An initiative designed to promote diversity in aquaculture is set to benefit from support from the Scottish government, to help boost career opportunities for women in Scotland’s seafood industry.
Mairi Gougeon, Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment, met members from Women in Scottish Aquaculture (WiSA) at the Scottish Association for Marine Science before announcing a £20,000 investment at the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers conference.
Launched on International Women’s Day 2019, WiSA is a collaborative initiative and follows a Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) consultation of 200 people, nearly all of whom were keen to see more women working in aquaculture.
Heather Jones, chief executive of SAIC, said she was passionate about supporting and promoting the role of women in Scottish aquaculture. “I believe it is a vital step in helping the industry to grow. It’s been fantastic to secure financial support for this initiative from both the Scottish Government and the aquaculture industry in Scotland,” she added.
Combined with an additional £30,000 of industry sponsorship, the funding will support WiSA’s core aims to encourage more women to enter the sector and provide a supportive network across industry and academia.
Funding from the Scottish government will help create an online platform to support members, as well as supporting a mentoring programme delivered in partnership with Skillfluence, an organisation specialising in professional development in science.
