The plight of fisheries dependent communities and what can be done to help is the focus of a seminar being hosted by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) later this week (Thursday 12th June).

The event at the Green House in Inverness will be the second in two days with a similar event taking place in Brussels the day before (Wednesday 11th June).

The conference will provide an opportunity for delegates to hear how fisheries dependent communities in other parts of the world are affected by dwindling stocks, the closure of fishing grounds and the wider effects on individuals and communities.

Key speaker at the event is Keith MacDonald, senior policy advisor in the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) - the Canadian Government's regional development agency for the four Atlantic Provinces.  Mr MacDonald will illustrate the ACOA's response to the crisis in Canadian waters and the types of programmes that have helped the industry to restructure.  He will also outline the types of assistance made available to help communities and individuals to diversify.

Speaking ahead of Thursday's event Mr MacDonald - who manages a programme of policy research, development and advisory services - explained some of the valuable lessons learned on the other side of the Atlantic.

"One of the key lessons we have learned is that the process of rebuilding fish stocks takes much longer than anyone expected," he said.

"Government programming needs to support a long-term transformation of the fishery while offering short-term assistance to the displaced fisheries workers and the affected communities."

Outlining experiences in the Baltic will be Rolf Gydemo, fisheries director, County Administration of Gotland, Sweden.  His present work involves developing fisheries, particularly small-scale fisheries in a time of cut-downs and resource scarcity.

Also speaking at the event is Iain Sutherland, HIE's Aquaculture and Fisheries manager, who will provide feedback to Inverness delegates from Wednesday's Brussels event.

Other speakers include Ann Bell, fisheries officer with Aberdeenshire Council and representatives from the Sea Fish Industry Authority.

Sandy Brady, director of Strategy at HIE is attending both seminars this week.  Commenting on the events in Brussels and Inverness, he said: "With delegates at both events bringing with them a wealth of knowledge and expertise in this sector, I expect we will learn some valuable lessons and on how to create a sustainable future for our fisheries dependent communities.

"Scotland's fishing industry is in an extremely fragile state and this of course impacts on our fishing communities.  By hosting these two events, HIE hopes to provide a focus for future discussion and action."