Pastures blue: life as a fish vet

"A fish vet – what does that involve?"

It's a question I'm often asked and one that, if I'm being completely honest, I also asked myself before making the leap from farm animal practice to aquaculture.

From farming stock

I grew up in a farming family and for as long as I can remember my heart was set on becoming a farm animal vet.

Going on to study at the University of Liverpool School of Veterinary Science, I graduated in 2017 and spent the first few years of my veterinary career just as I had always imagined – travelling around the Scottish Borders tending to all manner of farm animals.

Come 2021 however, I found myself yearning after something new. But what?

Pastures blue

The answer presented itself when I spotted an advert for a fish vet with Scottish Sea Farms, the UK's second largest producer of farmed Atlantic salmon.

With farms and facilities around Scotland's west coast, Orkney and Shetland Islands, they were looking to add to their in-house fish health team.

Curious to learn more, I asked for details, applied for the role and soon found myself swapping my green wellies and flexothanes for yellow wellies and an orange lifejacket.

And so, a newbie fish vet was born!

In at the deep end

I threw myself into learning about the species and sector, before being assigned responsibility for delivering veterinary support to the company's mainland farms; a region that stretches from the Summer Isles, Loch Nevis and Kishorn in the Highlands and Islands to the Oban area and Mull in Argyll and Bute.

The more I travelled, the more I came to believe that one of the best ways I could make a positive difference would be to help those working most directly with the fish.

So I took on the role of delivering fish health training, dividing my time between farm visits, weekly health meetings and everything in between to help upskill each farm's fish health specialist – a multi-faceted role dedicated to fish welfare – and wider husbandry team in the veterinary basics.

Visit by visit, conversation by conversation, I could soon see fish health and welfare improve and my own knowledge grow.

Fast forward one year

Almost one year on from taking up the role of fish vet and every day is still very much a school day.

I've learned the importance of salmon farming in terms of rural employment and skills, national export value and global food security. I've absorbed a lot of technical information, aided by a supportive in-house training programme, and I've come to appreciate the sheer brilliance of the Atlantic salmon.

Most of all, I've seen first-hand the intense passion of those working in the Scottish farmed salmon sector and the commitment to overcoming its complex challenges.

To be shortlisted as finalist for the BVA Young Vet of the Year, and help represent that passion and commitment, is an absolute honour; one that I hope will also help raise awareness of aquaculture as a career path for fellow and budding veterinarians.

To anyone interested in or considering such a move I would say listen to your gut and make the leap into the unknown – there are all manner of animals that can benefit from veterinarian care and advice, farmed fish being one.

Young Vet of the Year Award 2022

Alison Brough has been shortlisted for the prestigious Young Vet of the Year Award, which is supported by Zoetis. The award recognises and celebrates the work, commitment and innovation of vets in the early stages of their career. The winner will be announced at BVA’s Gala Dinner at London Vet Show on Thursday 17 November at Excel London. See Alison's reaction to being announced as a finalist: