Aquaculture CIG: Aquaculture response to the climate change crisis - 8th Sept 2021 - SUSTAINABLE ROPE-GROWN KELP FROM THE ISLE OF SKYE - Seafish
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S U S TA I N A B L E R O P E - G R O W N K E L P F R O M T H E I S L E O F S K Y E Aquaculture CIG: Aquaculture response to the climate change crisis – 8th Sept 2021
BACKGROUND • Established in July 2020, located in Skye and Lochalsh, Scottish Highlands. • 3 Co-founders; Martin Welch (fisherman), Kyla Orr (marine scientist) and Alex (landscape architect & crofter). Small passionate team. • Saw a real need to diversify rural employment opportunities during Covid & Brexit, and to improve environmental wellbeing à Kelp farming offers a solution. • Setup own kelp hatchery in 2020, and started cultivating sugar kelp at sea in Dec 2020. • First successful harvest of fresh kelp was in May 2021 (12 tons wet weight). Huge milestone. • First crop given to processor/biorefinery for R&D on production of nutraceuticals, protein, fiber and bioplastics.
FIRST KELP PRODUCTION: DEC 2020 TO MAY 2021 (SACCHARINA LATISSIMA, SUGAR KELP)
ETHOS & VISION
“ C R E AT E A N I M PA C T BY H AV I N G N O I M PA C T ”
• At KelpCrofting we are striving to:
• Create a viable and replicable business model for kelp farming in
Scotland
• Improving health of our seas, people and planet, without displacing
other marine activities
• Achieve net zero or carbon negative production (farm to factory)
• Have zero waste à avoid single use plastics and unnecessary
dumping to landfill. We use recycled, reusable, biodegradable and
refurbished equipment and materials, and source locally where
possible.
• Have ethical business practices with responsibility to local
community
LOCATION
• Operate two aquaculture sites off the Isle of Skye.
• The 2 sites combined are ~20 ha.
• Not currently using whole growing area available at
the 2 sites à will scale up production slowly as
Isle of Skye
demand increases and as we become more efficient
at operating.
• Would like to work with existing fishing fleet to scale
up harvesting capacity.
• Kelp aquaculture very new in Scotland, not many
farms, but number of licence applications increasing.
Isle of Skye
Scalpay: Pabay:
An existing aquaculture New kelp farming site
site historically used to fully licensed to
cultivate scallops & next to KelpCrofting. Installed
a salmon farm, making it a Scalpay in Sept 2021.
New kelp
true “Integrated Multi (IMTA site) Pabay farm
Trophic Aquaculture Site Only licensed for
(IMTA)”. farming kelp.
Broadford
Collaborating in IMTA Interesting as a
research at Scalpay with ‘control’ site.
Uni Stirling
Map of IMTA Site
(Scalpay)
Seaweed & shellfish site:
• Currently operated by KelpCrofting
• South Grid – Kelp
• Mid grid – scallop spat collectors, possibly mussels in
future
• North grid – scallops
Salmon Farm:
• Owned and operated by MOWI
• Separate operation to KelpCrofting, but supportive of each
others work
Several Order:
• Traditionally used for scallop ‘ranching’. Economic viability
of this method to be explored further.
NEXT STEPS & CHALLENGES
Primary processing:
• Kelp degrades rapidly once removed from sea (90% water + lots of natural sugars)
• Urgently need to develop local onshore primary processing that stabilizes kelp & has a low
environmental impact.
• Typical solutions = drying and/or freezing (major sustainability hurdle)
• KC keen to develop an ‘eco dryer’, which utilizes clean energy, and can be containerized, scaled up
& rolled out to remote locations.
• Large volumes kelp harvested over short time (very seasonal), can lead to major processing
bottlenecks that need careful consideration.
• Market development and access:
• Market challenges include competition with wild harvest & Asian supply, and UK consumer perception.
• Need to develop unique farmed kelp products, with own quality, purity and sustainability credentials.
• Need to start appealing to local consumers & businesses - product innovation & outreach required.
• Coordinate the supply chain to safeguard smaller operators.
