Loch Lomond National Park salmon farm 'threatens pristine waters' and 'must be rejected' says MSP

An MSP has called for controversial plans to install a 'semi-closed' salmon farm in the pristine waters of Loch Lomond National Park to be rejected.

Ariane Burgess of the Scottish Greens claimed that the industrial farm proposed in Loch Long could scatter and endanger wildlife. The bid was previously rejected in 2022 but was appealed and then 'called in' by Holyrood ministers.

Producer Loch Long Salmon has been met with fierce resistance by locals over 'pioneering' facilities in both Loch Long and Loch Linnhe. The technology, which would be a first for Scotland, sees fish housed in nets within impermeable floating enclosures rather than open-sea cages, reports the Record.

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Proponents say that it would reduce environmental impacts by limiting interactions between farmed fish and the surrounding marine environment. But critics say the system is unproven at scale and fear it will mean salmon farms increasingly moving to inland beauty spots.

The final decision lies with SNP ministers, with it now nearly two years since they made the rare decision to “call in” the application, despite its rejection by the National Park authority. Stunning Loch Long is home to a range of marine life like seals, otters and seabirds - and also links to the environmentally-protected Endrick Water which hosts a fragile population of endangered wild salmon.

Green MSP Burgess said: “Loch Long is renowned for its natural beauty, wildlife, and cultural heritage. The proposed salmon farm could scar the loch's iconic coastline and badly harm its wildlife.

“This application is totally inappropriate, and has already been opposed by the community council and the National Park authority. There are no fish farms in Loch Long, and the local community wants to keep it that way.

“There is no reason for this application to have been under consideration for so long. I urge the Scottish Government to end the uncertainty by listening to local people and finally rejecting it.”

It comes after a Holyrood inquiry into the wider salmon industry last week called for tougher eco and welfare regulations - but stopped short of calling for a pause on the expansion of the £1.2billion sector, as wanted by campaigners.

Burgess, who backs a moratorium on new salmon farms, added: “Salmon farming is an unsustainable and often very cruel practice. We urgently need to consider how much of our seas we are giving away to an industry which is doing so much harm to marine life and our environment.”

Loch Lomond park bosses rejected the Loch Long bid in October 2022, saying it was "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". But calling in the decision in February 2023, the SNP government said the proposed "new technology... raises issues of national significance".

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Scottish ministers are giving full and proper consideration to this appeal and every effort is being made to issue a decision as soon as possible.” Loch Long Salmon was approached for comment.

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