Scotland’s first caviar farm could be given the go-ahead today as planning permission looks likely to be approved for a firm to breed sturgeon at an Argyll site.
Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has lodged a petition with 5,000 signatures opposing the farm, claiming that it would be cruel and inhumane.
The Fynest Caviar Company wants to build a closed containment aquaculture facility at Ardkinglas Sawmill, Cairndow, by Loch Fyne.
Peta has lodged an objection and submitted the petition to Argyll and Bute Council.
The application to be considered by the council’s planning committee today is for three buildings with three covered water settlement tanks and associated parking.
It has been recommended for approval by officers. In a report before the committee, planning officer Sandra Davies writes: “As this application is for planning permission in principle it is only the principle of the development which is being applied for rather than the detail.
“In this application, however, the applicant has provided a lot of supporting details in order to demonstrate the acceptability of the proposal.”
The objection from Peta states: “Intensive fish farms cause immense suffering to the fish confined there. In the wild, Sturgeons live in open rivers and migrate vast distances upstream to breed. On fish farms, they are confined to tiny, severely crowded tanks, where they have no option but to spend their lives swimming in endless circles.
“As a result, they are highly susceptible to stress, aggression and disease as well as physical injuries such as fin damage. At the end of their miserable lives, they are transferred to an ice bath where their gills are cut and they are left to bleed out – a slow, painful death.”
The Fynest Caviar Company said sturgeon is vulnerable to over fishing. In its statement in response to objections it writes: “Our fish will mature at seven to 10 years old, at this time they will measure 27-40ins in length and be in a weight range of 10-12 kilos.
“When certain fish have been identified for processing they will be moved to a smaller diameter tank containing cold water. This causes the metabolism of the fish to slow greatly. Clove oil will be introduced into the water in the tank to anesthetise the fish.”
The firm said that once in the dispatching room the fish will be placed on a processing table and be killed with a club or “priest” and followed immediately by bleeding. It said death is instantaneous.
