New innovation centre to boost fish farming 25/6/14
A new innovation centre for aquaculture aims to support the growth of the fish farming industry in Scotland.
The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) will bring together industry and research to help develop the sector.
Growth in production will help support employment in many fragile rural and island communities.
Industry estimates suggest that every additional 10,000 tonnes of salmon create an additional £96 million for the Scottish economy.
A recent report highlighted the industry already contributes up to £1.4 billion each year to the Scottish economy and 8,000 jobs in Scotland.
The SAIC will focus on areas such as fish and shellfish health and welfare; feeding, quality and nutrition; breeding and stock improvement and engineering to contribute towards increased production of clean, safe and sustainable food.
The centre will be headquartered at Stirling University with a delivery centre in the West Highlands.