Scottish Sea Farms was crowned winner of the Scottish Food & Drink Excellence Award for Innovation last week, for its pioneering approach to sea lice control.
Involving the co-habitation of farmed salmon with commercially-farmed wrasse that eat sea lice, the £4.05m project is a collaboration between Scottish Sea Farms, Marine Harvest Scotland, the University of Stirling’s renowned Institute of Aquaculture and feed manufacturer BioMar. The project is co-funded by the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC).
Instrumental in initiating the collaboration, Scottish Sea Farms was praised by judges for improving the quality of its own products while at the same time creating a new commercial opportunity for the whole industry.
The company also went on to win the Business of the Year, known as the ‘champion of champions’ award for results above and beyond those recognised in the individual categories.
SAIC CEO Heather Jones said, “The award win gives a strong flavour as to why Scottish Sea Farms is one of Scotland’s most successful seafood businesses. The company has a long-term commitment to innovation and a broad vision to grow the industry. It is a leading light in the sector, driving novel approaches and positive change.
“Working with the team on the cleaner fish project is an immensely insightful and rewarding experience, creating shared learning between academic researchers and industry practitioners. This project is already delivering value to Scottish Sea Farms and other companies in Scotland, and the benefits will extend to supporting the growth of Scottish aquaculture as a whole.”
Also successful on the night was SAIC consortium member company Loch Fyne Oysters which won the Investing in People Award.
