Former Wester Ross MD, Bakkafrost and Mowi among the winners in Aviemore

Gilpin Bradley, the former Wester Ross Fisheries Managing Director, has been honoured at the Aquaculture Awards 2024 for his outstanding contribution to the industry.

The Outstanding Contribution award was sponsored by Cargill.

Gilpin Bradley retired in September 2023 after 33 years at the helm of the salmon company, which had been acquired by Mowi in 2022. He was formerly Chairman of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (now Salmon Scotland). The award for Outstanding Contribution was made following a vote by aquaculture industry professionals.

The awards, held on Wednesday night in Aviemore, in the Highlands, recognised excellence in aquaculture, in Scotland and further afield. The gala dinner marked the end of Aquaculture UK, Britain’s biggest trade show dedicated to the sector.

Also at the event:

• The Rising Star award, sponsored by Scale AQ, went jointly to David Lipscey (Scottish Sea Farms) and Silvia Viale (Mowi).
• The Collaboration award, sponsored by Agri-Tech Centre,went to Ace Aquatec and Tiny Fish.
• Ace Aquatec also won the Innovation award, sponsored by Poseidon, for its A-BIOMASS camera.
• The Sustainability award, sponsored by BioMar,went to net makers W&J Knox.
• Mowi won the Community Initiative award, sponsored by Seafood Scotland.
• Thomas Begg of Bakkafrost Scotland was named Farmer of the Year, sponsored by Optoscale.
• The Animal Welfare award, sponsored by Institute of Welfare, went to Bakkafrost Scotland, for the company’s Welfare Awareness Training Scheme.
• Inverlussa Marine Services won the Aquaculture Supplier of the Year award, sponsored by Mowi.
• The Best New Start Up award, was Chilean firm Chucao Tech.
• Scottish Sea Farms’ Dr Ralph Bickerdike was named as the Unsung Hero of 2024, sponsored by Vonin Scotland, while Emma Matheson of BioMar was highly commended.
• John Holmyard of Offshore Shellfish was the Best Producer of the Year, Crown Estate Scotland.
• Finally, the Judge’s Special Recognition award, sponsored by Aquaculture UK, went to Sarah Riddle of Northern Light Consulting.

The awards event was compèred by comedian and broadcaster Fred Macaulay.

The judges said that this year’s entries for the awards were of exceptional quality. The judging panel consisted of David Little, Deputy Director, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling; Heather Jones, Chief Executive, SAIC; Andrew Watson, Head of Comunications & Partnerships, Salmon Scotland; Jenny Hjul, Freelance Journalist; Malcolm Johnstone, Independent Aquaculture Auditor/Consultant; and Nicki Holmyard, Communications Specialist, Offshore Shellfish.