AquaGen Scotland appointed Steven Butler as development manager for its Holywood Hatchery. The appointment is part of the company’s commitment to achieving a leading position as the only biotech business producing salmon eggs specifically for the Scottish market, with genetics tailored to local conditions.  

The hatchery, situated near Dumfries, was purchased in 2019 and has since undergone a complete refit and transformation from a high-quality smolt production unit into a state-of-the-art hatchery and broodstock unit, with the capability of incubating up to 40 million eggs at any one time.

Butler has a strong background in aquaculture engineering projects and hatchery management, having worked for several of the major salmon producers over the past thirty years. He has consulted for AquaGen over the past twelve months, helping to make improvements to the hatchery.

“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. I believe that attention to detail in all aspects of environmental control systems is key to reliability in any production facility,” Butler said. “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.” 

“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,” concluded AquaGen’s managing director, Andy Reeve.