Major aquaculture exhibition will hear industry has a good future although challenges remain

But aquaculture consultant Richard Slaski will warn that a number of challenges lie ahead including increased operating costs and the inability of small to medium sized enterprise companies to access finance, which is stifling innovation and diversification.

Other challenges include ensuring the sustainable supply of fish feed and overcoming the difficulties caused by transferring existing marine farms into the new planning system. There are also issues with regards to re-organising production units so that they deliver the required economies of scale.

Mr Slaski will tell the seminar: “We are working hard to overcome these challenges and turn them into opportunities. The Scottish Government has generally been very supportive of the industry by as much as the system allows.

“We should also not forget just how successful the UK aquaculture industry has been in global terms and we are now facing a future with growing demand for our products.”

He will also point to recent successes such as the introduction of the independently inspected Code of Good Practice, new science emerging from the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum and projects to field-test new high-strength fish cage netting.

Also speaking will be Dr Ian Davies of Fisheries Research Services, who will focus on new mussel species for Scotland and their potential impact on farming. Until recently it was assumed that the mussels found on the Scottish coast were the species Mytilus edulis.

However, it has now been recognised that there are two other closely related species – M. galloprovinciallis (a southern species that is moving north) and M. trossulus – a northern species, common in Canada and the Baltic.

Dr Davies will tell the seminar: “The three species interbreed and distinguishing them by visual inspection can be difficult. FRS has developed a molecular DNA method to detect all three species. We have found that both the southern and northern species are also now present on Scottish coasts. M. trossulus tends to have weak shells and poor meat yields and this can present difficulties to shellfish farmers.”

The exhibition and conference, which runs from 21 to 22 May, is the culmination of strong support from the Scottish industry for an event of this kind to be held in the Highlands. It will be officially opened tomorrow by Scottish Government Minister for the Environment Michael Russell.