Industry-first aquaculture health project secures Innovate UK funding

An industry-first project aimed at improving fish welfare has secured UK Government funding.

A multi-disciplinary consortium which sees Bakkafrost Scotland partnering with other leading aquaculture institutions has been awarded £471,000 by Innovate UK to establish the industry’s first ‘Regulatory Science and Innovation Network’.

Led by Esox Biologics, which aims to develop technologies which improve animal welfare, the cohort also features partners from academia (the University of Glasgow), the aquatic veterinary medicine sector (Aquatic Vets Ltd) and consultancy (Aquatic Consultancy Services).

As well as Bakkafrost Scotland, other partners in the fish farming sector include Kames Fish Farming and Scottish Sea Farms.

Starting in February 2025, the project will assess a new tool that can identify every micro-organism collected within a sample by sequencing their unique genetic code.

Known as ‘Whole-Genome Metagenomics’, this technology can help prevent the spread of infectious disease in aquatic livestock.

Bakkafrost Scotland, which is responsible for the welfare of 73,000 tonnes of livestock annually, will provide access to production sites for environmental sampling, along with production and husbandry data.

Biology Director Dr Dave Cockerill, a qualified veterinarian with more than 25 years’ of experience tending to the welfare of aquatic livestock, will represent Bakkafrost Scotland on the consortium.

He said: “This collaboration has the potential to help us make even greater strides forward in understanding the ecological challenges we face and be able to develop more effective solutions to improve fish health.”

The RS&IN will open dialogue with the Fish Health Inspectorate, Marine Directorate and DEFRA to assess the use of whole-genome metagenomics.

It is hoped the technology has the potential to enhance health management in aquaculture by enabling the simultaneous detection of all microbes within a sample.

Matthew Pope, Managing Director of Esox Biologics, said: “This funding from Innovate UK demonstrates the government’s desire to support the development and implementation of innovative technologies.”

The RS&IN will host a conference in Oban, Argyll and Bute, in June 2025 to share project development and discuss next steps.