Posts Tagged ‘Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation’
Farmers slash medicine spend in lice fight
SCOTTISH salmon farmers have dramatically reduced their use of medicines to treat sea lice, with spending dropping 47 per cent, from £18.4 million to £9.7 million, over the past three years. The news comes as the industry reported its lowest average sea lice levels for six years, down to 0.46 adult females in 2018, according…
Read MoreSalmon farmers raise Brexit fears
SCOTTISH salmon farmers have expressed concern over the latest parliamentary impasse on Brexit, with fears focused in particular on the linking of seafood exports to fishing quotas in any future deal. Julie Hesketh-Laird, CEO of the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, said: ‘The Scottish salmon farming industry is optimistic in the long term and sees a…
Read MoreLowest lice figures since records began
SEA lice numbers recorded at Scottish salmon farms in September were the lowest for that month in five years, and overall numbers for 2018 were the lowest since reporting began in 2013. According to the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO), which published the latest figures on its website this week, the industry lice average for…
Read MoreThird of salmon farming staff under 30
A THIRD of the workforce in Scotland’s salmon farming sector are under the age of 30, according to a new report published today by the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO). The majority work in Highlands and Islands communities, employed on farms, and in engineering, veterinary, processing, sales and marketing, and HR roles, as well as…
Read MoreREC report: a charter for growth?
URGENT action is needed to improve the regulation of the Scottish salmon farming industry and to address fish health and environmental challenges, the long awaited Scottish parliamentary report into the sector has found. But the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee, which launched its inquiry into salmon farming in March, steps back from demanding a…
Read MoreSEPA plans tighter controls but bigger farms
SCOTTISH fish farms will be able to expand, with larger farms in ‘sustainable locations’, but will be subject to tighter environmental controls, under proposals for a revised regulatory regime published today by SEPA. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s 16-month investigation into salmon farms concludes that medicines, particularly emamectin benzoate used in the control of sea…
Read MoreAnother first for prize Cooke man
THE first student to complete the Technical Apprenticeship in Aquaculture Management was honoured with a new prize in NAFC Marine Centre UHI’s annual awards ceremony last week. John McCulloch of Cooke Aquaculture was given the inaugural Ertie Nicolson Prize in memory of the late Ertie Nicolson, who had a long association with the NAFC. McCulloch,…
Read MoreSSPO welcomes bumper year
THE Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation has welcomed record production levels by salmon farmers in 2017. In government figures just published, Scottish farms harvested 189,707 tonnes in 2017, up by 16.5 per cent on 2016 and the sector’s highest ever output. The level of survival on farms has also improved, up to 79.1 per cent compared…
Read MoreLeading political journalist joins SSPO
A SEASONED Scottish political journalist is to be the new voice of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO). Hamish Macdonell will lead public affairs and communications at the organisation in the newly created role of director of strategic engagement.The SSPO represents most of Scotland’s salmon farmers. Macdonell (pictured) has covered the Scottish parliament since its…
Read MoreSalmon farmers publish mortality data
SCOTLAND’S salmon farmers have published their monthly mortality figures on a farm-by-farm basis today for the first time in a move to improve transparency in the industry. The data, which covers 100 per cent of Scottish salmon farms, shows that for the first four months of this year, survival rates on farms ranged between 98.5…
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