Away with the fairies!
Plans for Skye salmon farm are thrown out... amid concern for welfare of ancient sea sprites
A fish farm planned for the coast of skye has been blocked amid concerns for the wellbeing of... fairies.
A group of locals opposed to the salmon farm say steel fish cages are a ‘proven’ danger to the isle’s aquatic fairies.
The flodigarry fairies, who claim to represent the creatures, say the plan for 12 sea cages would put the sprites’ lives at risk.
They warned that the Ashrai – which they say have been in the waters off skye for 1,000 years – could be drawn to the surface by the cages and then melt.
in folklore, the Ashrai are similar to mermaids, depicted as lithe and 2ft-4ft tall.
The flodigarry fairies urged highland Council to refuse plans for the fish farm. They wrote: ‘Ashrai live for hundreds of years and will come up to the surface of the water once each century to bathe in the moonlight, which they use to help them grow.
‘it is proven the steel of the fish farm cages draws many Ashrai to the surface, with only one result: They melt.’
They also warned of danger to gnomes – the ‘Blue Men of the Minch’ – and said male fish farm workers could be ‘lured with promises of gold and jewels into the deepest part of the ocean’ and drowned.
More conventional concerns were raised about the impact on local fishing.
A scottish fishermen’s federation spokesman said: ‘The worry remains for the safety of local fishermen.
‘fishermen lose more and more grounds to fish farms.
‘fishermen can no longer fish these areas, which leads to more dangerous situations as they cannot take shelter in these safe spots any more. The areas around fish farms are affected by chemicals, even when the farms are organic. There are so many farms in the waters around skye that we cannot predict the cumulative effects of these chemicals. fishermen have already found dead salmon and prawns around farms.’
scottish Natural heritage also objected to the proposals. it said: ‘The fish farm is on the edge of Trotternish National scenic Area, which is of national importance for its landscapes.
‘The most significant landscape and visual impacts will be along the section of coast immediately adjacent to the development.’ Local residents in flodigarry, in the north-east of the island, also spoke at a planning committee meeting on Tuesday, where they raised concerns about the impact on tourism, which brings in £1.8million to the local economy every year from thousands of visitors. Councillors on highland Council refused the controversial proposals after a six-hour debate at Tuesday’s meeting.
‘Bathe in the moonlight’