Loch Duart lands fifth vessel

Made by Exeter Fabrications, the new vessel will be based at Lochmaddy and has been designed to operate in the often rough conditions experienced between Eddrachilles Bay and the Outer Hebrides.

The delivery of the new vessel is being hailed as something of a turning point for the salmon producer, which suffered considerable losses following a jellyfish attack at one of its sites in the Outer Hebrides in late 2014 – an incident that wiped out half the fish at the site and was estimated to cost over £1 million.

The event resulted in the company’s harvests dropping to 4000 tonnes in 2015, but this year the company expects to harvest closer to 5200 tonnes.

The vessel was named in honour of Dee MacDonald, who has been with the company for five years and has made an outstanding contribution to the smooth running of its Hebridean operations. Dee was the unanimous choice of Loch Duart’s Hebridean team.

Managing Director, Alban Denton, who joined Loch Duart in 2015 and is spearheading the company’s growth and development plan, is delighted with the new vessel, saying: “The Lady Dee is a major investment but also a vote of confidence in a team which, over the last two years, has massively improved our productivity and our prospects through hard work and innovation.

“We know that if we give our people the right tools, they will get the job done – and the quality of the salmon coming out of the water is as high as it has ever been in the company’s history. The condition of our water and seabed meet SEPA’s strict criteria in every sea loch and a variety of programmes are showing positive results against the industry’s number one enemy, sea lice.

“Loch Duart is in good shape but we are not complacent and are ready for the next challenge. Today we welcome the Lady Dee to our small fleet and look forward to the flexibility and productivity she brings to our operations.”

Background

Loch Duart is an independent Scottish salmon producer, based in North West Scotland. Producing around 5,200 tonnes per year, it employs over 100 people in the Hebrides and Sutherland. The salmon is sold to leading restaurants and retailers at home and abroad. Its unique farming methods include low density farming, a unique rotational fallowing system, the use of swim-throughs and sourcing feed from sustainable sources to ensure lean, fit fish.

The Lady Dee joins the Lady Heather, the Lady Ann, the Lady Sarah and the Sea Lion in Loch Duart’s expanded fleet.