Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards Announced

The Crown Estate has announced the winners of the Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards, which aim to celebrate the achievements and success of an industry that is vitally important to Scotland and its rural communities.

An awards ceremony and dinner was held at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh last week when winners included The Scottish Salmon Company and Scottish Sea Farms.

Alex Adrian, aquaculture operations manager for The Crown Estate, said: "We are delighted to announce the 2011 winners and wish them, and the runners-up, the very best with their business going forward.

"All the winners displayed an exceptional level of innovation and responsibility in their approach to business and to environmental sustainability, and this bodes well for an industry that is critically important to Scottish coastal communities and local economies.

"The Crown Estate would also like to thank the judges for their time and expertise."

The Scottish Salmon Company beat off stiff competition to win Best Marine Aquaculture Company. The judging panel awarded top prize to company for all-round excellence, commending it for its sustainable practice, business performance, investment, staff management practices and local community involvement.

The award also recognised The Scottish Salmon Company’s success in other categories, the company having made the final for Farm Manager of the Year, the Innovation Award and the Best Finfish Farm Award.

Bill Hazeldean, chief executive of The Scottish Salmon Company, said: "We are delighted and extremely proud to have won this prestigious award.

"As a young company, it is a fantastic endorsement of the hard work and dedication shown over the past two years and reward for sticking to our core values of pride, passion and provenance.

"We have made great progress in a short space of time and we hope to use this award as a springboard for greater success in the future."

The Scottish Salmon Company is a principal player in the Scottish aquaculture industry responsible for approximately 20% of Scottish salmon production. It operates from around 40 sites and employs around 300 people on the west coast of Scotland and Western Isles.

Its recently-opened Marybank processing plant in Stornoway, Isle of Lewis is one of just a few facilities to produce high-quality, pre-rigour pin-bone-out fillets. Operational since late 2010 filleting is now running at more than 50% of capacity as the company endeavours to develop sites to realise its full potential.

Scottish-based and operated, the company is committed to building a sustainable business within Scotland’s rural communities.

Meanwhile, Scottish Sea Farms won the award for the Best Finfish Farm in Scotland. It was recognised for its farm at Lismore North, Argyll.

The leading fish-farming company also won two other award categories, including Farm Manager of the Year, 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.

He 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.

Scottish Sea Farms was also shortlisted for other categories including: Aquaculture Ambassador – Geoff Kidd, Loch Spelve; Retailer of the year – the Lochmuir partnership with M&S; Innovation – for developing a unique staff development and training package; and Business Development – working on behalf of the sector in opening export routes to China for the first time.

Scottish Sea Farms' managing director, Jim Gallagher, said: "The professionalism of management and competence of the staff at Lismore is second to none.

"The award recognises the focus we have on environmental excellence and the longstanding farming sustainability that is demonstrated. We were also thrilled with our other awards on the night and to be shortlisted in almost every category."

The Crown Estate.

The Scottish Salmon Company.

Scottish Sea Farms.

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