7 minute read
Nicki Holmyard
BY NICKI HOLMYARD
Innovation ahoy!
The English Aquaculture Innovation Hub has taken a step forward
SUSTAINABLE development of the aquaculture sector can help contribute to na� onal food security while helping to meet lower carbon emissions from our food, so it is not surprising that efforts are being made to help promote growth of the industry in England.
The pathway to achieving sustainable growth was set out in the English Aquaculture Strategy, released in November 2020, which iden� fi ed the development of an English Aquaculture Innova� on Hub as a cri� cal means to help achieve a tenfold increase in aquaculture produc� on over the next 20 years.
The need for a hub that could help the sector develop county-wide, was also iden� fi ed in the Dorset Mariculture Strategy, released in August 2020.
Dorset Coast Forum (DCF) has now taken up the reins, with ambi� ons to site a na� onal English Aquaculture Innova� on Hub in Dorset. DCF recently secured funding from the Marine Management Organisa� on (MMO) to undertake a wide-ranging feasibility study that it hopes will enable the idea to be taken beyond the concept stage.
The ini� al funding is for a fi ve-month project, which kicked off in October with a na� onwide study on the poten� al posi� ve economic impacts of si� ng the English Aquaculture Innova� on Hub in Dorset and percep� ons of how it could help the sector to grow.
At the same � me, the New Economics Founda� on is undertaking an in-depth economic review of the en� re English aquaculture sector, which will include obtaining up-to-date informa� on from the sector, rather than just relying on offi cial fi gures, which can be up to two years out of date.
Hatch Blue – an interna� onal business set up to invest in sustainable wild-caught and farmed seafood innova� on – is also involved and is developing a business model and plan that will enable a hub to operate long-term.
“Hatch Innova� on Services has undertaken similar studies in Canada, Norway, Ireland, the US and Singapore, and is very good at coming up with a concept to facilitate longevity, whether that is through membership fees, pay-asyou-go schemes, a levy or some other form of funding,” explains Mar� n Sutcliff e, Aquaculture and Fisheries Development Offi cer at DCF, who is leading the project.
Dr Claude Kaplan, Director at Hatch Innova� on Services, says: “Hatch is really excited and proud to be working with Mar� n and his team to further develop and refi ne the concept of an English Aquaculture Innova� on Hub.”
The English aquaculture sector is likely to be very diff erent from that in Scotland, and it is more likely that seaweed and shellfi sh will be
This page from top: Geff rey Back and Jack Comben, Dorset Cleaner Fish; lumpfi sh [photo: Dorset Coast Forum and Dorset Cleaner Fish Ltd] Opposite, clockwise from top left: Mar� n Sutcliff e, Crab House Café; Seaweed spooling crew, Jurassic Sea Farms; Mike Webb, Jurassic Seafarms
the dominant focus, according to Sutcliff e.
“While seaweed and shellfi sh are grown elsewhere in the UK, there is a specifi c need to develop techniques, cul� va� on methods and technology that can fi t with the unique nature of the English coastline and its exis� ng uses. We will also likely see the addi� on of high-value fi sh farmed in tanks onshore, so it makes a lot of sense to have a hub that focuses on the needs of businesses here,” he says.
DCF is leading on stakeholder engagement to ensure the outcomes of the studies meet the needs of the local, regional and na� onal mari� me sectors, and 5G Rural Dorset has come on board to look at how 5G technology could enhance the sector as it grows. This might be through making remote monitoring of farms possible, for example.
The work is supported by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership and Dorset Council, both of which see the emerging aquaculture sector as key to providing rural and coastal jobs across the county.
Cecilia Bu� on, Dorset LEP Chair, says: “Dorset LEP is delighted to support the ambi� on for the county to be the centre of the English sustainable aquaculture industry and this project will lay the founda� ons of that ambi� on. Food security is a na� onal priority and Dorset is the perfect place for the aquaculture sector to fl ourish. I am eager to see the outputs from this study.”
She adds: “Poole Harbour is already home to a thriving aquaculture sector where shellfi sh are grown on the seabed, and it’s hoped that this study can provide a route to a hub that will provide jobs and drive innova� on in Dorset and across the English industry.”
Sutcliff e acknowledges that there will be a need to minimise any confl ict with other marine users and landowners across England if aquaculture is to develop to its full poten� al.
“We’ll be using the DCF network and our links to na� onal bodies such as Seafi sh, Cefas [The Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science] and the South West Aquaculture Network, to make sure we reach as many people as possible to feed into the process,” he says.
Posi� ve results
Sutcliff e outlines that the survey, which ended at the end of November, showed very posi� ve feedback from industry.
“We sent out to 650 people across England, with addresses provided by several aquaculture networks. More than 250 unique visits to our website were recorded as a result, and we received a total of 81 completed responses, 31 of which were from businesses. Of these, 71% were from aquaculture businesses, so we are happy that the survey targeted the right people,” he says.
“An overwhelmingly posi� ve 83% of respondents stated that they believed a hub for England was relevant, while the other 17% said they needed more informa� on in order to make a decision. Similarly, 91% responded that they would support a hub, with only one dissen� on. It seems as if the � ming is right, which is exci� ng.”
The next stage is to hold a series of workshops, star� ng in early December, which aim to tease out what a hub would look like and what it might do to support the industry.
Sutcliff e says: “The survey iden� fi ed a number of priori� es for the hub, such as having a physical space on land and perhaps in the sea too. However, it also told us that stakeholders wanted a be� er-defi ned online resource, access to funding informa� on and support, training and incuba� on/support for new business ventures.
“We now need to clarify what sort of funding people are looking at – is it venture capital funds, angel investors or bank loans? Why are they not using exis� ng online resources provided by agencies such as Seafi sh, Cefas, Food Standards Agency and Defra [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Aff airs]? What level of training is required and who needs it?”
He concludes: “There are many topics to discuss and many ques� ons to answer, and the informa� on gathered will help to inform the business model and technology study, with a fi nal report expected in February 2022, a� er which we hope to move on to Phase 2, which will be to develop the plan.” FF
