All of Mowi Scotland's existing feedpipes are now being branded with the Mowi logo using an in-house designed device.
Photo: Mowi Scotland.
To facilitate the identification of the source of marine debris, Mowi Scotland announced that it will now brand all of its feedpipes, making it easier to recognise. The salmon farming company hopes this initiative will also contribute to reducing marine waste.
The idea of branding the pipes in case this loss were to occur came from Ullapool Sea Savers, a kids' marine conservation charity from this coastal town in the Highlands, Scotland, supporting local young people to raise awareness of the challenges facing their local marine environment and finding ways to celebrate and promote what Mowi described as "all that is wonderful about the sea around where they live."
"When Ullapool Sea Savers approached us with the idea of branding our feedpipes, it was a no-brainer for us," explained Ben Hadfield, COO Farming at Mowi Scotland.
"We want to be a responsible neighbour, and while we don't plan on losing any feedpipes or equipment, during storms it can unfortunately happen. Having a clear way to identify marine waste means straight away we know where it came from and can ensure it is cleared quickly," Hadfield continued.
"However, even if marine debris has not come from one of our farms, we will still be clearing waste nearby, as well as carrying out proactive beach cleans and providing data to the Marine Conservation Society," the COO Farming at Mowi Scotland added.
The Scottish subsidiary of the Norwegian salmon giant reiterated that the aquaculture industry is working hard to prevent marine debris from farms from reaching the fish farms. In the case of feedpipes, losses are not common, but they can occur during storms.
Mowi Scotland noted that these wastes often come from other industries and even other countries and are carried to Scotland by winds and tides over many months or years.
The company explained that the current procedure stipulates that if anyone finds aquaculture waste, they must report it to the industry organization Salmon Scotland using the What3Words app—a geocoding system that is easier to remember and share than traditional GPS coordinates. Once the location of the waste is reported, regardless of its origin, the nearest salmon farm will be responsible for removing it.
Now, with this initiative already underway—currently, all existing feed pipes are being branded, and any future feedpipe purchases will also be branded—Mowi will become the first company in Scotland to customize its feedpipes with a brand.
Used to transport fish feed pellets from a central barge or vessel directly to sea cages or land-based tanks, in aquaculture, a feed pipe is typically a flexible and durable tube, usually made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). To brand them with the Mowi logo, the company is using a device that was designed in-house in Mowi Scotland.
"In 2025, our teams across Scotland carried out 57 beach cleans, and now they have been busy branding the feedpipes – something that involves a significant investment in time, so I'd like to thank everyone involved. I hope this move will help us all to maintain cleaner waters," COO Farming at Mowi Scotland Ben Hadfield concluded.
