Six jobs will be lost after West Side mussel company Demlane goes into administration

The six workers at the Walls factory owned by troubled seafood business Isle of Shuna, which went into administration yesterday, have been told they will lose their jobs.

However, three office workers based on the Scottish mainland, at premises in Bathgate, are being retained to assist in the administration process.

Accountants from Pricewaterhouse Cooper have reaffirmed their intention to find a buyer for the mussel-farming company, which incorporates Demlane Ltd.

A spokeswoman said staff at the recently-extended Walls plant were being made redundant after the joint administrators decided “it wasn’t practical to complete the current order”.

She said there had been “positive indications of interest in the factory,” adding further meetings would be held in due course. “The key aim is to sell the business as a going concern,” she said.

Isle of Shuna was launched in 2005 to exploit the growth in the mussel industry. It took over the factory and equipment originally set up by Demlane. However, the majority of its turnover has been through wholesale distribution, which has proved unprofitable.

Only last month Demlane’s sea service assets – such as workboats and equipment – were sold to Blueshell Mussels Ltd of Brae. That deal is unaffected by this week’s news, however.