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A voice for aquaculture in Northern Ireland

Posted on by Gavin O'Donnell

Re-establishing the Aquaculture Representative Group

Grant funding from the Fisheries Charity and in-kind support from the Seafish Industry Authority has breathed new life into aquaculture conversations in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland aquaculture sector produces around 4,000 tonnes of fish and shellfish annually, valued at over £12 million. The sector makes an important contribution to coastal and rural communities in the region, employing over 140 people.

Coordination amongst the aquaculture industry in Northern Ireland had lapsed in recent years, exacerbated by Covid when industry couldn’t meet, and by Brexit which removed former funding streams for group support. In 2022, the Company and Seafish stepped in to re-invigorate the group, when Rod Cappell was appointed as Northern Ireland Aquaculture Representative Group’s (ARG) new facilitator.

As a Director of the fisheries and aquaculture consultancy Poseidon, Rod brought international experience, and having relocated to Northern Ireland with his family, has a strong desire to support NI businesses.

“When we moved here ten years ago, I didn’t expect to be doing much work locally. But I’m delighted to help ARG member businesses as much as I can and support sustainable development of the aquaculture sector in Northern Ireland. We’re very grateful that the funding provided by Fishmongers Company’ has enabled that work to continue.”

As of 2024 there are 34 aquaculture operators in Northern Ireland, producing trout, oysters, mussels, kelp, and salmon. Annual production includes around 1,400 tonnes of oysters worth £3.6 million, 1,300 tonnes of mussels worth £1 million, and 1,100 tonnes of finfish worth £7.3 million.

Far exceeding farm gate value, the sector is providing valuable and essential ecosystem services. NIwater’s Living with Water Programme, tasked with upgrading and increasing Belfast’s water treatment infrastructure, has in 2024 estimated that without the mussel production in Belfast Lough contributing to clean water via nutrient absorption, NIwater would have to spend over £50 million more of public money on wastewater treatment capacity!

As part of the ARG’s activities in 2023 it commissioned independent research estimating the carbon footprint of NI’s aquaculture production – demonstrating the climate friendly nature if the industry in Northern Ireland. This supports the promotion of NI seafood as being a low carbon food choice. As well as products for retail and food service, thanks to rigorous controls, Northern Ireland has retained disease-free status, enabling production of trout ova for global export.

The small yet diverse capacity of Northern Ireland’s aquaculture sector, combined with continued access to the EU single market as well as GB, suggests there are a lot of positives for the future of aquaculture in Northern Ireland, yet there are many challenges for operators seeking to grow the sector. The coordination and representation provided by the ARG aims to help individual businesses and the industry at large, working with government on more effective regulation and management to enable that sustainable growth. And that’s why a voice for NI aquaculture through a functioning ARG is so important.

To find out more and make contact visit: www.aquacultureni.co.uk

Iceland: Fostering Relations in International Trade

Posted on by Gavin O'Donnell

Around one third of the Icelandic economy revolves around the Fish Trade – and much of their sustainable whitefish makes its way directly through the port of Grimsby and on to UK consumers, via wholesalers, retailers and the food service sector – including much of the sustainable cod served in our UK fish and chip shops.

In April 2024 a team from Fishmongers’ went to Iceland to visit these sustainable fisheries at source – speaking with the catching and processing sector at Brim, the Icelandic government’s Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, the innovators behind the Iceland Ocean Cluster, and the rapidly evolving on-land salmon farming industry.

Drawing threads together, the team visited diplomats at the British Embassy in Reykjavík, where the Prime Warden Fred Stroyan hosted a Seafood Industry Reception alongside British Ambassador Bryony Mathew. This evening event, featuring British sparkling wine paired with Icelandic seafood, was well attended by people working across government and industry in Iceland, including the new-in-post Icelandic Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Bjarkey Olsen Gunnarsdóttir.

The Prime Warden is no stranger to Iceland, having long standing import relationships with the whitefish sector. The visit gave him a chance to draw the work of our Fisheries Charitable Trust closer to the innovation and sustainable practices of the Icelandic industry. Alongside the Prime Warden, Nigel Bankes, Court Member and Chair of the Fisheries Committee, led the Fishmongers’ team which also included Clerk Toby Williamson, Fisheries Director Andrew Wallace, and Programme Manager Eleanor Adamson. They were accompanied by Simon Dwyer of the Seafood Grimsby and Humberside Alliance (SGHA), who is working closely with the Fisheries Charity to boost our contribution and impact with the UK’s on land fish trading and processing sectors.

