Manchester heads to Holland

Neil Manchester, General Manager of Landcatch, began his tenure as Managing Director of the newly-formed aquaculture business unit of Hendrix Genetics on 1 January. He is now based at the Hendrix Genetics headquarters in Boxmeer, Netherlands, and will be in charge of Atlantic salmon, coho salmon and trout breeding operations, as well as cutting-edge genetics services, in Scotland, the US, Chile and the Isle of Man. The move follows a landmark deal signed in October between Landcatch, which supplies Atlantic salmon eggs and smolts and genetics technology to the international aquaculture industry, and Seattle-based Troutlodge Inc, the world’s largest rainbow trout egg producer. The deal included Landcatch taking a 45 per cent shareholding in Troutlodge and the setting up of a new joint venture to establish an independent Atlantic salmon breeding programme, backed by genetics research, in Chile. Other appointments within the aquaculture business unit include Keith Drynan, Landcatch’s Head of Broodstock Production, becoming General Manager of Troutlodge, Isle of Man, and David Danson, Head of Freshwater Production at Landcatch, taking over as General Manager at Ormsary in Argyll. Dr Alan Tinch remains as Director of Genetics at Landcatch’s genetics base in Stirling with an enhanced remit, including responsibility for the genetics programme in all operating companies and other customers. Rodrigo Torrijo is General Manager of what now becomes Landcatch-Troutlodge in Chile and Steve Brown, as CEO, takes on overall control of Troutlodge Inc. Antoine Driessen, Director of Finance and Control at Hypor, the Hendrix Genetics pig-breeding programme, also becomes Director of Finance at the aquaculture business unit and will combine both responsibilities. Manchester has nearly 30 years’ experience in aquaculture, primarily in Scotland but also Chile, South Africa and the Mediterranean industries, beginning his aquaculture career in 1985 on a trout farm in Argyll. He joined Landcatch in 1998 as an area manager, progressing to director level and then to general manager. He specialises in the breeding and production of juvenile Atlantic salmon for the domestic and export markets.