Cooke nets £1.9 million for RAS hatchery
Salmon farmer Cooke Scotland has been awarded £1.9 million from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to deliver the next phase of a new recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) at its hatchery facility in Cairndow, Loch Fyne.
The grant comes on top of £567,000 awarded by Scottish Government’s Marine Fund Scotland last year.
The £22m system enables more control over the early stages of the life cycle to create optimal growing conditions, including improved defence against pathogens. This in turn improves survival rates both on site and when smolts are transported to marine sites for on growing, Cooke Scotland said in a press release.
3-4 million smolts
The hatchery will have the capacity to produce three to four million smolts a year at up to 100 grams. This will significantly boost the company’s productivity without increasing water use or discharge. Bespoke equipment for fish transfer and vaccination will also improve fish welfare.
The public sector investment was announced today at Aquaculture UK by recently-appointed marine minister Jim Fairlie.
He said: “I'm delighted that Cooke Aquaculture has chosen to make this significant investment in their Scottish operations. As an international company with competing investment options across the world, it's great news that Scotland has secured this at scale.
“Investment in recirculating aquaculture systems is central to the future of the sector here in Scotland. This technology gives producers greater control over early fish development, improving survival rates and productivity while reducing environmental impact.
“The Scottish Government’s Marine Fund Scotland grant, combined with Highlands and Islands Enterprise investment, has helped unlock Cooke’s commitment to Scotland – and I look forward to seeing this project deliver for the Argyll economy and the wider sector for years to come.”
High growth industry
HIE area manager for Argyll and the Islands Morag Goodfellow said: “Aquaculture is hugely important to the Argyll economy. It’s a high growth industry and one that provides many good quality rural employment opportunities, particularly for young people. This in turn helps to attract and retain talent and sustain community resilience in many areas.
“This latest inward investment from Cooke Scotland will strengthen the sector’s impact and create jobs. I’m delighted we’ve been able to support the project and look forward to continuing to work with the company as the development progresses.”
Major employer
Cooke was formed in New Brunswick Canada in 1985 and is now the world’s largest privately owned seafood company. Having previously acquired Meridian Salmon Farms it now employs more than 380 people in Scotland. Most of these are at locations in Shetland, Orkney, Highland and Argyll.
Cooke Scotland managing director Colin Blair said: “We are very grateful to Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Government for the investment in this transformative project for our salmon production in the United Kingdom.
“It is a major step forward for our freshwater operations to increase the supply of more robust, healthier smolts for our sites for years to come with lower environmental impact. This development aligns with our commitment to fish welfare as well as growing the business responsibly and sustainability.”
