The press release of EFF states that the funds are available for the aquaculture projects. There are two most commonly-funded farmed species through the EFF in England – oysters and rainbow trout. Catherine Murphy, Programme Manager for the EFF in England, offers advice for people looking to apply for support through the scheme.
Cornish processing company Ocean Fish is taking advantage of an EFF grant to move into the freshwater trout retail market, worth up to £22 million a year in the UK. It has been awarded three EFF grants totalling over £1.7 million which it is using to develop a rainbow trout farm at Hawks Tor Lake, Bodmin.
According to the information the fish farm development marks a significant change for the company, which has contracts to provide white fish to a number of major supermarket chains in the UK and Europe. Ocean Fish’s Projects Manager Mike Ridgway explained that the business has grown steadily since it was established 22 years ago and is now one of the largest processors in the South West. Whilst the core products have remained largely unchanged over the years we are now moving towards underutilised species such as mackerel, sardines and herring, which we are proud to source locally.
Houghton Springs Fish Farm, which is a rainbow trout broodstock farm supplying ova, fry and fingerlings to the table market, was awarded £2,600 in December 2010 towards digitally-controlled photoperiod lighting. This will help to artificially extend spawning seasons and increase production. Owner Hans Hoff said that he would encourage anyone thinking of applying for a grant to discuss their potential project with the MMO as early in the development process as they can.
Catherine Murphy, Programme Manager for the EFF in England, said that the scheme can help with the high set-up costs associated with the controlled environment and very technical equipment required for aquaculture developments. She added that there’s also potential for aquaculture producers to develop their own processing capacity, which is something else the EFF may be able to support.
