The Scottish arm of Atlantic salmon company Mowi has purchased Ocean Matters’ aquaculture facility in Anglesey, North Wales.
This Ocean Matters’ hatchery produces lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus), one of two fish species proven to be effective cleanerfish for net-pen aquaculture, particularly the raising of Atlantic salmon. The company also cultures Ballan wrasse at other facilities.
In a statement, Mowi Scotland said the Anglesey farm would be an important addition to its cleanerfish strategy and that the use of cleanerfish was now a major part of its sea lice control strategy and part of a larger integrated pest management program.
“This purchase provides us increased capacity for cleanerfish production with great potential for future development as well,” Dougie Hunter, head of cleanerfish and technical services at Mowi Scotland, said. “We will continue to develop our cleanerfish program, and assess our future requirements to ensure we are making best use of our production facilities.”
Mowi will continue to operate the facility under the Ocean Matters name.
