Salmon farming is to benefit from £400,000 investment in research and development projects over the next three years to help secure the long-term socio-economic and environmental sustainability of the industry.
Sid Patten, Chief Executive of Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation (SSPO), said: “This project will be highly significant in the development of new farming practices in the Scottish industry. It is hoped that the information generated will enhance sustainability, while improving both environmental performance and reducing the cost of production.
“To be successful, it must report good quality, robust scientific evidence. By working closely with stakeholders, the initiatives address many of the current challenges and they will help the industry to achieve its full potential,” he added.
Welcoming the investment, Minister for Environment Michael Russell said: “This is excellent news for the Scottish salmon farming industry. The farmed fish sector is of great value to Scotland and we need to ensure its sustainable economic growth for the future. I am pleased that the Scottish Government has been able to provide significant financial support to this initiative.”
A range of initiatives has been identified, including a scientific environmental modelling project and the adoption of new technology and husbandry practices on farms.
An enhanced monitoring programme has been commissioned to develop the accuracy of predicting environmental performance of marine farms. A second initiative is to look at economic modelling of production to determine optimum sustainable farming conditions.
Projects addressing alternative sea lice management strategies, the application of new technology in freshwater farms and further development of acoustic devices to deter predators are under consideration.
