A trout farming company has been granted permission for bigger cages at one of its sites in an Argyll loch, despite hundreds of objections.
Dawnfresh, owned by billionaire Alastair Salvesen, has six farms on Loch Etive, near Oban.
The firm will now be allowed to move Etive 3 into deeper water and increase the size of its 10 cages there from 229ft circumference to 262ft.
Campaign group Friends of Loch Etive (FoLE), set up to oppose fish farming in the loch, had objected, saying the proposal would damage the landscape and interfere with recreational uses for the water.
A total of 307 objections were received. There were 97 expressions of support, from people who see fish farming as good for the economy.
In a report before Argyll and Bute Council’s planning committee, senior planner Richard Kerr said: “There is no biomass increase proposed in connection with the current application.
“The proposal would entail a reduction in stocking density in the interests of fish welfare.”
A spokesman for FoLE said they were disappointed by the decision, but welcomed a condition limiting the tonnage of fish allowed at the site.
He said: “Despite the grant of permission, FoLE is pleased to see that the council shares our concerns that this is really just the start of Dawnfresh trying to get a much bigger farm at Etive 3.
“By placing a condition limiting the tonnage of farmed fish Dawnfresh can hold at that site to the existing tonnage, the council has made it clear to Dawnfresh that enough is enough.”
He added: “Loch Etive belongs to the Etive community, it is not for one business to make unreasonable demands and to ever seek to expand its fish farming operations to the detriment of the loch and at the risk of damaging the ecology of the loch and the fragile tourist economy upon which the Etive community so clearly depends.”
Stewart Hawthorn, farming director for Dawnfresh, said: “We have been operating on Loch Etive for over eight years and love what we do here, carefully rearing high-quality food for people to enjoy here at home and around the world, whilst creating year-round well-paying jobs for people in our local community.
“Changing all of our pens to be the same size is something we have been wanting to achieve for some time and we are pleased that the council has granted us permission today to do so. This will help us modernise our operations.”
