Authorities are investigating pollution in a river near Fort William following reports of dead fish, blood and scales. Members of the public spotted a discharge coming from a waste pipe and reported the issue to regulators on Sunday. Seafood supplier Mowi Scotland, which has a processing plant nearby, conducted an investigation and said the pollutant did not originate from its site. Environmental regulators are now seeking to identify the source of the pollution.
Jamie Moyes, an activist with the group Abolish Salmon Farming, said it was common for locals to see blood in the river. Moyes believes the dead fish present in the water to be wrasse, which are used in salmon farming to tackle sea lice. Mowi Scotland operates 48 farms and produces 68,000 tonnes of salmon annually.
A spokesperson for the company said that it was confident that the pollutant did not derive from its facility. The company has checked its operating procedures, effluent system and CCTV and said in a statement: “Effluent is only released to the Scottish Water treatment works at Caol Point, less than two miles down the river from the plant.” Mowi is the only firm on the Blar Mhor Industrial Estate to be regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency under Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) regulations.
The spokesperson for Scottish Water, which runs the waste treatment at Caol Point, said that the company was working with environmental regulators to establish the cause of the pollution. Members of the public with concerns about potential pollution incidents are advised to contact the 24-hour pollution line operated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
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