I am currently employed as the Jig fishing technical officer at NAFC. The jig fishing project is a pilot study to assess and develop the potential of automated jig fishing in the inshore waters around Shetland.

 

I completed my BSc (Hons) degree in Marine Biology at the University of Aberdeen in 2004. I then studied for an MSc in Marine & Fisheries Science, also at the University of Aberdeen, completing in 2005.

 

Previous to attending university I worked for ten years as a self employed fisherman on the west coast of Scotland. During this time I fished for brown and velvet crabs, lobsters, prawns and scallops.

 

My other research interests include fish stock identification using parasites as biological tags. I have previously carried out two research projects on this topic, one investigating the parasite fauna of the longnose lancetfish (Alepisaurus ferox) and their potential use as biological tags, and the other on stock identification of the Atlantic horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) off the North-west coast of Africa.