Looking back, thinking ahead: Stewart Graham
Fish Farming Expert has asked individuals connected to the aquaculture industry about their 2025, and what they hope for in the coming year. We conclude the series with Stewart Graham, owner of sector supplier Gael Force Group and fish farmer SeaQureFarming Group.
What have been the highlights for you professionally in 2025?
This year has been a milestone in Gael Force’s history as we have concluded our first order for the (floating semi-closed) SeaQureFarm system which we have been developing over the past three years. We will continue that development in the water before our customer puts fish into it in November 2026.
I have also established SeaQureFarming Group independently from Gael Force. It is the intention at SeaQureFarming Group to establish full scale production sites in conjunction with existing fish producers. These may be post-smolt sites, grow-out sites or a combination of both.
The economics of producing post-smolts in a SeaQureFarm site are extremely persuasive, with capital costs being a fraction of land based and opex costs being less too.
In April this year SeaQureFarming Group acquired Dawnfresh Farming from Mowi, which we have now rebranded as Loch Alba Trout. We are working on increasing production using SeaQureFarm technology to 3,000 tonnes.
You’ve been a major equipment supplier to Scottish salmon farmers for many years, but this year you also became a fish farmer by buying Mowi’s surplus Dawnfresh trout farms. How are you finding life as a fish farmer?
In acquiring Dawnfresh we also acquired an amazing team of dedicated farmers who have a very long service and a huge knowledge and experience. David MacGillivray from Mowi also joined to lead the farming operations and that is backed up by Teresa Garzon as our chief sustainability officer in the group.
All in all, that has made life fairly straightforward - thus far. Now we have rebranded as Loch Alba Trout and will take on direct sales while increasing production capacity, I am sure it will become more interesting and no doubt challenging.
Behind all of this, however, is our belief in the Gael Force SeaQureFarm system and our desire to prove [the technology] and leverage the production increases that can come from semi-closed containment in sites that are appropriate for, and can benefit from, its installation.
What will be the most significant challenges and opportunities for Gael Force and SeaQureFarming Ltd in the coming year?
For Gael Force, we see that the roll out of the SeaQureFarm system and international expansion will be both challenging but also provide a huge opportunity for growth.
What difference will the Marine Fund Scotland grant of £1.8 million make to your development of a floating semi-closed containment system?
Quite simply this deployment would not have been possible without that. All new innovative developments will have challenges and this grant will support Loch Alba Trout through the pathway to full functionality and of course ease the capital expenditure challenge which couldn’t easily have been bridged without this funding.
What do you see as the most significant challenges for the salmonid farming industry in Scotland and globally in 2026?
I guess simply put it is maintaining and growing social licence. We have an amazing product that world needs, we transform and sustain rural and even national economies, so we just need to continue to be rooted in - and ensure we benefit - our host communities, support indigenous economic development, and continue to do things right and do the right thing.
We are great at things but we must continuously improve and continue to get our message out to all stakeholders.
* SeaQureFarming expects planning permission imminently for the installation of the first semi-closed pen at its farm in Loch Ailort. The site will eventually have three SeaQureWells (individual semi-closed units within a SeaQureFarm). Five more SeaQureFarm sites are now in the consenting process.
