Archive for May 2021
Mairi Gougeon takes on Rural Affairs role
Scotland has a new Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, following First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s post-election reshuffle. Mairi Gougeon takes on the brief, which includes responsibility for aquaculture, succeeding long-serving Secretary Fergus Ewing, who is stepping down from the Cabinet. Mairi Gougeon is MSP for Angus North and Mearns. She has been a member…
Read MoreRSPCA Assured lifts Loch Spelve suspension
Animal welfare certification body RSPCA Assured has lifted its suspension of the Loch Spelve site operated by Scottish Sea Farms, following an investigation of complaints brought by activists. The site’s certification had been suspended following a complaint made to regulators over fish welfare by anti-fish farming group Scottish Salmon Watch, and the release of a…
Read MoreCanadian fish farmers challenge call to halt expansion
Fish farmers on Canada’s Atlantic Coast have hit back at calls by a leading seafood executive for a halt to an expansion of their industry. Writing in the Atlantic Business Magazine, John Risley, co-founder and a director of Clearwater Seafoods said the manner fish farming is practices in eastern Canada was unsustainable and is behind…
Read MoreMowi Scotland doubles first quarter harvest volumes
Salmon farming giant Mowi has announced global record high volumes for the first quarter of 2021, with Scotland’s improved biological performance leading to a doubling of production and a big increase in operating profit. Worldwide, Mowi harvested 125,000 tonnes of salmon and sold 62,000 tonnes of value added products while reducing farming costs by…
Read MoreAquanor decision postponed until later this week
The decision on whether Aquanor, one of aquaculture’s biggest trade shows, can go ahead as an in-person event has been postponed pending a decision by the Norwegian government on health grounds. Aquanor 2021 was due to take place in Trondheim, Norway over 24-27 August as a “hybrid” event, combining in-person speakers ad attendees with a…
Read MoreChicken feed
Maybe it’s time to revisit a bright idea from the 1990s? Industry critics regularly refer to comments, made by the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) Committee in 2018, to the effect that that “the status quo is not an option”. In fact, when it comes to salmon farming the status quo has never…
Read MoreBenchmark sees revenues up for H1
Aquaculture biotechnology company Benchmark saw group revenues and adjusted EBITDA up for the first half of its 2021 financial year, after a period that saw considerable restructuring of the business. Revenue for Benchmark in H1 2021, on a constant exchange rate (CER) basis, was £62.3m, up 11% on the same period for 2020. Adjusted EBITDA,…
Read MoreISI takes controlling stake in Spanish salmon processor
Global fish trading company Iceland Seafood International (ISI) has signed a letter of intent to acquire an 80% stake in the Spanish salmon processor Ahumados Dominguez. The move is the latest in a series of major acquisitions by this fast-expanding seafood business, which has extensive interests across the globe, including the UK where it now owns…
Read MoreUK prawn farmer goes into administration
Great British Prawns, the UK’s first producer of sustainable land based and clean water prawns, has gone into administration. The pioneering company has blamed a fall in demand caused by the closure of restaurants during the long coronavirus lockdowns. Around 18 jobs at the company will be lost. It opened two years ago in the…
Read MoreFeed business Unibio picks Henstrom as CEO
Sustainable protein company Unibio has appointed David Henstrom as its new CEO. The move follows the decision of Henrik Busch-Larsen, the current CEO and member of the founding family, to step down from his role to pursue other business interests. Unibio uses microbial fermentation to convert any natural gas or methane, including bio-gas, into high…
Read More