Aquaculture industry leaders join SAIC board
THREE senior figures in Scottish aquaculture have joined the board of the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC).
Joining the SAIC board are Anne Anderson, Head of Sustainability and Development at Scottish Sea Farms; Su Cox, Communications and Business Development director at Bakkafrost Scotland; and Hervé Migaud, Director of Health,Welfare and Biology at Mowi Scotland. Together they bring more than 30 years of aquaculture leadership experience, as well as academic and regulatory expertise.
Before joining Scottish Sea Farms in 2021, Anderson spent 22 years with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), latterly as Chief Officer of Compliance and Beyond. She then left the public sector for the private to take up the role of Sustainability Director with Salmon Scotland (then known as the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation), where she led a range of strategic projects including the Scottish Salmon Sustainability Charter.
She said:“SAIC is a key force in the drive to find practical, effective solutions to sector challenges – from bringing together the right minds for the task, to championing the need for innovative projects in which emerging concepts can be trialled and tested – and I look forward to the opportunity to help shape this vital work over coming years.”
Cox has more than 35 years of experience in the Scottish aquaculture sector working for different salmon producers. She is currently responsible for public affairs and stakeholder engagement at Bakkafrost Scotland, formerly the Scottish Salmon Company, and is also Chair of Scottish Quality Salmon. On joining SAIC, she said: “It's an honour to join the SAIC board and represent Bakkafrost Scotland. Sustainability is at the heart of our business, so our values are aligned to reduce the impact we have on the planet and increase the economic impact we have as an industry. Innovation and collaboration are key to future success.”
Following more than two decades in academia, Migaud joined Mowi’s Scottish operations in
April last year to oversee fish health and welfare. He remains an honorary professor at the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture and was Head of the Production Research group until 2022. Migaud was also previously President of the
European Aquaculture Society. He commented: “Innovation has always been central throughout my career as a scientist and now as an industry director to improve the sustainability and resilience of the sector. SAIC plays an important role towards meeting this goal by bringing together academia and industry leaders.”
MOWI is planning to invest in a new bespoke broodstock and egg facility in the north-west of Scotland
The development will be located at Ardessie, on the shores of Little Loch Broom.When complete, the company said, it will offer eight to 10 direct new jobs and supply-chain opportunities to the local region.
The production of broodstock – a vital link in the company’s value chain – is intended to secure egg supply for Mowi Scotland. The company also hopes to supply other producers, improving the position for the salmon farming sector in Scotland as a whole. Currently reliant on external supply, Mowi wishes to secure its national breeding goals and egg supply in Scotland, thus enabling the company to select parent fish whose offspring will be most robust to the specific challenges faced locally, and providing significant advances in survival and performance.
The development will replace an old hatchery building currently on the site.The new facility will boast state-of-the-art technology, including self-contained recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and temperature control.
The building design – by Convery Prenty Shields (CPS) Architects – was developed to take account of its surrounding environment, allowing the building to nestle quietly into the rural landscape.
Mowi said a community engagement process would be conducted as the project develops.