In brief for 26 April 2011

Sale of salmon company

THE NUMBER of salmon farming companies operating in Shetland waters have just reduced to seven after Clousta-based independent fish farmer Robert Nicolson sold his companies Skelda Salmon Farm Limited and G Duncan (Salmon) Limited to the isles’ largest farmed salmon producer Grieg Seafood Hjaltland for an enterprise value of £2.19 million.

Grieg Seafood’s chief executive Morten Vike said the company’s sites at Setter Voe and Spoose Holm, both to the west of Burra, would be “highly beneficial” to his business.

“We are very pleased to have completed the purchase of the companies today, which consist of two farm licences with a combined discharge consent of 2,100 tonnes together with farm equipment, including a work boat, feeding barge, and cages,” he said.

The other companies operating in Shetland waters are multinationals Scottish Sea Farms and Meridian Salmon Group, plus four smaller companies: Thomson Brothers Salmon, in Yell; Uyeasound Salmon Company, and Balta Isle Salmon, both in Unst, as well as Bound Slerries Seafood, in Skerries.

 
Grants for community groups

SHETLAND Islands Council has handed out almost £320,000 in 103 individual grants to community groups throughout the isles, since October last year.

The majority of the funding went to three hall committees to upgrade local public halls in North Roe, Sandness and North Unst.

Unst Youth Centre Trust received almost £7,000 to carry out improvements to the Gardiesfauld Youth Hostel, in Uyeasound.

The remainder of the funding awarded has assisted a wide range of community groups across Shetland with their annual running costs and small projects.

A spokesman said the total cost of all projects and activities was £834,183.46, with match funding of more than half a million pounds being secured from other local and external funding sources.