Ariane Burgess MSP has welcomed a major planning decision by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar after permission was refused for a proposed salmon farm off the east coast of Lewis.
The North Gravir Fish Farm proposal by Bakkafrost Scotland Ltd was rejected after the Planning Applications Board ruled that the development did not demonstrate it would protect long standing access for commercial fishers who work the area.
The Western Isles Fishermen’s Association said the site supports productive grounds for prawns, scallops and brown crab, all landed locally and essential to long term jobs at sea and at the MacDuff Shellfish factory in Stornoway.
The location is also used as safe shelter during severe weather.
Ariane said:
“This is the right decision for the community, the fishing industry, and the local environment.
“The Planning Applications Board listened to the people who know these waters best; the fishers who rely on them for their livelihoods.”
“For years, salmon farming companies have claimed huge economic benefits while ignoring the real costs to coastal communities.
“We’ve just seen an independent report show that the industry’s claims are exaggerated and often leave out the harm caused to other businesses.
“This case is a perfect example.”
“Western Isles Fishermen’s Association made it crystal clear: this fish farm would have shut fishers out of a productive, sustainable area that has supported families for generations.
“These are real jobs, real boats, real incomes, not promises on paper or foreign owned big businesses.
“I’m glad to see a planning decision that puts the community first.
“We need more decisions like this, where local voices are heard and the long term health of our seas is protected.”
The refusal of the application has been widely noted within island communities who have argued that new aquaculture developments must not displace traditional fishing grounds or weaken local economies built over generations.
The decision also arrives at a time of growing national scrutiny over the impact of salmon farming and the balance between industry expansion and environmental and community sustainability.
