Mowi chooses former Wester Ross Fisheries hatchery as site for broodstock facility
Mowi Scotland intends to site its planned broodstock and ova facility at Ardessie, on the shores of Little Loch Broom, it revealed in its monthly newsletter, The Scoop, today.
An old hatchery building currently on site will be replaced with a new development that will include self-contained recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and temperature control. The disused hatchery is owned by niche salmon farmer Wester Ross Fisheries, which Mowi bought last year.
Mowi Scotland currently gets most of its eggs from Mowi Ireland, and others from suppliers in Scotland and Iceland, but wants to develop its own strain of fish best suited to local conditions.
Fish for the future
Smolts chosen as potential broodstock candidates were put to sea in late 2021 and will be brought to into the new broodstock facility in the spring of 2024.
When complete, the new facility will offer eight to 10 direct new jobs and supply chain opportunities to the local region.
Mowi said the building design – by Convery Prenty Shields (CPS) Architects – carefully considers its surrounding environment, allowing the building to “nestle quietly into the existing rural landscape”.
A community engagement process will be conducted as the project develops.
