Major oil spill in salmon farming loch
Around 40,000 litres of diesel is believed to have contaminated the shoreline and water in Loch Carnan on South Uist. The oil came from a storage tank at a lochside diesel-fuelled power station operated by Scottish and Southern Energy.
A local ecological disaster appears to have been averted after swift action by Western Isles Council staff - who immediately brought in a rapid response team to prevent the slick from spreading.
According to the Aberdeen Press and Journal, the diesel soaked into the ground and seeped into the sea loch, threatening wildlife and fish.The slick passed over a fish farm, which stopped feeding salmon to discourage them from rising to the surface and coming in contact with it.Loch Duart Ltd took over the sea sites earlier this year, and managing director Nick Joy told the newspaper they were relieved the fish that they are currently harvesting and selling are more than 100 miles away.“The stocks potentially affected are not due to be harvested before April 2009 and we are hopeful that they have not been adversely affected and currently no health effects are showing.”
