Otter Ferry Seafish sold to Amar Seafood
It's a great day for halibut, says MD as new owner plans phased hatchery expansion
Long-established Scottish marine hatchery and research centre Otter Ferry Seafish has been sold to Norwegian-owned Amar Seafood, which breeds halibut and wolffish in Canada.
Otter Ferry, sited on the shore of Loch Fyne, has been at the heart of innovation in the Scottish industry since 1968, developing trout farming, land-based salmon farming, as well as salmon broodstock and smolt production before moving into other marine species.
As the only commercial marine hatchery in Scotland, it has played a leading role in establishing production of halibut, wrasse and lumpfish, the latter two species being used as cleaner fish by the salmon industry.
Will bring benefits
“We are very pleased and excited to entrust the stewardship of this historic company to Amar Seafood. We know them well and have developed a strong supplier customer relationship that fits well with our ethos of innovation and sustainability,” Otter Ferry managing director Alastair Barge said in a press release.
“We can clearly see the benefits that Amar Seafood will bring, not just to the company, but to all those involved in the company and the Scottish aquaculture sector as a whole. Otter Ferry have kept the flame alight for halibut as a species over the last 30 years and we now have a company in Amar Seafood that more than matches our vision for this extraordinary product.”
Amar Seafood is part of Amar Group, headquartered in Karmoy, north of Stavanger on the west coast of Norway. It also operates fish farm service vessels, and has developed Neutralice, a product for dealing with sea lice.
Phased expansion
Group chief executive Bjørn Apeland said: “We are absolutely delighted with our acquisition. We see Otter Ferry as a Scottish-based international hub supporting our operations in Norway and Canada, both as an advanced hatchery producing increased amounts of quality juveniles and also as a valuable industry agritech research centre. We are committed to a phased expansion of the hatchery to enable us to develop our near-market on-growing capacity in Scotland, Canada and Norway.”
The companies said the experienced team at Otter Ferry will continue to manage the business while being complemented with additional expertise from both Norway and Canada.
A great day for halibut
Barge concluded: “This is an emotional moment for us but at the same time a very exciting new chapter for Otter Ferry, and a great day for halibut.”
Amar Seafood operates land-based, Ocean Wise-certified halibut and wolffish aquaculture operations located in Victoria, Prince Edward Island, and Grand Rivière, Quebec, Canada. It says its broodstock, egg fertilisation, hatchery, nursery, and grow-out operations make it North America’s only fully integrated halibut and wolffish company.
In 2022 Amar Seafood obtained the Halibut PEI facilities in Victoria, Prince Edward Island, and renamed it Amar Seafood PEI.
