Birds blamed for salmon decline on River Tweed

STOCKS of wild salmon in the River Tweed have fallen to an all-time low because of record numbers of predatory birds, according to new research. Salmon catches dropped from a high of 23,000 in 2010 to an all-time low of 5,510 last year, prompting a study of the likely causes. The Tweed Salmon Tracking Report…

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Animal disease risk in no deal Brexit

ANIMAL welfare could be at risk if the availability of veterinary medicines in the UK is compromised in a no deal Brexit, warned NOAH, the body representing the animal health industry. The majority of veterinary medicines used in the UK (including the ingredients and components needed to make them) are either produced in or enter…

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French innovators impress investors

TWO French innovators scooped top honours on the final day of the Aquaculture Innovation Europe conference in London today, after a vote by delegates representing the industry and investors. The microalgae firm Inalve was the winner in a close run contest, with its patented technology aimed at reducing farmers’ dependence on wild fish for feed.…

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Fishermen told to switch to aquaculture

FISHERMEN in Malaysia are being urged by their government to take up fish farming to protect their future and save depleting wild fish stocks at the same time. The call came from the country’s deputy agriculture and agro-based industry minister, Sim Tze Tzin, at the opening of the 2019 World Seafood Congress in Georgetown, capital…

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Tromsø farm future in balance after elections

THE future of open fish farming in and around the Norwegian city of Tromsø continues to hang in the balance after local elections produced a mixed bag of results. There were major gains for both the Socialist left party and the Greens, which are strongly in favour of a total ban on further open farming,…

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‘Redesign’ aquaculture for the future says funder

THE aquaculture industry needs a ‘complete redesign’ if it is to meet a global requirement to triple production by 2050 and feed a growing world population. That is the thinking behind Aqua-Spark, the Netherlands based aquaculture fund that invests in sustainable growth in the sector. Amy Novogratz, speaking on the opening day of the Aquaculture…

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Lobster crowdfunding campaign: all in a good claws

THE National Lobster Hatchery (NLH) in Padstow, Cornwall, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support marine conservation and the future of our fisheries. The ‘Releasing Larry’ campaign (www.crowdfunder.co.uk/releasinglarry) aims to raise the funds required to release thousands of one- to three-year-old lobsters around the coast of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Over the last…

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All the news in the latest Fish Farmer

THE size and ambition of the aquaculture industry was very much in evidence at the recent Aqua Nor exhibition in Trondheim – and now you can read about it in the latest issue of Fish Farmer. We bring coverage from the greatest event in the fish farming calendar, with reports on new products and services,…

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Iceland salmon farmers win back licences

TWO Icelandic salmon farming companies which had their development plans put on hold a year ago following objections from environmental groups have been handed back their operating licences. Iceland’s Food Agency, known as MAST, has told Fjarðalax ehf, owned by SalMar subsidiary Arnarlax, it can proceed with its intention to farm up to 10,000 tonnes…

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Salmon farmers help in sea rescues

FISH farm crew and vessels have been involved in rescuing members of the public who have got into difficulty on the water near farm sites. In an incident last month, a dinghy adrift with one person on board was recovered from Scallastle Bay in the Sound of Mull, the RNLI reported. On Saturday, August 31,…

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