Plan for Scotland's largest salmon farm approved by Shetland Isles Council despite opposition

Plans to build Scotland’s largest salmon farm off the coast of Shetland have been approved, despite opposition from fishing and environmental groups.

Scottish Sea Farms’ £8m plan to redevelop and expand some of its current sites in Yell Sound into a single larger farm, known as Fish Holm, has been given the go-ahead.

The company have said the development will allow it to expand its pens, improve the health of its fish, and free up marine space currently used by other sites in Yell Sound.

It comes despite opposition from wildlife campaigners, with the Shetland Fishermen’s Association warning the project could reduce access to vital fishing grounds, while environmental organisations argue it could harm wild fish stocks.

Scottish Sea Farms said the site would be capable of holding up to 6,000 tonnes of salmon at any one time.

The existing farm had permission for eight circular pens measuring 100 metres in diameter. Under the new proposals, those pens will be replaced with 12 larger units, each with a circumference of about 520ft (160m).

If mitigation and monitoring conditions are approved, the maximum permitted biomass at Fish Holm is expected to rise from roughly 2,000 tonnes to around 6,000 tonnes.

Salmon is the UK’s biggest food export, with more than 100,000 tonnes produced every year, including tens of thousands in Shetland.

Developers Scottish Sea Farms welcomed the decision, saying the site will retain and support skilled jobs.

Tens of thousands of Salmon are produced in Shetland. STV News

A statement read: “Scottish Sea Farms welcomes the decision by Shetland Islands Council to approve our planning application at Fish Holm.

“This decision relates to the expansion and consolidation of our existing farm and reflects our move towards fewer, larger sites in deeper, higher-energy waters that support fish health and welfare.

“Importantly, developments such as Fish Holm help retain and support skilled local jobs now and into the future.”

However, concerns have been raised over how the new farm will impact the ecosystem. Anti-salmon farming organisation WildFish said it was “deeply disappointed” by the decision.

Nick Underdown, Scotland director at WildFish, said: “Like many others with a concern about our wild salmon populations, WildFish is deeply disappointed that Shetland Islands Council has approved the development in Yell Sound, slated to be Scotland’s largest ever salmon farm.

“This represents an unprecedented expansion of industrial salmon farming in an area already hosting multiple large sites. The proposed 6,000-tonne biomass raises serious concerns about cumulative impacts on wild sea trout, particularly from sea lice.

“Sea lice from salmon farms are widely recognised by government scientists as posing a risk to wild salmon and sea trout. Several nearby farms have recently recorded elevated lice levels and high mortalities. In that context, granting consent for an even larger site carries significant environmental risk.

“The decision is especially concerning given that the Scottish Parliament’s Rural Affairs and Islands Committee is currently scrutinising whether salmon farming is being effectively regulated, and whether the industry has made sufficient progress since the Committee reported in January 2025.

“Approving Scotland’s largest-ever farm while that scrutiny is ongoing appears to run counter to the precaution that Parliament hopes to see in the protection of Scotland’s marine environment.

“This approval also comes while salmon farming companies continue to challenge strengthened sea lice controls introduced by SEPA, creating further uncertainty about the regulatory safeguards intended to protect wild fish.

“We share concerns with many other people and organisations and will now carefully review the council’s decision and consider next steps.”

Sepa did not file an objection to the new farm and said the risk to wild salmon and sea trout from sea lice will be assessed and managed.

No other official objections were filed.