Plans to bring a transformative salmon farm to Loch Long in Scotland are being opposed by officials representing the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, despite the park authority identifying the project as being “of national significance to Scotland.”
Officers representing the park recommended the park's board refuse Loch Long Salmon’s plans for Scotland's first semi-closed containment technology salmon farm, Benn Reithe.
Ahead of a National Park Board meeting on 31 October, 2022, at which the project wioll be considered, the National Park Authority recommended the farm’s planning proposal be rejected.
The authority said it “recognizes and agrees that this proposal is significant for the sector and of national significance in Scotland, however the proposal must be considered against the development plan and all other material considerations. The proposal does not fully accord with the local development plan and therefore cannot be supported.”
Loch Long Salmon argued this approach goes against a key aim of the park’s own “partnership plan,” namely to “address national priorities and achieve benefits for Scotland beyond the national park boundaries.”
The company has also highlighted examples where national park officers have seemingly dismissed advice from some national bodies and international experts who have raised no objections to the Benn Reithe project or determined that it poses no threat to marine mammals.
“This transformative technology could have a positive environmental impact across Scotland by leading positive change in salmon farming, a critical food production sector and a vital part of our rural economy,” Loch Long Salmon Managing Director Stewart Hawthorn said.
Hawthorn said the farm has support of bodies such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Forestry and Land Scotland and NatureScot; the local minister of parliament; a cross-party grouping of MSPs and councillors; and the host Arrochar, Tarbet, and Ardlui Community Council.
“The technology has been proven for decades and has operated without any fish escapes over hundreds of production cycles," Hawthorn said. "It removes the threat of sea lice and the need for treatment, protecting the seabed, and will never require acoustic devices to deter seals.”
Hawthorn also said that waste and any uneaten food that gathers at the bottom of the enclosure will be brought ashore and can be used as the basis for fertilizer or green energy.
“Loch Long is the ideal location for our demonstration site. We are confident board members will see the benefits of this game-changing project, furthering the national park’s goals by promoting sustainable business growth, creating jobs, and supporting communities,” he said.
According to the planning application, the proposed site has a total area of 65 hectares which includes a 1.2-hectare area of land on the western shore of Loch Long where the land-based elements would be located. The rest of the application site includes the marine structures and equipment which would be within Loch Long.
If approved, Loch Long Salmon wants to open its first farm in 2023.
The company is a joint venture between Simply Blue Aquaculture, Trimara Services, and Golden Acre Foods.
Photo courtesy of Loch Long
