Race is on to find 2026 Aquaculture Learner of the Year
Contest organiser will take nominations from now until late November
Nominations for training organisation Lantra Scotland’s Aquaculture Learner of the Year are now open, and can be made here.
The accolade is among the 2026 ALBAS (Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills) which highlight the talents of people and organisations involved in land-based sectors such as farming and forestry and the aquaculture sector.
The 2025 Aquaculture Learner of the Year was Derek Dunning from Lochgilphead, who was doing a Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) through UHI Shetland while working in fish husbandry for steelhead trout farmer Kames, based at Kilmelford, Oban.
Aquaculture Learner of the Year joint runners-up were Lewis Henderson and Mary Collins. Henderson, from Gigha, and Collins, from Glasgow, are both doing an SVQ in Aquaculture at UHI Shetland while working in fish husbandry for Bakkafrost Scotland.
Two other awards also went to people linked to fish farming.
Robert Stewart, who was doing a PhD in Aquaculture at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, won a Commendation for a research project studying the post-translational regulation of the innate antiviral immune response in Atlantic salmon. And Robaidh Halliday, from Portree on Skye, was runner-up in the Higher Education Award BSc category. Halliday, had at the time been working as a site manager for Organic Sea Harvest in Staffin, and was doing an SVQ in Aquaculture Management at UHI Shetland.
Open to all ages
The ALBAS recognise successful trainees of all ages and encourage employers to invest in the next generation of talent, while promoting the many rewarding careers available.
Industry categories in the ALBAS cover animal care, aquaculture, equine, environmental conservation, fisheries management, game and wildlife, horticulture, land-based engineering, vet nursing and trees and timber. There is also a category for secondary schools.
Dr Liz Barron-Majerik, Scotland director for Lantra, said: “Land-based and aquaculture industries make a big contribution to Scotland’s economy, particularly in rural areas, so we’re delighted that we can recognise and celebrate the success of our top learners, employers, training providers and partners through the ALBAS.
Knowledge, passion, ambition
“Once we have all the nominations in, an independent panel of employers and industry representatives decides who to shortlist for interview based on what’s in the application form and what nominators say in their reference. They are looking for knowledge of industry, passion for the sector, future plans and ambitions and learning journeys, with each of these factors having the same importance.
“It's what you put in the nomination form that determines whether you will be invited for interview, so it's worth spending time on your application.”
Secondary school nominations must be in by Monday, October 27, with entries for all other categories closing on Friday, November 28.
Winners of the ALBAS will be announced at a ceremony in the Crieff Hydro Hotel on Thursday, March 5, 2026.
Call Lantra Scotland on 01738 310164, or email scotland@lantra.co.uk to find out more about nominating or supporting the ALBAS.
