Aquaculture
6.1 Over the last 12 months, organic aquaculture in Scotland has expanded rapidly, with at least six new farms and a hatchery converting to organic production. Demand for Scottish organic salmon, cod and trout remains high.
6.2 As the non-organic salmon industry continues its Norwegian-owned consolidation, an increasing proportion of the remaining privately-owned Scottish companies are converting to organic production.
6.3 At the present time there are still no EU organic aquaculture standards although the proposed new EU Regulation on organic standards contains some basic provisions. ACOS have established a sub-committee to look specifically at aquaculture standards in recognition of the development of the sector. Any new proposed standards, or changes to current standards, from organic sector organisations have to be considered and approved by the Aquaculture Committee before implementation. The Committee is now considering standards for a number of organic certification bodies to allow for formal recognition of established standards.
6.4 The Organic Food Federation ( OFF) has been involved with aquaculture for at least seven years. The Executive Secretary was a member of the original UKROFS/ MAFF committee that pioneered the formation of the national organic standards for salmon and trout (salmonids) both at the request of the Scottish salmon farming industry and in the absence of EU organic standards for the sector. The nationally approved salmonid standard with minor modifications is still applied today. The OFF also obtained DEFRA/ ACOS approval for its standards for organic cod (gadoid) production early in 2005 and certifies the only major production of this species in the UK, situated in Shetland.
6.5 Today the OFF organically certifies between thirty five and forty aquaculture units mainly situated in Scotland or Shetland with several in Northern Ireland. Organic standards for additional species are pending.
6.6 In March 2006 during its first organic aquaculture conference in Stirling, the Soil Association announced the establishment of a unique sustainable feed partnership with the Marine Stewardship Council, sustainable seafood company Aquascot, and leading retailer Waitrose. It aims (by 2010) to ensure that all the fish-filleting trimmings and wastes used to make Soil Association organic fish feeds come from independently-certified sustainable fisheries.
6.7 In July, after visiting organic fish farms in Shetland, the Soil Association Council demonstrated its ongoing commitment to the development of sustainable organic aquaculture in the UK by approving the latest version of its standards and withdrawing its eight-year 'interim' qualification.
6.8 Representatives of Soil Association Scotland's aquaculture programme have participated in a small expert group invited by the European Commission to advise on new aquaculture standards to be included in the proposed revision of the EC Council Regulation 2092/91 on organic standards.