The June 2023 issue of Fish Farmer is out now online

June 2023 issue cover - octopus

The June issue of Fish Farmer is out now online and you can read or download it here.

If you’re wondering why your June magazine has a cephalopod on the cover, this month we are asking the question: Does farming Octopus vulgaris, the common octopus, represent an innovation too far? As Nicki Holmyard reports, opinion is sharply divided over plans to farm this species at commercial scale, but seafood giant Nueva Pescanova is determined to press ahead.

Meanwhile, artificial intelligence has been making the headlines this year. AI is often referred to as the “fourth Industrial Revolution”, and not surprisingly AI and robotics are already making their impact felt in the field of aquaculture.

Our feature on Underwater Services focuses on potential applications for this new technology in fish farming, including a project which it is hoped will result in a fully autonomous net cleaning robot for salmon cages.

We also report on two events showcasing the enormous breadth of innovation taking place in aquaculture. The Sustainable Aquaculture Summit was hosted in Glasgow last month by the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre. It saw 300 industry practitioners, academics and suppliers come together to discuss how the “Blue economy” could be greener, and better for people, planet and of course profit. The report from the Summit is on page 38.

You can also read about the Blue Food Innovation Summit, which took place in London with a full cast of international speakers and delegates. The Summit heard about the latest in aquatic food production, from plans to farm tuna in floating RAS (recirculating aquaculture facilities) to the prospects for seaweed mariculture in North America. For details see page 50.

Does farming Octopus vulgaris, the common octopus, represent an innovation too far? As Nicki Holmyard reports, opinion is sharply divided over plans to farm this species at commercial scale.

Also in June’s Fish Farmer, Dr Martin Jaffa argues that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s proposed framework to mitigate the threat posed by sea lice to wild salmon is based on flawed and untested modelling; Vince McDonagh reports on the debate over the future of aquaculture in Iceland; and Sandy Neil considers the lessons from a tragic accident that took the life of a Mowi Scotland worker.

Finally, this issue includes an appreciation of Neil Manchester, Managing Director at Kames Fish Farming, whose untimely death last month came as such a shock to friends, colleagues and of course his family.

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