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Fish rearing in Newport
At our Newport facility, we rear freshwater fish to support research, conservation, and a better understanding of how fish populations grow and survive. Our work focuses on Atlantic salmon and trout, which are important to Ireland’s rivers and coastal ecosystems.
How we rear fish
We use several systems to care for fish at different life stages. These facilities allow us to study fish development in a controlled environment.
- ponds for adult fish, known as broodstock
- hatcheries where eggs are incubated and hatched
- indoor and outdoor tanks for growing fish
- a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), where water is filtered and reused
Understanding salmon life cycles
The salmon ranching programme is one of our longest-running projects. It follows young salmon from release through their return as adults.
- releasing young salmon, called smolts, into the wild
- tracking their return to rivers as adults
- studying survival and migration patterns
Long-term salmon monitoring
We tag the fish so we can identify them when they return. This helps us understand how salmon grow, where they travel, and how many survive.
This work has continued since the 1950s and has helped us build a long-term picture of salmon populations in Ireland.
Why this work matters
Rearing and studying fish helps us connect controlled research with the needs of wild populations, aquaculture, and fisheries.
- learn how fish populations respond to environmental change
- support the conservation of wild salmon and trout
- improve how aquaculture, or fish farming, is managed
- provide science to support sustainable fisheries
Working with research partners
We collaborate with universities and research teams to understand fish development and survival across wild ecosystems and aquaculture.
- studying interactions between farmed and wild salmon and what they mean for wild populations
- exploring how new aquaculture systems can support fish growth
- investigating how nutrients such as vitamin D affect fish health and development