Mowi Scotland has completed its first transfer of post-smolt salmon from Loch Etive to the Isle of Muck, marking a key milestone in its post-smolt production.
The transfer follows the company’s approval in late 2023 to grow post-smolts in Loch Etive, a process that has been part of Mowi’s broader strategy to optimize smolt production.
Ben Hadfield, COO of Mowi Farming Scotland, Ireland, Faroes, and Atlantic Canada, praised the initiative, highlighting that the salmon were in “excellent condition” and that Loch Etive’s production process is setting a sustainable precedent for the industry.
“Not only are we proving that there is a sustainable alternative to land-based post smolt production, we are also using new sea lice modelling to achieve greater monitoring and control of sea lice, combined with a new approach to fallowing, all of which is resulting in healthy post smolts ready to continue growing at sea.”
Mowi acquired the Loch Etive farms in 2023 through its purchase of Dawnfresh Farming. The site has since implemented new practices such as synchronized fallow periods across its farms, reducing sea lice populations due to the loch’s naturally brackish waters. The company has also introduced refurbished Sea-Cap feed barges with lower emissions and reduced noise to decrease its carbon footprint.
