Fish and shellfish production world-wide has been increasing steadily at about 10% per year since about 1990. However, production from the capture fisheries (i.e. those fisheries dependant on catching wild fish) has been more or less static for the last 10 years and the increased production is mainly accounted for by increases in production from aquaculture. In the European Union aquaculture accounts for 27% of the total value and 17% of the volume of fisheries production and is principally made up of fish and shellfish.

 

Fish and Shellfish Farming in Scotland The aquaculture industry in Scotland is based principally on salmon and trout, and bivalve shellfish such as mussels and oysters.   Marine fish are usually grown in farms made up of a number of net pens arranged around a framework of walkways and flotation collars and moored to the seabed. Occasionally marine farms are land-based, with seawater pumped ashore to tank facilities but these are usually     West Coast fish farm   specialised broodstock units or hatcheries for marine species. All in all, there are 320 marine salmon sites in Scotland.

 

The annual production (see ) survey shows that these farms produced 138,519 tonnes of salmon in 2001. In addition, the culture of marine species such as halibut (see Halibut Culture), cod (see Cod Culture), haddock, and trout is becoming established and is expected to increase of over the next few years.

 

In fresh water, fish farming is dominated by rainbow trout produced either for the table trade or re-stocking sports fisheries and Atlantic salmon smolts for transfer to marine production sites. Usually these are farms using ponds, raceways or tanks although smolt production can be in cages established in some of the larger freshwater lochs. 5,466 tonnes of rainbow trout and 47,500 salmon smolts were produced in 2001.

 

Shellfish farming in our coastal waters is concentrated on mollusc production, the main species being mussels, oysters and scallops. Mussels are grown on weighted ropes suspended from buoyed lines or rafts. Scallops may also be grown in this way or on the seabed with the area concerned simply being designated by buoys.

 

Oysters may be cultivated either on trays placed below the low water mark or in net bags suspended from ropes. Despite the significant number of shellfish farms, output is of a more limited scale and value than that from fin fish farms, with most value generated by a limited number of large firms. Several Orders allow exclusive exploitation of the seabed for the purpose of harvesting some forms of shellfish such as scallops.

 

Sustainable development requires that the environmental impacts of the industry are transient and that the longer-term interests of all stakeholders are not compromised. Scottish Ministers have recently established published a draft strategy for aquaculture development consistent with the precautionary principle. The strategy is reliant on establishing an industry wide code of practice to enforce minimum standards of health welfare and husbandry. The establishment of area management agreements between farmers and, through the Tripartite Working group, wild fisheries interests are central to consensus building in the coastal zone.