JOHNSTONE High School is the scene of fishy goings on this week, as Seafood Scotland’s highly-successful Seafood in Schools project presents a series of interactive workshops to more than 360 high school and primary pupils and their teachers on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2014.
The workshops will teach children where seafood comes from, why it is healthy to eat, and how it gets to their plates.
Each pupil will attend three half-hour workshops, whilst an ad-hoc session at lunchtime for teachers, will give them more confidence in using seafood as a context for learning.
The wetfish counter display is guaranteed to be a hit, enabling pupils to see and handle a variety of Scottish species and to learn how they are caught, landed and processed.
It will be run by Seafood in Schools coordinator Sheila Bannerman, with Marine Scotland scientist, Jennifer Wright, providing an insight into how fish and shellfish lives in the marine environment.
“I am delighted to work with the Seafood in Schools programme, which is a great way to encourage more children to eat seafood and help them learn about sustainable fishing,” said Jennifer.
Local chef, Vanessa Daley from Mar Hall, is hosting the second workshop, and will be cooking up some quick, easy and tasty seafood dishes for pupils to try. Vanessa will also be handing out recipe leaflets and hopes that parents will be inspired to try them at home.
The third workshop concentrates on health and wellbeing and the importance of eating foods high in Omega 3. Run by Catriona Frankitti of Fish For Health, the session also features a tutored tasting session using crab, brisling sardines, mackerel, trout, salmon and herring, provided by RR Spink, International Fish Canners, Macrae/Young’s, Daniels Sweet Herring, and Orkney Crab, with oatcakes from Nairns.
Fish for the display and cookery demonstrations is kindly donated by Glasgow Market-based seafood wholesaler, John Valance, the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation and Lions Speciality Food.
Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation, said: “We are proud to be part of such an engaging event. Scottish farmed salmon is known to be rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, key components of a healthy balanced diet.
“Research shows that eating food rich in Omega-3s helps children improve their ability to learn and concentrate in the classroom, as well as providing many other health benefits to people of all ages.
“Families will have the opportunity to learn more about the salmon farming industry, which plays such a pivotal role as one of Scotland’s economic successes, and can offer our future workforce a range of career opportunities.”
To help reinforce the learning experience at home, parents and friends are invited to a community event from 1615 to 1700 on Tuesday 27th May.
They will be able to experience the same workshops and find out just how much their children know about Scottish seafood!
In addition to students from Johnstone High School, pupils will attend from Auchenlodment, Cochrane Castle, Fordbank, Howwood, Kilbarchan, Lochwinnoch and Thorn primary schools.
Their transport is funded through the Seafood in Schools project.
Following the workshops, each participating class will undertake a project of their choosing using seafood as a context for learning, which they must demonstrate to the rest of the school through an assembly or similar activity.
“In this way, we ensure that the Seafood in Schools programme and the messages it teaches, have a very wide reach,” said Sheila Bannerman.
ENDS
Photocall with the children: 1100 Tuesday 27th or Wednesday 28th May (alternative timings by arrangement).
To arrange a photocall or for further press enquiries, please contact Martin Hunt on 07767 401 760, martin@tartansilk.co.uk
Seafood Scotland is an industry organisation that works throughout the supply-chain with fishermen, fish/shellfish farmers, processors, retailers, food service companies, caterers, NGOs and consumers to develop & enhance the competitive performance, quality practices and global reputation of a sustainable Scottish seafood industry. Seafood Scotland manages the Seafood in Schools project. For more information please visit: http://www.seafoodscotland.org
Seafood in Schools is a project that aims to teach children about Scottish seafood; where it comes from, how it reaches our plates, and why eating seafood is good for us. It is funded by Scottish Government, Seafish, Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation, the Scottish Fishermen’s Trust and the Scottish Whitefish Producers’ Association, and also relies on in-kind contributions and involvement by the fishing and aquaculture industries.
For more information please contact: Nicki Holmyard, SiS manager on 0771 127 2637 nicki@seafoodscotland.org or visit: http://www.seafoodinschools.org
Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO) is at the centre of salmon farming’s industry-wide initiatives and public communication, acting as a trusted source of information, a strong industry voice and a focus through which industry leadership and objectives can be channelled.
Set up in 2006 as an industry organisation for Scottish salmon farming, SSPO encompasses over 95 per cent of the tonnage of Scottish salmon production and all members participate in the Code of Good Practice for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture. The organisation plays a central role in representing the industry on political, regulatory, media and technical issues in Scotland, the UK, EU and internationally.
MEDIA RELEASE issued by Tartan Silk PR. You too can post your story ideas for journalists (aka press or media releases), on allmediascotland.com. Email info@allmediascotland.com for more information.
Check out twitter.com/nonstopstories.
Check out too the brand new twitter.com/allFoodPR and also twitter.com/allEducationPR.
Contact: Tartan Silk
Phone: 0131 557 0341
Email: martin@tartansilk.co.uk
Website: http://www.tartansilk.co.uk
