First vessel in £3.4 million contract delivered

Macduff Shipyards has handed over the first of four 170-ton capacity new-build feed barges to Scottish Sea Farms, in a deal worth £3.4 million.
A further three barges and two landing craft will be delivered to the company in time for its 2015 spring smolt inputs.
The first barge was towed from Macduff, on the north-east coast of Scotland, to its new location in Loch Kishorn on the west coast.
Newly appointed site manager at Loch Kishorn, Will Fulton, said: ‘I am delighted that the first of the barges is being deployed to my site.
‘It’s a fantastic investment for Kishorn and for Scottish Sea Farms.
‘We’re opening a third brand new site in Loch Kishorn in April and will soon take delivery of another 170-ton barge, along with a new build 14m landing craft.
‘These are exciting times for the Scottish aquaculture industry.’
The feeding systems for all four barges have been supplied by Orbit GMT.
Jim Gallagher, managing director of Scottish Sea Farms, said: ‘This new vessel has arrived at our new site in Kishorn where we are creating at least ten new jobs and fresh opportunities for trainees and apprentices.
‘This contract with Macduff is part of a £13 million investment programme as we continue to develop new and existing sites to meet the growing demand for our quality salmon, both here and abroad.
‘This investment is part of our commitment to putting something back into the Scottish economy wherever possible and supporting Scottish suppliers whenever we can.’