Gunnar Örlygsson, a key figure in the Icelandic seafood industry and long-time associate of the Prime Warden facilitated the visit, introducing the team to a wide cross section of those relevant to the Icelandic Seafood trade.  Alongside his wife Dunna Johannsdottir, they ensured that the Team experienced the spectacular scenery as well as the fish industry!

Fisheries Director Andrew Wallace said “This has been an eye opening and inspiring experience. The relationships cemented here will be a great asset as we grow our impact in the regional coordination of sustainably managed capture fisheries, and also in shaping our thinking about how we can best push forwards innovation on land, to support new ideas, products and value chains that fully utilise the fish we catch”.

SGHA’s Simon Dwyer said “I firmly believe the ‘Grimsby’ link with Iceland and fish is further solidified with Fishmongers’ Company engagement. I felt the meetings with producers, Government departments and the Iceland Ocean Cluster in particular, presented further opportunities for SGHA to engage with our key trading partner. The discussions around school engagement, skills, science, carbon and start-ups leaves lots of new opportunities.”

Cornwall Shellfish and seaweed farms provide valuable habitats for coastal fish species

Posted on by Gavin O'Donnell

New research published by lead author Sophie Corrigan from the University of Exeter and the Marine Biological Association demonstrates that mussel and seaweed farms provide new structured habitat to fish species – including high numbers of commercial fish species. The work, published in the scientific journal of Aquaculture Environment Interactions, shows the biodiversity benefits that farming low tropic species can bring to otherwise structure-less or degraded inshore habitats.

Her work shows mussel farms deliver the highest benefits to fishes throughout the water column and in different size classes, providing relatively stable habitats with plentiful food. Seaweed farming areas provided temporary habitats due to their shorter harvesting schedules. However, while seaweed was being cultivated there was still a marked increase in fish abundance and diversity compared to the non-farmed reference areas of the sea. The research identified several commercially and ecologically important fish species that were using the farmed areas, such as mackerel, pollack, and greater sand eels, with diet analysis revealing that farms may provide important new feeding grounds for these species. 

She said: “Given the degradation of natural habitats around our coastlines, the decline of many important fish stocks, and the clear need for increased sustainable food systems, these results provide important evidence about how shellfish and seaweed farms could be used as nature-based solutions if appropriately managed. The increase in fish abundance within these farms will likely have spill-over benefits to other marine users including fisheries, which may help to facilitate the inclusion of sustainable aquaculture within marine planning.”

Sophie, who was until recently co-funded by the FCFCT to undertake her PhD at Exeter University, and who featured among speakers at last years’ Aquaculture conference at Fishmongers’ Hall, has now moved upwards and onwards, joining London’s Natural History Museum to contribute at the science policy interface of the rapidly expanding seaweed farming horizon.

Members of the Livery Recognised in Top 100 Seafood Executives

Posted on by Gavin O'Donnell

Members of the Livery Dan Aherne, CEO of New England Seafood and Libby Woodhatch, Executive Chairman of the Marin Trust, have been recognised in Intrafish’s guide to the 100 most influential executives working in the seafood industry today.

The Seafood Power 100 list recognises those who have made significant contribution to innovation, sustainability and profitability in our namesake trade.

Dan Aherne of New England Seafood, founded by our current Prime Warden Fred Stroyan, has been recognised for their work in connecting with UK consumers and driving domestic demand for seafood.

Libby Woodhatch has been recognised for her work at the Marin Trust, an international certification scheme program for marine ingredients, a “blind spot” in the seafood supply chain. The schemeworks to improve standards in the international fishmeal and oil industry, focusing on the factories bringing the product to market and assessing the fisheries that supply them, certifying 48% of average global production in the last five years.

Simon Dwyer, executive of the Seafood Grimsby and Humber Alliance (SGHA), whom the Company helped to found and is a key working partner in our support for the UK seafood trade, has also been recognised. The SGHA, who’s members make up approximately 60% of the UK seafood processing trade has been instrumental in supporting the industry to navigate the challenges of the pandemic and Brexit and has secured millions of pounds in government funding to support training and careers in the sector as well as driving sustainability and innovation.

International Catch Welfare

Posted on by Gavin O'Donnell

Support from The Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust (FCFCT) enabled key representatives to attend the first ever Catch Welfare Platform event in Bergen, Norway in November 2023. This kick-off conference aimed to bring the global seafood community together to form working groups that could collaborate on fish and shellfish welfare-related projects.

Members of the steering group: David Jarrad (Shellfish Association of Great Britain), Sophie Bennett (Seafish), Claire Pescod (Macduff Shellfish as Chair of the Crab and Lobster Management Group) and Mike Roach (National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations and chair of the SAGB Crustacean Committee).

