THE development of a successful and sustainable marine fish farming industry for species such as cod, haddock and halibut, is more crucial than ever given the poor condition of wild stocks, and offers a valuable lifeline to the UK fish processing industry.

This is the view of Alastair Barge, Chairman of the British Marine Finfish Association, who believes that Scotland has a tremendous opportunity to become a market leader in cultivated whitefish. The sustainable development of the sector will also provide significant economic opportunities for remote coastal communities and other areas dependent on seafood production.

“The stark choice is that we can either continue to import the shortfall in domestic supplies of whitefish, or we can help bridge the gap by developing a successful and vibrant indigenous industry farming staple species such as cod and haddock,” he says.

“The knock-on benefits for the whole UK seafood industry are potentially considerable, given that many fish processors in areas such as north-east Scotland and Humberside are finding it increasingly difficult to source high quality fresh fish. In addition, the development of marine species aquaculture will provide many high quality jobs in economically fragile areas such as the Highlands & Islands.”