Salmon farming's future: bigger, offshore sites

By Vince McDonagh THERE is now a strong case for accelerating the relocation of older, sheltered Scottish fish farms to larger and more open coastal locations. That was one of the main developments from today’s session of the Scottish parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee inquiry into salmon farming. The two-hour long hearing at Holyrood, which was…

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Farm by farm sea lice data published

SCOTTISH salmon farmers have published farm by farm sea lice data for the first time today, following a commitment made earlier in the year. Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) former chief executive Scott Landsburgh told the ongoing inquiry into salmon farming, by the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee, that the information would be made…

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Northern fish stocks in good shape

FISH stocks in the North Sea and Barents Sea, two of the most important northern hemisphere fishing areas, are in good shape, according to the latest assessment by marine scientists. But there is evidence that the seas in those areas are becoming warmer. The Norwegian Institute of Marine Research has been studying the state of…

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Young's boosts ‘responsibility’ team

YOUNG’S Seafood has strengthened its corporate social responsibility team with the appointment of a leading marine biologist. He is Cameron Moffat (pictured), who is joining Young’s from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). He was previously a project support officer with the MSC and has taken on a significant role, designed to drive forward the company’s responsible seafood strategy which has been…

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MSPs visit salmon farm as part of inquiry

A GROUP of MSPs from the Rural Economy and Connectivity committee visited salmon farming operations on the west coast yesterday, as part of an ongoing inquiry into the industry in Scotland. The five politicians also met anglers during the day-long tour, and heard about the ground-breaking work of a hatchery using genetic profiling to restock…

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Unite to boost consumption says Seafish

THE UK seafood industry has been urged to unite if it wants to boost fish consumption. The call has come from Seafish, the public body supporting Britain’s £6 billion seafood sector, as it publishes its new three-year corporate plan. This focuses on the UK government’s advice that people should more fish. Recent research conducted by Seafish…

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Call for ‘oil tax' on Norwegian fish farmers

THE Socialist Left, or SV, party in the Norwegian parliament (Storting) has called on the government to impose an oil industry style tax on the country’s fish farmers. The party has submitted a document which proposes that the industry should pay an unspecified amount per kilogram of salmon, which has been described as a form…

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ISI buys Spanish seafood supplier

ICELAND Seafood International (ISI), which bought a major Irish fish processing business two months ago, today announced plans to acquire Icelandic Iberica, one of the most important suppliers to the Mediterranean market. The company said: ‘We are delighted to announce our intent to purchase, with the view of building on the combined groups’ Icelandic heritage.’…

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