Grimsby fish farm shovel ready ‘in first half of 2027’
The company looking to build a land-based salmon farm in Grimsby says construction for the project could start in the first half of next year.
Mike Berthet, a director with AquaCultured Seafood, told delegates at the Aquaculture UK trade show in Glasgow yesterday that fundraising is underway to secure the next phase of capital for the RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) salmon farm. He said he hoped this would take around six months.
He added that the company had also identified a potential site for a farm in south Wales and a second site in Grimsby.
The plan for a land based salmon farm in Grimsby, on England’s east coast, has been around two years in planning, followed by two years in the planning process, including three judicial reviews as a result of opposition on the part of animal rights campaigners.
Mike Berthet explained that Grimsby is an ideal site, as it is a major centre for seafood processing. He said the proposed farm site, on reclaimed industrial land next to Grimsby’s football stadium, is within 3,000 metres of seven of the largest salmon processors in England.
The farm is projected to produce up to 7,500 tonnes annually, an increase on the original proposal of around 5,000 tonnes.
Berthet said the project would create 200 construction jobs and 70 full-time jobs once the farm is operational, in a town that has been badly hot by the decline in the fishing industry.
He said that the farm would also take a quarter of a million polystyrene boxes – currently used for transporting salmon from Scottish farms to Grimsby – out of the system, and would produce salmon guaranteed to be free of sea lice and microplastics.
Although financial projections for the project had been based on general market prices for salmon based on the Fish Pool, Berthet added, he expected that the AquaCultured salmon would command a premium price thanks to its lower environmental impact and microplastics-free guarantee.
A likely key supplier for the RAS project has been identified but the choice has not been disclosed.
Berthet said the UK Seafood Federation and the local authority had been supportive, but added that the project had had “zero support” from central government. Recently, a planned meeting with government minister Angela Eagle had been cancelled thanks to the latest Cabinet reshuffle.
He said: “There have been many hurdles.”
Despite the challenges, however, Berthet said the growing global demand for high quality seafood meant prospects for the company are good: “We feel that we’re in a very good space.”
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