Salmon lifecycle
At Loch Duart we’re dedicated to replicating the natural lifecycle of a wild salmon. This approach is managed using three simple steps:
1. Eggs: We strip the eggs from our own broodstock, salmon which have been specially selected to create the future generations of Loch Duart Salmon.
2. Hatchery: Taken to the hatchery these eggs are gently nourished using fresh, local water. In these nurturing conditions, which simulate their natural lifecycle, the eggs hatch and grow over 12 months. Starting as Alvin they then grow to be Fry, then Parr and eventually reach the Smolt stage. They are now ready to go to sea.
3. Sea Sites: The Smolt are then transferred to our sea sites where they remain, uninterrupted for up to two years. During this time they grow fitter and heathier each day until they reach a harvestable size.
100% Scottish
There are many strains of farmed salmon available to the industry but what strain do Loch Duart choose? Our salmon aren’t from generic stocks, bred to improve efficiencies for commodity salmon farming. Loch Duart Salmon are 100% Scottish, bred from our unique lineage which can be traced back to the wild fish still swimming in these waters today.
With this innate, wild heritage our salmon are more resilient to the changing marine environment compared to standard farmed salmon stocks. This particular strain of salmon also retain the amazing eating qualities of wild salmon, qualities that we believe have been lost in recent years by commodity salmon farming.
The marine environment
We monitor the environment where we raise our salmon every single day. Our on-site teams observe the temperature, the oxygen readings and, during the summer and warmer months, we monitor for microscopic plankton and jellyfish. Only when we have carefully assessed these results can we make decisions to manage the environment in the best possible way for the salmon.
If you think of salmon as being like athletes that require a finely tuned balance of support, they require constant, careful adjustments to their environment and diet.
Loch Duart Salmon need cool, clear, oxygenated water in order to thrive. But when the salmon are full of feed, their metabolic rate increases and the environment can’t supply the amount of oxygen that they need.
There are several natural approaches we can adopt to mitigate the impact that oxygen depletion can have on our salmon. By supplying oxygen or supplementary water flow and keeping our nets as clean as possible, we can ensure that the biological oxygen demand in the environment is as low as possible.
We can also reduce or even withdraw feed for the salmon, especially when there is a risk from algal blooms or microscopic jellyfish.
By having this solid understanding of the species of algae in these marine environments, by anticipating the likelihood of blooms occurring and by being aware of what’s happening in the greater environment, as well as local area, we can ensure that we fully manage our salmon’s health and welfare.
It’s not the easy way to raise salmon but it’s worth it to get great results.
Watch some films about working at Loch Duart and how the team look after our salmon.