Mowi partners with Benthic Solutions on dedicated seabed survey vessel.
Mowi has entered into a partnership with UK-based Benthic Solutions Ltd to operate a dedicated environmental survey vessel, the Benthic Surveyor, for use in its Scottish salmon farming operations.
The vessel, which became operational in mid-March, is now permanently mobilised for benthic compliance surveys across Mowi’s marine farm sites. It is equipped with lifting gear, positioning systems, seabed imaging equipment, and an onboard wet laboratory. Its home port will be Barra in the Outer Hebrides.
The vessel will be skippered by Donald MacLeod, a former RNLI coxswain and recipient of an MBE for services to maritime safety. According to Mowi, the partnership will allow the company to streamline survey logistics and increase the efficiency of its compliance monitoring.
Mowi anticipates conducting around 35 seabed surveys this year across its sites in Scotland, as part of an expanded regulatory monitoring programme. The company states that these surveys play a key role in demonstrating compliance with environmental regulations and certification schemes.
The monitoring programme is led by Mowi’s senior marine surveyor Dave Young, who has conducted more than 400 seabed compliance surveys over the past 25 years and was recently nominated in the ‘Unsung Hero’ category of the 2025 Aquaculture Awards.
Benthic Solutions, which has worked with Mowi for over 20 years, described the dedicated vessel as a major improvement in operational logistics. Ian Wilson of Benthic Solutions said the Benthic Surveyor will reduce the need to repeatedly mobilise survey equipment and vessels, increasing safety and efficiency for field teams.
Mowi also indicated it is exploring the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) alongside conventional seabed sampling to inform future compliance measures.