Plans for a fish farm in a remote Skye sea loch will go before a council planning committee next week.
Oban-based Kames Fish Farming Ltd’s proposal to establish a salmon and rainbow trout farm in Loch Pooltiel near Glendale in the north of the island has attracted 76 objections.
However, members of Highland Council’s north planning committee will be advised to approve the scheme when it comes before them.
The company withdrew a previous application and has now re-applied to build 12 cages, each with a circumference of 328ft, stocking up to 2,500tonnes of fish.
The scheme received 76 outright objections and one “critique of the general opposition to the fish farm proposal from wild fish interests”.
Four people also offered their support to the development.
The previous application had generated 324 objections.
Among the concerns raised was the impact on visual amenity and tranquility, a loss of income to local tourist businesses and the impact on local wildlife.
Objectors also raised concern about the potential impact on a local dive site from silt and pollution.
Among the objectors was the Skye District Salmon Fishery Board which raised concern about the threat of sea lice to wild salmon and trout.
The company has pledged to build a pontoon for the community if the scheme gets the go ahead.
It also said that the fish farm would support four full-time jobs and two part-time jobs if they are given the go ahead.
The company currently has four sites in Argyll and one in Perthshire. It previously had two sites at Dunvegan but sold them due to a parasite problem that cost it around 80% of its fish.
Highland Council’s coastal planning team principal Colin Wishart recommended approval subject to a number of conditions.