News
MSPs raise concerns over marine science funding
A committee of MSPs in the Scottish Parliament has warned that the scientific work that underpins fisheries policy could be adversely affected by underfunding, especially for the Marine Directorate’s research facilities.
The Rural Affairs and Islands (RAI) Committee has written to Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Islands and Land Reform, following its review of the Marine Directorate budget, as part of its Pre Budget Review.
Read MoreLaxey signs processing deal with Baader
Icelandic fish farming company Laxey and Baader in Iceland have entered into an agreement for the delivery of processing equipment for Laxey’s land-based farmed salmon plant, currently under construction. Laxey is building a new fish farm in the Westfjords region which is planned to have a production capacity of 32,000 tonnes by 2031.
Read MoreReturn of the natives
Oysters and oyster restoration projects are in the news, says Nicki Holmyard.
Read MoreJellyfish back with a vengeance
The jellyfish menace, which killed more than three million salmon and trout in Norway last winter, has returned in force, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority warned yesterday.
The Authority says there have been a number of attacks during the last few days and it is asking salmon companies to be on the alert and keep a record of any attacks. Sightings are higher than this time last year.
Read MoreAwards recognise the best in Scottish shellfish
The Scottish Shellfish Awards, held this week in Oban, recognised the best in farmed oyster and mussel production, including a new category for “cocktail oysters”. The winners were selected by an expert panel of judges at the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers conference. In the Native Oyster category, the winner was Craig Archibald of Islay…
Read MoreAquaculture sustainability fund raises €93m
The Blue Revolution Fund, an aquaculture impact investment fund focused on sustainability, has now closed with a total of €93m (£78m) in commitments. The fund was established by Hatch Blue, a knowledge-driven aquaculture specialist.
Read More2023 saw Scottish salmon production fall 11%
The Scottish salmon industry’s woes last year have been highlighted in official statistics that show that farmed Atlantic salmon production fell by more than 18,000 tonnes in 2023 to 150,949, a year on year decline of 11%.
Read MoreArnarlax has 10,000 tonne licence revoked in Iceland
The large Icelandic salmon farming company Arnarlax was told yesterday that its licence to farm 10,000 tonnes of sterile salmon in Isafjord has been revoked.
Read MoreLice forces Måsøval into issuing results warning
The large Norwegian salmon farmer Måsøval has this week issued a results warning ahead of its third quarter report next month.
It has blamed biological issues and most notably high salmon lice levels, which is currently affecting several companies, for the problem.
Read MoreScottish farmed salmon reports best survival rate for four years
Scotland’s salmon industry has reported the best September survival rate for Scottish salmon since 2020. New figures published yesterday revealed a 98.18% survival rate on farms in September, which is historically the most challenging month for salmon in the sea.
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