Hans J Marter and Pete Bevington

8 July, 2009

Biosecurity in the salmon industry and jobs in Unst and the west side are being secured with more than £860,000 from the Scottish government and the European Fisheries Fund.

Vidlin salmon farming veterans Ivor and Angus Johnson are investing £1.8 million into a mobile slaughtering and processing unit, with the help of more than £650,000 from the Scottish government and around £35,000 from Europe.

Their firm Island Innovations is purchasing a second hand well boat, the Viknes, and two containers for conversion into mobile processing units, which will be based at Cullivoe pier, on Yell, where they work with Lakeland’s Unst-based operations.

The plan is to land fish at the pier where they will be killed and taken by road tanker for packaging at the big salmon factories in Lerwick and Scalloway, run by Hjaltland Seafarms and Scottish Sea Farms respectively.

Thus the fish avoid lengthy wellboat journeys through different growing areas, which carries the risk of contamination from one site to the next.

The company yesterday (Tuesday) described the innovation as "a step backward to move ahead" to minimise the risk of spreading diseases.

The development is particularly apt after the recent outbreak of Infectious Salmon Anaemia (ISA) off Scalloway since January.

Angus Johnson said: "After the recent ISA outbreak our company decided to investigate ways to reduce and minimise disease risk within Shetland and through introducing this harvesting service we hope to prove that we are being proactive in overcoming recent disease problems and committed to preventing future health issues."

Meanwhile Unst firm Uyeasound Salmon, which employs eight people producing 1,000 tonnes of fish a year, is consolidating it operation now the new pier has opened in the small village.

Partner Ian Thomason said until the new pier was built they were working out of a poratcabin in the village, an agricultural shed a few miles away and an old aircraft hangar at the redundant Baltasound airport. “It could be a 16 mile round trip just to get something,” he said.

With almost £94,000 of EFF funding they are now to build a customised shed at the new pier, the steel being ordered today (Wednesday) for contractors Robertson and Read to start construction as soon as possible.

“Without the pier there was nowhere to put a purpose built shore base. This will make it so much more efficient it’s unbelievable,” Mr Thomason added. “The pier is the most positive thing that’s happened here. It’s been used to full capacity from day one.”

On the west side at Sandsound, Stephen Anderson is using more than £75,000 of EFF cash to purchase a new vessel, with harvesting and grading equipment, to enhance his company Sandsound Mussels.

“I am delighted to have been awarded a grant and this gives me the opportunity to develop what is a small, rural business to its full potential,” he said.

The new vessel will allow Mr Anderson to harvest and grade his mussels himself, rather than relying on outside contractors, which could allow him to expand his site in the future.

Ruth Henderson, of Seafood Shetland, welcomed the investment in a small, family business, the likes of which “play a very important part in the mussel scene in Shetland”.

David Sandison, of Shetland Aquaculture, added that it was “encouraging” Shetland was getting a “decent share” of the EFF funding for the industry. “In the current restrictive financial climate our industry very much welcomes this source of funding,” he said.

Meanwhile Shetland-based Net Services (Shetland) Ltd has received almost £390,000 to help it establish a subsidiary operation on the island of Harris, in the Outer Hebrides.