Visitors from the Chinese Academy of Fisheries Scientists (CAFS) are shown one of the tanks by NATIH manager Alastair McPhee. The research facility has several tank set-ups, each with a separate recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) with its own filter. It also has flow-through tanks for pathogen challenges.

Photo: University of Stirling

Chinese fish scientists visit Scotland's 'do everything' research facility

Delegation tours innovation hub that can replicate all freshwater environments

Editorial team Editorial team

Published October 22, 2025 - 11:43 a.m. Modified October 22, 2025 - 12:30 p.m.

Leading scientists from the Chinese Academy of Fishery Scientists (CAFS) have been given a tour of Scotland’s new National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub (NATIH) at Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture (IoA).

NATIH is a £21 million suite of research and development facilities which will enable a broader range of academic research and commercial trials to be undertaken, with a focus on responding to critical and emerging challenges in the aquaculture sector.

The development offers a combination of research facilities, capacity and academic expertise unique in Europe, including the capability to replicate freshwater aquaculture environments anywhere in the world. This includes the ability to variate gaseous states of water, and work within temperature parameters of 6-28 degrees Celsius.

Challenges to growth

Aquaculture has a global growth rate of circa 8% and China, which accounts for almost two thirds of global aquaculture production, has seen consistent growth. But this presents challenges for aquaculture producers in a context of climate change, disease management, and changing consumer expectations.

The visit by the CAFS team was intended to help the scientists understand how pioneering new research facilities can shape best practice in China, which has been the world’s largest producer of aquaculture products since 2002, farming more than 800 species.

The CAFS visitors with IoA professors Maggie Crumlish and Dave Little, third and fourth from left, Professor Win Surachetpong, third from right, and NATIH manager Alastair McPhee, right.

“By working collaboratively to fully utilise the combined strengths of our knowledge and facilities, we can play a critical role in ensuring that the sector is informed by the latest research and development. This will ensure that growth is sustainable and offers the best outcomes for producers, consumers and the environment,” said Professor Travor Telfer, acting head of the IoA.

“The visit from the Chinese Academy of Fishery Scientists was a valuable opportunity to explore shared areas of interest, and to highlight how the Institute of Aquaculture’s new National Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Hub can help to support this thriving global marketplace.”

Professor Yu Shuzhou, head of discipline inspection group at the CAFS, said: “As China’s national academy dedicated to fishery sciences, the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences is pleased to note that both sides share extensive common interests. We firmly believe that this collaboration will enable us to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes in both research and innovation.”

Read much more about NATIH in the current online edition of Fish Farming Expert magazine.