The Trout and Salmon and Sectors

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The Trout and Salmon and Sectors

• Phil Thomas, Chairman SSPO

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Authors Note

• David Bassett of the BTA became unavailable for
  the Inverness meeting at short notice. Thus Phil
  Thomas presented information on both the trout
  and salmon sectors.
• The presentation provided here has been
  slightly modified from that given at the meeting
  to include some additional information on the
  trout sector which has been provided by David
  Bassett.

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Organisers Suggested Coverage

• For the trout sector and the salmon sector
• Outline of aquaculture in Scotland covering
  table production and restocking.
• Economic scale, distribution and development
  potential of aquaculture.
• Aquaculture technologies and operations.
• Unique aspects that audience should know about
  fish farming.
• Why, where, what, how and whatever?

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Why Finfish Aquaculture?

• FAO says One-quarter of the world's fish stocks
  are overexploited, depleted or recovering from
  depletion. They have been under excess fishing
  pressure which has reduced their capacity. There
  is no possibility of increasing fishing activity,
  and in some cases the stocks may decline further.
  
• About half of the stocks are fully exploited.
  They are being fished at or close to their
  maximum sustainable limit. There is no room for
  further expansion of fishing activity.
• Around one-quarter of fish stocks are
  underexploited or partially exploited and could
  perhaps produce more.

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Trends for Fish?
Trends in Global Fish

• Total global production/consumption is
  increasing because of population increase and
  increased consumption per head.
• Sea-caught fish supplies are restricted because
  of needs to conserve stocks.
• Aquaculture provides an increasing proportion of
  fish supply this will continue to increase.
• Global aquaculture production is circa 67
  million tonnes. Most is produced in China /Asia.
  Main species there are low value carp, tilapia
  and other fresh water fish.
• EU production is relatively small but EU is the
  largest global importer of fish and seafood
  products and is only 40 self sufficient in
  supply.

Country World Production ()
China 66.6
Asia - China 22.8
Europe 3.3
South America 2.7
North America 1.3
Africa 1.2
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tonnes
tonnes
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tonnes
tonnes
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Trout History

• Prior to the 20th century most trout eaten in
  Europe were caught from the wild. The few trout
  hatcheries that existed were used to re-stock
  rivers for fishing.
• In the early 1900's a Danish farmer developed a
  farm design where fresh water flowed through each
  fishpond radically improving fish yield and
  reducing disease. This signified the start of the
  commercial trout-for-table farming industry.
• In 1945 the UK's trout industry consisted of less
  than 20 re-stocking farms. The first table
  trout farm was opened by a Dane in Lincolnshire
  in 1950.
• In the following years the industry has grown to
  its current size of almost 360 trout farms
  producing around 16,000 tonnes per annum.

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Trout Farming
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Trout Types

• Rainbow Trout (Onchorynchus mykiss)
• Although native to lakes and streams of
  North-West America Rainbow Trout has been
  introduced to regions throughout the world
  including Australasia, South America and South
  Africa. It is now the main breed of trout to be
  farmed commercially.
• Brown Trout (Salmo Trutta)
• Also known as the River or Lake Trout, the Brown
  Trout is indigenous to many European countries
  including Britain.
• Golden Trout (Oncorhynchis Mykiss Aguabonita)
• Originating in the high altitudes of the northern
  Rocky Mountains of the United States the Golden
  Trout has been called the "fish from heaven" by
  the Americans.

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Trout

• Scotland is the largest trout producer in UK.
• In 2009 production was 4,184t of small table
  trout in and 2,628t of large trout.
• Total farm gate value was 20.45m.
• This excludes trout for restocking .
• (Scottish stocked trout fisheries are estimated
  to be valued at 35m/yr)
• There are four main types of farms large trout
  are produced in open sea lochs.
• There is a trend towards diversification of
  land-based sites with (partial) re-circulation
  units in the design.

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Trout Farms
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Trout - Overview

• Production has been static for the past ten
  years.
• There is no real demand for new farms on land at
  present planning has been under the Town and
  Country Planning Act for a long time.
• There is scope for increased production of large
  trout at marine sites. Commercial factors will
  determine whether this develops.
• Permitted development rights at existing sites
  would be important.
• Fish health implications of multiple species
  operations and mixed year classes would be
  important in determining development.

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Salmon Farming
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Why farm the salmon?
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The History

• Practical trials in Norway in the 1960s found
  caught salmon adapted readily to being grown-on
  in net pens.
• Salmon also had large sturdy eggs which made the
  development of breeding technology feasible.
• Salmon were a valuable fish with an established
  market demand.
• Salmon were collected from 41 Norwegian rivers
  and a breeding work was started.
• By the mid 1970s, salmon farm trials and breeding
  programmes had become established and salmon
  aquaculture was being developed in several
  countries, including in Shetland and mainland
  Scotland.

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Annual Scottish Farmed Salmon Production
Tonnes x 1000
The Crown Estate Islands Councils
Interim Arrangements
Town Country Planning Act
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Where?

• 90 of UK finfish aquaculture is in Scotland.
• 454 registered finfish sites, 332 registered
  shellfish sites (Scottish Government, 2008).
• Freshwater sites widely distributed.
• Marine sites located west coast and islands.

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Marine Scotland Salmon Fisheries Regions
East North East Moray Firth North North West West
Coast Clyde Coast Solway Orkney Shetland Outer
Hebrides
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Distribution of Scottish Salmon Farms
West Salmon Farms East Salmon Farms
Shetland 107
Orkney 19

North West 42 North 2
West Coast 41 North East 0
Clyde Coast 15 Moray Firth 0
Outer Hebrides 45 East 0
Solway 0
Total sites
271 Total consented biomass 298, 113 tonnes
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Why are farms distributed like this?

