Fish Farmer Magazine April 2020

Fish F armer APRIL 2020

HIDDEN HEROES OF THE CORONA CRISIS Farming frontline How key workers keep going

FERGUS EWING Here to help

NEW NORMAL

NICKI HOLMYARD TIDES TURN FOR SHELLFISH

Nick Joy

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06/04/2020 17:18:05

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Welcome

Editor’s Welcome

T

HIS issue of Fish Farmer - like the whole industry and, in fact, the world - hasn’t gone quite according to plan in the last month. As the UK joined much of Asia and Europe, and then the US, in the coronavirus lockdown, we regrouped (remotely of course) and changed tack. The focus of our coverage this month is inevitably the pandemic’s impact on the aquaculture sector - and how farmers, suppliers, processors, regulators and government have responded.

Although the legacy of this outbreak will be a subject for the future, the immediate effect of the crisis on businesses has been brutal in terms of lost markets - especially for those companies that depend on exports and food service. But as food producers, What’s happening in aq aquaculture firms have shown great resilience in trying to find new ways of working in the UK and around th and alternative routes to market. As Fergus Ewing, Scotland’s rural economy minister, What’s happening in aquacu writes on page 28, times of crisis often bring out the best in people and the aquaculture in the UK and around the w community is no exception.

JENNY JENNY HJUL HJUL –– EDITOR EDITOR This comes as no surprise to me, after more than five years editing Fish Farmer and JENNY HJUL –– EDITOR JENNYof HJUL EDITOR meeting (as we used to do!) so many those people. I am now moving on and handing Steve Bracken SSC’s record results Stewart Graham The final sessions over the magazine to Dave Edler, who is returning to the team as acting editor. Heartfelt thanks to all of you for your support and stories, and I hope, post-Covid-19, that our paths Steve Bracken SSC’s record results Stewart Graham The final sessions salmon farming sector in Scotland, when it was to will cross again. he focus this month istopictures on Europe, the internati T HE is coincidence that andwhere videos of unhealthy Sno Fish Farmer went press, there was sti lltold no offi cialonal be thewere subject ofScotti a be parliamentary inquiry, embraced the industry willsent soon gathering the (European salmon to news outletsfor just asjoint the Scotti sh news from the shScotland, parliamentary inquiry into salmon farming sector in when itEAS was tosalmon he focus this month istopictures on Europe, the internati T HE is coincidence that andwhere videos of unhealthy Sno Fish Farmer went press, there was sti lltold no offi cialonal opportunity this would provide to explain how it operated.

Aquaculture and WAS Aquaculture Society) parliament went back to work at (World the start of month.

These farming, conducted earlier this year by thethis Rural Economy be the subject of aSociety) parliamentary inquiry, embraced industry willsent soon be gathering the EASinto (European salmon were to news outletsfor just asjoint the Scotti shthe news from the Scotti sh parliamentary inquiry salmon Current trends In good Julie Hesketh-Laird The had nothing to hide and, if given fair hearing, Meet thehealth new chief exe conference, to be staged over five days in theait southern images had this litt le to doprovide with theto current state of Scotland’s ficould sh and industry Connecti vity (REC) committ ee.

MSPs have now heldFrench five opportunity would explain how operated.

Aquaculture Society) and WAS Aquaculture Society) parliament back to work at (World the start of month.

These farming, went conducted earlier this year by thethis Rural Economy address much of the criti cism levelled against it. city of Montpellier.

As well as highlighti ng the latest technological farms where sea lice levels are in decline and, in fact, at a fi vemeeti ngs, in private, to consider their report and we must be Current trends In good Julie Hesketh-Laird The had to hide and, if given fair hearing, Meet thehealth new chief executiv conference, to benothing staged over days in theaof southern images had litt le to do with thefive current state Scotland’s ficould sh and industry Connecti vity (REC) committ ee.

MSPs have now heldFrench five Fish Farmer supported this but at times salmon advances in our fast moving sector, Aqua 2018felt willthat alsohas feature year low (htt p://scotti shsalmon.co.uk/monthly-sea-lice-reports). pati ent.

However, waiti ng forview, their recommendati ons been address much of the criti cism levelled against it. city ofngs, As well asare highlighti ng the latest technological farms -Montpellier. where sea lice in decline and, inwe fact, at abe fivemeeti in private, tolevels consider their report and must farmers were being drowned out bywhich theREC noisier elements offarming the sessions on emerging markets and look atinvolves the role ofthe fishusual This latest propaganda campaign, all made harder by leaks from within to anti -salmon Fish Farmer supported this atthe times salmon advances in our fast moving sector, Aqua 2018felt willthat alsohas feature year low (htt p://scotti shsalmon.co.uk/monthly-sea-lice-reports). pati ent.

However, waiti ng forview, theirbut recommendati ons been angling lobby, which had called foras the investi gatiRural on.

But asngs the farming in alleviati ng poverty.

Increasingly, industry meeti anti -aquaculture suspects, came Holyrood’s Economy acti vists.

The latest of these (see our news story on page 4) farmers were being drowned out bywhich theREC noisier elements offarming the sessions onpropaganda emerging markets and look atinvolves the role fishusual This campaign, allofthe madelatest harder by leaks from within the to anti -salmon sessions progressed, and eventually farmers’ voices were heard, are broadening their scope, tackling subjects such asthat thethe social and Connecti vity committ ee returned the summer recess we to makes grim reading for the industry asfrom itgati suggests committ ee angling lobby, which had called for the investi on.

But as farming inThe alleviati ngof poverty.

Increasingly, industry ngs anti -aquaculture suspects, came as Holyrood’s Rural Economy activists. latest these (see our news story onmeeti page 4) became more opti misti c.

We now believe that MSPs, perhaps with acceptability of aquaculture and the contributi on it makes to global consider its draft report into the future of salmon farming. members have been willing to listen to those campaigning to sessions progressed, and eventually farmers’ voices were heard, are broadening their scope, tackling subjects such asthat the committ social and Connecti vity committ ee returned the summer recess we to makes grim reading for the industry asfrom it suggests ee Serving Worldwide Aquaculture Since 1977 food security and saving the planet, aindustry move that is toanti welcomed. the excepti on ofvaluable one or two Greens cahoots with -farming Those who want toWe shut down thein asbe shut down this sector, rather than to those who operate became more misti c. now believe that MSPs, perhaps with acceptability ofopti aquaculture and the contributi on ithave, makes toexpected, global consider its draft report into the future of salmon farming. members have been willing to listen to those campaigning to Also investi gati ngacti initi aties, veswhich inregard thenow developing world, Harrison campaigners, will, on balance, the industry in a Dr favourable stepped their viti involve the within it.up food security and saving the planet, aindustry move that is tobreaching welcomed. the excepti on ofvaluable one or two Greens cahoots with anti -farming Those who want to shut down thein asbe expected, shut down this sector, rather thanthe tohave, those who operate Meet the team Charo Karisa of WorldFish writes about farming potenti al inthe Fish Farmer: Volume 43 Number 04 light.

They will hopefully see that farmers take their environmental biosecure environments of farm sitesindustry to snatch photographs in Of course, such stories may be inaccurate and, in any case, Also investi gati ng initi ati ves in the developing world, Dr Harrison campaigners, will, on balance, regard the in a favourable stepped acti vitiish es,and which nowculti involve breaching the within it.up their Editorial Advisory Board: Nigeria, both in catf ti lapia vati on. responsibiliti es seriously and that businesses will only ever invest the hope of fi nding incriminati ng evidence against farmers.

Onein committ ee’s fi ndings are not binding.

Scotland’s fi sh farmers Contact us Charo Karisa of WorldFish writes about the farming potenti al in light.

They will hopefully see that farmers take their environmental biosecure environments of farm sites tosomething snatch ingame Of course, such stories may be inaccurate and,photographs inofany case,ngthe Steve Bracken, Hervé Migaud, Jim Treasurer, In Scotland, the summer has been aofwaiti What’s in a name?

Dr Nick Lake Phil Thomas growth that isfibeen sustainable.

Tel: +44(0) 131 551 1000 campaigner lmed himself searching, unsuccessfully, for minister, dead have always fortunate to have the support their Nigeria, both catf ish and tilapia culti vati on. responsibiliti seriously and that businesses will only ever invest in the hope of fies nding incriminati ng evidence against farmers.

One committ ee’s fiin ndings are not binding.

Scotland’s fi sh farmers Chris Mitchell, Jason Cleaversmith while the parliament is in recess and the members of Holyrood’s Fax: +44(0) 131 551especially 7901 If the committ ee members, those who have yet to of Phil fi sh at a Marine Harvest site.

Another said he saw ‘hundreds’ Fergus Ewing, to grow sustainably.

In Scotland, the summer has been something of a waiti ng game What’s in a name?

Dr Nick Lake Thomas growth that isfibeen sustainable. campaigner lmed himself searching, unsuccessfully, forto dead haveRural always fortunate to have the support of their minister, and Hamish Macdonell Economy and Connecti vity committ ee conti nue weigh up Email: shfarmermagazine.com visit aparliament farm, like tothe learn more about theagainst of infested salmon in awould pen, but we only have his word that But itsalmon should not go unchallenged that some MSPs onsubject the REC while the isjhjul@fi in recess and members of Holyrood’s If the committ ee members, especially those who have yet to fi sh at a Marine Harvest site.

Another said he saw ‘hundreds’ of Fergus Ewing, to grow sustainably. the in their inquiry into salmon farming.

We don’t expect Editor: Jenny Hjulevidence we have plenty of good stories in our May Even Ruraltheir and Connecti vity committ ee conti nue weigh up Head Offi ce: Special Publicati ons, Fett esto Park, of theinquiry, professional vets and biologists who manage theissue. welfare of committ ee, with their own against the growth of visit a Economy farm, like toagendas learn more about the ofthetime infested salmon in go awould but we only have his word against that Buttheir itsalmon should not unchallenged that some MSPs onsubject the REC report unti l pen, the autumn but hope the MSPs are using the Designer: Andrew the Balahura bett er, they could head to the Highlands later this month, where 496 Ferry Road, Edinburgh, EH5 2DL Wefor evidence in their inquiry into salmon farming. don’t expect these farms on a daily basis. industry, are in breach of Code of Conduct MSPs. As they their wefully have plenty of good stories in ourgrowth May toinquiry, become acquainted with the facts about fithe shissue. farming. of the professional vets andagendas biologists who manage welfare of committ ee, with their own against the of theEven Commercial Manager: Montpellier report Dr Marti n Jaff a Doug McLeod meet the aquaculture industry en masse at Scotland’s theirthey report unti l the autumn but hope the MSPs areas using theittiis, meit Ifthey the is proud of its high standards, itsalmon says are inwill aindustry positi on to inflthe uence the future course of farming, bett er, could head to Highlands later this month, where This month also sees reti rement of Marine Harvest’s longest these farms on a daily basis. industry, are in breach of the Code of Conduct for MSPs. As they Subscriptions Janice Johnston to become fully acquainted with the facts about fi sh farming. biggest fi sh farming show. must mount aaquaculture much more robustWe defence oftrouble itself, through its and of businesses vital toBracken.

Scotland’s economy, we have a right Montpellier report Dr Marti n Jaff a Doug McLeod they will meet the industry en masse Scotland’s serving employee, Steve had no Subscripti ons Fish Farmer If the isto proud ofreti itsAddress: high standards, as itsalmon says itcollecti is, it ng are in aindustry positi on inflthe uence the future course ofat farming, jjohnston@fishfarmermagazine.com This month also sees rement of Marine Harvest’s longest will certainly be at Aquaculture UK inindustry, Aviemore and look representati ve body, the SSPO, than it has done to date.

The toWe know who they are, and we hope the through its warm tributes from his friends and colleagues to mark the biggest fi sh farming show.

Magazine Subscripti ons,economy, Warners Group must a much more robustWe defence itself, through its and ofmount businesses vital toBracken.

Scotland’s we have a right Publisher: Alisterserving Bennett employee, Steve had noof trouble collecti ng forward toand, seeing many of you there too. campaigners, we now see, willrest stop nothing, representati ves, will pressure the parliament toand investi gate before milestone along with of the industry, thefarmers team will certainly be at Aquaculture UK inat Aviemore and look Publicati ons plc, The Malti ngs, West representati vethey body, the SSPO, than itthe has done tothrough date.

The toWe know who are, and wethe hope industry, its at Fish warm tributes from his friends and colleagues to mark the should be prepared toyou fivery ght back. the to REC report isall published.

Farmer wish him the best for the future.

Street, Bourne forward seeing many of there too. campaigners, we now see, will stop at representati ves, will pressure the parliament toand investi gateatbefore Rising stars Marti nBrown Jaff a Orkney anniversary Janet milestone and, along with the rest of thenothing, industry, thefarmers team Fish Lincolnshire PE10 9PH should prepared to fivery ght back. the RECbe report published.

Farmer wish himisall the best for the future.

