Dr. Ian Napier, the senior fisheries policy adviser for Scotland's University of the Highlands and Islands in Shetland, has died aged 58, the Shetland Fishermen's Association (SFA) said.

"Everyone associated with Shetland's fishing fleet will feel the tragic loss," it stated. "Dr. Napier...was a stalwart supporter of the local fishing industry, and so often lent Shetland's fishermen the benefit of his intellect, expertise and experience over many decades."

James Anderson, chair of the SFA, said Napier would be remembered as a much-valued voice of wisdom and reason.

"Ian was passionate in his support of fishing, and literally wrote the book on Shetland's fishing history. He possessed one of the greatest analytical minds of our time, and his work on fisheries policy was well-known and respected far beyond Shetland's shores."

"He was exceptionally gifted at presenting complex science with extraordinary clarity," Anderson continued. "We are so fortunate to have had a man of his caliber so committed to the isles, and Shetland's fishing community will feel the measure of his loss for a long time to come."