Loch Hourn campaigners claim 'David v Goliath' victory in Mowi fish farm planning knock-back
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FISH FARM giant Mowi is considering its options after suffering a “David versus Goliath” defeat at a Highland Council planning committee in Ross-shire.
Councillors voted 7 - 6 to refuse Mowi’s application to expand their fish farm in Loch Hourn, a sea loch on the west coast.
Friends of Loch Hourn ( FoLH) says its campaign to block the expansion should be a rallying call to other coastal communities “in the battle to protect wild fish populations”.
FoLH believes its victory represents the first time in Scotland that such a project has been quashed because of the threat to wild salmon and sea trout posed by industrial scale fish farming and sea lice parasites that can harm wild species.
“While this decision is just vindication of the incredible efforts of our tiny, rural community against the might of a huge corporation, the fight to restore the loch’s habitats and species is only just beginning.”
Mowi Scotland’s head of environment Stephen MacIntyre said: “We were disappointed with the decision of the committee given the application received no objections from all statutory science bodies and that the planning officials had recommended the application for approval.
“We are now reviewing the process that led to this decision and considering our options.”
Peter Fletcher, whose family has lived for generations in Arnisdale, said: “At least two main rivers here are now extinct as far as salmon are concerned and a third is teetering on the edge.
“Wild fish populations have dwindled so far that they are under threat. It is an ecological catastrophe.
“While this decision is just vindication of the incredible efforts of our tiny, rural community against the might of a huge corporation, the fight to restore the loch’s habitats and species is only just beginning.”
Norwegian owned Mowi and farms 2500 tonnes of salmon in its open cages at the Creag an T’Sagairt. It initially applied to increase production by 25 per cent to 3100 tonnes, later reduced to 2750 tonnes.
With grant and private funding FoLH commissioned scientific modelling, which showed that the increased numbers of sea lice coming from the farm would not only further endanger wild salmon and trout, but also would adversely affect the vulnerable Loch Hourn population of freshwater pearl mussels.
FoLH’s detailed evidence, supported by individual submissions by the Loch Hourn community and The Skye & Lochalsh Rivers Trust, led to the northern planning committee in Dingwall rejecting Mowi’s application.
Arnisdale fisherman Mick Simpson said: “We owe thanks to those councillors who made an effort to see what the research says. It was clear their consciences would not allow them to vote for this expansion.
“We hope Mowi will now respect the planning decision and the feelings of the local community.”
FoLH will now assess the viability of restoring native oyster and sea grass beds, vital habitats for other marine species and important for carbon sequestration and storage and research the cause of a sharp decline of blue mussel populations.