Conte Conten 4-15 4-14 News 4-15 4-14 News

Fair hearing French connection Farmers must fight back Uphold the code Fair hearing French connection Farmers must Uphold the codefight back

T I A T Hjul Jenny IA

16-21 16-17 16-22 Industry pioneer News Extra platform Parliamentary in 16-21 16-17 16-22 Industry pioneer News Extra platform Parliamentary inquir 22-23 18-19 24-27 Salmon market SSPO 22-23 18-19 24-27 Salmon market SSPO

24 20 20-21 28-29 BTA Shellfish Comment 24 20 20-21 28-29 BTA Shellfish Comment

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Cover: Hugh Mainland, farm manager of Scottish Sea Farms’ Lober Rock site in Orkney Photo: Scottish Sea Farms

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26 22-23 30 Shellfi sh Comment BTA 26 22-23 30 BTA Shellfi sh Comment 28-31 24-25 32-33 SSPO Comment Scottish Shellfi sh Sea Far 28-31 24-25 32-33 SSPO Comment Scottish Shellfi sh Sea Farms Rising stars Marti nBrown Jaff a Orkney anniversary Janet 32-33 26-27 26-30 34-35 Shellfi shfiSea Cleaner sh Far Scottish Comment 32-33 26-27 26-30 34-35 Janet Machrihanish Orkney farm Marti nBrown Jaff a visit Shellfi shfiSea Cleaner sh Farms Scottish Comment 13

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Janet Machrihanish Orkney farm Marti nBrown Jaff a visit Advisory Board: Steve Contact Tel: +44(0) us 131 551 1000 MeetEditorial theJohnston team Subscription enquiries contact: Janice jjohnston@fi shfarmermagazine.com Fax: +44(0) 131 551 7901 Bracken, Scott Landsburgh, Hervé Steve Bracken, Scott HervéLandsburgh, Migaud, Editorial Advisory Board: Steve Tel: +44(0) 131 551 1000 or call 0044 131 551 7925 Migaud, Patrick Smith and Jim Hervé Migaud, Patrick Smith, Patrick Smith, Jim Treasurer and Fax: email: +44(0) 131 551 7901 Bracken, Scott Landsburgh, Hervé Steve Bracken, Scott HervéLandsburgh, Migaud, jhjul@fi shupdate.com Treasurer, Wiliam Jim Treasurer and Dowds William Dowdsemail: William Dowds Marti nofJaff a era Vaccines New player Dawn Migaud, PatrickJim Smith and Jim Hervé Patrick Smith, PatrickMigaud, Smith, Treasurer and 3 new Editor: Jenny Hjul jhjul@fi shupdate.com Treasurer, Wiliam Jim Treasurer and Dowds William Dowds William Dowds Head Office: Special Publications, Dawn Marti nofJaff a era Vaccines New player new Designer: Andrew Balahura Fettes Park, 496 Ferry Road, Editor: Jenny Hjul Advertising Manager: Team Leader: HeadEdinburgh, Office: Special Publications, EH5 2DL Designer: Andrew Balahura Fettes Park, 496 Ferry Road, Dave Edler 06/04/2020 15:13:22 Advertising Manager: Team Leader: Figure 9. Development of salmon nominal catch in sou

34-35 28-29 32-33 36-41 Comment Cleaner Orkneyvisitfish Farm 34-35 28-29 32-33 36-41 Comment Cleaner Orkneyvisitfish Farm

36-39 32-35 34-35 43-45 Wild salmon Cleaner fish decl Orkney IoA careers 36-39 32-35 34-35 43-45

Contents

Fish F armer

In the April issue...

News

What’s happening in the UK and around the world

News extra

20-21

Salmon in the desert

Comment

22-23

Dr Martin Jaffa

SSPO

24-25

Hamish Macdonell

Shellfish

26-27

Nicki Holmyard

Coronavirus crisis

28

Message from the Minister

On the frontline

30-31

Farmers fight back

Countdown

32-35

Sandy Neil

Norwegian exports

36-37

Markets update

Mixed fortunes

38-39

Trading blocks

No Show Fish Show

44-45

New routes to market

Research

58-61

Turbot charged

What’s New

64

Monthly update

Industry Diary

All the latest aquaculture events, conferences and courses

Aqua Source Directory Opinion

70

Nick Joy

52 Contents April.indd 4

66 68-69

Find all you need for the industry

4

5-19

54

67

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 15:09:15

MSC Cargo.indd 5

06/04/2020 15:10:20

United Kingdom News

NEWS...

Milestone moment for mill Cooke Aquaculture brings Invergordon feed facility back into production

Above: The team at Northeast Nutrition Scotland in Invergordon with the first batches of feed

PRODUCTION at the former Skretting feed plant in Invergordon has been restarted under its new owners, Cooke Aquaculture.

The Canadian owned family company acquired the site on the Inverbreakie Industrial Estate in September 2019 following its closure in April last year.

Through its subsidiary, Northeast Nutrition Scotland, Cooke has worked closely with former employees to resume operations at the mill.

The company revealed that production of fish feed restarted in January, with the first batch rolling off the production lines and delivered within four months of it acquiring the plant.

Northeast Nutrition Scotland has re-hired 22 people, most of whom were made redundant when the mill closed last year. In all, around 100 jobs were lost, and more staff are expected to be taken on as production steps up.

Chris Bryden, Invergordon mill manager, said:‘This is a milestone moment for the company.To get the mill operational within four months is testament to the skill and experience of the people who work for us.

6

UK news.indd 6

‘We are really pleased to have been able to re-hire so many of the people who lost their jobs when the plant closed last year; their knowledge and commitment is what will enable us to rebuild the business and secure its future.

‘Now that we are back up and running, I am confident that we will grow the supply chain and meet the nutritional needs of our customers with top quality feed.

‘We are extremely grateful for the sustained support we have received from local people, Highland Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Gail Ross MSP, and hope to build on these links to ensure a bright future for the plant.’

The mill has the capacity to produce more than 100,000 tonnes of fish feed, covering a wide range of pellet sizes.

It will supply feed to Cooke Aquaculture’s Scottish salmon farms in Orkney and Shetland and Northeast Nutrition Scotland will also seek opportunities with external customers, within the UK and global aquaculture sector.

The mill has full flexibility to produce feed for seawater and freshwater sites across its three production lines, and has achieved Label Rouge and organic accreditations, allowing it to supply all of Cooke Aquaculture’s operations, which include a new organic site off Stronsay in Orkney.

Furthermore, Northeast Nutrition Scotland will utilise MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) sustainably sourced fishery products, said the company.

Skretting, owned by Nutreco, said last year that the decision to close its UK operation was due to

an oversupply in the salmon feed market.

The move followed the construction by salmon farmer Mowi of its Kyleakin, Skye, feed factory, which has capacity for more than 200,000 tonnes of fish feed.

Skretting produced 100,000 tonnes of feed in the United Kingdom in 2017, mostly Atlantic salmon and trout feed.

Cooke said its family of companies ‘is committed to minimising the impacts of its business on the environment and to respecting the needs of all users of our shared resources while producing safe, wholesome, quality and nutritious seafood products which consistently meet the expectations of our customers’.

Glenn Cooke, CEO of Cooke, said last year: ‘We are excited to include domestic feed manufacturing in Scotland, adding to the vertical integration of our operations and further enhancing the full traceability of our fish.’

Meanwhile, the company, which exports the majority of its Scottish production to markets in continental Europe and North America, said its priority during the coronavirus crisis is the safety of its staff.

‘Production is carrying on close to normal and the supply chain remains intact, although we are seeing less demand from the food service sector,’ a spokesman said.

‘As a company, we’re focused on keeping our staff safe, maintaining supply to customers and playing our part in combating the spread of coronavirus.’

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06/04/2020 15:15:38

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United Kingdom News

£10m support for seafood sector ‘on its knees’ Move towards mandatory

Above: Fergus Ewing

THE Scottish government has announced a £10 million funding package to help seafood businesses weather the coronavirus crisis.

With many firms fighting for survival, the Scottish Seafood Business Resilience Fund will provide a combination of grants and loans to businesses.

The shutdown of international markets has led to a collapse in exports, while the closure of the food service industry across the UK has had a devastating impact.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: ‘The Scottish government is working flat out to support businesses which are adversely affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

‘Parts of the seafood sector have been decimated by the collapse of the export and hospitality markets, and are now struggling to survive.

‘Our seafood processors are the lifeblood of many rural and coastal communities, supporting thousands of local

Above: Donna Fordyce

8

UK news.indd 8

as quickly as possible to assist a sector which has been a real success story for the Scottish economy.’

Donna Fordyce, interim head of Seafood Scotland, said: ‘Following the Scottish government’s recent announcement of financial aid for the fishing sector, this package of support for the wider seafood industry is critical to its survival, and very much welcome.

‘We have spent the last two weeks speaking to seafood businesses all over Scotland, and these measures are just what they have been asking for. jobs and producing ‘The sector is some of the one of the finest seamost fragile food in the areas of world.

Scot‘The land’s induseconotry has my, yet been delivers very so much clear in terms that cash of employflow is ment and the critical export effort. issue facing ‘With businesses Above: Jimmy Buchan most export and this new routes fund seeks to inject capital almost entirely closed off into businesses to help them and around 80 per cent of meet their ongoing costs, shellfish and seafood normalkeep the business solvent ly destined for international and keep people on the markets, the industry is payroll.’ currently on its knees, but The minister added: ‘Our this package will help many approach is rightly focused seafood businesses live beon those businesses who yond the impact of Covid-19.’ may need our support the Jimmy Buchan, chief execumost, and we would encourtive of the Scottish Seafood age others that can step in Association, said: ‘We obvito help, to do so. ously welcome the funding ‘I am also exploring how package announced today supermarkets and other by the Scottish government retailers might help ensure as a measure of its intent to more of Scotland’s seafood support the sector at this reaches Scottish consumers time of need. to help create alternative ‘Clearly, SSA members are markets. keen to learn more of the ‘I continue to have regular detail about how the scheme discussions with the industry will operate, particularly the during this time and I pay trib- eligibility criteria, and we ute to the leadership shown look forward to engaging by the Scottish Seafood Assowith officials on that in the ciation and Seafood Scotland. coming days.’

‘We will now move to get these funds out of the door  Minister’s message: Page 28

wrasse controls

SALMON farmers in Scotland have welcomed a government consultation on new wrasse fishing measures.

The review will consider the introduction of mandatory controls over the harvesting of live wrasse, used as a cleaner fish for the salmon farming industry.

The government said in a statement it recognised the important role played by wrasse in controlling lice on salmon farms.

But it added that wild caught wrasse must be fished sustainably, ‘with effective management in place’.

Since 2018, voluntary measures have been put in place by salmon farmers and are mostly ‘operating satisfactorily’, according to officials.

However, Marine Scotland has undertaken an internal review, engaging with the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) and salmon farm operators.

It concluded that ‘there is scope to improve the reporting of wrasse fishing activity and merit in introducing more formal harvesting measures – which would bring the wrasse fishery more into line with other Scottish fisheries’.

‘Marine Scotland therefore propose introducing mandatory controls covering the reporting and practice of wild wrasse harvesting,’ said the statement.

‘Under the new arrangements, we will issue to eligible wrasse fishermen a new permit which will set conditions for participating in the fishery.’

The SSPO’s sustainability director,Anne Anderson, said:‘Following the successful pilot of voluntary measures, we welcome this consultation to consider how to strengthen and maintain sustainable wrasse fisheries.

‘We continue to support the gathering of data, which will provide greater depth of information and analysis.

‘In turn, this will assist with the development of adaptive management for the fisheries.’

Marine Scotland invites industry views on its proposals on the link below: https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/ wild-wrasse-harvesting/consultation/subpage.2016-07-07.1474135251/

Above: Wrasse

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06/04/2020 15:19:28

All the latest industry news from the UK

Researchers address global gill health challenge RESEARCH that will address global gill health issues in farmed salmon is being undertaken on sites in Scotland and Tasmania,Australia.

The project aims to improve the monitoring and treatment of gill disease, which is one of the aquaculture sector’s biggest challenges.

A Scottish consortium - which comprises Scottish Sea Farms, the University of Aberdeen, BioMar, and the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) – is exploring the geographical, temporal, and nutritional factors that affect salmon’s gill health.

Warming seas and the progressive de-oxygenation of water, caused by climate change, are reinforcing the need for a greater understanding of the disease, along with its prevention and treatment, said SAIC. Gill health is understood to be influenced by many factors, from site specific variables and fish diet, to water temperature and oxygenation levels.

The project will seek the optimum balance for each measure to promote good health and improve natural resistance to gill conditions among salmon.

It will also create a set of biomarkers to monitor gill disease; develop new diagnostic tools that could minimise individual interpretation of results; and explore the production of feeds to alleviate poor gill health.

Dr Ralph Bickerdike, head of fish health at Scottish Sea Farms, said:‘The gills play a crucial role in the overall health of a fish, so the more we can learn about how best to protect these vital organs the bigger the advances we can make to further improve welfare and increase survival rates.

‘What’s exciting about this latest collaborative research project is that it takes a holistic view, exploring not just the key factors affecting the gills but also how they might impact on one another, helping us to identify the best growing conditions for farmed fish health.’

Professor Samuel Martin, from the University of Aberdeen’s School of Biological Sciences, added:‘The gill is a key organ with roles in oxygen exchange but also has an extremely important function for fish health.

‘In recent years there is a recognition that new research in gills needs to be carried out, particularly in marine stage salmon.

‘This project, working directly with industry, will help define how gill health varies between farm sites and at different times of the year. The outcomes will lead to better understanding and early warning for gill health issues.’

The project is about finding a way of using the vast amounts of data collected to create the right balance of conditions for salmon, enhancing their resilience, said SAIC aquaculture innovation manager Caroline Griffin.

‘On top of that, the development of biomarkers and new feeds could act as a significant boost to fish health and wellbeing, and our overall understanding of this complex disease.’

SAIC was one of the sponsors, along with the Norwegian Seafood Research Fund, of the Gill Health Initiative conference that was to take place in Stirling at the beginning of April.

The annual event, which brings together industry and researchers, was one of many in the aquaculture calendar postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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UK news.indd 9

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06/04/2020 15:21:01

United Kingdom News

to invest £160 million in SSC Chancellor’s budget boost for Scottish Bakkafrost BAKKAFROST is planning to its large smolt strategy in 2016. invest more than £160 million in ‘We decided to upscale our exports and innovation its new acquisition, the Scottish smolt production by building a Salmon Company, over the next four years, the Faroese fish farmer has revealed.

