Major salmon-farming project announced for Lesotho
Fresh-water salmon fish-farming company Pure Salmon has announced a major investment in Lesotho, to establish a recirculating aquaculture system salmon farm in the country’s highland Butha-Buthe region. The project is worth $250-million and is being undertaken in partnership with the Lesotho National Development Corporation (LNDC). Pure Salmon’s parent company is Singapore-based 8F Asset Management (8F).
When fully developed, by 2023, the facility will have an annual production capacity of 20 000 t. It will create more than 250 full-time jobs in the country and receive power from the near-by hydroelectric power station. Such power, the company pointed out, is 100% renewable. Once in full production, the salmon farm was forecast to generate annual revenues which would contribute 8% of Lesotho’s gross domestic product.
“Not only is Lesotho one of the most dramatically beautiful countries in the world, the Highlands are also the source of some of the purest natural water reserves in the world,” stressed 8F founder and Chairman, and Pure Salmon Board Director, Stephane Farouze. “This directly complements the Pure Salmon pledge to deliver sustainable Atlantic salmon, free of microplastics, antibiotics, pesticides and other contaminants.”
