Fish plant plan brings hopes of 150 jobs

by www.highland-news.co.uk - 07/08/2009

"A NEW fish processing company is planning to set up near Croy, creating up to 150 jobs hot on the heels of the closure of Strathaird Salmon in Inverness"

Nairnside Ltd has applied for planning permission from Highland Council to convert two large poultry sheds south of Clephanton, off the A96 east of Inverness, for food processing and packing, mainly of farmed fish.

The site is one of four owned by Willie Lean, of Killara Chickens, who last week met GMTV presenter Jenni Falconer promoting his organic and free range chicken farm at Gollanfield Mains Farm as part of a local food campaign.

Mr Lean told the Highland News yesterday he was getting out of intensive chicken farming to concentrate on organic and free range but he still hoped to have 140,000 hens at any one time and jobs would be safe.

"The present poultry business is no longer viable and will be wound-up towards the end of this year," he said.

"The units were a substantial investment when they were built less than 10 years ago."

As for the new venture, which he will have a stake in, he added: "The jobs will be advertised and anybody will be able to apply but we are hoping a lot will be rural jobs.

"At the moment, everybody seems to be heading into Inverness for work and we are keen to promote rural jobs in the rural economy."

Company director Robert Murray hopes the processing business will bolster the Highlands' reputation as a world leader in high quality food production and export, expand employment in a traditional sector of the local economy and help sustain jobs in remote Scottish communities involved in fish farming.

It is hoped production will start as early as possible next year and the firm plans to hold an exhibition and explain the proposals to local residents.

A feasibility study has already been carried out with the enterprise using one of the buildings – approximately 2,100 sq m – with the second providing storage.

The company hopes there is scope to double productivity within 10 years without any significant new development.

Last month, when fish processing factory Strathaird, on the Longman, closed to transfer production to Fraserburgh, there were reports a food company looked set to take over which provided a glimmer of hope for more than 300 redundant staff.

Strathaird managing director Iain Herd refused to name the interested company but confirmed talks about taking over the lease had taken place.

It also had interest in parts of machinery and equipment.

Strathaird employed 326 staff – 304 opted for redundancy while just 22 employees are now working for the parent firm The Seafood Company at factories elsewhere in Scotland and England.

The Seafood Company decided to close its Inverness factory in a bid to save money, blaming the current economic climate, increasing running costs and the need to make more than £7 million worth of investment at the Inverness site to continue operations

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