A David and Goliath battle has broken out on the east coast of Harris as villagers hamper access to a controversial large salmon farm site being developed by a major fish farmer.
Residents in the Drinshader area took action to block off the local pier, preventing fish farm work squads and boats from using the facility.
They have erected a locked steel gate across the entrance to the harbour which is the nearest landing point to The Scottish Salmon Company’s Procapool site.
The Scottish Salmon Company recently activated a dormant planning permission, inherited when they took over West Minch Salmon, and anchored about six cages, now filled with young smolts, along the stunning coastline of the Bays of Harris.
This week the salmon company withdrew a planning bid to install the number of cages but confirmed it will resubmit amended plans at a later date. It is understood they are may be seeking an even larger area of seabed than.
The firm has horrified locals as it intends to more than treble the size of the development
and expand it to about 20 large cages plus a large feed barge. A constant luminous
glow would emit from underwater between January and summer -
On top of claims that “industrial scale” fish farming would devastate the community’s economy, which relies heavily on tourism and craft work, the local fishermen warn the cages are hazardous to safe navigation.
The farm is being expanded down a important sheltered traditional fishing and navigating channel which is heavily used by Scalpay shellfish boats creeling for lobster and crabs.
Now the Drinishader Community Projects Association and pier users group are so deeply concerned that the Scottish Salmon Company will use the local pier that they have placed a gate on the pier to block such use.
A Drinishader Community spokesman said: “The company have used it on a number of occasions recently and the community have no guarantee that they will try to use it in the future.
“They wish to avoid the possibility of the degeneration and creation of the unsightly odorous, conditions at Grosebay, which with Meavaig are the service piers for the development.
The Harris Sustainable Business Group (HSBG) is also campaigning against the salmon farm.
A HSBG spokesperson said: “We have to use every avenue to make it absolutely clear
that we are not anti-
“The SNP government's policy to increase output to service orders from China and Russia is blinding them to the fact that communities will suffer if units producing this protein are given free access to highly sensitive areas.
“MP Angus Brendan Macneil has aready lauded the Scottish Salmon Company on their award as " The Best Marine Aquaculture Company" hence our difficulty in getting a response from him and an appropriate stance from our MSP Alasdair Allan.
“He wishes them well for the future, as do we, but as environment minister Stewart Stevenson has admitted, "We cannot have development at any cost."
A spokesperson for The Scottish Salmon Company said: “In May of this year SSC completed the purchase of WMS and took over full operational control of their sites. We became aware of local concerns around this existing planning amendment and subsequently met with the local community to discuss it.
“As a result of this constructive process and listening to their concerns SSC decided to make changes to the planned amendment. The original application has been withdrawn and there will be a new amendment submitted in due course.
“We will always listen to the views of the local community when they were raised with us and make adjustments if we can, as we want to work in partnership with them.
“The Scottish Salmon Company is committed to the communities of the Hebrides. We want to invest in the islands and we want to create employment and were particularly pleased with the number of applicants already interested in positions at Plocrapool and other sites in the Western Isles.
“This means that we must ensure that our sites are optimised to secure their long term viability.”
Villagers block salmon farm access 10/11/11