The plan to develop a trout farm in Cornwall, were there is currently no marine finfish production, began in September 2013.
Over the summer and early autumn, Cefas, The Crown Estate and the British Trout Association managed the process of selecting a commercial operator for the Cornwall Aquaculture Demonstration Project.
While there were several expressions of interest in taking forward this work, they did not meet the project's terms of reference in the given timescale to deliver a project of the highest standard.
It was therefore decided that the current demonstration project will not be continued.
Cefas and the consortium members remain supportive of the sustainable development of aquaculture across England and Wales, and believe that projects based on sound science, stakeholder engagement and the sharing of information such as this can make a valuable contribution to future growth.
Marine finfish aquaculture in the UK is dominated by net-pen production in Scottish coastal waters, with a total production of 158,018 tonnes worth £584.7 million at farm-gate prices in 2011.
English finfish aquaculture has not developed to the same level, with only c.8,000 tonnes of (principally) rainbow trout production in 2009 - all from freshwater systems.
