In December 2010 Western Isles Council (CNES) will decide on planning application 10/00468 to place the largest salmon farm in the Western Isles in the pristine marine environment beside the islands of Lingay and Groay in the Sound of Harris.

This floating factory fish farm would be within about 250m of large seal haul-outs and breeding colonies and around 500m from the second largest colony of cormorants in the Western Isles. Several families of otters live in the immediate area.

Although the farm intends to operate within the RSPCA Freedom Foods scheme the owner has already made it clear that he does not rule out shooting seals in the area. Shooting seals is allowed under Scottish law and the RSPCA Freedom Foods scheme. This could result in orphaned baby seals starving to death as happens at salmon farms elsewhere in Scotland.

Through lethal predator controls, use of wildlife scaring devices and general disturbance it is extremely likely that, as has happened at other salmon farms, this farm would result in the eradication of many species from the local area.

Astonishingly Western Isles Council have refused calls for a full Environmental Impact Assessment into this controversial proposal.

We, the undersigned, ask Western Isles Council to refuse planning application 10/00468 and we ask the RSPCA to withdraw any endorsement of this and any other salmon farm which could do irrevocable damage to important local wildlife populations.

We, the undersigned, ask Western Isles Council to refuse planning application 10/00468 for the siting of a fish farm near the important seal and cormorant colonies on the islands of Lingay and Groay in the Sound of Harris.  We also ask the RSPCA to withdraw any endorsement of this and any other salmon farm which could do irrevocable damage to important local wildlife populations.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.