An IFA Aquaculture meeting of oyster farmers from every corner of the coast was held in the Marine Institute headquarters in Oranmore, Galway today (Friday) to discuss health, environment and trade issues. The meeting was chaired by John Evans of the Marine Institute and is a follow up to a national growers’ meeting held in September 2009 hosted by IFA.

Lighthouse Caledonia plans to refurbish and reopen the Marybank processing plant in Stornoway this summer, with the creation of around 90 jobs.

THE Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, is calling for contributions to the development of a worldwide overview and databank on Codes of Practice, Codes of Conduct, Management Practices and Technical Guidelines in aquaculture.

An innovative new device that could help save fishermen’s lives by warning of vessel instability is likely to provide a focal point of interest at this year’s Fishing 2010 exhibition in Glasgow.

ANOTHER part of the troubled British Seafood Group is under the control of administrators.

CHILE has started the long job of rebuilding its shattered fishing industry following the devastating earthquake nearly two weeks ago.

SEAFISH, the UK industry authority on seafood, is stepping up its interest in aquaculture, one of the fastest growing sectors in marine food.

THE United States has confirmed that it will continue its support for a proposal to ban all international commercial trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna.

THE UK government was today begged by campaigners to end its careless approach to buying seafood.

THE Scottish based salmon farming company, Lighthouse Caledonia ASA has announced the resignation of OddGeir Oddsen as Managing Director of the company.

ONE of Iceland's largest seafood businesses has issued a statement stressing in strong terms that it is not affected by the British Seafood collapse even though its main shareholder, Mark Holyoake, is also founder and head of British Seafood.

The regulated marketplace Fish Pool ASA recently launched salmon options as hedging and investment instruments for its members.

THE administrators handling the affairs of the Five Star Fish company are thought to have received a number of preliminary inquiries about buying the business, it was disclosed last night. But so far there have been no firm offers.

EXHIBITION space for Aquaculture UK 2010 on May 19th and 20th at the MacDonald Aviemore Highland Resort in Scotland is sold out - 10 weeks ahead of schedule.

KAIPARA Oysters, an exciting new brand of organic New Zealand oyster produced in the strong, pristine waters of the outer Kaipara Harbour on the northwest side of North Island in New Zealand, is about to be launched into international foodservice and retail markets.

STANDARDS designed to minimise the potentially negative impacts that shrimp and abalone aquaculture can have on the environment, farm workers and communities near aquaculture farms were posted today for the first of two public comment periods.

THE Seafish Marketing Communications team has won two awards at the Communicators in Business (Scotland) awards.

The seafood industry was hit by a major thunderbolt last night after it was disclosed that one of its star performers the British Seafood Group had gone into administration.

Asmund Baklien, one the most experienced fish health profiles of Norway, has joined Novartis Aqua Norway as its National Account Manager.

SALMON prices are climbing faster than at any time for several years, according to the latest global data.

Aquaculture Europe 2010, to be held in Porto, Portugal from October 5-8, 2010 puts the focus on the future of marine aquaculture in Europe. AE2010 is organised by the European Aquaculture Society and hosted by the Portuguese Marine Sciences Associate Laboratory CIMAR (CIIMAR Porto and CCMAR Faro).

Scotland’s largest independent salmon farming business has posted strong results during Q3.

The Oslo based company with major operations in Scotland, Norway, Canada and Chile achieved operational earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of NOK 625 million (£67 million) in Q3, compared to only NOK 103 million in the corresponding quarter last year. Earnings per share was NOK 0.18 compared to NOK -0.51 in the third quarter of 2008.

A GROWING list of functional feed ingredients is delivering potential for productivity, health promotion and sustainability in aquaculture.

Following today’s Royal Assent for the Marine and Coastal Access Bill, Natural England heralded the legislation as a once in a lifetime opportunity to enhance and protect the marine environment.
Dr Helen Phillips, chief executive of Natural England, said: 'The Marine and Coastal Access Act will be enormously important for our marine environment, which urgently needs greater protection from the overexploitation and damage that has been inflicted upon it.

Skretting has launched an upgraded Gemma Wean marine larvae feeds that are literally green. Simultaneously the range of Gemma pre-grower diets for marine species has been rationalised.

Salmon farming company Marine Harvest is set to create more than 40 jobs in the Western Isles as it announces plans to invest £40m to expand its Scottish operation by developing new farming locations further off shore.

Campaigners’ seeking an end to what they believe is the slaughter of thousands of seals in Scottish waters by the salmon industry every year today released the results of a new poll revealing that the majority of the UK public want better protection for UK seals and for retailers to stop buying salmon from producers that shoot them.

HAVSTERK AS and LIFT UP AKVA AS have signed an agreement appointing LIFT UP as the sole distributor of the new HAVSTERK morts barge. During the upcoming AQUA NOR exhibition in Trondheim, August 18th to 21st, a morts barge will be shown.