The new multi-million-pound Marine Harvest salmon processing plant at Admiralty Park in Rosyth has produced its first pack of the company’s Harbour Salmon Co product.
The plant carried out recruitment and primary processing in the run up to Christmas and production of the award-winning product is now under way.
Andy Stapley, managing director of Marine Harvest VAP UK, said: “This is not just a milestone for the company, but also for the salmon farming industry as Marine Harvest brings to the market the whole process from farm to fork which has not been the case until now.
“It’s great news for the company and also great news for the local economy which will benefit from new jobs across a range of disciplines.”
Demand for Scottish salmon is continuing to grow, and the company is ready to meet the demand for salmon fillets and a range of other salmon products.
The 200,000 sq ft base at Admiralty Park will become one of the largest processing plants in the UK and produce a range of retailer brand products as well as the Harbour Salmon Co products introduced by Marine Harvest in the UK.
As production increases in the coming months, the site will employ up to 150 people.
Salmon products from Rosyth are already being supplied into France and Italy, and there is interest from the USA.
Mr Stapley said: “We all care passionately about the quality of our fish and we hope local people will also feel a sense of pride that this facility in Rosyth is producing a world-class product for export around the world.”
Marine Harvest traces its roots back to the early days of the industry in the 1960s when the first trials of commercial salmon farming took place at Lochailort in the West Highlands.
Since then it has grown to become the largest aquaculture company in the world.
The development of the Rosyth plant is part of an £80m investment programme for Marine Harvest to increase production and meet the ongoing demand for salmon.
Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd is the largest salmon farming company in Scotland producing over 48,000 tonnes last year.
It has four hatcheries, four freshwater loch sites and 46 sea farms situated in the Western Isles, Skye, Argyll, Wester Ross and Lochaber.
Live fish are harvested at Mallaig and processed at the Blar Mhor processing plant in Fort William.
In total more than 550 employees are employed at these locations.