Archive for August 2021
Oyster restoration project passes key milestone
An initiative to restore native oysters to the Dornoch Firth has now placed 20,000 individuals as part of its mission to create a sustainable reef. The project, in the north east of Scotland, is a partnership between Heriot-Watt University and the Glenmorangie Distillery and has also involved rural Scottish oyster growers and broodstock providers. Native…
Read MoreSenior hire for Benchmark Genetics fish health team
Benchmark Genetics has hired Dr Øyvind J. Brevik as Fish Health Manager Salmon, responsible for fish health and welfare in Benchmark’s breeding programmes for Atlantic salmon. Brevik was previously Senior Researcher in the global R&D team with Cermaq, where his focus was on applied science. He has an MSc in Aquamedicine and a PhD in…
Read MoreSalmon tax debate hots up
The debate in Norway over taxing aquaculture has taken a new turn, with a leading academic making the case for change. Last week SalMar chief Gustav Witzøe came under fire from a number of left-wing political parties for threatening to leave the country if the wealth tax was raised. Norway is currently in the midst…
Read MoreBrazilian meat giant set to snap up Huon Aquaculture
The Brazilian meat processor JBS has entered into an agreement to buy the Huon Aquaculture Group, Australia’s second largest salmon farmer. JBS, which already owns a meat processing business in Australia, will acquire all of Huon’s issued shares at a market value of AUS $425m (£225m) or 1.64bn Brazilian Reals. Huon is based in Southern…
Read MoreScottish Government launches review of aquaculture regime
Regulation of the aquaculture sector in Scotland could see sweeping reforms, following the announcement that the Scottish Government has commissioned an independent review of the industry. Professor Russel Griggs OBE has been appointed to lead the first phase of the review. He has pledged to approach it with “an open mind” and engage with stakeholders…
Read MoreSingapore RAS picks Benchmark for ova deal
Benchmark Genetics has signed a contract to supply Atlantic salmon ova for a land-based RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) project in Singapore. Singapore RAS, the company behind the new venture, is building a facility with an initial capacity of 1,000 tonnes annually, with an expansion to 3,000 tonnes in the next stage. This will be the…
Read MoreFish processors air problems with the PM
Representatives of the fishing and fish processing industries in Scotland met with Prime Minister Boris Johnson today to share their concerns over quota negotiations and labour shortages. The meeting took place meeting in Fraserburgh, in north east Scotland. Chief Executive of the Scottish Seafood Association, Jimmy Buchan outlined how Brexit and Covid-19 had combined to…
Read MoreFürst Medical Laboratory scoops up PatoGen
Fish health company PatoGen has been acquired by Norway’s Fürst Medical Laboratory, which has promised to continue developing the business. PatoGen is a leading provider of preventive and diagnostic analysis for the aquaculture industry in Norway and Scotland. It has operations in Norway – in Ålesund, Oslo and Bodø – and Oban in Scotland. In…
Read MoreCod mortality ‘was not disease’
The Norwegian cod farming company Statt Torsk which suffered the loss of more than 48,000 cod last month, says tests have shown no sign of fish disease. A full report was sent to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority following the incident at the company’s site at Stokkeneset which affected two of its three pens. Statt…
Read MoreBarramundi Group set for Oslo listing
Australian aquaculture business the Barramundi Group is planning to list its shares on the Euronext Growth Oslo exchange. If the listing goes ahead, Barramundi would be the first Australasian company, as well as the first aquaculture player specialising in a tropical species, to be listed on the Oslo exchange. The company is one of the…
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