The event, held at the Macdonald Drumossie Hotel and hosted by comedian Grant Stott, saw a total of 13 prizes awarded to companies and individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to aquaculture over the past year.
In the Rising Star category, the winner was young vet Alison Brough of Scottish Sea Farms, hailed as an outstanding ambassador for the sector and a future industry leader.
The Collaboration prize was awarded to Offshore Shellfish and the University of Plymouth for their Ropes to Reefs project, documenting the positive ecosystem and fisheries benefits of offshore mussel farming.
In another competitive field, the Innovation award was given to Harbor AS for their Harbor fence pulsing technology, which tackles the key industry challenges of sea lice and string jellyfish.
Winner of the Sustainability award was Packaging Solutions Scotland, recognized for driving sustainability with a practical initiative that cuts single-use plastics while delivering real commercial benefits.
This year’s Community award went to Scottish Sea Farms’ Heart of the Community fund, which has donated more than £2 million to a wide range of projects, with a far-reaching and lasting impact in the communities where the company farms.
Also at Scottish Sea Farms, veteran manager Alastair Fraser beat off tough competition to scoop the coveted Farmer of the Year accolade. The judges agreed he stood out in a distinguished field for his leadership in pioneering the company’s move to fewer, bigger pens, with stunning results.
The Animal Welfare prize was awarded to the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Research at Swansea University, an often below-the-radar institute that has a track record in advancing aquaculture science, helping to improve fish welfare in a commercial setting.
Aberdeen-based Underwater Contracting was named Supplier of the Year, with glowing testimonials from vets and salmon farmers for its subsea ROV technology and services to fish farms, which enhance farm health and efficiency and reduce diver risk.
In another category crowded with talent, the Best New Start-Up award was won by Esox Biologics, a company making waves by assembling a database containing the genetic code of every microorganism on aquaculture sites and supporting the development of novel diagnostics and vaccines to prevent the spread of infectious disease.
Mowi, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, was declared the 2025 Best Aquaculture Company, singled out not just for producing quality seafood and sustaining livelihoods, but for its extensive community outreach programme stretching back six decades.
Serving the salmon sector for 25 years, Dave Young of Mowi was the winner of the Unsung Hero award. The judges were impressed with his lifelong dedication to environmental sustainability in his role managing Mowi’s program of environmental monitoring of the seabed, vital work that determines the optimal locations for salmon farms and analyses the impacts of salmon farming.
Another tireless advocate for aquaculture is Stuart Cannon of steelhead trout producer Kames Fish Farming, this year’s winner of the Outstanding Contribution award. Chosen by his peers for his 50-plus years’ service to the sector, Stuart was one of the early pioneers of fish farming and has helped Scottish aquaculture become what it is today.
The Judges’ Special Recognition Award, created to acknowledge the efforts of a particular company or individual, went to Richard Newton of the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling. Richard’s work in developing methods for measuring the sustainability of marine ingredients through FIFO (fish in, fish out) ratios has been ground-breaking, and is now adopted in certification, helping with the continual improvement of the aquaculture industry.
Aquaculture Awards organizer Diversified Communications paid tribute to all the award entries, and to the sponsors, including BioMar, Brimmond, Cargill, Crown Estate Scotland, Department for Business and Trade, Fish Farmer, Gael Force Group, Hendrix Genetics, Institute of Aquaculture, Scale AQ, UK Agri-Tech Centre and the Young Aquaculture Society.
Event director Cheri Arvonio said that “the Aquaculture Awards celebrate all that’s best about this incredible sector, the people who drive its success and the businesses shaping its future. The judges’ decisions were difficult as always, given the select line-up, and congratulations must go to the amazing winners and to all those shortlisted. We are proud to be able to recognise and champion such excellence.”
