Fish Farmer Magazine - April 2016

Fish Farmer VOLUME 39

Serving worldwide aquaculture since 1977

NUMBER 04

APRIL 2016

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MID EASTERN PROMISE

MUSSEL BUILDING

INDUSTRY PIONEER

ALL ABOARD

How investment is paying off in hot aquaculture spot

Ambitious new growth targets for New Zealand

Fusion Marine boss on future proofing containment

Wellboat breakthrough in battle against sea lice

Apr Cover.indd 2

04/04/2016 09:14:32

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Contents 4-12 News

What’s happening in aquaculture in the UK and around the world

13 Opinion

JENNY HJUL – EDITOR

Show time

T

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com www.fishupdate.com

Meet the team

Contact us

Editorial Advisory Board: Steve Bracken, Scott Landsburgh, Hervé Migaud, Patrick Smith and Jim Treasurer Editor: Jenny Hjul Designer: Andrew Balahura Advertising Manager: William Dowds wdowds@fishupdate.com Advertising Executive: Dave Edler dedler@fishupdate.com Publisher: Alister Bennett

Tel: +44(0) 131 551 1000 Fax: +44(0) 131 551 7901 email: jhjul@fishupdate.com

Cover: Harvesting tilapia in Egypt.

Picture courtesy of WorldFish Printed in Great Britain for the proprietors Wyvex Media Ltd by Headley Brothers Ltd, Ashford, Kent ISSN 0262-9615

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Welcome.indd 3

38-39 Seaweed SAMS

42-43 Middle East Introduction

Building trust in BC

his month gets off to a good start for Scotland’s salmon industry, as Marine Harvest takes delivery of a new wellboat that has been described as a breakthrough in the battle against AGD and sea lice. Designed by Norwegian Intership, the Inter Caledonia is the first wellboat with freshwater production on board, providing continuous, low cost and environmentally friendly treatments for the most challenging salmon health problems.

And there is also news from Marine Harvest about the site of its feed plant, that will create 55 new jobs, and the expansion of its hatchery capacity, which will bring further employment to Scotland.

We focus on another area of aquaculture growth - the Middle East, where European expertise and technology is helping to transform the region and confound critics who said fish couldn’t be farmed in the desert. In March, this burgeoning sector gathered at the AquaME exhibition in Dubai, an event attracting increasing interest from suppliers looking to enter this potentially lucrative market.

Europe stages its own seafood extravaganza this month with Seafood Expo Global returning again to Brussels, a city that is still recovering from the recent terrorist attacks. Last year, the show’s organisers only had a city-wide transport strike to contend with while accommodating more than 26,000 visitors. This time, they have been working around the clock to beef up security and offer reassurance to exhibitors and guests who may be anxious about travelling. At the time of going to press only one company had withdrawn from the exhibition. We hope that number doesn’t rise and we hope to see you there.

Fish Farmer is now on Facebook and Twitter

Contents – Editor’s Welcome

Head Office: Special Publications, Fettes Park, 496 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, EH5 2DL

14-17 Aviemore Preview Biggest show yet

18-19 Wellboat

Great expectations

20-21 ASSG

Marine monitors

50-53 Middle East

Danish perspective

Egypt focus

22 SSPO

64-67 New Zealand

23-26 Containment

68-69 Marketing News

28-29 Containment

76-77 Scottish Rural Awards

Invest in tech

Industry pioneer

SSPO

Ambitious plans

Label Rouge hospitality

Lobster team triumphs

34-35 Training

Martyn Haines

79-81 Aqua Source Directory

Subscriptions Address: Wyvex

Tel: +44 (0) 1371 851868 UK Subscriptions: £75 a year ROW Subscriptions: £95 a year including postage- All Air Mail

Saudi Arabia

57-61 Middle East

Subscriptions Media, FREEPOST RTEY YUBG TYUB, Trinity House, Sculpins Lane, Wethersfield, Braintree, Essex CM7 4AY

44-47 Middle East

Find all you need for the industry

37 Seaweed

Introduction

82 Opinion

By Nick Joy

3

04/04/2016 09:28:43

United Kingdom News

NEWS...

Quarry site for Marine Harvest feed plant

Above: Computer generated image of the new Marine Harvest feed plant

A QUARRY at Kyleakin, on Skye, is the preferred site for Marine Harvest Scotland’s new £80 million fish feed plant which will create 55 full time, permanent jobs.

The announcement was made by the company after consideration of a number of

different sites on the west coast.

The site, known as Altanavaig quarry, is more than large enough to accommodate the plant.

Ben Hadfield, chief operating officer feed for Marine Harvest globally and managing director of Marine

Harvest Scotland, said: ‘We are delighted to have found a site which sits at the heart of our operations – one that is already an industrial site but which has not been fully utilised for some time.

‘We would like to have the chance to

bring it back to life and provide well paid jobs, as well as taking the opportunity to produce our feed in the most sustainable way.

‘We hope this will be a major boost for the local economy and we are keen to start discussions with the

local community and hear their views about our proposals.’

Marine Harvest Scotland said in January it was looking for a site to accommodate its new plant, which will produce feed for its Scottish farms, as well as for Ireland, Norway and the Faroes.

The company hopes to replicate the success of a similar plant in Norway, which has provided a welcome boost to the local economy by providing jobs directly, as well as generating employment for local contractors and suppliers.

The company will now start consultation with the local community as part

of the planning application process.

It plans to hold public meetings in Kyleakin and Kyle on April 18 and 19 respectively to get feedback.

Steve Bracken, the company’s business support manager, said they were delighted with the response so far.

‘We’ve had a number of calls already from potential contractors and suppliers wanting to know how they can get involved...it’s very encouraging.’

Construction of the plant will take between a year and 18 months and Marine Harvest believes it could be up and running as early as 2018, depending on the planning process.

And new jobs in hatcheries

Visit our Stand No. 75 at Aquaculture UK

4

UK news.indd 4

MARINE Harvest, having completed a restructuring process that saw 80 jobs go across the company, is creating new roles as it expands its hatchery Above: Steve Bracken facilities.

It is constructing a new hatchery at its Inchmore, Glenmoriston, site, and a new wrasse hatchery in Machrihanish. Inchmore will be a copy of the original Marine Harvest facility at Lochailort with an output of about five million smolts and five to six million fry and parr each year, said the company’s Steve Bracken.

‘The numbers employed in the hatchery at Lochailort have been 20 and the old hatchery in Inchmore can take six, so we’ll be taking on 14 extra staff by the look of things.’

The wrasse hatchery is still at an early stage but will be built close to the existing Machrihanish facility. ‘It will be bigger, about 10,000 square metres, and we will employ probably a further 10 people there,’ said Bracken.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/04/2016 09:31:48

All the latest industry news from the UK

Salmon boss wins business award

THE managing director of the Scottish Salmon Company has won an award in Scotland’s Institute of Directors’ annual Director of the Year Awards.

Craig Anderson was named Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders Regional Director of the Year at the ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Glasgow in March.

The judges said: ‘The way Craig has repositioned the business and the brand, how he has built a strong team and championed exports, and how he has transitioned the business in a short time from being local to global is all evidence of strong leadership, vision and endless ambition.’

Scottish category winners will also have a shot at the UK Director of the Year Awards, which take place in London, in October.

Scottish salmon is the best of British SCOTTISH salmon was represented in the best of British food at a prestigious media breakfast last month.

Held at London’s Good Housekeeping Institute, the occasion launched the ‘Year of British Food’, a series of events hosted by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to increase public awareness of Scottish salmon’s protected geographical indication (PGI) and other products with protected food names.

A special menu was devised by Cooke Aquaculture Scotland to showcase Scottish salmon, alongside many other quality foods for guests including Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss, who opened the event.

Representing the industry at the event, Scott Landsburgh, chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation, said: ‘The salmon industry was delighted to join the best of British food producers at this high profile launch.

‘The popularity of Scottish salmon has grown significantly over the past few years, and I’m proud to say it has been Scotland’s number one food export for some time now, with an export value of £386 million in 2015.

‘It was voted ‘best farmed salmon in the world’ for a second consecutive time in 2014.

‘These are real accolades for Scotland. It’s putting Scottish food and its producers firmly on the international map – and, more importantly, it

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Team of the Year’ award, celebrating a year in which 65 per cent of the company’s turnover was achieved in exports in tough international market conditions.

The award recognises ‘a team who has added

Above: Alban Denton (right) with the sales team

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UK news.indd 5

recognises the hard work and dedication of the 2,500 individuals who work for the salmon farming industry in Scotland.’

Scottish salmon received protected geographical indication in 2004. The EU awards PGI to a product which has a reputation, characteristics or qualities DON’T MISS THE UK’S LARGEST AQUACULTURE that are a result of the area with which it is associated EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE

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Loch Duart ‘best team’ in export prize COMPETING against companies from all sectors of Scottish industry, Loch Duart has added to its trophy cabinet at the 2016 HSBC Scottish Export Awards.

The salmon farmer won the ‘Scottish Export

Above: Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss enjoys Scottish salmon

significant value to the business by implementing a strong and effective export sales strategy’.

The whole sales team took to the stage to accept the award and afterwards, managing director Alban Denton said: ‘At a swift count, Loch Duart sales team has visited 24 countries.

‘But where would we be without the skill and husbandry of our farmers, which makes Loch Duart salmon such a popular premium brand in so many countries?’

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04/04/2016 09:32:10

United Kingdom News

Study into climate change impact on ‘blooms’

A SELECT group of international experts gathered at Oban’s Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) to address the global problem of harmful algal blooms (HABs), which can cause biotoxins in seafood and lead to death in fish.

HABs are caused by certain microscopic algae, the ocean’s equivalent of grass on land, which are known to naturally produce biotoxins.

HABs can occur when these particular algae grow quickly and reach high concentrations. They can deplete the oxygen in the water and some HAB-causing algae release toxins that are dangerous to animals and humans.

Now an international steering committee, under the banner of GlobalHAB, is looking to help fellow researchers understand how HABs affect human health and their impacts on industries, such as aquaculture, in a changing climate.

The project is sponsored by the Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research (SCOR) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. Microbial Ecologist Prof Keith Davidson, who represents SAMS on GlobalHAB, said: ‘The steering committee comprises experts from a range of countries in Europe, Asia, Australia and North America.

‘Their combined scientific expertise is relevant to many types of HABs and their impacts. There is a lot of independent HAB work going on throughout the world but this group will help the international scientific community and the society to have more collaborations and partnerships.’

There are approximately 4,000 species of marine phytoplankton worldwide, approximately 300 of which have properties that make them harmful to humans. Toxins found in some shellfish can cause muscular paralysis, diarrhoea and sickness and even amnesia in humans.

GlobalHAB will follow on from work done by the GEOHAB project, which ran from 2000-2013. GlobalHAB chairwoman Elisa Berdalet was also involved in GEOHAB and said the collaborative nature of the groups had been invaluable in advancing the science of HABs. ‘We have a legacy from GEOHAB that we needed to continue. It was a very productive programme that advanced our understanding of why HABs occur,’ she said.

‘But in the 16 years since GEOHAB was formed, the planet has changed – the term ‘climate change’, mentioned briefly in GEOHAB, has become a main topic in GlobalHAB.

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UK news.indd 6

Above: GlobalHAB scientists meet at SAMS

‘The new programme will investigate the relevance of the global change on the occurrence and incidence of HABs in the near future.

‘There is a general need for HAB research across the world because it is a common problem – there are different issues locally – but we need a global vision.’

GlobalHAB will now outline the scientific priorities that researchers can use to help direct and co-ordinate their research. The project also aims to promote communication between scientists and society.

Dr Berdalet, vice-director of the Institute of Marine Sciences, Barcelona, said SAMS was an integral part of GlobalHAB. ‘SAMS has a solid and internationally recognised academic background in phytoplankton ecology and HAB research, which is fundamental.

‘SAMS is already implementing continuous, near real-time monitoring of HABs and uses classic and highly specialised microscope analyses, alongside new technology, like molecular tools and gliders to advance the research.

‘SAMS also has a long-term series of data that is crucial to understanding trends of climate change in HABs and other environmental changes that can affect human health and wellbeing. If you can’t see the past, you can’t clearly see the future.’

Xelect secures investment for growth A GENETICS company formed by St Andrews University scientists has announced the completion of an equity investment round with EOS Technology Investment Syndicate.

Xelect, which supplies the latest genetic selection technology to improve the productivity of aquaculture operations, originated from the research of Professor Ian Johnston and was launched with co-founder Dr Tom Ashton, following doctoral research into the genetic basis of fillet quality in Atlantic salmon.

The use of genetic testing techniques underpins most modern agriculture breeding programmes, and the rapidly growing global aquaculture market presents a huge opportunity.

Less than 10 per cent of production current-

ly uses genetically selected strains which have the potential to dramatically improve yield, sustainability, and the welfare of farmed livestock.

The proceeds from the latest round of investment will contribute to establishing independent laboratory and office space within St Andrews, equipped with state-of-the art genetic analysis equipment.

The company will

recruit overseas sales agents, building its team of scientific staff and investing in its R&D programmes, both inhouse and by co-funding academic research.

Ashton said: ‘The investment process with EOS went very smoothly and we feel confident they will help us to accelerate our growth and profitability by providing not only cash but valuable support and business expertise.’

Above: Xelect’s Ian Johnston and Tom Ashton

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/04/2016 09:32:46

All the latest industry news from Europe

NEWS...

Icelandic firm pulls out of Brussels show over security fears THE Icelandic fishing company HB Grandi has pulled out of Seafood Expo Global 2016 in Brussels, following the recent terrorist attacks in the Belgian capital which killed more than 30 people and injured at least 170 others.

HB Grandi, a significant trawling and fish processing operation, had planned to send up to 27 employees to the show, which takes place from April 26-28.

It said in a statement: ‘The management believes there is no

justification for sending employees to Brussels this time where it is uncertain whether it will be possible to ensure their safety in

a satisfactory manner following the recent terrorist attacks in the city.’

Other seafood companies, including a

number in the United States, are also reportedly considering their position.

But sources in Scotland’s salmon in-

dustry, which has a big presence at the show, said their plans had not changed.

The organisers of Seafood Expo Global said they have tightened security measures: all bags will be searched; visitors may bring up to two bags provided they are smaller than 30cm x 43cm x 15cm; bag-check availability at the facility will be extremely limited. All are encouraged not to bring bags in order to save time.

Attendees and exhibi-

tors are subject to metal detector screening; be prepared to show a photo ID; you will see police officers and explosive detection dogs throughout the expo.

Once known as the Brussels Seafood Show or the European Seafood Expo, the event is the world’s largest fishing platform, attracting tens of thousands of international visitors.

The attacks occurred at Brussels Airport, in Zaventem, about 10km outside the city, and in Mallbeek train station.

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7

04/04/2016 09:37:16

European News

Sturgeon farmer uses new type of cage

Above: Sturgeon

THE Russian company Sokoloffcaviar is using a new type of cage with stainless steel ring mesh to produce sturgeon and caviar, reported the latest AES magazine.

The company, founded by Aleksei Sokolov and based in the Bushma, a feeder river to the Volga delta, has three lines of cages for breeding and holding of spawning caviar stock, and also has a hatchery and nursery facilities.

It produces Russian sturgeon, Sterljad and Beluga for restocking, as well as growing mature fish for caviar production of 40 tonnes per year, giving 2.5 tonnes of caviar.

The ongrowing cages are made of ring-mesh steel nets; the large mesh size reduces the need for cleaning and there is no biofouling.

It lasts longer than fibre nets and allows for ‘natural’ food to enter the nets to supplement the extruded feed provided.

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European News.indd 8

Insect researchers to present findings THREE years of global scientific investigation of insects as a sustainable source of protein for animal feed will be presented at a major conference this month.

The final meeting of the EC funded PROteINSECT project, Insect Protein – Feed for the Future, is taking place in Brussels on April 27 at the European Parliament.

Project researchers will share knowledge, findings and results from their investigations into the potential of fly larvae as a

Above: Flies are a potential protein source in fish feed

protein source in the diets of fish, poultry and pigs.

‘This is an excellent platform for our partners to showcase years of complex work and to explore with key decision makers the

potential exploitation of insects as an additional protein source for farmed animals,’ said Dr Elaine Fitches, PROteINSECT project co-ordinator.

Jan Huitema, member of the European Parlia-

ment from the Committee on Agricultural and Rural Development, is hosting the conference.

He said: ‘Growing insects can deliver an efficient conversion of organic residues into proteins and nutrients

for feed, with a lower environmental impact and less water use than conventional farm animals.’

Keynote speakers at the conference include Antoine Hubert, president of IPIFF (International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed), on the commercial potential of insect protein; Wolfgang Trunk from DG Sante, who will focus on regulation and legislation; and PROteINSECT partners from Europe, China and Africa, who will present their research.

European Aquaculture Society marks 40 years THE European Aquaculture Society (EAS) celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.

To mark the occasion, the board of EAS has decided to invite all past presidents to join its annual Aquaculture Europe meeting, which takes place this year in Edinburgh, from September 20-23.

The current EAS pres-

Above: Edinburgh is hosting the AE2016 conference

ident, Sachi Kaushik, said AE2016 in the Scottish capital is already generating a high level of interest, and the society has brought forward the abstract submission deadline. These can be submitted now and then amended up until July. This, he said, will give the session chairs enough time to produce the programme.

Skretting claims fishmeal free breakthrough THE fish feed company Skretting says it has developed a salmon feed that can be formulated completely free of fishmeal while delivering equal performance in terms of fish growth and health.

Called MicroBalance FLX, the feed is the result of extensive research from the Skretting Aquaculture Research Centre.

Based in Stavanger, Norway, Skretting has devoted significant resources over the past 25 years to exploring the potential for alternative raw materials to replace traditional feed components.

‘Through our research, we have detailed evidence proving salmonids can be fed with feeds that are devoid of fishmeal,’ said Dr Leo Nankervis, team leader in salmonid nutrition at Skretting.

‘This is very important knowledge that we will utilise to give us even more

flexibility with regards to the composition of our commercial feeds…fishmeal availability will not limit the further expansion of the salmon industry.’

José Villalon, corporate sustainability director for Nutreco, Skretting’s parent company, and a member of the Supervisory Board of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), said: ‘Feeding the future is Nutreco’s mission, and this breakthrough in raw material flexibility gives us the ability to provide a significant contribution to feeding the global population that is expected to reach nine billion by 2050.’

But Skretting’s global product manager of grower feeds, Sissel Susort, pointed out that although Skretting now has the knowledge and capability to produce fishmeal free feeds, it does not mean that fishmeal

will be eliminated from the products.

‘The fact that we can do it is the key point. We will work with our customers when and if they decide to use MicroBalance FLX feeds. The value of this knowledge will increase if fishmeal availability decreases in the future.

‘To be fully flexible in our formulations, raw material knowledge and availability is vital. In Europe, market acceptance to use animal protein is low, so we need to have good vegetable alternatives available.’

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/04/2016 09:37:52

All the latest industry news from Europe

Bakkafrost plans hatchery investment

Nofima stages summer workshop

level in the beginning of 2015, but decreased during the year.

They were sigrost has just published nificantly higher BAKKAFROST, the its annual report which in 2015 compared to principal fish farming says the prices for 2014.’ company in the value added products The operations Faroe Islands, has (VAP) have been good harvested a total of announced it will since the end of 2014. 50,565 tonnes gutted enhance its hatchery Raw material prices weight, compared with a significant new have also played an to 44,013 tonnes in investment.

The company said the important role, as the 2014.Operational VAP segment purchas- EBIT was DKK 1,000.6 new long-term goal es its raw material million, compared to is to increase the size DKK 833.8 million in of smolts to 400-500g on the salmon spot market every week.

2014. each in 2019.

The report said: ‘The March 2015 marked ‘Bakkafrost has the five-year mileapproved the construc- raw material prices in stone since Bakkafrost tion of a new hatchery DKK have been fairly stable in 2015. The was listed on the Oslo at Strond in Klaksvík, value added products Stock Exchange.

Faroe Islands,’ it said are typically sold on The company conin a statement. fixed price contracts trols the value chain ‘The investment in with a duration of 6-12 from the sourcing the new hatchery will months, where the of raw material for amount to approxprices for VAP products fishmeal and oil to imately 650 million finished value added Danish kroners (DKK). follow the trend on the spot market with a salmon products. Last The new hatchery is year it fed its salmon planned to be finished time lag.

‘The feed prices were with feed containing in 2018.’ on a record high price purified fish oil.

Meanwhile, Bakkaf-

NOFIMA, the Norwegian research institute, is holding a Fish Breeders’ Round Table in Tromsø, in June.

The meeting is aimed at the global aquaculture breeding industry and research organisations.

The programme is set up to allow for plenty of discussion and all participating organisations must present results.

There will be sessions on genomics, feed efficiency, fish welfare and health, and commu-

Photo: Fjellheisen Aussicht Bruecke Kirche

nication, and guests will have an opportunity to visit Nofima’s Centre for Marine Aquaculture, which is based in Tromsø.

And they will also have the chance to experience the midnight sun on a small hiking tour to Sommerøya the day before the event starts.

The meeting is from June 14 to 15 this summer at the Scandic Ishavshotel, Tromsø, Norway.

For more information contact anna.sonesson@nofima.no.

Above: Tromsø

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Stirling leads European ‘toolbox’ project to create growth

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A TEAM of European aquaculture experts have launched a four-year study to establish new strategies and models for sustainable growth in the industry.

The €7 million EU project, Tools for Assessment and Planning of Aquaculture Sustainability (TAPAS), will investigate the scope of fish and shellfish farming, social interactions, potential environmental impacts

and any future risks.

