Mowi Scotland has validated its new sea lice modeling strategy aimed at enhancing the production of post-smolt salmon at its Loch Etive farm.

The approach, spearheaded by Mowi's head of oceanography Philip Gillibrand over several years, compares the continuous production of sea-grown rainbow trout with the production of salmon smolts in two annual cycles, incorporating fallowing periods each year.

Gillibrand said the model suggests Mowi's new farming strategy could substantially reduce sea lice levels. That claim was initially validated in mid-July by Gillibrand and Mowi's chief operating officer for Scotland, Ireland, the Faroe Islands and Atlantic Canada, Ben Hadfield.

Despite the model's precautionary assumptions, early data from the 2.5 million post-smolt salmon stocked at Loch Etive show a high level of accuracy, although it slightly over-predicted sea lice levels in the first five months.

"The data we are collecting will help fine-tune the models and improve predictions in the future," Gillibrand said.

Mowi Scotland was granted consent in late 2023 to grow post-smolt salmon at Loch Etive, with the first fish put to sea in February 2024. The company sees the initiative as a more sustainable alternative to land-based post-smolt production systems, which involve high construction costs and energy use.

Mowi acquired the Loch Etive farms in 2023 as part of its purchase of Dawnfresh Farming, Scotland's largest trout producer.