Renaissance for historic aquaculture site
SCOTLAND’S First Minister,Alex Salmond, officially opened Marine Harvest’s new smolt hatchery in Lochailort on 7th June.The new recirculation facility is capable of stocking eleven million fish to the company’s Scottish sites each year, with six million of these being stocked as fry and parr into their freshwater loch sites and the remainder being grown on in situ to become smolts before being transferred to sea water.
Speaking at the opening, the First Minister voiced his admiration for, and support of, the industry, saying:‘The Scottish Government fully supports the successful, sustainable, and growing fish farming industry in Scotland, and with farmed salmon now worth over £600 million a year, and also being Scotland’s top food export, it is crucial that this industry continues to compete and lead the way internationally.
‘I am therefore delighted to officially open this recirculation hatchery in Lochailort, which is the largest and most technically advanced hatchery in the world.’