Fish+ in a Good Food Nation: Histories of Aquatic Foods in Scotland

Aquatic foods (or fish+ as we like to call them) often get left out of food systems policy and practice. This renders invisible the opportunities and challenges aquatic foods bring in our transition to more socially and environmentally just food systems. 

Join us for our first webinar featuring Ruth Thurstan and John Goodlad:

Ruth Thurstan | Looking to the past to inform our ocean futures
Scotland's highly productive coastal waters have supplied local communities and far away cities with food and livelihoods for centuries. Drawing on historical records and fisheries data, Ruth will explore how Scotland's marine systems have changed over the past two hundred years. Ruth will trace how successive waves of technological innovation and accelerating consumer demand for fish protein transformed the way fish and shellfish were caught, with profound consequences for both fishing communities and the seas they depend on.

Understanding this history helps us appreciate what conditions allowed these waters to thrive, and raises important questions about how we manage Scotland's marine resources for the long term.

John Goodlad | The Salt Roads - historical and cultural significance of fishing in Shetland John will highlight the cultural and historical importance of fishing in Shetland, drawing from his book The Salt Roads which tells the story of how salt fish from Shetland became one of the staple foods of Europe, powered an economic boom, and inspired artists, writers, and musicians.

​As well as following the historical thread and exploring how very different cultures were drawn together by the salt fish trade, John will examine how fishing has been central to Scotland's story and the importance of the seafood industry to Scottish culture, society and food security.   

This webinar is part of a series running alongside our Fish+ Atlas project: the co-development of a publication depicting the current role of aquatic foods in Scotland's food systems. To find out more about the project contact diana@nourishscotland.org.uk

Speaker Bios

Ruth Thurstan

Ruth Thurstan is an Associate Professor at the University of Exeter, where she specialises in marine historical ecology and the long-term trajectories of fish supply. Drawing on archival records and local knowledge, her research explores how our seas and fishing systems have changed due to industrialisation and globalisation. Ruth brings historical perspectives to contemporary questions about food, fish, and the ocean, using the past to challenge our assumptions about what we want for our seas in the future, to help make sense of where we are today, and how we might move towards a fairer, more sustainable future for people and marine ecosystems.

John Goodlad

John is a Shetlander who has worked in the seafood industry throughout his career. For many years he represented the fishers of the Shetland Islands. He then became a fish farmer, specialising in the production of organic salmon and halibut. More recently he has worked for Prince Charles’s International Sustainability Unit, looking at a variety of global fisheries and aquaculture initiatives. He continues to advise several international organisations on issues of seafood sustainability. John is also an author, and wrote The Salt Roads looking at how the trade in salt fish linked Shetland to Europe for more than 300 years and inspired many artists, writers and musicians during that time. As well as 'Food from the Sea – The Future of Seafood'  published in June 2025. This book looks at the many challenges facing the contemporary seafood industry this book is written through the lived experiences of fishers and fish farmers around the world.