Recognized by FastCo as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies in 2022, Kvarøy Arctic is continuing for the third year its international scholarship program that aims to empower women in aquaculture.
The sustainable family-owned salmon farm based in the Arctic Circle in Norway will award two annual scholarships that support the further education, research, and career development of women in the field of aquaculture. One of the scholarships is dedicated to an applicant from any country globally and the other is designated for applicants from countries in Africa.
The application process is open until the 1st of July. Women from all around the world are invited to apply. The two winners for this year will be announced on the 1st of August. The program provides a $10,000 fund for education and scientific research to each of the two recipients as well as the opportunity to gain practical experience as an intern at Kvarøy Arctic’s sustainable salmon farm sites.
Launched in 2020, the mission of Women in Aquaculture scholarship is to help women learn about the future of food and stewardship in sustainable aquaculture. Through providing funds for education and research, Kvaroy Arctic aims to support women’s careers by preparing them to occupy leadership positions in the global seafood production sector. Kvarøy Arctic’s management designed this program with a vision to eliminate gender boundaries and create equitable opportunities for women building careers in aquaculture and participating in the decision-making processes in the seafood industry. Since the beginning of the program, nearly 500 women from more than 30 countries have applied for the scholarship.
To ensure fair disposition, Kvarøy Arctic has invited women who are already transforming the state of aquaculture to join the scholarship committee. Julie Kuchepatov from Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) and Imani Black from Minorities in Aquaculture, together with Kvarøy Artic’s management team, oversee the annual scholarship.
Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) is a non-profit initiative, which was founded by Julie Kuchepatov. SAGE’s goal is to work towards a more diverse, inclusive, ethical, and sustainable seafood industry. “Two things women in aquaculture desperately need are access to funding and practical experience. The Kvarøy Arctic Women in Aquaculture Scholarships provide both and signal a strong belief that women will continue to innovate and lead the sector into a bright, blue future,” explains Julie.
Former oyster farmer, Imani Black is an experienced shellfish aquaculture biologist, who recently founded Minorities in Aquaculture in order to champion women and diversity in the aquaculture sector. “Minorities In Aquaculture aims to create a more diverse aquaculture industry by educating minority women on the restoration and sustainability efforts that aquaculture provides for our local and global seafood industries,” shares Imani.
“We truly believe that gender equality, sustainability, fighting world hunger, and climate change go hand-in-hand. And aquaculture plays a key role in combating all these challenges,” shares Kvarøy Arctic CEO, Alf-Gøran Knutsen.
Hannah Krohn, Marwa Mechalaoui, Opemipo Oyebadejo, and Marta Carvalho were the first scholarship recipients.
“Receiving the scholarship helped me realize that there are people out there who are noticing that women in aquaculture are struggling. And after seeing the struggles, those people decided to try to support women’s growth in the sector. I see Kvarøy Arctic as the ambassador of women in aquaculture,” shares Opemipo Oyebadejo from Nigeria.
“The scholarship gave me valuable recognition and an opportunity for networking within the sector. I managed to deepen my research on finding novel omega-3 sources for aquaculture feeds and to join important international conferences in person,” shares Marta Carvalho from Portugal.
How to Apply:
Applications and a full list of qualifying criteria is available at the Kvarøy Arctic website (KvaroyArctic.com). Applicants must be 18+ and submit their completed form with a current CV to scholarships@kvaroyarctic.com by 19:00 (U.S. Pacific Time) July 1st, 2022. Recipients will be announced on August 1st, 2022.
Kvarøy Arctic is a third-generation Atlantic salmon farm on the Island of Kvarøy along
Norway’s Arctic Circle. Led by CEO Alf-Gøran Knutsen, Production Manager Gjermund Olsen, and Operations Manager Håvard Olsen, the Kvarøy Arctic team is ushering in a new
era of sustainability for salmon farming as a net producer of fish protein with a commitment to traceability and transparency through IBM blockchain technology.
Kvarøy Arctic is the first farmed finfish to carry the Fair Trade USA seal, and is BAP, ASC and Global G.A.P. certified. The salmon has the merroir of Norway’s cold, clear waters with delicate marine flavors and slight brininess. It is one of a small number of farm-raised fish certified by the American Heart Association’s® Heart-Check program.
Kvarøy Arctic is actively expanding its U.S. retail presence. It is currently available through Pod Foods, at restaurants, for direct delivery on Amazon.com and at retail through select retailers like Whole Foods Market U.S. locations, Giant Eagle stores and more.
