Marine Harvest has announced plans to open a new Atlantic salmon hatchery in the Scottish hamlet of Lochailort. Once completed the development will be one of the biggest facilities of its kind in the world.
In 2009, Marine Harvest announced plans to increase tonnage from 40,000 tonnes per year up to 60,000 tonnes per year. The hatchery will therefore play a key role in the expansion plans of the company.
The new hatchery is expected to be roughly 90m x 150m and will create six additional jobs.
A spokesperson from Marine Harvest told TheFishSite that the new facility will provide over five million smolts plus good quantities of fry and parr which will be sent to the company's freshwater loch sites.
With the additional jobs, and feed for the hatchery coming from the main Scottish suppliers, the expansion is good news for Scotland.
The spokesperson confirmed that the majority of the eggs at the hatchery will be provided by Marine Harvest, with some coming from other sources, and the smolts will be supplied to Marine Harvest farms.
The Scottish Environment Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, visited the Marine Harvest site.
"Marine Harvest operates to high environmental standards and is committed to growing sustainably in Scotland, therefore Im pleased they are demonstrating this commitment through plans for a world class facility in Lochailort," said Mr Wheelhouse.
The hatchery is expected to be completed by the end of 2012 and will have eyed eggs by 2013.
New Hatchery Plays Key Role in Marine Harvest Expansion Plans
ANALYSIS - Marine Harvest is building a new hatchery facility at a fish farm in Lochailort, on the west coast of Scotland, UK. The new hatchery will play an important role in the company's expansion plans, writes Lucy Towers, TheFishSite Editor.
by Lucy Towers
