Bakkafrost Scotland wins innovation award at Highlands and Islands celebration

One of Scotland’s leading salmon producers has been recognised for its pioneering approach to fish welfare and sustainable salmon production at the Prosper Highlands and Islands Business Excellence Awards.

Bakkafrost Scotland won the Highlands and Islands Enterprise Award for Excellence in Innovation at the awards ceremony at the Macdonald Drumossie Hotel in Inverness on Thursday evening.

The award recognises the company’s investment in innovative technology and new approaches to salmon rearing at its Applecross facility in Wester Ross.

Officially opened by Princess Anne earlier this year, the multi-million-pound facility is the UK’s largest freshwater recirculating aquaculture system, or RAS, and allows Bakkafrost Scotland
to carefully control the environment in which its salmon are reared throughout the different stages of their freshwater life cycle.

The technology allows salmon to spend longer in freshwater, where conditions can be carefully managed, producing larger and more robust smolts before they are transferred to sea.

This approach supports Bakkafrost Scotland’s aim of reducing the time its salmon spend at sea from two summers to one, helping to improve fish health and welfare by reducing exposure to natural biological challenges in the marine environment.

The closed-loop RAS system also uses around 90 per cent less water than traditional hatcheries, continuously filtering water to maintain consistent quality and precise temperature control.

Powered from renewable hydro and solar energy sources, the facility has capacity to produce around 13 million smolts annually, supporting year-round production and giving greater control over the freshwater stages of the salmon life cycle.

The Applecross facility is central to Bakkafrost Scotland’s long-term investment in fish welfare, environmental performance and its ambition to become the most sustainable Scottish salmon producer.

Further innovation at the site includes a pioneering pyrolysis system, which will convert sludge from the RAS process into biochar for potential use in forestry and other applications.

Ian Laister, managing director, Bakkafrost Scotland, said: “I’m delighted that Bakkafrost Scotland has won the Excellence in Innovation Award at this year’s Prosper Highlands and Islands Business Excellence Awards.

“Applecross represents a significant long-term investment in the future of salmon farming in Scotland and is transforming the way we rear our salmon.

“By creating a carefully controlled environment, we can produce larger, more robust smolts throughout the year, with fish welfare at the heart of the process.

“This approach is helping us reduce the amount of time our salmon spend at sea and demonstrates how investment and innovation can deliver real improvements in fish welfare and environmental performance.

“I’m incredibly proud of the team at Applecross and delighted that their innovation and hard work have been recognised with this award.”

Main Image (l-r) awards host and comedian Jimmy McGhie; Michael Hill, head of compliance, Bakkafrost Scotland; Ian Laister, managing director, Bakkafrost Scotland; Stuart Black, chief executive, Highlands and Islands Enterprise. (© Michal Wachucik/Abermedia)

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