Mowi’s first post smolts transferred from Loch Etive

Salmon producer Mowi Scotland has transferred the first of its post smolts from Loch Etive to the company’s farm off the isle of Muck, on Scotland’s west coast.

Mowi said the move was a “significant milestone”. The Loch Etive sites were acquired by Mowi as part of its purchase of the fish farming assets of Dawnfresh in 2023. They had previously been used to grow trout, but Mowi has repurposed them to grow post smolt salmon in conditions that, the company hopes, will make the transition from fresh to salt water more sustainable for the fish.

Previously, individual sites at Loch Etive were fallowed at different times but Mowi’s new production plan includes six-month growth cycles to enable farms to synchronise fallow (empty) periods throughout the whole loch system. This break in production combined with the loch’s naturally brackish waters has helped to maintain a low sea lice population in Loch Etive, since sea lice do not flourish in conditions of low salinity.

Speaking about the post smolt transfer, Ben Hadfield, COO Mowi Farming Scotland, Ireland, Faroes and Atlantic Canada, said: “The post smolt salmon were in excellent condition. I am proud of everything we have achieved so far at Loch Etive which is pioneering best practice in aquaculture.

“Not only are we proving that there is a sustainable alternative to land-based post smolt production, we are also using new sea lice modelling to achieve greater monitoring and control of sea lice, combined with a new approach to fallowing, all of which is resulting in healthy post smolts ready to continue growing at sea.”

Mowi post smolts being unloaded at Muck