Archive for August 2023
Damage report awaited for wellboat that ran aground
The owners of a wellboat that ran aground on the west coast of Scotland this week are waiting to assess the extent of any damage. The Settler, a 40-metre wellboat operated by Ocean Farm Services, was on its way to a Scottish Sea Farms site for a harvest operation on Tuesday when it ran aground…
Read MoreScottish Sea Farms’ incubation unit set for autumn opening
Salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms says the £2m incubation unit at its Barcaldine hatchery is on track to open this autumn. Scottish Sea Farms, which is jointly owned by Norway’s SalMar and Lerøy, believes the new unit will help ensure security of egg supply and improve fish survival. Currently, the Barcaldine hatchery receives fertilised eggs…
Read MorePortuguese consumers ‘willing to pay more’ for Omega-3 enriched fish
Around seven out of 10 Portuguese consumers would pay more for fish enriched with omega-3, according to a study carried out by B2E – Blue Bioeconomy CoLAB (B2E CoLAB). The survey found that 69.3% of people admitted to being willing to pay more for fish enriched with this nutrient. “There is, in fact, a greater…
Read MoreIceland Seafood sells UK business to Danish giant
Iceland Seafood International is to sell its UK operation to the Danish seafood group Espersen. The salmon and whitefish group said it had finalised its due diligence process and transaction documents are currently being completed for the sale of its loss-making subsidiary. The news comes as ISI also reports that high salmon prices are having…
Read MoreBarramundi focuses on Brunei after Australian sell-off
Finfish farmer Barramundi Group has announced a “strategic pivot” to Brunei as a production centre, following the disposal of its Australian assets and fish health setbacks in its Singapore operations. The Singapore-based company reported its financial results for the first half of this year today. Barramundi cut its net losses from SGD 11.9m (£6.95m) in…
Read MoreNorway’s Finance Minister downplays tax challenge
Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, the Finance Minister who announced Norway’s “salmon tax” tax almost a year ago, has said he is not concerned about the prospect of a legal challenge to the tax by the country’s biggest fish farmers. Stating that he believes the government to be on safe legal ground, Vedum said: “Mowi has been…
Read MoreKingfish defeats Maine planning challenge
A legal bid to stop The Kingfish Company’s land-based yellowtail farm in Maine, USA has failed at the appeal stage. The project, which would see a recirculating aquaculture systems farm built near Jonesport, Maine, had been opposed by the Roque Island Gardner Homestead Corporation and Eastern Maine Conservation Initiative, but yesterday the Superior Court of…
Read MoreTax forces Måsøval to axe semi submersible project
The Norwegian fish farming company Måsøval has cancelled a major semi-submersible salmon farm project because of the ground rent (or “resource rent”) tax. Known as Aqua Semi, the closed roof scheme was designed to open up new areas in salmon farming, reduce lice and disease. But Måsøval, which put the project on hold last year,…
Read MoreASC awards open for entries
The Marine Stewardship Council’s annual awards event this year will once again recognise excellence in aquaculture. For the third consecutive year, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is sponsoring a range of dedicated awards at the MSC event, which is set to take place at the historic Fishmongers’ Hall in London on Thursday, 26 October 2023.…
Read MorePoliticians galore
While it’s easy to blame elected politicians when regulations appear to place excessive burdens on the aquaculture sector, perhaps we should give them a break and consider that the problem may lie with those who are informing and advising them. So says Nick Joy, in the August issue of Fish Farmer. You can read it…
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