The company disclosed the scale of its spending intentions in its annual report – titled ‘A Year Marked

by Disruptions,Volatility and New Opportunities’ – and they look impressive.

It said it expects to invest 350 million Danish kroner (DKK), or around £41 million, a year in Scotland between 2020 and 2024.

SSC operates two processing factories, Marybank in the north of Scotland, and Cairndow in the south, as well as a smokehouse in Stornoway.

Above: The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, on budget day Both plants are equipped with SCOTTISH food and drink exports will receive a £1 million pre-rigour filleting, portioning and funding boost, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in packaging facilities. But significant last month’s budget. investment is planned over the The move will help companies address US tariffs said Rishi next 10 months in both factories, Sunak, delivering his first budget after being appointed Chanwhich will result in a combined cellor in February. annual capacity of around 50,000 The Scottish food and drink sector will be promoted under tonnes. the GREAT Britain campaign, with the funding helping to This figure is on top of an ‘increase awareness and change perceptions of Scottish food additional DKK 1.8 billion (£211 and drink exports’. million) Bakkafrost will be investing Scottish salmon exports were worth a record £618 milin its operations in the Faroe Islion last year, with the US the second biggest market (after lands and elsewhere in a two-year France), valued at £179 million. period between 2020 and 2022.

Other measures in Sunak’s budget that could have an impact Last year, Bakkafrost harvested on the Scottish aquaculture industry include a big increase in 57,184 tonnes (gutted weight) of spending on innovation. salmon in the Faroe Islands, and Investment in public research and development and cut33,799 tonnes in Scotland. ting-edge technologies will rise to £22 billion a year by 2024-25, The report said new investment said the Chancellor. will ‘reinforce Bakkafrost’s integratAchieving the government’s ambitions on R&D will require ed business model and ensure a investment from the private sector, he added.To boost that capacity across the value chain to investment, the government will increase the rate of R&D be able to produce 100,000 tonnes gutted weight of salmon in the tax credits.There will be backing for businesses to invest and Faroe Islands’. innovate so that they can compete in the ‘global technology The aim of the investment driven economy’.

The Treasury also pledged to support ‘world leading research programme is to minimise the biological risk, increase efficiency and in all regions and nations of the UK, including by cutting create sustainable organic growth. bureaucracy, experimenting with new funding models, and Bakkafrost’s focus on producing establishing a new funding agency to focus on high risk, high larger smolts plays a key role in reward research’. achieving this goal, after launching And Sunak added: ‘We’re investing £400 million new funding into high quality research, with much of that funding going to brilliant universities around the country.’

In a separate package of measures, it was announced that Argyll and Bute will benefit to the tune of £25 million from a City and Growth Deal.

And there will also be a boost for rural mobile and broadband services, with £5 million allocated for trials of 5G in Scotland, alongside plans to roll out broadband to hard to reach areas and to expand 4G coverage to almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of the country.

Overall, the budget provides an extra £640 million for the Scottish government, said Sunak, and more than £1.9 billion in additional Barnett consequentials, compared to 2019-20.

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new hatchery at Strond, later to be followed by the announcement of expansion plans for three other hatcheries.’

The company now operates six hatcheries in the Faroes with a total production capacity of 12 million smolts at an average weight of 220g for annual release. This will increase during 2020 to 15 million smolts at 260g per year.

In Scotland, 11 hatcheries produce about eight million smolts a year with an average size of just over 90g, said the report. Bakkafrost will invest DKK 45 million during 2020 to expand in-house smolt production.

It also plans to increase SSC’s Native Hebridean broodstock programme, from six million eggs to ten million eggs per year.

The board of directors were optimistic about SSC, stating: ‘We are very excited about the future possibilities this will bring to Bakkafrost.

‘We know this will require effort to improve the operational performance of SSC and bring all the potential synergies into play, but are confident that we will succeed together with our committed and highly competent employees in the Faroe Islands and Scotland.’

Chairman Runi M. Hansen told shareholders: ‘2019 has been an extraordinary year for Bakkafrost in several ways.

‘Most predominant was the giant leap we took, when we decided to acquire the Scottish Salmon Company and hereby diversify our farming operation into a new geography.

‘The acquisition has increased the scope of Bakkafrost’s operation significantly and brings new growth and development opportunities to the group.’

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 15:22:09

All the latest industry news from the UK

Scottish farmer dismissed from price fixing case

SCOTTISH Sea Farms has been released from a US class-action lawsuit that alleged Norwegian salmon companies colluded to fix salmon prices.

The plaintiffs, led by seafood supplier Euclid Fish Company, voluntarily dismissed Scottish Sea Farms from the case, Intrafish reported last month.

The case was brought last August against salmon farmers Mowi, Grieg Seafood, SalMar, and Scottish Sea Farms and/or some of their subsidiaries.

The businesses are alleged to have

entered into and engaged ‘in a contract, combination, or conspiracy with regards to farm raised salmon and products derived therefrom in unreasonable restraint of trade in violation of sections of the Sherman Act’.

The US plaintiffs joined the lawsuit based on an ongoing investigation by the European Commission concerning possible collusion between Norwegian producers of farmed salmon.

The Scottish offices of some Norwegian owned salmon companies were raided by the EC a year ago, but

it was believed at the time that the inspections were targeted at Norway, which is outside the EC, rather than Scotland.

The price fixing conspiracy, the plaintiffs allege in court documents, included salmon farming companies sharing competitively sensitive information among themselves and participating in meetings to fix, increase, maintain, or stabilise prices.

The salmon companies have denied any involvement in non-competitive practices.

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06/04/2020 15:22:47

European News

NEWS...

Wellboat pioneer invests in land based salmon farming

Above: Roger Halsebakk (photo: Fish Farming Expert)

Looking to

recruit?

SØLVTRANS founder Roger Halsebakk has jumped on the land based salmon bandwagon, investing in Norwegian company Salmon Evolution.

Halsebakk, owner of Ronja Capital, the world’s largest wellboat business, is the biggest new investor in the project, which aims to farm 36,000 tonnes of salmon using flow-through technology.

Salmon Evolution announced last month that it had raised an additional NOK 258 million (£19 million) from existing shareholders and new industrial owners.

Ronja Capital acquired a 19.6 per cent stake in the latest share issue, which saw shareholders inject NOK 107 million.

A week later, it was announced that

Salmon Evolution had elected a new chairman, with Tore A Tønseth, investment vice president at Ronja Capital, replacing Kristofer Reiten.

Reiten will continue to serve as a director.

And CFO Håkon Andrè Berg has been made acting CEO after Odd Tore Finnøy – who led the company up to the start of construction – opted to resign in consultation with the board. Salmon Evolution plans to farm off Indre Harøy in Hustadvika, utilising flow-through technology with reuse.

Ronja Capital said its faith in the firm was based on the technology chosen

by Salmon Evolution in relation to growth opportunities, risk and return.

Tønseth said: ‘Salmon Evolution has

a unique approach to such production, and we believe it has a clearly lower risk profile than many other projects.

‘Low biological risk has been the biggest consideration for us in assessing investment opportunities in land-based aquaculture.

‘Our view of the company hasn’t changed, despite the fluctuations in the financial market over recent months.

‘We’ve followed this project over a long time, and now want to contribute to the company’s continued development.’

The organisation building and part-financing of the first construction stage of the enterprise has now been completed, and the company said it is gearing up to meet its next challenges.

Post your vacancy on www.fishfarmermagazine.com for only £199 (+vat) per job posting.

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www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 15:27:17

All the latest industry news from Europe

Outgoing Mowi chief earned £1.5 m last year FORMER Mowi chief executive Alf-Helge Aarskog earned 19 million kroner – or almost £1.5 million – last year, according to the company’s 248-page annual report, released last month.

Aarskog, who stepped down in November after 10 years at the helm, successfully built the Norwegian based company into not only the world’s largest salmon farming business, but also a dynamic global food producer.

Above: Alf-Helge Aarskog And, to the surprise of many in the industry, he million – around £1 million. ditched the long standHowever, the business journal ing Marine Harvest title 15 Finansavisen said it was not months ago for the current a question of the money being name of Mowi. paid directly as executive During the decade he was salaries because, within in charge he is estimated to Mowi, remunerations are have earned a total of NOK partly linked to bonuses and 130 million in salary and bothe share price, which has nuses (just over £10 million). risen relentlessly over the His successor as CEO, past decade.

Ivan Vindheim, is reported Meanwhile, the report says to be on a salary of NOK 14

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Mowi’s Scottish operations produced an annual EBIT or operating profit of 126 million euros last year, compared to €77 million in 2018, thanks to higher output and lower costs.

Turning to the topic currently on everyone’s lips, Vindheim said: ‘At this time, we cannot know how this pandemic will play out; however, Mowi’s mission to provide sustainable and healthy food to the population is more important now than ever.

But we are confident that the world will recover from the crisis; meanwhile, we must all contribute in whatever way we can to keep Mowi’s operations running while keeping our employees safe.’

The board of directors also said that regardless of the present turmoil the long term outlook was positive.

Brave face: Pag 16

Bakkafrost Q1 harvest down by almost quarter BAKKAFROST has announced that its first quarter harvest volumes from its Faroe Islands salmon operations will be down almost a quarter this year.

The figure (head on, gutted) is set at 10,700 tonnes, compared to 13,700 tonnes for Q1 2019.

No formal explanation has been given but in late February severe storms hit the island archipelago, causing considerable damage to two of its farming sites.

The storms, some of the worst in the region for many years, lasted four days, leading to the loss of around a million small fish.

CEO Regin Jacobsen warned at the time that the episode would impact on output, with harvest volumes for the whole of 2020 likely to be between 5,000 and 6,000 tonnes, or 10 per cent, lower.

This suggests that production should start to pick up during the rest of this year. Bakkafrost had previously guided on an expected harvest for 2020 of 57,000 tonnes (head on gutted) in the Faroe Islands.

However, there was better news on feed sales, with the Q1 figure put at 19,100 tonnes, compared to 16,300 tonnes a year ago.

The harvest volume for Bakkafrost’s new acquisition, the Scottish Salmon Company, which it bought for more than £500 million last October, is 7,300 tonnes, slightly up on the 2019 figure.

The full Q1 2020 report for the whole Bakkafrost group will be Above: Regin released on May 5.

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European News.indd 13

13

06/04/2020 15:29:21

European News

Economist Norway’s new seafood marketing chief

Above: Camilla Beck Sætre

ECONOMIST Camilla Beck Sætre has been appointed the new marketing director at the Norwegian Seafood Council.

And it looks set to be a baptism of fire, with the industry still likely to be facing untold challenges due to Covid-19 when she takes up her post on June 1.

Sætre has had more than 20 years’ experience from leading positions in marketing, communication and product development.

She has worked in the seafood industry for the past eight years, including as marketing and innovation director at Insula and marketing manager for the subsidiary seafood producers Lofotprodukt. She comes from the position of director of communication and sustainability at Insula.

Seafood Council CEO Renate Larsen said: ‘I am really looking forward to getting Camilla on the team.

‘With her solid expertise and experience in both marketing and

communication, as well as her knowledge of the seafood industry, I am convinced that she will contribute greatly to the development of the Seafood Council and our marketing work both here and abroad.’

Sætre, who will also be a member of the Seafood Council’s management group, said: ‘I am very much looking forward to working closely with the entire seafood industry and skilled employees in the Seafood Council, and marketing Norwegian seafood both nationally and internationally.’

A graduate in economics with a masters from the Norwegian School of Economics, Sætre also has an Executive Master of Management programme in Strategic Management from BI Norwegian Business School, Market Competence in the Seafood Industry (NHH), as well as management education through Northern-Norwegian Leadership Development.

Cod farming project moves ahead at pace THE fish farming company Norcod is moving ahead with plans to become the world’s largest producer of farmed cod.

It has recently transferred around 200,000 fry to its base and released them into cages, and said they were in excellent condition.

The first load of 123,000 fry have an average weight of 140 grammes.

The average weight of the second load of 75,000 fry was somewhat higher, at 215 grammes, the Trondheim based company said.

Norcod said its fish fry were released at Finnangerøya, about 100 miles north of Trondheim, in two different cages, and will be produced to the highest sustainability standards.

It already has two state-of-the-art facilities in operation, with ambitious plans for another eight for start-up over the next few years.

The fish will be farmed in its natural cold water habitat on Norway’s west coast. Norcod said it aims to supply what it believes is a strong market for fresh cod on a year round basis.

Managing director Rune Eriksen explained that after the fry transfer, the fish immediately began swimming in shoals in the surface of the cages and went directly after the feed and seemed to thrive.

‘This was a very important day, both for us and for the industry,’ he added.

He also said Norcod plans to harvest the fish in June next year, but this could be accelerated if the cod continues the same exponential growth rate it has achieved during the breeding phase.

In the past two months, the business has successfully raised new investment, totalling 105 million kroner (around £8 million) to help fund what looks to be a ground-breaking project.

It plans to use the net proceeds to invest in access to juveniles and the build-up of biomass.

In terms of biomass, the company said it has privileged access to sixth generation fry bred for optimal health and yield.

At a time when wild cod catches are restricted by tight quota limits, Norcod said: ‘We aim to supply the strong market for fresh cod year round, amid growing demand globally for sustainably produced, healthy protein.’

The next stage in its plan will be to post a full 1.5 million cod fry in its other farm in Frøya municipality, closer to its home base.

Swedes look to potential land based gold rush SWEDEN has decided to try to cash in on the potential land based salmon farming gold rush, according to a report

by Intrafish.

The government has thrown its weight behind an ambitious project, which is being partly financed by Norwegian company Lighthouse Finance.

