Innovation

Technical Standard for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture

Published on: 27th January 2020

The Technical Standard for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture determines the technical requirements for fish farm equipment in Scotland. It applies to all species of finfish including salmon, trout and halibut.

Alongside established training requirements, the standard help ensure all finfish farms in Scotland have the appropriate equipment and operational procedures to minimise the risk of escapes.

Archive image of an early Scottish salmon farm

The history of Scottish salmon farming

Published on: 16th January 2020

The first attempts to farm Atlantic salmon in Scotland were driven by a desire to improve wild salmon runs, with the earliest recorded effort to incubate and hatch salmon eggs taking place back in 1838.

This accelerated during the Victorian era with eggs and smolts (juvenile fish) cultivated to restock rivers. By 1890 there were 18 hatcheries operating in Scotland.

The ability to rear healthy Atlantic salmon to maturity however took another 80 years. Scottish ingenuity saw the first marine fish farm established at Loch Ailort in Inverness-shire in 1965.

Read more about The history of Scottish salmon farming

Code of Good Practice for responsible salmon farming

Published on: 27th December 2019

Salmon farming is at the heart of Scottish food production and is one of Scotland’s most important rural sectors.

Producing high quality salmon on the west coast and northern and western isles provides not just an internationally renowned food, but also a vitally important economic contribution to rural and national Scotland.

Read more about Code of Good Practice for responsible salmon farming

Cleaner fish and Scottish salmon farming

Published on: 3rd December 2019

What are they?

Cleaner fish are species of marine fish native to UK coastal waters. The six species used in salmon aquaculture are lumpfish and five types of wrasse; Ballan, Goldsinney, Rock cook, Corkwing and Cuckoo.

Why are they used?