A MODEL of a killer whale made in glass-fibre has shown itself to be

an effective marine scarecrow, frightening off seals from attacking

salmon at a fish farm in a West Highland loch.

It has worked so well that its inventor is now planning to make a

series of 16ft glass-fibre killer whales and put them on the market.

Mr Charles Marsham, fish farmer, 44, came up with the idea of

tethering a glass-fibre killer whale in the sea in a bid to combat the

seals which were eating about 200 salmon a week from his fish cages.

Killer whales are the main predators of Atlantic grey seals, who make

off when they swim into view.

Seals are attracted to salmon farms because they have the prospect of

an easy bite there.

Mr Marsham has found that the seals are giving a wide berth to his

fish cages in Loch Clash, near Kinlochbervie, Sutherland, which have the

prototype glass-fibre whale floating nearby. Losses from seals there

have been cut to ''almost zero''.

He says that the model is saving his Sutherland Sea Farms several

hundred pounds every week.

Mr Marsham, who has business interests in salmon farms there and in

neighbouring Loch Erribol, is planning to make more plastic whales to

sell on to other fish farmers.

He says: ''Our first plastic whale has proved a very effective way of

protecting our salmon cages from seals, who obviously think it is the

real thing. We are planning to make a mould and produce between six and

10 of them as a first step.''

The glass-fibre whales will be made by local firm Rispond Marine,

which Mr Marsham operates in a partnership with Mr Marty Mackay.

Mr Marsham, who has been salmon-farming in the Cape Wrath area for

over nine years, plans to install one or two of them at his Loch Erribol

operation.

Last week an Irish salmon farmer contacted him about getting a

glass-fibre killer whale.

Ready-for-the-water seal-scaring mock killer whales are expected to

cost around #1500 each from Rispond Marine, named after a hamlet on the

shores of Loch Erribol.

Scottish fish farmers are forbidden to shoot common seals. They can

get a licence to shoot ''identified'' troublesome Atlantic greys, but in

practice it is difficult to prove which seal is actually the

''troublesome'' beast.

Fish farming is one of the biggest employers in the Highlands and

Islands giving work to around 6000 people in many of the remotest parts

of the country.