The plan reportedly is to build an integrated farm in the municipality of Sotenas, in west-

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European News.indd 14

ern Sweden, that would produce up to 100,000 tonnes of salmon, making it the largest land based salmon centre in Europe.

Lighthouse Finance CEO Roy Hoias told Intrafish that the 75 hectare industrial site could eventually accommodate the entire value chain from feed production to waste processing.

It will include two 40,000-tonne farming facilities and one with a capacity of

20,000 tonnes, he added.

The municipal government has invited land based salmon farmers to apply for a licence to operate on the site.

Hoias said Sweden could offer an opportunity to farm salmon close to Norway but without competing with traditional sea water farming.

Sotenas is less than 100km from the Norwegian border, and 200km from Oslo.

Above: Norcod plans to harvest the fish in June next year

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 15:32:34

All the latest industry news from Europe

Fourth seafood minister this year for Norway

Triploid salmon production to be stepped up

NORWAY has its Energy and comes fifth fisheries and from an energy seafood minister in industry backjust over 18 months ground.

– and the fourth this He said the year. coronavirus crisis Odd Emil Ingemeant fishing and brigtsen takes over aquaculture were from ex-journalist now facing the and current labour biggest peace time minister Torbjørn challenge, and he Røe Isaksen, who was determined to was appointed in a Above: Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen do all he could to stop-gap capacity protect them. last month after Geir Aged 55, he was Inge Sivertsen resigned in a row born near Bodø, an important fish over severance payments. farming region. His political expeTwo weeks earlier, Harald T Nesrience includes 24 years on Bodø vik had quit following a political municipal council. split between the coalition ConHe holds a degree in fishery ecoservative and Progressive parties. nomics from Bodø University, but Nesvik took over in August 2018 instead of entering the industry from Per Sandberg, who stood he moved to Oslo as secretary of down after breaching security Norway’s Young Conservatives. protocol by going on holiday to Prime Minister Erna SolIran with his Iranian born former berg said Ingebrigtsen would be beauty queen girlfriend. given special responsibility in the Ingebrigtsen said: ‘I can’t wait to fight against fishing crime and get started. The fishing and seato negotiate a trade agreement food industry is important for Northat ensures Norwegian seafood way because it creates activity and has access to the UK market. jobs throughout the country. In The new minister added: ‘We will addition, it is an industry with the continue to be a world leading greatest growth potential.’ supplier of seafood, and we will Ingebrigtsen was previously at facilitate sustainable managethe Department of Petroleum and ment.’

THE Norwegian Food Safety Authority has approved a number of applications for the production of triploid salmon at another two fish farms to help protect wild salmon stocks.

There were an unprecedented high number of escapes at fish farms throughout the country last year which led to the then seafood minister, Harald T. Nesvik, demanding action and the Directorate of Fisheries ordering rivers to be monitored.

According to official figures, more than 280,000 salmon escaped from fish farms in some 30 separate incidents.

This was 17 times the figure of just two years earlier and it has given conserva-

tionists hostile to fish farming a stick with which to beat the industry.

Even Seafood Norway, the employers’ industry body, said urgent improvements were necessary and agreed that companies found to be negligent should be ordered to pay.

Triploid salmon has three sets of chromosomes, unlike ordinary diploid salmon which have only two.

The extra chromosome makes the salmon sterile, so if they get into rivers they cannot mix and interbreed with wild fish stocks.

They also have other characteristics which some biologists say are so different that they should be treated as two different species of salmon.

These include a higher growth rate under certain conditions.

Iceland raises farmed fish quota by 34,000 tonnes ICELAND has increased the amount of farmed fish that can be produced in the country each year.

The Marine Research Institute (MRI) recently carried out an updated risk assessment and set a figure of 105,000 tonnes, most of which is certain to be salmon. This compares with the MRI’s earlier maximum of 71,000 tonnes.

Ragnar Jóhannsson, director of aquaculture at the MRI, has published the new risk assessment, which is based on genetic mixing.

Fish farming in Iceland is generally restricted to two main areas of the country, the Westfjords and the eastern region.

Both have benefited considerably from the investment in new jobs and the reviving of once traditional fishing communities.

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European News.indd 15

And opposition from the conventional fishing sector is subsiding, with some companies branching into aquaculture.

Hostility from sports fishing and environmental groups, however, remains as strong as ever.

The new figure for the Westfjords has been set at 61,500 tonnes, compared with 50,000 tonnes in the previous recommendation. The two busiest communities are Arnarfjordur and Tálknafjörður, and Patreksfjörður (both 20,000 tonnes apiece).

The east fjords has been allowed to double output to 42,000 tonnes, with the main beneficiaries being Berufjörður (7,500 tonnes), Fáskrúðsfjörður (12,000 tonnes), and, largest of all, Reyðarfjörður at 16,000 tonnes.

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06/04/2020 15:33:11

News extra – Mowi annual report

Investment

pays off World’s biggest salmon farmer puts on brave face to look beyond current crisis

BY VINCE MCDONAGH

I

T should have been an event to celebrate and, in fact, it still is. But as Mowi published its 2019 annual report last month, the industry – indeed the whole world – was being engulfed by the coronavirus pandemic with no apparent end in sight.

No one yet knows what lasting impact the pandemic will have on the global economy or the aquaculture sector in general.

But the industry giant was able to put on a brave face as it tried to look beyond the current crisis, while hailing 2019 as another good year for the business with ‘record levels in all areas, coupled with new important transformative steps in Feed, Farming and Sales & Marketing fortifying Mowi’s position as the world leading seafood company’.

The report adds: ‘At this time, we cannot know how this will play out; however, Mowi’s mission to provide sustainable and healthy food to the population is more important now than ever.

‘We are confident that the world will recover from the crisis; meanwhile, we must all contribute in whatever way we can to keep Mowi’s operations running while keeping our employees safe.’

CEO Ivan Vindheim said progress in one important area was particularly satisfying, with 10,000 truck journeys being taken off Scotland’s roads following the opening of the company’s new feed plant at Kyleakin on the Isle of Skye.

The development includes a pier which allows for ingredients to be delivered by boat, instead of travelling by road, and feed to be distributed the same way, which Mowi said was revolutionising the business.

He added: ‘Our requirements for feed have increased in recent years as our farming division has grown, and we are pleased that the majority of the feed used in our farming operations today is sourced internally.

‘We decided to expand into the Scottish feed market some years ago, and I am pleased that the factory has now been completed and produced 51,883 tonnes in 2019.

‘The Scottish feed factory is advanced and can deliver different types of freshwater, seawater and organic feed for our farming operations in Scotland, Faroes and Ireland.’

The CEO said technology was also playing a key role in the company’s development: ‘Technology projects such as the collaboration with X, Alphabet’s innovation engine, to track and model fish behaviours, environmental conditions, and fish health using new camera technology and machine learning will be important tools going forward, enabling a sustainable growth of sea farming.’

16

New Extra - MOWI.indd 16

Above: The MOWI Pure brand Opposite: The brand is now available in the US online

Mowi reached a new harvest record of 436,000 tonnes last year, up from 375,000 tonnes in 2018.

‘The growth of 61,000 tonnes, equivalent to 16 per cent, is truly impressive,’ said Vindheim.

‘Our dedicated farmers in the various farming countries have done a great job and this increase shows that the company is on the right track.

‘Increased smolt stockings in recent years, good farming husbandry, purchases of farming capacity and selected acquisitions have brought about the record high volumes.’

Mowi purchased the Norwegian salmon farming company K. Strømmen Lakseoppdrett for 79 million euros during the year to strengthen its position at home, but there were also developments overseas.

‘We continue to invest into our farming operations, both on the freshwater and seawater side,’ said the CEO. ‘Freshwater investments in Norway, Scotland, Canada and Chile were undertaken in 2019 and this will support increased smolt stockings in the future. Smolt investments are the foundation of a vertically integrated farming company.’

Mowi sold a record high 196,000 tonnes of finished products, equivalent to an increase of

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 15:37:51

Investment pays off

Amazon salmon as Mowi rolls out brand

15 per cent on 2018.

Vindheim said: ‘The launch of the MOWI brand is progressing as planned but is still in an early phase. In 2019, the MOWI salmon brand was launched in Poland and also in the food service segment in France.

‘With more than 500 stores featuring the brand in Poland, we are set to expand to other countries as well.

‘In the first quarter of 2020, the MOWI brand was launched in the retail segment in France and in e-commerce channels in the US. We will continue the roll-out of our branded strategy in additional markets in the years to come.’

He added: ‘The ultimate target is to de-commoditise the salmon market over time. To address the competitive processing market, Mowi will establish a Global Processing Excellence Team with the task of realising improvements related to our processing plants.’

Mowi’s operational EBIT was €720.9 million last year, the third highest in the company’s history. On New Year’s Day there was every expectation that 2020 would prove to be an even better year. Coronavirus has almost certainly put paid to that hope.

But Vindheim remains upbeat and believes the world will eventually recover from the crisis, with Mowi determined to play its part. . FF

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New Extra - MOWI.indd 17

Our “ mission

to provide sustainable and healthy food to the population is more important now than ever

Mowi’s premium brand, MOWI Pure, launched in Brussels last year and sold initially in Poland, was rolled out to US consumers via Amazon Fresh on March 15, the date the Boston seafood show had been scheduled to start.

The products will be in stores nationwide later in 2020, and a smoked product line is also scheduled for release later this year, the company added.

The fish are fed a special diet richer in marine ingredients than other feeds in the industry, and formulated in Mowi’s own feed plants.

As a result, the salmon are larger and have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known to reduce heart disease, improve brain health and reduce inflammation, said Mowi.

The Norwegian reared salmon will be processed in Mowi’s Miami, Florida, and Arlington, Texas, facilities.

The new brand will be aimed at the online shopper ‘looking for quality and healthy products for themselves or their families’, said a Mowi spokesman.

And it will be priced competitively ‘for a Norwegian origin with superior quality and taste…the product is unique, yet affordable, for US consumers’.

Andreas Johler, managing director of Brands at Mowi, said: ‘With MOWI Pure, we’re challenging the seafood status quo by making chef quality salmon in unique, precision Japanese cuts available to everyone.’

‘Japanese cuts’ are inspired by Japanese cuisine, said Mowi. Saku (or ‘block’) portions are taken from the premium part of the salmon loin and cut squarely to give a thick marbled cube of salmon or block.

Escalopino (or ‘minute steak’) cuts, meanwhile, are very delicate and ‘are reminiscent of thick sashimi slices. Each slice is uniform in size and shape and can be pan seared very simply for a minute or two on each side’.

The brand will be traceable, as it is in the European market, with consumers able to scan its QR code and learn about the product and its origin.

The MOWI Pure marketing campaign will focus on a digital programme, with collaborations with ‘influencers’ and YouTube videos, complete with easy-to-follow cooking ideas that maximise use of the brand’s unique cuts.

Diana Dumet, director of marketing for Consumer Products at Mowi, said: ‘We’ve found that many US consumers are far more worried about cooking fish properly than they are when preparing other proteins.

‘With our long history in the industry, we believe we’re in a position to do more than just bring the best salmon in the world to the supermarket. We can bring it into their kitchens and on to their tables.

‘Using the power of marketing, we want to educate consumers, teaching them how to cook and enjoy salmon so it’s ultimately more approachable.’

”

17

06/04/2020 15:38:41

United Kingdom News

£10m support for seafood sector ‘on its knees’ Move towards mandatory

Above: Fergus Ewing

THE Scottish government has announced a £10 million funding package to help seafood businesses weather the coronavirus crisis.

With many firms fighting for survival, the Scottish Seafood Business Resilience Fund will provide a combination of grants and loans to businesses.

The shutdown of international markets has led to a collapse in exports, while the closure of the food service industry across the UK has had a devastating impact.

Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: ‘The Scottish government is working flat out to support businesses which are adversely affected by the Covid-19 outbreak.

‘Parts of the seafood sector have been decimated by the collapse of the export and hospitality markets, and are now struggling to survive.

‘Our seafood processors are the lifeblood of many rural and coastal communities, supporting thousands of local

Above: Donna Fordyce

8

UK news.indd 8

as quickly as possible to assist a sector which has been a real success story for the Scottish economy.’

Donna Fordyce, interim head of Seafood Scotland, said: ‘Following the Scottish government’s recent announcement of financial aid for the fishing sector, this package of support for the wider seafood industry is critical to its survival, and very much welcome.

‘We have spent the last two weeks speaking to seafood businesses all over Scotland, and these measures are just what they have been asking for. jobs and producing ‘The sector is some of the one of the finest seamost fragile food in the areas of world.

Scot‘The land’s induseconotry has my, yet been delivers very so much clear in terms that cash of employflow is ment and the critical export effort. issue facing ‘With businesses Above: Jimmy Buchan most export and this new routes fund seeks to inject capital almost entirely closed off into businesses to help them and around 80 per cent of meet their ongoing costs, shellfish and seafood normalkeep the business solvent ly destined for international and keep people on the markets, the industry is payroll.’ currently on its knees, but The minister added: ‘Our this package will help many approach is rightly focused seafood businesses live beon those businesses who yond the impact of Covid-19.’ may need our support the Jimmy Buchan, chief execumost, and we would encourtive of the Scottish Seafood age others that can step in Association, said: ‘We obvito help, to do so. ously welcome the funding ‘I am also exploring how package announced today supermarkets and other by the Scottish government retailers might help ensure as a measure of its intent to more of Scotland’s seafood support the sector at this reaches Scottish consumers time of need. to help create alternative ‘Clearly, SSA members are markets. keen to learn more of the ‘I continue to have regular detail about how the scheme discussions with the industry will operate, particularly the during this time and I pay trib- eligibility criteria, and we ute to the leadership shown look forward to engaging by the Scottish Seafood Assowith officials on that in the ciation and Seafood Scotland. coming days.’

