Scotland’s largest salmon farm opens in Shetland
Scottish Sea Farms’ Billy Baa site officially opened on Monday afternoon
SCOTLAND’S biggest salmon farm was officially opened in Shetland this afternoon (Monday).
Shetland MSP Hannah Mary Goodlad cut the ribbon to open Scottish Sea Farms’ Billy Baa site in the West Mainland during a ceremony today, watched by bairns from the Whiteness Primary School.
Pupils from the school have helped name the £7.5 million farm’s two boats, which have been christened Vissa-Dair and Bluey.
The Billy Baa site is located to the west of South Whiteness and Weisdale Voe, and includes nine 160-metre pens – the first of their kind in Shetland – as well as one which is 120 metres.
The average water depth is 45m, making this one of the deepest farms within the Shetland estate.
Eight full-time roles have also been created at the new farm.
Shetland News was among those attending the ceremony this afternoon, which included a tour of the site’s 500-tonne capacity steel barge – Scottish Sea Farms’ biggest to date.
Cutting the ribbon on Monday, MSP Goodlad said: “Shetland’s deeper, cleaner waters and strong currents form an incredible habitat for all our seafood industries, and I am not surprised that Shetland is now to host Scotland’s largest sea farm.
“This project is a great example of Shetland’s unique ability to attract key, high-value investment that builds our economy, grows our workforce and strengthens our supply chain.’
To celebrate the school’s role in the farm’s launch, Scottish Sea Farms is donating £10,000 towards the purchase of a new reading scheme, plus new novel sets for older children.
“Our books are very out of date and it would have taken us years to find the money to replace them,’ said Whiteness Primary School headteacher Rachel Colclough.
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“This gift has made all the difference and we can now buy books that are more relevant to our children.”
The school also has a connection with a school in Senegal, and Scottish Sea Farms will fund the shipping of Whiteness Primary’s existing reading books to that school once they are replaced.
Whiteness Primary School’s headteacher said the children had also been excited about the boat-naming competition.
Scottish Sea Farms managing director Jim Gallagher said that engaging the school in the opening of Billy Baa was the highlight of the day.
“The presence of the children reminded us that they are the future and it’s crucial that, as Shetland’s largest private employer, we can offer them a future to look forward to here, with skilled job opportunities to match their talents,” he said.
“By growing our business and investing in the Shetland and Scottish economy, as we have done with Billy Baa, we will continue to contribute to the long-term viability of our local communities.’
The farm, which was stocked in September and has a biomass consent of 4,091 tonnes, is in keeping with Scottish Sea Farms’ strategy for larger farms in “better locations, with deeper waters and faster currents”.
The barge is fitted with a Fjord Maritime hybrid power system that combines a diesel generator and a bank of batteries to ensure uninterrupted supply 24/7 while reducing fuel costs.
Also included in the tour was a look at the farm’s cameras in its pens, where staff can monitor the welfare of their fish.
Scottish Sea Farms’ regional production manager for Shetland, Richard Darbyshire, said: “The salmon sector is constantly evolving and Billy Baa is at the pinnacle of technical progress.
“We have introduced a number of innovations and, with the depth and size of the pens, we will have more room than ever to grow our fish, leading to better performance and fish health and welfare.”
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