LITHUANIA
This kind of selection work calls for well-qualified staff, another issue the farm is battling. Such people are very difficult to find, says Mr Svirskis, and he has been forced to hire people from other countries. But it is much more time consuming to find and employ people particularly, which is usually the case, from outside the EU. The problem, according to him, is that the qualified Lithuanians do not meet the company’s requirements.
From an environmental point of view, pond farms are good for biodiversity, says Mr Svirskis. His ponds host a variety of animal and bird life, but they are a mixed blessing. Some birds, such as swans, may not eat the fish itself, but will compete with the fish for feed, while animals such as otters prey on the fish. The challenge is to find the right balance between allowing nature to run its course and intervening in the interests of a commercially viable business.
Islauzo Zuvis Islauzas 59037 Prienai Lithuania islazozuvis@gmail.com www.islauzozuvis.lt Director: Darius Svirskis Species: 19 in total, 11 commercially produced including common carp (> 80%), Asian carps, Siberian sturgeon,
bester, catfish, pike, pike perch, tench, roach, perch etc. Volumes: 850 tonnes Products: Live, chilled on ice, smoked, Farm: 500 ha of which 100 ha is organic Facilities: Processing facility, two shops Employees: 65
JFish breeds African catfish for the Lithuanian market
Fresh, smoked, or prepared by a chef A six-year-old company, JFish, has placed its bets on an exotic species, for which it is now creating a market niche among a younger clientele that is willing to experiment with new tastes. Recirculation systems reduce the impact of fish farming on the environment
A
ccording to the FAO, the production of food from marine, freshwater, and brackish water has altered from being predominantly based on capture fisheries to the culture of farmed species. At the global level, 2014 was the first year when farmed production of species for human consumption exceeded output of wild catches. In Europe, aquaculture production has for many years not grown at the same pace as it has in the world as a whole. A variety of factors have contributed to this, including a lack of sites to expand, environmental restrictions, and bureaucracy. However, as it becomes increasingly apparent that fish farming is the only way to ensure the future supply of fish, policy in Europe is being designed to encourage this activity. 40
One way of getting around stringent European environmental laws is to produce fish with little impact on the surroundings. Isolating production in this way is possible with the use of recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS). These recycle the water in which the fish are bred after passing it through a series of filters, while the sludge created by the fish excretions and excess feed is treated and then can be used as manure. In Lithuania these systems have proliferated thanks in part to support from European structural and investment funds and today there are over 20 facilities in operation. RAS are typically more expensive than traditional ponds or raceways
and are therefore typically used to cultivate high-value species such as sturgeon, trout, eel, turbot, and even shrimp. One Lithuanian company, JFish, is using this technology to breed African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), a meaty, fast-growing species. Giedrius Morkevicius, the technical director, says the choice of catfish was also determined by the fact that the company wanted a fish that was not otherwise being grown in the country. The company started production in 2012 and has been selling the fish for the last three years. The fish reaches market size in 18 months and prefers higher water temperatures than for example the European catfish (Silurus glanis). The company runs a full cycle breeding programme – from broodstock to eggs, larvae, fingerlings, and adults. The first batch of broodstock was
obtained from the Netherlands, where there is a longer history of breeding African catfish.
Tropical fish require tropical conditions As a native of tropical climates African catfish require high water temperatures in order to thrive. At JFish the water for the RAS is obtained from the ground and warmed to the requisite temperature of about 22 degrees by pumping heated air through it and 5 to 10 of the water is replaced every 24 hours. The female broodstock are given an injection to induce spawning while the males are slaughtered and the sperm removed and mixed with the eggs to fertilise them. The females take about 9 months to recover from the spawning process. The fertilised eggs are kept in incubators
www.eurofishmagazine.com
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08/06/17 6:24 pm