Deep in northern Scotland’s remote Shetland Islands, innovative technology is being harnessed to farm cod and combat the effects of traditional intensive fishing.
Johnson Seafarms, based in the Scottish town of Vidlin, is a farming company that specialises in breeding fish inside massive circular cages in the sea, as opposed to standard fishing methods with trawlers and nets.
”This is the future of all fish,” said Karol Rzepkowski, managing director of Johnson Seafarms, turning to his group’s latest product — organically-farmed cod.
”With the way fishing is at the moment, there will be no fish left in the sea in a few years’ time,” adds Karol, the son of a Polish immigrant.
The group deals in aquaculture — the farming of fish — and has reared high-quality salmon for over twenty years at various sites across the Shetland Islands. Other produce includes sea trout and shellfish.
But is the group’s farming of cod which has caught the imagination, given the British public’s growing appetite for organically-produced food.
”Nobody has done it before,” says 42-year-old Karol, who set up the cod project with Frenchman Laurent Viguie, the group chairperson.
Like most types of fish, there are dangerously low stocks of cod available in the sea, owing to overfishing.
Which is where Johnson Seafarms comes in.
”It is the first time cod is being farmed organically and on a large scale,” says Karol, who was a deep-sea diving instructor in the Caribbean before he became hooked on fish farming.
”I’m an environmentalist. I’m the last person on earth you would expect to find running a fish-farming company.
”But if you want to make changes in this industry — rather than standing outside and shouting at it — [you have] to make changes from within the industry.”
This month, fish from Johnson Seafarms will appear on the menu at several top restaurants, while some supermarket chains have already signed up for deliveries from April.
According to its website, the company is working closely with the Organic Food Federation, the Soil Association and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, to ensure its cod meets high organic quality standards.
”When we grow this fish, there is no adverse impact on the environment,” Karol adds.
Fish are reared in huge tube-like cages, measuring about 100m in circumference.
Meanwhile, the company monitors fish behaviour with the help of cameras, while a remote-control robotic camera is used to monitor the effect on the seabed.
To protect the fish from inquisitive seagulls and hungry seals, the cages are surrounded by special nets from which the animals can easily escape.
”We do not want to trap and kill the seals because they are beautiful creatures,” Karol said.
”But they obviously like to eat fish.”
”Shetland is a very beautiful place, very remote, with all kinds of wildlife, seabirds, whales.
”Our staff are very lucky to work in these amazing places every day.” – AFP
