Sponsorship from salmon farmers will see the Marine Education Centre open this summer
The Scottish Salmon Company and Scottish Sea Farms have both agreed to provide sponsorship for the next five years, providing much needed funds alongside grants already secured from the Scottish Government’s Enterprise Growth Fund and from the European Community Argyll and the Islands LEADER 2007-2013 Programme.
The new funding from the salmon farmers will be used to create exhibits which celebrate local industry, environmental excellence and the importance of healthy lifestyle choices. The sponsorship also puts the centre, which will be in the Taigh Solaris building within Tobermory harbour, on course to open for the summer.
Don Mitchell of the Tobermory Harbour Association said: “With both The Scottish Salmon Company and Scottish Sea Farms now on board, we are driving forward with our plans and hope to have the centre up and running in July. Salmon farming represents an important aspect of life on Mull and I am delighted they are lending their support. ”
The Marine Education Centre is intended for visitors and local residents, adults and children and will provide an interactive experience of the life of Tobermory’s working harbour community. It will present exhibits on fishermen, fish farms, hand divers, recreational divers and boat users, alongside the support organisations that allow this industry to take place, including the RNLI, Coastguard and Northern Lighthouse Board.
The centre will also have an environmental focus, highlighting shoreline habitats, creatures and the wider marine ecology, alongside exhibits promoting work around sustainability and environmental protection. There are also plans for a large marine tank and touch pools with daily talks with marine biologists from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust.
Rosanna Pile, for The Scottish Salmon Company, which employs 39 people on farm sites in and around Mull said: “The Marine Education Centre is a great way to promote the dynamic life of the coastline and the Tobermory Harbour Association is to be congratulated for bringing together the different aspects of education, industry and tourism together.
“The Centre is a tremendous idea and as part of the Mull community we are proud to lend our support.”
Rory Conn, for Scottish Sea Farms, which employs over 30 people in Mull and the surrounding area, said: “Salmon farming is a vital source of employment in Mull and we see the Marine Education Centre as an ideal opportunity for locals and visitors to engage with and learn more about the role of aquaculture within the environment and local economy. Scottish Sea Farms is always looking for ways to support the local communities in which we operate and we look forward to assisting with the creation of this centre."
