THE owner of fish farming company West Minch Salmon has said that business should be back to normal soon after a fire affected part of their processing factory at Gramsdale in Benbecula last week.

Two Barony College fisheries students have been awarded top honours at the Lantra Land-based Learner of the Year Awards. Sixteen year old Dean Marshall from Dumfries was awarded the Land Based Curriculum for Schools Learner of the Year while Jamie McAndrew from Aberdeenshire was a joint winner in the GC Taylor (Farms) Ltd Outstanding Achievement Awards.

In a recent Scottish Parliamentary debate, the future of Aquaculture was discussed and Scotland’s achievement in dramatically increasing its export of high quality salmon was recognised. Dr Richard Simpson MSP for mid Scotland and Fife, praised the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture for leading the way in this increasingly important field.

Aquaculture equipment manufacturer Fusion Marine has won orders worth £2.4m to supply salmon pens and associated equipment from three Scottish fish farming companies.

Lighthouse Caledonia plans to refurbish and reopen the Marybank processing plant in Stornoway this summer, with the creation of around 90 jobs.

A NEW guide to help more visitor attractions and events planners showcase the very best of Scotland’s mouth-watering larder was unveiled yesterday.

THE Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, is calling for contributions to the development of a worldwide overview and databank on Codes of Practice, Codes of Conduct, Management Practices and Technical Guidelines in aquaculture.

ANOTHER part of the troubled British Seafood Group is under the control of administrators.

Seatek UK, based on Billingsgate Fish Market and which also has a base in Grimsby, was placed in administration at the weekend.

SEAFISH, the UK industry authority on seafood, is stepping up its interest in aquaculture, one of the fastest growing sectors in marine food.

THE United States has confirmed that it will continue its support for a proposal to ban all international commercial trade of Atlantic bluefin tuna.

THE Scottish based salmon farming company, Lighthouse Caledonia ASA has announced the resignation of OddGeir Oddsen as Managing Director of the company.

ONE of Iceland's largest seafood businesses has issued a statement stressing in strong terms that it is not affected by the British Seafood collapse even though its main shareholder, Mark Holyoake, is also founder and head of British Seafood.

The regulated marketplace Fish Pool ASA recently launched salmon options as hedging and investment instruments for its members. As a part of this product expansion Fish Pool has signed a Market Maker agreement with the leading Norwegian Investment bank Argo Securities. The agreement implies that Argo Sec., on a continuous basis are placing option prices for given periods, with a given spread at Fish Pool's trading screen.

THE Seafish Marketing Communications team has won two awards at the Communicators in Business (Scotland) awards.

Bergen 23.02.2010

Asmund Baklien, one the most experienced fish health profiles of Norway, has joined Novartis Aqua Norway as its National Account Manager.

SALMON prices are climbing faster than at any time for several years, according to the latest global data.

(Oslo, 10^th February 2010) Marine Harvest ASA achieved an operational EBIT of 569 million in the fourth quarter 2009, compared to NOK 317 million in the corresponding quarter in 2008. Earnings per share improved from NOK -0.18 to NOK 0.15. A tight market balance resulted in good prices. Based on a strong cash flow, a strengthened balance sheet and improved earnings in 2009 the Board of Directors has resolved to propose for the AGM a dividend of NOK 0.35 per share of which 0.25 will be distributed after the AGM in May and NOK 0.05 in each of the third and fourth quarters.

Aquaculture Europe 2010, to be held in Porto, Portugal from October 5-8, 2010 puts the focus on the future of marine aquaculture in Europe. AE2010 is organised by the European Aquaculture Society and hosted by the Portuguese Marine Sciences Associate Laboratory CIMAR (CIIMAR Porto and CCMAR Faro).

A GROUP of Irish research scientists have announced success in developing a vaccine against a parasite which has been plaguing salmon farms and wild fish stocks.