• History, Policy, and Planning

• Salmon Catch Distribution

• Historically salmon farming started in west coast
  and island areas because of the water quality
  and suitability of sites.
• Government Planning Policy in 1997 to locate
  farms to the west coast and islands.
• Scottish Government Locational Guidelines based
  on predicted nutrient enhancement, benthic impact
  and natural heritage sensitivities direct
  location.

Total Catch East Coast West Coast
1970 409,032 85 15
1985 272,552 84 16
1990 169,009 81 19
1995 180,143 85 15
2000 101,498 85 15
2008 101,519 83 17
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Table Production of Salmon

• Table production of salmon is estimated as
  135,000 t (whole fish equivalent) in 2009.
• Scotland accounts for 97 of UK salmon
  production. It is the 2nd largest salmon producer
  in the World.
• In the next 5 years production is anticipated
  increase by a minimum of 30,000 t.
• Present value is gt 400m at farm gate level
  roughly the same value as the Scottish Fishing
  industry. Salmon accounts for over 30 of
  Scottish food exports.
• The salmon industry is increasingly vertically
  integrated, with added-value processing and
  manufacturing in Scotland.
• Expenditure in services and supplies and the
  economic multiplier -effects increase economic
  impact by some 2.5 times.

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Annual Scottish Farmed Salmon Production
Tonnes x 1000
Anticipated
The Crown Estate Islands Councils
Interim Arrangements
Town Country Planning Act
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Headline Numbers

• 500m into economy in 2008.
• 84m in capital projects over 2005-08.
• 304 m expenditure on supplies and services.
• 36m in local wages from salmon farms.
• Approximately 6,200 full and part time jobs in
  farming and processing.
• 70 of farm workers live within 10 miles of
  salmon farm.
• 88 of farm workers live within 20 miles of
  salmon farm.

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Area Multiplier-Income of Farm Wages
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Salmon Restocking

• No published national statistics on restocking.
• Restocking is mainly takes owners of fishing
  rights and/or DSFBs/fishing trusts.
• Restocking only subject to regulation in 2008.
• Examples of very successful restocking.
• National scale and economic value of restocking
  is unknown.

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Salmon Farming Follows the Natural Cycle
Broodstock female
Breeding male
Eggs
Fertilised Egg
Alevin
Fry
Smolt
Parr
Smolt
Salmon
Salmon
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Salmon Farming Follows the Natural Cycle
Broodstock female
Breeding male
Breeding Hatchery 2 months Smolting Egg to
Smolt (S0 or S½) at 10 mths Egg to Smolt (S1)
at 14 mths Egg to smolt (S2) at 24 plus
mths Ongrowing Smolts to sea - Sept-Nov (S0) or
March - May (S1) Growing phase 14-20
mths Growing/harvesting phase 8-10 mths
Fertilised Egg
Alevin
Fry
Parr
Smolt
Salmon
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Technology Development

• Different sets of technologies evolve together
  but in a stepwise and not necessarily coordinated
  way
• Pen designs, netting, anchorage
• Feed systems barges and equipment
• Farm configurations and farm based technology
• Ancillary vessels, such as well boats and related
  technology
• Management and husbandry methodology, including
  nutrition, fish health techniques, husbandry.
• In practice, it is possible to see lots of mixed
  technology operations.

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Historical Change

• Wooden framed cages (early years).
• Polyethylene cages (rings).
• Hinged steel cages in integrated farms
• Semi-exposed systems.
• Open-sea fish farms (submersible systems).

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Bracken, 2010
Bracken, 2010
Creran
Hjaltland, Shetland
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North Moine
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Overseas things may look different
Salmon Farm, Norway
Farming in China
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Technology Development
After Hanlon
Plastic Pens
Closed containment systems Technically feasible
but unlikely to be a viable option.
(After, Chopin, 2010)
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Sustainability of Finfish Farming
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Feed and Nutrition

• A conversion ratio of caught fish to farmed
  salmon of 51 is often quoted. This figure is
  incorrect and based on an incorrect set of
  assumptions.
• Modern salmon nutrition and aquaculture feed use
  provides a conversion rate of 1.251. However,
  about 25 of fish meal is derived from waste from
  fish processing.
• Inclusion rates of fish meal in salmon diets have
  been reducing progressively as feed technology
  develops.
• The notion that salmon farming is not
  sustainable because of its fish-feed needs is
  incorrect.

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World Fish Meal Production and Use in Aquaculture
World Fish Meal Production
Aquaculture Feed
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IFFO Summary of Changing Use in Fishmeal Use
(After FIFO, 2009)
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Alternatives to Fish Meal
(After Skretting, 2010)
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Benefits of farmed fish

• Human health benefits show need for more fish

• Climate change benefits -small C footprint

Species GHG estimates (kg CO2 eq/kg) GHG estimates (kg CO2 eq/kg)
Smith et al (2008) Other sources (2009-10)
Lamb 17.4 -
Beef 13.0 14.0
Pork 6.3 4.4
Chicken 4.6 1.8
Salmon - 2.0
Trout 1.8-2.8
Mussels 0.5
Intake (g/h/d) UK Fish production equivalent (x 1000 t/yr)
Current UK average daily intake of oil-rich fish 63 194
FSA advice on daily intake of oil-rich fish 140 431
Increase in fish intake and fish production 77 237
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Seals and Finfish Farming
A very small proportion of seals attack finfish
farms but they can do substantial damage to
stocks. Attacks are not predictable.
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The End