‘We will now move to get these funds out of the door  Minister’s message: Page 28

wrasse controls

SALMON farmers in Scotland have welcomed a government consultation on new wrasse fishing measures.

The review will consider the introduction of mandatory controls over the harvesting of live wrasse, used as a cleaner fish for the salmon farming industry.

The government said in a statement it recognised the important role played by wrasse in controlling lice on salmon farms.

But it added that wild caught wrasse must be fished sustainably, ‘with effective management in place’.

Since 2018, voluntary measures have been put in place by salmon farmers and are mostly ‘operating satisfactorily’, according to officials.

However, Marine Scotland has undertaken an internal review, engaging with the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) and salmon farm operators.

It concluded that ‘there is scope to improve the reporting of wrasse fishing activity and merit in introducing more formal harvesting measures – which would bring the wrasse fishery more into line with other Scottish fisheries’.

‘Marine Scotland therefore propose introducing mandatory controls covering the reporting and practice of wild wrasse harvesting,’ said the statement.

‘Under the new arrangements, we will issue to eligible wrasse fishermen a new permit which will set conditions for participating in the fishery.’

The SSPO’s sustainability director,Anne Anderson, said:‘Following the successful pilot of voluntary measures, we welcome this consultation to consider how to strengthen and maintain sustainable wrasse fisheries.

‘We continue to support the gathering of data, which will provide greater depth of information and analysis.

‘In turn, this will assist with the development of adaptive management for the fisheries.’

Marine Scotland invites industry views on its proposals on the link below: https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/ wild-wrasse-harvesting/consultation/subpage.2016-07-07.1474135251/

Above: Wrasse

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

07/04/2020 11:00:54

World News

Pure Salmon raises funds to start global roll-out LAND based salmon farming company Pure Salmon has As both Japan and France are 10,000 tonne projects, secured funding for its first four projects, it was announced the French facility will share many common design fealast month. tures of the Japanese facility.

Private equity group 8F Asset Management, which owns Pure Salmon is in discussions with construction partPure Salmon, raised $358.8 million (£290 million) for RAS ners with a view to break ground before the end of this (recirculating aquaculture system) facilities in Poland, year, provided the permitting is completed as expected.

Japan, France and the US. Pure Salmon Poland, located near Warsaw, operates The investor base comprises leading family and instituas a commercial farm, producing about 600 tonnes of tional investors, including several sovereign wealth funds, market size fish of 4kg and above, and also as a training insurance companies, and pension funds from Europe, Asia, ground and R&D centre the Middle East and the US. For the 20,000 tonne facility in the US, Pure Salmon has Above: Stephane Farouze The projects also attracted ‘substantial investments’ from completed the site surveys and geotechnical studies.

Pure Salmon’s RAS partner, Israeli based AquaMaof.

Meanwhile, AquaMaof is scheduled to start working on The four projects represent a total production target of 40,000 tonnes the initial RAS technology design for this larger facility. The plan was to per annum. While the Polish facility is already up and running, the first begin applications for permitting in a few months’ time and land prepathree new-build projects are progressing according to their respective ration work was expected to commence during the last quarter of 2020. timelines, said Pure Salmon.

The Pure Salmon management team is being brought together in a The Japanese plant is the most advanced in terms of design, permitnew global headquarters to be based in Abu Dhabi’s financial centre, ting and other preparations, and is expected to break ground in early ADGM (Abu Dhabi Global Market). summer, with Pure Salmon working with Nippon Koei, Japan’s leading This, said the company, will create a centrally located hub, from which engineering consultant. Completion of works is expected by late 2021 its vision will be realised in local markets around the world. with the first harvest planned for 2023.

Other global projects include those already announced in China, Africa The French project, in Boulogne-sur-Mer, is also moving quickly, with and South East Asia, which will all contribute towards a total target of strong support from the local authorities, said Pure Salmon.

260,000 tonnes of salmon production.

The French government has offered a Fast Track process to obtain all Stephane Farouze, board director of Pure Salmon and chairman and necessary permitting by autumn this year. founder of 8F Asset Management, said: ‘With this highly successful Pure Salmon has contracted three local specialist companies to exeasset raise we have reached a critical milestone in the development of cute geotechnical studies, hydrogeological studies and permit applicaPure Salmon and have truly begun our journey towards 260,000 tonnes tion assistance. per annum production of sustainable salmon.’

Garware wins UK patent for new generation lice shield PIONEERING Indian textiles company Garware Technical Fibres has been granted a UK patent for its new generation sea lice skirt, designed to block lice but not water. The X12 lice shields have a very high water flow, ensuring greatly improved dissolved oxygen and water exchange compared to older, tarpaulin-like lice skirts.

The fabric is comprised of yarns that have antifouling additives in-built, thereby reducing growth of fouling species.

Garware said that in a normal lice skirt, one litre of water goes through in seven and a half minutes, whereas in the X12 fabric it goes through in six seconds.

In trials in Chile with square cages, two side cages were treated with X12 and the rest left open. After a full, 13-month cycle, there was a 55 to 60 per cent reduction in sea lice counts in the cages with the skirts.

‘And the growth rate was better and they needed half the bath treatments,’ Vayu Garware, chairman and managing director told Fish Farmer.

Further tests are being carried out in Norway, with 10m skirts showing a significant reduction in the lice counts, and Garware has also trialled the product in Scotland.

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World news.indd 19

Canada’s fish farmers join global Broader customer base boosts marine body BioMar profit CANADA’S fish farmers have joined a unique group of leaders committed to making the world’s oceans and marine areas a healthier place.

Timothy Kennedy, CEO of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA), has been chosen to work with global experts as an invited member of the Advisory Network to the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Oceans Economy, known as HLP. Kennedy said: ‘The expert report on ocean food for the HLP has said

Above: Timothy Kennedy

that the largest potential carbon reduction gains for global food production lie in the sustainable expansion of marine aquaculture.

‘Canada has such a massive opportunity – largely untapped – for its oceans and ocean farming to be an important solution to climate mitigation.’

The HLP is the only ocean policy body made up of serving world leaders, and includes Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau.

However, there remains doubt over Trudeau’s commitment to the industry after he made it an election pledge last year to end the farming of Atlantic salmon in sea pens in British Columbia and transition to closed containment by 2025.

FEED giant BioMar has reported record revenue and earnings for 2019, despite competitiveness in the salmon feed market.

The Danish company said its best ever results showed EBITDA increasing by 15 per cent Above: Carlos Diaz compared to 2018, from 713 million Danish kroner (£82 million) to DKK 966 million (£113 million).

At the same time, revenue increased by eight per cent – from DKK 10,328 million to DKK 11,180 million, mainly driven by the salmon division.

This was based on ‘innovative product offering and close collaboration with customers around advanced feed solutions’, the company said.

BioMar CEO Carlos Diaz said: ‘It is a great achievement for the entire group, that we have turned an ambitious strategy into tangible results.

‘We have, during the last year, expanded capacity and global presence. At the same time, we have gone through extensive structural and organisational changes.

‘These initiatives are now filtering through to results in the shape of an ability to serve a broader customer base, better price/volume balance.’

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06/04/2020 15:42:31

News extra – Land based farming

Bridging the Gulf Why rearing salmon in the desert ‘makes complete sense’

W

HEN Norwegian fish farmer and businessman Lukas Havn first had his vision to grow salmon in the Saudi desert his aim was to improve food security in the region.

Today, that goal has become even more pressing, as Emirates flights to the Middle East join the global lockdown and the area’s heavy reliance on imports is laid bare.

Havn, CEO of Vikings Label and based for the past three years in Dubai, UAE, outlined his plans to build an RAS salmon farm in Saudi Arabia at Aqua Nor last August.

Despite the current crisis, the project is going ahead and he hopes construction will begin in September/October this year.

The first phase will produce 5,000 tonnes of salmon, but the scheme is a grand one, with other species, a hatchery, processing facilities and an R&D centre all housed within a vast Fish City, at an as yet undecided stretch of desert beside the Persian Gulf.

‘We have always seen that certain regions should have their own supply of protein sources, especially to feed their own people,’ said Havn, speaking to Fish Farmer from his home in Dubai, days after flights to the Middle East were suspended.

‘Everyone talks about food security and usually it’s just talk, but now it is reality…when imports stop you see how important it is.’

The United Arab Emirates imports around 90 per cent of its seafood, along with most other food in the country.

The Saudis, meanwhile, already farm some species, including shrimp, but estimate there will be a market deficit of seafood of 800,000 tonnes in 12 years.

Havn has been importing and distributing salmon in the UAE for more than three years and although he is now 95 per cent focused on his new farming project, he still has one client.

With trading in fresh fish ‘impossible’ at present, he was supplying only frozen salmon, and had a consignment on the way by boat. He said he didn’t know if any freight was getting in by plane because people had stopped asking for it.

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News Extra - Saudi.indd 20

The domestic market in the long term, though, will hopefully grow, but not on its own, said Havn.

‘There is a big tradition here for meat and to switch to seafood there is a job to be done by government and farmers.’

The Saudi regime has launched a campaign to boost consumption of seafood to 13kg per capita by the end of this year and then to 22kg, the global average, by 2030.

Helping to achieve this will be a targeted increase in aquaculture production from 77,000 tonnes a year to 600,000 tonnes by 2030.

Vikings Label is looking to the Middle East market because, said Havn, ‘we want to have a super fresh product and as soon as we start packing, shipping or flying it that’s not the same’.

Above: Hani Alsaleh, the first investor. Vikings Label has now signed Series A, A1, B and B1.

Series C is the next and final for the first part of the project.

Left: Signing of the shareholders agreement (from left): Graham Bell (financial partner), Hani Alsaleh (investor), Lukas Havn CEO, Osama Sabeg (investor), and Tore Havn, CFO. Opposite: llustration of the Fish City

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 15:44:58

Bridging the Gulf

‘We’re creating this for more food security for the region with hope to expand to make it an export commodity as well.’

To this end, he and his team are currently working remotely, with RAS experts in Denmark, to get the initial phase of their salmon farm started.

They have raised some of the $90-100 million needed, all so far from Saudi investors, and now just need the final financing for the first part of the project.

Sites are planned for Saudi Arabia and Oman, and the selection process is in progress, said Havn.

‘We are not delayed, but need to wait until we can start flying again; we need to be there in person with the marine teams.

‘We have made good progress and we are working closely with private and governmental institutions in both Saudi Arabia and Oman.

‘We have sites in both countries we are researching and testing and expect clarity on where we will build our first project within the next few months, and construction will start shortly after that, all of this depending on this current situation, of course.

‘We are building a 5,000 tonne per year salmon farm as stage one in this project [with salmon eggs imported from Iceland], and then we will expand to one or more other locations in the Middle East, plus other species, hatcheries, processing and distribution facilities, and a R&D and training centre.’

Other species could include sea bream and sea bass, which are not hard to farm in the ocean, said Havn, but there are risks, not least red tide which takes the oxygen out of the water and kills the fish.

The Fish City, ‘the future of sustainable aquaculture’ according to Vikings Label, could also feature yellowtail king fish farms and hamour (a local species) production too.

‘We want to create a hatchery for local species to help other farms with better product so they don’t have to import their fingerlings.

‘We have developed systems for farming all of these species on land. We’re not only salmon but we’re starting with salmon because we have big knowledge of the market and we have the buyers and the network.’

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News Extra - Saudi.indd 21

The Norwegians’ partners will include Danish RAS experts Graakjaer, but Havn said they want to be ‘flexible and self-sustained’, and not tied down to specific suppliers.

‘We believe that in order to create a perfect project we must be able to choose the best option from here and there.’

With the experienced Morten Malle as chief technical officer, and consultancy companies in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, ‘we are growing stronger and stronger as a team’, he said.

Havn believes land based RAS farms ‘make complete sense’ in some markets, such as the Middle East, which is so far from anywhere that produces salmon.

But he has reservations about those with no background in the industry jumping on the global land based farming bandwagon.

‘It is a little worrying that there are a lot of projects in the pipeline looking for investment that are not run by fish people, but finance people who want to buy expertise.

‘They sit in an office and the next day they want to build a RAS...I’m really curious to see how that will play out in the future.

‘The last thing we look at is the money part of it, it is important to get money from investors but we are doing it for other reasons than the financial ones.’

Havn comes from a salmon farming background and his father, Tore Havn (CFO of Vikings Label), has been on the financial side of salmon farming for more than 30 years – in Norway and in Shetland and the rest of Scotland.

‘We are establishing ourselves as leaders of sustainable aquaculture, and we are bringing tech and knowledge into the region and we want to help the whole region grow and be successful.

‘We are aiming for five species and up to 50,000 tonnes per year in the next five years, but what the future will bring we will see, it might be that, or it might be bigger.

‘We are here to hopefully start something successful in line with, for example Saudi Vision 2030 and Oman Vision 2040, where they all aim to grow in many sectors, with aquaculture being one of the main sectors.’ FF

Everyone “talks about

food security but when imports stop you see how important it is

”

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06/04/2020 15:45:39

Comment

BY DR MARTIN JAFFA

Foraging for a fight Why direct consumption of fishmeal species won’t catch on

N

OVEMBER 9, 1989, was a momentous day in world history, but it was also a pivotal date for the world’s seas and oceans.

That is the date recorded for the fall of the Berlin Wall and it was when numerous NGOs, which had been fighting for nuclear disarmament between the east and west, suddenly found that their cause no longer existed.

They had to find something else to justify their existence and many discovered their saviour was the world’s seas and oceans.

These offered myriad funding opportunities for all sorts of issues, ranging from pollution and over fishing to coral destruction.

Many NGOs worked out that resources were more readily available if there was something specific to fight, something which could be changed. One of the most common ‘somethings’ was salmon farming.

