Sustainable Aquaculture @ Stirling

Dr Stuart Bunting has 15 years experience coordinating development projects and consultancy assignments  concerning the sustainability of peri-urban aquatic production systems in Asia. Between 2005 and 2015 he was based at the University of Essex, England and conducted research, capacity-building and conservation projects focused on climate change, food security and livelihoods. Currently he is an independent researcher and consultant at Bunting Aquaculture, Agriculture and Aquatic Resources Conservation Services providing expertise in: bioeconomic modelling of agricultural and aquaculture systems and alternative land-use management practices; stakeholder Delphi assessments for building and evaluating consensus for natural resources management; integrated action planning for wise-use of natural resources and biodiversity conservation [see www.wraptoolkit.org]; carbon footprint assessments of farming systems and product value chains to mitigate GHG emissions. See Stuart's research output and current activities at Research Gate and LinkedIn.

David Bargh is an aquaculture development specialist, project manager and researcher with a history of working predominantly throughout southern and west Africa - with prior research experience in South East Asia. Most recently, as Technical Lead for Imani Development (https://imanidevelopment.com/) he has managed and provided technical support to aquaculture enterprises of varying scales and has practical experience in project design and implementation, aquaculture systems design, feasibility, farm management, Integrated Agriculture-Aquaculture, conservation/climate-smart agriculture, rural to urban value chain and market systems analysis, as well Sustainable Livelihoods Analysis among other approaches, with clients including EU, GIZ, USAID, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), IDH Sustainable Trade Initiative, WorldFish Centre and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), among others. Additionally, David has managed, coordinated and inputted to a range of assignments for broader agricultural value chain development, financial and gender inclusion, as well as developing and delivering training for best production/management practises, supply chain traceability, value chain and agro-business integration. He is passionate about supporting the growth and transformation of aquaculture and playing an active role in developing sustainable, climate-smart, food systems and resilient livelihoods for the poor. His particular research interests include making supply chains work for small-scale producers, understanding and expanding viable ‘small fish’ systems towards food security and exploring opportunities for improved linkages between fisheries-aquaculture value chains. He holds an MSc in sustainable aquaculture (development) from the University of Stirling. See his profile on LinkedIn.

Dr Roy Clarke has over 30 years experience in aquaculture and business development. He is a Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Aquaculture, teaching aquaculture business appraisal and business development to MSc level students. Working with Professor James Muir, he started Stirling Aquaculture (the consultancy arm of the Institute of Aquaculture) in the 1980s and continues to lead or contribute to Stirling Aquaculture consultancy projects as appropriate.  

See Roy's profile on the University Website or LinkedIn.

Anton Immink is currently the Aquaculture Program Director for the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). In this role he has worked to develop a number of important initiatives including National Aquaculture Policy Platforms, Aquaculture Supply Chain Roundtables and Aquaculture Improvement Projects - all based on the concept of Zonal Approach to Aquaculture Management. He joined SFP as its first global Aquaculture Director in 2012, after 12 years working with us in Stirling Aquaculture where he supported the development of both small- and large-scale farms across Africa and Asia. In addition to experience managing UK Department for International Development projects in Bangladesh, India, Thailand, and Vietnam, he was involved in the early expansion of aquaculture in Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, and Sierra Leone. Anton also has 3 years’ experience with the Food and Agriculture Organisation, where he worked with governments on the collection and management of aquaculture production statistics. 

Read more about the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership work on aquaculture on the SFP website

Martyn Haines has a wide experience of Scottish and European Vocational Education and Training (VET), and an in-depth knowledge of the water and land-based curriculum He worked at the former Barony College as a lecturer, team leader and College Curriculum Manager/Depute Principal during a 27-year period from 1986 - 2013, and maintained a strong aquaculture focus throughout. Serving on many committees at college, regional and national level and chairing some, he led many innovative education developments. He has developed every level of aquaculture qualification for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) catalogue, from SCQF level 4 (secondary schools) to SCQF level 8 (Higher National Diploma in Fish Farming and Fisheries Management. He founded Pisces Learning Innovations Ltd. (PLI) in September 2013 as a vehicle to support the development of European aquaculture education partnerships, as well as national (UK) and international education consultancy. (See www.pisceslearning.com)

Jason Hoepfl is a research assistant with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) working within the organisation’s standard for responsibly farmed salmon, focussing in particular on the appraisal of metric data submitted by certified farms and their related environmental impacts on local biodiversity, water quality, greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.

Jason also worked as a research assistant for the Sustainable Aquaculture Group’s “Darwin Sherbro Oyster Project”. His background in political economy and environmental governance helped the project in evaluating alternative livelihood strategies for oyster fisherwomen through local value-addition, product development and institutional capacity building within a women’s oyster processing and marketing association as the basis for decentralised resource management and stewardship of mangrove resources on which the oyster fishery depends. Prior to joining the research group, Jason worked at a global risk management consultancy as an analyst in geopolitical risk, and received a Masters degree in Political and International Studies at Rhodes University specialising in food security policy and agroecology.

Steven McKillop was a Research Assistant on the EU Erasmus+ Sector Skills Alliance Project "BlueEDU" which examined the vocational training needs and current provision within the European cage-based aquaculture industry and now continues as an Associate of the Group. Steve discovered his own vocation in aquaculture after serving in the British Army and working in the construction industry. He worked for three years running a salmon hatchery before moving into the education sector as a fish farm instructor/lecturer at Barony College in Scotland. Whilst there he accumulated both vocational and academic qualifications including a research MSc in Zoology and PG Certificate in Teaching in Further Education from Aberdeen University.

Dr Shui Yan is working with the Sustainable Aquaculture Research Group as a visiting Research Fellow funded by the Chinese Scholarship Council. Since completing her PhD at Nanjing Normal University, Shui has been working in the Freshwater Fisheries Research Centre, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences in Wuxi in the Laboratory of Freshwater Fisheries and Germplasm Resources Utilization. A key focus of her recent research has been in breeding technologies for crustaceans and in particular freshwater crayfish. This includes study of reproductive physiology and underlying molecular mechanisms. Shui is collaborating with Simão Zacarias who is working on alternatives to eye stalk ablation for breeding shrimp and with several staff in the Institute on other projects concerning aquaculture product safety and market opportunities for Chinese products in Europe.