I currently work for Cooke Aquaculture Scotland as a Freshwater Operative at the Holmwrangle Hatchery which is a freshwater, flow-through Atlantic salmon hatchery. We receive both unfertilised and fertilised organic eggs each year, then fertilise, hatch and raise them in tanks until they’re ready to go to other sites within the company, for on growing before going to sea.
I’ve always been interested and passionate about aquaculture from an early age and I’m lucky to live and work in a stunning part of the world and be around nature every day.
My daily tasks vary, which is part of what makes the job enjoyable and attractive to me. The most important daily duty is the fish husbandry. This ensures our fish are getting the correct care, health checks and nutrition to keep them thriving. Other parts of the job include maintaining the site and equipment, biosecurity upkeep, grading and vaccinating the fish, training and improving the site.
Teamwork in this job is important as we work in small close-knit groups and many operations rely on everyone communicating well and working together to succeed. Problem solving, working independently and being vigilant are all important in the job.
My degree in Marine Biology is relevant and useful, but I always look for ways to keep developing and learning. I had the chance to do a Modern Apprenticeship in Aquaculture, then a Technical apprenticeship in Aquaculture Management with NAFC. They are great courses, enjoyable and a perfect way to improve your knowledge, skills and experience while you’re still working full-time on site.
I learned about team and site management, aquatic production, fish feeding and health care regimes and treatments, as there’s a big focus on fish health and providing the best care to our stock possible.
The most rewarding part of the job for me, is producing healthy, thriving salmon and getting feedback from the receiving site how happy they are with the fish we produce for them. Once our salmon are healthy and in great condition at sea, the freshwater aspect of the production is complete. It makes all the hard work worthwhile.
Callum’s route into aquaculture
• Completed work experience at a salmon hatchery on a local estate at 14 and loved it. Gained more experience at various sites over the years between studies.
• Attended Newcastle University and earned a 2:1 honours degree in Marine Biology.
• Joined Cooke Aquaculture Scotland and completed a Modern Apprenticeship in Aquaculture, then a Technical Apprenticeship in Aquaculture Management through NAFC Marine Centre UHI.
• Completed ILM Management level 3 and now working on level 5 course.