Liam McArthur MSP Tours Orkney Facilities

Today, Orkney's Scottish Parliament representative for the Liberal Democrats, Liam McArthur MSP, made a visit to the Orkney operations of Cooke Aquaculture Scotland. He took a tour of our organic Scottish salmon farms, Cava and Fara, located in Scapa Flow, and also visited our packing station in Kirkwall. The tour was facilitated by Robert Peterson, the Orkney Area Manager, and Michael Lewington, the Manager of the Orkney Packing Station. Cooke Aquaculture Scotland holds the title of being the biggest producer of organic-certified Scottish salmon, which is exclusively farm-raised in Orkney. Liam McArthur MSP expressed his thoughts, saying, "It was a wonderful experience to witness Cooke Aquaculture's operations in Orkney up close. The aquaculture industry has been a significant contributor to our local island economy, and the sustainable production of top-quality salmon will remain crucial in the coming years. I was especially pleased to learn about the creation of more jobs in Orkney and it was beneficial to discuss with local employees about their future expectations." Colin Blair, the Managing Director of Cooke Aquaculture Scotland, stated, "We were delighted to have Liam McArthur visit our seawater sites in Scapa Flow. Liam had the opportunity to see our beautiful organic salmon at Cava and Fara, and interact with the seawater teams who explained how new developments can help to maintain existing or attract new residents to live and work on these islands. We also used this opportunity to explain our commitment to supporting people in the areas we operate through our voluntary community benefit fund, which aids local organisations and events and contributes to island life. Earlier in the day, we saw Scottish salmon from one of our Kirkwall sea farms being processed at our packing station, destined for dinner tables in over 16 countries worldwide." In the run-up to the Scottish Parliament elections in May 2021, the manifesto of the Scottish Liberal Democrats stated, "We back the Scottish aquaculture industry and the high value it brings to its Scottish produce. We will support the industry in continually improving production standards, and do everything possible to facilitate its access to international markets."