Trevor Telfer of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture is leading the multi-partner study which starts this month and will seek to establish a ‘toolbox’ to support transparent and efficient licensing, enhance environment sustainability and aquatic food security while tapping into the potential for food production and jobs.

The research team

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

European News.indd 9

will collaborate with industry, regulators, certifiers and other stakeholders to ensure the toolbox they create is accessible, using training and outreach activities to improve the image of European aquaculture and promote an integrated sustainability strategy.

The collaborative work will play a major role in the EC’s strategy to achieve growth in aquaculture production.

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04/04/2016 09:38:15

World News

NEWS...

Danish feed firm builds Zambia plant THE Danish fish feed producer Aller Aqua has announced it will build a new factory in Zambia, a year after it launched its new facility in Egypt.

The group, based near Christiansfeld in Denmark, said Africa plays a large part in its growth strategy.

Aller Aqua has partnered with Yalelo, one of the world’s leading tilapia aquaculture firms. Alongside the construction of the feed factory, Yalelo has commenced an expansion project to increase production to 20,000-30,000 tonnes of tilapia within the next few years.

The feed company and factory will be called Aller Aqua Zambia.

It will have a

capacity of 50,000 tonnes of feed per year, and the investment is approximately US$10 million, said Henrik Halken, group vice-president, who is responsible for the company’s activities on

the African continent.

Both companies see great prospects in the collaboration. It will ensure Yalelo access to the best feed on the market and thus enable the company’s continued growth.

For Aller Aqua, the partnership provides commercial security.

This enables a larger initial investment in building a world-class fish feed factory from inception.

It also gives Aller Aqua a base for ex-

pansion in Zambia, a country which aims to be self-sufficient with farmed fish – but also able to export to neighbouring countries such as Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Tanzania and Congo.

‘The factory will be situated near the town Siavonga, on the shore of Lake Kariba, and is expected to be ready mid-2017, provided the final commitments and permits are given from various authorities and institutions as expected,’ said Halken.

Aquaculture is expected to play a significant role in African food security and lakes such as Kariba, Victoria and Volta offer high potential.

‘With the new factory

in Zambia, Aller Aqua Group will consolidate its position as the largest producer of environmentally friendly extruded fish feed in Africa,’ said Halken.

‘With the great potential in Africa it is important that we are present.

‘We have experienced significant growth in Egypt in 2015 and created two new sales subsidiaries in both Kenya and Nigeria. The feed for these two markets comes from our European factories.

‘In Zambia and the region, we plan to replicate our experience of supporting smallholder fish farmers through training in the use of more efficient commercial fish feeds.

Egypt focus: page 54

Far East demand for Canadian salmon FARMED salmon exports from Canada soared last year thanks to increased demand from Asia, said the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance.

The volume of all Canadian aquaculture exports in 2015 was 100,000 tonnes, worth just under $770 million (Canadian).

Ruth Salmon, the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance chief executive, said: ‘2015 was a year of sustainable and responsible growth for farmed seafood in Canada.

‘Last year we saw strong demand for Canadian farmed seafood in the US and new demand in Asia. We now, in fact, have greater demand than we have supply.’

By species, the volume of salmon exports reached almost 78,000 tonnes, with a value of just under $600 million. Exports were up in all key markets including the US, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Farmed oyster exports fell slightly in 2015 by

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World News.indd 10

volume, but the value increased almost 17 per cent. Strong growth was seen in exports to Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

For farmed mussels, while the overall volume of exports was down about 13 per cent, due mainly to extremely harsh weather that affected harvests in the early part of 2015, the value of farmed mussel exports was up from 2014.

‘As global demand for fresh and healthy farmed seafood continues to grow, Canada is uniquely positioned to deliver the highest quality and most highly valued products,’ said Salmon.

An earlier report from the Conference Board of Canada explored means to improve the economic viability of Canada’s seafood industries.

Among the authors’ recommendations was the need for a federal aquaculture Act to achieve increased growth, employment, investment income and export opportunities. Last year Canadian senators visited 23 Canadian regions in six provinces, and travelled to Norway and Scotland.

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04/04/2016 09:41:03

All the latest industry news from around the world

Health warning over plant based feeds

Fall-out continues from Chile crisis THE algal bloom crisis in Chile has resulted in mortalities totalling 27 million fish, about 106,000 tonnes of fish at harvesting weight, according to SalmonChile, the trade association representing Chilean salmon firms.

Chilean salmon farmers are reporting multi-million dollar losses - more than $82 million - and resulting insurance payments are expected to reach a record of between $45 and $50 million, reported Intrafish.

All of the dead fish have been removed from the affected sites. The mortalities represent about 17 per cent of the harvesting projections. SalmonChile said there would not be a halt in supply but it will be reduced dramatically in 2016.

Gorjan Nikolik, a seafood analyst at Rabobank, told Seafood Source: ‘We still haven’t seen the true effect on the prices from current events.

‘Supplies are being affected right now; they will also be affected in the second half of 2016, and at least the first quarter of 2017.’

With regard to the causes of this phenomenon, the head of the Aquaculture Division of the Under Secretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Eugenio Zamorano, said: ‘The weather conditions this summer in Los Lagos Region have shown strong anticyclone predominance over what is normally associated

Above: Salmon supplies are still affected by the crisis

with the El Niño phenomenon.

‘This has caused a deficit to date of about 70 per cent in rainfall, high temperatures, few clouds and less intense winds, mostly associated with stable weather conditions.

‘Furthermore, seawater temperature during Eiffel Tower m has been higher the month of February324 2016 than those recorded in previous years for the same period, 2-4 °C on the surface.’

PLANT based fish feeds could have a negative impact on the environment as well as providing diets lacking in omega-3, a study published in the Environment International journal concludes.

‘Aquaculture’s environmental footprint may now include nutrient and pesticide run-off from industrial crop production, and depending on where and how feed crops are produced, could be indirectly linked to associated negative outcomes,’ the study said.

Jillian Fry, director Burj Khalifa of the Health 828Public m and Sustainable Aquaculture Project

at America’s John Hopkins University and a contributor to the study, said the plant-based ingredients ‘have to come from somewhere and as it gets to a larger and larger scale, then that environmental footprint gets quite large’.

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Half of these sites are in Norway, the rest is spread over 5 continents and 9 different countries. 65 different companies use the software, and these vary from some of the biggest to some of the smallest salmon producers. Mercatus started as a separate company 15 years ago, and has been run by Ocea, and now Steinsvik.

Our experience in both fish farming and software development makes us the natural choice for fish farmers around the world.

Visit our Stand No. 93 at Aquaculture UK steinsvik.no

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World News

Indian aqua farmers asked to form societies OFFICIALS of India’s Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA) have appealed to small and marginal farmers to form societies and enrol with the authority, The Hindu reported last month.

MPEDA and Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Aquaculture (RGCA), a research wing of the organisation, conducted a five-day training programme for aqua farmers on ‘Eco Sustainable and Development Scopes in Aquaculture’.

Assistant director

Above: Tilapia

Archiman Lahiri said many small and medium farmers were taking up fish, prawn, and crab culture in traditional methods.

‘But middlemen are deceiving the farmers

US store chain in sustainable salmon project A REGIONAL US supermarket group is taking part in a project to help promote local sustainable salmon.

Wegman Foods Markets is once again working with the Conservation Fund’s Freshwater Institute, a leading research and development facilities dedicated to sustainable aquaculture, to bring its local Spring Hill salmon to consumers in the greater DC area for a limited time during the next few weeks.

Wegmans is a privately owned store chain with at least 88 outlets in the New England, Virginia and mid-Atlantic area of the United States.

Freshwater Institute works to develop and improve aquaculture technology that is both economically viable and environmentally friendly.

Its innovative land-based closed containment systems produce high quality fish that are raised without the use of antibiotics, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), vaccines, pesticides or hormones in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.

Joe Hankins, director of The Freshwater Institute, said: ‘Local seafood consumers have learned to watch for the next innovation from our aquaculture team. This year our salmon are grown with a feed we specially formulated with EWOS, a global leader in salmon nutrition, with natural and non-GMO ingredients and zero impact on marine resources.’

by supplying seed at a higher price and giving them poor quality seed, leading to less production. Many farmers are in the grip of middlemen in villages,’ said Lahiri.

MPEDA deputy director (Aquaculture) S. Kandan advised the farmers to follow scientific methods for sustainable aquaculture and for maintaining the ecosystem.

He taught them better practices during the field trip.

‘If farmers raise shrimp by maintaining sufficient water levels, oxygen in tanks, sufficient seed

in a tank by supplying quality seed, they can prevent viruses and achieve good production,’ he said.

‘Some agents are making aqua farmers do captive culture by investing in ponds.

The middlemen will keep the farmers in the dark on the market price, sell the produce to export companies at a good price, and give some amount to the farmer,’ Kandan said, and asked the small farmers to avail themselves of the schemes introduced by the government by forming societies.

New board members for aquaculture NGO AQUACULTURE without Frontiers (AwF), a non-governmental organisation dedicated to alleviating poverty through fish farming, has appointed new board members.

At a meeting during the annual Seafood Expo North America in Boston in March, AwF decided to expand Above: Polly Legendre its board with three new stay engaged with the organmembers, Albert GJ Tacon, isation by being one of the Polly Legendre and Michael leaders of the new Technical D Lee. Advisory Group.

Executive director Roy And the board thanked Palmer said: ‘All three new John Cooksey for his efforts board members bring new in being treasurer/secretary skills and experience to AwF since inception. He has at an important time.’ resigned due to an increased The board also acknowlworkload and been replaced edged the efforts of John

by Dave Conley.

Forster who was not seeking Agreement was reached to re-election but agreed to

meet on a quarterly basis so there could be more consistent involvement of the board.

Palmer added: ‘The AwF board learned that through the new arrangements with Florida Atlantic University (FAU) we have been invited to submit a full application proposal for the 2016 Farmer-to-Farmer Small Grants competition following the approval of the concept paper.

‘We have held meetings in Washington DC recently establishing contact with many charity and NGO organisations, ensuring that we build on collaborations through our arrangements with the Volunteers Economic Growth Alliance.’

Australia sets Indian Ocean challenge THE Australian government has launched an aquaculture challenge for the Indian Ocean region that seeks innovations in areas such as feed.

The challenge is led by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with funding of AU$3 million, and is open to academia, industry, the general public and non-governmental organisations. Any project can get funding up to AU$750,000, and the deadline for ideas is June 30.

Launching the challenge in India, Australia’s High Commissioner designate to India, Harinder Sidhu, said the challenge is to develop sustainable aquaculture technology and systems, as the industry has potential to contribute to food security, nutrition, livelihood and economic growth.

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Opinion – Jeremy Dunn

Opening doors How salmon farmers can build trust in their sector by engaging with the media JEREMY DUNN IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE BRITISH COLUMBIA SALMON FARMERS ASSOCIATION

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or the salmon aquaculture industry in British Columbia, Canada, conflict with environmental activists during the 1990s and early 2000s has shaped both public and media opinion.

Surveys and experience show that while the overall opinion is changing, and trust is building, the conflict has shaped a negative perception and eroded trust in the sector.

Many feel that the industry may not be sustainable long term and may result in a net loss to the natural salmon populations. A significant body of science shows this not to be the case – however, facts alone do not shape perception and build trust.

That is shaped through doing the right thing over a long period of time, opening doors and inviting everyone inside, and working to share positive developed relationships and efforts with a wider audience. In every relationship, personal or professional, building trust is a long-term effort.

I joined the BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA) two years ago and, being born and raised in the province, I was well aware of the conflict with activists that had shaped the narrative of the sector.

There were many factors that attracted me to work in aquaculture, but for this Association the published values were both encouraging and seemingly in contrast to a picture that had been painted.

BCSFA values transparency, integrity and being proactive in our dealAbove: Jeremy Dunn ings with our members, the public and other stakeholders.

Our approach in BC is simple – but it is effective because it is authentic. We are working as an Association to share our experience and understanding of media with our members, and also to build a better relationship.

Understanding a journalist’s job and role is crucial to being able to understand the information they need to complete their stories. It is also fundamental in being able to build a better relationship with them.

Another major aspect of building relationships has been engaging media in farm and process plant tours. Farmers in BC have world-class operations and are farming to extremely high standards – every farm has at least one third-party certification, many have multiple certifications.

As our members work to better understand the needs of the media, they are in a stronger position to aid media, providing them with a more comprehensive understanding of salmon aquaculture, the farming process, equipment, technology, locations and most importantly the people.

This does not mean we have an expectation that every story about aquaculture will be positive, but my experience is that journalists, by and large, are looking to tell engaging and accurate stories that paint an honest picture. Greater education and engagement goes a long way to helping them achieve that.

Recognising the perception in society and lack of trust in the sector,

salmon farmers have been working to develop relationships with influential people and organisations that can help, with a focus on those with a high degree of public trust: chefs, academics, community organisations, doctors, nutritionists, charities and others who have influence and reach. These trust partners are engaged through mutual understanding and shared goals.

The third element is developing effective content – finding stories that develop a greater understanding of salmon farming and farmraised salmon with trust partners as primary messengers. This is not simply distributing information or facts, but telling stories that connect people.

In a perfect world we would bring every person to a salmon farm, show them the environment farmers work in, the methods they use to grow salmon, and allow them the opportunity to meet and interact.

Not having that reality, it is the responsibility of the industry to bring the aquaculture story to the public through multiple mediums and narratives in a way that builds trust and longterm inclusion in the socio-economic fabric of the region. FF

It is the responsibility of the “ industry to bring the aquaculture

story to the public through multiple mediums

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Aquaculture UK – Preview

quacultureuk.com

Aviemore the merrier

Scottish show expects record numbers of exhibitors and visitors from around the world

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ow in its 10th year, the biennial Aquaculture UK is the most important aquaculture exhibition and conference in the British Isles. Each time it is held it gets bigger and more valuable to the industry, and is firmly established as an important and truly international trade venue for the aquaculture sector.

Aquaculture UK 2016 has 45 per cent more exhibition space than previous years, over 100 exhibitors are already booked and it is expecting a record high of more than 1,000 visitors over the course of the two days.

The show offers exhibitors a valuable opportunity to launch new products, meet decision makers and promote their products and services.

No other UK event provides aquaculture professionals with such direct

access to qualified buyers and suppliers from all over the globe covering every aspect of the aquaculture industry.

All the major aquaculture countries are represented by exhibitors and visitors, who have in the past noted the excellent atmosphere and friendly interaction they enjoy at Aquaculture UK. Founder David Mack, who has recently handed over the reins for Aq-

Welcome to AquaGen’s seminar GENERATION SHIFT 2016 Will be held on 25th of May 2016 at the Aquaculture UK exhibition, Aviemore

An exciting new product, available in Autumn 2016 will be presented at the seminar.

You can accept our invitation and see the programme at www.aquagen.no/en

AquaGen AS • P.O. Box 1240 • Sluppen • N-7462 Trondheim • firmapost@aquagen.no • www.aquagen.no/en/

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Aviemore the merrier

uaculture UK to 5M publishing, said: ‘Attendees have always felt that Aquaculture UK is an unmissable event and it is. The location, size and ease of access of the location really works.

‘All the hotels, conference rooms and the exhibition hall in Aviemore are within 200-300m of each other which means it is very easy to carry on networking long after the official opening times.

‘The bar of the Highland Hotel buzzes till early in the morning as delegates and exhibitors catch up on industry matters and gossip.

‘In Scotland we had several years of rapid growth, even during the recession, and this is reflected by the growth in the show.

Clockwise from above: Fish Farmer’s William Dowds with Steinsvik’s Tore Laastad; visitors and exhibitors in 2014

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‘Going forward, feedback has been taken from previous events to make this year’s show the biggest and the best yet!’

Major sponsors and exhibitors at this year’s event include VAKI, Aquapharma, Skretting, Faivre, Fish Vet Group, EWOS, Biomar, AKVA, KJ and Mohn Aqua, as well as many more.

New this year and coming on board as a major supporter is the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), which will be hosting a conference on the second day. It plans to poll visitors on the first day and then discuss the results via an in-depth roundtable.

The focus is on making sure the discussions at the conference reflect the issues most relevant to this year’s visitors.

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Leading innovation in aquaculture.

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04/04/2016 11:24:47 31.03.16 11:32

Aviemore the merrier

There will also be presentations on the importance of training and education in aquaculture, featuring speakers from Harper Adams and the University of St Andrews, and Peter Miller of Plymouth Marine Laboratory will discuss water quality for shellfish farms.

Although it is undoubtedly a highly important date in Scotland and the UK, the show has grown to become a global event with exhibitors from Europe, Canada, Peru, Israel, Iceland and the USA. Elanco Animal Health will again sponsor the Young Scientist Award for Best Student Presentation, staging the competition on the first day of the show.

The winner will receive an all-expenses paid visit to Elanco’s aquaculture research and development site on Prince Edward Island, Canada, where they will meet with leading scientists involved in vaccines, and witness the latest pharmaceutical and technological innovations.

The 2014 winner was Marie Smedley and she visited Elanco’s Aqua Health Facilities in Canada as well as Cooke Aquaculture, the Atlantic Vet School and Aquabounty.

She said: ‘For me the conference was an exciting chance to communicate my PhD research to a wider audience in the aquaculture dominion.’

Commenting on why they sponsor the award, Elanco’s global head of Aqua Business Carlos Kuada said: ‘We have a rich history of aquaculture innovation and we believe that encouraging young, talented scientists is pivotal to building the future of our industry.

‘Our commitment to research and innovation for the aquaculture industry involves active collaboration with a wide industry network that

“

The bar of the Highland Hotel buzzes until early in the morning

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extends from academic institutions to our own customers.’

A highlight of Aquaculture UK 2016, as in previous years, will be the Awards Gala Dinner.

Held on Wednesday, May 25, at the Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort. The dinner includes pre-dinner entertainment and after-dinner speaker Robbie Glen, a former prison governor.

Fish Farmer will be in Aviemore too, of course, and we hope to see you on our stand (123).

Aquaculture UK runs from May 25-26.

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Aquaculture UK, Booth 97

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04/04/2016 09:49:03

Wellboats – Inter Caledonia

New wellboat will produce freshwater from seawater Intership is launching efficient and environmentally sound treatment for AGD and sea lice

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he Norwegian based wellboat company Intership AS has installed its own design for treatment of AGD and sea lice on board its new wellboat M/V Inter Caledonia. Marine Harvest Scotland takes possession of this innovative boat for operation in Scottish waters in April.

Intership designed the freshwater production system (using reverse osmosis technologies) in cooperation with Peter Taboada SA in Spain.

Intership AS has filed a patent application for the system, which will quickly fill the wellboat with freshwater and allow operators to perform continuous freshwater treatments of salmon against AGD and sea lice without any external supply of freshwater.

‘This is a design our fleet manager, Kjetil Opshaug, has worked on for some time,’ said Intership CEO Ole Peter Brandal.

‘We see this as a breakthrough in the battle against AGD and sea lice and have great expectations for the system.’

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Clockwise from above: Artist’s impression of the new wellboat; Inter Caledonia pictured in Turkey; the reverse osmosis plant; Inter Caledonia is en route to Scotland.

Inter Caledonia is designed by Skipsteknisk in Ålesund and was constructed at Besiktas Shipyard in Turkey.

The new vessel is 70 metres long and 17 metres wide and will have a net well volume of 2,000 cubic metres. The wellboat will enter into a fiveyear time charter with Marine Harvest Scotland.

The firm’s managing director, Ben Hadfield, said he is looking forward to receiving Inter Caledonia, which will be the first wellboat with fresh water production onboard.

Important ‘The possibility for continuous treatments with freshwater will be an important tool for fighting both AGD and sea lice in the future,’ said Hadfield.

‘Treatment with freshwater will give lower costs than alternative treatments, with no chemical

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New wellboat will produce freshwater from seawater

based treatments being used and a greatly reduced risk of salmon mortality.

Intership AS has ambitions to grow its fleet, and plans to use the latest technology on future new build wellboats.

Intership AS was established in 2013. In addition to Inter Caledonia, the company operates the wellboat Christine under a time charter with Grieg Seafood in Finnmark, Norway, and Roy Kristian for Marine Harvest Canada.

Inter Caledonia is due to be delivered to Marine Harvest Scotland’s west coast base in early April. FF

The “ possibility

for continuous treatments with fresh water will be an important tool for fighting AGD and sea lice

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try and academia, but our resident design or affected by, the forthcoming Aquaculture and Fisherral unsung office hero, Andrew Balahura, ies (Scotland) Bill and we have been fortunate enough to ed the layout to help bring it more upsecure an extensive interview with Scotland’s recently apalso launching inaugural columns from pointed Minister for the Environment, Paul Wheelhouse. s of the UK’s three largest aquaculture Looking further afield there are also interesting insights Trade associations – ASSG Associations – ASSG nisations – the BTA, ASSG and SSPOTrade – to into oyster growing around the globe and also an breast of the important topics of the day overview of the Hungarian aquaculture industry, which is ellfish and salmon sectors respectively. beginning to evolve from production of carps to higher er content is concerned we hope you’ll value predatory fish. We hope you enjoy all the changes. FF

Rob Fletcher News Editor

ntributors Mike Urch has more than 40 years experience of the seafood industry. Now a freelance journalist, he is a former editor of Seafood International magazine.

BY NICK LAKE AND JANET H BROWN BY JANET H BROWN

ts

Paul Wheelhouse is Scotland’s Minister for the Environment and Climate Change and is an MSP for the South of Scotland.

Janet Brown works to support and promote all aspects of sustainable shellfish culture and restoration via The Shellfish Team and edits The Grower.

Monitoring the side of the pond The other marine environment 8

Editorial Advisory Board News in Brief Norwegian News News Can the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers learn anything from the Trade Associations way America’s East Coast Shellfish Growers Association is organised?

