First fish farm planned for Jura’s wild west coast
Plans have been submitted to Argyll and Bute Council to build the first fish farm off the Isle of Jura’s wild and uninhabited west coast, writes Sandy Neil.
Kilmelford-based Kames Fish Farming Ltd, in a pre-planning application, is ‘screening and scoping opinion’ for a 14-pen fin fish farm north of Corpach Bay, 15km south west of the Gulf of Corryvreckan.
Last December Kames withdrew its controversial plan to site the first fish farm in the Sound of Jura, opposed by a 3,000-signature petition, and has been scoping potential sites within reach of its shore bases in Loch Craignish and Loch Melfort, and has now selected ‘Jura West’.
Kames’ report states: ‘To date no clearly alternative location, that is also compatible with technical constraints, has been identified.’
The salmon and sea trout farm would likely consist of two rows of 14, 38m-diameter circular pens, in a 70m-square grid per pen, with a 43.4m-by-15m and 10m-high feed barge, 100120m off shore.
‘The remote and exposed location of the site means that a large feed barge is required for feed storage and for staff accommodation,’ the report went on to say.
The feed barge will have a generator, though noise would be ‘effectively baffled’, and navigational and utility lights for night or winter working.
The report continued: ‘The site would be managed from the Argyll mainland with no new shore-based infrastructure. There is no contemporary development on the coast, the land being extensive deer forest. The area is valued for its wildness, remoteness and tranquillity.
‘There is no night time illumination on Jura, the island appearing as a dark mass. There is no habitation on Jura visible from the sea and no apparent influence of human occupation or infrastructure, creating an impression of remoteness.
‘In places the proposed development will be prominent and seen at close proximity’, and ‘partly visible’ 500m south at ‘rarely visited’ Corpach Bay, ‘evidently used by wild campers and for picnics’.
‘Those walkers who do come here will be here for the scenic quality, tranquillity, sense of remoteness and wildness, as well as the panoramic views.
‘Despite its perceived remoteness, along the coast there are areas of scattered debris on the strand line and amongst the rocky inlets.
‘Respondents will be relatively few in number, but highly sensitive to the proposed development.’