Once again, beautiful Aviemore, Scotland was the venue of
choice for this biannual show
Aquaculture UK has grown with every year since its debut in 2001, but 2018 was the largest show to date, with 2394 visitors, 190 exhibitors and a 50 percent increase in floor space over 2016. More importantly, the show has evolved from being a regionally-focused show concentrating on aquaculture in the UK into a truly international affair featuring companies from the world’s foremost aquaculture nations.
Aquaculture UK has grown with every year since its debut in 2001, but 2018 was the largest show to date, with 2394 visitors, 190 exhibitors and a 50 percent increase in floor space over 2016. More importantly, the show has evolved from being a regionally-focused show concentrating on aquaculture in the UK into a truly international affair featuring companies from the world’s foremost aquaculture nations.
The ribbon cutting
The 2018 show was opened by Scotland’s Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing whose opening remarks took the mainstream media to task for their shallow and uniformed reporting on aquaculture, and stressed the huge leaps the industry has made. Especially in just the last few years, which have seen major advances in fish welfare and fish farm productivity while simultaneously addressing issues such as water quality and sea lice infestations. Secretary Ewing stressed how technology and research and development are helping to create a sustainable aquaculture for the 21st century and beyond.
After Secretary Ewing cut the ribbon, people filed inside faster than bargain-shoppers at an Ikea sale. What awaited them inside was an amazing display of cutting-edge technology and research-driven advances in every aspect of the aquaculture industry from fish feed to fish cages, camera and sonar-equipped ROVs, genetic sampling, and software systems that monitor underwater conditions and can even forecast changing martiime conditions.
Here were just a few highlights of the event:
Big Boy’s Toys
The show began before visitors could even enter the show venue, as displayed on the parking lot outside were exhibits too huge to fit under the big white tent, including a variety of feed barges and workboats. Akva even thoughtfully loaned visitors a sledgehammer and encouraged them to take turns walloping the side of their workboats to dramatically demonstrate their boats’ tough and resilient plastic hulls. (Very therapeutic). Some impressive ROVs were on display, including a net-cleaning ROV from Norwegian company MPI (Multi Pump Innovation), and Scottish company UCO who fielded a brace of novel, mort-removing ROVs. (We hope to have an article on these soon)
Technology under the Big Top
Once inside the big white tent there was a lot to look at and only two days to take it all in. Scottish company, Gael Force equipped their large stand with a virtual reality simulator. Users donning the VR headset got to experience a virtual reality walkthrough of the company’s new barge design, from the generators and blowers, under the silos, and up through the accommodation areas.
Read the full show report, HERE.
Visit the Aquauculture UK website, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd
For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquaculture-news
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