Grieg Seafoods has confirmed it lost 21,700 Atlantic salmon when a storm created a hole in a pen’s netting along the cost of the Isle of Skeye.
Fish at the Loch Snizort site near the Isle of Skye had an average weight of two kilograms when they escaped. They were to be part of 12,000 tonnes produced annually by Grieg in the Shetland Islands
“Marine Scotland were informed of the incident and the net was repaired the same day,” said Grant Cumming, a regional managing director, said in a statement.
“Since then we have counted the fish in the net and regrettably estimate that we have lost 21,700. The fish were in good health and had not received any medicines lately.”
The company said it was investigating the net breach discovered on February 11 by a diver on a routine inspection. “We are conducting an in-depth investigation to discover the root cause of the breach in the net to ensure it does not reoccur.”
The Highland Council’s North Planning Committee approved a Loch Snizort East site in December 2014. It was a new site for the Isle of Skye.
“This was a Christmas gift to Grieg Seafood,” said regional manager, Sigurd Pettersen, at the time.
