An environmental group formed by residents to fight a fish farm has joined a Scotland-wide environmental network.
AFFtheClyde was formed by a group of Ardentinny residents in response to the proposed Dawnfresh fish farm at Ardentinny in 2019.
And over the last 12 months it was by communities around Loch Long in opposing the semi-closed fish farm near Arrochar which was proposed by Loch Long Salmon Company and was rejected in October.
Now the group has become the newest member of the Coastal Communities Network (CCN), which is part of Fauna and Flora International and supports some 24 community-based groups which want more action to be taken to protect and restore marine life.
Alan Munro, CCN’s coordinator, said “Following their recent success in seeing off the Loch Long Salmon Company’s Beinn Reithe fish farm proposal, we are delighted to welcome AFFtheClyde to the CCN where they will join other local groups who share the same concerns about the future direction of Scotland’s salmon farming industry.
“We look forward to working with AFFtheClyde in our efforts to halt the expansion of the industry, until it can be shown to be environmentally sustainable.”
The Loch Long Salmon Company plans for Loch Long were rejected by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, but the company now says it wants to build a larger plant at Loch Linnhe, between Oban and Fort William.
David McDowall of AFFtheClyde said: “In the face of a powerful public relations campaign by LLSC, many locals considered that their voices were not being heard, even though some 200 opposing representations were submitted by the public to the national park authority.
“Community councils failed to consult their communities in a transparent and democratic way and our local and national politicians failed to listen to expert opinion on the unproven technology of semi-closed aquaculture.
“Our membership of CCN will enable us to share information and provide us with access to a knowledge base of similar groups around Scotland whose communities are being threatened by these massive developments.”
The Dawnfresh plans for rainbow trout farms at Ardentinny and off Bute and Great Cumbrae have been stalled after the company went into administration.
A survey by AfftheClyde showed 90% of locals were against the Ardentinny plan, while a community council survey showed 73% were opposed.
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