NATURAL IS BEST FOR WESTER ROSS FISHERIES

Natural is best for Wester Ross Fisheries. The adoption of natural and environmentally friendly techniques for rearing salmon is reaping dividends for Scotland’s oldest independently owned salmon farming enterprise.

Founded in 1977 by Dr Robin Bradley and Alan Mann, Wester Ross Fisheries Ltd focuses on producing premium fish for top-tier customers around the world. The key to the company’s success has been its commitment to slowly hand-rear their salmon, rather than adopting modern automatic feeding, monitoring and management techniques.

The salmon at Wester Ross are not handled when in their pens, which keeps stress to a minimum, and every part of the operation is aimed at farming in sympathy with the environment. Sea lice are controlled naturally by cleaner wrasse, the fish are hand-fed, stocking densities are low, no medicines are used, and neither are anti-foulants for cleaning nets.

Wester Ross Fisheries also boasts one of the world’s best FIFO (fish in, fish out)  ratios of less than 1:1, greatly reducing dependency on wild fish. This is achieved by only using fish-feed produced from trimmings of wild fish destined for human consumption, rather than from targeted fishmeal fisheries.

“We spend six times more farmer time with our salmon than the larger operators, constantly using the experience of our personnel to ensure the fish are healthy and growing well,” explains Barbora Gaborova, who is responsible for marketing at Wester Ross.

“We also try to recycle as much as is feasibly possible, including old salmon pen nets. It is an ethos that is at the very heart of our operation.”

The result is a great tasting salmon that is in large demand all around the world from discerning customers. About 50% of the salmon produced is exported to North America, 30% to Europe, the Middle East and Far East, with the balance for the domestic market.

Wester Ross Fisheries operates from three sites near Ullapool in the north-west of Scotland at Loch Broom, Loch Little Broom and Loch Kannaird, with the company striving to achieve a yearly production 1,400 to 1,500 tonnes, harvested on a seasonal basis.

Once harvested, the fish are sent for filleting at the company’s own primary processing facility at Dingwall, north of Inverness, before despatched by air freight to their global customers under the brand Wester Ross Salmon.

“Within two to three days of being harvested our salmon can be on the plates of consumers in North America or the Far East,” states Barbora.

In Asia, the superb quality of the salmon means it is in strong demand for the sashimi market, and some of the fish is also destined for smoking, either locally at the nearby Ullapool Smokehouse or at smokeries abroad.

“The lean flesh of our salmon makes it perfect for smoking, producing a superior product that tastes wonderful,” says Barbora.

“Our salmon is a real ‘white tablecloth’ product and producing such high quality fish has enabled us to fill an important niche in the global market,” she adds.

Wester Ross Fisheries is the local community’s largest private employer, with a workforce of 42 people, plus a further 16 at the Dingwall processing site.

“This means we can provide high quality jobs that helps sustains families within the local community, which in turn supports shops and other businesses,” states Barbora.

“There are real opportunities for career progression within the company and two of the current directors here begun working as farm operatives and worked their way up.

“We support local businesses as much as we can, whether it be hauliers for moving fish or equipment, or for printed marketing material, so that everyone in the community benefits.”

The company is also very active in supporting both local schools and community initiatives and has been involved in a whole range of projects in the recent years.

“Looking after the environment and supporting local communities is so important to us,” says Barbora. “Our salmon is produced in a labour intensive and natural way, but that is how we have always done things, and will continue to do so into the future.”