Scottish Sea Farms’ new £55m Barcaldine Hatchery has achieved a critical milestone with the first smolts having gone safely out to sea pens.
The smolts, which arrived at Barcaldine as eggs in January of this year and were hatched and reared using a recirculating aquaculture system, had an average weight of 160g – more than double that of smolts grown by the company when using traditional hatchery methods.
Scottish Sea Farms’ freshwater manager Pål Tangvik said that it was a major milestone for the whole company. “The new hatchery has given us greater control over key factors including water quality, oxygen levels, temperature, light and speed of flow, meaning we have been able to ensure the best growing environment for the salmon,” he said.
The new facility reduces environmental impact by using UV light to disinfect incoming water then recirculating it every 20 to 30 minutes. ”This uses 98% less freshwater and significantly less energy compared with heating and cooling water at traditional hatcheries,” explained operations manager, Noelia Rodriguez.
“Adding to this, the building uses a biomass energy system to provide heating and hot water, and there is provision for a hydro scheme so that we can generate even more energy in a greener way.”
The new facility, which includes four incubation units and four hatcheries, has taken over two years to build and is due to have its official opening in 2020.
