Weather in north of Norway hits salmon trade

Salmon businesses in northern Norway are facing serious disruption this week as storms sweep through the region. Nordland is facing several days of severe weather with salmon companies battening down the hatches. In some areas the weather has been at hurricane level. Transport is at a standstill, so even if production were possible, there would…

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Northern lights

Orkney and Shetland are key to hopes for expansion for the Scottish salmon sector, reports Robert Outram Some of the most exciting developments in Scottish fish farming are taking place in the Northern Isles – Orkney and Shetland – where operators are investing in expansion, new sites and improved processing facilities. Back in December 2021,…

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Feeding frenzy

High feed prices could be set to continue in 2024, experts say. Fiona Nicolson reports At the end of 2022, Rabobank’s Global Animal Protein Outlook for 2023 revealed that global grain and oilseed prices had almost doubled between May 2020 and May 2022, due to increased demand, concerns about supply and increased geopolitical uncertainty. Some…

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Together against AMR

Antimicrobial resistance is not stopped by national borders, argue Henrik Duesund and Dr Patrik Henriksson By 2050, 10 million people could die from bacteria and other microorganisms resistant to antibiotics. Even countries and regions that make limited use of antibiotics will be affected. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat to human and animal health…

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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…

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Subsea UK awards finalists announced

The finalists for the 2024 Subsea Expo Awards have been announced ahead of the ceremony taking place in Aberdeen next month. Organised by Global Underwater Hub, the leading trade and industry development body for the UK’s underwater industry, the prestigious annual event will take place on Wednesday, 21 February at P&J Live. Fourteen companies have…

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Iceland PM takes over responsibility for fish farm reform

Iceland’s Prime Minister, Katrin Jakobsdottir, has taken over temporary responsibility for the reform of the country’s aquaculture industry and general fishing responsibilities. The move comes after the Food Minister Svandis Svavarsdottir, the person normally in charge of these issues, revealed she has breast cancer and is taking indefinite leave. The Prime Minister (pictured, above) said:…

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Norway’s youngsters urged to eat more seafood

The Norwegian government has allocated an extra NOK 3.9 million (almost £300,000) to help combat a worrying decline in seafood consumption among the country’s young people. Many Norwegian children and teenagers have simply stopped eating salmon and white fish, preferring less healthy options such as burgers instead. Cost may also be a factor. A recent…

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Aqua Agenda: Fish Health webinar

Thanks to all who attended Fish Farmer’s first Aqua Agenda webinar this week. We had a great panel – Iain Berrill, Head of Technical with Salmon Scotland, Charles Allan, head of the Scottish Fish health Inspectorate and Ronnie Soutar, Head of Veterinary Services with Scottish Sea Farms – addressing the pressing issue of fish health…

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Aquaculture 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…

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