"The cooperation of the shellfish farming industry is gratefully
acknowledged," says Marine Scotland who conducted the survey.
Production survey questionnaires were sent to 169 companies registered as active during 2008.
All return forms were received. One wild mussel fishery registered as a shellfish
farm has been excluded from this report.
The survey showed that, of the 168 companies registered at the end of 2008 and included in this
report, 112 recorded no sales during that year.
The survey results concluded that:
- mussel and Pacific oyster remain the main species produced in terms of both value and tonnage
Mussel production increased by 22 per cent while Pacific oyster production increased by 45 per cent during
2008;
- There has been no change in the production of scallop which remains low. Poor results from spat
recruitment have reportedly led to this low production in recent years;
- There has been a significant increase of 79 per cent in the production of queen in 2008;
- Employment levels showed a 14 per cent decrease from the previous year with 348 full, part-time and
casual staff being employed during 2008;
- Surveillance for the shellfish diseases bonamiasis and marteiliasis was maintained in 2008.
Movement restrictions are in place for the presence of Bonamia ostreae at Loch Sunart and West
Loch Tarbet;
- For shellfish health purposes, one third of all shellfish sites was inspected by FRS Fish Health
Inspectorate during 2008. In 2009, with the Implementation of EEC Directive 2006/88, risk based
surveillance of sites will be introduced;
- Again the industry was dominated by small producers, although there was a continued and marked trend toward large companies contributing to the annual production of all species.
Further Reading
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