Welfare of wild capture species is increasingly important, particularly in the UK where recent changes to legislation (recognising crustaceans including brown crab and European lobster as sentient) have potential implications for seafood businesses. The attendees supported by FCFCT were members of the steering group that have been coordinating the development of voluntary codes of best practice for crustacean welfare alongside industry panels. The FCFCT grant enabled the members to build connections with others in the field and increase their awareness of how key players are responding to consumer pressure and changes in public perception.

The Catch Welfare Platform coordinators are working to develop their own codes of best practice for animal welfare in the seafood supply chain, so the event in Bergen was a great opportunity for the steering group members to introduce themselves to these individuals. The group were able to offer support and expertise given that they are somewhat leading the way with their UK-based work on decapod crustaceans – hopefully opening up opportunities for future international collaboration.

The conference provided a valuable opportunity to shine a light on technologies that are being developed to improve catch welfare in the UK:

  • SafetyNet Technologies have been developing uses for underwater cameras and lights in improving selectivity in demersal fishing trawls to avoid catching non-target species. Avoiding catching non-target species in the first place negates the risk of welfare impacts on fish that could be returned to the sea.
  • Optimar – a designer of automated fish processing systems – have been collaborating with large UK-based retailers to develop electrical stunning machines for use onboard UK Nephrops trawlers and at warm water shrimp farms that export to the UK. Stunning is conducted prior to killing or tailing to enable humane dispatch before processing.

A key take-home message from the event is that animal welfare is very much on the agenda for the seafood industry, and not just for crustaceans. The knowledge and science represented in the Catch Welfare Platform is likely to play a key role in future innovations around animal welfare in the seafood supply chain, so it was incredibly useful for the group to attend to ensure this is on the radar of key UK organisations!

Information on the Catch welfare platform can be found here. For further news of the launch of the voluntary codes of practice, please keep an eye out on the Seafish website or contact sophie.bennett@seafish.co.uk for more details.

UK and Norway: Forging Collaboration between Independent Coastal States

Posted on by Gavin O'Donnell

The Company welcomed welcomed the UK Minister for Food, Fisheries and Farming, Mark Spencer and the Norweigan Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy, Cecilie Myrseth, to the Hall when hosting the Norwegian Seafood Council annual conference. Both Ministers addressed the conference and spoke warmly of bi-lateral trade and shared fishing opportunities and joined stakeholders from the seafood sector and related industries, from fishing fleet, seafood producers and exporters, to importers, suppliers, retail, food service and media.  

The Ministers met Prime Warden Fred Stroyan and Fisheries Director Andrew Wallace, alongside representatives of Seafood Grimsby and Humber Alliance (SGHA), who have worked tirelessly over the past three years with the seafood sector in Norway and ministerial departments in London and Oslo to smooth future trade flows since the introduction of the Border Target Operating Model. 

Andrew Wallace, Fishmongers’ Company Director of Fisheries and SGHA board member, remarked: “This is the second year in a row we have hosted this conference at Fishmongers’Hall and it is always enlightening to hear about the importance of bi-lateral seafood trade and fisheries between our fishing nations. The Alliance board, which is headquartered in Grimsby, have been very focused on developing seafood trade opportunities with Norway and it was a great opportunity to share some thoughts on this with our respective Ministers and their officials”

Major Norwegian seafood exporter, Nordic Group AS, represented by Managing Director, Morten Hyldborg Jensen, commented “Over recent years we’ve had a warm, friendly and successful dialogue with our colleagues in Grimsby led by Simon Dwyer. We were delighted when Simon brought a delegation from the UK to visit our landing stations in Batsfjord, Norway, last May to see hands on our fish landing and processing facilities. This conference is always a great networking opportunity for both Norwegian and UK seafood businesses and various stakeholders.”

Developing Active Kelp Restoration Techniques

Posted on by Gavin O'Donnell

Scientists at the Marine Biological Association (MBA) and Newcastle University have begun trials to progress an active kelp restoration technique for four species of native kelp (Order Laminariales), using test sites in Devon and Teesside. The fundamental goal of the project is to develop a system for restoring degraded kelp forests using a low-cost, scalable, and practical solution, whilst bridging the gap between marine conservation and the fishing and seafood industry. The project has been generously funded by the Marine Management Organisation, Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, Newcastle University, Seafarers Charity, Marshall Wace, Devon Environment Foundation, and the Dixon Foundation.

