ASSG CONFERENCE 2025 – SCOTTISH CULTIVATED SHELLFISH: PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

ASSG Conference 2025 – Scottish Cultivated Shellfish: Planning for the Future. Oban’s Corran Halls played host to the annual Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers Conference (ASSG) on October 1^st and 2^nd 2025. More than 130 delegates packed the venue to hear about every aspect of shellfish science, production and marketing, from an international panel of speakers.

Dennis Overton, chair of the Scottish Food Commission, opened the event with a keynote speech looking at aquaculture’s role in transforming Scotland’s food system.

Dennis Overton said:

“Aquaculture has much to contribute to the transformation of Scotland’s food system, particularly in the area of marine biodiversity recovery. Fin fish farmers have the opportunity to reduce carbon through feed innovation. Scotland’s aquaculture products are generally healthy foods, but they are not yet an important enough part of the Scottish diet; that needs to change. Compared to other European countries, Scotland’s food culture has scope to develop. Farmed fish and shellfish have a vital part to play in the cultural renaissance.”

His speech was followed by the annual Best Scottish Shellfish competition. This hotly fought contest sought to find the producer of the best Scottish mussels, Native and Pacific oysters, as pronounced by an expert panel of judges, including renowned local chef Michael Leathley, from The Pierhouse Hotel, Port Appin.

The winners were:

Native Oysters

Winner            Judith and Angus Vajk, Caledonian Oysters

Runner up         Gerard Macdonald, Isle of Barra Oysters

Pacific Oysters

Winner            Gordon Turnbull, Isle of Mull Oysters

Runner up         John Barrington, Creran Oysters

Mussels           Douglas Wilson/Cameron Maclean, Inverlussa Mussels

A full afternoon of talks offered presentations on Oysters Australia; making the most of science; guests’ shellfish expectation; shellfish in the retail sector and beyond; growth through collaboration and marketing; and a plug for the annual Dutch shellfish conference and exhibition.

A technical session chaired by ASSG CEO Nick Lake rounded off the day, with talks on using dogs to detect invasive non-native species; evaluating mussel spat settlement; a new programme to record shellfish site environments; and use of social media.

Day two was equally informative, with presentations on the plankton monitoring revolution; probing the marine microbiome; engaging with researchers; satisfying demand for oyster seed; developments in mussel cultivation; and making the most of Scottish shellfish.

A trade exhibition ran alongside the conference, and included a water safety stand from the local RNLI, for whom the ASSG ran a well-supported prize draw that collected more than £850.

Commenting on a record turnout for the conference and a packed programme, Nick Lake said:

“Once again all those with an interest in this important Scottish rural sector came together to explore the best ways for the industry to develop. Planning for the future in a world that is increasingly throwing up challenges for food production, is a vote of confidence in the role cultivated shellfish can play. Increasingly it is being recognised that shellfish production can contribute not only to food supplies, but also environmental stability.”