Fish farming
Fish farming is the recent boom industry of the Highlands. Production of finfish (mainly Atlantic salmon, but increasingly also halibut) which began in the late 1960s has risen to 70,060 tonnes of salmon in 1995 and is projected to continue to increase. This has provided many jobs in an area with limited employment prospects. Shellfish farming of mussels, oysters and scallops is much less profitable, but is perhaps more suited to small scale production and the crofting lifestyle. Total shellfish production in 1995 was 1,252 tonnes.
Since its beginnings the industry has grown so much that almost all the sea lochs on the west coast and the islands have fish farms in them. Shellfish farms have relatively little impact on the marine environment and its wildlife, although there is potential conflict between shellfish farmers and some birds, especially eiders which feed on mussels. There are greater concerns over the potential impact of salmon farms. Concerns include the fouling of the seabed under the farms with fish faeces and uneaten food, although this is relatively localised, and the use of various chemical and antibiotic treatments which may have more long term effects on other marine life including commercial shellfish species.