The Fishing industry is still one of great importance to Scotland and the UK’s economy. And whilst we import almost five times[1] as much as we catch in our domestic waters, significant proportions of this is landed here in the UK – meaning it needs to be processed. To maximise revenue, producers need to efficiently process their seafood, and by doing so they can increase the yield of their catch.
Pressures of demand and overfishing
Global marine seafood production is expected to increase by 20% by 2050[2] – partly due to increased demand and increasing populations. This is good news for the UK’s fishing industry, as our produce is regarded as being some of the best seafood in the world. But overfishing in UK waters is a real concern, and this is yet another reason for producers to maximise their yield and minimise loss in the processing stage.
Overfishing is also being tackled through legislation that ensures responsible and sustainable production, in all parts of the UK. Seafish, the UK’s public body for the protection of the seafood industry defines this as:
“For seafood to be responsibly sourced, it needs to be caught or farmed in a way that minimises impact on fish stocks and the marine environment.”
The rise of fish farming
Overfishing has also led to an increased reliance on fish farms, which allows demand to be met without exceeding fishing quotas. Fish farming is widely regarded as a positive practice in the UK, for the following reasons:
- It protects the UK’s natural environment and populations of oceanic species.
- It supports innovation across the sector.
- Scottish Salmon (the vast majority of which is fish farmed) was the UK’s largest food export by value[3] in 2023.
- It is a large slice of the wider Aquaculture industry, which in Scotland alone has grown by 30% in value, in the last decade[4].
- Fish farming also aids with efficiency and improved yield, as pelagic fish (fish caught in the open parts of the sea) are more likely to perish when being transported to land, or then in the processing stages.
Maximising Yield
To make the most of every morsel, caught or farmed, preservation techniques like blast freezing and cold storage are used to seal in freshness and improve longevity. Producers may also create sidestreams for other parts of the fish that aren’t ordinarily eaten and this allows them to really make the most of all that is caught. To do this, the entire catch must be preserved and protected as best as possible. Blast freezing is the practice of circulating freezing air round a room to ensure every product is evenly frozen. These products are then cold stored in a room with temperatures set to as low as -30 °C.
So where does lighting fit in?
It takes a specific type of lighting product to continue to work effectively in extreme temperatures. Sammode’s range of internal and exterior fittings provided by Eco Lighting Systems are ideally suited to seafood processing plants and fish farms for a number of reasons:
- Fully operational in extreme temperatures – from -70°C up to 200°C.
- Comprised of high-quality materials such as borosilicate glass and marine grade steel.
- Exceptional reliability and longevity, due to effective design and installation.
- Energy efficient products available across the range to minimise running costs.
- Five or eight year warranties available on the entire range
If you’d like to discuss lighting across your seafood operation please do get in touch at [email protected].
The Fish Industry In Scotland read more
[1] https://www.seafish.org/seafood-in-numbers/ [2] https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/premium/supply-trade/dnv-global-seafood-demand-predicted-to-soar-through-2050-in-line-with-population-growth [3] https://www.gov.scot/news/wider-economic-impacts-of-aquaculture/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CAquaculture%20is%20a%20key%20industry,the%20public%20purse%20in%20taxes. [4] https://thefishsite.com/articles/scottish-aquaculture-report-r
