BETTER refrigeration will not save Aberdeen Port’s fishing industry say its harbour board, but the firm supplying ice to chill the port’s fish fears the status quo won’t help ice sales either.
Ice cube manufacturers Granite City Ice Ltd is experiencing a 40% drop in its annual turnover, which it says is due to a reduction in its ice sales to fishing vessels.

Granite City Ice has been hit by a drop of nearly 60% in fishing boats landing at Aberdeen Port since 2002.

It says losses of £116,581 last year were due to falling fish landings caused by lack of refrigeration at the port.

Aberdeen harbour board's decision last May not to spend £3.2m on a new cold storage plant and landings at the port will far from turnaround the firm's future ice sales.

The harbour board argues refrigeration of the port's fish market won't attract more landings because most of the fish is being caught further north to save on sailing time and fuel costs and boats are landing away from Aberdeen.

'The Board remain committed to helping guarantee a future for the industry in Aberdeen and encourage it to consider providing a fit-for-purpose refrigerated facility for white fish in the city' said the board.