Meghan Rochford, Technical Environmental Specialist

Growing up in Ireland, I wasn’t particularly aware of the aquaculture industry, or the potential for a career in the sector. But I’ve loved every minute of it.

I often say I ‘fell in’ to aquaculture. Leaving school, I went on to study Earth and Ocean Science at the National University of Ireland in Galway before heading to Wales to complete a Master’s degree in Physical Oceanography at Bangor University. I then got the opportunity to work in the Scottish Highlands with a seafood company – so I packed my bags and moved to Fort William. Despite a brief stint in Australia, I’ve been in Scotland working in the sector ever since!

The opportunity arose to work with Benchmark Animal Health, and once I heard more about Benchmark’s mission, and in particular the CleanTreat® system, I wanted to play my part in driving sustainability in aquaculture.

One of the first projects I worked on with Benchmark was in developing an environmental monitoring programme for pre- and post- Ectosan® Vet treatment at sites across Norway. We worked with contractors to take the samples before they were analysed by a third-party organisation. The data we are collecting helps us to understand the impact of the product on the environment – and results have been positive. This was a project I was able to develop, and then bring forward to implementation and it typifies the Benchmark mission of driving sustainability in aquaculture. Importantly, it showcases that with novel products like CleanTreat®, we can prove its value to customers and partners.

While my role initially was centred in building this programme, today this forms only one aspect of my responsibilities.

I input on anything environmental across Animal Health, which in an aquaculture company is quite a lot! I’ve had the chance to work on some great projects across markets including the renewal of Purisan® in Chile as well as a first-of-its-kind-trial to test the use of Salmosan® Vet with our water purification system, CleanTreat® in Scotland. This was in collaboration with Mowi, the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture and the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre.

Back to Norway, I have also been involved with commissioning a nationwide study with the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA) to develop a national survey on the detection of imidacloprid. We’ve just received the results from this independent survey, and will publish the results soon.

Outside of these bigger projects, day to day I complete environmental risk assessments, meet with regulators and work with our commercial and technical teams to answer any customer queries regarding the environment.

Moving away from my role within the aquaculture sector, I am also our UK Employee Champion.

As part of this, I set up an initiative to meet with the senior management team once a month to pass on feedback and discuss changes that can be implemented to improve our working lives. I also set up a social committee and while I solely carried the burden for a time, we are now a committee of five and have set up charity days, team building exercises and the all-important Christmas party!

Joining Benchmark also opened my eyes to new markets and cultures, including the leader in the salmon farming world – Norway. It is in Norway that some of the most innovative technological advancements are made, which we then see the rest of the world adopt. In my time here, I have witnessed an industry-wide move to be more environmentally friendly and a more conscious effort from both producers and regulators to drive this environmental framework. This is a trend which I am certain will continue, but it underpins why technological advances such as the CleanTreat® system are important in pushing momentum in the right way. I am lucky enough to have had the chance to work with teams in Chile and Canada, which is one of the benefits of working for a company like Benchmark. With this overview on the global landscape, we can gain a better understanding of the specificities of each market, and the changing regulations across the globe.

My job title may be an Environmental Specialist, but there is always more to learn. At Benchmark Animal Health, I have the opportunity to learn something new every day as I continue to build my career. I can’t wait to see what the future has in store and I’m excited to be playing a small part in helping improve the environmental impact of an industry as important as aquaculture.