Western Isles jobs are saved

About 150 jobs in the fish farming sector have been saved in the Western Isles it has been revealed. There were real concerns that the Fjord processing factory in Stornoway would shut, following the merger with Pan Fish, Fjord Seafood and Marine Harvest. The plant and Fjord's fish farms on Lewis will now remain in operation. As a bonus, Marine Harvest's salmon farm in Loch Roag, which employs about 23 people, will come under the Fjord umbrella. According to the newspaper Aberdeen Press & Journal, the Western Isles merger will be renamed Outer Hebrides Seafood and its Norwegian parent firm Pan Fish will run it as a stand-alone business. In addition, jobs with suppliers such as Macaskill Haulage and packaging firm Polybox are protected. The development is the result of 12 months hard work by Fjord managing director Alan Anderson and his staff - helped by Western Isles Council. They consistently lobbied Pan Fish to retain the Western Isles operations. Mr Anderson told the Press & Journal that it was a win-win situation: "This will allow us to expand our operations, to develop new markets and new customers”.