Hungarian Aquaculture How local knowledge can help identify pollution sources more rapidly Oysters Robert more commonly substantial federal research grants to address critical industry any will be aware of the refforts theB Rheault – The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) is responsible Interview known Growers as ‘Skid’ Rheault (Rheaultbeing being Association of Scottish Shellfish for standards met and it has recently publishedpriorities. the second River pronounced or Bob – set up the Plan (RBMP) for Scotland identifying How hasactions the ECSGA Sea Lice (ASSG) has made in the past to ensure‘row’) Basement Management to be grown and is it still growing?

East Coast Shellfish Growers Association We grow in membership by about 10 to 20 per cent a year a marine water quality standards were progressed.

Seafood in Schools 2004 and has been executive had a sharp increase this past year, but we still only have a sm established and maintained(ECSGA) to assistin the developIn ouritsown context of shellfish harvesting waters requiring to be classified of the Marine Scotland ment opportunities for ourdirector sector. for six years. as ‘A’ (allowing direct placement of shellfish on to thetion market) weindustry obviouslyas members. Of the estimated 1,300 farm Skid became involved the aidea an as- in ensuring that all potential sources EastofCoast, we only The repeal of the former Shellfish Growing Wa- inhave keenofinterest pollution in thehave about 15 per cent. The nature of the Processing sociation because he had been working as an is such that many farmers are very small, part-time operations ters Directive in 2013 and the subsuming of the Scottish marine environment are adequately addressed. oyster farmer in a state without an aquaculwon’t pay dues.

There are few large farms, and several of thes provisions within the Water Framework Directive Shellfish growers have a long history of being the guardians and monitors Markets industry the timeof – Rhode Island. to join an association. They can hire their ow risked standards being less ture targeted to ouratsector’s the natural marine environment- actions to ban thethey use don’t of TBTneed anti-fouling Aqua Source ‘I had to be very active on on boats the state to example.

What are the main issues facing ECSGA? needs. Directory beinglevel a classic

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getwater thingsenvironment going,’ he said. ‘IThe established a state has currently designated, through We spend a lot of84time and energy dealing with shellfish san Management of the natural Scottish government legislation, growers’ association with a few allies, started issues.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus control seems to dominate m is now viewed holistically in terms of river basin Shellfish Waters Protected Areas (SWPAs), with Loch Ryan hopefully to be the visory Board: Jim Treasurer, Steve Bracken, Herve Miguad, Sunil Kadri and Ken Hughes writing an industry newsletter and sent it to all time.

We are also trying to rectify the trade war with the EU s management with catchment areas extending 85th under the recently approved Solway and Tweed RBMP. r: Rob Fletcher Design: Andrew Balahura theout state legislators, brought in guest speakers restore some of the lucrative connections we had in EU marke into the marine environment to 3nm within However, 47 of these areas are considered by SEPA to be ‘degraded’.

In Manager: William Dowds wdowds@fishupdate.com Publisher: Alister Bennett from other states where athings were goingcontext, one of the key issues we are years ago.

Weis are Scottish shellfish faced with ruraltrying to get acknowledgement for the ecos l: +44 (0) 131 Scotland.

551 1000 Fax: +44 (0)well 131and 551where 7901 e-mail: editor@fi shfarmer-magazine.com nary a negative word wasfrom a range of both farming and anthropogenic services we sources. provide through nutrient credit trading, and we a diffuse pollution ww.fishfarmer-magazine.com www.fiheard. shupdate.com Eventually we gotThe some traction and stantly working tosee improve water quality and expand harvest second RBMP contains SEPA’s proposals to redress this balance and regulations thatall were holding back : Special Publications, Fettes Park, 496fixed Ferrythe Road, Edinburgh EH5 2DL Are there different chapters in the ECSGA or are members m SWPAs maintained at the agreed standard. industry.’ oyster ns Address: ‘Fish Farmer’, P.O. Box 1, the Crannog Lane, Lochavullin Industrial Oban, Argyll,has PA34 4HBthrough While clearly Estate, the shellfish industry suffered thefolk? ‘polluter pays’ We represent 631 568000 Fax: +44 (0) 1631 568001This led on to a larger consortium, principle notwith beingarigorously enforced in the past, there is now a goodabout op- 60 per cent clam farms, 40 per cent oys Clockwise from topofright: number of growers getting together at various and there is a nascent mussel industry. portunity for us to support the activities SEPA in seeking to resolve water ptions £75 a year, rest of world £95 including postage. All Air Mail.

ECSGA meeting; oyster; I have heard you talk at conferences about the importance o meetings and the idea ofquality establishing an East issues. eat Britain for the proprietors Wyvex Coast MediaShellfish Ltd by Headley Ltd., Ashford, Kent ISSNB0262-9615 Dr Robert Rheault.

GrowersBrothers Association ban-of rural ing –awhat do matter you advise?

Identifyingwas sources diffuse pollution is obviously complex died about. They had seen how well organised It is system really important given the range of potential inputs to any loch system. The of sanitary to ensure that the regulators don’t put the Pacific Coast Shellfishsurveys Growers Association business. If you are not involved 3 in the process of writing the rmer-magazine.com used

by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) n the Classification of Shellfish (PCSGA) had become, how effective they could then the law Harvesting Waters and identification of water quality tions, sampling points pro-of unintended consequences dictates that be in meetings with regulators, how they probably hurt youthe if you don’t protect yourself. You need to p vides a good starting point for SEPA to identify hotspots and potentially Left and above: Shellfish focused government research toward in the scientific research, the public outreach and the educati sourcedollars of the input. growers are the key problems – they wanted that. local knowledge will be key in gaining a better legislators.

By demonstrating the growth in green jobs, the su 11:24:01 However, perspective of 08/02/2013 guardians of the While setting up the ECSGA, Skid continued seafood waste production ecosystem benefits, we can enlist likely sources of pollution ranging from outdated or inefficient water and the marine environment to run his own company,treatment farming and marof politicians when the regulators get crazy, or if we have a ne facilities (including individual domestic sources) to agricultural keting oysters trading as land Moonstone Oysters search dollars. the legislators is a constant task. The use practices and even the incidence of visiting boats which mayEducating disworking out of Narragansett, Rhode turnover and they know nothing about your industry. If you d charge wasteIsland, water. and he is still an adjunct faculty memberthe in ASSG has welcomed this proposed time toplan do itset then Consequently, work outyou need to pay someone to do it for you. T the University of Rhode Island’s Department busy professionals

by SEPA under the second RBMP and has asked that all members actively are members of trade associations. of Fisheries and Aquaculture.

Hewith established Is export major interest for your growers? engage supplying any relevant information that can assist ina identifying the East Coast Shellfish Research We are experiencing an explosion in the market for oysters r sources ofInstitute pollution in their working localities. and has been successful in attracting several now, so there is not a lot of surplus production to send overse

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Monitoring the marine environment

We still have reservations on the intended timescales which SEPA has laid out to tackle these issues. From now until 2021 will be the period of seeking to identify sources and beginning to implement measures to resolve the issues, with 2027 being the target for all major sources of rural diffuse pollution being addressed in these degraded SWPA areas.

But there are many cases where water quality caused by pollution is directly affecting the economic viability of individual businesses and I (and I am sure others) would expect major improvements to be made as soon as possible and definitely within a far tighter timeframe. Again, this is an area where local knowledge should be able to help identify pollution sources more rapidly and we would therefore be pushing for effective redress over a shorter timescale.

We will be progressing this issue through the Scottish government Ministerial Group for Sustainable Aquaculture Shellfish Working Group (SWG) (involving Marine Scotland, SEPA, Scottish Water and the Scottish Government Environment Department) and also with the individual parties as appropriate. The first task is for the initial tranche of priority areas for investigation to be identified and SEPA will be seeking industry advice to identify these.

Shellfish research network The Scottish shellfish industry has historically been engaged at various times either collectively or through individual businesses with research projects, with aims to support or inform the development of the cultivation sector.

The Scottish aquaculture industry through the Ministerial Working Group has established a science and research strategy and this serves to

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There are “many cases

where water quality directly affects the economic viability of individual businesses

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guide where our sector’s key interests lie.

We are now in a position to have developed our production techniques through viable businesses but have an increasing demand for scientific support in areas such as microbiology of water quality, including viral contamination, food quality standards, biotoxin testing, environmental impact and carrying capacity, stock genetics, and even potential new or introduced shellfish species and diseases.

Many of these issues are strategic in nature and unlikely to be tackled by individual businesses as the impacts and benefits are applicable to all.

Some of these issues have been targeted through the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) which has one research strand which is specifically linked to shellfish. The work in Shetland on a mussel seed pilot hatchery has been partly funded through engagement with the SAIC, and the ASSG continues to be part of the SAIC consortium.

However, in terms of UK funding of science, the BBSRC and NERC are the two main funding councils for university researchers working in the marine sector. In recent years there has been a drive to ensure that academic research has at least in part a link to the needs of industry.

These research councils have announced their intention to form up to two networks within the UK in partnership with industry and government agencies in order to ensure relevant needs are addressed.

Uniquely, these networks will be fully funded to ensure that industry can be compensated for the time involved in identifying and guiding research programmes. Within Scotland, the FSS is keen to further develop the traffic light system for marine biotoxin testing and gain a better understanding of the role of biotoxins in the marine environment and, specifically, in terms of food safety.

Such work appears highly suited to be taken forward under such a research network approach. The ASSG has been invited to make a case for the Scottish shellfish industry being represented within a specific research network.

With budget constraints within all UK public sector organisations increasing, this appears to be a good opportunity to prioritise the research which our sector needs in order to continue to allow development and expansion.

With spring in the air, we hope for a good growing season. The ASSG will be at Aquaculture UK in Aviemore in May and hopes to see many members and friends there.

Dr Nick Lake is CEO of the ASSG and Dr Janet H Brown is editor of The Grower. FF

21

04/04/2016 09:52:42

Trade Associations – SSPO Trade Associations – SSPO

BY PROFESSOR PHIL THOMAS

So what’s Underpinning provenance

new?

Do weisthink enough about what gives the There a case for state industryfor its an edge in key markets? support expanded technology testing programme t may not be politi cally correct to say so at

I N

present but farmed Atlantic salmon would not have become Scotland’s leading food otwithstanding cost pressures in ve export without thethe Crown Estate’s positi some businesses at the end of last year, engagement with aquaculture development present back the in the 1980s.outlook for Scottish salmon farming looks ‘set Now, aquaculture is afair’. significant part of the Slower than anticipated agency’s marine leasing volume portfoliogrowth and is in reguNorway and severe bloom Estate’s problemsScotti in sh larly celebrated byalgal the Crown Chile project a tightening of global salmon supMarine Aquaculture Awards event.

This year’s ply and in increased market prices.

It’s an wind event Edinburgh on the 11 June wasill the that blows nobody any good! usual highly successful showcase for Scottish In these circumstances, Scottish salmon aquaculture and a rare opportunity for indusfarmers could adopt atoconservative position try to join together mark its success. with regard to Estate changeis- presently just keeping heads The Crown at their the centre down until devolution fiscal powers to Scotof further devolutionof discussions between the land and the resultand of the UKshBrexit poll are out UK government Scotti government.

The oflong-term the way. future of key Scottish functions reHowever, salmon is constantly mains unclear andfarming professional expertichangse could ing those notininthe theprocess van of innovation tend beand squandered of organisati onal tochange. get left behind quickly.

Encouragingly, Scottish salmon farmersseshow Both the Crown Estate’s core experti and an appetite continuousAwards development. the Marinefor Aquaculture are imporWhile they do not benefit from the tant in maintaining the disti ncti ve national coherence scale or levels of public investment in R&D of Scotland’s aquaculture and it would bethat a characterise Norway, the casualti Scottishes industry tragedy if they became of politihas cal achange. good record of home-grown innovation and evolution based on customisation or ‘second This year’s Awards event was hosted by adopter’ of breakthroughs madeeld, else-an actress, uptake writer and comedian Jo Caulfi where. inspired choice by whoever made the booking.

At present, is aand wave of new (and not She was verythere funny entertaining and kept yet proven) developments in salmon theindustry proceedings going with a swing.

Only once farming. innovations are originating in did she Many stray, when she wondered what ‘proveNorway, where inmeant’.

2014-15 the national govnance actually In a room full of folk whose livelihoods

22 12

SSPO - Apr.indd 22

should “beWeorganThe time ising our “training is rightand

politically education forprovisions this to be raised much better

” ”

depend on the provenance of their products she quickly sensed an audience response and moved to safer comedic material: there are some things you just don’t joke about!

However, heraremark left me asking myself whether we thinkstage-byenough ernment made very public political commitment to a massive aboutexpansion the underpinning of the provenance of Scottish farmed fish – and stage of fish farming. for me that’s farmed salmon.

In today’s world, where the value of a 5kg salmon compares favourably There is noofdoubt thatcommitment Scottish provenance important to then, our induswith a barrel oil, that might lookis prosaic.

Back it try – it gives us the edge in all our keystrategic markets. signalled a hugely impressive national vision.

Provenance can beimprovements defined in various but most people will agree Accepting constant in fishways genetics and nutrition as more that goes beyond the appearance and sensory qualiti of the final or lessitgivens, new methods to help farmers improve fish es management product: texture, presentatiappearing on and product and reduceflavour, fish health risksvisual are continually at the consistency industry are always key factors in consumer appeal but provenance is about level. much more.

They are introduced on a pilot basis or, in some cases, as part of more It reflects a wider concept of consumer assurance, including: broadly conceived future business proofing.quality Scotland already has a good the placeinwhere is grown and the professional foothold cleanerthe fishfish technology, and processed; is arguably ahead of the game in integrity of the production and processing methods; and the quality, its sustainable cultivation of cleaner fish supply. commitment care of the that people involved the interesting professional skills, However, it isand in engineering some of the –most developexpertiare se,currently passion and dedicati of the producers themselves. ments taking place,on especially in regard to sea lice manageIn Scotland our ‘place of producti gives us a huge natural advan-to ment.

The developments range fromon’ plankton nets and sea lice skirts, tage because weand grow fish in the pristi ne coastal waters ofof some of mechanical, laser warm-water de-licers, to radical types enclosed thepens, most such beauti wildAqua scenic areas of the world, and our brand is fish asful theand Hauge egg system. protected its PGI Norway is by in the leadstatus.

R&D position in these technologies. But Scotland Likewise, adopti on of the Scotti Finfish Code of Good Practi ce and cannot be slow in customising the sh approaches to the different needs allied with of the industry’s deeplocations. commitment to a range of independent constraints Scottish farming It is hugely positive to note that farm quality assurance programmes, includingto the RSPCA fish welfare Scottish salmon farmers are already responding this challenge. scheme, the underlying strength of our But therebuilds is alsoona national question that needs to statutory be asked. regulatory It is now systems to assure fact our that producti on systems. an unquestionable salmon farming is a key Scottish strategic Finally,So, theisskills, and dedicati on of our farmers industry. thereexperti a case se, for passion state support for an expanded ‘new techcan be testing demonstrated in abundance dayrelying in andsolely day out – and they were nology’ programme, rather than on the decisions of showcased by the recent awards event. individual businesses to take new technology forward? wholly objecti ve and forward it is this I However, think therebeing is and the time is right politically forlooking, that concept to third be area of provenance where the Scottish industry has greatest scope for raised. systemati c development.

That is not to saySalmon that ourProducers’ industry’sOrganisaskills Phil Thomas was chairman of the Scottish andfrom professional experti se are notyear. of theFFhighest calibre, but it is to tion 2008 until the end of last recognise that our vocational educational and training structures, and

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04/04/2016 09/03/2016 09:55:13 11:47:19

Containment – Industry pioneer

Future Fusion Focus on stock security drives growth strategy for leading equipment supplier

S

tephen Divers has been the managing director of Fusion Marine since 1999. He joined the Fusion Group of companies in 1991 at the inception of a new marine division for the firm.

With a background in engineering, he took on the key responsibility for business development and diversification into new products and business growth in domestic and international markets.

He has gained more than 20 years’ experiAbove: Stephen Divers ence in the rapidly growing aquaculture field.

He led a management buyout in 2007 and continues to expand both product and market opportunities at Fusion Marine.

But he insists it has been very much a team effort and says he is fortunate to have had so much support, which has enabled the company to grow to its current position as a leading global aquaculture equipment supplier.

With markets established in over 25 countries, Fusion Marine’s range of fish farm pens have been successfully utilised in some of the harshest marine environments in the world and are suitable for a wide range of species.

The company has put significant investment into new technology and design for open sea sites.

Stock biosecurity is one of the most important issues facing the fish farming industry today and the robustness and versatility of Fusion Marine’s pens ensures that this is one of its greatest strengths.

Divers has been instrumental in this focus on containment and was a member of the Containment Working Group that devised the Scottish Technical Standard (STS), finalised last year.

How is the industry adapting to the STS?

The key “is never to

stand still and always to innovate and adapt

”

Clockwise from above right: Triton pens in the Canaries; Fusion’s work on Scottish Sea Farms’ Knock hatchery on Mull; Loch Frisa

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Industry Pioneer.indd 24

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04/04/2016 09:57:28

Future Fusion

As a general observation Scottish aquaculture companies are without exception determined to utilise the best possible and strongest containment systems, and certainly with our customers there has been a rolling series of ‘future proofing’ investment over the last six years or so.

With the new Scottish Technical Standard agreed, we are now moving into a period where all parts of the industry are working towards compliance. STS provides a benchmark for everyone to achieve this and will require investment from all parties – including fish farmers and equipment suppliers.

It should also be remembered that STS covers every aspect of containment and is not just about equipment. An important component is the need for proper procedures and training to ensure the standard is being met.

Anything that helps containment and involves a proactive approach by the industry must be beneficial to everyone involved in aquaculture. The fact that containment is being discussed and acted upon is in itself a positive development.

How do you see the industry developing in Scotland?

The industry has good potential for sustainable growth although this is obviously dependent upon proper regulatory support. Offshore fish farming in more exposed sea sites is one avenue for growth and this is why we are currently investing in research for developing new types of equipment and designs to meet this challenge.’

And overseas?

The overseas market has strong potential for growth, and there are many parts of the world where fish farming can play a valuable role in sustainable protein production, creating jobs and also providing the potential to boost national GDP and develop new export markets.

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We have been involved in fish farm projects in among governments of the potential that International Aquaculture in over 30 countries in all corners of the world aquaculture offers. However, one major conand there is certainly a growing recogniti on straint is the lack of capital investment availaDiscover New Products and Services

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04/04/2016 09:57:51

Containment – Industry pioneer ble to operators looking to move into significant commercial scale fish farming operations.

to say that biological challenges “Itareis fairgreater than engineering ones ”

Are Fusion Marine’s customers increasingly outside Scotland?

We have a broad mix of customers both in Scotland and abroad. Our projects abroad include small-scale operations and we are often involved in pilot initiatives providing equipment and consultancy advice.

Some have also involved land-based integrated farming systems that include hatcheries.

It is tremendously satisfying seeing such ventures succeed and knowing that you have helped to create jobs and a new source of food supply for local people.

Will the industry here meet the government’s 2020 production targets?

There is no more professional and responsible industry than that found in Scotland, and with a positive and common sense approach by planners and regulators, then there is no reason why Scotland cannot meet its production targets.

And how can a supplier like Fusion Marine help meet this goal?

We can play our role by innovating and continually developing new systems and technologies. We liaise with our customers on a continual basis and this strong relationship provides a crucial role in this process.

Above: Fusion Marine pen at a Loch Duart site

What do you think are the greatest technical challenges for the industry?

It is probably fair to say that biological challenges are greater than engineering ones. For us, it is a case of continually investing in our operations to meet changing aquaculture requirements.

The industry has seen huge change over the last 25 years, and it is likely that the next 25 will be equally exciting and challenging. The key is never to stand still and always to innovate and adapt. FF

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Containment – SSPO

Standard

bearers Technology and innovation fuel continuous process of improvements operating to the STS for some time. Farms operate a continuous process of replacing equipment as and when it’s required, and this will continue with the STS. What elements of farm infrastructure are most likely to need replacing/upgrading to comply with the technical standard?

In my opinion, the key component of farm infrastructure to meet the new technical standard is the mooring system. Understandably, this equipment is under continuous stress, thanks to the Scottish weather conditions, and as it is not visible on the surface it is difficult to assess its condition.

Farmers already thoroughly assess their mooring systems by removing equipment from the water to check for parts that need replacing. Ensuring the system is fit for purpose and complies with the STS will make farmers confident that the equipment they are using stays in the right place and ultimately keeps their fish safe.

J

amie Smith, technical executive at the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation, answers Fish Farmer’s questions about the Scottish Technical Standard.

Are companies now upgrading their equipment to comply with the new Scottish technical standard or does most of their equipment already meet the STS criteria?

The majority of seawater farms have been

28

Containment SSPO.indd 28

Above: Jamie Smith

What changes would most effectively improve containment (better nets, pens, mooring, better husbandry and operational procedures)?

Technology and innovation are certainly fuelling major improvements in containment and I believe the procedures set out in the standard are a motivating factor.

Although husbandry and operational procedures which focus specifically on containment are already in place, equipment such as nets have a set lifespan. Farmers follow a net replacement policy which includes a thorough annual check and strength test which is part of a regular renew and upgrade programme. Today’s pens have evolved to become relatively indestructible, designed to cope with the extreme weather conditions that our farms face.

Personally, I think the focus on staff training covering the operation and maintenance of equipment has been vitally important in reducing the

“

SSPO members understand the benefits of sharing best practice between companies

”

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04/04/2016 10:00:58

Standard bearers number of containment breaches and the risk of technical failure.

Are farmers satisfied with the standard they helped put together?