Photo: ©2024 Marine Biological Association 

Kelp forests form vital marine ecosystems, support high levels of biodiversity, primary productivity and underpin a range of core ecosystem services. However, kelp beds are declining across the world, with losses stemming from a variety of physical and biological factors such as climate change, decreases in water quality, coastal development, overgrazing, overharvesting, pollution.

The UK and Ireland represent an important area for kelps, with 7 different species found along ~19,000 km of the UK’s coastline. Kelp habitats support vital important ecosystem services, including fisheries habitats, biogenic coastal protection, nutrient cycling and carbon uptake and storage. Losses or shifts in the structure of kelp forests in the UK could have significant consequences for marine ecosystems and the services they provide to coastal communities. While much research has focused on coral, mangrove and seagrass restoration, far less attention has been given to kelp forests, despite their huge ecological and socioeconomic importance.

This restoration project, which is the first of its kind in the UK, will use controlled laboratory conditions to grow native kelp species using fertile ‘sorus’ material (seed) obtained from local donor plants. Kelp spores  will be extracted and seeded onto local gravel substrates. Trials will also  assess the feasibility of using scallop shells as a restoration substrate, with the objective of also reducing scallop shell landfill waste. Once juvenile kelp plants have grown large enough (~1cm long), the substrates and kelp will be out-planted at sea. The restoration method is known as the ‘green gravel’, which was pioneered by Fredriksen et al in Norway. The project has been working closely with the fishing communities through the North East Fishing Collective / Whitby Fishing Association and Plymouth Fishing and Seafood Association. The ambition is that the fishing fleet will support the out-planting activities on an ongoing, paid basis.

Photo: ©2024 Marine Biological Association 

Since November, the MBA and Newcastle University have been doing exploratory cultivation trials of two kelp species, Laminaria digitata and Saccharina latissima. To start the trials, the MBA set up a dedicated controlled temperature room with tanks, pipework, racking, filtered seawater, UV sterilization, and specialist lighting. To optimise seeding methods, tests are  comparing the success of seeding with both spores and microscopic gametophyte life stages. A pilot trial at the MBA was also recently started to assess kelp settlement density, growth rate and attachment strength on both sides of scallop shells, using flat, concave and crushed shells. Seeding success and follow-on growth will be monitored for eight weeks and will inform subsequent substrate trials.

As part of the project, the MMO, FCFCT and Newcastle University are also funding a PhD student, Cat Wilding, to develop the ‘green gravel’ research. Cat has worked as a scientist at the MBA for the past 6 years, and will continue her studentship based at the MBA, in partnership with Newcastle University as the host.

Training the Next Generation for Marine Conservation in St Helena

Posted on by Gavin O'Donnell

Support from the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust’s Ocean Programme has supported dive scholarships for young people in St Helena, providing essential skills to support careers in marine conservation.

Scholars aged 15-17 embarked on an extensive diving course designed to enable them to dive at sea, an essential skill for those wishing to engage in marine conservation, particularly in the unique ocean habitats of the South Atlantic.

Two of the scholars who received funding from the FCFCT have now completed their training with each of them demonstrating skills such as mask removal, regulator removal, low air and various hand signals for underwater communication.

Course organisers said that both Blane and Stefan “showed great enthusiasm and dedication to the course, and both passed with flying colours” and we hope that both will use these skills to great effect in protecting the marine environment of St Helena in years to come.

Industry Collaboration for De-carbonisation

Posted on by Gavin O'Donnell

Key next steps in the de-carbonisation of the seafood industry have been laid out at a landmark event hosted at Fishmongers’ Hall.

The Seafood Grimsby & Humber Alliance (SGHA), in collaboration with industry leaders such as Hilton Seafoods, New England Seafoods, J Marr (Seafoods), and Sofina’s Young’s Seafoods, is spearheading the decarbonisation agenda within the UK seafood sector. The alliance took a significant step towards sustainability by launching the Seafish Industry Authority’s Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool at a workshop held at Fishmongers’ Hall on Thursday, 25 January.

Simon Smith, Chairperson for the Seafood Grimsby & Humber Alliance, highlighted the alliance’s dedication to supporting the decarbonisation of the seafood sector. The workshop provided an opportunity to introduce and demonstrate the Seafish tool’s capabilities, especially the recently added feature covering the wild-capture aspect. Developed collaboratively between SGHA and Seafish, this groundbreaking tool calculates the carbon footprint of seafood capture, harvest, and production, facilitating informed investment decisions to drive the necessary supply chain transformation toward Net Zero.

