Grimsby site eyed for new aquaculture center

A new national aquaculture center is being planned for the major seafood processing hub in Grimsby, England.

Clifford Spencer, chief executive of the Global Biotechnology Transfer Foundation, which is spearheading the project, hopes that the National Aquaculture Center – which will be established at Humber Seafood Institute – will be able to unify academic prowess, technical knowledge and supply chain expertise.

"Aquaculture is growing fast globally as a supplier of marine and freshwater seafood,” Spencer told The Grimsby Telegraph. “This is due to the world's oceans and wild capture fisheries in general being currently fished at their sustainable limit. At the same time with the world's population continuing to grow the demand for sea food has been continually rising.”

Conceptually, the center will focus on the study and promotion of the “entire value chain of fish and shellfish farming from breeding and physical production techniques to transport and marketing,” Spencer told the newspaper.

As of now, meetings and collaborations between local institutes and organizations are underway, said Spencer.

"The National Aquaculture Centre will be based at the Humber Seafood Institute and a start is just being made to assemble the facility,” he said. “Hull University has agreed to be its official academic partner and meetings are currently taking place with the university's Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies and Hull International Fisheries Institute."

The pending center’s formation team paid a visit the European Aquaculture Show in Edinburgh recently, and plans of visiting Vietnam and Africa as well to discuss the intricacies of fish farming development.

"The team has commenced discussions with regional industry players but will be making significant efforts to canvass feedback and involvement of the local community in the build-up of the organization," Spencer said.

Seafish and Seafox – which has taken charge of the Grimsby Fish Merchants Association and Grimsby Fishing Vessel Owners Association – are both already located at the Humber Seafood Institute.

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