Yes, our members have embraced the new standard. They understand the benefits of sharing best practice between companies and realise the importance of formalising these procedures so they are maintained and can be improved upon as technological advancements come on the market.

Will it be costly for farmers to have to upgrade equipment?

The implementation phase of STS has allowed the standard to fit in to an ongoing maintenance programme of replacement, something farmers already do.

As the STS is ‘future proofed’ to accommodate technological developments and so on, is there any danger it could be used to impose unnecessary restrictions on farmers? For instance, could the government insist all farms must install expensive eco nets even if they are not in exposed sites?

This standard was jointly developed and is controlled by the industry and Scottish government. The group has taken a pragmatic approach to ensure that technical innovation can be embraced as it evolves to ensure the highest standards can be maintained.

Will the STS benefit the whole industry – and perceptions of it?

Formalising best practice is naturally the more effective way to improve industry standards.

Taking a serious approach to our roles and responsibilities can only benefit the industry’s reputation as a responsible and sustainable food producer.

Have training requirements been established to go with the standard and if so what do they involve?

Ahead of the development of accompanying legislation, containment training is already underway through providers such as the NAFC, which has its own containment training programme. Some of our larger member companies, such as Marine Harvest Scotland, the Scottish Salmon Company and Scottish Sea Farms, have developed their own in-house training programmes which they are rolling out to staff. This is a continually evolving area and training will be a large part of making the STS a robust standard. FF

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04/04/2016 10:01:21

Containment – Ace Aquatec

Sound move

Collaborative approach to seal mitigation improves equipment performance

BY NATHAN PYNE-CARTER

S

T ANDREWS based Ace Aquatec, a specialist in acoustic systems and electric stunning, has set itself a goal to provide rental customers with a zero fish mortality rate from seal predation. It intends to achieve this by using a range of innovative devices.

A number of these developments would not have come about without the feedback from farmers around Scotland, and the firm is particularly grateful to Scottish Sea Farms, the Scottish Salmon Company, Loch Duart, Marine Harvest and Cooke Aquaculture for their collaborative approach to seal mitigation, which has improved its equipment performance and design over the years.

The US3’s latest randomised sound patterns have recently been studied and shown to be the most effective compared to other acoustic deterrents deployed at the study sites (unpublished Masters thesis by Kather-

ine Whyte of St Andrews University, under the supervision of Dr Simon Northridge).

Additional measures that Ace has deployed on tough or protected sites include the RT1, which is a low frequency deterrent making noise outside the sensitive hearing of protected wildlife, while targeting the sensitive range of seals (1-2khz).

The RT1 has gained a reputation around Scottish sites as a formidable system, with deployment requests where other systems have failed; it is shortly being deployed to address the severe sea lion issues in Chile.

The company’s unique electric nets have been used on sites suffering marine mammal predation. They are now being adjusted to provide protection against shark attacks both in the Mediterranean and Australia.

30

Containment - Ace Aquatec.indd 30

Left: A pole mounted US3 installation. Above: An RT1 low frequency transducer with sonar triggers; a harsh frame US3; a seal reacting to the acoustic deterrent.

Opposite page: A seal approaching the electric net.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/04/2016 10:02:51

Sound move

In other news Ace Aquatec is launching a new 3D biomass camera which will be showcased at the Aquaculture UK show. This was funded by a SMART R&D feasibility award.

This represents the first use of conditioning, by pairing sound and electric shock, to create avoidance behaviour.

The system uses a unique patented solution to pulse electric fields around the enclosure to ensure the areas susceptible to predation are protected, and any continued contact sensitises the predator, training it to avoid the pens.

From May, all Ace Aquatec rental systems will be connected to the internet as standard, allowing the remote update of sound patterns, immediate fault alerts and diagnostics.

This strengthens the firm’s ability to offer uninterrupted protection on farm cages, as well as providing sites with a powerful tool to assess the status of their deterrent systems from the barge.

With a range of service personnel holding rental pools of equipment around Scotland, Ace Aquatec is committed to providing the gold standard in seal mitigation systems and will continue to innovate to ensure it offers the best service it can to its customers.

Nathan Pyne-Carter is managing director of Ace Aquatec. FF

The company’s HSU electrical in-water stunner is being rolled out to many sites in the UK, Europe and worldwide, having overcome the quality issues that electrical in-water stunning has struggled with over the years.

Ace Aquatec will shortly be opening a new office at the Guardbridge Innovation Centre at St Andrews, from where it will continue to pursue innovative research and development and manage its rental business. It will be advertising new positions within the company from September.

number of these developments would “notAhave come about without the feedback from farmers around Scotland ”

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It is based on a DEFRA approved formula for creating a marine environment similar to that found in nature.

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04/04/2016 10:03:10

Containment – Aqualine

Net firm gears up for growth Makers of Midgard strengthen services with new acquisitions

T Above: The net making facilities at Frøya Havbruksservice Opposite page: Hestnes Offshore and Aquaservice’s plant.

32

Aqualine.indd 32

HE Norwegian aquaculture equipment supplier Aqualine has acquired the shares of Frøya Havbruksservice and Hestnes Offshore and Aquaservice as part of its strategy to become a market leader within net production, sales and service.

The company, which has delivered equipment to the fish farming industry for 36 years, will become a more complete supplier of systems for the industry as a result of the acquisition.

Aqualine chairman Geir Furberg said: ‘I am delighted and proud to be able to announce that we have bought two well-run companies.

‘This move strengthens us in a demanding and growing market. Both companies have solid expertise and experience within net production and service, areas we intend to carry on and strengthen.’

Trond Lysklætt, CEO of Aqualine, said: ‘We have exciting times ahead of us. We are delighted to have them on the team. The entire value chain with engineering, mooring systems, floating collars and nets will now be strengthened. This applies in particular to the special production of nets and service (wash-

ing, impregnation and repair). Frøya Havbruksservice is a skilled and renowned net manufacturer, while Hestnes Offshore and Aquaservice has provided service on nets for many years.

The main shareholder, Kjell Fredriksen, is now divesting his shares after running the company since 1994. He has reached the age of 67 and wants to wind down this element of his activities to concentrate on his other businesses.

‘I am convinced that the skills and local ownership that Aqualine will bring to these businesses will help bolster their positions, progress and help secure jobs moving forwards,’ said Fredriksen.

Vidar Skarpnes, CEO of Frøya Havbruksservice and Hestnes Offshore and Aquaservice, said: ‘This is a good day for us. We have 30 years of experience with nets and look forward to working with Aqualine on the future of the companies.’

Aqualine’s Midgard System, designed to prevent escapes, was nominated for an innovation award at Aqua Nor when it was launched three years ago. Since then it has proven its durability in extreme weather at exposed locations.

More than 350 Midgard nets have been sold as companies move more sites further out to sea.

In the ‘escape proof’ concept, the sinker tube is suspended directly from the cage net. This ensures that the net is always fully distended, has an even strain and avoids localised abrasion. The net is not able to make contact with other parts of the cage system.

Since its launch, Aqualine has adapted the system, installing winches to allow the inner ring of the nets to be lifted up to the surface tube in

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04/04/2016 10:04:49

Net firm gears up for growth

one operation, without the need of cranes, for easier cleaning that is less stressful to the fish.

Aqualine, which has outlets in Chile and Australia, invests four to five per cent of its turnover every year in research, testing innovations at the Marintek tank in Trondheim. FF

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04/04/2016 10:05:51

Training – Common challenge

BY MARTYN HAINES

Joining forces Creating a new European skills alliance for aquaculture

T

he more people you meet working in the education and training business, the more you realise how often we have been tackling common challenges in isolation, blindly missing opportunities for productive cooperation.

Arguably, there is no greater workforce development challenge than the provision of ‘high quality’ work based training and since the sad demise of Scottish college based full-time courses, this has never had greater importance.

Our farms are widely scattered and frequently remote, bringing the workplace delivery of knowledge and skills development to the fore, in the short term.

are a number of key elements but, most importantly, the strength of the partnership between providers and industry is the main determinant of quality, not the wonderful array of learning technologies becoming available.

Computerisation does provide us with many exciting ways to present accessible, interactive, visually stimulating online learning and must be in the mix. By adding sophisticated ‘e portfolios’, the demands of the assessment process can be greatly eased for all involved.

At the end of the day, though, the ability to High quality work based learning produce individuals with the knowledge and How do we define ‘high quality work based delivery’? To my mind there skills to do their job competently is the acid test. Demonstrating this requires a very close partnership and understanding between the industry and the provider, with both upholding standards that are respected and apparent, in the assessment process and reflected in company standard operating procedures.

There may be necessary differences in the way standards are expressed, but the hymn sheet is the same.

Viability issues Once we have agreed a definition and ultimately a specification, there is a very real practical problem at play. Due to the high dependency of technology and individualised nature of the learning process, the development and delivery of the highest quality work based system is very resource hungry.

With a relatively low volume of learners in the Scottish industry, the level of investment required is hard for providers to justify. The business model simply does not stack up without a generous subsidy, even in the advent of national level collaboration.

To overcome this impasse we need to find ways of ‘scaling up’ to share both the develop-

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Training.indd 34

Productive “partnerships with others of a like mind need to be forged

”

Above: Marine Harvest’s Loch Leven site in March; Left: Advanced surveillance technology at the Loch Leven site.

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Joining forces

ment costs and also the high quality learning resources and methods of delivery. Productive partnerships with others of a like mind fighting the same battle need to be forged.

A need for intensive training at a more advanced technical level was voiced, that could be targeted and individualised, taking account of what the learner already knows and can do.

The embryogenesis of BlueEDU The bid recently submitted to Erasmus+ for the establishment of a European sector skills alliance for aquaculture may provide us with our best opportunity to start this journey.

Known under the acronym of BlueEDU, this project has evolved over 15 months, and the project lead, Professor John Birger Stav from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), invited Scottish involvement at an introductory meeting with interested parties in May 2015.

It quickly became clear that the workforce development challenges Scotland faces are repeated across northern Europe, whether one looks to Norway, Ireland or the Faroes.

However, due to the scale and importance of its salmon farming industry, Norway has a thriving college sector composed of 11 schools, as they call them, distributed from north to south, seemingly making suitable training and tutor support more available.

But the fjords offer an even bigger geographical barrier to transportation than the Scottish sea lochs do, hence the Norwegians share our interest in the development of a more accessible, and technologically sophisticated system of work based training that does not depend on learners constantly travelling to learning centres.

Interestingly, these same challenges were reflected in the experiences of the Mediterranean countries joining the debate, as the partnership matured.

Researching the needs Initially, the partnership was keen to bid for a fund to support the development of the work based training system required. However, the Brussels Commission which oversees the game rules insists on robust evidence of skills needs and the supply and demand for training and the involvement of 12 countries.

Hence the emphasis shifted to the establishment of a broader European Aquaculture Sector Skills Alliance to research industries’ current and future skills needs and evaluate aquaculture Vocational Education and Training (VET) supply and demand across Europe.

To focus on those countries that cage farm fin fish in Europe seemed to offer a logical starting point and common denominator. If the bid is successful, this research phase will commence in November 2016 and be completed in October 2018 and the outcome will inform a second, larger bid for a development fund.

An important element of this research work will be demonstrations to industry of emerging innovative VET practices, opening minds to the benefits of the SMART application of learning technologies.

Common ground Common themes have quickly emerged. The industry is becoming more technologically advanced with the advent of computerised operating systems for sophisticated and expensive equipment. A major Norwegian service sector company providing the technology provided the original BlueEDU catalyst.

They were becoming increasingly concerned with the number of accidents, fish losses and damage to equipment and sub optimal performance resulting from what they perceived to be a lack of the appropriate knowledge and skills in the work force, including some of those entering via the traditional college based route.

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Support from industry If the bid is successful in July 2016, the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), as the European umbrella organisation, representing fish producer associations in the four northern and eight southern European countries, will help to raise awareness of BlueEDU. Other agencies holding an education or workforce development support remit will join the campaign trail at national level.

Thereafter, the entire industry will be provided with the opportunity to engage with the debate and help to shape the future of our Vocational Education and Training provision. Please cross your fingers with us for a successful outcome in July!

Martyn Haines is director of Pisces Learning Innovations. Visit www. pisceslearning.com or contact Martyn at info@pisceslearning.com or on 01387 840697. FF

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t K 5 sa eU t u ur R 4 Vis acult MBE u Aq D NU

AN ST

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Algae – Upscaling

Turn up the

volume Expansion is the key in cultivation of both micro and macroalgae

M

acroalgae are seaweeds, such as dulse and kelp, and are large and multi-cellular, while microalgae are generally single celled organisms.

Algae are the fastest growing plant organisms in nature and are extremely diverse. Algae form the base of the aquatic food chain. They can naturally produce carbohydrates, oils, protein, vitamins and organic minerals that feed crustaceans and up the food chain to fish.

With overfishing and potential contamination issues with fish, algae provide a unique opportunity to replace nutrients formerly supplied by fish, fish oil and fishmeal.

For microalgae, the cost of production and the ability to produce enough biomass consistently to be of interest to any large-scale producer are major obstacles to commercialisation.

‘There is no doubt about algae’s great potential,’ Dr Tim Atack, director of FAI Aquaculture’s Ardtoe Marine Research Facility in Scotland, said recently. ‘However, there are lots of challenges to overcome before algae of any kind becomes a mainstream product.’

One of the companies addressing these challenges is America’s Alltech Algae in Winchester, Kentucky, which has one of the world’s largest commercial algae production sites.

Alltech has invested more than $18 million in the facility to develop its proprietary algal technology for application in aquaculture, pet and livestock nutrition. It houses a variety of sizes and types of fermenters for growing heterotrophic algae.

This method uses a closed and controlled system, such as a stainless steel fermenter, to grow the algae. The nature of the system reduces contamination and also allows research-

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Seaweed Intro.indd 37

Above: Seaweed could become an important tool in the development of the aquaculture industry

ers to more closely control the process, maximising nutrient content. The result is a more pure, consistent and nutritious DHA omega-3 source.

In particular, Alltech is examining algae applications within aquaculture, specifically the replacement of fish oil in aquaculture feeding programmes and the enrichment of fillets with high DHA omega-3.

As far as seaweed aquaculture is concerned, the market in Europe needs to be developed, said Dr Adam Hughes of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in the latest European Aquaculture Society publication.

Seaweed is a crucial component of most IMTA (integrated multi-trophic aquaculture) systems, in which SAMS is driving research.

‘We know that for it to make a significant contribution to nutrient reduction it needs to be grown in large volumes,’ said Dr Hughes.

‘These volumes of seaweed, though they have a high intrinsic value as a raw product, have a very limited market in Europe.

‘The development of processing plants and biorefineries for seaweed would allow for the expansion of this important component of IMTA and for it to reach its true economic value.’

Over the next few pages we look at the potential in both micro and macroalgae aquaculture. . FF

There are lots of challenges to “overcome before it becomes a mainstream product ” 37

04/04/2016 10:10:22

Algae – Seaweed

A growing industry SAMS set to double seaweed farm to tap into commercial potential

BY MEAGAN CURRIE

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Seaweed - SAMS.indd 38

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A growing industry

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lans to expand one of the only commercial scale seaweed farms off the coast of mainland Britain could allow entrepreneurs to exploit the massive potential of the UK seaweed industry.

SAMS (the Scottish Association for Marine Science) first initiated offshore cultivation in 2013, and has since provided the test-bed for a series of projects intent on establishing where, when and how seaweed growth is most effective.

Over the last four years SAMS has been involved in multiple initiatives to develop sustainable seaweed farming techniques, including the EU funded AT~SEA project, which designed revolutionary, multi-layer textile substrates to improve seaweed growth and yield.

Since the project’s completion in 2015 the spin-off company AT~SEA Technologies has been designed to continue technical developments.

The Port a Bhuiltin farm currently consists of 100m long-lines, spaced four metres apart and arranged in a grid.

Rather than conventional rope, Drs Adam Hughes and Phil Kerrison are employing uniquely designed textile ribbons, which provide an ideal substrate on to which seaweed juveniles can anchor during seeding.

During the five-month growth cycle, this farm alone can produce a spectacular 20 tonnes of product. Plans are now underway to install an additional hectare grid at the Port a Bhuiltin site, thereby doubling the farm size and resulting harvest.

SAMS can effectively perform all of its independent research on 800m of line, leaving four kilometres available for harvesting and other industrial purposes.

The farm is an ideal platform for businesses wanting to learn the seaweed growth techniques, as SAMS provides both a pre-established setting ideal for many local species, and the knowledge and experience of seaweed experts.

Two such projects are already underway, as of February 2016: the £2.78 million initiative SeaGas - funded by the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) - and the Horizons 2020 project Macrofuels are both using the SAMS farm to master and refine cultivation

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techniques, with the goal of extracting valuable compounds. SAMS is also leading the ensiling storage research for the SeaGas project.

In the future, Dr Kerrison also hopes to cater to the caterers. He said: ‘It’s a great opportunity for chefs and restaurants to learn more about the product and to grow their own samples. Partners get the opportunity to work with us and to validate their methods.’

Many seaweed species are flavourful and incredibly nutritious, elements that companies such as Mara Seaweed have already begun to market.

SAMS has recently formed a connection with New Wave Foods, a start-up company hoping to become the country’s leading processor of fresh edible seaweed.

The company has opened a processing factory in Wick. In the coming years- after learning the cultivation process at SAMS - research and development manager Peter Elbourne intends to open his own offshore farm.

‘They have relied so far on harvesting, and have licences on the north coast, but they are interested in cultivation so they are doing the trial with us so they can learn how to handle a tonne of fresh seaweed at a time and develop the process in the factory,’ said Dr Kerrison.

He said SAMS is trying to diversify so they can alternate species depending on the time of the year.

‘At the moment we’re looking mainly at the kelps as they’re quite well established – saccharina, luminaria and alaria. But we’re also looking at other ones like dulse.

‘What I’ve been saying to a lot of people- including a development group near here in Oban who are interested in seaweed farming after seeing the Counryfile programme [on Rathlin Island’s seaweed farm]- that it’s the products that need to be developed first before you can start cultivating.

‘I think there’s definitely a market for seaweed as a food product. I’m working on large scale and developing techniques for harvesting large scale but I’m more positive about community scale seaweed farming for food.

‘We’ve been contacted a few times from restaurants looking for supply but at the moment it’s too expensive for us to go out on our research vessel to harvest. I would like someone to establish a seaweed farm where they could have a pick your own, or a similar arrangement, where you could go out and collect the seaweed regularly.

‘We’re trying to encourage that and looking at another grant to get a community led project in Uist, where they had a big harvesting industry.’

He said SAMS was also looking into projects with some of the fish farmers, using seaweed as a feed ingredient.

Seaweed farms have great potential value to the fish farm industry; seaweed absorbs excess nutrients such as those produced by fisheries, and could act as a productive nursery environment for commercially valuable fish.

Through research and innovation, SAMS hopes to give the budding UK industry an environmentally sustainable foundation on which to grow. FF

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04/04/2016 10:11:49

Algae – Nutrition

LIAN HEINHUIS

Game-changer It is now up to the big players to set the ball rolling and make microalgae viable as an aqua feed ingredient

A

lgae production is reaching a tipping point, where it goes from being a product with potential to a potential game-changer. That is the conclusion of a report compiled by Rabobank analysts Lian Heinhuis and Gorjan Nikolik, which investigates the possibilities of using microalgae in human and animal nutrition.

It might be difficult to predict exactly how imminent algae’s tipping point will be – Heinhuis said you would need a crystal ball, but she did speculate that it would be within five years.

As microalgae are a source of omega-3 oils they can be used as substitutes for fish oil and fishmeal and Heinhuis sees a leading role for the aqua feed industry in the development of algae, ‘because that is where the greatest need is’.

As seafood experts, Heinhuis and Nikolik listen to clients from all sections of the aquaculture sector, including farmers, feed and ingredient producers, and also pick up on issues preoccupying the industry by attending and taking part in conferences.

Microalgae currently has an estimated production of 9,000 tonnes dry weight annually, a tiny sector compared to food commodities such as soybeans, for instance, which have an annual production of 300 million tonnes.

Further research and investment are needed from the big players in the food and agribusiness, said Rabobank, to grow the algae industry and bring it to commercialisation.

‘If challenges in the production process can be overcome, these microscopic plants could start to play an important role in providing protein and omega-3 oils that are otherwise only found in seafood products further along the supply chain,’ said the report’s authors.

The requirement for protein-rich foods

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Seaweed Rabobank.indd 40

“

Aquaculture will play a leading role because that is where the greatest need is

”

and oils that certain types of carnivorous fish species have makes it possible to replace that ingredient of their diet with algae.

Heinhuis said it would make sense for the big salmon farmers who have their own feed plants to go down this route.

With an aquafeed market worth an estimated US$24.6 billion in 2014, and forecast to grow to $30 billion by 2020, aquafeed firms are increasingly aware of how algae can play a part in their product portfolio, said Rabobank.

‘Considerably higher prices in the fish oil market make this one of the first areas in which algal products could become competitive with existing products.

‘The salmon industry alone is responsible for the consumption of around 350,000 tonnes of fish oil annually and is actively looking for sustainable alternative sources.’

But algae can’t yet compete with omega-3

derived from fish oil or other sources of feed proteins such as soybean meal and fishmeal.

Heinhuis and Nikolik said this is a result of the high cost of production, the lack of scale in the industry and the current lower prices of alternatives.

‘An upwards price move for alternatives, along with the lowering of algae prices, is expected in the next few years,’ Rabobank predicts. ‘This will have an impact on the commercialisation of algal products.’

But in order to become commercial, there needs to be a big increase in output, with farming on a larger scale. It remains to be seen whether production systems will work in the same way on a much larger surface as in the smaller test areas where they now operate.

