TROUT
However, despite the increased scale of the operation, the impressive machinery and the added technical know-how of the staff, it is reassuring to note that not everything has changed – the tanks themselves being larger versions of Kris Dalsgaard’s original cost-cutting corrugated iron design and, indeed, the hatching troughs and baskets imported from Denmark in 1973 are still in use. Pondering the future of the industry – one which has fallen so far behind salmon since the early 1990s – Richard can’t see that there will be any stratospheric growth in production in the near future, if ever. ‘After all, ‘ he reflects, ‘unlike salmon, which can be grown in relatively unrestricted quantities thanks to the unlimited supply of seawater, trout production will always be limited by the fact that freshwater supplies are finite and are subject to increasingly (and correctly) rigorous discharge / pol- lution controls.
‘It is only through an increase in hi-tech recirculation sys- tems that any serious growth could be possible, but these have consistently proved difficult and expensive to set up. Back in the early 1970s, Shearwater (a subsidiary of BOC) predicted that anyone with a back garden could have their own recirculation system, but this prediction still looks highly unlikely. ‘In any event, lack of industry size and profitability leads to a lack of finance for marketing, without which it is difficult to stimulate growth in demand. And, unfortunately, the latter has remained relatively stagnant for many years,’ he points out as we leave.
A visit to the contrasting hatcheries at Cloan and Frandy with Richard – an engaging guide – offers an illuminating insight into both the past and future of the industry. Although the early days may have produced more colourful stories and characters, the more recent trends towards consolidation and profession- alisation should ensure that Scotland’s trout farming industry continues to flourish.
It is only
through an increase
in hi-tech recirculation systems that any serious growth could be possible
30 years of Scottish Aquaculture
44
www.fishfarmer-magazine.com
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