According to the information available scientists are working hard to study the escapes from fish farms. They are working on project called ‘Prevent Escape’ began in April this year and will run until 2012. It is led by the Norwegian institute for fisheries and Aquaculture SINTEF. It is said that the project is funded under the European 7th Framework Programme.
Eleven partners from Norway, Greece, Spain, Malta, Scotland and Ireland are involved in the project. Dr Dave Jackson of the Marine Institute opined that losses due to escapes from fish farms are of immediate concern to the farmers themselves, who are as keen as anyone to find new technologies and ways of working that will reduce escapes to a minimum.
There have been escapes from all major species farmed across Europe, including Atlantic salmon, sea bream, sea bass, Atlantic cod and rainbow trout. They can occur due to break down of net cages during storms, to wear and tear, to damage caused by large predators and to operational accidents leading to spills of fish during transport and transfer.
Dr Jackson said that the results of all this work will be used to improve the equipment used in fish farming and the way it is operated, so as to minimise the chances of escapes into the future. Different ways are studied on the extent, size and knowledge of the causes of escapes.