For those of us working within the industry, this was extremely puzzling. After all, salmon farming is all about growing food in the least environmentally damaging way.

Yet the sector is often portrayed as the greatest environmental disaster to hit the planet.

This is simply because NGOs use salmon farming as a way of generating funds.

In the last issue of Fish Farmer, I wrote about my visit to Feedback, one of the few NGOs which has been willing to discuss its concerns.

Feedback’s fish farming campaign focuses on the use of forage fish in fish feeds, yet forage fish are also used in terrestrial agriculture as an ingredient in pig and poultry feeds.

Forage fish are widely used in pet foods too and, bizarrely, UK supermarkets sell fishmeal as a fertiliser for home gardens.

Feedback and other NGOs rarely mention these uses, preferring to focus on salmon farming. The reasoning is clear: targeting salmon farming is a guaranteed way to raise funds.

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Martin Jaffa.indd 22

Feedback has now joined with Changing Markets, another NGO that has focused on the use of forage fish in salmon feeds, to highlight concerns about salmon farming.

They have jointly published a report, Caught Out, in which they focus on how UK retailers have tackled the use of wild fish in their aquaculture supply chains.

The report ranks the top 10 UK retailers against a set of criteria designed to assess how effectively they are addressing the ocean sustainability implications of the farmed seafood they sell.

Tesco came out top with a rating of 60 per cent, followed by M&S at 44 per cent. The bottom three were Asda with 16 per cent, Iceland with 14 per cent, and Aldi with a score of 12 per cent.

However, in my view, these scores are meaningless since they are designed by the NGOs themselves and thus reflect their views and those of the environmental sector, rather than the wider community.

For example, one of the criteria is whether stores are willing to blacklist farms with consistently high mortality rates.

Another is whether the store group has a named senior member of staff who champions aquaculture sustainability. Retailers are marked down if they just employ a named fish specialist.

The conclusion of the report is that no retailer has a time-bound target to eliminate farmed seafood fed on wild caught fish. They say that without this commitment, the future of aquaculture supply chains cannot be assured.

They also say that salmon is heavily marketed to consumers, outweighing other varieties of seafood, and argue that stocking and marketing sustainable alternatives to farmed fish is a key step towards shaping consumer tastes in the right direction.

By this, they mean that they would prefer to see consumers eat forage species rather than feeding them to salmon.

Feedback has held an event where it tasked a chef to cook and serve fish such as blue whiting, herring and anchoveta, which are often caught Above: Herring shoal for production into fishmeal. They wanted to demonstrate that they can be made into tasty meals.

The problem is that consumers are not so convinced, which is why even top independent fishmongers don’t offer these species for sale.

It is a noble idea to encourage the consumption of a wider range of species but fish consumption is a very complex issue. While Feedback claimed that supermarkets promote salmon by stocking it in quantity, the reality is that it is made available in quantity because that is what shoppers want to buy.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 15:48:07

Foraging for a fight

Interestingly, Peru, the source of much of the anchovy used in fishmeal production, has conducted campaigns to try to persuade local consumers to eat the fish directly rather than convert it into fishmeal.

There have been many public sector initiatives, but none have had much impact on consumers.

IFFO, the marine ingredients organisation, details case studies on Peruvian anchovy on its website. Between 2005 and 2011, peak consumption was 125,000 tonnes, which equates to less than two per cent of the total anchovy catch. Once the government initiatives ceased, consumption fell to about 60,000 tonnes.

The problem is that the fish have a distinct flavour that makes them unpalatable. They also deteriorate very quickly, limiting storage and transport, which adds to the problem of encouraging wider public consumption. In my view, if NGOs such as Feedback want things to change, then they should take the initiative themselves.

It’s all very easy to criticise salmon farming, but if they want consumers to buy and eat forage fish then they should set up the supply chain and rather than selling the idea, they should sell the fish.

After all, if they can obtain the fish and get a chef to cook it for them, why not do it on a much larger scale for consumers across the country?

It’s just too easy to criticise the salmon farming industry and blame it for all the ocean’s ills, especially when you get funding to do so. FF Dr Neil Auchterlonie’s IFFO highlights: Page 54

It’s easy to blame salmon “farming for all the ocean’s

ills, especially when you get funding to do so

”

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Martin Jaffa.indd 23

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07/04/2020 11:02:24

Coronavirus crisis – Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation

BY HAMISH MACDONELL

New ways of working ‘Core resilience’ sees sector adapt to meet the challenges

T

HERE was a moment, captured on wobbly video and posted on social media late last month, which demonstrated precisely how much has changed – and, equally, how much has stayed the same.

It was a few seconds of echoey applause and cheering as the camera swept across a production line.

The place was Mowi’s salmon processing plant at Rosyth, those applauding were the employees and those been thanked were the NHS workers doing so much to get the country through this extraordinary crisis.

The fact that workers in an essential food processing sector – the hidden heroes as they have become known - were pausing for a moment to cheer colleagues in another vital sector was heartening enough, but it was the detail of the scene, behind the applause, that actually said an awful lot more.

All those in shot were wearing gloves and overalls and hair nets, as they always do. But on each line there were perspex screens, erected to separate workers who had to operate close to their colleagues.

Where there weren’t screens there were gaps, big gaps, between the workers to make sure everything possible was being done to keep these employees safe.

Everything had changed and yet it hadn’t: the production line was different but food was still being produced, cleaned, packaged and shipped, just as it had been before.

A similar picture could have been taken almost anywhere across our companies. Shifts have been staggered to reduce interactions, skeleton crews have been installed to keep all but the most essential staff away from the workplace and special transports have been laid on to prevent workers from having to travel to work next to their colleagues.

And yet work is still going on, salmon are being reared and harvested and the population is being fed.

Yes, there is hardship and difficulty. Yes, there have been desperate cases of illness and separation. Yes, exports have collapsed and emergency measures have been rushed through to try to keep delayed harvest fish healthy.

But there is a core resilience in this sector which has seen it adapt, change and manoeuvre to meet the challenges thrown up by this virus head on.

We were feeding more than a million mouths in the UK every day be-

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fore this crisis and we are still doing that now.

But it is not just at a company level that new ways of working have been found.

As soon as the crisis hit, the SSPO’s sustainability team started working with the regulators to find ways of easing the mounting pressures on farms.

With the virtual collapse of our export markets almost overnight, our farmers were suddenly faced with fish that needed to be harvested but which had no markets to go to.

SEPA and Marine Scotland acted swiftly and flexibly, working with the SSPO to give farmers the breathing space they needed. Fish are now being kept in the water for longer, there is new flexibility of fallowing, and monitoring and medicine regulations have been tweaked, allowing more to be done with fewer staff.

Then there was the response from government. Both the UK and Scottish governments moved quickly to make it clear that food production workers were seen as essential – and this included all in the supply chain too.

Virtual meetings with senior government ministers which, not so long ago, would have taken weeks to arrange and hold, were now taking place on a daily basis as everyone came together with a common purpose: to keep the salmon flowing from pens to plate.

One message dominated all others – the need to protect the health and welfare of all those employed, directly or indirectly, by the farmed salmon sector.

But a secondary theme quickly emerged – the determination on behalf of everyone involved to keep UK consumers supplied with the fresh, healthy, Scottish produce they needed.

As the country went into lockdown and all

Above: Processors adapt to the new restrictions at Mowi’s Rosyth plant (photo: Mowi)

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06/04/2020 15:51:40

New ways of working

restaurants and food service outlets closed, the supermarkets came under extreme pressure from consumers, a pressure which quickly worked its way back up the line to producers.

That our producers more than matched that demand is a credit, first and foremost, to the farmers and all those keeping the supply chains open.

But it is also a credit to the regulators, the politicians and the officials who have forced open doors, worked hard into the night and cut their way through the normally stifling red tape to make sure that supply of food can continue unrestrained.

Now, none of that good news should blind us to the extraordinarily difficult issues we are now dealing with.

We had thought that issues with the European market, which we anticipated if the UK fell out of the EU without a deal, might cause problems.

But no one foresaw the almost total collapse of all our export markets, at the same time.

And while our farmers have gratefully accepted the flexibility which will allow them to

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SSPO.indd 25

the almost total collapse “No oneofforesaw all our export markets ”

keep their fish in the water for longer, everyone involved in this sector knows that is only a finite solution.

The easing of regulations has given us breathing space, nothing more.

Those fish are going to be harvested at some point soon and, when they are, they are going to need a market to go to.

Both the UK and Scottish governments have shown a keen willingness to embrace a strong ‘Buy British, Buy Scottish, Support Local’ campaign which could, if properly established, pave the way for more Scottish salmon to be sold in UK shops.

This is just one of the areas we will be driving at in the weeks and months ahead. Some export markets will open up quicker than others and, when they do, our producers will be there, fighting their way back in to ensure Scottish salmon gets back to the pre-eminent position it enjoyed before the virus hit.

There will be intense competition from our foreign counterparts, all of whom will be vying for the same market space.

But if we can show even a fraction of the strength, speed and flexibility our farmers have shown in coping with this crisis at home, it shouldn’t be long before we are back where we belong – as the most sought after salmon in the world, all over the world. FF Hamish Macdonell is director of strategic engagement for the SSPO

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06/04/2020 15:52:17

Coronavirus crisis - Shellfish

BY NICKI HOLMYARD

Staying afloat Small businesses forced to make ‘heart breaking’ decisions

C

OVID-19 has probably changed the global seafood industry forever, and in ways we haven’t even thought of yet. In my small sector, it has affected production, sales, supply chains, and the morale of the many small shellfish businesses in the UK. Those who already slept uneasily at night, find myriad more issues to keep them awake.

Apart from lost sales, our own business, Offshore Shellfish, is approaching a very busy time of year for farm and boat maintenance, and we are struggling to access some of the equipment and spare parts that we need.

We are also faced with uncertainty over whether surveyors will turn up to do the annual coding inspections, which in turn would have implications for our insurance and the legality of putting to sea.

All such minor niggles will gradually get sorted out, but they take up headspace and management time in already busy schedules.

Then there are staff issues, having to manage those who need to self-isolate, those who think they should self-isolate ‘just in case’, those who are genuinely ill, and others who are too terrified to go to work.

Our answer is to put in place strict protocols that ensure separation distances can be maintained onshore and on the boats, not travelling in the same vehicle together, not sharing crockery or cutlery, and plenty of hand washing and sanitation.

Our staff have never had so many emails and memos directed at them, and I doubt that they have all been read!

If we don’t keep working and maintaining optimum flotation levels, the mussel lines will sink and we lose the crop. If we don’t put in new spat-catching lines, then we will have no mussels next year.

We are “remaining

positive and hopeful that we will see our customers on the other side

”

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Both scenarios potentially lead to the loss of jobs and ultimately of the business, and we are determined that this won’t happen. Persuading staff that it is not just ‘all about money’ is another thing.

One of the biggest immediate effects of government measures to slow the spread of coronavirus, is that catering businesses have all but shut down.

It is likely that many restaurants, already struggling with slow business over the winter, will never reopen their doors.

As a result, sales of fresh seafood are down, and retailers are shelving their fresh fish counters, but demand for frozen seafood is booming.

This is fine for retail products such as the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group’s (SSMG) mussels-insauce, which are sold chilled and frozen, but does not help companies who only sell fresh mussels and oysters.

The fresh side of SSMG’S business has suffered from the sudden collapse of the food service and restaurant trade, with the result that its processing plant on Brae in the Shetland Isles has been temporarily shut and the 22 staff formally furloughed.

Michael Tait, chairman of SSMG, told Fish Farmer that the company had no choice but to cease operations in Shetland but that, thankfully, the cooperative’s in-sauce processing unit at Bellshill near Glasgow remains operational and largely unaffected.

‘SSMG will work hard to get through this difficult time and hopefully get the Brae plant back up and running as soon as possible, but these are very challenging circumstances for us, as they are for most people in the country right now,’ he said.

Judith Vajk, who runs Caledonian Oysters with her son Angus, is hoping to keep their workforce going.

‘We have very few sales, although I am trying to encourage people to pick up oysters from our local fish shop in Oban, via social media.

‘However, our work is governed by the tides, and spring is a time of fast new growth, so there’s plenty of grading work to be done, which should mean that we have a plentiful stock of oysters when things go back to normal,’ she said.

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06/04/2020 15:54:18

Staying afloat

Kelsey Thomson at Morcambe Bay Oysters supplies hatchery seed and part-grown Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas), and provides two million market ready oysters per year to parent company Loch Fyne Oysters. He told Fish Farmer that his business was suffering on several fronts.

‘Sales of our market ready oysters are well down, several customers for seed oysters have postponed their orders due to concerns about potential delays with transport, and we are running out of carbon dioxide for the algae unit, because the bottled gas suppliers are so busy delivering oxygen to hospitals.

‘We also have issues with staff self-isolating or not being able to get to work because no one wants to car share, the taxis are all reserved for more important work, and there is no public transport.

‘And on top of all that, the chemical toilet is full and we can’t get it emptied,’ he said.

Sometimes, it is the little things that make one despair!

Richard Haward’s Oysters, a family company in its eighth generation now that Tom Haward has taken over the day to day running of the business on the River Blackwater, has made the ‘heart breaking decision to close our online shop temporarily’, according to a notice on their website.

Tom’s father, Richard, told Fish Farmer that although they were still hoping to continue with online sales, their courier service has struggled to cope with huge demands for all types of deliveries, and could no longer guarantee a next day service.

The company is keeping its stall at Borough Market open, but only for take-away sales.

‘As a small business, this was a tough call to make, and we have lost around 90 per cent of our trade.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

Shellfish.indd 27

Above: The Offshore Shellfish team Below: Harvesting on a stormy day Opposite: Bagging the harvest (photos: Offshore Shellfish)

However, we are remaining positive and hopeful that we will see our customers on the other side!’ said Richard Haward.

