Two of Scotland’s leading salmon producers collaborate on-site exchange initiative.
In a press release, Bakkafrost-owned The Scottish Salmon Company writes that an agreement will see ownership of SSC’s Trilleachan Mor site on Loch Seaforth on the east of the Isle of Harris and its Scaladale shore base pass to Mowi.
Scotasay and Raineach
In return, SSC will assume control of Mowi’s Scotasay and Raineach sites, further south on the islands, and the shore base at East Loch Tarbert. The site exchange will be carried out in accordance with all regulatory requirements including where required the transfer of relevant licences.
SSC said that the collaborative approach will allow the “producers to consolidate the management of their sites around Harris rather than operating over geographically disparate locations”.
“The creation of these distinct management areas will be key to effective health management, with the largest gain being sea lice control (a naturally occurring skin parasite), where centralised management from the one point will allow for faster and better coordination of resources, resulting in a more effective control of parasite levels,” wrote SSC.
Relocation
The handover and relocation of relevant infrastructure will be completed by March and all staff will be redeployed at different sites.
The Scottish Salmon Company Odd Eliasen CEO said that “the nature of salmon farming means we operate sites in remote and often disparate locations”.
Future collaborations
“Working in partnership with Mowi, we both appreciate the opportunity to restructure the ownership of our sites around Harris that would not only create operational efficiencies but would be key for both companies to continue to improve health management of stock. Collaboration within the industry is vital to enable our long-term sustainable growth and deliver positive economic impact to the remote and rural communities in which we work,” said Eliasen.
Mowi’s COO Farming Scotland, Ireland and the Faroes Ben Hadfield added that the site exchange is “a prime example of how positive collaboration between companies can lead to a win-win situation both from a fish health perspective and environmentally.”
“It is encouraging to see agreements like this materialise and it certainly opens a door for future collaborations that contribute to the sustainable development of our sector,” he added.
Explaining the exchange initiative, Dr Iain Berrill, Head of Technical at the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, said that the news aligns with the commitments the trade organisation made in its Sustainability Charter, launched last November.
“We know from many years of experience that coordination and collaboration by farming neighbours has an incredibly beneficial impact on fish welfare. This leads not only to improved health for our fish, but also supports us in meeting our responsibility to look after the environment in which we farm,” said Berrill.
