Kathryn Allan

Kathryn’s main role is to assist with the promotion and development of the Shetland Islands Regional Marine Plan (SIRMP). In particular, she uses her background and experience in inshore fisheries and community engagement to undertake research to feed into the SIRMP.

She is Project Coordinator for the Shetland Community Wildlife Group, a group created to facilitate the collection of marine monitoring data, and research through citizen science.   

Kathryn graduated from Plymouth University in 2006 with a BSc Hons in Animal Science. She moved to Shetland from Bristol in 2007 and took a part time position with the shellfish sampling team as a Shellfish Sampling Officer, meeting with shellfish growers in Shetland to collect samples for bio-toxins and E.coli testing on behalf of the Food Standards Agency. In 2008 she joined the fisheries team as a Shellfish Research Assistant in a second part time post alongside her current role, then in 2012, took a full time position within the fisheries team until 2018 when she moved into the Marine Planning Section. During her time in fisheries Kathryn was involved in undertaking and managing routine sampling work Shetland UHI and Marine Scotland Science, fisheries surveys, research projects and in the development and management of an innovative fisheries management tool used to combined fishers logsheet data, biological data and survey data to create the outputs required for stock assessment, along with real time data outputs for fisheries managers.

Kathryn is currently studying for an MBA in Environmental Management with the University of the Highlands and Islands.