Wester Ross, the oldest independently owned salmon farmer in Scotland, experienced an exceptionally high salmon mortality at the Ardessie Farm in Little Loch Broom in August 2018 caused by a severe plankton challenge, it announced.

"This has been a catastrophic event for Wester Ross, in over 40 years of salmon farming," said Gilpin Bradley, Managing Director of Wester Ross Fisheries.

"Our dedicated farmers have never had to manage such severe mortality in a very short period of time."

Wester Ross Salmon located at the Ardessie Farm were affected by a severe plankton challenge which caused an irreparable damage to the gills in a very short period as the seawater temperatures reached their summer peak.