UK industry has a good future although challenges remain

But aquaculture consultant Richard Slaski will warn that a number of challenges lie ahead including increased operating costs and the inability of small to medium sized enterprise companies to access finance, which is stifling innovation and diversification.
Other challenges include ensuring the sustainable supply of fish feed and overcoming the difficulties caused by transferring existing marine farms into the new planning system. There are also issues with regards to re-organising production units so that they deliver the required economies of scale. Mr Slaski will tell the seminar: “We are working hard to overcome these challenges and turn them into opportunities.
The Scottish Government has generally been very supportive of the industry by as much as the system allows.” He will also point to recent successes such as the introduction of the independently inspected Code of Good Practice, new science emerging from the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum and projects to field-test new high-strength fish cage netting. Aquaculture 2008 runs from 21 to 22 May.