The laboratory environment is a very safe one and farming algae at outdoor facilities for commercial purposes will involve some risk.

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Game-changer

MICROALGAE FACTS They may be small, but their impact on the food and feed industries will be big These little plants are full of protein and oils, and they can act as an alternative to limited existing sources Their ability to produce omega-3 oils makes them suitable for replacing fish oil and fishmeal in aquafeed A recent scientific estimate suggests there are more than 72,000 different types of algae in the world The farming of algae takes place in different systems, ranging from open ponds with water recirculation to advanced structures where the entire environment can be controlled Systems with open pond structures are outside and often located in areas with abundant sunlight, whereas controlled systems – called photobioreactors – can be placed inside Although algae have been studied for decades, cultivation is still very much confined to the laboratory

Pilot projects (of one to two years) are needed to bring a new product on to the market on a commercial scale and attract investment.

‘From being R&D driven, the algae industry needs to get a pull from F&A [food and agribusiness] companies that will benefit from algae becoming a new source of omega-3 oils and proteins.

‘They need to get involved in those pilot projects as they are a crucial part of the value chain, and their views need to be incorporated in order to successfully create this new industry.’

Heinhuis said the involvement of the big players would ‘set the ball rolling’. ‘It would take one pioneer to embrace it and then hopefully others would see them making money and follow suit.’

Rabobank’s interest in this field is driven by their clients’ interest, and the analysts are very

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Seaweed Rabobank.indd 41

conscious of the obstacles. The main risks are on the production (or technology) side: either a farmer won’t be able to deliver enough biomass due to technical failure, or his costs will be higher than expected and the business won’t be viable.

Research originated mostly in the US but is now being conducted in Europe, too; it is less likely to be taken up in the developing world because it’s a costly process, said Heinhuis.

Rabobank’s report is something of an appeal to the established operators to be bolder and support the emerging microalgae farming businesses to help them upscale and give them greater security.

‘As algae are moving to become an increasingly important ingredient or alternative source of protein and oil, Rabobank believes that the first markets to expand as algae production grows will be aqua feed, human health supplements and food ingredients.

‘This means that if you are active in one of these markets, algae will be part of your business model very soon.’

Once scale is achieved, algae products could ‘alter a number of industries fundamentally’.

‘Algae: A Brave New Industry’ (Rabobank Industry Note #528).

Above: Algae production is small-scale and experimental

FF

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04/04/2016 10:13:09

Middle East focus – Introduction

Gulf widens

Investment raises region’s profile on the aquaculture map

T

he pioneers of aquaculture in the Middle East have convinced early sceptics that growing fish in the desert climate is not just possible but has enormous economic potential. Now the region is investing heavily in aquaculture in a bid to reduce its dependence on imports.

Most fish stocks in the Gulf are either fully exploited or under pressure so for reasons of food security, marine conservation and economic diversification, all the GCC countries are interested in aquaculture.

But the countries driving this development are Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The others – Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain - have established research facilities but are not doing much at the commercial end yet.

The single biggest operator in the area is Saudi’s National Aqua Group (Naqua), which has a huge site of approximately 200 square kilometres on the Red Sea. Formerly the National Prawn Company, it reared Indian white prawn (Penaeus indicus)

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Mid East Intro.indd 42

until they were hit by white spot disease in 2011 and production went down from 36,000 tonnes to 3,000-4,000 tonnes.

Two years ago they changed to the whiteleg or Pacific shrimp (Penaeus vannamei), another non-native species more resistant to disease, and last year produced 15,000-17,000 tonnes, so are well on the way to recovery.

Naqua also started farming barramundi in cages in the Red Sea, where there is much better potential for cage culture, according to sources in the region, than the Gulf because of water quality – temperature, salinity and recirculation to the open ocean – and Naquaseems to be poised for expansion.

Aquaculture development in the Middle East has been assisted by the presence of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which has had a project based in the Jeddah Fisheries Research Centre for 30 years.

Over the last five years, one of the FAO’s priorities was conducting the ground work for cage culture in the Red Sea, exploring habitat mapping, capacity, and cage design.

fairly competitive environment “It’sfora consultancy companies and equipment manufacturers ” www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

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Gulf widens

Above: Saudi Aquaculture Society chairman and Naqua managing director Engr Ahmed Al-Balaa (centre) was honoured by the Global Aquaculture Alliance in Boston last month. Above right: Pacific shrimp

There has been growing overseas interest in the Middle East industry and an aquaculture workshop in Yanbu, north of Jeddah, last month attracted 20 to 30 companies, including net people and hatchery recirculation equipment suppliers, many of them from Europe.

The UK has a presence in the area with the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), for example, recently opening an office in Dubai and looking for collaborative projects with local companies.

Oman is probably the furthest advanced in the region in setting up its regulatory framework and had a one-stop shop for investment.

Progress has been a bit slow but it has a well-established aquaculture industry on the south-east corner of the Arabian Peninsula.

At least three projects have been approved, one of them Lim Shrimp, a new $120 million shrimp and sea cucumber hatchery and farm complex in Qurun, and there are said to be 18 to 20 applications waiting approval for aquaculture sites and permits.

The UAE is also eager to expand aquaculture. Last year it produced about 700-800 tonnes and the target is to do an ambitious 36,000 tonnes by 2021.

There is one successful cage farm for European sea bream on the Gulf of Oman coast, run by a Greek who sells on local markets.

And there is a shrimp farm producing about 200 tonnes of indicus a year on one of the islands off Abu Dhabi.

The world’s biggest caviar farm is also in Abu Dhabi, in the middle of the industrial area of Mussafah, five hectares under roof, all recirculating systems, and this is targeted to produce 35 tonnes a year, which is about 10 per cent of world production.

The government has some high level royal family support for the expansion of aquaculture and has built the first of four or five phases of the new £20 million Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Marine Research Centre, a fish hatchery which is sized at 10 million fingerlings a year.

There are also plans to set up a feed platform which will bring in feed in commercial quantities that can be used to supply the

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Mid East Intro.indd 43

small producers, thus addressing one of the major challenges of poor quality feed.

Naqua in Saudi Arabia is now also starting to produce feed for European sea bream, barramundi and other species.

Challenges such temperature and salinity remain and although there are some opportunities for cage culture in the Red Sea, and there are some successful open pond farms such as the shrimp one in the UAE, experts believe that if the region is really going to expand it is going to have to think more about closed systems.

At the recent AquaME exhibition in Dubai there were sessions on aquaponics, biofloc systems with very low water exchange, and recirculation, which is the way most of the expansion is likely to go.

In the UAE there are 24,000 farms of about two hectares each and in about 80 per cent of them the ground water is saline because of so much pumping. A lot these farms are now out of action and the government is keen to find ways to put them back into production.

European, Canadian and Australian companies have held workshops to present their recirculation technology to the Middle East.

It seems the world senses the opening up of possibiltiies. As well as Greek technology, especially in the development of sea bream, there are Indians and Malaysians in shrimp farming, German equipment in the caviar farm, and the research centre in Umm Al Quwain was supplied by AKVA. The potential for the industry is vast. Naqua, for example, is already producing about 40,000 tonnes and if there is a big expansion of its cage farming in the Red Sea, could reach 80-100,000 tonnes within a few years.

But while there are plenty of oportunities, it’s a fairly competitive environment for consultancy companies and equipment manufacturers.

Ministries are quite sophisticated now. Back in the early days of oil riches in this region they tended to get stung but now they are better prepared. This whole region depends on building personal relationships, say insiders, so companies need to invest time and money to get a foot in the door. FF

MIDDLE EAST THE STATS To develop the aquaculture industry in the Middle East, the Arabic organisation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is investing heavily in shellfish and fish farming production.

The GCC includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman.

In Saudi Arabia the government has pledged to invest more than 10 billion dollars in aquaculture projects over the next 15 years.

In Oman more than one billion dollars will be invested in the development of the industry by 2020.

In the United Arab Emirates large-scale projects and investments are also underway with multi-million dollar investments.

Salmon? Not yet but a UAE pioneer was reportedly launching a commercial recirculation closed system salmon farm.

‘I don’ know if it’s been built yet,’ said a UK aquaculture expert, ‘but as they have a ski slope in the desert they can probably do a salmon farm!’

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04/04/2016 10:30:44

Middle East focus – Saudi Arabia

However, t space effec important

Desert dream

The Saudi industry a

Feasibility platforms driving th

Looking back and looking ahead at marine fish culture in Saudi Arabia

* FAO of t

BY *FRANCESCO CARDIA, **MOHAMMED HAZZAA, **BAHEEJ M.RASEM, **ALI SHABI, **CHIU MU WANG AND *M.R.KITTO

M

arine fish cultivation is a mixed blessing for the sustainability of ocean fisheries. The goal of aquaculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is to produce more fish for consumers than can be harvested naturally.

Some 23,870 tonnes total aquaculture production was recorded in 2014, with the share of shrimp, fresh water fish and marine fish at 54.38 per cent, 20.23 per cent and 25.38 per cent respectively.

Snubnose pompano at JFRC The Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) adopts practices that are politically enforceable and economically, as well as socially, feasible in the Kingdom. The ‘greening’ blue revolution in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is both a dream ahead and a reality in the near future.

The Jeddah Fisheries Research Centre (JFRC) at North Obhur, Jeddah, supports applied research and innovati on infish adapti ng proven technoloA four-year graphical picture of marine production: gies to local conditions.

Below: A four-year graphical picture of marine fish production.

Opposite page (top): Snubnose pompano at JFRC; (below): Grouper broodstock at JFRC

The vision of sustainable aquaculture demands not only a favourable business climate, but also a governance framework that embraces social objectives and enforces environmental standards.

The MoA offers stakeholders an improved regional learning network, where new technologies and sustainable methodologies are disseminated to needy farmers. Aquaculture should not be stymied by inconsistent regulations but developed by a coordinated, consistent policy with a robust regulatory and management framework between the public and private sector.

** Jeddah Arabia

Variety of species Research at the JFRC in earlier days, with FAO project advice, demonstrated the successful management of the local hamoor (Epinephelus coioildes, E. fuscoguttatus, and E. polyphekadion) in hatchery, nursery and cage farming sectors.

Siganus rivulatus larval survival was not appreciable, and equally poor was the squaretail coral grouper (Plectropomus areolatus) and roving coral grouper (P. pessuliferus), both known locally as ‘najil’. S.rivulatus fingerlings have been collected from the wild and farmed for more than two decades in the Kingdom.

In 2014, some 140 tonnes of grouper were farmed in the Kingdom.

The JFRC succeeded in developing the full-cycle culture of the Asian sea bass or barramundi (Lates calcarifer) in hyper-saline water. This species is now in the process of being adopted by several marine fish farms.

44A delineated analytical view of fish and shrimp:

Saudi Feature .indd 44

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04/04/2016 10:32:19

Group

Desert dream

plies; using marine addressed: developing future feed sup be t mus es leng chal or maj e thre r, Howeve ce productivity and damage ironmental impacts which can redu space effectively, and minimising env important marine resources. to the development of this ) has a vision to effectively contribute The Saudi Aquaculture Society (SAS . for sustainable aquaculture products industry against global competition through the right promotion of business relationships re, failu of ce idan avo , kets mar ty, Feasibili all key elements for between the MoA and companies are platforms, and necessary groundwork the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. driving the future of aquaculture in 2, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia. * FAO of the United Nations, Box 961 ah 21423, Saudi Ministry of Agriculture, Box 9612, Jedd tre, Cen h earc Res s erie Fish ah Jedd ** Arabia Production reached 2,525 tonnes in 2014, and in the same year

450,000 fry were produced transferred to cages in the northern Red Snubnose pompano atand JFRC Sea (near Tabuk). The Asian sea bass is also reproduced commercially at the Naqua hatchery at Al lith.

Adaptive desert-saline hatchery technology for European sea bream within the Kingdom is in its infancy and is under maiden trials with MoA and the private sector, with advances in broodstock management, systems design, nutrition, disease management, and unit productivity through RAS controlled systems.

The northern Red Sea has warmer winter growing temperatures than the Mediterranean region, thus accelerating growth rates.

An estimated 1,685 tonnes of European sea bream were produced in the waters of the Kingdom in 2014.

JFRC now holds the broodstock of snubnose pompano for breeding trials in captivity for the coming years.

Breeding and farming strategy “ should involve diversified species to minimise the risks ” Minimising risks Breeding and farming strategy should involve diversified species to minimise the risk involved in mono-species commercial farming systems.

Successive breeding of a host of species in a flexible fish hatchery cushions the losses or mortality in any one species.

Research related to the culture of local species, larval rearing, genetic improvement, aquaculture-agriculture integration, polyculture, organic farming, low-cost feed formulation, and disease control are essential segments today.

A focus on economically significant species (such as golden trevally, mangrove red snapper, snubnose pompano, emperor, greater amberjack, and meagre fish) needs comprehensive research for future development of breeding and farming expertise, along with deciphering the nutritional requirements at different growth stages.

Species diversification is one of the most relevant challenges for aquaculture development. Amberjack breeding suggests tailor-made, diverse, ocean sourced wild broodstock diets to avoid nutritional deficiencies from any mono oceanic sources. Nutritional composition of wild amberjack (Seriola dumerili) eggs and wild fingerlings can throw light on the fatty acid ratios and discern the larval nutritional demands for the Red Sea. To achieve the commercial production of an aquaculture species the development of reliable production protocols throughout the life cycle is necessary - broodstock management, gonad maturation and mating behaviour, hatching and larval management, weaning and pre-outgrowing diet formulation.

A four-year graphical picture of marine fish production:

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com Grouper broodstock at JFRC

Saudi Feature .indd 45

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04/04/2016 10:32:48

Middle East focus – Saudi Arabia

Rabbitfish harvest at JFRC

Rabbitfish harvest at JFRC

Top left: Rabbitfish harvest at JFRC. Left: Asian sea bass broodstock at JFRC. Opposite page (top): A delineated analytical view of fish and shrimp (below): Rabbitfish

Asian seFuture a bagoals ss broodstock at JFRC

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is faced with extreme hot summer temperatures and limited sources of fresh water over much of its land area.

These two realities threaten national food and water security in both the short and long term.

In this context, it is imperative that solutions are implemented to produce food in the local climate with very low fresh water use. The integration of recirculating aquaponics systems within greenhouses cooled by

46

seawater or brackish water sources is one such solution that is gaining momentum.

Annual fish consumption per capita in the Kingdom increased from 3kg in 1977 to 6.5kg in 1998, around 8kg in 2007 and 11.5kg now (FAO).

The ministry has a strategic plan to produce 600,000 tonnes of marine fish in 15 years, and

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Asian sea bass broodstock at JFRC Saudi Feature .indd 46

04/04/2016 10:33:13

Desert dream

is being supported by the FAO through the project ‘Strengthening and supporting further development of aquaculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’. The industry has grown steadily during the first phase of the project.

The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently identified aquaculture development as a priority area, second only to the oil and gas sector, and see it as a key future contributor to food security, to the generation of employment and to economic development.

To ensure alignment with national strategies and development plans, FAO has been asked to design the next ‘Saudi Blue Growth’ project that will be implemented under the new technical cooperation and partnership programme (2016-2021).

To further promote the sustainable development of the sector, the MoA in partnership with the FAO organised a national forum in January, in Yanbu, on ‘Aquaculture Investment Opportunities in Saudi Arabia’. There was also a seminar on aquaculture technologies.

The forum was attended by aquaculture stakeholders from the private sector, newly established projects as well as potential investors interested in entering into the aquaculture business, government representatives, decision makers and producers associations.

Among the issues discussed were carrying capacity modelling, limitations (production, ecological, governance, social), spatial scale determination of production sites, GIS mapping, digital mapping, disease effect models, cumulative impact evaluation, simple to complex data collection, physiology and hydrodynamic actions, large scale ecosystem models, zonal management models, and mass balance models (inputs/ outputs).

Also discussed were the reasons for investing in aquaculture in Saudi Arabia from the public and private perspective; existing potential, opportunities and challenges; locations where aquaculture development and investment is more promising and appropriate;

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The “ ministry has

a strategic plan to produce 600,000 tonnes of marine fish in 15 years

”

benchmarks and success stories from other countries; models and examples of technically feasible, environmentally sustainable and socio-economically viable aquaculture investment models under Saudi conditions, and best management practices.

The FAO identified that an atlas was needed of potential areas for cage aquaculture, showing areas for both physical and environmental conflicts.

This will provide guidance to the ministry to (i) assist current and future investors, (ii) show where to issue licences, (iii) show where to carry out more detailed investigations such as site surveys, carrying capacity analysis or environmental impact assessments (EIA), and (iv) show any other studies required before establishing the cage farms.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans to develop marine based aquaculture along the length of its 7,500km coastline, with the production of several species currently being advanced.

The sustainable expansion of marine aquaculture presents a real opportunity for supporting future food security while creating jobs and economic prosperity.

However, three major challenges must be addressed: developing future feed supplies; using marine space effectively; and minimising environmental impacts which can reduce productivity and damage important marine resources.

The Saudi Aquaculture Society (SAS) has a vision to effectively contribute to the development of this industry against global competition for sustainable aquaculture products.

Feasibility, markets, avoidance of failure, promotion of business relationships through the right platforms, and necessary groundwork between the MoA and companies are all key elements for driving the future of aquaculture in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. * FAO of the United Nations, Box 9612, Jeddah, 21423, Saudi Arabia. ** Jeddah Fisheries Research Centre, Ministry of Agriculture, Box 9612, Jeddah 21423, Saudi Arabia. FF

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04/04/2016 10:33:38

Middle East focus – UAE

Culture shift

BY MOHAMMAD TABISH

The search is on in UAE for flagship species suitable for mass cultivation

A

quaculture started in the UAE with the establishment of the Marine Environment Research Department (MERD) in 1984 and inception of the Marine Resources Research Centre in Umm Al Quwain.

Developing a sensible aquaculture policy with a robust regulatory and management framework in the public and private sector has been the country’s vision, and realisation of its fruits has just begun.

The need for sustainable development in UAE means managing the use, development and protection of natural and physical resources in a way that enables people and communities to provide for their social, economic and cultural well-being and for their health and safety, while sustaining the potential of natural and physical resources to meet the reasonably foreseeable needs of future generations.

The visionary aquaculture targets of UAE are: 1. Increase aquaculture production to 36,000 tonnes a year by 2021; 2. Utilise Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Marine Research Centre hatchery to support the industry, by providing sustainably produced, eco-traceable juveniles of commercial aquaculture species; 3. Sensibly continue a practical stock enhancement programme to negate the negative effects of fishing; 4. Encourage the country’s fishermen to learn the art of and participate in fish farming; 5. Develop commercial production techniques for local species through research and development; 6. Increase the contribution of aquaculture to the fisheries sector; 7. Develop a detailed atlas for prospective aquaculture sites throughout the UAE; 8. Increase cooperation with the private sector to help develop local knowhow to commercialise techniques of farming for local species.

In 2015, total aquaculture production in the UAE was 790 tonnes of various fin fish and crustacean species. The production is likely to cross 2,000 tonnes

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in 2016 as many projects were in their initial years of production in 2015 and many are yet to start production.

In comparison to the total catch from the sea - 73,203 tonnes (National Bureau of Statistics report-2013, United Arab Emirates) – aquaculture in UAE still only contributes a diminutive one per cent.

The overall demand for seafood has outstripped the current contribution from the local sea catches as well as aquaculture production, and the gap is expected to widen further in the near future.

This leaves a voluminous room of opportunity for substantially increasing local aquaculture production, as the contribution from the wild catch has already reached its threshold level and is not expected to increase because of the declining biomass.

In line with the National Food Security strategy, under the guidance and directive of the visionary leadership of the UAE, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Marine Research Centre was established with the following objectives: stock enhancement, promoting aquaculture in the UAE, activating aquaculture and marine research.

Phase one of the new Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Marine Research Centre- for which ANAF (Advanced National Aquaculture and Fisheries) is the approved operator- consists of a hatchery complex. This can produce 10 million fingerlings per year of a variety of local and exotic fish species in a biosecure environment.

ANAF, a key player in the knowledge economy of UAE, aims to promote the sustainable development of natural and physical resources and the maintenance of ecological processes and genetic diversity; to provide for the fair, orderly and sustainable use and development of air, land and water; and to encourage public involvement in resource management and planning; and facilitate economic development in accordance with all ministerial objectives.

The UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment plans to continue a stock enhancement programme, encourage fishermen to take up fish

“

There is opportunity for substantially increasing local aquaculture production as the wild catch has reached its threshold

”

Left: Broodstock facility.

Above Sheikh Khalifa centre. Opposite page: The hatchery complex.

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04/04/2016 10:34:39

Culture shift farming, and develop commercial production techniques for local species through research and development.

Marine stock enhancement should be targeted at local populations that have limited recruitment and high commercial and fishing pressures, and programmes must focus mainly on demersal fish which do not migrate over large areas.

After chalking out the phase one objective of the research centre, which was initially to produce juveniles of local fish species to be used for ocean release to counteract the negative effects of overfishing, the complete Aquaculture Development Plan for the United Arab Emirates was charted out.

The objective is to create an innovative and inventive hatchery which can successfully develop a realistic flagship species for the country. The research facility should have the capacity to develop alternative and unconventional technologies for reproduction and propagation.

ANAF, with its expertise and resources, has taken the task of designing and supervising the development of phase two of the research hatchery, which also includes 14 state of the art marine science labs to fill research gaps.

UAE intends to develop an aquaculture flagship species for mass culture and lead the Middle East aquaculture production for that species.

