Swinney defends delay on £40 million Loch Long salmon farm decision.
First Minister John Swinney has defended the Scottish Government’s 14-month silence on a £40 million fish farm proposal at Loch Long, following warnings that the delay could be discouraging investment in Scotland.
The proposal from Loch Long Salmon (LLS) seeks to build a semi-closed containment farm in the waters of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. The application was rejected by the park authority in 2022 but was subsequently called in by ministers. A final decision has been pending since February 2024.
At First Minister’s Questions, Swinney said the government was “giving full and proper consideration to this appeal, and every effort has been made to issue a decision as soon as possible.”
“I cannot go into details on the handling of a live planning appeal,” he said. “What I will say is that all relevant information will be considered by ministers in coming to a determination on this issue, and that determination will be arrived at as soon as it’s practically possible to do so.”
The lack of decision has drawn criticism from industry observers who say prolonged uncertainty in high-profile planning cases risks undermining investor confidence in Scotland’s aquaculture and marine sectors.
The project would be the first of its kind in Scotland, using semi-closed technology designed to reduce escapes, disease, and waste discharge. Proponents view the site as a test case for low-impact salmon farming.
Green MSP Ariane Burgess, who opposes the development, said: “The industrial salmon farm development proposed for Loch Long will scar the loch’s coastline and harm its wildlife. It has been opposed by the community, the local planning authority, and even the industry. But we have now been waiting over a year for the Government’s response after the application was called in.”
“More than 4000 people have written to the Government asking it to protect Loch Long from this damaging development. Will the First Minister personally ensure that my constituents’ voices will be listened to?”
Liberal Democrat MSP Beatrice Wishart also pressed the First Minister on the case.
The Scottish Government has not provided a timeline for when a final decision will be made.