Scottish aqua innovation centre looks to a sustainable future, bolsters leadership team
The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) has appointed a trio of international aquaculture experts to its board, bringing a combined 80 years of experience to the leadership team.
Alan Sutherland, [pictured], marine director at the Scottish Salmon Company; Alan Tinch, technical director of Benchmark Genetics; and Pieter van West, director of the International Centre for Aquaculture Research and Development at the University of Aberdeen have been appointed to support the innovation centre’s drive towards a more sustainable future for aquaculture.
With almost four decades working in the global fish farming sector, Sutherland has a strong track record in business development and senior leadership, said the organization. He is returning to SAIC, having been a founding director when it launched in 2014. He previously led the Scottish, USA and Canadian divisions of Pan Fish and Marine Harvest – now Mowi – and has held a number of external board and committee positions, including the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum, African Century Foods and VeroBlue.
Alan Tinch is a specialist in advanced livestock breeding and genetics and is the current technical lead for Benchmark Genetics for its global breeding programmes for aquatic species. He has over thirty years’ experience managing commercial research and development projects across aquatic and terrestrial species – currently working on Atlantic salmon, shrimp and tilapia – with a strong focus on innovation and development in Scottish aquaculture.
In addition to joining the SAIC board, Pieter van West has been appointed to the innovation centre’s Independent Scientific Panel as deputy chair. He has an extensive academic background as part of the International Centre of Aquaculture Research and Development and the School of Medical Sciences at the University of Aberdeen.