Features
A tricky spot
A new report appears to have found a dangerous gap in shrimp disease testing The standard test applied to detect a devastating disease in farmed shrimp falls dangerously short of what is required, according to a study carried out by researchers in Australia. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is a pathogen that can cause huge…
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 MoreMapping out the lice threat
Consultation is over and SEPA is getting ready to start enforcing Wild Salmon Protection Zones, reports Robert Outram The Scottish Government is to press forward with the roll-out of Wild Salmon Protection Zones, which will restrict fish farming in areas seen as high risk for wild salmon. The proposed regulatory framework has not, however, been…
Read MoreInside job
A tiny sensor implant could tell us far more about fish health Researcher Eirik Svendsen, at Norwegian research institute SINTEF Ocean, has developed an implant capable of measuring data, which can be associated with disease and ailments in farmed fish at an early stage. The tiny device may be the most advanced implant ever made…
Read MoreAmbition in the East
Vietnam is looking to grow its aquaculture – and to make it more efficient. Vince McDonagh reports It might come as a surprise to some people to learn that Vietnam is the world’s fourth-largest producer of farmed fish, generating almost 4.9 million tonnes a year – three times that of Norway, for example. Its products,…
Read MoreSector set for growth
Rabobank’s look ahead to 2024 suggests better days are coming for aquaculture producers, reports Vince McDonagh After a turbulent 2023, the aquaculture industry – and the salmon sector in particular – looks set to rebound next year, according to a report based on input from producers worldwide. What to expect in aquaculture in 2024, the…
Read MoreHPMAs: what’s next?
Proposals to bar all commercial activity from 10% of Scotland’s waters have been dropped. Where do we go from here? Sandy Neil finds out The decision, after all the debate, was hardly a surprise. Early in November, the Scottish Government’s Net Zero Secretary, Màiri McAllan MSP, knocked the plan for Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs)…
Read MoreSpawn to be wild
Selective breeding means farmed cod are less likely to spawn multiple times, research from Nofima suggests After several attempts in the past, cod farming on a commercial scale is on the rise in Norway, helped no doubt by high prices and tight quotas for wild caught cod. Norwegian research institute Nofima has been carrying out…
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…
Read MoreThe business reset needs to be turbo-charged
Salmon Scotland’s Chief Executive Tavish Scott explains the Scottish Government is saying the right things but needs to act faster After replacing Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister, Humza Yousaf promised to reset the Scottish Government’s relationship with business. The wider private sector had grown increasingly frustrated with several policies emerging from St Andrew’s House, in…
Read More