Cooke Aquaculture Scotland is seeking to reassure the local community in Orkney that a proposed new salmon farm off Papa Westray will comply with all regulations and best practice.
The six cage farm off East Moclett in the North Sound has been approved by the Orkney Islands Council Planning Committee after the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency raised no issues or objections.
Other statutory bodies party to the consultation are Historic Environment Scotland, Marine Scotland, Scottish Water, NatureScot and Papa Westray Community Council, some of whom raised objections to the proposed development.
However, the Orkney Islands Council agreed with their planning staff, concluding that the objections raised were not of sufficient weight to merit refusal.
‘Very valid points’
“We have heard very valid points raised by the Papa Westray Community Council and Papa Westray residents and we will continue dialogue with them and ensure that this new farm site is compliant with all appropriate regulations and best practices,” said Joel Richardson, vice president of public relations for Cooke Aquaculture Scotland.
“It is important to note that while various campaigners promote false information about the UK’s number one food export, farm-raised Scottish salmon, it is clear with this approval that they are misleading the public in an attempt to further their own agendas,” he added.
“Make no mistake that skilled, well-paying jobs for Orkney people and their families is far more important to keep remote communities viable. No farmers – no food.”
Cooke plans to start hiring and training six new local employees to service the East Moclett site out of the company’s Westray shorebase in 2023.
