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Fined for South Uist fish farm waste

9 March 2011

A former fish farm owner was fined £600 at Lochmaddy Sheriff Court yesterday (8 March) after failing to remove waste cages and other assorted fish farm waste from a freshwater loch on the Isle of South Uist.

Mr Iain Steele operated a fish farm on Loch Moreef until 2005 when it was destroyed by a severe storm. He pled guilty on 1 June 2010 to failing to remove the waste as required in a notice served. The waste included metal cage structures, wooden components of cage structures, rope, nets, polystyrene flotation blocks, compressed gas cylinders, pumps, waste feed and plastic bags. The matter was investigated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and a report sent to the Procurator Fiscal. Sentence on Mr Steele was deferred on a number of occasions to allow for a suitable clean up operation to be carried out.

Complaints had been received by both SEPA and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar regarding the abandoned cages in Loch Moreef from members of the public. On inspecting the site SEPA officers noted that cages were displaced throughout the loch and that netting, polystyrene and other floating debris had been towed to shore but not removed from the environment

In October 2009 following a number of requests for action to be taken a notice was served on Iain Steele requiring the removal of the waste within three months.

On inspection of the loch following the expiry of the notice period it was immediately apparent that Iain Steele had not complied with notice. A significant quantity of controlled waste, such as broken fish farm cages, polystyrene flotation blocks, nets, rope and other fish farm related equipment still remained on site.  Further visits to the loch were undertaken after sentence had been deferred to allow further opportunities for a full clean up to be undertaken by Mr Steele and the loch has now been cleaned up to SEPA's satisfaction.

Hazel MacLeod, SEPA's investigating officer, said:

"Loch Moreef is a remote loch in the Isle of South Uist, it's a very scenic area and the amenity of the loch had been significantly reduced by this abandoned fish farming equipment.

"These wastes are not biodegradable, so if they had not been removed, they would have remained in situ for many years to come, oxidising, rotting and decomposing slowly due to exposure to the elements and being spread by the wind.

"Mr Steele had failed to take the necessary steps to clear up the waste which arose from his fish farming business despite requests to do so from SEPA and it was therefore necessary for SEPA to take further action to require that he do so. SEPA is disappointed that it took so long for Mr Steele to remove the wastes from the loch but is now satisfied that the wastes have been removed, and that the impact on the environment from these wastes has been removed.

"This case clearly demonstrates that fish farmers must take responsibility for the impact that abandoned cages have on the environment and must take prompt action to remove these to avoid further environmental impact if the cages are broken up by the action of the weather."   

Ends

Notes to editors

The exact charge Iain Steele pled guilty to was:

• On 5 February 2010 at Loch Moreef, Isle of South Uist you IAIN STEELE being the occupier of said land, did without reasonable excuse fail to comply with the requirements imposed under Section 59(1) (a) of the aftermentioned Act in that you did fail to remove all wastes which included, but was not limited to waste fish cages and associated wastes from fish farming activities including metal cage structures, wooden components of cage structures, rope, nets, polystyrene flotation blocks, compressed gas cylinders, pumps, waste feed and plastic bags having been required to do so in a notice served on you under said section by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on 12 October 2009; CONTRARY to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, Section 59(1)(a) and Section 59(5)