The company behind controversial plans for a salmon farm on Loch Long has appealed to the Scottish Government against their refusal.
The Loch Long Salmon Company’s plan for Beinn Reithe near Arrochar was rejected by the board of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park in October.
It would have been the first in the UK to use a semi-closed containment system, which the company said the system greatly reduced the environmental impact of salmon farms.
But national park planners said the development would ‘have an industrial appearance in an area of undeveloped coastline’.
Today the company announced that it would appeal against the decision – a Scottish Government Reporter will now have the final say.
Managing director Stewart Hawthorn said: “We believe the national park’s decision to prevent this proven, transformative technology being brought to Scotland for the first time was based on fear and a lack of knowledge and understanding.
“The national park has no experience of handling this kind of application and, rather than listening to experts such as NatureScot, SEPA and Forestry & Land Scotland, who all said the project could go ahead, they based their view on a misunderstanding that our plans were the same as existing open net salmon farms. This is fundamentally flawed.
“Through the appeal process, we are committed to demonstrating that we can bring positive change to Scotland, radically improve the environmental performance of salmon farming and secure jobs in rural areas.
“We carefully sited and designed the farm with the full collaboration of the park’s planning team and, as a result, the farm can’t even be seen from more than 99% of the park.”
Park board members refused the plan by ten votes to one after a four-hour meeting last autumn.
Read more: Loch Long fish farm campaigners join national network
There were over 200 objections and more than 70 comments in support – the plan split MSPs from the SNP and Conservatives, who support it, from Green party MSPs, who have objected.
SNP MSP Jenny Minto, who represents the neighbouring Argyll and Bute constituency, submitted a comment in favour and her fellow SNP MSP Angus Robertson wrote a letter of support, as did Argyll & Bute MP Brendan O’Hara and Conservatives Pam Gosal and Donald Cameron.
But Greens Ross Greer and Ariane Burgess called for the plan to be rejected.
After October’s meeting park James Stuart, who then was the authority’s convenor, said: “This decision was taken following careful consideration by the board of the planning assessment report, together with responses from statutory bodies and community members, and representations from speakers both in support of and in objection to the proposal at a thorough public hearing in Arrochar today.
“This application is for development within a national park and it is our view that such a nationally important landscape is not the appropriate location to host development of such an industrial scale and where the risk of an escape of farmed fish could impact on designated water courses.
“The semi-closed containment systems proposed – whilst noted as a substantial step forward for the industry -have not yet been trialled in Scotland and there is not a sound body of evidence on which to base decision making.
“There is a clear risk that the technology may not be sufficiently successful and the location of the application site in Loch Long – with connectivity to the Endrick Water Special Area of Conservation and its fragile population of Atlantic salmon – means that the impacts associated with a potential escape of farmed fish is a significant concern.
“The proposed development also presents a number of significant landscape, seascape and visual issues. It would have an industrial character and would notably contrast with the largely undeveloped and remote character of the local landscape. “
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