Submissions closed today for the 2019 Aquaculture Awards, which will celebrate innovation and developments in the field of aquaculture.
Nominations have closed in all eight categories of the awards, with winners set to be announced at a dinner in Edinburgh on 29 May. Gideon Pringle, farming operations director for awards sponsor Mowi, said: “Aquaculture worldwide is blessed with risk-taking pioneers, stubborn entrepreneurs, brilliant inventors and most of all, hard-working farmers who provide a delicious food for a growing population. It is also a very humble sector – so we should always remember to pat ourselves on the back once in a while and say ‘well done us’.”
The 2019 Aquaculture Awards categories are:
- Applied Research Breakthrough, sponsored by Lloyd’s Register, which celebrates research projects involving collaboration between industry and academia and which have had a demonstrable impact on the aquaculture industry;
- Technical Innovation, sponsored by Mowi and covering newly developed hardware or software projected to improve performance in any aspect of aquaculture;
- Animal Welfare, sponsored by Breakthrough, which will reward initiatives which have recognisably improved the welfare of either farmed marine animals or surrounding wildlife;
- Most Promising New Entrant, sponsored by Primer Design and open to people, products or businesses which have entered the aquaculture sector since January 2018;
- International Impact, sponsored by BioMar and aimed at international projects which take a cross-industry approach or promote open access to their data for the wider benefit of the aquaculture sector;
- Sustainability, sponsored by Cargill, focuses on the “three Es”: promoting environmental, economic and ethical sustainability within the industry;
- Diversity, sponsored by the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, will be awarded to the company which shows the greatest commitment to inclusivity either in their specific workforce or the sector in general; and
- The People’s Choice, which will be presented to the individual or group deemed to be “particularly inspirational”, from a list of nominations open to a public vote.
Martin Gill, head of aquaculture and fisheries at Lloyd’s Register, said: “We’re delighted to sponsor the Applied Research Breakthrough category at these awards. Aquaculture is clearly growing at a phenomenal rate and it’s an exciting time to be involved with businesses across the supply chain to ensure that together we deliver a safe and sustainable source of protein to consumers all over the world. It’s great that awards like these celebrate the success stories within the sector and recognise those businesses which are driving growth in new and innovative ways.”