The federal authorities should be doing the following to get the desired results: due diligence in-depth, backed by profound literature review of

the current aquaculture species candidates being produced in the UAE on a pro commercial scale; candidate species review and pragmatic selection from short listed species after evaluation, assessment and appraisal; selection of three key local species initially to intensively study further the commercial production techniques and business viability; technical studies covering all biological stages of life; initial research on all three selected species on differential farming aspects of culture as mentioned above; conclusive selection of final flagship species, based on the proven results of the hatchery and field experiments; advanced re-

search on the flagship species covering all aspects of breeding, rearing and farming development; knowledge producing and knowledge sharing in the form of well-defined transfer of technology to prospective local producers.

The process of evaluation, development and commercialisation of new candidate species for aquaculture, to be developed ultimately as the flagship species, has started making rapid strides along the trajectory of UAE aquaculture history.

Mohammad Tabish is the manager of Advanced National Aquaculture and Fisheries (ANAF). FF

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04/04/2016 10:35:02

Middle East focus – European inroads

Brief encounter But major breakthrough will come, says Danish technology group

D

anish companies have seen the potential in the burgeoning aquaculture industries of the Middle East and eight of them attended the AquaME show in Dubai last month under the umbrella Danish Fish Tech Group.

The group’s head, Martin Winkel, said it had been a success with ‘some good quality leads they could take home with them’.

‘A lot of the visitors to the exhibition were high quality and very interested in aquaculture. They came from North Africa – Algeria and Egypt mainly, and from most of the Middle East region, including Iran. And there were quite a few from Europe as well.’

For most of the Danish companies the Middle East is a new field, said Winkel. But for those who launched initiatives five or six years ago, they can now see the benefits of their investments.

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‘It takes a lot of time and effort to gain access and success in the Middle East – it’s about building good relations with locals,’ said Winkel.

‘Aquaculture is a relatively new field there and the locals are less experienced in this field than the Danish companies. They see a lot of potential in aquaculture and they are very keen to learn more from the Danish companies who have a great deal of expertise in the industry.’

As well as selling Danish technology, the Fish Tech exhibitors were also trading their know-how and Middle Eastern players were ‘very attentive during discussions to what the representatives of Danish companies were saying and they were willing to learn’, said Winkel.

‘As aquaculture starts to gain a bigger foothold in the Middle East it will be of great interest for the Danish companies to be represented there.

‘There is a lot of potential and a lot of investment on the way.

‘There are quite a few projects underway but the large potential is still to be fulfilled, it’s still an unknown territory for many locals.’

There is particular interest in the whole idea of recirculating water and RAS technology, a field where the Danes are market leaders.

‘Fish farmers in Denmark had to meet stricter regulations a few decades ago that have now made them very innovative in terms of meeting environmental requirements.’

Left: Martin Winkel.

Above right: Winkel with members of the Danish Fish Tech Group in Dubai.

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04/04/2016 10:37:09

Brief encounter

But there is a limited market for Danish companies in Denmark so they had to look abroad to increase their business, said Winkel.

The Fish Tech Group’s first foray as an organisation was last year at the AquaME exhibition; some of the exhibitors had previous experience dealing with the Middle East and persuaded Winkel they needed to have a bigger presence this year and provide Danish companies with a platform to promote themselves.

Andritz Feed & Biofuel, Aquaprocess, Billund Aquakulturservice, Hvalpsund Net, Hydrotech Veolia, Impex Agency, Maskinfabrikken Apollo, and OxyGuard International attended AquaME with the Fish Tech Group.

‘It’s too early to say whether it has paid off but there were some good leads that they can work on,’ said Winkel.

‘I think the potential is huge

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Danes - Fish Tech.indd 51

in the Middle East and we’ve only seen a brief encounter of what is to come, and the major breakthrough is still to happen.

‘But it is on the different ministries’ agenda to focus on this field even more, as they see the population is demanding more products, and they need to look towards this sector to meet that demand.

‘People say next year will be the tipping point but it’s hard to say. There’s an excitement building up there and a lot of attention on the area, but whether a breakthrough happens gradually or in one year that’s the question. It will probably happen gradually I think.’ FF

“

People say next year will be the tipping point but it will probably happen gradually

”

51

04/04/2016 10:37:46

Middle East focus – Hans Jensen Engineering

Building

trust

Close relations with customers are key to success in region

A

quaculture production in the Middle East is set to increase by 75 per cent by 2030, according to the World Bank. The potential for suppliers is enormous, if they approach the industry correctly.

The Danish company Hans Jensen Engineering has, with orders in Saudi Arabia, Iran and the UAE, obtained a firm foothold in this booming industry by being careful, patient and well prepared, and willing to do business based on respect for local customs and practices.

Danish suppliers are well known for their high quality and reliability, but it still requires a lot of effort to infiltrate the growing markets for aquaculture in the Middle East, said Olaf Møller, director of Hans Jensen Engineering, which supplies freezing tunnel cooling solutions for fish processing.

Møller, who has been exporting to the region for several years,

Right: Hans Jensen’s spiral freezer; Left: Fish processing units

52

Danes - Case Study.indd 52

said: ’You will not sell anything in the region by telephone.

Here, it is absolutely essential that you travel to the market and establish the personal relations. You will not get anywhere before you have been accepted on a personal basis.’

Among his customers is the National Aquaculture Group (Naqua), which is a leading shrimp producer. With two orders already supplied and a third under way, Hans Jensen Engineering has established itself as being Naqua’s preferred supplier in their field of expertise. ’It can take many and long conversations to build the required trust,’ said Møller. ’Virtually all of our customers from the region have visited us in Denmark to see our production facilities. ’You have to view it as an investment – we have experienced that a customer during their visit suddenly doubled the order which had initially been agreed upon.’

Møller has seen an increased focus on the purchase of durable solutions among the customers from the region. ’The quality is essential and the custom-

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04/04/2016 10:39:00

Building trust

ers are therefore very open and responsive towards European suppliers, knowing that they will in general be more expensive than, for instance, suppliers from Asia,’ he said. ’At the same time the markets in the region put a lot of emphasis on suppliers keeping their word. This is a characteristic which is particularly being associated with northern European and Danish suppliers.’

For this same reason even minor mistakes during the sales process can prove very expensive. ’It is extremely important that you do not oversell your product or your services, neither orally or in writing. We have experienced ourselves that the established

extremely important that you do “It isnot oversell your product or your services ” www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

Danes - Case Study.indd 53

dialogue with a customer was interrupted for a long period, as they got the impression that we did not meet a verbal promise.’

Even though there is a lot of respect associated with the experience and know-how of the Danish industry in this field, Møller warns against appearing too self-confident. ’You have to try sensing the situation, because if you appear too wise or brash your company will have a very difficult time in the sales process,’ he said.

He has no doubt, however, that the efforts in the region will be profitable for the Danish suppliers who, over time, prove their worth. ’It is evident that the opportunities in the region are greater than ever before.’ FF

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04/04/2016 10:39:23

Middle East focus – European inroads

Feed

for the

future

Aller Aqua has plans to expand a year after opening new plant

D

anish feed firm Aller Aqua first entered the Egyptian market in 2009. Last year it cemented its position with the opening of a new factory near Cairo, the most modern in Egypt and the result of its acquisition of a family owned company in the region.

Aller Aqua Egypt chairman Henrik Halken said at the feed plant’s inauguration in March 2015 that they hoped to triple sales and when Fish Farmer caught up with him he said things have been going ‘fantastically’.

There is an investment plan for the coming year and the group is looking for another feed plant.

‘There are around 91 million people there and they eat a lot of fish and the population is not decreasing – on the contrary, it is growing. When you look at 2050 maybe there will be 140 to 150 million people.

‘They have to eat every day so the market is naturally growing every day. Either you eat chicken or fish – beef is too expensive – and

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there is a big tradition to eat fish in Egypt, which is a good thing for us.

The market is also growing because the way they are feeding the fish is changing.

‘In the past, they were using trash feed, getting off-cuttings from the fishing industry in the harbours, chopping it up and feeding it to the fish. And some were using cheap poultry feed.

‘Whatever they did it wasn’t the proper diet to grow tilapia. Now we have come into the market we are producing extruded feed as we do in Europe and elsewhere and that means they can produce tilapia with much

less feed than they used to.’

Halken admitted last year that operating in Egypt has had its challenges, with all that has happened in the country politically.

‘We experience daily challenges, which we wouldn’t even contemplate in Denmark. For the first year it could take up to three days to get petrol for the trucks transporting raw materials to the factory – great planning was essential for success.’

During the 2013 revolution, when President Morsi was overthrown, Aller Aqua had to accommodate all its employees at the factory.

But Halken said they had made a ‘huge’ in-

There are a lot of good aspects in changing “ over to extruded feed, both environmentally and financially for the clients ” www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/04/2016 10:40:32

Feed for the future

AWARD WINNING PRODUCTS Aller Aqua Egypt attended the recent AquaME exhibition in Dubai and won the award for best new aquaculture product for the Middle East market at the AgraME award ceremony.

The award was given for its Aller tilapia anti-stress feed. Two of the three nominated products in this category were from Aller Aqua.

The prize was awarded in front of 600 participants at the Dubai World Trade Centre, and received by Hussien Mansour for Aller Aqua Egypt.

‘We are very proud to have received this award in such a competitive market,’ said a company spokesman. ‘It proves that the combination of our strong product focus and close customer cooperation, paired with a strong local organisation, is the right way to go.

‘We hope that the award will help create further growth for Aller Aqua Group in both Egypt and the Middle East.’

Above right: Hussien Mansour, CEO of Aller Aqua Egypt, receiving the ‘Best Aquaculture in the Middle East’ award at the AquaME exihibition in Dubai

said Halken.

He said they have about 20 per cent of the extruded feed business in Egypt, and supply the big companies producing a few thousand vestment and were committed to the country tonnes of tilapia a year and the smaller ones producing a hundred tonnes. and had confidence in the growth of its aq‘We do business with everybody and have a very good and solid uaculture sector. Egyptian managers run the company on a day to day basis but he makes client base there which is growing with us.

‘We can do 75,000 tonnes but the season is such that we don’t frequent visits, every five weeks or so. produce the same every month. In theory we can produce a lot but Aller Aqua’s tilapia feed is not only more cost efficient for farmers but results in faster we’ll never utilise the machines 100 per cent because there is no one feeding in December or January.’ growth and less pollution – ‘you can utilise That said, Aller Aqua will grow because the market is growing and, the water in a better way and get a better as Halken said, ‘we have an intention to follow the growth’. economy, produce more. There are a lot of ‘But I don’t know how many will use extruded feed. I’m sure it will good aspects in changing over to extruded grow but I don’t know if it’s going to be 25 or 30 or 40 per cent. feed – both environmentally and financially ‘If everybody does it there’s a big future down there but not everyfor the clients,’ said Halken. one is using extruded feed because there are still some conservative The local company they took over was the farmers who are using trash feed or poultry feed or who haven’t first with an extruder in Egypt but now Aller seen the benefits yet.’

Aqua is seeing more competition as ‘everyAller Aqua, which is based in Christiansfeld, Denmark, has just one can see that this is definitely going to be announced it will build a new feed plant in Zambia, and it is also the future’.

‘We have an advantage because Aller Aqua expanding into other parts of the world, building a factory in China – has been in the market for fisheries for more in Qindao – which will be finalised by the end of this year. They see than 50 years so we have a lot of experience potential in the tilapia and pangasius market there. The company we can use to roll out our plans down there,’ also has facilities in Poland and Germany. FF

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04/04/2016 10:40:58

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04/04/2016 10:42:56

Middle East focus – Egypt

New project aims to increase participation in aquaculture among poorest people

E

GYPT’S population is growing at 1.6 per cent a year and is expected to reach 100 million by 2030. With high levels (about 26 per cent) of poverty and poor nutrition among the population, improving food security is a major priority.

It is hoped that the further expansion of fish farming can create employment, generate income and ensure a better supply of nutrient rich fish for poor consumers, and to this end a new international initiative was launched in Cairo in February.

The Sustainable Transformation of Egypt’s Aquaculture Market System (STREAMS) project is aimed at increasing the participation of underprivileged socio-economic segments in the country’s fast growing aquaculture sector while also making fish more affordable and accessible.

It is a three-year scheme which follows on from the successful Improving Employment and Income through Development of Egypt’s Aqua-

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Egypt.indd 57

culture Sector (IEIDEAS) project, which was implemented by WorldFish from December 2011 to November 2015.

Egypt’s aquaculture sector is valued at US$1.5 billion and provides full-time employment for more than 140,000 people. It is a critical source of fish that provides Egyptians with up to 38 per cent of their animal protein intake.

The growth of aquaculture in the country has its origins in the 1980s when large areas of land were set aside for the development of fish ponds, key personnel were trained in the US,

Right: Abbassa Nile tilapia grown at a hatchery in Egypt. All pictures courtesy of WorldFish

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04/04/2016 10:45:07

Middle East focus – Egypt the General Authority for Fisheries Resource Development (GAFRD) was established and hatcheries and feed mills were set up.

According to Malcolm Dickson, Egypt manager of WorldFish, there are around 120,000 hectares of aquaculture ponds, supplied with water from the country’s extensive irrigation system. Most are leased in blocks of around 10 hectares to about 6,000 fish farmers, who are supplied with Nile tilapia seed from private sector hatcheries and mullet seed from fry catchers along the Mediterranean.

But the sector has been constrained by a restrictive regulatory environment, poor post-harvest and supply chain handling, fish health issues and licensing arrangements favouring medium-scale businesses.

STREAMS will improve market standards in fish distribution systems and introduce testing frameworks in order to provide definitive evidence that Egyptian farmed fish is safe.

And it will call for a revision of the roles and responsibilities of regulatory and representative organisations, placing more responsibility on strengthened organisations to ensure better compliance.

STREAMS will focus on three main goals. The first is to train fish farmers in improved management practices in existing fish farming zones and increase access to the Abbassa improved strain of Nile tilapia, a faster growing variety of the main fish species stocked in Egyptian fish farms. It will also address technical challenges such as responding to fish health problems and testing innovative farming systems.

The second is to promote aquaculture practices in geographical areas that are not yet engaged in this sector with a focus on small-scale and integrated systems. Small-scale aquaculture systems offer an opportunity for income generation and improved household nutrition for millions of resource-poor Egyptians.

However, current zoning, leasing and licensing arrangements favour medium-scale enterprises and make it difficult for resource poor smallholders, including women and youth, to participate as owners or operators. STREAMS will pilot test small-scale aquaculture systems and help the aquaculture producer organisations to advocate for policy changes.

The third goal is to enhance marketing systems for aquaculture products through support for retailers, the provision of market information and the establishment of a certification scheme for farmed Egyptian tilapia.

Nearly all Egyptian farmed fish is sold within the country, amounting to around one fish per person per week, or 65 per cent of Egypt’s fish supply.

However, post-harvest and supply chain handling is poor.

Clockwise from above: Fish market in Cario; fish ponds; feeding at a large farm in Faiyum; delivering fingerlings to farms in the Nile delta; fish sorting in Abbassa

Egypt is setting an example for “ other countries in the Middle East and Africa to follow ” 58

Egypt.indd 58

The project will assist fish farmers, fish traders and retailers across seven Egyptian governorates: Kafr El Sheikh, Beheira, Sharkia, Fayoum, Port Said, Minya and Beni Suef.

‘With its robust support for national aquaculture development, Egypt is setting an example for other countries in the Middle East and Africa to follow,’ said Nigel Preston, director general of WorldFish.

‘Increased investment in aquaculture will bring improvements in nutrition and food security as well as increased employment and income.’

STREAMS builds on the significant gains realised through the Swiss funded IEIDEAS project, which was also led by WorldFish Egypt in partnership with CARE International in Egypt.

IEIDEAS saw approximately 2,400 individual fish farmers trained in best management practices, and 109 million fry of the faster growing Abbassa the improved strain of Nile tilapia - distributed to 459 fish farmers.

‘The successes we acquired with women fish retailers in IEIDEAS will allow us to scale up and multiply our impact in the STREAMS project,’ said Hazem Fahmy, CARE International in Egypt country director.

‘Our aim at STREAMS is to facilitate the creation of a supporting environment that empowers marginalised women, maintains their rights and builds their capacities.

‘It will also provide them with a better representation, encouraging them to become more self-reliant and to stand up for their rights, while enabling them to do their jobs safely and to increase their income.’

According to 2015 statistics issued by Egypt’s Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS), agricultural and fishing activities comprised the largest segment of workers engaged in Egypt’s economic activities, at 6.5 million people or 26.5 per cent of the workforce. FF

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/04/2016 10:45:37

Egypt on stream

EGYPT FACTS Aquaculture provides 65 per cent of Egypt’s fish for consumption Aquaculture in Egypt is regulated by five government bodies which control where farms are located and how farms are managed WorldFish is training all farmers in best management practices to improve production methods WorldFish is an international, non-profit research organisation that harnesses the potential of fisheries and aquaculture to reduce hunger and poverty In Egypt, Nile tilapia are 75 per cent of the total fish farmed. Tilapia production provides one fish per week for every Egyptian Tilapia is the second most produced fish in the world after carp, and tilapia was the fourth most eaten fish in North America in 2014 STREAMS will assist 44,750 direct beneficiaries and 3.9 million indirect beneficiaries Projected outcomes include the adoption by 4,000 fish farms in existing aquaculture zones of sustainable, productive and efficient production practices with reduced ecological footprints; the adoption of equitable, aquaculture production systems for the resourcepoor and vulnerable; the adoption of more efficient and safer aquaculture market practices by wholesalers and retailers, resulting in greater benefits for market actors and consumers

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04/04/2016 10:46:09

Middle East focus – Egypt

More good ideas Results of earlier initiative show improved efficiency in the sector

P

oor and variable water quality, as well as restrictions on water and land use, limit the growth of aquaculture in Egypt. Rising feed costs and the increased poverty levels of consumers mean fish farmers are feeling the pressure of higher production costs and lack of price flexibility.

The Improving Employment and Income through Development of Egypt’s Aquaculture Sector (IEIDEAS) project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development (SDC), has helped to strengthen the aquaculture sector by improving the profitability of fish farms and securing employment for a range of people, including women fish retailers.

The project provided practical training on aquaculture best management practices to more than 2,000 fish farmers across five regions.

The training focused on increasing the efficiency of farms through improved fish feed management, reduced stocking rates, improved water management and pond fertilisation.

Selected farmers, along with public and private sector hatcheries, were also supplied with the genetically improved Abbassa strain of Nile tilapia, which grows up to 30 per cent faster than the country’s next best commercial strain.

‘Despite the higher price of Abbassa strain fry, farmers are eager to buy more and even reserve quantities for the coming season because of its higher productivity and better growth rates,’ said Mohamed Gamal, a fish farmer from Kafr El-Sheikh.

Gamal, who attended the training and received the improved strain, added: ‘Last year my production using the common strain was around 9.5

“

tonnes per hectare, while this year the production of the Abbassa strain reached 12 tonnes per hectare.

‘Despite the higher price of Abbassa strain fry, farmers are eager to buy more and even reserve quantities for the coming season because of its higher productivity and better growth rates.’

Farmers who received the training, the Abbassa strain, or both interventions are now earning around US$18,000 more in annual profits than those who are yet to receive project support.

This amounts to an increase in profitability from 12 per cent for non-beneficiaries to 30 per cent for farmers assisted by the project.

Optimising the efficiency of the farms builds a solid base for further intensification, and increased profitability will attract further investment and employment in the sector.

Additionally, women fish retailers were assisted by the project to form retailer groups to enable them to better control the prices for their fish and lobby for safer and cleaner marketplaces.

Due to social and religious norms, informal fish retailing is one of the few segments of the industry where women can work, and it’s a job

After joining the training, we have learned to work as a group

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”

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More good ideas

that comes with many hazards.

Without licences to sell fish in the market, the women retailers have no protection and are frequently harassed and forced to pay unofficial retail fees. Exposure to the elements affects the women’s health, and the heat from the sun often causes their produce to spoil, reducing the amount of income they can earn.

Magda Eid, a mother of five who sells fish to support her family, said: ‘Before the project, women retailers were working individually. Each one of us only cared about selling our fish. But now after joining the training, we have learned to work as a group.’

The project held interactive theatre workshops for 900 women, where skills such as negotiation

Above: Harvesting tilapia; farmers in Rayan, Faiyum.Left from top: Nile tilapia; hatchery manager in Shakshouk; transferring tilapia fry; selling fish in Faiyum.

and problem solving were taught in order to help the retailers overcome challenges such as harassment.

As a result, fish retailers assisted by the project are now earning higher profits than similar fish retailers who have not yet been assisted.

The IEIDEAS project was part of a CGIAR research programme, implemented in five Egyptian governorates by WorldFish, in partnership with CARE and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation. FF

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Archive – January 1980

From classroom to farm – skilled men for the industry College aims to train as many workers as the sector needs

B

arony Agricultural College, near Dumfries in Scotland, launched its first fish farming course in September 1978. But already it can claim to have produced the type of workers which the industry is looking for.

All 12 of the college’s first intake of students have found jobs in the industry and three are employed on farms which the Barony uses regularly for practical training purposes.

When the second course started in September last year the number of students was increased to 17, but only because five already had jobs lined up which they will start immediately after graduation this summer.

‘We are very aware of the need to restrict the number of students allowed on to the fish farming course,’ said Mr Angus Taylor, vice-principal of the Barony and the man behind the decision to add fish farming to the college’s list of subjects.

‘We want to train only as many people as the industry can take in any one year. That should

Above: Students grade fish for delivery. Left: A welding lesson on a damaged fish basket.

Right: Students move fish from pond to tank on a local farm. Opposite page bottom: Angus Talor (L), John Branford (R).

