Barcaldine Hatchery Project

Water treatment equipment designed and supplied by Power and Water will be used at Scottish Sea Farms’ Barcaldine Hatchery near Oban for the duration of the project. Using an electrochemical process and ultrasound technology, it will first extract excess water from waste matter before the remaining nutrient-rich material is fed to marine worms – or polychaetes – to boost their growth.
A second stage of the research involves assessing the nutritional profile of the worms, including protein and fatty acids, to gauge their suitability as an aquaculture feed ingredient. Polychaetes are already used in seafood production as a key feed source for shrimp at the breeding stage, and other studies have explored their role in terrestrial animals’ diets. The remaining wastewater will then be filtered further using natural seaweed to absorb any nitrogen and phosphorous.