Press Release

CREAM OF MARINE AQUACULTURE INDUSTRY RECOGNISED

27 June 2008

The top performers in one of Scotland’s flagship industries were honoured last night (26 June) at The Crown Estate Marine Aquaculture Awards.

The awards reward innovation and best practice in Scottish aquaculture and recognise operators who employ the highest standards of husbandry; offer innovative training programmes; support local communities; and manage their businesses with a high level of environmental awareness.

Loch Fyne Oysters took one of the night’s top honours with the award of Marine Aquaculture Company of the Year.

John Rea from Scottish Sea Farms was named Aquaculture Ambassador of the Year while Colin Milne from Wester Ross Fisheries won the award for Farm Manager of the Year.

Scottish Sea Farms also took the prize for Best Marine Farm for their Loch Kishorn site.

Loch Duart were awarded Aquaculture Supplier of the Year.

Marks and Spencer picked up the award for best Aquaculture Processor or Retailer with Shetland’s North Atlantic Shellfish taking top prize in the Business Development category.

Gigha Halibut scooped the Stewardship Award and Lighthouse Caledonia were rewarded for their investment in their staff with the award for best Training and Eductation.

Alex Adrian, Offshore Operations Manager for Scotland at The Crown Estate, said: “The Crown Estate was delighted to build on the success of its awards for the salmon farming industry and extend the scheme to include the whole of Scotland’s marine aquaculture sector.

“We certainly weren’t disappointed with the extremely high standard of entries from across the industry which made it clear that Scotland continues to lead the way for best practice and innovation in aquaculture.

“Our judges were extremely impressed with the calibre of the businesses at the heart of the industry and the world-class products they produce.”

The judges were Peter Dryburgh, until recently Director of NAFC Marine Centre; Dennis Overton, Managing Director of Aquascot; Martin Gill, Managing Director of Food Certification Scotland; Professor Phil Thomas, Chairman of the Scottish Aquaculture Code of Good Practice Management Committee; and Dr Carolyn Heeps (Chair), Head of Marine Policy, Science and Sustainable Development at The Crown Estate.

Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards 2008 Results and Judging Criteria

Farm Manager of the Year

Criteria

• Consistent excellence
• Delivered notable benefits to the company

Winner – Colin Milne, Wester Ross Fisheries Ltd

Colin Milne stood out in this category through his dedication and outstanding contribution to Wester Ross Fisheries. With great willingness to embrace new thinking, coupled with an ability to combine new ideas with decades of knowledge and experience, Colin gets the best out of his staff and produces high-quality fish.

Aquaculture Ambassador of the Year

Criterion

• Enhanced the image of the industry to stakeholders and the public

Winner – John Rea, Scottish Sea Farms Ltd

John is a passionate ambassador for the industry. Over the years he has developed close links with the community, spreading the word about animal welfare, the environment and the sustainability of modern aquaculture.

Aquaculture Processor or Retailer of the Year

Criteria

• Support for economic development of industry
• Marketing initiatives
• Constructive feedback and communication
• Product development
• Purchasing practices

Winner – Marks and Spencer

With the development of their range of Lochmuir ™ Salmon, Marks and Spencer have adopted a pioneering and innovative approach which has taken Scottish salmon to national and multinational markets.

Aquaculture Supplier of the Year

Criteria

• Commitment to further the economic sustainability of the industry
• Quality of product, service, technical advice and input
• Back-up service and communication
• Product research and development

Winner – Loch Duart Ltd

Loch Duart have built up close relationships with their customers, working closely with them to develop their product. The judges were impressed with the firm’s ability to break into new markets, with Loch Duart salmon on sale in 14 countries worldwide.

Training and Education Award

Criteria

• New and innovative developments to existing staff training which have improved:
• Business productivity
• Environmental stewardship
• Technical innovation

Winner – Lighthouse Caledonia

The judges were impressed with Lighthouse Caledonia’s clear and competence-based training and education programme. Training is tailored to suit individuals’ learning styles in order to achieve best results from staff.

Business Development Award

Criterion

• Methods and initiatives which have made a significant positive contribution to the economic sustainability of the business, either in existing or new markets.

Winner – North Atlantic Shellfish Ltd

North Atlantic Shellfish stood out as an innovative company demonstrating a new level of sophistication in gathering information about the global marketplace and using it to develop their strategy from their base in Shetland.

Stewardship Award

Criteria

• Environmental measures in areas such as containment, wild/farmed stock interactions, waste management and mitigation, benthic and water column impacts and visual perception
• Local community relations
• Interaction with stake holders

Winner - Gigha Halibut Ltd

Gigha Halibut demonstrated exceptional commitment and care for the local community. As well as providing employment and boosting the local economy, the company has developed a successful and sustainable business from a previously abandoned site.

Best Marine Farm

Criteria

• Production performance
• Commitment to staff development and training
• Local community relations
• Innovation

Winner – Loch Kishorn, Scottish Sea Farms Ltd

The Loch Kishorn site stood out for its consistent production of top-quality fish to exacting environmental and welfare standards. The professionalism and enthusiasm of the staff were judged to have made a significant contribution to the success of the business.

Best Marine Aquaculture Company 2008

Winner – Loch Fyne Oysters Ltd

Alongside their role as significant producers of Scottish farmed shellfish, Loch Fyne Oysters have been pioneers in production methods and sales. They are also an important buyer of Scottish farmed salmon and other marine species, both through their links with top-class restaurants and at their own shop and restaurant in Argyll.

Loch Fyne Oysters maintain an ethos of environmental sustainability throughout their business which is exemplified by their Loch Fyne Trust initiative. As a company whose shareholders are its own employees, it invests in the local area and has close links with the community that are second to none.