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From classroom to farm – skilled men for the industry

“

We’re delighted our students have found work…our reputation depends on how they perform

give us an annual intake of 12 students.’

Mr Taylor admitted that it was much easier to keep 12 students fully involved in training than to do the same with 17.

‘We’re delighted that our first students found work so quickly and especially that three of them went to local farms where they were already known,’ he said. ‘From now on our reputation as a college for training fish farm staff depends on how they perform.’

In a bid to make sure that their students learn as much as any potential employer would expect, the Barony staff have mapped out a broad training syllabus. This takes in such subjects as water ecology, oxygen content, fish diseases, along with marketing needs, book-keeping, driving a tractor and welding.

‘When we began thinking about the possibilities of starting a fish farming course we were attracted by two particular aspects of the stillnew industry,’ said Mr Taylor.

‘First, the college has always specialised in

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Theory put into practice

”

animal husbandry and fish farming clearly fits neatly into that slot.

‘Secondly, we already had all the farm equipment and machinery teaching skills which the fish farmer wants his workers to know. It wasn’t difficult, for example, to set up a welding course for our fish farming students as one already existed for our agricultural students. The same applied to vehicle driving and maintenance skills.’

In addition to the teaching work carried out at the college itself, the Barony students are exposed to commercial farming conditions on four local units, which they move round in rotation.

At the beginning of each year the farmers involved find that they are giving a bit more than they are getting but by Christmas the balance begins to tip in the farmers’ favour.

‘We’re also more than willing to help out at extremely busy periods on local farms, which is to the benefit of all concerned,’ said Mr John Branford, course tutor, whose own practical experience involved a spell with Golden Sea Produce, the West of Scotland salmon farming company, and the Tweed River Purification Board.

‘We also take the students up to Stirling University for a week, specifically to study fish diseases,’ he said. ‘That’s in addition to trips to see fish farming operations outside our immediate area.’

No specific entry qualifications are required to get onto the Barony course, although O levels and Highers are taken as an indication of the ability and willingness of the potential student to work.

‘We already have a waiting list of some 17 students for next year,’ said Mr Taylor. ‘There’s clearly no shortage of potential students but we will only train as many as we think can be found a job when the course ends.’ FF

Above: Students fencing off the three-pond system they are helping to build

A GROUP of 17 fish farming students, attached to the Barony Agricultural College, are being exposed to unique work experience. In addition to being taught how to become employable fish farm workers, the students are helping to build their own small-scale fish production unit.

‘We are building our own earth pond system in a stream which runs through the college farm and the students are doing most of the work,’ said course tutor Mr John Branford.

‘The plan is to construct a linked three-pond system which could be used for the on-growing of rainbow trout fingerlings up to portion size.’

The project will involve the students in assessing water flow rates to decide on feasible stocking densities. But before then they will have to acquire the more mundane, but equally important, skills involved in fencing the production area and building a by-pass channel.

‘One local fish farmer told us that 60 per cent of his staff’s time is spent in basic machinery and equipment work and maintenance,’ said Mr Branford. ‘He wanted his workers to be trained to deal with tasks such as fencing, plumbing, electrical repairs and machinery maintenance.

‘Partly as a result of his comments, our course is geared to meet these requirements. The main syllabus contains a section on tractor work, Land-Rover maintenance, pump and valve repair, electricity and so on.

‘The need to build the fish unit is a bonus which has already given the students practical opportunities.’

The students are also involved in building and equipping a hatchery and turning a manmade pond into a small fish lake.

‘The hatchery will be supplied with spring water which will be piped in, partly on a pumping system and partly gravity-fed,’ said Mr Branford. ‘Again, the work involved in setting up the hatchery and making it work is offering a unique training opportunity which won’t be available to future students.’

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New Zealand – Ambitious targets

BY NICKI HOLMYARD

Mussel building

Shellfish success fuels industry plans to increase production

A

quaculture is already big business in New Zealand, with Greenshell mussels, king salmon (Chinook), and Pacific oysters worth more than £190 million at first sale value.

Aiming to capitalise on its success, the industry now has big plans to increase production. Over the next ten years an ambitious target has been set of reaching a turnover of NZD 1 billion (£472 million).

Mussel production tops the league, with around 76,500 tonnes produced in 2015, just under half of which was exported, mainly as a frozen half-shell product to the USA, China, Thailand, South Korea, and Europe. There is also a thriving domestic market, with mussels found on many restaurant menus.

Such is the popularity of this mollusc that a number of dedicated mussel restaurants and chains have sprung up, including Mussel Kitchen, Mussel Inn and Mussel Pot. According to Colin Johnston, technical director of Aquaculture New Zealand, production in some years reaches well over 90,000 tonnes when spatfall and growth conditions are right, as they have been during the current season.

‘El Niño brings much better growth conditions than the La Niña cycles we have been experiencing in recent years,’ he said.

A lack of reliable spatfall is one of the main reasons that new joint venture company SPATnz has been set up near Nelson, in the South Island. According to manager Rodney Roberts,

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Mussel building

Above: Harvesting Greenshell mussels; Left: The Coromandel Oyster Company oyster shack

the project is going well and there are now plans to include a selective breeding programme for characteristics such as size, colour, taste, texture and growth performance.

Spat is traditionally collected from seaweed found cast ashore on Ninety Mile Beach, West Coast, Northland, but as the industry has developed, mussel spat is increasingly being found in and around other West Coast harbours, where it settles on special collector ropes before been transferred to grow-out sights. However, a spatfall is not guaranteed.

‘The benefit of hatchery spat is that it is available when needed and gives a consistent performance that growers can rely on, whereas wild-caught spat is an unknown,’ said Roberts.

Ropes and anchors play a large part in the success of the NZ mussel farming industry, particularly as farms get further offshore, and two entrepreneurs are at the forefront of supply.

Joe Franklin Jnr of Quality Equipment, has been in the rope business a long time, and

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Our innovation team is focused on “creating value from by-products and adding value to existing products ”

works directly with industry leaders to offer an extensive selection of standard and bespoke rope designs of different size, weight and dimension for different situations, from spat collection through to harvest.

Everything is produced from raw materials in his busy manufacturing unit on the outskirts of Auckland.

‘I enjoy working closely with my customers to find solutions for their farming issues, and have built up a customer base and made friends in the industry all over the world, from New Zealand to Chile and Thailand to the UK,’ he said.

Anchor specialist Graham Fielder, of Fielder Marine, has developed a range of screw anchors for the mussel industry, and his equipment has gradually replaced almost all the giant concrete blocks that were traditionally used in New Zealand to secure mussel farms.

The technology has also been transferred to the pearl farming industry in Australia, where Fielder’s anchors have proved their holding power

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New Zealand – Ambitious targets

I enjoy working closely “with my customers to find solutions for their farming issues

”

through many a cyclone. He now finds his specialist skills in demand around the globe, rescuing farms where conventional anchors have failed.

The Cawthron Institute, New Zealand’s largest independent science organisation, is working with mussel giant Sanford on a research project that aims to transform the New Zealand Greenshell mussel sector from a commodity to a value added industry.

The ‘Musseling up: high-value Greenshell mussel foods’ project will identify and validate the health benefits of Greenshell mussels, with a focus on exploring their potential anti-inflammatory qualities for improved joint and bone health and increased mobility.

‘Our aim is to assist the transition of Greenshell mussels from the relatively low price commodity protein market to a position where products are valued for their unique nutrition and functional properties,’ said Andrew Stanley, Sanford’s general manager of innovation.

‘Our Sanford innovation team is focused on creating value from by-products, adding value to existing products and, in the process, in-

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creasing our scientific knowledge to enable us to raise the per kilo return to the company.’

Cawthron marine lipids chemist and programme leader Dr Matt Miller said it would generate new scientific evidence of the health benefits of Greenshell mussels and help the industry identify and develop optimal Greenshell mussel-based functional food products that will appeal to the emerging market of wealthy, ageing, health conscious consumers, particularly in China.

Pacific Oysters have not fared so well in the past few years, with more than 60 per cent of the population destroyed in 2011 following an outbreak of oyster herpes virus (OsHV-1). Currently, around 1,600-1,700 tonnes of oysters are produced each year, the majority of which are exported as a frozen half-shell product to Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Polynesia and China. A growing number of farms have organic certification.

Oysters are predominantly grown on sticks, trays and netting bags on inter-tidal farms in shallow, sheltered waters between the high and low tide marks. Some farmers also grow them in deeper waters, in trays slung beneath longlines supported by plastic floats, similar to the way in which mussels are grown.

Spat may be collected naturally on poles, but is increasingly purchased from commercial hatcheries. From spat to harvest takes between 12-20 months, depending on the size required.

King salmon production amounts to around 12,000 tonnes per year, a third of which is sold on the domestic market, with the rest exported as whole fresh fish, chilled or frozen fillets to the US, Australia, Japan and Thailand.

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Mussel building

Clockwise from above: Screw-type anchors; restocking operations on a mussel barge; Greenshell mussels freshly harvested; working on the grading line at sea

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Salmon are grown to harvest in seawater and in freshwater raceways associated with hydro-electric schemes, with equally good results. Unlike Atlantic salmon, Chinook can thrive without a saltwater phase.

Numerous trials have been undertaken to farm other species, including hapuku (groper), kingďŹ sh, sea cucumber and paua (abalone), but other than one thriving paua farm in Northland, little progress has been made to date to commercialise the work.

The potential for other new farmed species is being investigated at Cawthron, where scientists

are excited by their breeding work with scampi (Metanephrops challengeri) and geoduck.

Levy body Aquaculture New Zealand provides important technical back up for the shellďŹ sh industry, particularly on biosecurity, and is currently working on a project to develop industry wide biosecurity operating standards.

The organisation also produces generic marketing materials to promote greater consumption of farmed seafood. Its latest promotion saw 280,000 pieces of marketing collateral distributed to stores throughout New Zealand with recipe ideas and healthy eating messages. FF

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Markets & Retail News

French tackle quality Scottish salmon

EUROPEAN seafood importers travelled to Scotland in March to join producers of Label Rouge Scottish salmon at the Six Nations rugby match between Scotland and France.

Although the French were defeated on the pitch, business relationships were strengthened with the 14 key salmon buyers, cementing trade links for the future.

These importers have been key to the development of Label Rouge sales since Label Rouge Scottish salmon was accredited by the French authorities in 1992, increasing from 2,000 tonnes to 7,500 tonnes.

They have been instrumental in boosting sales to retailers and wholesalers, including 250 of France’s independent fishmongers.

Scott Landsburgh, chief executive Scottish Quality Salmon, the Label Rouge Scottish salmon management body which hosted the event, said: ‘This was a very important event for our producers.

‘Some of these trade relationships have really stood the test of time, dating back 24 years when Label Rouge Scottish salmon was first introduced to the French market.

‘The industry was well represented by all five Label Rouge Scottish salmon producers at the event and we look forward to celebrating the silver anniversary next year.’

Label Rouge is the French government’s trusted and superior food quali-

Loch Fyne seafood chain for sale - report THE pub chain Greene King has so far yet to comment on a report that it is exploring plans to sell its Loch Fyne seafood restaurant chain.

City sources have reportedly suggested that it is in early talks about a sale after receiving a number of ‘opportunistic bid

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approaches’.Loch Fyne has almost 40 restaurants around the UK, stretching from Edinburgh to Bath. It is thought that such a sale could net Greene King around £100 million.

Loch Fyne was started in 1977 as an oyster bar on the banks of the loch in Cairndow, Argyll, and Bute. By 1987, the group had a seafood restaurant, smokehouse and oyster bar on the banks of Loch Fyne.

The chain has a large presence in the south of England, but has moved back into its original Scottish homeland with a restaurant in Edinburgh. It has won a number of awards for its distinctive seafood cuisine.

Above: Scottish Label Rouge salmon producers welcome their French guests in Edinburgh

ty mark. Criteria for its award include taste tests by a consumer panel selected by an independent body.

Although it was originally developed for the French market, the reputation of Label Rouge Scottish salmon as a high quality food has seen demand rise from other EU countries including Germany, Switzerland and Italy in recent years.

Among the French delegation was Alexandre Fauchille, of TerreAzur Groupe Pomona, one of France’s largest fresh seafood distributors, which buys salmon on the spot market from Norway, Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and also now from Chile. About 20 per cent of this comes from Scotland and all its Label Rouge is Scottish.

‘We are doing 7,000 tonnes and Label Rouge is a small part of this. Hopefully we’ll target 250 tonnes this year, a very small part, but we increased more than 100 per cent this year. My feeling is that in the last two years more customers are asking for high quality salmon and are prepared to pay more.’

He said the company, based in Boulogne-surMer, works with all the big Scottish producers and ‘could move more volume’ if it were available.

‘For a few months now we have received less than what we wanted from Scotland.’

Scottish seafood to star in Singapore Scottish salmon is to star in the 20th World Gourmet Summit in Singapore, which runs from Monday, March 28 to Sunday, April 24.

WORLD class and Michelin starred chefs from top restaurants will fly to Singapore to show off their skills, and experiment with cutting edge culinary ideas.

And influential buyers from the Asian market will gather to judge produce from all over the world – making decisions on what will appear on diners’ plates according to what they taste during their visit.

The Scottish contingent is set to impress the Asian market, with cod, salmon, scallops and langoustines taking centre stage in a bid to encourage these influential chefs to get behind Scottish seafood.

Natalie Bell, trade marketing manager

for EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Asia) at Seafood Scotland, said: ‘Where the top chefs go, other restaurants, and eventually consumers, follow.

‘Scotland has some of the best seafood in the world, due to our clean air and crystal clear waters, and the World Gourmet Summit is about getting it in front of, and in the mouths of, some of the most influential chefs and buyers in Asia.

‘These four weeks in Singapore can dictate the future of a product in the market, and our presence there is key to the Scottish industry’s growth.’

Peter Knipp of A La Carte Productions, creator of the World Gourmet Summit, said, it would ‘simply not be the same without Scottish seafood being included’.

‘I’m confident that this year’s event will continue to raise the profile of Scotland.’

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/04/2016 10:57:34

Markets & Retail News

Fish buyers still mistrustful, says MSC The horsemeat scandal of three years ago is continuing to affect people shopping for fish, according to the Marine Stewardship Council

Consumers wary

“

Food fraud undermines the efforts of reputable fishers and traders

”

THE MSC says early results from its latest survey of more than 16,000 seafood consumers show that 55 per cent doubt the seafood they consume is what it says on the packet.

Across the 21 countries surveyed, 65 per cent of those purchasing seafood say they want to know that their fish can

are correctly labelled.

MSC CEO Rupert Howes said: ‘High Advice for Scottish profile food scares be traced back to a Agriculture to conduct such as the European known and trusted source, with six in ten DNA tests on a random horsemeat scandal [in sample of 257 MSC 2013] have left many saying they look to consumers wary of eco-labels as a trusted labelled seafood claims made on food source of information. products from 16 countries. packaging.

The findings come The test verifies that ‘Food fraud underas the organisation recently released results the species described mines the efforts of reputable fishers and from its DNA testing of on the packaging is traders and has led to MSC labelled seafood. the same as that in the product. The DNA wide recognition of In 2015, the MSC test results showed the need for credible commissioned the Wildlife DNA forensics that more than 99 per traceability in the cent of MSC products supply chain.’ unit at Science and

Harry Ramsden moves into pub market in bid to evolve brand HARRY Ramsden’s, the well known fish and chip restaurant chain, has teamed up with the pub group Punch Taverns in an overall growth plan.

The Harry Ramsden brand and its famous fish and chips have been brought to the Wingerworth, a classic dining pub in Chesterfield.

The move is the latest in a series of developments by the Harry Ramsden chain which also includes the traditional restaurant and takeaway businesses.

CEO Joe Teixeira said: ‘The classic Harry Ramsden’s model is perfectly suited to the outlets we currently operate.

‘We are, however, taking advantage of our entrance into a new market and believe this presents the perfect opportunity to evolve the brand and further extend the modern day face of Harry’s to a new generation of customers.’

He said he also expected further expansion within the licensed or pub trade as pa rt of a wider growth plan.

Top chef promotes Scotland in the US

Take a dip on us, says Young’s

A TOP Scottish chef helped to promote produce caught and farmed in Scotland at last month’s Seafood Expo North America in Boston.

MARK Greenaway, owner of the restaurant ‘We have such a fantastic array of seafood on offer in Scotland and this Mark Greenaway in Edinburgh, managed the show offers the opportunity to showcase this on an international stage Seafood from Scotland seafood bar at the in an innovative and exciting way.’ show, which welcomed more than 20,000 visiClare MacDougall, trade marketing manager at Seafood Scotland, said: tors from the international seafood communi- ‘Export trade is crucial for the seafood industry in the UK, and our ongoty over three days. ing mission to inspire international audiences with Scottish salmon and He cooked Scottish haddock, salmon, seafood is one of the main elements of our global marketing strategy to trout, langoustines, cod, monkfish, crab and support the sector.’ mackerel and transformed them with modern techniques over the three-day exhibition.

Greenaway was joined by a delegation of Scotland’s top fish and seafood companies, hoping to make their mark on North America.

Among those attending were WesterRoss, which showcased its hot-cured honey smoked salmon, Dawnfresh which introduced its premium R.R Spink branded salmon and trout to the US market, and the Scottish Salmon Company, which is responsible for around 20 per cent of all salmon production in Scotland and is an established player in the American market.

Greenaway said he was thrilled to work with the Seafood Scotland team at such an important show on the global seafood calendar.

Above: Mark Greenaway

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YOUNG’s Seafood has launched a nationwide campaign to urge families to take to the water. The Grimsby based company is offering free swimming sessions at pools around the country if they buy a promotional pack of Young’s Omega-3 fish fingers. To qualify people have to purchase a promotional pack of Young’s Omega 3 Fish Fingers and then find the nearest pool taking part on the Young’s website, enter a code from the pack on the site, and then print off a free voucher.

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Processing News

Associated Seafoods scoops two awards

Future of processing in Brussels

Associated Seafoods Ltd (ASL) was a double winner at the Grampian Food Forum Innovation Awards last month.

ROYAL Fillet Scottish smoked salmon scooped the Best New Foodservice Product (for businesses with more than 25 employees) category at the awards ceremony held at the Ardoe House Hotel near Aberdeen.

The product is a premium cut of Scottish smoked salmon taken from the centre of the fillet, which is drycured with sea salt before being gently smoked for many hours.

Marion Martin, a production manager with ASL, also won the ‘Denis Emslie Above and Beyond Award’ in recognition of her dedicated life-long service to the Buckie

Above: Marion Martin - positive approach

based processor. She has worked with ASL and its predecessor company for the last 36 years.

The judges were impressed by her positive approach to her work and determi-

nation to always give total commitment to the business and her fellow employees.

Victor West, managing director at ASL, said: ‘This is a truly deserving award for a quite remarkable

lady. She always has a cheerful attitude and ‘can do’ approach to everything she does.

‘She is an absolute credit to herself and the business – nothing is too much trouble and she displays in abundance the qualities of loyalty, generosity, energy and enthusiasm.’

Commenting on winning the Best New Foodservice Product award, Henry Angus, commercial director, said: ‘We are thrilled to have won this award.

‘Only ever using Scottish salmon, our master smokers know the importance of taking great care and attention during all

Great care

“

This award is testament to the dedication of our employees in producing the highest quality Scottish smoked salmon

”

stages of the smoking process.

‘This award is testament to the dedication of our employees in producing the highest quality Scottish smoked salmon.’

Shedding light on glazing levels SEAFISH is meeting industry experts, key stakeholders and government officials in a bid to establish an agreed method of monitoring glaze levels on packaged seafood, following labelling legislation changes introduced by the European Commission.

The food information regulation states that the net weight (excluding the glaze) should be presented on labels for consumers.

However, there is currently no established formal methodology in place to test glaze levels in products for monitoring purposes.

The Commission is expected to put forward proposals on the measuring of deglazed weight and it is important that government departments representing the UK understand what the seafood industry’s position is on the issue.

Seafish has set up this meeting to give industry the opportunity to advise their preferred approach and opinion on the matter.

Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and the National Measurement and Regulation Office (NMRO) are among the guests who have agreed to attend to discuss developments so far and

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obtain the views of industry.

The meeting is being chaired by Seafish’s regulatory affairs adviser, Peter Wilson, who said: ‘In the absence of any agreed methodology for determining the glaze weight on fishery products the Commission are considering the establishment of analytical methods for its determination based upon existing international standards.

‘These can prove to be impractical in some respects and in the absence of any official methodology, some businesses have tended to modify, resulting in a number of different

methodologies.

‘The National Measurement and Regulation Office (NMRO) wish to research the methods currently being used in the UK seafood sector in order to recommend a standard approach to drained weight determination in discussion with the Commission.

‘In order to do this they need information on the methods individual businesses use to determine drained net weight.

‘Seafish has arranged this meeting to give businesses and opportunity to discuss this with NMRO and Defra.’

GERMAN manufacturer Baader has developed a new gutting machine that, together with its new speed feed system, will be a game changer in the salmon industry, it claims.

The Baader 144, as a successor to the Baader 142 salmon gutting machine, is revolutionary in regards to speed, cleaning performance, working range, and hygiene, said the company, which will exhibit the machine at Seafood Expo Global in Brussels this month.

Within a wide working range of 2-11 kg, the machine can run with only minor adjustments.

The guts are removed without any contamination of the water. Furthermore, the manual cleaning time is significantly reduced – and it is possible to store specifications for different species and sizes in a recipe archive for a quick change over.

A future application of Baader 144,the Salmon Gut Inspection System, involving a camera that can monitor cleaning, will be available soon.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/04/2016 10:59:11

Processing News

Captain Birds Eye back in £8m brand revamp CAPTAIN Birds Eye, the trawler skipper who cheerfully promoted fish fingers and other seafood products for almost five decades, is about to make a come-back.

