Campaigners question salmon farmer’s “caring” image 2/8/11
►Scottish Salmon promises commitment to islands
Fishermen and Harris residents are criticising the Scottish Salmon Company for painting a “picture of a caring company” when it failed to consult over a proposed large salmon farm which they warn threatens local livelihoods.
The Harris Sustainable Business Group (HSBG) says it taking legal advice in its fight against the firm’s plans to place 20 big cages in a navigation channel by important fishing grounds at Procrapol, in East Loch Tarbert.
A spokesman for HSBG said: “Fish farming is an established industry supplying much
needed employment and -
“However, development cannot take place at any cost. There has to be consideration and care for the environment and ill placed sites will do serious damage to the wider economy, perception of the islands and in turn affect marketing and quality of the farmed salmon product.”
He added: “Farmed fish should be a high quality product, grown in pristine conditions with highly trained staff working in a pleasant considered environment. This is even more important in the Hebrides with a fragile economy, where massive scale and industrialisation of the process, poses threats on many levels. Profitability is the driving force to the detriment of other factors.”
The group believes that deep-
It fears a push for increased volume, scale and automation places profitability high on the agenda and has the potential, if unchecked, to do untold harm.
The spokesman said: "We welcome companies who speak of sustainability, considered development, working with communities for the common good.
“Indeed, it is a considered prerequisite, according to Scottish fish farming planning procedures, that before planning consent is sought, companies should engage with communities as to how best to take development forward in a mutually advantageous way."
"The Scottish Salmon Company have stated that they are keen to support local communities and culture, yet a large scale industrial fish farm in a shallow bay at Procrapol, that threatens long established fishing grounds, five local businesses and a small community, has seen not one approach from the company.”
He added: “PR statements and promises are about self-
"Harris Sustainable Business group, formed recently, with a growing membership, are about protecting all that is good and developing in a considered and ethical way."
"Dialogue with the company would be welcome, but in its absence, we are taking legal advice, building our community base and questioning the imposition of a fish farm of such an alarming scale, into an area, that is clearly unsuitable."