RSPCA Assured clears Mowi of welfare allegations

Animal welfare certification body RSPCA Assured has cleared Mowi Scotland, following a complaint of alleged welfare abuse from anti-salmon farming group Scottish Salmon Watch. RSPCA Assured carried out an investigation of four Mowi farms, following the release of covertly filmed video footage which appeared to show dead salmon and cleaner fish, as well as individual…

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New tool should improve cleaner fish welfare

Measuring growth weight is a better indicator of lumpfish health than commonly used indicators such as fin damage, according to researchers at the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture. The researchers have developed a new tool to assess lumpfish welfare, which should help fish farmers to detect problems and take remedial action where required. Lumpfish…

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RSPCA Assured investigating Mowi welfare complaints

Animal welfare body RSPCA Assured is investigating complaints of poor welfare at four salmon farms operated by Mowi, but certification for the farms has not been suspended. Earlier this week a complaint was brought by anti-salmon faming group Scottish Salmon Watch, following the release of video footage which appears to show dead fish in pens…

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Mowi hits back at welfare allegations

Covert video footage of distressed fish published by campaign group Scottish Salmon Watch at four of Mowi’s salmon farms does not represent the state of welfare of Mowi’s fish, according to the company. Mowi was responding to a complaint raised by Salmon Watch following unauthorised underwater filming at four of Mowi’s farm sites in Scotland…

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Bakkafrost behind launch of new air freight service

A new air freight company is about to be launched with the backing of the Faroese fish farmer Bakkafrost. The company, which has yet to be given a name, is being set up to expand the export of seafood from the northerly island archipelago. However, as the Faroe Islands’ largest fish farmer, Bakkafrost will be…

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Green light for Mowi Ireland expansion

Mowi has been given the go-ahead to expand its organic salmon farming facility in the Republic of Ireland. Permission to proceed with the €6m project comes exactly a decade after the company first applied for a licence. The Irish Agriculture and Marine Department did grant Mowi a licence in 2015, but it was later postponed…

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Bakkafrost reports big harvest rise for Q2

Bakkafrost has unveiled a significantly higher harvest volumes for the second quarter of this year, with its Scottish operation showing a marked improvement. Total output for the Faroe Islands based group in the three months from April to June was 28,200 tonnes (heads on, gutted), against 20,800 tonnes in the same period a year ago.…

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Scottish Sea Farms nets Grieg’s Shetland assets

Scottish Sea Farms is to become the new owner of Grieg Seafood’s Shetland operations, it was confirmed last night. The sale is worth NOK 1.9 billion or £164m, appreciably higher than the £140m figure predicted earlier in the year. The news will be seen as a tremendous lift for the 200 or so people who…

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Organic, and now by Royal Appointment

Skye smoked salmon fillets from Organic Sea Harvest’s first commercial production round will be gracing royal dinner tables. Organic Sea Harvest (OSH), Scotland’s first major salmon farming start-up in decades, harvested its first fish on 2 June. Yesterday the smoked fillets were delivered to Buckingham Palace, where it is believed one has been earmarked for…

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Huffing and puffin

Our favourite seabirds are facing a shortage of sand eels, but please don’t blame the fish farmers. On 15 May 2021, the Herald newspaper included a two-page commercial feature placed by the Coastal Communities Network who claim that the safety of Scottish water is being compromised as the economic drivers of open cage salmon farming…

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