He is returning to UK television screens for the first time in 10 years as part of an £8 million brand revamp for more than 50 Birds Eye products.

Captain Birds Eye will appear in a somewhat unusual advert, relating the story of a boy with a tail, which

wags with enthusiasm as he races home to his dinner of fish fingers, potato waffles and peas. Fish fingers first hit British plates more than 60 years ago and have not lost their popularity, continuing to sell in millions.

Captain Birds Eye first appeared on the nation’s screens back in the mid 1960s.

The actor most associated with Captain Birdseye was John Hewer, a Lowestoft man who played the

character from 1967 to 1998.

His tenure was interrupted by a hiatus in 1971, when the fictitious Captain was killed off by Birdseye, with an ‘obituary’ in The Times announcements section. But the company decided to bring the old sea dog back to life three years later.

The real John Hewer died in 2008 aged 86. The new actor who is set to play the whiskered character is Mitch Commins.

And following a deal struck with Channel 4, the Birds Eye brand is also set to become the sponsor of the Simpsons.

Birds Eye has also said it is improving its product range, relaunching 57 products with better formulations and larger pack sizes – including the brand’s fish fingers, chicken dippers and peas.

Marketing director Steve Chantry said: ‘The reappearance of the Captain after

Australian firm sells to Chinese Legend The Australian seafood company Kailis Bros has sold 90 per cent of its seafood processing, wholesale and export business to the Chinese group Legend Holdings, according to ABC online. The seafood processing, wholesaling and exporting operations of family

owned Kailis Bros will become part of a new venture between the two companies called KB Foods. The Kailis family will hold a 10 per cent share in the new enterprise.

Matthew Kailis, who will be the chief executive KB Foods, said:

Above: Iconic image

so many years is an exciting step for us and we look forward to bringing back mem-

‘We have long-held ambitions to grow our Australian and international business and greater access to capital will assist with funding organic and inorganic growth opportunities.

‘Legend is a significant company with an outstanding internation-

ories for those that remember him, as well as introducing him to a brand new audience.’

al reputation. We are pleased that Kailis Bros is able to partner with Legend.’

QUALITY FOR LAND AND SEA Storvik Aqua Ltd Equipment and Technology for Aquaculture Serving the industry for 30 years Providing support and solutions

Visit us at Aquaculture UK Stand No. 90

www.storvikaqua.co.uk lc@storvik.co.uk Tel: 01546 603989

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Advertorial – MSD

Quest for

health

Welfare workshops followed up with visits to farms

We will “continue

to work with local producers and farmers

”

T

he team from MSD Animal Health, the market leader in aquaculture welfare, have been in Orkney visiting fish managers and biologists to continue to encourage the highest standards in fish health.

Workshops took place in early 2016 to discuss the results of MSD’s latest fish monitoring programmes and work is now being done to support individual producers to maintain optimum fish health within farmed environments.

Richard Darbyshire, regional manager of Scottish Sea Farms, and Will Scott, a biologist with SSF, welcomed MSD Animal Health’s Campbell Morrison, who visited to find out how he could continue to help.

The purpose of the trip was to increase engagement with customers, ultimately leading to ensuring the best health and productivity of the fish.

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Above: Scottish Sea Farms’ Richard Darbyshire and Will Scott welcome MSD’s Campbell Morrison (centre)

Morrison said: ‘Following the success of our workshops held earlier this year, we will continue to work closely with local producers and farmers.

‘It is in the industry’s interest to continue to support fish farmers to ensure their stock remains as healthy as possible and if any issues should arise, we are on hand to assist promptly if we can.

‘It’s been a great way of listening to our customers and getting to the heart of what they need and, more importantly, what they want.’

MSD offer Aquavac Monitor, a programme that can demonstrate successful outcomes in supporting producers to maintain fish health within their farmed environments.

Morrison also visited customers in Shetland and the mainland during his follow-up sessions across Scotland throughout March.

He added: ‘We are passionate about speaking face-to-face with our customers and hearing what they have to say about our products.

‘Although we are a global company, you can’t beat being able to recognise a familiar face and speak to them about what they want.’

MSD Animal Health products include Slice, a feed premix, targeting sea lice in salmon, and Aquavac PD3, a single injection vaccine against pancreas disease, infectious pancreatic necrosis and furunculosis. FF

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04/04/2016 11:00:57

DON’T MISS THE UK’S LARGEST AQUACULTURE EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE 25 & 26 MAY 2016 AVIEMORE, SCOTLAND An international event where you can: Meet

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04/04/2016 11:02:15

Advertorial – Europharma

The complete fish health solution Innovative diagnostics the key to all stages of production

F

rom its inception in 2008, Europharma Scotland has had one clear vision: to provide the Scottish fish farming industry with complete fish health solutions. Europharma recently celebrated 20 years servicing the aquaculture industry in Norway and is also present in Chile and Canada. The company was launched in the UK with the proprietary biotechnology SuperSmolt, an innovative programme targeted at enhancing the smoltification process.

Now, just eight years on, the company continues to grow from strength to strength, with a comprehensive and expanding portfolio of pharmaceutical, biosecurity and diagnostic products, backed up by technical expertise from its Fishguard veterinary services team.

SuperSmolt - further improvements For almost a decade, the Scottish aquaculture industry has been using the SuperSmolt programme to produce tens of millions of optimally smoltified salmon from tank-based systems.

The ground-breaking programme has enabled smolt producers to gain increased control over the smoltification process and transfer dates, ultimately improving the health and welfare of fish post transfer.

Opposite page: Europharma ‘Naturally, we wanted to further improve the programme and make it offers rapid detection available to even more salmon farmers in Scotland,’ said Nikos Steiropou- methods for diseases los, managing director at Europharma Scotland.

‘With increasing use in Norway and Chile, and after a range of successful commercial trials in Scotland, we are pleased to make our new SuperSmolt Feed Only programme available for Scottish aquaculture this summer.’

Building upon the success of SuperSmolt Original, the updated SuperSmolt Feed Only programme additionally delivers reduced effort through the elimination of mineral treatments and increased planning agility, such that it can be used in freshwater loch systems for the first time.

Genesig q16 – innovation in diagnostics The need to develop innovative diagnostic solutions for aquaculture was highlighted during the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) industry workshop, where rapid detection methods for pathogens and

We “ wanted

to further improve the programme and make it available to even more salmon farmers in Scotland

”

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EuroPharma.indd 74

diseases was determined as a Priority Innovation Area.

Working in partnership with Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture and Southampton based molecular diagnostics experts PrimerDesign, Europharma Scotland has done just that with the Genesig q16 – a compact, ultra portable and yet powerful qPCR device that can be used on site and in real time as a screening and diagnostic aid.

‘We’re very excited to bring this revolutionary tool to fish farmers across Scotland,’ said Steiropoulos. ‘We’re confident it will make a real difference to the management of fish health at all stages of production.’

At present, the platform supports 14 different pathogen DNA/RNA detection kits for aquaculture including IPNv, SAV and Neoparamoeba perurans, with more kits to come in the future.

Fishguard – a growing team Starting in 2012, the Fishguard veterinary services team set out to modernise fish health services in Scotland, shifting away from traditional reactive interventions towards an embedded approach with a focus on production and animal husbandry.

The unit has expanded with the addition of aquatic veterinarian Pietro Allasia during late 2015 and is now headed by Bartek Wieczorek, who brings solid international experience in aquatic animals and extensive hands-on knowledge of aquaculture production.

‘I am excited to be part of a forward thinking company and I look forward to working together with Scottish fish farmers in achieving healthier, more sustainable production,’ said Wieczorek, fish health services manager.

The Fishguard team now comprises four

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04/04/2016 11:03:37

The complete fish health solution

veterinarians, two fish health biologists and one lab technician.

Europharma – looking ahead In the years ahead, Europharma Scotland seeks to expand its range of products and services to further complement its fish health,

welfare and biosecurity programmes.

‘We are proud to be able to serve the aquaculture industry in the UK,’ said Nikos Steiropoulos, ‘and we are committed to doing so by remaining a trusted, innovative and customer focused partner to fish farmers.’

Europharma Scotland will be exhibiting at stand 122 at Aquaculture UK, in Aviemore from May 25-26.

The company’s annual Lofoten Fish Health seminar will also be running for selected guests in Reine, Norway, June 8-10. FF

Working together to deliver more Supporting Aquaculture UK 2016 Aviemore 25 & 26 May visit us at stand 107 and OS11 Aqua Pharma: +44 1463 233361 Hygiene Teknikk: +44 1631 569642 www.aquatic.as

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

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04/04/2016 11:04:15

Scottish Rural Awards

2016

Aquaculture Award Winners

Lobster team takes top prize Enterprise run as a charity plans to release thousands of juveniles into the Firth of Forth

T

he Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery in North Berwick won the aquaculture award in this year’s Scottish Rural Awards.

The awards, organised by Scottish Field and the Scottish Countryside Alliance, celebrate the innovation, dedication and enterprise of those living and working in rural Scotland.

Launched last year, this year was the first time aquaculture companies were recognised with their own award. The runner-up was ScotHatch of Achnasheen, Ross-shire, and the Loch Ryan Oyster Fishery Co of Stranraer, Wigtownshire, was highly commended.

The other finalists were Wester Ross Salmon, the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre, Cooke Aquaculture, Marine Harvest, the Scottish Salmon Company, Seafood Shetland, and FAI Ardtoe.

The Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery, established as a charity by local fishermen in 2010, plans to release tens of thousands of juvenile lobsters into the Firth of Forth every year, benefiting the fishing communities of East Lothian and Fife and strengthening the local marine ecosystem, hopefully leading to an increase in populations of crabs, langoustines and oysters.

Eggs are collected and then reared and nurtured through the larval stages into juveniles within the hatchery. Run by Jane McMinn, the hatchery team works closely with local fishermen to catch and later release the berried hens and juvenile lobsters.

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While nurturing the juvenile lobsters, the hatchery intends to run as an education facility for pre-school and school children with site visits and presentations. The facility will also be a resource for marine biologists and undergraduates undertaking research.

Jane McMinn said they were ‘absolutely over the moon’ about their award. ‘We were hoping but didn’t expect it.’

She said it was a grant from the Coastal Communities Fund in 2014 that enabled them to build a big production portacabin and get to work.

‘Last year was the first year we actually released the juveniles into the Firth of Forth – we did about 3,500.

‘This year we’re hoping to develop that much further and take it up a level. We’ve proved that we can do the science process but we want to try and perfect that.

‘I would hope to try and release tens of thousands this year but I think even if we got to 10,000 it would be a great thing.

Opposite page - clockwise from ‘We have to formalise and make our procedures more succinct. We top: Aquaculture Winner, want to still develop the education and visitor centre and our third Firth of Forth Lobster Hatchery, L-R - compere focus is going to be on developing any income stream no matter how small.’

Fred MacAulay, Jane That will include selling fresh live lobster on a weekly basis down at McMinn, Jenny Hjul; Aquaculture Highly the harbour, and developing about half a dozen products to sell online Commended, the Loch and at various outlets in North Berwick.

Ryan Oyster Fishery Co, Nominations were received for the 12 categories in the Scottish Rural L-R - Fred MacAulay, Ben Awards from around Scotland, with the companies representing a wide Wallace; Aquaculture, geographical sweep, from Shetland to the Borders, and from the Outer Runner Up, Scot-Hatch, Hebrides to Fife.

L-R - Fred MacAulay, The judges were Scottish Field editor Richard Bath, Countryside Ben Perry Alliance director for Scotland Jamie Stewart, financier Rory Kennedy, Charlie Shentall of the Countryside Alliance, Wendy Kerr of Kernis Communications, Sarah Milne of Think Local Scotland, and Janice Johnston, special projects manager at Wyvex Media, the publisher of Scottish Field and Fish Farmer. FF

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

04/04/2016 11:06:35

Lobster team takes top prize

We’ve proved that we can do the “ science process but we want to try and perfect that ” www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

SRA Awards.indd 77

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04/04/2016 11:07:06

DON’T MISS THE UK’S LARGEST AQUACULTURE EXHIBITION AND CONFERENCE 25 & 26 MAY 2016 AVIEMORE, SCOTLAND

FishMagazine Farmer An international event where you can: Meet

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VISIT OUR STAND No. 123 AT AQUACULTURE UK Wellboats– Introduction

Fish FarmerFish Farmer VOLUME 38

VOLUME 38

om www.fishfarmer-magazine.c Serving worldwide aquaculture since 1977

Serving worldwide aquaculture since

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CATCHING THE BUG

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NUMBER 03

All well and good

MARCH 2015

Wellboats play an increasingly important role in the running of marine salmon farms, from the beginning through to the end of the production cycle

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PROCESSING UPDATE

Preview of Seafood Expo Global in Brussels

COMMUNITY FARMS

Harvesting sea cucumbers in Madagascan villages

A

s the salmon industry becomes more consolidated, and vertically integrated, wellboats are now being used routinely for a variety of essential tasks that help with the efficient running of salmon farms. Custom designed, wellboats are used to transfer smolts to sea water sites, to grade fish, transfer fish between seawater sites and to carry fish to harvest. Wellboats are also sometimes used to carry out bath treatments for sea lice.

16

dead-haul of fish to processing plants should be treated on-shore; that all water should be filtered prior to discharge into the sea; and that of wellboat transport water be proposed as a priority for the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre.

For their part, the wellboat manufacturers are already working hard to address these issues, and the modern wellboat is a technically sophisticated piece of kit, with a number of features that address issues of biosecurity. For

There are a number of risks associated with the use of wellboats, in particular the transfer of pathogens to live fish within the wellboat, and into the sea as a result of discharging potentially infected water. In Scotland, these issues have been acknowledged with the establishment of the Wellboat Technical Standards Working Group in 2013. Amongst its recommendations include: that all marine vessels should log and record their position and the status of their valves; that all water from

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

example, Sølvtrans, the world leading company within transport of live salmon uses a closed valves system, ensuring that when they transport live fish, no water is loaded or discharged to the sea during transportation or unloading.

Its new vessels are also equipped with lice filters with 150 μ for circulated water, which collect lice and other organic materials from the water, minimising the risk of any transported fish being contaminated by diseases, infection, sea lice etc from the nearby fish farms. FF

17

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Under control

Norway – Research Council

“

The environment is more stable and the fish use less energy adapting to it

Under control

Above: Project participants at the centre’s opening. Right: CtrlAQUA scientists.

Photos by Terje Aamodt/Nofima.

Joint approach between scientists and industry to address challenges of closed-containment systems

F

our Norwegian research institutions, two outside Norway and several industry partners from technology and the aquaculture industry have started operations at a centre for innovation in closed-containment systems.

The centre, CtrlAQUA, has been given NOK 200 million and eight years to reach its goal of making closed-containment systems for salmon up to one kilogram.

Innovations in closed-containment, where the salmon is separated from the outside environment by a tight barrier, can be important for the further development of the industry,

001_ff03.indd 4

All well and good

sponsored by

OCTOBER 2015

NUMBER 10

helping to address challenges such as sea lice, diseases and escapes, as well as reduce production times.

Closed systems can be land-based, where water is recycled, or sea-based, in which large floating tanks receive clean water from depth.

In CtrlAQUA, the research will deal with both approaches.

The main focus of the centre is innovation in closed-containment systems for the most vulnerable periods of the salmon production cycle, such as the first sea water, post-smolt, phase.

The centre will also contribute to better production control, fish welfare and sustainability

in closed-containment farms. This will happen through the development of new and reliable sensors, minimising environmental impact through recycling of nutrients and reducing the risk of escape, and diseases transmission to wild stocks.

Senior scientist Bendik Fyhn Terjesen, from Nofima, who is the director of the centre, said that closed-containment systems for salmon up to one kilogram have further advantages than simply preventing lice and escapes.

‘We can control the environment in which the fish lives in a closed-containment system.

The environment is more stable and the fish

32

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use less energy adapting to it. This means that the salmon has more energy available for growth and good health.’

Closed systems for strategic phases in salmon farming can help to make the Norwegian vision of an eight-fold growth in value creation from aquaculture possible, and lead to an increased number of jobs and the production of healthy seafood.

In the centre there will be three departments: technology and environment, led by Dr Fyhn Terjesen; preventative fish health, led by Harald Takle, also from Nofima; and fish production and welfare, led by Lars Ebbesson of Uni Research.

CtrlAQUA is one of 17 Centres for Research-Based Innovation (SFI), a major programme created by the Research Council of Norway.

The primary goal of the SFI programme is to strengthen companies’ capacity for innovation, and to develop leading industry relevant research.

Nofima is accompanied by five solid institutions in CtrlAQUA: Uni Research, the University of Bergen, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the Freshwater Institute in the US and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

The University of Bergen will have principal responsibility for research education at the centre. The total budget for CtrlAQUA will be

”

NOK 196 million, spread over eight years.

Industrial partners from the supplier industry are Krüger Kaldnes AS, Pharmaq Analytiq, Pharmaq AS, Oslofjord Ressurspark AS, Storvik Aqua AS and Aquafarm Equipment AS. Participants from the aquaculture industry are Marine Harvest ASA, Grieg Seafood ASA, Lerøy Vest AS, Cermaq Norway AS, Bremnes Seashore AS, Smøla klekkeri og settefiskanlegg AS, Marine producers Norway AS and Firda sjøfarmer AS. The formal opening by the Research Council took place at the end of May at Nofima, Sunndalsøra. Norwegian fisheries minister Elisabeth Aspaker, present at the ceremony, said the goal of the CtrlAQUA SFI is perfectly compatible with the government’s ambitions for the aquaculture industry.

‘I have great expectations for the achievements of CtrlAQUA. Even though eight years is a long time, it is urgent that we find solutions to reach the goals. CtrlAQUA is an important part of this.’

The director of innovation in the Research Council, Eirik Normann, presented the SFI plaque to Fyhn Terjesen, saying: ‘You have put together a very strong consortium. I want to point out that the committee that evaluated the application was fascinated by the innovation that the concept brings with it, and it believes that the centre will probably produce important innovations within aquaculture.’ FF

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

NOFIMA FACTS With 360 employees and customers from 49 different countries, Nofima’s turnover in 2014 was £527 million The company is currently engaged in 620 projects worldwide.

Nofima has several laboratories and pilot plants, which it uses for research, including: BioLab – an accredited contract and research laboratory; NAMAB – a flexible minifactory; and Patogen Pilot Plant – Europe’s first highsecurity production hall.

Nofima carries out research for the fisheries, aquaculture and food industries, including: breeding and genetics; capture-based aquaculture; fish health; and consumer and sensory sciences.

Each year Nofima organises several symposia, courses and seminars in which its scientists share their expertise.

33

06/03/2015 14:28:03

02/10/2015 15:09:06

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04/04/2016 11:15:23

Opinion – Inside track

Agri or aqua, it’s all culture to me

BY NICK JOY

I

suppose it is inevitable that my associations with both agriculture and aquaculture would come out sooner or later. It has always seemed obvious to me that, despite fish farming’s rigours, aquaculture is just three-dimensional agriculture.

Many moons ago when I started in this industry there was a feeling that not only was aquaculture different but it should be treated differently. Whether this resulted in the separation, or lack of inclusion, in the overall government support for agriculture is irrelevant; we are regarded as different and this has meant that our industry has followed a different track to that of agriculture.

If you don’t read the agricultural press then let me tell you what it is like to be a dairy, beef, sheep or pig farmer just now. It is really very difficult and unpleasant, seriously unpleasant. Whether it be price, subsidy or the weather, farming on land has become unprofitable, unappreciated hard work.

It may be occurring through intent or lack of understanding, but the result is more and more a feeling of desperation.

Dairy farmers are caught by the supermarkets’ use of milk as a price promise to attract the consumer. Prices are well below the cost of production and though intervention has been used and may be used again, this mechanism is just trying to stave off disaster.

The pig industry is facing a similar situation, though the market/ production cycle is better understood. Beef and sheep prices are relatively low and falling, having been in quite a good place for a few years.

Meanwhile, the Scottish government has made an absolute Horlicks of the new computer system to pay out the basic payment, leaving farmers cash strapped and stretched.

When this happens, as we know in our industry, suppliers end up taking the slack and the whole supply chain comes under pressure.

So why does this matter to us? Salmon prices are good and generally the market for fish is growing strongly. The fact is we didn’t join agriculture, we aren’t subsidised and our situation, though not necessarily perfect, is rosier than most of the rest of food production. Why feel sorry for businesses that get given money every year just to exist?

The problems of agriculture are founded in the size of the businesses, the strength of the market, the inability to change production and the financial vulnerability of most businesses.

These are not the issues of aquaculture, or at least they are but to a lesser degree. So perhaps we should just be grateful it isn’t us this time but then one day it will be again. Salmon price has hardly been stable over the years.

Perhaps we should look at the things that bind us together with agriculture: a market dominated by the supermarkets, overweening regulation that is becoming more dis-incentivising over the years, government detached from rural affairs, and an electorate that worries more about particular species than about how their food is produced.

If you add the removal of medicines and the development

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Opinion - April.indd 82

If we want “government

to listen then we have to act together

”

of resistance to a constant price pressure then we are not far apart.

For me, the issue is not that complicated, we are all food producers. Some of us are targeting the day to day meal market and some the special occasion but we are all trying to care for animals the best we can in order to try to feed our consumers.

We fail and we succeed together. If we want government to listen then we have to act together.

But if all of this doesn’t sway you, then I understand and maybe all I can hope is that you will all think of the farmers (agricultural) in your area and what they are going through.

At this time they deserve to have our thoughts with them. If for no other reason, remember it may easily be our time again soon! FF

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04/04/2016 11:16:25

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04/04/2016 11:18:09