Ewan McAsh is the founder and CEO of Oceanfarmr (originally SmartOysters) – a startup that aims to streamline production and open up access to finance for 400,000 producers of oysters, mussels and seaweed around the world.
Post-Brexit regulations are posing a threat to one of the UK’s oldest aquaculture sectors, in the Menai Strait – where mussel harvests have dropped from 7,500 tonnes in 2016 to around 400 tonnes in 2022.
Researchers from the UK and Italy met in early February at a workshop in Sardinia aiming to identify and prioritise the challenges and research needs for aquaculture development on the Mediterranean island.
With two crops of mussels now in the water, it’s a question of keeping ones boat and buoys afloat for another six months – which isn’t always as straightforward as it sounds.
The Russian aquaculture sector is facing the deepest crisis in its modern history, as the ongoing military conflict between Russia and Ukraine and the ever tightening sanctions on Russia has led to a shortage of fish feed, juveniles and equipment.
Aine O'Donnell and Aine-Lisa Shannon are bringing aquaculture to Ireland's primary schools as part of the Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) Aquaculture Remote Classroom (ARC), a mobile classroom that showcases aquaculture's role in coastal communities and climate-posi…
Oceanfarmr*, the new name for SmartOysters, is looking to apply its technology across the wider aquaculture sector – initially targeting mussel and seaweed producers – and has also launched a new finance tool for farmers.
Artificial reefs made from innovative, low-carbon emission materials have the potential to improve biodiversity around aquaculture sites and may even open up opportunities for multi-trophic aquaculture, according to Max Morgan-Kay of ARC Marine.
Collectively managed ”sea allotments”, which produce mussels for consumption by local communities, are a growing trend in Denmark, as more people bid to produce environmentally sustainable – and delicious – local seafood.
A new project that aims to investigate growing kelp and mussels alongside offshore wind turbines – as well as researching the potential for artificial reefs – has been awarded a NOK 84 million (£7 million) grant.