Environmental expert moves to SSPO

ANNE Anderson of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has been appointed director of sustainability at the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO). The newly created role is the second announcement in two days from the organisation, which represents most of Scotland’s salmon farmers. Yesterday, top political journalist Hamish Macdonell was named as the SSPO’s new communications chief, with a brief to beef up the group’s lobbying profile. Anderson’s job will be ‘to develop and coordinate an industry strategy for sustainable business to support responsible growth’, the SSPO said in a press release this afternoon. She has worked at SEPA, the organisation that issues fish farm licences, since 1996, latterly as chief of compliance and before that as head of regulation. She said: ‘I am delighted to join the SSPO and have a leading role in helping this exciting and important Scottish industry develop sustainably. ‘The sector holds a strategic position in Scotland’s and the UK’s food and export economies and I am looking forward to helping it demonstrate its significant production achievements and innovations.’ Julie Hesketh-Laird, chief executive of SSPO, said: ‘Anne brings a range of skills from her previous role in Scotland’s environmental regulator, which will be invaluable in supporting the Scottish salmon farming industry’s drive for continuous improvement and excellence in fish farming, fish health and other production practices through the supply chain. ‘She will strengthen the SSPO’s expertise at a busy time as we continue to shine a light on industry good-practice and achievements, to ensure our fantastic sector thrives.’ Anderson will join the SSPO later in the year. Picture: Anne Anderson