| THE SCOTTISH SALMON COMPANY WELCOMES APPROVAL FOR LOCH TORRIDON INVESTMENT & JOBS |
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21 March 2012 The Scottish Salmon Company has welcomed a decision by Highland Council’s North Planning Applications Committee to grant approval for a new fish farming facility at Sgeir Dughall on Loch Torridon. The Scottish based and operated salmon farming company has been given permission to install 14 x 32m cages and an adjacent service barge at the site in an investment that will deliver £1.5m – £2m and four new full-time jobs for the local economy. The development is part of the company’s five-year strategy announced earlier this year, which will deliver over £40m of investment in the West Coast and Highlands of Scotland. The new facility at Sgeir Dughall will operate in full compliance with the RSPCA’s Freedom Food standard. In order to minimise impact to the surrounding road networks, fish, fuel and feed movements will be carried out at sea. Dr Stewart McLelland, Chief Executive at The Scottish Salmon Company, commented: “The long-term outlook for this industry to thrive in rural communities like Torridon is fantastic, and we are delighted that The Scottish Salmon Company will be able to bring fresh investment and jobs to the area. “We are extremely proud of the efforts of the 26 skilled operatives currently employed at our facilities in Loch Torridon and nearby Loch Carron. As we seek to boost overall production to 40,000 tonnes across the West Coast and Highlands of Scotland, we are confident that the new employees we will be taking on in the Torridon area will play a successful part in the industry’s on-going success.” Prior to this week’s news of the Sgeir Dughall consent, the company also recently received permission from Highland Council for an application to complete the upgrade of its existing site at Aird on Loch Torridon. Having previously received consent to upgrade the site’s existing cages, the company will invest in long-term economic sustainability by replacing the shore-based feed system currently in use with a new site-based feed barge. |