Mallow Bank fish farm rejected
(From The Orcadian dated November 16, 2000)

Plans to site a salmon farm at Mallow Bank within the Bay of Ireland which led to more than 100 objections in the county, have been rejected by the Scottish Executive.

The decision ends a long-running process which began nearly three years ago when the proposals first came into the public domain.

The application for the salmon farm, which was to have a total site area of 40,000 square metres, was lodged by Orkney Seafarms in December 1997.

It resulted in a petition containing nearly 100 signatures being raised and this was coupled with widespread objections from a number of local organisations, such as Stromness Community Council, Orkney Trout Fishing Association and the Orkney Fisheries Association.

Orkney Islands Council subsequently turned the application down, but an appeal was lodged with the Department of Environment.

Written submissions and a site inspection in July this year followed and the Scottish Executive have now reached a decision, upholding the council’s original ruling.

Several objections were raised at the time including concerns that the Bay of Ireland was already affected by sewage outfalls. It was claimed the extra discharges from the salmon farm could overload the ecosystem. Perceived threats to fish and shellfish in the area were also flagged up

In reaching his conclusions, the Scottish Executive Reporter who dealt with the appeal, Mr T. P. W. Brian, said the site lay within a National Scenic Area and would be an eyesore.

“The public is able to enjoy the natural beauty of the area partly because of its pristine quality,” he said. “I consider that a development of this scale which would occupy a surface area of 40,000 square metres with a complex of ten cages, each with a diameter of over 28 metres, and would generate the level of activity associated with an undertaking employing four people. and producing a crop of 1,264 tonnes every two years would seriously detract from the tranquility and visual amenity of the area.”

The main concern among fishing interests was the effect of pollution from the farm, said Mr Brian, including faeces, uneaten food and chemicals used in sea lice treatment.

“Since the area around the site is enclosed by shallow water and the tidal currents are weak, there is a risk that waste would accumulate in the vicinity of the site,” he said.

He concluded: “I acknowledge that the proposed salmon farm is likely to create a number of new jobs, directly and indirectly, in a valuable and growing sector of the Orkney economy, but I am not persuaded that the undoubted economic benefits of the proposal would outweigh the potential harm to the environment of the proposed development.”