Arthur to head up ‘game-changing’ £4.4m mussel project

UHI SHETLAND’S aquaculture manager is set to lead a £4.4 million project lauded as being a “game-changer” for Scotland’s mussel farming sector.

Gregg Arthur has become project director for the Shell-volution programme, with Michele Kerry taking on the role of project manager.

Shell-volution is an ambitious industry-wide initiative supported by the public sector and the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), which has been awarded £4.4 million of investment from the UK Government as part of the £100m Islands Growth Deal.

The nine-year project is expected to bring “sustainable growth and additional quality jobs in mussel farming”.

Both Arthur and Kerry started their new roles last week, with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Seafood Shetland and Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group also collaborating on the project.

UHI said Shell-volution would “deliver cutting-edge research, environmental monitoring and practical solutions to enhance the reliability of wild mussel spat recruitment and support best industry practices”.

“By enabling sustainable expansion and improved productivity, Shell-volution is set to boost Scotland’s blue economy and generate high-quality jobs across rural and island communities,” it added.

All photos: Courtesy of Shetland Mussels Ltd.

All photos: Courtesy of Shetland Mussels Ltd.

Arthur brings over 25 years of experience in the Shetland aquaculture sector to the project and began his career as a college aquaculture lecturer.

His expertise spans hatchery rearing of cold-water marine finfish, salmon gill disease, sea lice management and juvenile blue mussel production.

UHI said he was “instrumental in the initial development of the Shell-volution project” and had worked closely with industry partners “to shape its vision and secure support”.

Kerry holds a degree in forestry and an MSc in international agricultural marketing, UHI said.

It said she brings “extensive expertise in working with public, private and third sector organisations.”

“Since returning to Shetland in 2017, Michele has contributed to UHI in both the aquaculture and student support teams, offering a strong track record in project coordination and stakeholder engagement,” it added.

Professor Derek McGhee – who is the senior officer responsible for the Shell-volution project – said they were “delighted” to have the pair at the helm.

“Together, they bring an extraordinary depth of sector-specific expertise—exactly what the Shell-volution project needs to achieve its ambitious goals and drive meaningful impact.”