Winners announced for prestigious Scottish aquaculture awards
An award ceremony and dinner was held today at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh.
The awards were open to everyone involved in the Scottish marine aquaculture industry.
The winners were:
Farm Manager of the Year 2011 - David Duffy, Scottish Sea Farms
Aquaculture Ambassador of the Year 2011 - Walter Speirs
Aquaculture Processor or Retailer of the Year 2011 - Sainsbury’s
Aquaculture Supplier of the Year 2011 - Fusion Marine
Best Finfish Farm Award 2011 - Lismore North, Scottish Sea Farms
Best Shellfish Farm Award 2011 - Isle of Colonsay Oysters
Business Development Award 2011 - Grieg Seafood Hjaltland Ltd
Stewardship Award 2011 - Wester Ross Fisheries Ltd
Innovation Award 2011 - Marine Harvest (Scotland) Ltd
Best Marine Aquaculture Company 2011 – The Scottish Salmon Company
The Scottish Salmon Company, who operate salmon farms in the Outer Hebrides, were awarded the top prize for all-round excellence.
Congratulating the company on their achievement, Na H-Eileanan an Iar SNP MP Angus MacNeil said: “I am delighted that The Scottish Salmon Company have been recognised in this way, winning the top prize for all-round excellence is a fantastic achievement. The company employs over 150 people in the Outer Hebrides and as one of the largest private sector employers is important to the local economy.
Scottish Sea Farms won the overall award for Best Finfish Farm.
The award recognises Scottish Sea Farm’s Lismore North sites as an outstanding example of a long-established operation sustainably farmed and managed with insight, flair and sensitivity. The location and setting of the sites is simply breathtaking. The feed and feeding system used at Lismore is also unique and overall the quality of the fish farmed there is first class.
Scottish Sea Farms also won two other award categories. Farm Manager of the Year is David Duffy from Dunstaffnage. David joined Scottish Sea Farms as a school leaver 16 years ago and the award recognises his contribution to developing the Lochmuir salmon farming programme for Marks & Spencer. David has worked at Dunstaffnage since 2008 and was made Site Manager in 2009 at the age of 29, the youngest site manager in the history of Scottish Sea Farms.
Another award was picked up for Aquaculture Supplier of the Year with the winner named as Argyll based Fusion Marine. This salmon pen supplier has been working with Scottish Sea Farms for 20 years and was recognised for being a pioneer in the development of the superior three ring fish pen design.
