Watchdog moves to tackle 'rotting graveyard' of fish farm waste on secluded Scottish island
Sepa is in discussion with the landowner about removing “the large volume of waste” found.
Scotland’s environmental watchdog is working to remove large quantities of fish farm waste that have lain in an island bay for years.
Piles of discarded material have accumulated near Earshader on the west coast of the Isle of Lewis, an area where residents have long complained about the persistent smell.
Several reports have been submitted to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), prompting the regulator to intervene.
Sepa said it is now in contact with the local landowner to arrange for the waste to be cleared. The site lies within Scaliscro Estate, which was acquired in 2018 by Nicholas Clarke, founder of the Curzon group of companies, whose interests lie in mining and energy.
The estate, which spans some 10,000 acres and overlooks Little Loch Roag, is renowned as a remote, high-end “wilderness retreat” that offers Highland estate activities including stalking and fishing. According to the estate website, Scaliscro is entirely off-grid and powered by hydro and solar energy supported by battery storage.
According to Sepa, the waste predates the current ownership and was inherited from a previous operator. Nevertheless, the agency stressed that responsibility remains with the landowner to ensure it is dealt with appropriately.
Officials added that any removal operation would require careful planning because of “the large volume of waste” involved.
Before its sale, the estate was owned by Cree Mackenzie, who established Hebridean Mussels there in 1992. The company specialised in cultivating mussels in Loch Roag and expanded over time before being acquired by Loch Fyne Oysters in 2014 as part of efforts to strengthen shellfish production.
The condition of the site was highlighted last month by the long-standing fish farm critic Don Staniford, who reported his findings to Sepa after visiting the bay.
He described the area as “a dumping ground for tonnes of plastic wastes from fish farms”.
“It’s a rotting graveyard of decades of fish farming equipment, including pipes, buoys, ropes and plastic pollution,” he said. “It’s a complete eyesore. Locals have told me the place is called ‘sh*t bay’ because of the smell.”
Mr Staniford, who has campaigned against salmon farming for more than two decades, runs the organisation Scamon Scotland. He is known for documenting conditions at fish farms, often filming covertly and sharing images of diseased and dying fish online as part of his campaigning work.
Sepa said it could not confirm precisely how long the waste had been present, although officials indicated it had been there for “a number of years”. Mr Staniford believes the accumulation could date back decades.
Responding to complaints, Susan MacPherson, Sepa’s acting unit manager, said: “Our understanding is that the materials largely comprise legacy fish farm wastes arising from previous operators in the Loch Roag area, which were inherited by the current landowner upon acquisition of the estate.
“While the wastes were not generated by the current landowner, responsibility remains to ensure that they are addressed appropriately.
“Sepa has requested an update on the landowner’s proposals and timescales for the removal of all wastes to a suitably authorised facility.”
Scaliscro Estate and Loch Fyne Oysters have been approached for comment.
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