Nicki Holmyard

BY NICKI HOLMYARD

New horizons

Initiatives to boost the Blue Economy could help to grow the shellfi sh and seaweed sectors in Scotland

TWO major developments in the Sco� sh shellfi sh world are the subject of my column this month. The fi rst is an ambi� ous 10-year research and development programme known as ShellVolu� on, which will involve investment of £4.4m. The second is a review of a study by Crown Estate Scotland into the poten� al to grow seaweed and mussels further off shore.

In March 2021, Heads of Terms were signed by the UK and Sco� sh Governments, for a 10-year, £100m package of investment to drive economic growth in Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles. Shetland is set to receive £33m from this “Islands Growth Deal” to fi nance a por� olio of projects, including ShellVolu� on.

A funding applica� on for this project is now underway, as part of a methodical and somewhat lengthy process to unlock the Deal.

The fi rst two steps are to develop outline and full business cases. ShellVolu� on is one of four projects that have reached the outline business proposal stage. The full business case is not likely to be ready for submission for government approval un� l later this year, and project funding is expected to start being released in early 2023. “The ShellVolu� on board is unable to update any informa� on un� l the submission has been made,” Michael Tait, MD of Shetland

Mussels and chairman of the Sco� sh Shellfi sh Marke� ng Group, told Fish Farmer.

What do we know about ShellVolu� on? It has been developed in conjunc� on with the University of the Highlands and Islands, and will seek answers to technical ques� ons

“There is also great interest in the emerging seaweed farming sector”

Above: Michael Tait Left: Loaded with bags of mussels, Shetland Mussels Ltd boat Yasp arriving at Aith harbour Opposite from top: Mussel ropes, Unst, Shetland; Sugar kelp (Saccharinia lati ssima); Sliced laminaria; Wakama seaweed (Alaria)

to enable growth of the mussel sector in Shetland, and more widely throughout Scotland.

Part of the focus will be on op� mising produc� on from exis� ng farm sites, improving spat collec� on and seed quality, reducing the incidence of biofouling, and generally fi nding be� er ways to farm within the marine environment. Increasing produc� vity and effi ciency and exploring new farm loca� ons are key to achieving success.

The aim is to see produc� on steadily increase to around 18,000 tonnes per year by 2037 and employment opportuni� es doubled.

A statement on the Islands Growth Deal website says: “Consumer markets are considered to have capacity to absorb this gradual increase in produc� on; and mussel processors in Scotland will also benefi t from the sustainable growth in farmed produc� on”.

Crown Estate Scotland is also keen to see an increase in produc� on, and last year commissioned a study to look at “Prospects and Opportuni� es for Large-scale Restora� ve Aquaculture in Scotland,” the report for which was published in December 2021.

Seaweed farming and mussel farming, as well as providing commercially important crops, are both classed as restora� ve aquaculture, thanks to their posi� ve impacts on the marine environment.

The study, undertaken by ABPmer, noted that in 2020, produc� on of mussels for consump� on was just 5,661 tonnes, valued at £5m. Shetland was responsible for 78% of this produc� on, the Western Isles for 5%, and the Western mainland for the remainder.

The majority of mussel farms are located in sheltered waters in lochs and voes and are small-scale, with just a handful producing more than 200 tonnes per year.

Scotland Food and Drink’s “Strategic plan for aquaculture growth to 2030” outlined an ambi� on for growth of the shellfi sh farming sector. However, it acknowledged that assistance is needed to kick-start development, to make farming prac� ces more effi cient, and to scale up the size of farms, which will inevitably take them further off shore or into more exposed loca� ons, where there is less compe� � on for space with other marine sectors.

There is also great interest in the emerging seaweed farming sector in Scotland, which aims to provide food, nutraceu� cal and hor� cultural products to global markets.

The study sought to iden� fy marine areas on both the west and north/east coasts of Scotland where it would be technically feasible, based on their physical, environmental and opera� onal requirements, to cul� vate the kelp species Saccharina la� ssima, Laminaria digitata and Alaria esculenta, and/or mussels. Areas of interest needed to be further off shore and more exposed than current loca� ons, and to be suitable for large-scale developments.

Researchers looked at feasibility in the 0-3 nau� cal mile (NM) and 0-6 NM zones for mussel farms capable of producing more than 500 tonnes of mussels per year, and seaweed farms covering an areas greater than 1km2.

The scope for large-scale co-cul� va� on of mussels and seaweeds in single sites was also addressed, along with marine spa� al planning constraints. Not considered were wider environmental and socio-economic concerns, the capital and opera� onal costs that might aff ect the viability of a development, market demand and price achievable for the species farmed, and the impacts of COVID-19 and Brexit on the wider seafood sector.

The poten� al displacement of fi shing vessels from key inshore fi shing areas and the entanglement of sta� c gear such as creels with farm equipment, if farms are sited in close proximity to fi shing ac� vity, were highlighted as concerns for fi shermen. As such, it was recommended that the establishment of any plan for off shore mussel or kelp farms should seek to safeguard exis� ng fi shing opportuni� es and ac� vi� es wherever possible, in line with the requirements of the Na� onal Marine Plan and regional marine plans when these are adopted. Key fi ndings for mussels were that the poten� ally feasible development area for farms within the 20 to 50 metre depth range was 3,641 km2, of which 2,896 km2 was within 6 NM of the coast. The majority of this was iden� fi ed on the east coast. To develop a farm that could produce the equivalent of 500 tonnes of mussels per annum/1,000 tonnes every two-year growing cycle, an area of between 5.46-7.26 km2 would be needed, based on a generic farm model suggested by the study. To produce 10,000 tonnes per cycle would require a sea area of between 45 - 56 km2 . Key fi ndings for kelp were that the poten� ally feasible development area for farms within the same depth range as mussel farms was slightly larger, at 4,372 km2, with the largest area again iden� fi ed on the east coast. Based on an extensive generic farm layout of 1.05 km2 arrays, it was considered that approximately 40 tonnes of kelp could be produced each year per array. Areas iden� fi ed as poten� ally suitable for either or both types of cul� va� on within the 20 to 50 metre depth range was 3,641 km2. All areas suitable for mussels were considered to be suitable for kelp, with some addi� onal areas suitable for kelp but not mussels. If the report’s conclusions are correct, we could see opportuni� es to boost produc� on for both shellfi sh and seaweed along the Sco� sh coast. FF