August 6, 2024

Mowi Scotland's remote operations centre now running in Fort William, Scotland, UK

A remote operations centre that will eventually control feeding at all of Mowi Scotland's mainland seawater farms is up and running at the company's office in Fort William, Scotland, the United Kingdom.

The centre will allow seawater farm sites to be fed from one centralised location to ensure that feeding strategies are optimised, stated Mowi Scotland's company newsletter, The Scoop. It will keep feeding regimes consistent, ensuring that fish can be fed and monitored at all times, including during poor weather when conditions would be too dangerous for feeding by staff on site.

Currently, there are three farms being monitored and fed from the centre manned by a team of 12 operators.

David Horne, the first employee to work at the centre, told The Scoop, "There are six of us working on each shift and each operator will feed three to four farms, with the aid of pellet recognition technology, when we're fully operational.

"We work closely with the staff on the farms to ensure everything is working as it should and if any issues arise at sea with the cameras. Constant communication between us helps keep everyone on the farms safe and our fish well looked after and healthy.

"We're currently working 12-hour shifts, but this will taper off to eight-hour shifts as the days get shorter. Working on a week on/week off rota means that we have a great work-life balance, and I look forward to getting more people trained up and working in the team soon."

Kris Wright, team leader for the centre, said that it will provide huge benefits to Mowi's feeding strategies, fish health and wellbeing, and for the health and safety of farming staff.

- Fish Farming Expert