Lumpsucker research
LERWICK based salmon producer Grieg Seafood Hjaltland has donated £25,000 to the NAFC Marine Centre enabling the college to buy an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection water treatment system for its marine hatchery.
The first project to benefit from the new equipment will be the cultivation of lumpsuckers, a robust native fish increasingly used in aquaculture to graze sea lice off salmon.
The project follows on from a joint European Fisheries Fund (EFF) project between Grieg, Shetland Aquaculture and the college.
The company’s managing director, Sigurd Petterson, said lumpsuckers were seen as an environmentally friendly alternative to sea lice medicines.
“The on-going battle to combat sea lice remains one of the major issues facing our industry, and we are fully committed to pursuing control methods that have minimal environmental impacts.
“In addition, the quality of the water used to rear juvenile fish is the lifeblood of today’s aquaculture industry, and we are delighted that we have been able to support such an essential piece of equipment, which will ultimately help support the entire aquaculture industry within Shetland,” he said.
The use of UV technology is a widely recognised and proven method for water disinfection.
It destroys micro-organisms such as bacteria and viruses whilst not adding chemicals to the water.
Hatchery manager Gregg Arthur said: “The UV system will greatly enhance the infrastructure available at the marine hatchery, allowing us to better protect the health and welfare of our aquatic stocks and enhance our research and development capabilities.”
The UV system should be in place at the NAFC Hatchery within the next two months.
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