Scottish Sea Farms nets £1.28m for R&D projects
Scottish Sea Farms is to get £1.28 million from Scottish Enterprise to support research and development into fish welfare and green initiatives.
The funds will assist SSF in the R&D drive – worth a total of £18.3m – helping to accelerate both the innovative work itself and the anticipated benefits.
The R&D spans five key areas:
- Establishing the conditions for optimum fish health and welfare at SSF’s new £48m RAS hatchery at Barcaldine in Argyll, set to open in 2019
- Developing humane slaughter processes at the company’s processing facilities in Oban and at Scalloway on Shetland
- Harvesting wind and wave energy at more exposed farms to reduce reliance on fuel
- Recycling a greater proportion of by-products to minimise waste
- Capturing and analysing data in the ongoing drive to increase knowledge and understanding.
During a visit to the Barcaldine hatchery, Kate Forbes, minister for public finance and digital economy said salmon exports grew by 35% during 2017.
She added: “Ensuring that the sector grows in a sustainable way remains a priority for us. It is great to see an ambitious and respected company like Scottish Sea Farms investing in innovation to improve environmental control, health issues and production efficiencies. I’d like to congratulate the company on raising the bar and wish them every success on their sustainable growth journey.”
SSF managing director Jim Gallagher: “Researching and developing new approaches and technologies is key to ensuring that we continue raising the healthiest fish in the most responsible but also the most environmentally sustainable way, and this latest £18.3m investment aims to advance our work in both areas.
“The £1.28m support from Scottish Enterprise means that we will be able to do more of this planned R&D even sooner, accelerating both the innovation and the anticipated benefits for fish health and welfare and for the environment.”
