Marine Harvest’s huge airlift
IN the largest airlift yet organised by the international fish farming industry, they claim, Marine Harvest Ltd will have moved over 10 million salmon fry and 2 million smolts between its hatcheries, freshwater farms and marine sites in the West Highlands by the end of May. PLM Helicopters of Inverness are transporting the stock.
Steve Bracken, freshwater farms manager for Marine Harvest, said the company was currently engaged in substantial expansion of its production levels, from an estimated 5,500 tonnes this year to 8,500 tonnes in 1989 and over 10,000 tonnes in 1990. Consequently, more fish were being transferred to fresh and sea water farms than ever before.
‘Most of the fish are being transported by road, but helicopters present considerable advantages over short distances and where road access is difficult’, said Bracken. ‘An experimental programme last year showed that aerial transfer was fast, used less labour and reduced stress on the fish, allowing them to settle into farms very well and to start feeding earlier.’
Capt John Poland, managing director of PLM Helicopters, said the contract was their largest to date, involving over 24 days of flying time.
‘The aerial transfer of fish farm stock is very much a Highland initiative’, he said. ‘We pioneered its use several years ago and since then have operated the system between hatcheries and farms throughout the Highlands and islands.’