By David Bassett

1. David Bassett
British Trout Association
www.britishtrout.co.uk david.bassett@britishtrout.co.uk

2. Structure
 Current structure and
value of the English
industry
 A brief history of the
Danish Model Farm
experience
 Potential for the
application of the Danish
experience within England
 Other strategies for
sustainable growth
 Conclusions

3. Current size and value of the
sector (UK)
 Table Farming  FSV = £22 million
- English Table Farming  c.6,000 tonnes
- Organic (Brown) Trout  200 tonnes – and declining
Production
 Restocking Farming  FSV = £10 million
Brown  3,100 (18%) tonnes
Rainbow  350 (2%) tonnes
Trout Fisheries (E&W)  £ 150 million
Plus value of processed and Large Trout
value added product and
associated angling activity.

4. Current Market Trends
 Sales have remained constant, but lack
of growth is due to shortage in
production.
 Demand for the product is increasing
 Shortfall being met by imports.
 Ex farm prices remain low (around cost
of production)
 Hope for improvement with regard to
ownership of the sector
 Low “Carbon Footprint” (compared to
other food groups)
 Low environmental impact (compared
to other food groups – e.g. Water use)
 Healthy and nutritious product (omega
3, selinium etc)
 Referenced in Government backed
healthy and nutrition advice (FSA,
goodtoeat etc)

5. General Industry Observations
 Health message well known
 Political healthy eating messages
are a bonus
 Strong support for aquaculture in
the devolved regions (WAG,
SFSA)
 Key trend for locally sourced
produce emerging (Wales,
Scotland)
 80% of UK trout farmed is
consumed in the southern half of
England, but only half of that is
farmed there
 Trout production is more than
farming – UK (and beyond)
integrated industry wrt production,
processing, distribution and
consumption of product

6. A Brief History of the
“Model Farm”
 Traditional river based
trout farming
 What is a “model” farm?
 The two types of model
farm: Type I / Type III
 Why did the Danish
embrace the “model
farm” strategy?
Tons per year of fish /
Production Water Source Water Inflow Re-Circulating Biofilter
feed
Portion Trout Borehole 1100 / 984 100 litre per sec 450 litre per sec Yes

7. An Example Model Farm

8. Strengths and Weaknesses of
the Model Farm
+ -
 Use less water  Rely on appropriate location,
 Improved farm design groundwater etc
 Allow for more intensive  Standard energy costs
farming at a greater level of  Product quality issues (taint /
stocking density geosmin build up)
 More efficient use of energy  Parasite build up (ich)
(specifically with regard to  Problems with antibiotics
oxgyenation of water) and other treatments in the
event of disease
 Unsuitable for all types of
farming enterprise
 Capital investment costs
 Nitrate levels in discharge

9. Where there is not potential
 Restocking  Where geography and
geology does not permit
(groundwater).
 Where there is insufficient
profitabilty to set up and
 The most valuable sector pay running costs!
and supporting an angling
 Where biosecurity cannot
industry worth £150million
be maintained / assured
 Where there is not an
issue with water resource
– Yorkshire

10. Potential for application with
England
 There is...!
But:
 As always with trout farming,
site specific
 Capital start up costs are very
high – level of profitability not in
the industry to cover it without
significant grant funding (EFF)
and over time.
 Some (partial) re-circ
technology may be employed,
or “model” parts of an existing
farm – e.g. Hatcheries

11. Other strategies for sustainable
growth
 Improved efficiency in the farming
method (decrease mortalities and
 Access to freshwater sites – cage /
improve output)
river sites – but is this likely?
 Intensification of farming (permitted
w.r.t. discharges etc)
 Improved and strategic
cooperation within the industry
 Maximise access to funding  Improved price and profitability to
sources encourage production etc
 Continued marketing and
 Broodstock improvement and promotion of the product at all
development levels

12. Conclusions:
 The English trout market is  There are benefits to the
strong Danish model farm system
 At present demand is  There are serious
increasing drawbacks also.
 Trout is an excellent product  The costs are high
 Consumption of trout fits  Replication of the Danish
with Defra and FSA advice model cannot be the easy
on fish consumption answer for the English
sector, but relevant to
certain sites
 There is a requirement to
look to alterative and
additional strategies to
improve production and
efficiency