Odour Problems In Farmed Trout:
Natural Taint Compounds Produced By Microbes.
A MAFF/BTA funded  research project in collaboration with the Institute of Aquaculture

A MAFF/British Trout Association funded collaborative research project between the Robert Gordon University (Aberdeen) and the Institute of Aquaculture (Stirling)  has been set up in order to investigate the causes of naturally produced taint compound(s) in farmed trout and to develop management strategies to mitigate such problems. Contacts:

Planktonic and benthic algae (particularly cyanobacteria), fungi and actinomycetes are known to produce Geosmin (GSM) and 2-methylisoborneal (MIB). These semi-volatile compounds have a muddy, earthy, musty odour detectable by the human palate when present at extremely low concentrations in water and fish. Although they are not suspected of being a health hazard, they are a major nuisance to providers of domestic water supplies and farmed fish. Fish rapidly absorb these compounds and their flesh acquires the same earthy, musty taint of the water, thus rendering them unmarketable. American producers of catfish have suffered major financial losses due to costs associated with delayed harvesting (moving fish to cleaner water (depuration), extra labour, feed etc). At present, no economically feasible method exists for the removal of these compounds. Although compare to American aquaculture the problem in the UK has been less documented, similar economic losses have been reported by UK trout producers. In a recent survey, 25% of all respondents reported odour problems in their fish.

Institute of Aquaculture
The Robert Gordon University
MAFF
The American Catfish Problem
Cyanosite-Excellent resource web site for Cyanobacteria researchers
British Trout Association
Scottish Quality Trout
Fishlink-Aquaculture web site

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 Some Pictures of Cyanobacteria
Lyngbya sp.
Oscillatoria sp.
Anabaena variabilis
Oscillatoria margaritifera
More pictures at Cyanosites photo gallery
 

 
 
 

 

If you have comments or suggestions, email us at:

                       Senior Project Coordinator (RGU) L.Lawton@RGU.ac.uk
           Research Fellow (RGU) R.Robertson@RGU.ac.uk
                                  Project Coordinator (IOA, Stirling) M.C.M.Beveridge@Stir.ac.uk
                        Research Fellow (IOA, Stirling) M.M.Hennessy@Stir.ac.uk
 
 

 
 
 
 

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