Posts by Robert Outram
Grant helps novel sea lice vaccine research to next step
Hopes for an effective vaccine against sea lice have been boosted with the news of a grant that is helping research into a further stage. Partners from the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture, AQUATRECK Animal Health SL and Moredun Scientific have been awarded almost £50,000 from the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), after the…
Read MoreHigh seas fish farm set to sail under a French flag
Plans for a fish farming “superyacht”, the Ocean Ark, have moved a step closer to reality, with an agreement between assurance and risk management provider DNV and the developers, aimed at securing registration as a French vessel. The Ocean Ark, a patented advanced self-cleaning trimaran superstructure incorporating fish pens into its design, was developed by…
Read MoreLerøy loses 490,000 young salmon to ‘water quality’ issues
The Lerøy Seafood group has been affected by another biological incident which has led to the death of almost half a million young salmon in Norway. The deaths were reported at the Lerøy Sjøtroll facility at Kjærelva in Fitjar municipality in Sunnhordland. They are thought to be due to poor water quality. Lerøy Sjøtroll said…
Read MoreBrighter outlook for AKVA group
Aquaculture technology service company AKVA has reported a strong increase in revenues and operating profits for last year. AKVA recorded an EBIT of NOK 68m (£5m) against an operating loss of NOK 56m (£4m) in 2022. Revenues increased by 2% to NOK 3,432m (£254m) and it also has a strong order intake last year of…
Read MoreA slippery problem
A United Nations initiative aims to promote the recovery of the European eel population in the Mediterranean. Is aquaculture helping or hindering? The future of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla), an iconic fish species and much appreciated in Mediterranean cuisine, is currently at risk. But a management plan that includes a partial closure of eel…
Read MoreFrom problem to product
Sludge from fish farms and hatcheries is seen as waste, but it also contains potentially valuable resources One of the advantages of fish farming with a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) is that waste – in its various forms – can be collected rather than ending up in the ocean. The bad news is that it…
Read MoreThe March 2024 issue of Fish Farmer is out now online
The March issue of Fish Farmer magazine is out now online, and you can read or download it here. The fearsome-looking creature on the cover this month is a pike-perch, also known as a zander. In Continental Europe it is recognised as a high quality fish for the table, but it has proved very difficult…
Read MoreThe war on lice
Technology is opening up a number of potential fronts in the struggle to keep farmed fish lice-free Early warning could help salmon farmers take timely action to reduce sea lice numbers before their stock becomes infested with the parasites. Clearly, assessing the levels of sea lice by counting the lice attached to salmon in a…
Read MoreIndustry chiefs attack new traffic light plan
Salmon industry opposition is growing to the Norwegian government’s revision of the “traffic light system” which sets rules for where aquaculture development is permitted. The chief executives of both Mowi and Leroy Seafoods, Ivan Vindheim and Henning Beltestad respectively, have publicly come out against the proposals. They have said the new plan will do nothing…
Read MoreAquaculture trainees are ALBAS winners
Trainees from Scottish Sea Farms and Cooke Aquaculture were among the winners at the ALBAS (Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills) on Thursday night. Craig Grounds (pictured above, with Jill Couto-Phoenix), from Oban in Argyll and Bute, won Aquaculture Learner of the Year. He completed his Modern Apprenticeship in Aquaculture at UHI Shetland while working…
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