Another oyster farmer, Tim Edwards, who runs the Bantham nursery for Porlock Oysters, has also found his orders drying up.

He fears that if the situation continues for too long, he will run out of space to put graded-out oysters.

‘The business had just started to pick up, with decent sales, then overnight it all stopped. In the meantime, we still have to keep up with the husbandry and routine maintenance, so there is plenty of work to keep us going. Just no money coming in,’ he said.

In normal times, Katy Davidson, Cornwall’s own ‘oyster lady’, hosts oyster experiences at Porthilly Oysters, runs a shuckerett service at weddings, events and festivals, and gives talks, masterclasses and demonstrations around the country. She also runs an Airbnb from her home, but like the oyster work, this has disappeared for now.

‘I hate not being busy, so I am currently working on a crab and lobster boat, then helping to sell the catch direct to local consumers, which gives me the opportunity to add in some Porthilly oysters. It’s important to keep spreading the oyster love!’ she said.. FF

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06/04/2020 15:55:15

Coronavirus crisis

‘We will help you’ A message to the industry from Rural Economy Minister Fergus Ewing

I

AM immensely grateful for the hard work of those in the aquaculture sector who continue to provide Scottish salmon and trout for the nation.

Food production is something we should never take for granted, but it is only possible because of all the people working on fish farms and throughout the supply chain.

The spread of Covid-19 presents an unprecedented global public health crisis and responding to it is a priority for the Scottish government. Significant measures have been taken to curtail the spread but these have serious implications for all sectors of the Scottish economy.

Readers already know that Covid-19 is having a profound impact on all aspects of Scottish life, with us all making changes to our lives that would have been unimaginable only a few weeks ago. We need to respond in new ways and be flexible, adaptable and ready to react to challenges as they arise.

The Scottish government is working flat out to put in place appropriate support to aid our hard-pressed businesses and we understand that this situation follows of a period of significant wider challenges, threatening the viability of many aquaculture firms.

And we know also that this sector offers highly skilled jobs and livelihoods in some of our most remote and fragile rural communities.

My message to businesses large and small is that we know this is difficult, we know times are hard, and we will do everything we can to help you.

The UK government has put in place a scheme to support self-employed workers, which is to be welcomed.

Industry leaders have told me that the recent announcement by the chancellor to support up to 80 per cent of employee salaries will be a big help, but this could come too late for many businesses, if fears of no payment until June are realised.

We are working with key aquaculture representatives to ensure the sector remains viable and that there continue to be jobs and livelihoods once this pandemic ends.

Measures we are taking include looking at how we can develop the domestic market for products like farmed fish and shellfish while maintaining crucial export markets wherever possible.

I recognise that the consequences of this pandemic may mean it is difficult for the sector to comply fully with certain conditions at sites

It is heartening that businesses “ are stepping in to support their local communities ” 28

Corona - Fergus.indd 28

Above: Fergus Ewing

for reasons beyond their control. For example, the timing of harvest may need to be postponed which may impact on conditions for the maximum biomass held on site.

We are actively working with you to ensure farmers meet their statutory obligations such as animal health and welfare. It is important that operators continue to engage with us so they are prepared appropriately and taking all reasonable steps to remain in compliance with Scotland’s current regulatory framework wherever possible.

Times of crisis often bring out the best in people and our aquaculture industry is no exception. It is heartening that businesses are stepping in to support their local communities with offers of hand sanitisers, PPE, vehicles and much more.

Together, we will overcome this adversity and ensure Scottish aquaculture can continue to play a leading role in our food and drink success story. FF

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 16:04:11

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Vonin.indd 29

06/04/2020 16:05:35

Coronavirus crisis – Farming frontline

Locked down…but not out Salmon farmers overhaul business practices to keep key workers safe

S

COTTISH Sea Farms has reassured the communities it works in that it is keeping food supplies flowing, with its team of key workers operating according to the Covid-19 restrictions.

The company, which has had an absenteeism rate of under one per cent so far during the pandemic, has placed an advertisement in local news outlets explaining why some of its staff still need to be out and about during the nationwide lockdown.

‘If you spot a few of our team going about their work as if everything is ‘business as usual’ please rest assured that, as with the rest of the country, things are anything but the norm,’ the notice reads.

‘Both the UK and Scottish governments have outlined the essential role that food production can play in the wellbeing of the nation as we unite against Covid-19. In the words of First Minsiter Nicola Sturgeon: ‘We want you to keep going, if possible…and if you can, operate your business in line with safe social distancing practice and of course your normal health and safety requirements.’

‘We’re working hard do do exactly that, helped by our suppliers.

‘While much of this work can and is being done from home, a small number of our team can only carry out their critical roles in a work setting; our farmers, for example, who have a duty of care to look after their livestock, and our processing staff who expertly harvest and pack our fish for market so that there is fresh farmed salmon for us all to enjoy.’

All the salmon producer’s key workers have been given letters by the company to show that their roles are essential.

Scottish Sea Farms said it had ‘overhauled normal business practices to ensure these key workers are operating in line with official guidance on Covid-19, and will continue to do so as guidance evolves’.

‘It’s our way of keeping our team, families and local communities safe and well, while also playing our part in keeping food supplies flowing.’

Scottish Sea Farms’ managing director Jim Gallagher said: ‘When it comes to describing the events of recent weeks, ‘unprecedented’

All those of us involved in food “ production and distribution have a key role to play ”

doesn’t come close, with the impact felt across all sections of society.

‘However, as both the Scottish and UK governments have been quick to highlight, all those of us involved in food production and distribution have a key role to play in the nation’s resilience to Covid-19 and it requires each and every one of us to deliver.

‘For Scottish Sea Farms, this has involved the continued monitoring of official guidance and adapting working practices to keep everyone safe; regular liaison with our customers as their needs change; and working closely with critical contractors and suppliers on how best to meet Above: Critical role these changing needs.

‘I’d like to say special thanks to our team for the hard work, dedication and commitment they have shown, and continue to show, at a time that is as challenging personally as it is professionally.’ FF

Door step delivery in difficult times INDEPENDENT salmon farmer Loch Duart may replace markets lost through the coronavirus lockdown with direct deliveries.

The company, which farms in Sutherland and the Hebrides, launched a survey last month asking customers if they would be interested in a home delivery service.

On its Facebook site, Loch Duart said: ‘As you will understand, many people are facing challenges in purchasing fresh produce in these difficult times.

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Corona - Farmers.indd 30

‘That’s why we’re asking you if there’s any way we can make it easier for you to buy Loch Duart salmon.

‘Please take a few moments to fill in our short survey about how you could buy Loch Duart salmon. We’d love to hear from you, and this should only take a few moments!’

The deadline for the survey has now closed and the Loch Duart team has been meeting on Zoom to assess the results.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 16:08:12

Coronavirus crisis – Farming frontline

Mowi Scotland team providing 500,000 meals a day Mowi Scotland is managing to deliver a steady supply of salmon to retailers, providing 500,000 meals a day during the coronavirus crisis.

Although many of its employees are working remotely, as a food producer the company has a number of key workers across different departments.

Mowi Scotland’s head of HR, Joanna Peeling told the firm’s newsletter, The Scoop, that those meeting the government’s definition of key workers included staff directly involved in producing feed for salmon; farmers who are responsible for the fish in their care; and processing teams, along with those supporting them with vessels and logistics.

Additional health and safety measures have been put in place for these employees, such as adjustments to shift start and finish times, so that there is a clear break between one group of people leaving and the next arriving.

Other new arrangements include break adjustments, to enable social distancing to be practised in communal areas, such as kitchens and canteens; and installing additional hand sanitisers to enhance existing handwashing facilities.

All non-essential business travel and all non-essential visits to farm sites has been stopped as well, said Peeling.

Mowi is working to update all workers regularly with clear and comprehensive information on work related risks in their area.

There are regular team briefings, with updated information and health posters on display across all sites.

‘Both the UK and Scottish governments have reiterated the vital role that food producers play

in the wellbeing of the nation, and have said we should, if possible, keep going,’ said Peeling.

‘Obviously, for staff that can work from home, we have done everything we can to make this transition as seamless as possible, providing new equipment, hardware and software as quickly as we can source it.

‘The supply chain for technology comes largely from overseas so, for example, new laptops or mobile phones are not easily available at the moment, but it is an ongoing process and we are prioritising according to the business critical nature of each request.

‘In addition, we are asking managers to be as supportive and flexible as they can in finding ways to allow those with caring responsibilities to carry on working.’

The company said it is supporting individual working arrangements for key workers who have no access to childcare, and offering support for those who usually ‘car share’ on their commute.

‘Of course, it will be a considerable time yet before things get back to normal, but in the meantime we’ll continue to take our responsibilities, both as an employer and as a supplier of food, extremely seriously,’ said Peeling.

About 60 to 70 per cent of the company’s production supplies the domestic market, and 100 per cent of output from its big processing facility at Rosyth is destined for the UK, said a spokesman.

Ben Hadfield, managing director of Mowi Scotland, said the domestic market has been great because retail sales have been strong as people stock up.

And there is no indication that consumers will

grateful and full of admiration “We’re all forverywhat they’re doing ”

Farming ‘normal’ for now, says Grieg

BERGEN based Grieg Seafood said last month that its salmon farming operations were ‘running as normal’ during the coronavirus outbreak.

The salmon was being harvested according to plan, said the company, adding that it would ‘work relentlessly to keep our harvesting schedule also in the coming time’.

Grieg, which farms in Norway, Scotland and Canada, said it still expected to harvest 16,800 gutted weight tonnes in Q1 as forecast, and the company’s volume target of 100,000 tonnes for 2020 remained in place.

‘The demand for salmon is there in the markets, with significant decreased demand from hotel, restaurants and catering and increased demand from retail.’

The group conceded, though, that the medium and long term implications of the coronavirus pandemic remained uncertain.

For now, the flow of goods between countries on trucks remained relatively good, with no border restrictions on food items, including salmon.

But airfreight was a challenge and the industry was working hard to find

Above: Ben Hadfield

stop buying salmon, because having a nice meal to look forward to is one of the things still possible during the coronavirus crisis.

Hadfield said that was great for Scotland, but globally the collapse of food service in Asia and the US was a challenge.

The response to the crisis from the whole sector had been good, he added, including from the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation, government and SEPA – ‘it just shows how a crisis can focus the mind’.

But he reserved the highest praise for his dedicated staff at Mowi: ‘The team here just gets on with it, they’re fantastic,’ he said of all those who have been working remotely after the office shut down, even before the nationwide lockdown.

And he said special thianks should go to ‘the guys and girls on the farms and in the processing plants who are doing a great job’.

‘They’ve still got to go out and work and produce fish with all this uncertainty – we’re all very grateful and full of admiration for what they’re doing.’

alternative transportation solutions.

‘With farming operations located in close proximity to both the European and the US market, Grieg Seafood’s dependence on cross-Atlantic distribution is limited,’ said the company.

Norway recognised that salmon farming was a ‘critical public function’, and upholding production was a government priority, said Grieg.

‘The company is maintaining a good dialogue with the authorities in Norway, the UK and Canada through industry organisations, discussing possible arrangements to safeguard salmon farming operations in various scenarios, such as flexibility on maximum allowed biomass and fallow periods.’

Grieg said it had implemented measures at its farms to limit contamination, with crises management teams in its head office and in each region.

Because of Covid-19, the company has postponed its Capital Markets Day, planned for June 10. But it reassured investors that its finances were in good health, with cash and credit facilities of NOK 955 million and an equity ratio of 46 per cent.

CORONAVIRUS REPORTS BY VINCE MCDONAGH, SANDY NEIL AND JENNY HJUL www.fishfarmermagazine.com

Corona - Farmers.indd 31

31

06/04/2020 16:09:25

Coronavirus crisis – Countdown

Long March Month that saw deadly disease hit the sector, link by link in the supply chain

BY SANDY NEIL

O

N New Year’s Eve 2019, China alerted the World Health Organisation to several cases of an unusual pneumonia in Wuhan, a port city of 11 million people in Hubei province. Several of those infected worked at the city’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, shut down the next day.

The unknown pathogen was named Covid-19, and identified as a coronavirus, which includes the common cold and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that killed 770 people worldwide in 2002-03.

Less than a fortnight later, on January 11, China announced its first fatality from the new virus: a 61-year-old man who had purchased goods from the seafood market.

As Covid-19 spread from country to country, and the global death toll accelerated exponentially, governments imposed some of the most severe restrictions on travel and social interactions known in peacetime, in a bid to slow its progress until a cure is found.

In the UK, coronavirus impacted every facet of how we live and work, not least the salmon farming industry: the UK’s top food export worth £2 billion to the Scottish economy, and employing several thousand people directly and indirectly.

Within two months, the fear of infection had spread from a seafood market in China to another, the USA’s largest seafood exhibition, the Seafood Expo North America in Boston. Its 18,000 visitors, due to fill the hall from March 15–17, were informed of its postponement (until September, it has since been announced).

Others events soon followed, including the world’s biggest seafood exhibition, the Seafood Expo Global scheduled for April 21-23 in Brussels, which usually attracts 30,000 visitors from more than 150 countries.

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Corona - Sandy.indd 32

No new dates have yet been set, but the UK’s biggest show, Aquaculture UK set for Aviemore in May, has been moved until September 15-17, 2020.

The trade show association UFI estimates the spate of cancellations in the exhibition world has so far cost organisers 14.4 billion euros (£12.6 billion), with businesses possibly losing 23 billion euros in missed deals.

Then on March 11, as the coronavirus raged through 90 countries killing over 4,600 people, the World Health Organisation (WHO) categorised the virus a ‘pandemic’.

