Marine Scotland: Aquaculture Science & Research Strategy

143 Pages·2014·2.46 MB·English

by  The Scottish Government

Marine Scotland
MGSA Science & Research Working Group
Aquaculture Science &
Research Strategy
Produced on behalf of the Scottish Government
Ministerial Group for Sustainable Aquaculture (MGSA)
May 2014
Marine Scotland
MGSA Science & Research Working Group
Aquaculture Science &
Research Strategy
Produced on behalf of the Scottish Government
Ministerial Group for Sustainable Aquaculture (MGSA)
May 2014
The Scottish Government, Edinburgh 2014
© Crown copyright 2014
You may re-use this information (excluding logos and images) free of charge in any
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Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to
obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This document is also available from our website at www.scotland.gov.uk.
ISBN: 978-1-78412-663-6
The Scottish Government
St Andrew’s House
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
Produced for the Scottish Government by APS Group Scotland
DPPAS33502 (08/14)
Published by the Scottish Government, August 2014
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REPORT REFERENCE
Members of the Ministerial Group for Ministerial Group for Sustainable
Sustainable Aquaculture – Science and Aquaculture – Science and Research
Research Working Group (MGSA-S&R Strategy. May 2014. 141pp
WG) (listed in Annex 01) have given
generously of their time and resources DISCLAIMER
to develop this strategy document. The contents of this strategy document
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The core of the Working Group was are made in good faith and reflect the
c
k
drawn from members of the Marine independent views of its authors and n
o
Alliance for Science and Technology comments derived from consultees. w
l
for Scotland (MASTS) through its Bibliographic links in the document e
d
Sustainable Aquaculture Research are accurate and functional at the date g
e
m
Forum. We are grateful to the MASTS of publication of this document. No
e
Directorate and Marine Scotland for responsibility is taken for ensuring that n
t
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providing the necessary Secretariat these links or the associated documents
services required to organise Working will remain available thereafter.
Group meetings and in delivering the
strategy document. We are particularly
indebted to those individuals who
commented on drafts of the strategy,
providing: industry; policy; regulatory;
NGO; and wider scientific perspectives
on its content. We are also thankful
COPYRIGHT
to those members of the Natural
Stock image 1 – DNA (p 39/120)
Environment Research Council and the Christopher Todd – Sea lice (p 52)
Biotechnology and Biological Research Stock image 2 – Alexandrium (p 59)
CDC/Charles D. Humphrey – Norovirus (p 59)
Council who engaged with the Working
Patrick Pomeroy – Seals (p 90)
Group Chair, during the development of
Stock image 3 – Atlantic salmon (p 90)
the strategy. Mark James – all other images
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Foreword
Aquaculture is an increasingly I welcome this comprehensive
important sector to Scotland, document. In addition to highlighting
contributing up to £1.4 billion per some of the cogent research required
annum to the Scottish economy and to help underpin the industry’s
8,000 jobs. It underpins sustainable sustainable production targets
economic growth that supports articulated in Scotland’s National
employment and economic wellbeing Marine Plan consultation, this
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of many fragile rural communities document also identifies a range of
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across the country. Scotland is science and research which could e
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internationally recognised for the high contribute to the future sustainability o
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calibre of its aquaculture research of the aquaculture in Scotland and d
which is strengthened through strong internationally. The document is
collaboration. Improved co-ordination primarily designed to inform those
of research activity coupled to effective public and private bodies that
collaboration between those that fund aquaculture research and
support aquaculture-related research development and is based on a
will be imperative to ensure that the combination of review and analysis of
aquaculture sector continues to thrive. historic research, expert opinion and
broad stakeholder consultation.
Through the auspices of my Ministerial
Group for Sustainable Aquaculture, The sector has great potential.
I tasked the Science and Research If industry’s 2020 sustainable
Working Group with producing a production targets are met – this
comprehensive research strategy to could mean a turn-over value of
define research requirements to help £2 billion to the Scottish economy
contribute to the sustainable growth every year and the on-going support
of Scotland’s aquaculture industry by of 10,000 jobs. For this to be fully
2020 and beyond, with due regard to realised, the sector must continue
the marine environment. to demonstrate its commitment to
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F
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e
w
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improved environmental performance
and sustainable growth; aided by a
research and academic community
that is well positioned to underpin
that development. The Scottish
Government wants to see aquaculture
continue to thrive, growing
sustainably, led by world-leading
science and research.
Paul Wheelhouse MSP
Minister for Environment and
Climate Change
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Executive Summary
This research strategy and requirements sustainable growth targets by 2020, as
document has been produced by the set out in the consultation draft of the
Scottish Government’s Ministerial Group National Marine Plan, with due regard
for Sustainable Aquaculture – Science to the marine environment:
and Research Working Group (MGSA-
S&R WG). Expert Task Groups were Support the industry and other
established and charged with providing an stakeholders to increase sustainable
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authoritative set of research requirements production by 2020 (from a 2011/2012
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which should inter alia: be aware of other baseline) of: c
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cognate research strategies; demonstrate t
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understanding and robust knowledge of • Marine finfish to 210,000 tonnes e

