Planners approve Cooke's new Orkney farm site

THE Orkney Islands Council has approved an application by Cooke Aquaculture for a new salmon farm site in the north of the islands.

The six-cage site will be based at East Moclett, off the island of Papa Westray in Orkney’s North Sound, with permission for up to 3,850 tonnes of biomass.

The proposal had seen no objection from statutory bodies including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), NatureScot and Scottish Water, but a group of campaigners under the banner of the No East Moclett group voiced opposition to the plan.

The group says more than 100 objections had been sent to Orkney Islands Council from residents and others, and a petition organised by the Scottish Greens reportedly attracted 138 signatures.

Joel Richardson, Vice President of Public Relations for Cooke Aquaculture Scotland, said: “We appreciate that the Planning Committee was guided by and accepted the thorough technical and scientific reviews of all the statutory consultation bodies which filed no objections.

"Farm-raised Scottish salmon has one of the lowest carbon footprints of all animal proteins, and Cooke Aquaculture Scotland is committed to science-led research to set the highest standards for responsible harvesting and sustainable processes across all aspects of our business.”

He added: “We have heard very valid points raised by the Papa Westray Community Council and Papa Westray residents, and we will continue dialogue with them and ensure that this new farm site is compliant with all appropriate regulations and best practices. As one of the largest employers in Orkney and Northern Isles, Cooke Aquaculture Scotland will maximise economic and social benefits.”

The fish farm was also assessed against all relevant policies of the Orkney Local Development Plan and other relevant material planning considerations. The Orkney Islands Council agreed with their planning staff, who concluded that on balance the objections raised by various parties were not of sufficient weight to merit refusal.

Cooke plans to start hiring and training six new local employees to service the East Moclett site, working out of the company’s Westray shorebase, in 2023.

Meanwhile an economic study commissioned by Cooke Aquaculture Scotland, and published in August ahead of the planning decision, argues that fish farming has a positive social impact on employment and communities in Orkney and the Northern Isles.

The report argues that a new fish farm can be transformational in tackling local depopulation. Including bonus and overtime payments during 2020-21, it highlights that Cooke’s skilled and permanent jobs are paying an average of £35,112, which is 24.8% more than the Orkney average and 8.6% above the figure for Scotland. The company's processing centre in Kirkwall also employs a staff of more than 41.