News / In brief – 5 March 2010
A POST mortem is to be carried out on a 43 year old man who died suddenly while returning to his home in Virkie in a taxi at 11.45am yesterday (Thursday).
Police said the main A970 was closed for a time while the CID investigated the scene, however there were no suspicious circumstances. The cause of death is unknown and the man’s identity remains confidential until the family has been informed.
A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
The Simon King effect
THE ECONOMIC value of the three Simon King programmes on Shetland’s wildlife broadcast last month is said to be in the region of £6 million.
Councillor Jonathan Wills told his colleagues at the SIC’s development committee yesterday morning that tourism businesses in the isles were already experiencing increased bookings as a direct consequence of the programmes.
“Everything looks very, very promising for tourism at the moment”, the councillor said, adding that the BBC series is to be repeated in April
Meanwhile differences between the two organisations promoting Shetland have been resolved and website links from the Shetland section of the official VisitScotland site to the council’s own www.shetland.org site should be re-established shortly, the meeting heard.
Shellfish cash
THE organisation managing the Shetland Regulating Order for shellfish catching has been granted almost £135,000 from the council’s economic development budget to cover its management costs until 2012/13.
Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO), based at the NAFC Marine Centre in Scalloway, is responsible for the sustainable fisheries of shellfish within the isles’ six mile limit.
Last year, 2,222 tonnes of shellfish with a value of over £5.3 million was landed in Shetland. SSMO are trying to obtain Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation for the isles’ inshore fishery.
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