First Barcaldine smolts transferred to sea

THE first smolts from Scottish Sea Farms’ new £55 million Barcaldine hatchery have been safely transferred to sea pens, the company said today. The smolts, which arrived at Barcaldine as eggs in January, were hatched and reared using a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). They had an average weight of 160g – more than double that…

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Scottish Sea Farms lures two industry leaders

GIDEON Pringle, who recently announced he was to leave his post as operations director of farming at Mowi, is to take up a senior role at Scottish Sea Farms. He will start in April next year as director of farming, a new position created following a restructuring at the company. Until then, he will work…

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Lerøy reports new Scottish RAS facility on track

LERØY Seafood said today that the new Barcaldine RAS facility at its Scottish Sea Farms operation was on track, with fish moving through the site and the first release of smolt having taken place this autumn. But like SalMar yesterday, its co-partner in Scotland, it reports that biological challenges were continuing to impact on growth…

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Scottish Sea Farms Q3 results disappoint SalMar

SALMAR’S Scotland operations, which it shares with Lerøy Seafood, produced disappointing results this summer, the salmon farming giant’s third quarter results show today. Although Scottish Sea Farms, or Norskott Havbruk as the company calls it, generated operating revenues of NOK 629.5 million, up from NOK 547 million during the third quarter last year, expectations were…

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Salmon farmer tackles gill health with £1.9m workboat

SCOTTISH Sea Farms is improving its response time to gill health issues with a new, purpose built workboat. The £1.9 million Fair Isle will service the salmon farmer’s more northerly regions, delivering veterinary treatment. The company’s existing workboat, the Sally Ann, will be deployed at Scottish Sea Farms’ mainland operations. SSF head of welfare Dr…

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Sick fish pictures used to attack salmon industry

SCOTTISH salmon farmers\’ battle to keep photographs intended for the Fish Health Inspectorate out of the public eye has been revealed by the government. The pictures of diseased fish, from official fish health inspections, have been seized on by anti-salmon farm campaigners and the angling lobby as a means of attacking the industry. Campaign groups…

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New role for Scottish Sea Farms’ pioneer

LEADING salmon sector figure John Rea, Scottish Sea Farms’ long-standing production director, is to leave the company to focus on a new career in coaching and training. Rea, who has been in his role for 22 years, is to step down in early 2020. He plans to build on his experience nurturing and mentoring the…

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Salmon farmer leads local beach cleans

RESIDENTS and local groups are being urged to join Scottish Sea Farms for a series of organised beach cleans, part of the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Great British Beach Clean which takes place from September 20-23. The salmon farmer first took part in the annual event last year, when its Orkney team organised two local…

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Salmon farmers help in sea rescues

FISH farm crew and vessels have been involved in rescuing members of the public who have got into difficulty on the water near farm sites. In an incident last month, a dinghy adrift with one person on board was recovered from Scallastle Bay in the Sound of Mull, the RNLI reported. On Saturday, August 31,…

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Salmon farmer invests £750,000 in gill health

SCOTTISH Sea Farms is to lead a research project focused on increasing understanding of gill health in farmed salmon. The £601,000 study – of which Scottish Sea Farms will fund 62 per cent – will be the salmon farmer’s second such collaboration with academics at the University of Aberdeen, feed specialists BioMar and the Scottish…

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