Award launched to recognise salmon farming’s rising stars

A new award, backed by the salmon industry and academia, will recognise the achievements of young people working in aquaculture. The Young Aquaculture Society (YAS)’s Early Career Innovators Competition is being launched by the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture (IoA), trade body Salmon Scotland and Diversified Communications, organisers of the Aquaculture UK trade show…

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Applecross and wellboats leading Bakkafrost Scotland fightback

Increased treatment capacity and investment in the Applecross hatchery are enabling Bakkafrost to address fish health issues in its Scottish operations, the company has reported. “Dual treatment” – tackling sea lice and gill health issues at the same time in wellboats like the Ronja Star, pictured – is helping to improve fish gill health while…

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Faroes shines for Bakkafrost as Scotland steadily improves

Bakkafrost’s Scottish business began to turn the corner during the final three months of 2023, the company reported today. After a difficult time with biological challenges between July and September Bakkafrost said “The fourth quarter gave opportunities with good biological development to grow the fish, resulting therefore in reduced harvest volumes, concentrating on growing into the…

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Scottish salmon is named UK’s top food export for 2023

Scottish salmon was the UK’s top food export by value in 2023, figures from HMRC show. Export sales for the calendar year totalled £581m, up by 5% year-or-year and equivalent to £1.6m every day. France – which is a key processor for on-sale to other countries as well as a major consumer of salmon –…

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Mowi Scotland battling back against severe biological issues

Mowi Scotland continued to be plagued by biological problems during the final quarter of 2023, company figures show today. Challenges were unusually intense, with a high level of amoebic gill disease (AGD) which the company said was linked to the El Niño cyclical climate phenomenon and all-time high seawater temperatures. Jellyfish had also contributed to…

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BREAKING – Norway’s salmon ‘big six’ did violate rules, says EU

The European Commission believes that six leading Norwegian salmon producers breached EU anti-trust rules by colluding to distort competition in the market for spot sales of Norwegian farmed Atlantic salmon in the EU. The Commission has advised the producers concerned that this is its “preliminary” view. The companies named are Mowi, SalMar, Grieg Seafood, Bremnes Seashore,…

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Mowi Scotland’s Q4 harvest unchanged at 10,500 tonnes

Mowi Scotland harvested 10,500 tonnes of salmon in the final quarter of 2023. The figure was unchanged from the equivalent quarter the year before but the operation produced a loss, a trading update from the company today shows. Globally, Mowi – the world’s largest salmon farmer – produced 129,000 tonnes during the period and a…

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Researching complex gill disease in Atlantic salmon

Moredun is helping to find ways to improve salmon gill health Moredun Scientific’s scientists are developing experimental models of gill diseases in Atlantic salmon (pictured). The gills of Atlantic salmon play a key role in physiological processes. Their structure enables efficient transfer between blood and the water environment, but the gills may be exposed to…

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Call for salmon industry insights

Researchers working on a study of Scotland’s high value food and drink industries are keen to hear from those involved in the salmon sector. The project, run by academics at the University of Aberdeen’s Rowett Institute and Scotland’s Rural College, will be investigating the costs and opportunities for Scottish products with higher value status and…

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Bakkafrost Q4 Scotland harvest hits floor at 1,100 tonnes

Bakkafrost harvested less fish during the final quarter of last year, the latest trading update from the company shows. The fall was expected after a series of downbeat forecasts last year. Faroes-based Salmon producer Bakkafrost harvested a total of 17,100 tonnes of which only 1,100 tonnes came from its Scotland arm. This compares with 19,300…

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