And in a swipe at his critics he stated "for the 75th time" that he was committed to the full implementation of the Sutherland principles on free care for the elderly.
First Minister Henry McLeish has given his full backing to embattled Fisheries Minister Rhona Brankin.
Speaking at the Scottish Labour conference in Inverness, Mr McLeish said Ms Brankin had "done a fantastic job".
During a highly personal speech, the First Minister also renewed his pledge to confiscate the assets of convicted drug dealers and said he was determined they would "not get away with it".
And in a swipe at his critics he stated "for the 75th time" that he was committed to the full implementation of the Sutherland principles on free care for the elderly.
Mr McLeish opened his speech by paying warm tributes to Scottish Secretary Helen Liddell and the late First Minister, Donald Dewar.
Showing signs of emotion, he recalled Mr Dewar's "famous frown", adding "we miss him, he was one of our own".
But it was not long before Henry McLeish turned his attention to the talk of the conference - the fishing dispute.
'Nothing but contempt'
As he outlined the challenges facing his administration he acknowledged "the difficulties faced in the fishing industry".
He said the Scottish Executive's £25m package announced on Wednesday was "the greatest investment ever made" and was the only way to achieve a "sustainable and profitable industry".
But he reserved his warmest comments for Ms Brankin and the strongest for her critics.
"I want to take this opportunity to praise the work of Rhona Brankin, who has worked tirelessly with the fishing industry to find the right long-term solution," he said to loud applause.
This amounted to a full public show of support for the under-fire fisheries minister and she nodded gratefully on the conference platform.
Mr McLeish then turned his attention to opposition attempts to force Ms Brankin's resignation.
"I have nothing but contempt for the Conservative group in the Scottish Parliament and the motion of no confidence they threaten to table," he said.
In a veiled reference to past closures in steel, shipbuilding and mining, Mr McLeish then questioned the Conservative's commitment to saving any of Scotland's industries.
Clarion call
Gordon Brown's Budget was then singled out for praise before he renewed his attack on drug dealers.
Mr McLeish said he was would implement the UK-wide assets confiscation initiative to punish "those whose lethal trade is killing its victims".
"There is no place in 21st century Scotland for those who deal in death and peddle it in our streets," he said.
"I'm determined that they won't get away with it."
The First Minister touched on most of the executive's key policy areas during the remainder of his speech, but he finished as Tony Blair had the day before with a rallying call.
Mr McLeish asked delegates to remember "that morning of May 1997" when Labour swept to power at Westminster and contrast it with the "elections of 83,87 and 92".
This, he said, would make them take pride on the achievements of the past four years.
This, he said, would allow them to look "forward to the work, the contests ahead in parliament and at the polls".