A financial package worth £200,000 from Western Isles Enterprise (WIE) is helping North Uist Fisheries Limited (NUFL) improve efficiency and create two new jobs.

The Lochmaddy-based business is investing in new equipment in order to meet strict discharge levels set by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) at a total cost of just over £1million.

NUFL, which was established in 1986, produce eggs and rear smolts, fry and parr for the fish farming market in the Western Isles, Skye and the Northern Isles.  In order to retain current levels of output or allow for a future increase in capacity, it is necessary for NUFL to upgrade hatchery facilities.

The project will involve the construction of poly-tunnels to house ova incubation racks and storage and the installation of new rearing tanks.  The investment will also allow for the purchase and installation of necessary re-circulatory equipment, pumps, waste filters, oxygen generators and an alarm system.

NUFL currently supports 10 full-time equivalent jobs and this new development will create a further two full-time posts in a very fragile area of the Western Isles where employment opportunities are limited.

Commenting on the project, managing director of NUFL Dick Troughton said: "The investment in new equipment is vital if the business is to remain viable in the face of increasingly stringent environmental constraints on our freshwater cage sites.

"It will also give us much greater flexibility in the production of multiple batches of photo-period smolts, demand for which is increasing as sea farms move away from the standard annual input of S1 smolts each spring."

Donnie Macaulay, chief executive at WIE said: "Global success in key sectors is a main priority for WIE and aquaculture as definitely one of our key economic drivers. 

"We are delighted to be able to assist North Uist Fisheries with their significant investment which is retaining and creating new jobs in a particularly fragile part of the Western Isles."