Fewer deaths, bigger harvests: inside Scottish Sea Farms’ turnaround.
Scottish Sea Farms has reported a 41 percent reduction in mortality rates in 2024, with survival rates improving from 82 percent in 2023 to 90 percent.
The company attributed this improvement to better biological conditions, increased investment in mitigation strategies, and a greater focus on preventative health measures.
Harvesting volumes also saw a sharp rise, increasing from 24,900 gutted weight tonnes in 2023 to 40,400 gutted weight tonnes.
Head of Fish Health and Welfare Ralph Bickerdike credited the company’s breeding programme, in collaboration with AquaGen Scotland, for producing more resilient fish suited to Scottish conditions, according to newsletter, The Source. “We’re back to where we should be, but we’re not complacent,” Bickerdike said. “Hopefully, by doing this over successive generations, we will see even more improvement in the climate resilience of our fish.”
Scottish Sea Farms has also adapted feeding strategies, working with suppliers to tailor seasonal nutrition and implementing temporary feed withdrawal to protect fish from harmful jellyfish and plankton. Technological improvements, including underwater biomass cameras and advanced diagnostic tools such as PCR testing for amoebic gill disease (AGD), have contributed to earlier disease detection and faster intervention.
The company has continued to refine farm layouts, consolidating pens into fewer, larger units to improve water exchange and fish growth. “Going from 12 pens in a mooring grid to five creates a different hydrological dynamic around the farm that helps to promote growth and performance,” said Mainland Regional Production Manager Innes Weir.
Scottish Sea Farms also deployed two new wellboats last year, both equipped with reverse osmosis for freshwater treatments and FLS delousing systems, allowing AGD and sea lice treatments to be carried out simultaneously. The company plans to increase secondary predator netting, evaluate cleaner fish deployment, and expand freshwater treatment facilities.
Bickerdike noted that the company completed the year with zero antibiotic use in production farms. “We have become better at sharing best practice across our farming estate, with farm managers and support services meeting weekly to review fish welfare and biological performance. It doesn’t mean something won’t come out of left field, but we’re in a much better place to meet challenges now.”
