Fish farm protest
A large demonstration was held at Lamlash pier in protest at the planned expansion of the Lamlash fish farm which has applied for permission to double the size of its holdings. A decision on the application is due next week.
More than 30 people gathered at Lamlash pier to protest at the expansion of the Lamlash fish farm last Thursday.
The protest, organised by Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST), brought together locals, supporters and people within the marine industry who protested at the entrance to the pier as well as boarding boats and protesting on the waters between the fish farm and the mussel farm.
The expansion of the fish farm, which is owned by The Scottish Salmon Company, seeks to double the biomass of fish in their enclosures, which the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has indicated it will approve pending further objections. Protesters cited waste effluent and chemical effluent and the impact on wild salmon and other wildlife as reasons for their objections to the planned expansion.
COAST has asked the environment cabinet secretary Roseanna Cunningham to ‘call in’ and oppose the decision which, it says, will impact negatively on the South Arran Marine Protected Area that was established in February this year. Ms Cunningham is considering the calling in of the fish farm expansion and her department will aim to make this decision by Wednesday December 7.
A spokeswoman for The Scottish Salmon Company said: ‘We submitted an application to SEPA to increase the net depth at St Molio’s fish farm in September 2015. SEPA has proposed to grant this licence.’