AquaGen Scotland appointed Chilean industry veteran Joaquin Garcia Nuñez, as its new production director on Wednesday.
Garcia Nuñez is charged with leading developments at the company’s Holywood hatchery, near Dumfries, and will also keep a professional eye on the Scottish brood fish populations, which are located in a number of sites on the Scottish west coast and in the Northern Isles.
Garcia Nuñez has been with AquaGen since 1999, most recently as global production development manager, based in Scotland, but working between the global company’s operations in Scotland, Norway and Chile.
"I continue to champion and manage global best practice, but my immediate focus is to ensure the new and enthusiastic team at Holywood are fully trained to maintain optimum husbandry of the broodstock and manage the egg production," said Garcia Nuñez.
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AquaGen Scotland produces eggs specifically for the Scottish market, with genetics tailored to local conditions.
Since purchasing the Holywood hatchery in 2019 and instigating a complete re-fit to repurpose it from a smolt production facility, AquaGen has worked hard to overcome early teething troubles with equipment, and with the working and supply restrictions imposed by COVID-19.
"We aim to produce around 30 million eggs over the next nine months, and are looking forward to a good season," said Garcia Nuñez.
Eggs will be available from mid-October until June.
"The knowledge and experience that Joaquin brings with him to this role will be a critical factor in the successful development of our business here in Scotland," added Andy Reeve, managing director of AquaGen Scotland.
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