About Aquaculture

Aquaculture is the farming of freshwater and marine plants and animals including:

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Aquaculture

An industry important to the UK

 

Aquaculture Facts

• There  are around 530 businesses in the industry in the UK. 90% of these businesses employ fewer than 10 people
• 3,150 people are employed in the industry
• 87% of the full-time workforce are male
• Aquaculture accounts for more than half of the fish supply for human consumption
• It has been the world’s fastest growing food producing sector (6-8% per annum internationally since the year 2000) and that growth is likely to continue
• Mussels feed entirely on plankton, and so require no feed from their farmers and no treatments to keep them healthy. Oysters are similarly environmentally friendly and very healthy to eat
• Seaweed is used for human consumption, as a cosmetic product and as a “super-food”. As biomass, it can be used to generate heat and electricity
• Scotland provides 80% of the UK’s aquaculture production and this provides 40% of Scotland’s food exports. Many businesses have farms in the west and north of the country, supporting remote and rural communities in those areas – an important contribution to the fabric of our society