Posts by Nicki Holmyard
Oysters galore – in France
I love oysters, and really miss having oyster farmers for neighbours! In my local fishmongers, No 3 oysters are sold for £1.50 each, making them an expensive treat. In restaurants, they are even more expensive because someone else is doing the work of opening them.
Read MoreShucking champs and naked clams
Despite the absence of politicians thanks to the election, the SAGB Conference covered the whole range of the UK’s shellfish sector, as Nicki Holmyard reports.
Read MoreThe greatest (seafood) show on earth
A visit to Seafood Expo Global (SEG) is an overwhelming experience for the senses, with all manner of fish, shellfish, seaweed products and equipment on display, the sound of thousands of exhibitors and visitors discussing business, the aroma of cooking demonstrations and tasting sessions, and an all-pervading smell of the sea. Multiply this through five vast halls, and it’s easy to see why it takes three days to do the expo justice.
Read MoreAn uphill task
The shellfish world is one full of contrasts, Nicki Holmyard finds As we gained plaudits, column inches and airtime in March for the wonderful benefits to the environment, biodiversity, ecosystem services, food security and surrounding fisheries that our offshore mussel farm brings, it struck me that this side of the business is far removed from…
Read MoreFuture proof
The eighth international Shellfish Conference, held in the Netherlands, covered some key topics for the industry, as Nicki Holmyard reports Future-proofing shellfish culture in the Netherlands was the subject of the eighth international Shellfish Conference in January in Deltapark Neeltje Jans, a theme park and nature reserve on the Eastern Scheldt. Shellfish farmers from all…
Read MoreRocks ahead
Is shellfish farming still viable in the UK? Nicki Holmyard reports on a paper that sets out to answer that question The past president of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB), Jeremy Simmonds, has seen the industry go through many highs and lows over the decades, but says he has never seen shellfish aquaculture…
Read MoreAquaculture for a thriving future
Fishmongers’ Hall in London was the venue for an event focused on low-trophic aquaculture, as Nicki Holmyard reports The Fishmongers’ Company held a highly successful conference on 30 November, which looked at how the UK can grow nature positive and economically sustainable shellfish and seaweed. The event brought together policymakers, scientists, researchers, NGOs, farmers and…
Read MoreWorms for dinner, anyone?
Seen by Westerners for centuries as nothing but a menace, Teredo worms have the potential to become a tasty and nutritious part of our diet. By Nicki Holmyard Shipworms, also known as Teredo worms, have been viewed as a pest by mariners for thousands of years, due to their ability to bore through wood immersed…
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