Faroese salmon producer Bakkafrost has submitted an application to North Ayrshire Council for a new salmon farm development at Hunterston.
The project is anticipated to create 35 jobs in the district.
The proposal includes the construction of buildings, access roads, parking, landscaping, and other necessary infrastructure.
- January 2023: Bakkafrost lodged a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) for a ‘recirculating aquaculture system’ (RAS) facility at Hunterston Port and Resource Centre (PARC).
- March 2023: The company began public exhibitions and engagement activities to gather feedback from the community and stakeholders.
- Ongoing: Bakkafrost is gathering feedback from the public engagement and taking action based on the input received.
- July 2024: Planning application for the RAS facility is scheduled to be submitted to the North Ayrshire Council.
Bakkafrost Scotland, a major producer of Scottish salmon with over 35 sites across the West Coast of Scotland and the Hebridean Islands, currently employs more than 400 people in remote communities. The company has emphasized its commitment to the environmental, cultural, and economic sustainability of rural Scotland.
The proposed facility will feature a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) at Fairlie, allowing for the rearing of larger juvenile salmon in a land-based system, which is designed to reduce the marine production cycle and associated biological risks.
The project also includes a visitor education facility, viewing gallery, and a new administration and education centre with offices, meeting spaces, and laboratories. Bakkafrost believes the development will bring wider economic benefits to the area.
