Soaring sales of the innovative new Silent Scrammer seal scarer from Ace Aquatec has resulted in the company relocating its operation to bigger premises in Scotland in a bid to keep up with demand.
The move from southern England to Dingwall in Ross-shire will provide the company with the ideal location to supply and service fish farms throughout the West coast and Northern Isles and enhance new product development.
Owner John Ace-Hopkins says: 'The underlying reason for the move is the success of the Silent Scrammer.
The original sales target for the Trigger Device -- the heart of the Silent Scramming system -- was 100 in a year. After only nine months sales have exceeded 150 and the decision was taken to relocate so as to be nearer to our core customer base.
'Dingwall is central to the various ferry routes and I can be at any Scottish fish farm in a matter of hours. Product development time will also be shortened as ideas can easily be tested on-site.'
The Silent Scrammer is a unique seal scaring system, which as the name implies normally makes no sound, only being triggered into action when a seal starts to harass farmed fish by detecting abnormal movements in the cage.
The trigger system alerts the scramming unit by sound waves, which in turn emits a much louder noise that scares the seal away.
In effect, the system trains seals to avoid fish farm cages, much in the same way that a cow learns to avoid an electric fence or a dog is taught not to eat food from the table.
John Ace-Hopkins says: 'The Silent Scrammer is highly efficient because it does not habituate seals by continually emitting a noise.
The trigger device only sounds when the fish are upset. Seals, being intelligent animals, soon learn that the quiet but audible noise emitted from the trigger will be followed by a much louder and unpleasant sound from the scrammer. Basically, the system trains seals to stop harassing fish.'
Stand number M42 at Aquaculture 2002
Ace Aquatec was formed in December 1999 when founder John Ace-Hopkins bought the aquaculture interests from Thomson Marconi.
He had initiated the aquaculture business of Thomson-Marconi in 1991 and headed the design team of the highly successful FerrantiThomson Seal Scrammer range.
