New technology fails again

This is the second failed experiment in British Colombia using exactly the same FiiZK Certus semi closed cage as the proposed developer, Loch Long Salmon (LLS), has cited to be their preferred option for Lurignish on Loch Linnhe. The aim of the operators, Cermaq, was to grow the fish to harvest size (5-6kg).

Last year the first experiment was aborted when the fish were dying in their own urine due to ‘a technical failure’.

This year, the cage was removed and the fish taken out at 600g. Nowhere in the world, to our knowledge (after much research and repeated failed requests to LLS to tell us where we can visit one) has an operator been able to grow the fish beyond 1-1.5kg….yet LLS insist in their scoping document that this is what they will be aiming to do.

If LLS's proposed 8000 tonne experiment on Loch Linnhe goes wrong that’s either a catastrophic quantity of DEAD FISH or removal of the survivors to conventional open net cages for grow out - this unproven technology has the potential to exacerbate the sea lice, pollution, escapee and disease issues affecting salmon farms generally.

Either way it adds to our conviction that Loch Long Salmon's proposal for Loch Linnhe is simply too risky to test in our fragile loch.