Tag: Sustainable Aquaculture

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

Over 170 delegates gathered in Fishmongers’ Hall on November 30th to hear from industry, scientists, policy-makers and NGOs, who examined the state of low-trophic aquaculture in the UK and set out the steps required to support a thriving, sustainable industry.

Speakers outlined the need for further funding for research and development, the importance of advocacy to drive policy changes and a an appropriate regulatory environment, as well as the need for cross-sector collaboration to foster innovation, reduce risk to investors and increase access to finance.

You can read the conference proceedings here and view all of the speakers and presentations here.

The conference was opened by special guest speaker Stefán Jón Hafstein, Chair of the Aquatic Food Coalition and Special Envoy for Ocean Affairs, Iceland, who gave an international perspective on aquatic blue food, highlighting that whilst aquaculture remains undervalued and underrepresented at a policy level the significant growth of the sector provides positive signals, with space to achieve much more.

Speakers from the Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland examined the UK vision for nature-positive aquaculture, whilst representatives from the MMO, Green Finance Institute and FinanceEarth explored the current state and future potential for policy and investment in the UK.

Focus then turned to the environmental gains that low-trophic aquaculture can deliver, as speakers from WWF, the Universities of Plymouth, Exeter and Essex demonstrated the ecological benefits of mussel, seaweed and oyster farming. Second guest speaker Rod Fujita, Oceans Director at the Environmental Defence Fund, then explored the benefits of seaweed for climate change mitigation, outlining the rapid rate at which it absorbs carbon from the atmosphere.

The fourth session examined market innovation as speakers discussed the innovative use of low-trophic products in food, ranging from mussel burgers to clam nuggets, designed to broaden consumption of farmed shellfish. Opportunities to monetise seaweed growing through payment for ecosystem services were also examined.

The final session interrogated opportunities for the future of UK low-trophic aquaculture, exploring collaborative models that can deliver benefits for shellfish farmers, fishermen and the environment, as well as tackling some of the structural barriers currently restricting growth in this sector. This was followed by a lively panel discussion dissecting the key issues facing the sector and identifying the core opportunities for growth and development of an aquaculture approach that benefits both people and the aquatic environment.

Dynamic conference to highlight investment potential in nature positive shellfish and seaweed farming.

The Fishmongers’ Company is hosting a free one-day conference in London on 30^th November, to turn the spotlight on nature positive shellfish and seaweed farming. The aim is to showcase the many benefits of this form of aquaculture and to highlight the exciting potential for investment in a growing industry.

Who should attend? Anyone seeking a nature positive, carbon friendly addition for their funding portfolio and anyone with an interest in this dynamic sector.

Dr Eleanor Adamson, Fisheries Programme Manager at the Fishmonger’s company said:

“The conference will enable professionals, policymakers, government, researchers, aqua farmers and industry experts to get together to discuss and strategise how to accelerate low-trophic aquaculture in the UK.  This is a priority in the UK Multi Annual National Plan, and the English Aquaculture Strategy, yet major funding institutions have yet to gain sufficient confidence to provide finance for future projects.”

Image credit: Llucia Mascorda-Cabre

The event, which will be held at Fishmongers’ Hall on London Bridge, will look at the vision for aquaculture in the UK; explore the UK’s marine policies, strategies, and the burgeoning potential for blue investments; and focus on the strategies enhancing ecological aspects of aquaculture, with an emphasis on biodiversity, restoration, and diverse farming ecosystems.

It will also investigate cutting-edge innovations in aquaculture, spanning nutrient trading, market development and commodity potential, and look at progressive dialogues on global conservation frameworks, pioneering models for sustainable aquaculture, and the influence of major market distributors.

A panel discussion on the opportunities, challenges and collaboration opportunities in the UK’s aquaculture sector will round off the day.

A first-class panel of expert speakers from science, finance, government, Crown Estate, marine industries, tech and nature conservation is being lined up to ensure the event makes its mark.

More information about the event can be found on the conference page, which can be accessed here. Entry to the conference is via a waiting list, which can be accessed here.  

Oysters have been a key part of the UK seafood culture for thousands of years, dating back to cultivation in Roman times. Historically, the species of importance was the native European Flat Oyster, but this species has suffered drastic declines and no longer represents a viable industry. 

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In the mid-20^th Century, encouraged by government, the oyster industry turned to Rock Oysters, also known as Pacific Oysters. This species now makes up the bulk of UK oyster production, is farmed in every nation of the UK, and is widely cultivated across mainland Europe. 

In 2021, after conversations with the Shellfish Association of Great Britain, we drew together a team of experts to capture the current and potential value of the Pacific Oyster to the UK, covering the ecological, economic, and societal benefit, as well as providing information on how neighbouring countries approach the cultivation and wild settlement of this species in their coastal waters of conservation importance.

The report, led by Martin Syvret of Aquafish Solutions, includes contributions from SAGB, JHC research, the New Economics Foundation, Atlantic Edge Oysters, and our Programme Manager, Dr Eleanor Adamson. Click here to read the report.

 

 

With funding from the Fishmongers’ Company, researchers have successfully cultured, for the first time in Europe, juveniles of one of the planet’s most valuable seafood species: the European spiny lobster, Palinurus elephas.

The UK’s wild population of the spiny lobster has been severely depleted, decreasing 90% from the 1970s, with the UK fishery now described as residual. The species is still fished but remains a high priority species for biodiversity conservation. However, demand for the species continues to rise.

This creates an opportunity to farm the spiny lobster. As communal animals they can be cultured at high densities and in Australia researchers have closed the life cycle (from hatch to maturity) of their native spiny lobster species and are moving into commercial production. Now, with support from the Fishmongers’ Company’s Fisheries Charitable Trust, researchers from RAS Aquaculture Research have provided the University of Exeter with feed samples for biochemical analysis. This data will hopefully indicate some key nutrients important to the growth and survival of the larval lobsters during early development. Several new, experimental diets have been trialed, the results of which are to be used to support an upscale in production during the 2020 season.

The settlement time – the time after which juvenile lobsters descend to the sea floor from the plankton – has been reduced from 8-9 months in the wild to 2.5 months under controlled culture, supporting faster growth and development.

This progress represents an exciting chance to boost the UK’s sustainable aquaculture industry, protecting the wild stock of a vulnerable native species and providing export opportunities for its seafood trade.

Those interested in UK shellfish cultivation and native oyster restoration have raised concerns about availability of hatchery produced seed (young shellfish) for the UK’s oyster and shellfish beds. We asked the experts. Responding to concerns among those who are keen to ensure that UK shellfish aquaculture is in a position to thrive and grown in coming years, The Fishmongers’ Company, working with key partners from the aquaculture industry, have undertaken a survey to ascertain industry priorities for securing the UK’s seed supply.

The resulting report, authored by the Company’s Fisheries Programme Manager Dr Eleanor Adamson, alongside Martin Syvret (Aquafish Solutions) and Dr Andy Wolmer (Mumbles Oyster Company), outlines opinions from across the industry regarding the current and future demand for shellfish seed.

Click here to download the full report

The report’s findings highlight that amongst pacific oyster growers, the largest market for hatchery produced seed, there is generally little concern regarding seed availability and plans for expansion are limited. The research found that the existing UK-based hatcheries had sufficient capacity to supply quantities exceeding the current market demand, raising significant questions regarding the business case for up-scaling the level of commercially produced oyster seed.

However, the research also found that British hatcheries are having to work harder to produce the same volumes of shellfish seed. These findings highlight that there could prove a strategic case to support current hatchery businesses to maintain capacity in disease-free areas and the UK’s seed supply.

Click here to download the full report