Fish farm still a go in Tazewell County
wardell, va. — Despite some design changes, including a move toward trout, a large-scale fish farm for Tazewell County is still on target for a 2026 opening.
The Pure Salmon project was announced several years ago, and is planned on land adjacent to Southwest Virginia Community College. The project is expected to create more than 200 new jobs for the region.
The company recently implemented some design changes for the fish farm, including a reduction in the total square footage. It is also moving from salmon to steelhead trout, according to Tazewell County Administrator Eric Young.
'In their current design they have consolidated buildings and made some changes to the facility surrounding the large tanks in an effort to reduce the total square footage,' Young said. 'I believe the 750,000 square foot figure is still accurate for the largest building, but there will be more activities under that roof than originally planned and fewer buildings.'
Pure Salmon is an international aquaculture company based in Abu Dhabi. The company is developing a vertically integrated aquaculture facility for the local Tazewell County project.
Young said the company still anticipates creating more than 200 new jobs with the fish farm project.
'The jobs number is still 218,' Young said. 'In our working with them to have the water and waste water needs met we are all working on a schedule that allows them to begin operations at the end of 2026.'
The project was originally envisioned to produce fresh salmon for markets on the Eastern Seaboard. But the Tazewell County facility will now produce steelhead trout, which is a larger form of trout, according to Young.
The fish farm, also known locally as Project Jonah, has been in the planning stages for a number of years.
When completed, the fish farm will be about 30 feet tall with different levels inside to handle the entire process, from growing the trout to processing and packaging, and ultimately getting the product ready for market.
Other support industries also are expected to be developed near the fish farm to help with the needed products and services it will require for its daily operations.
Talk of a possible fish farm for the region dates all the way back to 2013. That was when Delegate James W. 'Will' Morefield, R-Tazewell, visited Israel in search of an economic development project for the region that ultimately took shape as Project Jonah.
More than 200 acres of land near Southwest Virginia Community College was later purchased in the summer of 2020 for the project.
Contact Charles Owens at
cowens@bdtonline.com
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