The European Union and the Scottish and UK governments must “play hard” with Faroe and Iceland for their large, self-imposed increas­es in mackerel quotas if the local pelagic fishery is to be kept out of danger, chairman of the Shetland Fishermen’s Association Hansen Black has warned.

With the European Association of Fish Producers Organisation (EAPO) calling on EU fisheries commissioner Maria Damanaki to introduce sanctions, Mr Black criticised the Faroese for what he called “opportunism” in failing to sign up to an agreement between coastal states on the total allowable catch (TAC) of mackerel after their demands for a greater share were dismissed.

Click on image to enlarge.

A bronze cannon from an Armada ship which wrecked off Fair Isle in the aftermath of the Spaniards’ ill-fated attack on England in 1588 will be on display in the Shetland Museum for the first time from Monday.

Tesco hopes to open fuel pumps in Lerwick if it can find a suitable site. Manager of the local branch Paul Clelland confirmed the move, revealing that the company was in talks with Shetland Islands Council to try to pinpoint a possible location because there is not enough room on the supermarket site on the South Road.

Companies which were owed a total of £294,000 by the former Shetland Catch subsidiary Shetland Smokehouse when it failed four years ago are to receive only a tiny fraction of what they are due.

A former heroin addict who is trying to sort himself out was given the chance to avoid further time in jail today by agreeing to a drug treatment and testing order.

Click on image to enlarge.

A youthful 16-man pool of Shetland’s footballers, containing 10 players aged 24 or under, will be in Kirkwall for the annual inter-county match against Orkney on Saturday.

Upon returning from an eight-month world tour I have been lucky enough to fall back into my job with the council working on the essy kert. Now, on the whole, I enjoy my job. The pay is good, I’m out in the fresh air from start to finish, I’m pretty much getting a full body work out every day and I come home after each round satisfied in the knowledge I’ve done a good honest day’s work.

The super yacht Lady B in Lerwick Harbour recently generated a lot of comment, not least how the single carbon mast at 179ft (approx. 54 metres) towered over the town (The Shetland Times front page, 9th July). An amazing view could be seen from Sound entering the town from South Mainland.

It may interest your readers to know that not all shops in the so-called town centre are members of the Lerwick Town Centre Association, nor indeed do these businesses necessarily agree with the views put forward by the said association.

While I was a critic of Mareel at first, based entirely on the somewhat imaginative business plan (I still cannot see it can pay its way), I have to say what a positive and upbeat interview the arts development agency boss gave on Radio Shetland’s Tuesday evening programme.