THANK YOU Kyla Orr www.kelpcrofting.com info@kelpcrofting.com
Commercial-Scale Efficiency and Environmental Assessment of Integrated
Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)
- Project Introduction
Alexandra Bulgakova, Prof. Trevor Telfer, Dr. Stefano Carboni
(University of Stirling),
Dr. Adam Hughes (SAMS)
Alexandra Bulgakova
Institute of Aquaculture,
University of Stirling, Scotland
a.k.bulgakova@stir.ac.ukCommercial-Scale Efficiency and Environmental Assessment of Integrated
Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)
Climate Change & Aquaculture
• Very little known about climate change impacts to aquaculture (Froelich et al., 2018);
• Aquaculture could buffer some changes in resources due to climate change by providing a stable food resource, reducing
pressure on wild fish stocks and creating energy production with a net negative atmospheric carbon emission (Troadec, 2000;
Hughes et al., 2012);
• Salmon and shellfish production may increase, but adverse impacts such as increased storm activity, increased propensity to
disease and HABs (Callaway et al., 2012; Collins et al., 2020)
• Macroalgae could play a substantial role in carbon sequestration (Krause-Jensen and Duarte, 2016; Mongin et al., 2016).
• Callaway, R. et al. (2012) ‘Review of climate change impacts on marine aquaculture in the UK and Ireland’,
Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 22(3), pp. 389–421
• Collins, C. et al. (2020) ‘Impacts of climate change on aquaculture’, MCCIP Science Review 2020, p. 39
• Froehlich, H. E. et al. (2018) ‘Comparative terrestrial feed and land use of an aquaculture-dominant world’, Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, 115(20), pp. 5295–5300
• Hughes, A. D. et al. (2012) ‘Does seaweed offer a solution for bioenergy with biological carbon capture and storage?’, Greenhouse Gases: Science and
Technology, 2(6), pp. 402–407
• Krause-Jensen, D. and Duarte, C. M. (2016) ‘Substantial role of macroalgae in marine carbon sequestration’, Nature Geoscience, 9(10), pp. 737–742
• Mongin, M. et al. (2016) ‘Optimising reef-scale CO 2 removal by seaweed to buffer ocean acidification’, Environmental Research Letters, 11(3), p. 034023
• Troadec, J.-P. (2000) ‘Adaptation Opportunities to Climate Variability and Change in the Exploitation and Utilisation of Marine Living Resources’,
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 61(1), pp. 101–112Commercial-Scale Efficiency and Environmental Assessment of Integrated
Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)
Few studies of IMTA systems have been at full commercial scale. This
project incorporates Atlantic salmon with extractive species of bivalves Key Questions
and algae to investigate environmental mitigation efficiency and
economic potential. • What are the mechanisms of nutrient transfer
and uptake between systems at commercial scale
Aims of research and how do these impact extractive species
productivity, environmental mitigation and
• Quantify nutrient uptake and removal by extractive species for economic potential?
farm waste mitigation and productivity;
• What are the effects of large commercial scale
• Establish nutrient connectivity; integrated systems on the environment and
stakeholders?
• Develop guidelines for IMTA component positioning, site
selection, licensing and governance of IMTA in Scotland • What parameters should define site suitability for
full-scale commercial IMTA?Commercial-Scale Efficiency and Environmental Assessment of Integrated
Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)
Methods
• Hydrographic measurements: Temperature, salinity, current direction & speed;
• Water quality assessments for TN, TP, TAN, nitrates, nitrites, phosphates, Chl-a, TPM & POM. TPM to be analysed for stable
isotopes and fatty acid composition;
• Phytoplankton to be assessed for stable isotopes, fatty acid composition and dominant community composition;
• Macroalgae and bivalve molluscs to be analysed for stable isotopes, fatty acid analysis, biochemical composition, biometrics
and biomass;
• Sediment and feed samples to be analysed for stable isotopes and fatty acid analysis.Commercial-Scale Efficiency and Environmental Assessment of Integrated
Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA)
Red arrow denotes primary current
direction SSW
Orange arrows denote transects for
water quality assessments
Red crosses denote placement of
bivalve cultures
Green squares denote macroalgal
compartments of 200-400m, and 400-
650m from fish farm
Reference sites not shown – 2km.THANK YOU
Kyla Orr Alexandra Bulgakova
www.kelpcrofting.com Institute of Aquaculture,
info@kelpcrofting.com University of Stirling,
Scotland
a.k.bulgakova@stir.ac.ukYou can also read
