Scottish Sea Farms seeks fresh star as Norwegian pioneer heads home

Scottish Sea Farms' Head of Freshwater Farming Pål Tangvik is to leave the company to return to his homeland of Norway, having successfully fulfilled his mission of delivering the company's first full generation of RAS-grown smolts.

The veteran Norwegian fish farmer joined the company in December 2014 from Lerøy Seafood Group, which co-owns Scottish Sea Farms with SalMar ASA, tasked with overhauling the company's freshwater production strategy, including the creation of a new state-of-the-art RAS hatchery.
 

(Left to right) Head of Freshwater Pål Tangvik,
Managing Director Jim Gallagher, Operations Manager Noelia Rodriguez
Image credit: Scottish Sea Farms

In six short years, he has overseen the design, location and build of the new hatchery at Barcaldine, streamlined the company's pre-existing freshwater estate in preparation for its opening, and brought together a sector-leading team that is now delivering the full smolt requirement of Scottish Sea Farms' 42-strong estate of marine farms.

The first generation of RAS-grown smolts has been transferred to sea at double the average weights achieved via traditional hatchery methods and are showing excellent post-transfer performance. Meanwhile, the freshwater team are now starting to deliver from the second generation of smolts reared at Barcaldine Hatchery.

Mr Pål said, 'My whole reason for coming to Scotland was to help Scottish Sea Farms bring Barcaldine Hatchery into being and see the finished facility deliver its first generation of smolts. With that now achieved, and with five young grandchildren having arrived while I have been here in Scotland, now feels like the right time to return to Norway where I can be closer to my family, young and old, and be part of the day-to-day once again.'

Mr Pål will continue to lead and manage the freshwater team until a suitable replacement is found, ensuring a smooth handover across all activities.

Commenting on the news of Mr Pål's planned return to Norway, Scottish Sea Farms' Managing Director Jim Gallagher said: 'The difference that Pål has made to our freshwater farming is something we will be forever thankful for and something that I hope that he himself will always be hugely proud of.

'I'm certain that our new Barcaldine Hatchery will never be far from his thoughts and that the great friendships made will continue. Now, we're looking for a stellar candidate to take up the mantle and, together with the freshwater team, build on the fantastic legacy that Pål leaves behind him. The Barcaldine story has really only just begun.'

Visit the Scottish Sea Farms website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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The solution is not to close our borders to the importation of fish, but to have a comprehensive plan for import substitution: Part two

By Professor Antonio Garza, Director, World Aquaculture Society

In my previous column in the September 2020 edition of International Aquafeed, we discussed the basic elements that a comprehensive plan for import substitution of fish and shellfish in Mexico should have:
 

1. Market analysis
2. Aquaculture development programmes
3. Professionalisation and capacity development
4. Investment and infrastructure programmes
5. Campaigns to promote the consumption of fish and shellfish
6. Market access and digitisation programmes
7. Support from associations

I will, in this column, touch on the basic elements that should be included in each of these points:

Market analysis: Before starting to produce something, we have to ensure that the product has a market and, above all, at a price higher than our cost of production. Historically in aquaculture, we have sometimes invested in production, hoping that we will find markets for our products, without first analysing the market situation. Tilapia, which was practically unknown a couple of decades ago, is today a product that has positioned itself in the heart and palate of consumers.

In Mexico, tilapia is processed very little and is generally sold whole. We have not yet been able to convince producers that the market is for a standardised, processed product that is easy to prepare. Yes, there are imports of whole tilapia, but the bulk of these are fillet. Likewise, the other great species that are imported in Mexico is only imported as fillets. One has to follow the golden rule: what you ask for is what the customer asks for.

Aquaculture development programmes: Once we define what we are going to produce, we need to define how. It is essential to have a wide catalogue of technological solutions that can be used depending on the different regions, climates, water availability and investment capacity. Technological solutions must be complemented with a true development plan that includes aquaculture management and growth potential. It is not about knowing how many bodies of water exist in Mexico, but what the carrying capacity of each of them is. Gradually, we must coordinate these studies to no longer speak of the probable, but the true potential of aquaculture in inland waters.

Read more, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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The Aquaculturists

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