Aquaculture awards go annual and global

THE Aquaculture Awards held in Aviemore last May are to become an annual event, with a date already fixed for May, 2019.
They will also be thrown open to a wider audience, with global aquaculture companies invited to compete.
The organiser, 5m Publishing, announced the new date for the Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards, to be held at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh on May 29, following the success of this year’s prizes, staged at Aquaculture UK.
‘The 2018 awards were hugely successful – attracting a record number of entrants from around the UK – and we’re keen to encourage international involvement this time too,’ said 5m’s sales and marketing director Matt Colvan.
‘The annual awards are now open to participants in the sector from around the world.’
The awards will take place at a presentation dinner following a half-day seminar, the details of which will be announced shortly.
The categories include:
Applied Research Breakthrough (sponsored by Lloyds Register) – open to any research project involving collaboration between the industry and academic sectors. The winner will be the project that is most likely to have an impact on the industry and has already demonstrated some tangible measures of success.
Sustainability (sponsored by Cargill) – will be presented to the organisation that is able to demonstrate the consistency of its contribution to the environmental, ethical and economic sustainability of the industry. Entrants will need to highlight ways they are addressing each of the three E\’s.
International Impact (sponsored by BioMar)- an award set to promote companies and/or new initiatives with a truly international impact. Projects that promote cross-industry collaboration and/or make their results freely available for the greater good of the sector will be viewed particularly favourably.
People’s Choice (sponsor TBC) – Individuals are invited to nominate a person from within the sector whose attitude and achievements in the last 12 months have been particularly inspirational. The public will then be able to vote for anyone from the shortlist, which will be drawn up by the judging panel based on the best of the nominations received.
Most promising new entrant (sponsorship available) – nominations sought for people, companies or products that have arrived on the aquaculture scene since January 2018.
Animal Welfare (sponsor TBC) – any initiative that has improved the welfare of the farmed animals and/or the wildlife they interact with since January 2018. Initiatives can cover a range of factors, including genetic, pharmaceutical and technological innovations, or improvements in husbandry and farm management protocols.
Tech/Data Innovation (sponsorship available) – an award for the developer of novel hardware or software that has, or is projected to, improve the performance of any aquaculture sector.
Diversity (sponsored by Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre) – the employer, individual or organisation that has done the most to promote diversity in their workforce and/or the sector in general since January 2018.
‘We have established a new set of categories which have a greater emphasis on sustainable farming practices, cutting edge research and technological innovation,’ said Susan Tinch, event organiser.
‘And we are delighted that the sector’s leading international businesses are supporting the new awards.’
The closing date for entries is March 1, 2019, and the shortlists will be announced in early April.
To find out more about each of the categories and to enter or nominate visit www.aquacultureawards.com and complete the online forms.