The island’s new Lieutenant Governor Sir Richard Gozney has paid a visit to the Isle of Man Troutlodge.

Sir Richard was accompanied by his wife Lady Gozney.

As well as enjoying a comprehensive tour of the Troutlodge, Sir Richard and Lady Gozney also attended a presentation by David Danson manager of Landcatch, a Scottish salmon farm owned by Hendrix Genetics, the same parent company as the Troutlodge.

Tim Knighton of the Troutlodge said the governor had expressed an interest in the island’s fishing and fish farming industry and the economic value the fish farm offers to the Isle of Man so the visit gave them a welcome opportunity to learn more.

He said: ’Sir Richard was introduced to the technology and processes we use to produce high quality eggs on our unique disease-free island and the bio-security that’s employed to safeguard this status.

’The Lieutenant Governor and Lady Gozney took interest in the hatchery workings, and were pleasantly surprised that we can produce up to 50m fertilised eggs for export to multiple continents in the winter months each year.’

A second leg of the tour took the visitors round the Cornaa hatchery in Maughold where they were able to see their fish stocks used to stock the island’s reservoirs for the fishing enjoyed by local and visiting anglers.

’Throughout the tour we emphasised our future plans in breeding and developing our fish and our market aspirations - in which the Lieutenant Governor took great interest,’ Mr Knighton said.

The visitors saw some of the 20,000 fish (weighing in at around 23 tons, in total) used for the restocking programmes in the reservoirs as part of a lease agreement with the Isle of Man government.

’All in all the visit went extremely well and I’m sure we may even be seeing the Lieutenant Governor enjoying some fishing at the side of one of the island’s reservoirs before long.’ Mr Knighton said.