Salmon farmer plans smokehouse changes
12 August 2024
Salmon farmer Bakkafrost plans to change the use of part of its smokehouse building
in Stornoway it is understood.
The restaurant within the Harris and Lewis Smokehouse on Sandwick Road will remain
in operation.
However, firm is considering converting the rest of the property into office spaces
and a workshop area.
The salmon smoking side of the business has not operated for some time.
Faroese salmon farmer Bakkafrost acquired the premises when it took over the Scottish
Salmon Company in 2019.
The firm is making significant negative changes within its Western Isles business
with 77 staff in Lewis set to lose their jobs with the mothballing of its Marybank
and the Arnish harvesting facility. A number of other personnel were made redundant
last year.
All workers at the Arnish salmon station are due to be paid off. The entire processing
team at the factory are also affected. Only a tiny handful of support staff at Marybank
will be retained under the closure plan.
Most of the company’s Lewis and Harris sea farms are fallow or do not hold fish of
marketable size.