Seafood industry leaders, along with major retailers and food service businesses, are actively testing the tool’s ability to identify carbon hotspots in the wild-capture seafood supply chain. This data-driven approach will enable targeted efforts to reduce carbon emissions in critical supply chains. The event served as a platform to discuss progress and plan the next steps in utilising the Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool to support ongoing efforts for further decarbonisation of the seafood sector.

Marcus Coleman, CEO of Seafish, expressed the commitment to supporting a thriving UK seafood sector. He emphasised that the Seafish tool aims to quantify seafood’s position, both farmed and wild capture, as a low-carbon protein source, underscoring its role in healthy and sustainable diets.

Dr. Henrietta Boyd, a representative of the Fishmongers’ Company and facilitator of the workshop, highlighted that the Seafood Carbon Emissions Profiling Tool represents a significant leap forward in the collective journey toward a greener and more sustainable seafood sector. Once complete, the tool will empower stakeholders to make informed decisions for a healthier planet.

The collaborative efforts of SGHA and Seafish, along with the engagement of industry leaders, reflect a pivotal moment in the UK seafood industry’s commitment to carbon neutrality and sustainability.

Disco Lights for Scallops – Research for New, Low-Impact Fisheries

Posted on by Gavin O'Donnell

Funding from the Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust has supported ground-breaking research into the effectiveness of LED lights on attracting scallops in inshore fisheries. The results could support the development of a new, low-impact scallop fishery for the UK’s inshore fishing fleets.

In 2019 Dr Rob Enever and his team from Fishtek Marine were tinkering with adding small LED lights to traditional crustacean pots. These lights, they hoped, would attract crabs and lobsters to the pots, without the need to use fish as bait. The lights were simply named ‘PotLights’, and the modified traps were handed over to Newlyn fisherman John Ashworth for trial on fishing grounds off the Cornish coast. Strings shot, they waited….

When they hauled the pots a few days later, they found they had accidentally attracted a rather unexpected reveller: king scallops. A number of scallops were in the pots, alongside the expected species of crustacean.

With over 200 eyes, for some time it’s been no secret that scallops are sensitive to light, but it was previously unknown that they could be attracted to it in this way. Speaking to The Guardian, Ashworth stated that “pretty much every pot (with lights) hauled had scallops in them, and yet every pot without lights had no scallops”. John, skipper of the Three Jays, also revealed that from the 35,000 pots he hauls annually, he would generally not expect to see more than five scallops all year. When he began shooting pots with PotLights, the first haul immediately revealed 15 scallops.

This caused so much excitement that Dr Enever, lead author of the study, “could hardly sleep for a couple of nights”. This had potential to be a worldfirst discovery, but further research was needed. Funding was granted from the Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, alongside support from the UK Seafood Innovation Fund, which is part of the £100m UK Seafood Fund. Researchers from the University of York and Exeter got on board, as well as more local fishermen and pot makers.

With this additional support, Fishtek Marine began conducting further trials to investigate the phenomenon. The trials were again conducted in Cornish waters, on grounds traditionally potted for crustaceans. Between December 2020 and February 2021, 77 strings were shot, deploying 1,886 pots of several different designs. Some pots included modifications such as ramps and retainers to help scallops enter pots and make leaving them more difficult.

The results? Scallops are party animals!
All treatments with lights were found to retain scallops, and of 518 total scallops recorded, 516 (99.6%) were caught in pots with lights. Modified parlour pots containing PotLights were most effective, with 24 scallops caught in a single pot!

The full results of the research can be found here.

Fittingly, these LED-modified pots are now being referred to as ‘scallop discos’. Not only do these pots particularly attract scallops, they also had no detrimental effect on catches of crab and lobster: scallops were simply being caught alongside them. These exciting findings have introduced the potential for a new, low-impact and low-cost alternative to traditional scallop fishing methods. Currently, scallops are caught primarily using dredges, which, due to their heavy and penetrative design, carry a high impact on the seabed.

The other low-impact alternative currently practised is hand-gathering by divers, but this method can only produce limited quantities. PotLights – small, AA-battery powered LED lights – are an inexpensive, reusable modification for crustacean pots. Further experiments will look to refine pot designs and LED lights to specifically retain attracted scallops, and also investigate the effect of using different light colours.

As of June 2022, Orkney, the Isle of Man and Dartmouth have been identified as further sites to trial PotLights. For now, the research has shown that PotLights work, and could offer a potential to boost inshore fisheries with further development.

This article is adapted from Ain’t No Party Like a Scallop Party – Caitlin Turner, Seafish, Quay Issues, Volume 9 2023