Information for culturists

Aquaculture careers involve the farming or culturing of aquatic organisms such as fish, molluscs, crustaceans and aquatic plants in marine, brackish and freshwater environments. The scale of both the farming and intervention by the 'farmer' varies greatly.

Many of the sheltered bays, estuaries and lochs around the UK coastline are suitable for the farming of a wide range of species. However all culture operations in the UK have to conform to strict and effective controls.

Species and sitesChoosing a good site and the right species are crucial to a successful operation.Access to marketMost bivalve molluscs must go through a dispatch centre prior to delivery to market.

Delivering safer seafoodA good understanding of biotoxin controls and how the animals respond to various handling regimes is important.TrainingLook here for up-to-date information about marine aquaculture courses available in the UK.

Environmental toolkitTo help the fishing and aquaculture industry prosper under MPAs we have developed an ‘Environmental Toolkit’.