Salmon firm's legal claim in feed dispute is £5.5m

SSC says poor feed affected the health of its fish last year and contributed to it slipping into the red.

It said 2012 was a particularly challenging year for the company with a quiet market, increased biological challenges and increased costs due to feed issues.

According to the Scotsman, the company said it has initiated court proceedings against Trouw UK, claiming damages of almost £5.5m. It says sub-standard feed impacted its fish harvest in the second half of last year.

Although that problem has now been rectified, the group still faces another difficult year as unseasonable weather in the Highlands last summer led to an “unprecedented” rise in amoebic gill disease among fish farm stocks.

But the group said it was encouraged that prices were improving, while two new sites will raise production to around 29,000 tonnes from 2014 onwards. Volumes last year were 23,945 tonnes.