From a position in our Yell salmon processing factory, to a Seawater Site Assistant, and then becoming a Site Manager, Jack Payne tells us how he progressed in his Cooke career in the north isles of Shetland.
Tell us about your role at Cooke?
I am a Seawater Site Manager at Cooke Scotland; we produce Scottish Atlantic farmed salmon. In my current role, I manage a sea grower site called Djubawick in Shetland, and my role entails feed management, fish health and welfare, general site maintenance, and ensuring paperwork and Fishtalk (our digital system for planning, control, and analysis of production) is up-to-date. I also manage treatment, harvesting, shifting and sampling operations, as well as ensure the safety of my team and equipment.
What do you like about your job?
I enjoy the variation of the job and working at sea. I have gained a lot of experience of working in an environment that consistently has challenging weather conditions, high wind and strong currents.
How did you get here – what was your route into aquaculture and this job?
When I was at school, I did a week’s work experience at the seawater sites I now manage. I worked in the local Cooke Scotland Yell processing factory during summers as a teenager, then from school, I went to do a Merchant Navy Cadetship. After that, I came back to the factory for a stopgap and then got a Seawater Site Assistant job. Cooke Scotland has put me through many training courses, including my advanced powerboat, forklift licence, Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) levels 2 and 3 and I am currently doing my SVQ level 4 in Aquaculture. After a number of years, I worked my way up to Site Manager. My stepfather also worked at the same site I now manage about 15 years ago.
What has surprised you about working in aquaculture?
I don’t know if anything surprised me about the industry, but I think aquaculture can get a bit of a bad reputation and a lot of consumers are interested in where there food comes from – more now than ever before! I think when done responsibly, aquaculture can be a very efficient and environmentally friendly way of producing food. Here in Shetland, we rear the finest salmon, which has one of the lowest carbon footprints of any farmed livestock.
What would your advice be for someone looking to follow a similar career route?
I would say always try and get a good variation of jobs and always offer to go to other sites and work on different vessels to see what more you can learn from your colleagues. Make sure to involve yourself in new jobs and different ways of thinking.
If you are interested in a career with Cooke, visit our Careers Page for more information and details on how to get in touch.