AquaGen Scotland hires Steven Butler as development manager for Holywood hatchery

AquaGen Scotland has appointed Steven Butler as development manager for its Holywood Hatchery in Dumfries, Scotland.

The Trondheim, Norway-based salmon breeder and egg supplier purchased the freshwater hatchery from Scottish Sea Farms in 2019. The company said it has upgraded the facility into a state-of-the-art hatchery and broodstock unit with the capability of incubating up to 40 million eggs, all specifically tailored to Scottish environmental conditions. 

Butler has 30 years of aquaculture experience, having worked for several of the country’s largest salmon producers. For the past year, Butler has worked as a consultant for AquaGen.

“It is a great opportunity for me to bring my experience to a company that plays such an important role in the Scottish aquaculture value-chain,” Butler said in a press release. “I believe that attention to detail in all aspects of environmental control systems is key to reliability in any production facility. My mechanical and electrical engineering background, combined with my expertise in managing fish-farming operational procedures, will enable me to ensure that the Holywood breeding center is operating at maximum efficiency.”

Butler will work with the hatchery’s site manager Joe Pearce and operations manager Daryl Moore to continue to oversee further investments in the facility, AquaGen said.

“It will be important to work closely with the team at Holywood to minimize any impacts of the new projects on the production cycle,” Butler said.

Managing Director Andy Reeve said progress is being made in developing further local production of the AquaGen strain. 

“Over the past three years, we have grown from a core of just two people to 14 today, and we continue to invest to grow the business and enhance our reputation as a reliable supplier of top-quality Scottish eggs. The key appointment of Steven Butler takes us one step further along the road to achieving this,” he said.

Photo courtesy of AquaGen

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