A group of five aquaculture experts have formed a consulting firm called SmartAqua.
The firm consists of Mark Asman, COO of Australian salmon farmer Tassal; Alastair Smart, an international aquaculture consultant; Alistair Brown, an aquaculture veterinarian; Scott Nolan, A processing plant designer; and Tim Kildea, an environmental assessor.
Each member has 20 years or more of experience in his expertise, and combined they have worked across the globe including Australia, Scotland, Canada, the United States, Chile, Norway, Greece, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and New Zealand.
The group aims to be a one-stop shop for aquaculture needs, providing services including business management; aquatic veterinary, welfare and biosecurity; harvesting and product quality management; harvesting process plant design and management; and environmental assessment.
SmartAqua will operate globally with a focus on the fast-growing Australasian aquaculture industry. The group said it sees a lot of growth in aquaculture, but the skill and expertise needed to keep up the level required for global best practices is still lacking.
SmartAqua has already provided services to Nutreco, Marine Harvest, Tassal, Cleanseas, New Zealand King Salmon and Huon Aquaculture, among others.
“The concept has been a year in the making with all of us seeing a need for aquaculture advice coming from people with real hands-on industry experience — no one person can deliver the range of skills required, so we joined forces,” said Asman.
