Fish farm firm reveals plan for near 450m reconfiguration

The fish farm, not far from Garmony in the Sound of Mull, has been operating since 1988. 

Scallastle was a pioneer for Scottish Sea Farms in the use of seaweed to naturally clean pens, for which it won an award last year. 

The site currently uses 16 pens, each 90 metres in circumference in a 45 metre mooring grid, for its salmon farming operations. But now it wants to uproot and replace these with fewer, but larger versions. The plans show the firm wants to construct eight pens, measuring 130 metres in circumference in a 60 metre grid, rather than 16 smaller ones. 

These would cover a total area of 10,759 metres squared, which is a 445.6m increase in the surface area overall. These would fit into the current mooring area of the farm.

There is no increase in biomass associated with the proposal or change to the feed barge. 

The proposal says: "The pens deployed will be identical to those currently at the site but larger in circumference and diameter – i.e., low in profile and constructed of black, non-reflective material.

"It is proposed to install pole-mounted top nets. The sector has been changing to this type of design because of the advantages in terms of improved fish welfare and operational efficiency over the traditional ‘hamster wheel’ design.

"The top nets will be supported and tensioned by fiberglass poles extending up to 6m above the water level depending on tension and constructed of dark grey mesh. The side panel will have a mesh size of 75mm and the ceiling panel a mesh size of 100mm."