We would think Ireland has plenty of unused premises they could also use if they need to stay in the salmon farming industry. ************************************************************************* Machrihanish Airbase’s mysterious Gaydon Hangar moves from US Navy Seals to farmed fish Posted on August 15, 2014 by newsroom A development at the former RAF airbase outside Campbeltown by the Machrihanish Airbase Community Company [MACC] that bought the site from the Ministry of Defence, will see the Gaydon Hangar there move from mythological to commercial status. Creating 20 initial jobs, with hope of many more, the hangar is to become host to a closed containment land-based salmon farm, a form of fish farming which is less destructive of the marine environment . It is also more protective of the caged fish from the free swimming sea lice that plague them in open water environments; and the variety of gill diseases that are quickly transmitted in the densely populated sea cages – and can see tens of thousand of fish die in a single outbreak. This development is an inspired use of the vast uninterrupted space of the Gaydon Hangar that is part of this now community owned asset. It is also the future of salmon farming, with Scottish environmental and wild salmon organisations, like the Salmon & Trout Association [Scotland] asking for it for quite a while. Once, back in the Cold War, the Gaydon Hangar housed a unit of US Navy Seals and, in the burgeoning tales of mystery conected to this base, was said to be connected to a reputed ‘underground city’ there. For Argyll discovered that nuclear depth charges were stored at the base at this time, not in the hangar but in underground silos which may have fed the rumours of an underground city. The hangar though may well have sheltered from interested eyes some American aircraft in development and testing in the privacy of the night skies off Scotland’s largely empty west coast. These now seem certain to have included the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, the so-called ‘stealth bomber’. It was built in the 1960s and used for servicing NATO aircraft during the Cold War [and then some]. It is 100m x 50m in size and takes its title from its designer, whose surname was Gaydon. The hangar featured in the 1985 film, White Nights; and also a number of adverts for car manufacturer SAAB. It is an imposing building, carrying evocations of the various histories attached to it, seen top, from the outside; and inside, above. All previous fish farms in the UK have used sea cages, which have been criticized for sea lice and serious benthic pollution problems on the sea bed of the lochs where they are located. But, with Canada an international leader in the use of closed containment salmon farming, the Norwegian fish farmer, Niri, have developed their own system of keeping the fish in secure land-based tanks, producing healthier and cheaper salmon. The company will start with a modest two tanks, housed in the Gaydon Hangar, each producing 1,000 tonnes of salmon a year. Plans for a change of use of the hangar have just been approved by Argyll and Bute Council. A full planning application for an ambitious expansion plan is to follow, ahead of which consultations will be held with local people. The two tanks should take just weeks to construct. Niri founder and CEO Arve Gravdal says: ‘We believe our methods are the best developed in the world. We’ve found solutions to all the problems small land-based farms have encountered.’ The system is very eco-friendly. Instead of being discharged into the sea, waste or sludge, is dried out and can be sold as fertilizer. In the future, Niri plans to recycle the sludge, producing biogas and heat. The Meridian Salmon Hatchery and Smolt facility at Furnace on Loch Fyne uses a similar system in a large establishment. Every stage of the production of the young salmon has its own cleaning system, including a massive anaerobic digester, which is effectively the engine of the hygiene regime. The Niri scheme has won praise from both politicians and conservationists. Mr Gravdal says: ‘Our mission is to become a leading producer of high-quality seafood on land at a very competitive cost. ‘But we take our environmental responsibilities seriously. Nothing nasty gets pumped into the sea. There can be no escapes from our tanks and it is a disease-free environment for the salmon. We believe our system will meet all modern requirements on fish health and welfare.” Mr Gravdal adds that he aims to complement Scotland’s renowned salmon farming industry and work hand-in-hand with local producers. South Scotland MSP, Chic Brodie, who helped bring Niri to Scotland says: ‘This is a great project. It’s good for the environment and will also be very good for the local community with new jobs. I introduced Arve Gravdal to Alex Salmond. His company were looking at sites in Scotland and Ireland and I’m delighted they’ve chosen a site here. I know Argyll and Bute MSP Mike Russell is also extremely pleased with the plans and Highlands and Islands Enterprise helped seal the deal.’ The airbase was purchased by the Kintyre community for £1 in May 2012 with the intention of developing its 1,000 acres of buildings and land as a business park, attracting inward investment to the area. Jim Martin, local businessman and chairman of MACC Development Ltd, the trading arm of the community company, says: ‘The Niri project is fantastic for Kintyre, fantastic for our young people and fantastic for Scotland.’ Mr Gravdal confirms that: ‘Everyone connected to the local community in Campbeltown has been extremely helpful. ‘I would like to thank the council planners, the local people from SEPA [Scottish Environment Protection Agency], as well as David Smart and David Roberts from Highlands and Islands Enterprise. They are helping a personal dream come true and helping launch a business that will bring big benefits to the area’ The facts of the Niri enterprise Machrihanish Airbase currently has around 30 small to medium sized businesses located on site with its key tenants including Wind Towers Scotland, one of the UK’s two wind-tower manufacturers and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd, which operates commercial flights to Glasgow. Neither will be affected by the fish farm plans. The Gaydon hangar was built in the 1960s and was used for servicing NATO aircraft during the Cold War. It is 100m x 50m and takes its title from its designer, whose surname was Gaydon. The hangar featured in 1985 film, White Nights and also a number of adverts for car manufacturer SAAB. The first two tanks will each have a capacity of 8,000 cubic metres and be limited to an area of around an acre inside the former aircraft hangar. Operations will be controlled by Norwegian parent company Niri AS which was formed in 2008. Only 30% of supplies for the farm will come from Scandinavia. Some 40% will be from local suppliers and the remaining 30% from other Scottish companies. The farm will take up to four months to build and should be running at full capacity by 2015-16. forargyll/2014/08/machrihanish-airbases-mysterious-gaydon-hangar-moves-from-us-navy-seals-to-farmed-fish/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ForArgyll+(For+Argyll)
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 22:05:46 +0000
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