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A MARAZION man has launched a scallop-breeding project that could be worth millions of pounds to the fishing industry.
Colin
Pringle, a marine conservationist who runs Marine Research, is carrying
out the experiment in a refrigerated container on Newlyn's South Pier.
If
successful, it could mean scallops could be harvested without the
environmental damage that can be caused by dredging them from the sea
bed.
Tony
Woodhams, Newlyn Fisheries Project Manager, said: "We're talking
millions of pounds for Cornwall and even more outside the county. It's
a very marketable idea.
"The
great things about Colin's project are that you get absolute control
over what you're trying to produce, and the quality of product is much
cleaner.
"They won't be full of sand like they are when they are dredged, so they would be worth more money too."
Scallops
are currently either dredged from the sea bed using nets (but this is
widely thought to damage sea-bed habitats) or they can be caught by
divers, which is more expensive.
Mr
Pringle's breeding process has been used in labs before, but he wants
to make it possible on a local, industrial and sustainable level.
Supermarket giants Morrisons and Waitrose have already been approached and have expressed interest in the project.
The scallops have been made to reproduce and Mr Pringle is now waiting to see if the offspring survive.
Scallops
are very sensitive and need to be kept in specific temperatures. A beer
chilling machine from Skinner's Brewery is being used to help with this.
Mr
Pringle said: "It would be a sustainable way of producing scallops on a
local, industrial level and could also be a second income for
fishermen. It would also assist in conserving marine resources."
Dave
Mundy, Senior Fisheries Officer at Newlyn Marine and Fisheries Agency,
said: "We are always keen to support new initiatives. Dredging isn't
good for the environment and when dredging nets are dragged over the
sea bed they damage coral, habitats and anything else on it."
If
the scallops are kept alive, they will be put in local sea waters and
either sewn to the sea bed, or attached to buoys using special nets
from where they can be harvested.
Mr
Woodhams said: "This is about trying to improve the quality of the
product and therefore attract a higher price. If you can farm scallops
you have quality control over them."
It
will take a few weeks to find out whether the scallops can be kept
alive. Mr Pringle is looking for funding to help further his research.
The research is also being used as a training resource for marine conservation students.
● For more information, visit www.marineresearch.co.uk
article copyright THE CORNISMAN
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