Minister backs wrasse project

There she was able to witness the progress being made with Ballan wrasse husbandry at the facility – where a UHI research project, funded jointly by Scottish Sea Farms and Marine Harvest, is taking place.

Dr McLeod said: “I was delighted to visit Machrihanish to see the collaborative effort and investment being made in cleaner fish by Scotland’s farmed salmon industry and research community. This work will help manage sea lice and enhance the sector’s environmental sustainability.”

Jim Gallagher, Managing Director of Scottish Sea Farms, commented: “The use of wrasse has been an area we have been heavily involved with for some years now, investing substantial amounts in research and investment projects. Working closely with our industry partners and academia means that research is now receiving the support it needs to develop real results and change for the future of salmon farming. We are pleased to be involved with the joint project at Machrihanish and working with a new project through SAIC at Stirling University. We believe that the increased use of cleaner fish for lice control can greatly contribute to the sustainability ambitions of the salmon industry.”