October 25, 2023

Cooke Aquaculture to set up new salmon pens in Shetland, Scotland, UK

A new Cooke Aquaculture salmon farm is being proposed in Shetland, Scotland, the United Kingdom, specifically, in the waters between Muckle Roe and Vementry.

Cooke Aquaculture is planning to install 12 x 120 metre salmon pens as part of a £5 million (US$6.1 million) development, which could create five new full-time jobs.

Public meetings will be held to address the matter. The Shetland Fishermen's Association has encouraged any fishermen who may be affected by the proposals to attend the events.

The salmon farm is being proposed for water just off the north side of Vementry. There would also be a feed barge moored to the south of the pen group. The farm would be serviced on a daily basis from an existing shorebase in Aith.

Cooke Aquaculture said: "As a pioneer in the development of offshore fish farms in Orkney, we are seeking to utilise this experience to develop a new farm in a more exposed location in Shetland.

"The proposed site is a high energy environment which will have optimal conditions for rearing strong and healthy fish whilst minimising potential effects on the local environment."

The company added that any new salmon farm would require an environmental impact assessment to be carried out.

A few years earlier, an online petition was created against plans from Grieg Seafood to create a salmon farm near the Muckle Ayre beach. Those plans ultimately never came to fruition.

- Shetland News