Positive developments in wrasse breeding
The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation’s (SSPO) technical team recently met with industry at Otter Ferry farm on Loch Fyne to discuss the positive developments in wrasse breeding which will be used in the biological management of sea lice on salmon farms.
Jamie Smith, SSPO technical executive, said there were great improvements to report:
"There has been great progress in developing new techniques to grow this exciting new species which can act as cleaner fish in the same way as ladybirds pick off aphids from plants"
Otter Ferry Farm is one of three organisations, which also includes Macrihanish at Stirling University and Viking Seafarms, that are carrying out research on breeding wrasse in Scotland.
John Webster, SSPO technical manager told FishfarmingXpert that there are 20-30 on-going projects looking at various aspects of wrasse breeding. He said there were, for example, new techniques being developed for the first feeding of wrasse.
The welfare of wrasse is another important area of research, he underlined.
Webster also emphasised the importance of sharing information within the sector, in order to get the wrasse production up and running as fast as possible to benefit the industry.
The first captive bred fish is expected to go to sea next year.
