The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have announced a trial to test the commercial viability of a mussel hatchery in Scotland.
The 30-month, £1.9 million project could lead to higher productivity in the shellfish industry and support rural businesses and jobs.
Other key partners in the hatchery project include the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group (SSMG), the University of the Highlands and Islands and the Scottish Government.
Shellfish production is a growing industry in Scotland, supporting over 500 jobs across the supply chain, many in rural areas. Mussel production in Scotland reached its highest-ever level in 2014, with Shetland accounting for almost 80% of production.
There is capacity and demand to raise production substantially, if the industry can address issues such as the availability of mussel spat (baby mussels). The establishment of a commercial hatchery to produce spat would help to resolve this issue.
There are two main elements to the project:
- Establishing a core pilot-scale hatchery at the NAFC Marine Centre UHI in Scalloway, Shetland, and testing the commercial feasibility of spat production
- A programme of R&D to support the development of new technologies and processes aimed at increasing the yield of farmed mussels in Scotland.
Heather Jones, CEO of the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, said, “Developing secure health-certified spat production systems is a Priority Innovation Action for SAIC, and we’re very pleased to drive such an initiative forward and co-fund this stepping stone to a commercial hatchery project. In bringing together academic expertise and industry ambition, this transformative project could deliver measurable economic growth in a key Scottish sector.”
Michael Tait, Chairman of SSMG, said, “Having a more reliable source of spat will help shellfish producers in Scotland meet the industry’s shellfish production target of 13,000 tonnes by 2020. In addition, the new technologies and processes permitted by the SAIC-sponsored research could allow our members to generate increased and more reliable yields, and help them target new export markets. This announcement is a milestone for the industry.”
