She is a PhD student at Kwame Nrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana
The third generation family-run salmon farming business is in its third year of awarding two $10,000 scholarships to recipients who are passionate about the future of food and stewardship in sustainable aquaculture. One of the scholarships is dedicated to applicants from all around the world and the other is designated for applicants from countries in Africa only.
This year, Kvaroy Arctic received double the number of applications from 85 different countries.
“We’re beyond thrilled by the recognition our scholarship is receiving as achieving gender equality and empowerment for women in aquaculture is something we at Kvarøy Arctic are deeply passionate about,” said Jennifer Bushman, chief marketing officer in a press release.
With this in mind, the Norwegian company developed the first-of-its-kind, international scholarship in 2020; a fully immersive learn/work experience focused on eliminating boundaries and helping women build their careers in aquaculture.
Kvaroy Arctic worked with Imani Black from Minorities in Aquaculture and Julie Kuchepatov from Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) as the judges, as they too believe in educating and encouraging women and minorities to pursue a career in all aspects of aquaculture. The scholarship aims to not only support women but to act as a leader in an industry that lacks gender inclusion by eliminating boundaries and opening the door to women for a career in aquaculture.
Abigail Ebachi Tarichie from Ghana is a PhD student at Kwame Nrumah University of Science and Technology. She centres her studies on fish nutrition and welfare, with a focus on sustainable resources research. Abigail comes from the coastal area of western Ghana where fishing provides the main livelihood.
“It is in this vein that I developed an interest to study aquaculture in order to acquire knowledge and insight so that I can help these farmers through training and sensitisation. My aim is to educate more people about aquaculture to increase fish production and thereby improve livelihoods and enhance nutrition security, especially for the most nutritionally vulnerable,” said Abigail.
The scholarship was also awarded to Eliza Syropoulou, from Greece, who is a PhD student at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, focusing her studies on fish welfare and nutrition specifically as it relates to RAS and microbiology, ultimately optimising water treatment methods in recirculating aquaculture systems. She also wants to find ways to benefit the community of women in aquaculture.
