School visit raises profile of fish farming for pupils

The P6 and P7 pupils were able to watch a live feed of fish from their classroom, observing feeding time as well as being shown what PPE should be worn and the chance to get up close to jellyfish and plankton.

The visit also featured a presentation by seafood enthusiast and educator Catriona Frankitti, who shared insights into the salmon life cycle, the health benefits of eating fish, and offered samples for the pupils to taste.

Craig Johnstone, Marine Site Manager in Gigha, who helped organise the interactive workshop, said: “We wanted to organise something for the school’s P6s and P7s to give them a flavour of what it’s like to be a fish farmer.

“We respect the role that salmon farming plays in the remote and rural communities in which we live and work. When I asked them who knew someone who was involved in the seafood industry, pretty much every hand went up.

“I think it’s very important we get out into our communities and help educate people about what it is we do. We work in a sector that helps enable people to stay in the rural communities they have grown up in by providing employment opportunities. It’s also an investment in our potential future workforce – we look forward to welcoming some of these budding fish farmers to the team in the future.”

Bakkafrost Scotland has a team of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) ambassadors who regularly visit schools to inspire the next generation, showcasing the wide range of roles and opportunities available across the aquaculture sector.