SCOTTISH SEA FARMS
SSF has a career development programme for site staff designed to foster individual farms to be run as distinct businesses and for individuals to receive the training and support required to make the sites successful. Farm staff have a pay and reward package that reflects delivery of the site objectives.
Since the spring input this year 4 sites in Loch Linnhe have new managers who have come through this programme. Two managers have also received external recognition of their expertise – Steven Jamieson – Loch Nevis who won the Crown Estate ‘Site manager of the Year’ ’09 and David Duffy – Dunstaffnage Site, Winner of M&S Plan A ‘Future of Farming’ Award 2010, David has been selected above all M&S’s supplying farmers terrestrial or otherwise.
Farm Development The first salmon farm in Shetland was a wooden cage with 1,500 smolts, now a large site can have 600,000 fish. In order to grow to this scale SSF have led the development of the industry in infrastructure investment.
The growth of farms led to the development of new cage structures from wooden cages, to steel Viking cages and plastic circles. The majority of SSF farms are 3 ring fully decked plastic circles, we value the welfare and safety of our staff and believe the stable working platform these provide keeps our people safe and allows them to work in conditions not possible on other structures. The investment in cage infrastructure provides excellent containment and supports SSF’s industry leading record in marine escapes. As farm sizes grew net hygiene became more of a challenge in order to reduce net changes and anti-foulant usage SSF have invested heavily in Idema technology a mechanical net cleaning system. Across a number of sites we continuously monitor cage specific oxygen levels, allowing objective measurement of net hygiene and feeding to optimal physiological and environmental conditions.
A top quality diet, fed in an optimal way is essential and we have seen significant evolution both in feed and feed systems.
Feed was historically delivered by hand, but as scale increased SSF invested in ever more sophisticated centralised feeding systems, we now operate Storvik Quattro systems which utilise a pellet feedback system, matching feeding rate to the salmon appetite and desired growth profile ensuring no wastage of valuable feed with the commercial and environmental benefits this entails. SSF recognise the importance of engagement with other stakeholders in the regions where we farm and are very supportive of the Area Management Agreement (AMA) structure, we have been very active in securing an AMA for Scalloway in Shetland and continue to work with other parties to implement these in other regions in Shetland. We believe that AMA’s provide a framework for positive dialogue with wild fish interests, NGO’s and other interested parties but more importantly AMA’s provide a structure for biologically robust and sustainable aquaculture in Scotland.
30 years of Scottish Aquaculture Market
The market for salmon has had significant ups and downs, this instability is a challenge to the industry and the legislative framework in Scotland means we cannot compete with other countries on cost of production.
We have seen consolidation in the farming base and the secondary processor base with fewer, bigger customers. In response it has been SSF strategy to identify and partner with businesses that value Scottish origin, have a strong focus on quality and are prepared to enter into long term commitments. As a result SSF has led the premiumisation and differentiation of Scottish Salmon.
The first and most comprehensive example of differentiation is SSF’s relationship with M&S. SSF exclusively produce Lochmuir for M&S, a truly differentiated salmon which consistently comes first in independent taste panels and is the only salmon where one portion delivers the weekly recommended intake of Long chain Omega 3 (EPA & DHA). Lochmuir salmon also leads the evolution of salmon consumption in the UK and is used as an ingredient in over 120 products, M&S continue to create new and exciting ways to consume salmon which are rapidly mimicked in other retailers.
Farm cages Loch Striven 1973
Lismore North Site 2009
Differentiation continues to be important to SSF, RSPCA Freedom Food certified production, Label Rouge and further retailers specific production within UK and Europe are important to our strategy today and in the future.
Storvic Quattro Feed system - collects and recirculates any unused feed.
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