News / Cooke swallows last independent salmon farms
COOKE Aquaculture has acquired the last independently-owned salmon farming operation in Shetland.
One of Scotland’s leading aquaculture companies, Cooke Aquaculture has bought over Balta Island Seafare Ltd., which has salmon farms around the islands of Yell and Unst.
Following the acquisition of Yell-based Thompson Bros. Salmon Ltd. in August 2015, it gives Cooke Aquaculture a monopoly on the management of farmed salmon in the North Isles.
The three farm sites encompass over 1,000 tonnes of salmon production, and a Cooke spokesman said the company was pleased to have taken over the Baltasound-based firm.
“Balta operates in a separate management area to Unst and Yell, which will help Cooke reduce biological risks as well as provide the company with flexibility and synergies in production,” the spokesman said.
“This additional production will protect jobs in the area and support investments in other aspects of the business, including processing.”
The spokesman said the purchase was “consistent with Cooke Aquaculture’s focus on vertical integration and diversification in terms of geography, products and markets”.
He added: “Cooke’s strategy has been to achieve growth through acquisitions and organic growth that is both sustainable and responsibly managed to meet a growing global demand for healthy, fresh seafood.”
Balta Island Seafare has been producing fish since 1987 and from 1998 worked with the Skaw Smolts hatchery to produce organically-certified salmon.
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