The Young Aquaculture Society (YAS)’s Early Career Innovators Competition is part of a broader drive to boost job opportunities in this thriving sector.
The winner will be announced at Aquaculture UK, the country’s largest conference of its kind, in Aviemore, Inverness-shire, in May.
Entries are now open for the competition, which is supported by Diversified Communications, the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture (IoA) and trade body Salmon Scotland.
This initiative comes less than six months after YAS was founded by Salmon Scotland’s technical and standards manager Andrew Richardson. YAS aims to support future leaders in seafood, shellfish, and finfish through socialising, networking, and professional growth.
The winner will be featured at a special in-person event for sector professionals at Aquaculture UK, hosted by Salmon Scotland on May 14th. They will enjoy a complimentary stay on the night, and the organisers will cover up to £200 for their travel to and from the event. Prizes are also available for the second and third-place runners-up.
The competition is open to members of YAS. Joining is free and takes just two minutes to complete an application. More details on the competition and an entry pack can be found here.
Participants are asked to identify a challenge or problem and pitch their solution, which must be related to aquaculture — whether on a farm, at a hatchery, in a lab, or addressing a digital challenge.
Farm-raised salmon directly employs 2,500 people in Scotland, and an additional 10,000 jobs are dependent on the sector.
Offering well-paid and highly skilled job opportunities, the sector includes roles ranging from technicians and farm assistants to skippers, processors, and from fish husbandry to various business support roles.