Malcom Pye gave an interview on YouTube yesterday about about the biotech company’s aims.
Last week, the UK-based fish treatments giant, Benchmark Holdings, announced that it will start production of salmon eggs from its new plant next month.
Talking on the on the Proactive Investors Stocktube channel, Mr Pye elaborated more about the breeding facility in Salten, Norway which is the “probably the most modern in the world”. He added that as the salmon Norwegian industry is rapidly growing, and they wanted to solve the problem that arose when delivering stock all the way up to the north of the country.
“Its increasing our capacity so we can increase growth,” he said, adding that the stock is “very bio-secure.” The site will be at full capacity by 2021.
Sea lice
On industry-related problems, Mr Pye said that “sea-lice is the biggest issue facing the industry” and that it’s one “where we devote a lot of effort.” He added that the company’s new sea lice treatment, Ectosan – in combination with its purification system, CleanTreat, that eliminates all medicine residues ahead of water discharge into the ocean, will be coming to market soon.
“It takes the medicine out of the water before anything’s discharged back into the sea – so it means that the treatment is environmentally benign – and this is a big step up for the industry.”
Mr Pye said that the company had grown mainly through accusations but was “returning to organic growth” at the moment.
On environmental concerns, he said that regulation was “an important part of the growth and development of an industry.”
“A sustainable production is a big important challenge for mankind and aquaculture has to play its part in that. The food industry is the biggest polluter in the planet as well as the largest consumer of energy. You don’t have to think much further than that to realise that we have to play a key role in the development of sustainable production techniques.”
