ALBAs winner for 2025.

Five accolades for aquaculture at rural training awards evening

Editorial team
Published Modified

PhD student Robert Stewart and aquaculture trainees Derek Dunning, Robaidh Halliday, Lewis Henderson and Mary Collins all won awards last night at Lantra Scotland’s ALBAS (Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills) at the Crieff Hydro Hotel in Perthshire.

Aquaculture Learner of the Year winner Derek Dunning from Lochgilphead is doing an SVQ through UHI Shetland while working in fish husbandry for steelhead trout farmer Kames, based at Kilmelford, Oban.

“I’m so glad to win this award, it’s been hard work, but worth the effort,” said Dunning. “Thanks to Lantra Scotland for the award, to Stuart Fitzsimmons my tutor at UHI and my employer Kames Fish Farm for giving me this opportunity.”

Aquaculture Learner of the Year joint runners-up were Lewis Henderson and Mary Collins. Henderson, from Gigha, and Collins, from Glasgow, are both doing an SVQ in Aquaculture at UHI Shetland while working in fish husbandry for Bakkafrost Scotland.

Aquaculture Learner of the Year Derek Dunning, who works for steelhead (rainbow trout) producer Kames Fish Farm. He is pictured with Fiona McCauley, quality and assurance manager for trade body Salmon Scotland.
From left: ALBAs co-hosts Dr Jenna Ross, and Mike Duxbury with Aquaculture Learner of the Year runners-up Lewis Henderson and Mary Collins, who both work for Bakkafrost Scotland.

Robert Stewart, who is doing a PhD in Aquaculture at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh, won a Commendation for a research project studying the post-translational regulation of the innate antiviral immune response in Atlantic salmon. He said: “It’s a great feeling to win this award and makes all the hard work worthwhile. Thank you to and my tutors at the Roslin Institute for their continued support and Lantra Scotland for presenting me with this prestigious award.”

Meanwhile, Robaidh Halliday from Portree on Skye was runner-up in the Higher Education Award BSc category. Halliday, who has been working as a site manager for Organic Sea Harvest in Staffin, is doing an SVQ in Aquaculture Management at UHI Shetland.

The ALBAS are organised by Lantra, the sector skills council for the land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation industries.

Last night’s awards dinner was attended by Jim Fairlie, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity, and hosted by slug control expert Dr Jenna Ross, and Mike Duxbury, the UK’s only blind farmer.

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