When trees are big and strong enough, they sometimes show their roots outside the ground. That’s when it often dawns on us that, underneath all the dazzling things we see on the outside, there is a strong structure that is not only feeding it but also anchoring it firmly to the earth. Talking to Tavish Scott, CEO of Salmon Scotland, we had the feeling that we were looking at one of those magnificent trees whose roots, increasingly visible, are firmly rooted in the Shetland Islands, which is to say in the Scottish salmon farming sector.
Salmon breeding, fishing… all the seafood sector is central to Shetland’s economy, and the islands are central to him, having represented the people there in the Scottish Parliament for 20 years. Friends working in the sector, colleagues in the supply chain to the sector… as he says, this was a very easy role for him to both know enough about, and also want to know more about. A job where he feels anchored to his land, to his community, to the things that matter to him, to his roots. “The kind of job I wanted because I think you need to care about what you do”, he says.
When trees are big and strong enough, they sometimes show their roots outside the ground. That's when it often dawns on us that, underneath all the dazzling things we see on the outside, there is a strong structure that is not only feeding it but also anchoring it firmly to the earth. Talking to Tavish Scott, CEO of Salmon Scotland, we had the feeling that we were looking at one of those magnificent trees whose roots, increasingly visible, are firmly rooted in the Shetland Islands . . .