Scotland’s hidden pearl
ture Innovation Centre (SAIC) will support research, they don’t offer capital funding to build a research facility’, he adds. Indeed, the capital costs of setting up a hatchery from scratch makes no commer- cial sense. However, the hatchery at Ardtoe is viable because it is serviced on the back of another commercial facility, with the water supply, heat and microalgae pro- duction in place. ‘As such, we want to build a Scottish shellfi sh research centre here at Ardtoe’, Perry continues. ‘At the moment there is no such facility in the UK, and we can support it through commercial production, as well as through pro- jects that could be funded by the SAIC, for example looking at how we can reduce the time it takes to
grow native oysters to harvest size, which currently is a year longer than pacifi cs. ‘We’re recruiting staff for the shellfi sh production unit, which will be run by a manager who will try to increase shellfi sh production, which currently includes pacifi c oyster, native oyster and sea urchin. The oysters are for commercial production, and the sea urchins are sold to salmon farmers, including
“
www.fishfarmer-magazine.com
Once the shellfish research centre is completed it will be the first of its kind in the UK
Loch Duart Salmon, as part of integrated aquaculture systems, where they mop up waste and eat seaweed.’ The shellfi sh unit is overseen by Managing Director of Ardtoe, Tim Atack, whilst Shellfi sh Manager, RossAmy Wareing, looks after the day-to-day running of the facility. ‘At the moment we are producing around three million each of the natives and pacifi cs’, she explains. ‘Once the new facility is built, we will be able to produce 30 million oysters altogether. How many of each will depend on demand, but the natives command a higher price.’
Another important aspect of a successful hatchery is the produc- tion of algal feed, which is done by Atack, ‘mainly because it’s fun’, he laughs. The algal feed is given to the oysters right the way through their lifecycle. At larval stage they are
fed two species of algae: Isochryis and Tetraselmis. After that they are given a cocktail of fi ve or so species in order to maximise growth and survival. This cocktail has been carefully worked out by Atack. ‘There is a lot of interest in spat in Scotland’, says Atack, ‘but the demand for native oysters is particularly high at the moment, which is why producing them makes most commercial sense. However, we could also produce scallop or mussel spat, but at present our existence as the only Scottish shellfi sh hatchery appears to have been overlooked. However, once the research centre is completed it will be the fi rst of its kind in the UK, and an extremely important asset to have here in Scotland. It will also hopefully fi nally put Ardtoe on the shellfi sh map.’ FF
57
PHOTOS LEFT AND BELOW: SIRASTUDIO
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