An organic salmon hatchery in Scotland has completed a major overhaul.
The Inverkerry Hatchery and Smolt Unit at Gairloch in Wester Ross will organically produce around 1.2 million young salmon every year, before they are transferred to the sea to mature.
Located at the end of the River Kerry, the Inverkerry site was built in 1984, with the upgrade getting under way in 2020. The major upgrade of the Hendrix Genetics site directly supports five local jobs and ensures the hatchery will have a long future supplying its partner Organic Sea Harvest with quality smolts.
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, who unveiled the upgraded facility said that Scotland’s aquaculture industry was championing and driving innovation. “Such innovation will ensure the sector continues to deliver improvements, in this case to fish health and welfare,” she said.
“It is imperative the aquaculture industry, and its supply chain, continues to invest in research, development and innovation, to support the sector’s long-term sustainability.”
The farmed salmon sector directly employs 2,500 people in Scotland with a further 10,000 jobs dependent on the product. Scottish salmon is the UK’s biggest fresh food export, with international and UK sales of more than £600 million and £1.1 billion respectively.
Trade body Salmon Scotland welcomed the unveiling. “Scottish salmon is the best in the world because we adhere to the strictest animal welfare and sustainability standards, and this massive investment into the Inverkerry hatchery will deliver the highest organic certification,” said chief executive Tavish Scott.
