Salmon Scotland says that over 700 young people work on Scotland's fish farms, with roles ranging from technicians and farm assistants to skippers and processors, and from fish husbandry to various business support roles.
Photo: Salmon Scotland.
A new award is to highlight and support emerging leaders in aquaculture at the forthcoming Aquaculture UK conference in Aviemore, Scotland.
Created by the Young Aquaculture Society (YAS), the Early Career Innovators Competition aims to offer a platform for recognition of the important contributions made by young professionals to the salmon and seafood farming sector in the UK.
The YAS competition, supported by Diversified Communications, the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture (IoA) and trade body Salmon Scotland, seeks to address challenges within the aquaculture sector by soliciting innovative solutions from its participants.
To take part, entrants must become members of YAS, which is free and quick to join. Participants are asked to identify a challenge or problem and pitch their solution, which must be related to aquaculture — whether on a farm, at a hatchery, in a lab, or addressing a digital challenge.
“Early career professionals entering the field inherently bring fresh perspectives, making them well-positioned to generate impactful ideas," said YAS founder, Andrew Richardson, in a press release announcing the new award.
“It's truly exciting for us to introduce such a prize at this early stage of our organisation's journey, and we are grateful to the Institute of Aquaculture and Aquaculture UK for sharing our mission. We can't wait to see some great submissions from members and get inspired.”
Andrew Richardson, Salmon Scotland’s technical and standards manager, and founder of YAS.
Salmon Scotland’s technical and standards manager Andrew Richardson founded YAS approximately six months ago, in collaboration with an emerging network of other young professionals in the sector, with the aim of supporting future leaders in seafood, shellfish, and finfish through socialising, networking, and professional growth.
In an interview with WeAreAquaculture in January this year, Richardson said that YAS aims to give a voice to young professionals, and enable them "to tap into a thriving network outside of their company, giving opportunities to talk to others who work in the same industry".
Industry leaders from the supporting organisations welcomed the initiative, and encouraged young aquaculture workers to get involved.
Salmon Scotland noted that farm-raised salmon directly employs 2,500 people in Scotland, and an additional 10,000 jobs are dependent on the sector - with roles ranging from technicians and farm assistants to skippers and processors, and from fish husbandry to various business support roles.
“With over 700 remarkable young people working directly on our farms, it's great to see a grassroots organisation supporting these rising stars by encouraging networking, socialising, and learning," said Tavish Scott, Chief Executive of Salmon Scotland.
“Developing a healthy and diverse network is something that will undoubtedly support professional development," added James Dick, technical Manager at the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture, another of the organisations supporting the YAS award.
“We encourage each of our IoA students to actively practice this skill, whether their ambitions are academic or working in the sector – and Aquaculture UK is the perfect place for this," Dick said.
The winner will be featured at a special in-person event for sector professionals at Aquaculture UK, hosted by Salmon Scotland on May 14th. They will enjoy a complimentary stay on the night, and the organisers will cover up to £200 for their travel to and from the event. Prizes are also available for the second and third-place runners-up.