After the recent Panorama programme on the destructive effects of fish farms coupled with a lack of adherence to industry regulations, will public opinion force a re-think? The Scottish Government is taking note, according to Rob Edwards with Sepa planning unannounced inspections.
Anyone wishing to make a personal representation to SEPA with regard to the Car Licence application by Dawnfresh Farming to establish an industrial rainbow trout farm off Ardentinny can refer to local action group Aff The Clyde’s website https://afftheclyde.org for details of how to do so.
There you will find contact details, deadline date and a suggested template letter, which may be used to help tailor your response.
An Ardentinny Community Council meeting has been announced to discuss the proposed Dawnfresh Ardentinny Trout Farm which is currently at the Environmental Impact Assessment screening stage (EIA) with Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. An outline leaflet produced by Dawnfresh on the proposed trout farm has been posted on the village notice board.
According to the planning documents submitted to the National Park, the fish farm would be located on the outskirts of Ardentinny in Loch Long, south of the village and Ravenrock Lighthouse. The installation would consist of 10 – 38m diameter circular pens in a 5 x 2 configuration, placed in a 80m x 80m mooring matrix. The site would be serviced by a feed barge on the shore side holding at least 200T of feed. The location of the shore base in or around Ardentinny is yet to be decided.
The Ardentinny site is one of four proposed fish farms in the Clyde area. The other locations being Bute, Great Cumbrae and Little Cumbrae.
As part of the Ardentinny project, Dawnfresh proposes to service the site daily by boat from a shore base at Ardentinny and to employ a local workforce of six. The shore base may include office facilities, storage shed and access to the shore. Site boats will be located close to the shore base either at a pontoon or moorings.
Site of proposed fish farm (main Ardentinny road – from south)
The site will operate 7 days a week and fish stock will be delivered to the farm by wellboat. Stock will be grown on in the first year and will be harvested in the second year on an ongoing basis. Harvests will be undertaken by wellboat, initially using mobile harvesting equipment, at a yet to be determined nearby port.
A video survey has been undertaken beneath the proposed site and the results will be analysed and presented in the final planning application. An application has been submitted to Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to confirm that the proposed biomass is within the carrying capacity of the area.
Wildlife
As part of the EIA screening application, Dawnfresh has addressed “Interaction with predators”. The report mentions that “Marine fish farms can experience considerable losses to predators if a predator identifies the farm as a viable food source”. Tensioned square mesh (30mm) top nets will be used to prevent predation by birds. The application also mentions that “Seals are initially attracted to a farm to graze on fallen stock and then move on to attack livestock. As a result, an attack has the potential to impact many thousands of fish and cause enormous stress on the rest of the fish population”.
In order to mitigate this, a daily collection of mortalities along with seal blinds (fine mesh) is envisaged. The application continues.. “If highly tensioned nets and daily removal of mortalities proves to be ineffective in deterring seals and in the event of full enclosure predator nets being inappropriate for use at this site Dawnfresh will consider the use of Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs)”. “It is accepted that it may not be possible to totally eliminate predation by seals. Should mitigation measures be insufficient to protect fish stocks, Dawnfresh will consider the humane dispatch of a rogue seal”.
Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment
The application states that “Dawnfresh will undertake a full Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) in support on the proposed site. Photomontages will be prepared from key viewpoints which will be identified based on advice from our chosen landscape architect and further advised by SNH and the Planning Authority”.
Site of proposed fish farm (from north)
Community engagement
The company also states that it’s an active supporter of community engagement, in particular supporting beach cleans and providing staff and boats to assist in these operations as well as supporting community groups, organisations and events.
Construction of the proposed trout farm is estimated to take between two to three weeks.
Our local MSP and Ward Councillors were invited to comment on the proposal. Cabinet Secretary for Government Business and Constitutional Relations and MSP for Argyll and Bute, Mike Russell, considered that the key issues would be environmental pollution and escapes and what assurances are in place for these. He said “Given it is in the National Park, the guarantees would require to be cast iron in terms of technology for escapes and monitoring of environmental discharges.” Councillor Yvonne McNeilly said she would listen to the views expressed by all of her constituents, after community consultation.
The Community Council Meeting will take place in Ardentinny Village Hall on Monday 11 March at 7pm. All are welcome.
Bowlers at Ardentinny Bowling Club were entertained earlier this week with the sight of a diving Osprey over Loch Long.
Fortunately Cowal visitor Cliff Carson (who was on the look-out for otters in the area) had his camera on hand and captured these excellent images of the osprey swoop. However, the dive was unsuccessful with the bird failing to catch its underwater prey.
If anyone is aware of any otter sightings in the Ardentinny area, please let us know and we will pass it on to Cliff.
We’ve received a report of a very poisonous plant which has appeared along the high tide mark on Ardentinny Beach (between Coronation Wood and River Finart estuary). The plant is starting to root in the vegetation. A labrador was reportedly sick from eating the plant last Sunday.
We understand that the plant is poisonous to dogs and humans recovery center. It smells and tastes like parsnips. If anyone can identify the plant from the photograph, please let us know .
Please take care when walking your dogs in the beach area.
Update 28 Jan, 23.36: We’ve been informed that the plant is Hemlock Water Dropwort, thought to be the deadliest plant in Britain. A dog in Helensburgh who ate the plant last January died within 20 minutes.
[Updated 4 Sept. 2012]
The following is a clip from the LochLongCam.com webcam filmed on Tuesday 28 August, 2012 off Coulport.
As requested by several of our visitors, we have posted below the full sequence of still images of the whale.
[Update 3 Sept. 18.30] The Ardentinny.org photograph offers a complete picture and The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) have identified this one as a Northern Bottlenose whale. More at ForArgyll.com.
[Update 3 Sept.] One contributor in our Facebook page thinks it’s a Northern Bottlenose Whale. Our money’s on this suggestion!
With reports in the last few days of a Minke Whale being spotted in Loch Long at Ardmay. Is this photograph (taken this afternoon) of a porpoise or Minke Whale? Answers below please or on our new Facebook page.
