Shellfish – Hatchery News
Five million and counting for college fi sh hatchery
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Simon Marvin, Hatchery Manager, Rodbaston Aquaculture Centre
OUTH Staffordshire College’s unique Aquaculture resources, which combine student experience with a commercial business, has hit a milestone with sales from the Rodbaston Aquaculture Centre reaching the 5 million fi sh mark. The business is located on an 180-hectare Staffordshire parkland estate, which forms the College’s Rodbaston Campus and is home to a wide range of land-based activities that will shape the next generation of young farmers and rural entrepreneurs. Within the Aquaculture fi sh hatchery, carp production facilities take the process from the development of high quality eggs, with the parent fi sh kept in the College’s own natural still-water pond, through spawning, larvae-hatch and growth from the fry stage through to a 3-month old fi sh of about 2”-3” in size.
BIOSECURITY
While some are retained on site the majority are then moved on to other fi sh farms or fi sheries. Simon Marvin runs the operation, which has provided over 5 million
young carp, tench and ornamental fi sh – including Shubunkin, Goldfi sh and various Koi varieties – for growing-on to major customers across the UK. ‘We operate a totally enclosed biosecure site with regular fi sh health inspections and viral screening from CEFAS,’ explains Marvin. ‘We ac- tively encourage visits to our fi sh hatchery and this is something which gives our customers a real sense of confi dence, when they are looking to buy for their stock ponds.’ Roy Marlow, Owner of Mallory Park Fisheries, is one of those satisfi ed
customers and says: ‘The quality of these fi sh is outstanding and the appearance of them is stunning. I don’t give out recommendations very often but in the case of Rodbaston I have no hesitation in doing so.’ The high level of biosecurity on the site is one of the major factors in guaranteeing buyers the right quality of stock and very high survival rates, which are paramount in commercial operations. FF
Nathan Hurley, Fisheries Technician, is a former student of South Staffordshire College
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The totally enclosed biosecure site is CEFAS screened
www.fishfarmer-magazine.com
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