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North Atlantic Shellfish is set to expand its mussel farming business with assistance from Shetland Islands Council. The Development Committee has approved a loan faciltiy of £582,530 to allow the business to increase the production of mussels in response to strong market demand.
The Company has just completed its first phase of development to upgrade the processing factory at Walls and now plans to enhance its operation by utilising the latest mussel production technology and harvesting systems. This will not only maximise the production capability of the sea sites but will also allow the company to significantly improve efficiency and reduce waste and discards.
Richard Tait, Managing Director, welcomed the council’s support, saying it would allow the family owned business to achieve its development plans and enhance its competitiveness.
“Our mussels are very well received and this investment enables us to service the strong demand we are seeing for our Shetland Mussels. Our operation is based in Walls on the Westside where we have built an excellent team who are dedicated to producing quality mussels. This loan from the Shetland Islands Council is greatly appreciated and will help us to reach our full potential,” said Tait.
Josie Simpson, chairman of the development committee, said: “This project is in line with our priority to produce top quality seafood products with the ‘Shetland’ brand and to encourage sustainable growth in Shetland’s aquaculture industry. The business is strenghtening the community of Walls through the creation of seven new jobs, which is additional to the 17 jobs that it already provides.“
On a less optimistic note it is reported that the Shetland Islands Council may only receive just over £100,000 of an outstanding £530,000 owed by Whalsay Fish Processors which went into administration last week with the loss of around 60 jobs.
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