Current Status and Future

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• Current Status and Future

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Aquaculture

• worth more than 500m a year to Scotland
• accounts for half of all Scottish food exports
• supports just under 2,000 jobs directly in
  Scotland - another 4-5000 jobs partly reliant on
  the industry
• 1500 jobs in the Scottish Highlands entirely
  dependent on aquaculture - another 3,750
  positions supported by the industry
• estimates from the Food and Agriculture
  Organisation, suggest aquaculture will become the
  prime source of seafood for the worlds consumers
  by 2020

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SARF Members
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Chairman and Secretariat

• Professor William Ritchie
• Aberdeen Institute of Coastal
• Science and Management,
• Fraser Noble Building
• Kings College
• Aberdeen AB24 3UPE
• Tel/Fax
• 44 (0)1224 274474/272522
• Email aicsm_at_abdn.ac.uk

• Dr Mark James
• SARF, C/o FRM Ltd.,
• Coillie Bhrochain
• Bonskeid,
• Pitlochry,
• Perthshire PH16 5NP
• Tel/Fax
• 44 (0)1796 474473
• Email info_at_sarf.org.uk

WEBSITE http//www.sarf.org.uk
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SARF Aims

• To promote, encourage and support scientific
  research and development in aquaculture and
  related areas.
• To enhance public understanding of aquaculture
  through the dissemination of research results in
  the public domain.
• SARF has a range of members and the research
  undertaken will be across a broad range of areas
  required to meet the collective needs of its
  members.

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SARF Chronology

• March 2003 SARF one of 33 priorities of
  Strategic Framework for Scottish Aquaculture
• October 2003 Chairman appointed
• April 2004 Board Constituted
• April 2004 Company and Charitable status
  confirmed
• July 2004 FRM appointed as Secretariat
• December 2004 First funding allocated to RD
  projects

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Funding

• Members of SARF contribute funds and in kind
  support. Although - not all SARF Members
  contribute funds.
• The principal sponsors are SEERAD, The Crown
  Estate and Seafish.
• With HIE, SQS, SSFA, BTA and FRS contributing
  also
• Most sponsors have contractually committed funds
  for up to three years

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Budget

• Total funding April 2004 March 2007 906K
  (1.1 million new commitments)
• Committed - 440K (7 projects)
• In principle allocation - 90K (2 projects)
• Funding available 05/07 450K (- stc new
  commitments)

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The Research Arena where does SARF fit?

• Committee for Aquaculture Research and
  Development (CARD) pan UK Industry/ sponsor
  interface industry highlights RD priorities
• Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum (SARF) a
  priority of the Scottish Strategic Framework for
  Aquaculture - Ltd Company and Registered Charity
• Aquaculture Wales strategic development of
  fisheries and aquaculture. Objective 1 funding
  being used to establish infrastructure
  particularly land based systems
• Various other committees including the Seafish
  Aquaculture Advisory group

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Overall Expenditure- projects ending after 1/1/99

• Total committed 1999 2008 45.1 million

• Ave annual increase in project cost 1999 2006
  13/yr

?
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Percentage Breakdown
FRS
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Resource Allocation

• Resource allocation process
• 1. Prioritisation
• 2. Selection
• 3. Two types of research, i.e. open and ring
  fenced by specific funders
• 4. Concept of leverage
• 5. Pre-refereeing
• 6. Management
• 7. Review and value for money
• 8. Dissemination

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Research Funded and in the Pipeline

• Funded
• SARF001 - Prevention and management of
  Ichthyophthirius multifiliis
• SARF003 - Development of a GIS-based tool to
  assist planning of aquaculture developments
• SARF004 - Vaccine performance/efficacy in gadoids
  measured by cell mediated immune responses
• SARF005 - Site Optimisation for Aquaculture
  Operations
• SARF009 - Coastal Assimilative Capacity for
  Amalgamated Fish Farm Chemicals/Organic
  Pollutants
• Under consideration
• The development of modelling techniques to
  improve predictions of assimilative capacity of
  water bodies utilised for marine caged fish
  farming
• Review of Environmental Quality Standards (EQS)
  for use in assimilative capacity model
  development.
• Host odour traps for sealice

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Other Functions

• Definition of research requirements detailed
  discussion and agreement
• Co-ordination of sectoral RD membership of
  CARD and representation at Government and
  Research Council level
• Education filling the information vacuum
  between researchers and the general public
• Public relations increasing awareness of the
  underpinning role of RD for this sector

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Future Plans - General

• Consolidate and expand funding base
• Attract a wider spectrum of Membership
• Cultivate practical links with other
  co-ordinating bodies and sponsors
• Expand from fire fighting to development
• Develop and utilise new and emerging technologies

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Future Developments - Specific

• Secure an additional three years of contractual
  support 2007 2010
• Stage a sustainable aquaculture
  conference/workshop in 2006/7
• Explore defined co-funding/collaborative RD
  opportunities with the Research Councils

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Overall strengths and weaknesses to date

• Strengths
• Broad base to Membership
• Active and informed debate
• Clear structure for the prioritisation and
  procurement of RD
• Good quality control
• Responsive to pressing RD requirements
• Encourages better understanding of key issues
  related to sustainability
• Promotes objective decision making based on a
  common understanding of the facts
• Increased transparency

• Weaknesses
• Historical differences and misconceptions
• Some suspicion and reluctance to commit funds
• No guarantee of support - constrains RD
  procurement
• Too little funding to support more than fire
  fighting RD
• Potential to be too inward looking

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The Way Forward

• Establish a more stable and substantive funding
  base
• Collaboration and partnership wider than
  Scotland
• Expand RD opportunities in parallel with
  sectoral diversification
• Develop a broader view of aquaculture not just
  food production
• Embrace and exploit new technologies to encourage
  sustainable developments

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Thank you for your attention