Re-using fish farm waste to make horticultural structures

Re-using Fish Farm Waste to Make Horticultural Structures

Marine Fish Farming in the Outer Hebrides The Outer Hebrides has an extensive coastline offering a clean highquality water environment which provides ideal conditions for growing farmed fish and shellfish. Marine fish farming is an established industry and a key employment sector in the Outer Hebrides. The area is the third largest regional producer of salmon in Scotland and has an extensive number of farm sites.

Fish Farm waste: Due to its clean waters the islands are particularly suited to the development of smolts (young fish). This means that the facilities for their development require the use of fine gauge net cages to contain them. The large numbers of fish are of high value and the need to maintain the cages in good condition necessitates their frequent renewal to avoid risk of fish escaping. This produces a high volume of waste matter – net cages pipes that are either landfilled or burnt, wooden walkways that may be recycled or burnt, and plastic feed pipes that can be returned to the industry for recycling on the mainland.

“fish farms will be happy to give a net as it saves them having to dispose of it�

Resources: A 9m x 9m x5m fish cage produces approx. 1.07 tonnes of waste materials to make wind break fences, raised beds and poly tunnel hoops, that avoid land filling, burning or transport to specialist recycling on the mainland and replace the need for purchase of new materials.

One fish cage 9mx9mx5m

0.25tonnes

Walkways (Douglas Fir) 530kg/m2

8 timbers

1 length = 9mx0,23mx0,075m x 8

0.72tonnes

Plastic feed pipe 50m

0.1

1 cage

1.07 tonnes

tonne

The core groups of participants provided the following feedback: What did you expect to learn on the course ?

‘I expected to learn the basis on how to build a windbreak and Polytunnel but it was much more interesting as the group all took part in building both’ What did you do on the course ?

‘We all did a lot of practical work in building the windbreak and the Polytunnel’

Overview of Program Harvesting Fish Farm Waste The aim of the programme was to show the community how to process fish farm waste materials into long term horticultural structures for their own domestic use. But firstly, the waste materials have to be harvested from local aquaculture businesses

Workshops for the Community ‘The tutor was very knowledgeable and patient’ Will you put any of the skills you learned into practice?

‘Definitely, we intend to make a wind break in our garden the length of our fence.it was interesting to know if you wet the net before pulling it when dry it would be really tight.’

‘Using the plastic pipe instead of wood was another very good idea.’

‘I think the fish farms will be happy to give a net as it saves them having to dispose of it as they change them regularly’.

‘Using the net as a wind break and seeing how to put the cover on the Polytunnel and the importance of tightening it.’

‘The course was very well organised; the tutor was informative and took time to explain how things were done.’

This is the Quote style. It’s great for calling out a few very important points.

The workshop programme, comprised of 8 sessions, and ran for four weeks.

The purpose was to involve the community in the process of learning how to reuse waste fish farm materials to construct windbreaks and poly tunnels for themselves.

Building Horticultural structures After the four-week session we had built a windbreak fence (1.8 x 50m) and a polytunnel (4 x 5m) on a garden site in South Uist. The owners are currently installing some raised beds.

Who we are A Climate Challenge Fund project Providing community growing facilities Improving carbon literacy Re-using waste to grow food

Grow Your Own Community is strengthening social cohesion and creating a low carbon future for Uist by providing young families with community growing facilities, improving carbon literacy, and delivering practical workshop programmes on re-using waste materials to grow food. We are also reducing Food Miles by supplying and promoting ‘Machair Potatoes’.

Contact Us Tagsa Uibhist East Camp Enterprise Park Balivanich Isle of BenbecuLa HS75LA Phone: 01870 608906 Email: lauradonkers@tagsauibhisttrading.co.uk Web: www.localfood-uist.co.uk

Grow Your Own Community Tagsa Uibhist East Camp Enterprise Park Balivanich Isle of BenbecuLa HS75LA