Orkney to benefit from £1 million aquaculture contract

April 11, 2016 at 12:42 pm

Richard Darbyshire, Orkney Regional Production Manager with Scottish Sea Farms (right) and John Offord, Managing Director of Gael Force Group.

A new barge and moorings are to be located at Westerbister, in Holm, by Scottish Sea Farms (SSF) under a contract between the firm and Inverness-based Gael Force Group.

The SeaMate 150T feed barge and mooring systems are part of a new contract worth almost £1 million, which was signed this morning.

The contract between the two companies will see 30 jobs at Gael Force’s Inverness yard supported. SSF has also recently expanded its Orkney sites in Eday and Toyness, Scapa Flow, all of which has seen the salmon farming capacity increased to an anticipated 7,300 tonnes per year.

This newest SSF site, which will sit off the Tongue of Westerbister, will see the creation of the creation of six jobs in the county and will be their second largest site in the county.

Jim Gallagher, Managing Director with Scottish Sea Farms, commented: “This contract represents a further major investment by Scottish Sea Farms within the Scottish economy.

Wherever possible, we are working with Scottish suppliers as we grow and develop our salmon farming business in Orkney to meet the ever-growing demand for our product.”