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current and historic aquaculture-related (159,269 t in 2011) u
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research and: provide evidence that each • Shellfish, especially mussels,
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group has engaged in broad consultation to 13,000 tonnes (6525 t in 2012) a
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with key stakeholders, including policy, y
regulation, industry and relevant NGOs. Research requirements have been
The MGSA will be expected to assess brigaded according to the following
the impact of research in relation to its topic areas – there is no priority to the
contribution to achieving sustainable order in which these topics area listed:
growth in the aquaculture sector in
Scotland. • Nutrition
• Stock Improvement
In addition to providing a general • Health & Welfare
context for the stated research • Food Safety & Hygiene
requirements, each expert Task Group • Technology & Engineering
has, where possible, ranked and • Wild-Farmed Interactions
prioritised the research requirements • Markets, Economics & Social Science
with respect to their importance in • Capacity
achieving the aquaculture sectors • Blue Biotechnology & Growth
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This document is designed to is to secure the investment required
help inform potential sponsors of for expansion. The physical space
aquaculture related research of key in which aquaculture is permitted to
research priorities. It is intended that operate has a current and significant
the MGSA-S&R WG will revisit this future bearing upon the ability of the
document on an approximately annual sector to expand to meet the 2020
basis to review what progress has been targets.
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made in addressing these research
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priorities. Climate change is likely to have an c
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increasing impact on many aspects t
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The overriding theme running though of aquaculture. New strategies, e

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all of the research requirements is innovation and tools will be needed to u
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the need for improved understanding ensure that the industry has both the
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of, and development of applied resilience and the flexibility to respond a
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commercially relevant solutions to such changes. y
to, measures to increase capacity
for aquaculture expansion without The research requirements outlined in
detriment to the marine and coastal this document suggest that Scotland
environments and conflicting with other has the potential to use its natural
legitimate interests. This is a cross resources, existing research and
cutting issue for all the topic areas industry capacity to be a recognized
listed above. world leader in pure and applied
research. The expected demand for
An immediate and ongoing priority for aquaculture products and services
the largest and most profitable sector – including those derived from emerging
salmon, is the effective management Blue Biotechnology*/Growth is assured –
of sea lice. For the shellfish sector simply as a function of increases in
issues of hygiene related to water human population and per capita
quality remain paramount if the industry consumption. But to exploit this
* Blue Biotechnology is a term that has been used to describe the marine and aquatic applications of
biotechnology. Biotechnology is defined by the American Chemical Society as the application of biological
organisms, systems, or processes by various industries to learning about the science of life and the
improvement of the value of materials and organisms such as pharmaceuticals, crops, and livestock.
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potential, industry, academia and The following research requirements
Government will need to explore reflect the need for research activity
new models of working together – which may be additional to that known
established norms in the public funding to be in progress:
of research, academic progression and
training, industry investment and in FINFISH
translating basic and applied research The effective control of sea lice on
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into commercially relevant solutions will salmon farms is highlighted as being of
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need to be challenged. Government the highest priority and is reflected in c
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and Research Councils should take a the following research requirements: t
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strong lead in this regard. e

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• Between farm transmission u
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KEY RESEARCH PRIORITIES
mechanisms – Health & Welfare
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This document provides an assessment • Within Farm management practices – a
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of research requirements which have been Health & Welfare y
subject to a broad range of Task Group • Health and welfare of cleaner fish –
and Stakeholder scrutiny. A common Health & Welfare
strand emerging from the consultation • Non-chemical treatment of sea lice –
process has been the need to provide Technology & Engineering
additional focus to identify which of the • Selective Breeding (focusing
research areas should be recognised as on resistance to sea lice) –
being of the highest priority. The priority Stock Improvement –
has been assessed on the respective Health & Welfare
contribution to informing the sustainable
economic growth of the Scottish Understanding and managing interactions
aquaculture industry and the potential with wild salmonids particularly with
impacts of the 2020 production targets as respect to sea lice is also highlighted as
detailed in the draft consultation Scottish being of the highest priority and reflected
Marine Plan in 2013. in the following research requirements:
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• Greater understanding of sea lice SHELLFISH
dynamics – Wild-Farmed Interactions Food safety and hygiene is the highest
• The dispersal patterns of sea trout research priority for the shellfish sector,
and salmon and subsequent specifically:
distribution in relation to the Scottish
Coast – Wild-Farmed Interactions • Norovirus detection and management –
• The effects of sea lice at a population Food Safety & Hygiene
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level on wild salmonids – • Detection, quantification and
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Wild-Farmed Interactions management of algal biotoxins c
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in shellfish production – t
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One of the highest priority areas within Food Safety & Hygiene e

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the research strategy is replacing u
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scarce, marine-sourced components GENERIC
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of aquaculture feeds with sustainable, Identifying additional areas to increase a
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alternative ingredients that will not production capacity in support of the y
adversely affect stock health and 2020 production target aspirations is
welfare or product quality: also of the highest priority:
• Replacement of marine resources • Integration of aquaculture into marine
within aquaculture feeds – Nutrition spatial plans which identify areas for
increased capacity – Carrying Capacity
• Improved estimates of assimilative
and biological carrying capacity for
fish and shellfish farms in inshore and
offshore marine ecosystems –
Carrying Capacity
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