Posts Tagged ‘SSPO’
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 MoreStudy explores impact of RAS on salmon
THE impact of recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) on salmon smolts is to be investigated by a consortium led by Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture (IoA). The £2 million Robust-Smolt study – involving 14 institutions and organisations – will compare the robustness and susceptibility of RAS reared Atlantic salmon to pathogens. Over the next three years,…
Read MoreWelfare focus of fish vets forum
WELFARE in farmed fish is the main theme of this year’s Fish Vet Society (FVS) conference, to be held near Edinburgh from March 26-27. The subject will be examined from three distinct angles: training in welfare, responsible use of therapeutants, and prevention strategies. Speakers include Dr Francis Murray and Dr Andrew Desbois from Stirling University’s…
Read MoreDate set for Holyrood salmon debate
THE Scottish parliament is to debate the recent Holyrood committee report on salmon farming next Wednesday afternoon. A period between 2pm and 5.15pm has been set aside for the discussion. The report was published last November by the Rural Economy and Connectivity (REC) committee, which launched its inquiry into the salmon sector earlier in 2018.…
Read MoreAqua women: your sector needs you
A NEW initiative aimed primarily at supporting women working in the aquaculture industry was launched today. The scheme will focus on professional mentoring and will also be available to men in the sector, with anyone interested invited to apply for a place on the initial pilot. The brainchild of the Fish Site, the project was…
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 MoreFarmed and wild salmon sectors seek consensus
THE first meeting of the farmed and wild salmon interactions group, held yesterday in Edinburgh, got off to a good start, according to its chairman, John Goodlad. The group, established by Scotland’s Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing in May as part of the Strategic Framework for Farmed Fish Health, includes representatives from the farming and…
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