Plans for 'Scotland's largest salmon farm' approved

Plans to build what has been called Scotland's largest salmon farm off the coast of Shetland have been given the go-ahead.

Shetland Islands Council approved an £8m redevelopment in Yell Sound - a strait running between the mainland and the island of Yell - despite opposition from wildlife campaigners.

Scottish Sea Farms' (SSF) plans include expanding some of its existing sites in the strait into one bigger farm, the Fish Holm.

The company said it would contain up to 6,000 tonnes of salmon at any one time.

Salmon is the UK's biggest food export, with about 111,000 tonnes of Scottish salmon produced in 2025.

The current farm already had permission for eight 100-metre circular pens but the new proposals replace existing pens with 12 new ones of 520 ft (160m) circumference.

Maximum allowed biomass at Fish Holm is expected to increase from about 2,000 tonnes to about 6,000 tonnes if the proposed conditions to mitigate and monitor impacts are approved.

The company said the proposals would help support the long-term sustainability of its salmon farms and support the sector.

Conditions include a time limit of three years for work to start and a moorings survey to locate any large horse mussels clumps in the area.

NatureScot, the public agency which advises the Scottish government, had submitted an initial objection expressing concern that developing the farm would have a significant effect on bird species.

It said records of wildlife entanglements and entrapment must be kept.

Further concerns have been raised over how the new farm will impact the ecosystem.

Anti-salmon farming organisation WildFish said it was "deeply disappointed" by the council's decision.

"The proposed 6,000-tonne biomass raises serious concerns about cumulative impacts on wild sea trout, particularly from sea lice," the charity's Scotland director Nick Underdown said.

"Sea lice from salmon farms are widely recognised by government scientists as posing a risk to wild salmon and sea trout.

"Several nearby farms have recently recorded elevated lice levels and high mortalities."

He said approving a larger site carries a "significant" environmental risk and challenged the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's (SEPA) sea lice controls, which are intended to protect wild fish.

Sepa did not file an objection to the new farm and said the risk to wild salmon and sea trout from sea lice will be assessed and managed.

No other official objections were filed.

Scottish Sea Farms said it welcomed the decision.

A spokesperson said: "This decision relates to the expansion and consolidation of our existing farm and reflects our move towards fewer, larger sites in deeper, higher-energy waters that support fish health and welfare.

"Importantly, developments such as Fish Holm help retain and support skilled local jobs now and into the future."