, and North Uist ,the new project is set to help with funding, business mentoring, apprenticeships and marketing initiatives to ensure they are sustainable businesses.

It is being led by one of the prince's charities Scottish Business in the Community, with support from the Scottish Agricultural Organisational Society, the Prince's Countryside Fund and the Scottish Government.

Mr Lochhead added: “The Scottish Government is committed to the principle that animals should be slaughtered as close to where they are reared as possible.

"The Scottish Government is delighted at being involved in the programme to improve the sustainability of the seven island facilities in Scotland, and to have matched The Prince’s Countryside Fund commitment with £150,000 to underpin long term viability of the island abattoirs."

Jane Wood, chief executive of Scottish Business in the Community and a member of the project steering group, said: “This rewarding project has brought together the widest possible range of partners, all of whom are determined to support the prince’s ambition to deliver sustainability for these vital businesses and a greater overall resilience for island communities.

"At Scottish Business in the Community, we will be supporting the project in a number of ways, including leveraging the engagement of our membership to develop new market opportunities.

“Much work remains to be done, but the economic and social value of this intervention cannot be underestimated.”

It comes as campaigners are continuing their fight against the proposed closure of the animal disease surveillance centre in Inverness.

Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) launched a consultation proposing that the Inverness centre’s work should be taken over by laboratories in Thurso, Aberdeen and Perth.

The centre looks after the health of agricultural livestock. It conducts post-mortem examinations on unexplained animal deaths and helps investigate wildlife crime like the poisoning of birds of prey, as well as working on the hundreds of whales, dolphins and seals stranded and killed around Scotland’s shores.

Local politicians, farmers and vets have all protested against the proposed closure and have been joined by environmental groups, alarmed at the implications for wildlife.