That night, in a nationwide address to the US, President Donald Trump imposed a surprise 30day travel ban on all passengers and goods from Europe, upending not just air travel but air freight logistics for Scottish salmon, since a significant volume of the fresh salmon flown into the US comes in the belly of passenger planes.

Following his announcement, exports of fresh whole salmon to the country fell by 89 per cent.

The next day, panic spread to stock exchanges in London, New York, Oslo and Santiago, wiping $2 billion off the value of farmed salmon producers in a massive coronavirus sell-off.

Norwegian salmon farmer Mowi saw over $500 million shaved off its market cap, as stocks worldwide took a hammering in one of the largest single-day drops in trading in over 30 years.

Scottish Salmon Company owner Bakkafrost saw its shares fall 14 per cent, with the company’s value losing $436 million. The Faroese salmon farmer delayed its £60 million dividend payout to shareholders until August.

Shares in SalMar, co-owner of Scottish Sea Farms, fell 11 per cent, losing $507 million off its value. The Norwegian fish farmer also scrapped its dividend pay-out for 2019 because of Covid-19. By April 1, none of these

Above: London’s Regent Street and Oxford Circus are deserted during the coronavirus outbreak Left: Boston seafood show, now postponed Opposite: Chinese seafood market before the pandemic

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06/04/2020 16:13:22

Long March

had recovered their lost ground.

Meanwhile, on Scotland’s remote fish farms, fears grew that workers would become unable to harvest salmon as the virus spread, either due to self-isolation, sickness, disruption to fish processing and retail distribution, and reduced access to markets.

Current limits dictate the volume of salmon that can be in the water at any given time. To give fish farmers more flexibility, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) temporarily relaxed its rules to allow salmon to stay in the sea longer, even if this extended normally strict stocking density.

Failure by farmers to fully comply with monitoring rules, fallowing periods and biomass limits would not be treated as non-compliance provided SEPA was notified in advance and that a suitable explanation was provided.

The UK and Scottish governments closed schools indefinitely on Friday, March 20, except for the children of ‘key workers’ such as frontline medical staff so they could continue their vital work.

Advice by the UK government defines key workers as including those involved in the production, delivery and sale of food, covering those in fish farming who help put food on the table. However, in Scotland no such advice was issued, and it is being left to the country’s 32 local authorities to make a case-by-case decision.

The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO) campaigned to ensure workers involved with the production, distribution and supply of farmed salmon are classified as category 2 key workers, and, so far, Shetland, Orkney, Highland

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Corona - Sandy.indd 33

and Stirling Councils have agreed.

Oil prices fell by over half in March as companies cut back or closed production, cutting costs for fishing fleets. By March 30, as demand for crude collapsed, the price of oil sunk to levels not seen in 18 years.

Brent crude fell to $22.58 a barrel at one point, its lowest level since November 2002. But despite a drop in oil prices below $30 per barrel, the activity of many European fishing vessels was put on hold, due to a drop in demand and a consequent decrease in price for some species.

As orders from food service dived, many fish processors and markets in the UK temporarily closed to ride out the storm. Scottish salmon farmers said last month they were looking to share processing plants as more workers self-isolated or contracted the virus.

Measures introduced to contain the spread of the coronavirus outbreak across Europe are increasingly causing challenges with the transport of goods, including salmon, driving up logistics costs.

Traffic jams across Europe are slowing down supply chains. Health checks and border controls introduced by over a dozen states are causing jams at several European borders; vehicle queues of 50km were recorded at the Austrian-Italian border due to medical checks.

Moreover, truck drivers are having a hard time since most of their dedicated rest and catering spots have shut under the measures.

Also, absenteeism due to the spread of coronavirus or quarantine, and the lack of sufficient protective items such as hand sanitiser, masks, and gloves, are increasingly a challenge for European logistics firms.

Some drivers are refusing to go to Italy or to other affected countries. In the UK, salmon is reaching the UK retail market, but the situation could change, warned the SSPO.

Everyone working in the food and drink “ industry has rallied in an extraordinary way ” 33

06/04/2020 16:14:09

Coronavirus crisis – Countdown

‘There is a concern that there will soon be fewer haulage drivers to get the fish around the country, which could also restrict our ability to get fish to internal markets,’ said a spokesman.

Salmon farmers in Britain, as elsewhere, are also being buffeted by changing consumption patterns. Sales of groceries in the UK in March beat all previous records. The busiest spell was March 16-19 March, when 88 per cent of households visited a food store, adding up to 42 million extra trips across four days.

The last four weeks saw £10.8 billion in supermarket sales, a growth of 20.6 per cent from last year.

Consumer analyst Kantar said: ‘With restaurants and cafes now closed, none of us can eat meals on the go any longer, and an extra 503 million meals, mainly lunches and snacks, will be prepared and eaten at home every week for the foreseeable future.’

In a blow to fresh fish sales, Sainsbury’s and Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, closed supermarket fish and meat counters to free up space for essential items.

Tesco CEO Dave Lewis said: ‘In order to allow Tesco colleagues to focus on stocking shelves, helping to provide the essential groceries you are looking for and to avoid waste, we will close all meat, fish, deli counters and salad bars.’

Asda made the decision to remove fish counters in January before Covid-19 had spread from China to Europe.

Paul Aandahl, seafood analyst with the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC), said there had been an inevitable growth in the retail segment as consumers hoard food during lockdown in multiple countries, but it expects the rate of growth to slow in the coming weeks as people eat through what they’ve purchased in bulk.

The SSPO confirmed the UK retail market has remained very strong, thanks in part to stockpiling and a shift from fresh to frozen fish as shoppers fill their freezers.

‘Retailers are reporting that consumers are buying significant quantities of fresh produce which can be frozen at home – including salmon,’ the SSPO said.

‘However, this is offset, to some extent, by the steep decline in demand from the food service sector. As our farmers find it more difficult to find overseas markets for their fish, they will try to get more Scottish salmon into the home market.’

While sales into retail are booming, the shutting down of cafes, pubs, restaurants and the steady closure of the UK’s 10,000 fish and chip shops is decimating food service sales. Across Europe, food service sales are continuing to plummet, even as the demand for seafood in retail reaches unprecedented

34

Corona - Sandy.indd 34

levels. In the last half of March, seafood sales to bars and restaurants in the UK, as in many other countries, had evaporated. As shoppers run to grocers to stock up on canned and packaged food, fishermen and seafood companies that rely on sales to the food service sector are struggling to sell their products.

March 17 was Saint Patrick’s Day, often the busiest day of the year for pub owners in the UK, but this year many restaurant owners across the country instead had to announce temporary closures, not knowing when and whether they will be able to re-open.

‘Now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel,’ Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a televised statement on March 16, recommending people work from home and avoid pubs, restaurants and other social venues.

The measures replicated those already introduced in many European countries, where restaurants and bars also had to shut their doors.

Operators said the advice posed an existential threat to their entire industry, condemning thousands to ‘bankruptcy and mass unemployment”, unless the government provided urgent financial support.

Later, the chancellor announced a £330 billion package to help businesses in the UK to cope with the coronavirus crisis, offering up to £25,000 grants to coronavirus-hit restaurants, shops, and bars.

In the meantime, some are trying to reinvent themselves, launching delivery services and a takeaway menu for pick-ups - a slight chink of light for salmon farmers.

Then, on March 23, Johnson announced people would only be allowed out for essential activities, such as food shopping.

The next day, the UK’s 10,000 fish and chip shops

As our “farmers

find it more difficult to find overseas markets for their fish, they will try to get more Scottish salmon into the home market

”

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06/04/2020 16:15:15

Long March

were advised to close if they were not doing home deliveries. Andrew Crook, president of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFI), said: ‘I don’t think a busy fish and chip shop opening their doors will do anything but act as a magnet for members of the public that are not obeying the rules.’

The market has ‘completely gone’, said the Norwegian Seafood Council’s UK director, Hans Frode Kielland Asmyhr, warning of consequences for Norwegian salmon.

In exports, all companies were experiencing significant reductions by mid-March, partly because of a fall in orders, partly because travel restrictions were making it impossible to get the fish to market, and partly because of steeply rising costs associated with a lack of aircraft and haulage travelling to export destinations.

The troubling signs began a month earlier, as Norwegian exports to China showed a drop of up to 90 per cent. Norwegian salmon exports to China were worth about NOK 1.6 billion (£132 million) in 2019. Most salmon sent to China is consumed as food service in restaurants, a sector which has been badly affected with the population being encouraged to remain at home.

As NSC analyst Paul Aandahl said: ‘In 2019, China was our largest growth market for salmon, measured in value. As a direct result of the coronavirus outbreak, we have seen a sharp decline in exports to China, particularly for fresh salmon.

‘Year to date, export is down 43 per cent, and in February it was down by 83 per cent. Other markets have had no problem picking up this surplus.’

Chile also halted shipments to China, and other countries, such as Scotland, Iceland and Canada, were similarly affected to a greater or lesser degree, as they scrambled to find alternative markets.

Last year, Scottish salmon exports were worth a record £618 million, with France the largest market, followed by the US and then China.

As Hamish Macdonell, the SSPO’s director of strategic engagement, said, the salmon exports market has ‘collapsed’.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

Corona - Sandy.indd 35

The US passenger flight restrictions are expected to further impact seafood exports. Some 90 per cent of the country’s seafood is imported, a lot of it transported by passenger aircraft. Last year, 25 per cent of Atlantic salmon imports into the US came from Europe, but air freight costs to the US have gone up 50 to 100 per cent.

All this uncertainty sent farmed salmon prices falling through the floor. By April 1, spot prices for Norwegian salmon had decreased 27 per cent over four weeks, to €4.54 per kilogramme, according to the NASDAQ salmon index.

While Britain braces itself for things to get worse before they get better, small comforts can be drawn by workers in the food and drink industry, who are being hailed as the ‘hidden heroes’ of the coronavirus crisis, as they continue to provide a vital service to the country.

The UK’s environment secretary, George Eustice, wrote an open letter to the sector, expressing his – and the nation’s – pride and gratitude.

‘In the face of what is perhaps the greatest health challenge this country has faced in our lifetime, I want to pay tribute to all those who are working around the clock to keep the nation fed – in our fields, processing plants, factories, wholesalers, stores and takeaways and all of those moving goods around the country and to our homes,’ he said.

‘The last three weeks have been stressful and difficult for everyone working to feed the country and provide them with other essential items. There are many key workers that are crucial to the resilience of our country.

‘Our NHS staff will be working harder than ever in the weeks ahead. Those of you working to provide the nation with food and other essentials are also delivering an absolutely vital service. Everyone working in the food and drink industry has rallied in an extraordinary way to respond to this unprecedented challenge. I am personally enormously proud and thankful for all the work that you have done in recent weeks, and will be asked to do in the weeks ahead. In many cases you are the hidden heroes, and the country is grateful for all that you have done.’ FF

Opposite: Sign of the times Top: Scottish salmon farm Above: George Eustice

35

06/04/2020 16:15:49

Coronavirus crisis – Exports

Norway salmon sales to UK soar China begins to recover but French and US markets nosedive

N

ORWEGIAN exports of fresh salmon to the UK increased by 27 per cent in the last week of March, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council.

And in the run up to Easter, exports to other European countries including Sweden and Finland ‘exceeded expectations’.

Norway is proving itself highly adaptable in the ongoing situation, although the closure of the restaurant segment globally remains the biggest challenge, said the Seafood Council on April 1, updating a regular coronavirus bulletin on its website.

Despite considerable uncertainty related to future demand and logistics, there was a gradual normalisation in Asian countries such as China and South Korea.

Paul Aandahl, seafood analyst at the Norwegian Seafood Council, said: ‘As in previous weeks, we are seeing a continued reduction for fresh seafood and an increase in frozen and conventional products.

‘Easter sales are about to start in earnest and fresh salmon exports to the UK and Sweden increased by 27 per cent and 52 per cent respectively last week.

‘The weak Norwegian krone continues to compensate for reduced demand. In week 13, we see a 22 per cent reduction in the value of NOK against the euro and 27 per cent measured against the US dollar.

‘While the export price to the EU for fresh whole salmon fell by 10 per cent in NOK, the price measured in euro was 27 per cent lower than last year.’

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Corona - Exports.indd 36

There was an overall decrease of 10 per cent in fresh whole salmon exports, but exports of fresh salmon fillet increased by five per cent and frozen fillet exports increased by 64 per cent.

The average export price for fresh whole salmon decreased by nine per cent to NOK 58.99 in week 13 (beginning March 23).

While exports to Asia decreased by eight per cent, there were some more buoyant markets, with South Korea importing 13 per cent more, and Taiwan increasing its salmon imports from Norway by 40 per cent.

Victoria Braathen, the Seafood Council’s country director in China, said there were gradual steps towards ‘a more normalised everyday life’.

‘There has been a steady growth in salmon exports to China, from 10 tonnes in week five to 519 tonnes in week 13. However, it is still 18 per cent less than the same week last year,’ she added.

The EU market, predominantly a fresh market

Above: Norwegian salmon

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 16:20:25

Norway salmon sales to UK soar

Cargo transported in empty passenger planes

WITH air travel bans in place, salmon farming companies in Norway are finding alternative ways of getting their product to market.

And one option has been to use passenger aircraft devoid of passengers, but which are equipped with cargo carrying holds and pallets, even if it means charging extra for salmon to cover the extra costs.

In normal times, salmon is often flown in the cargo compartments of passenger planes, for example, from Oslo to the US and Asia and from Heathrow to global markets.

According to the Oslo financial journal Finansavisen, the ploy to use empty aircraft has been adopted by Firda Seafood, one of the country’s for Norwegian salmon, saw exports down five largest salmon producers, with a turnover of more per cent. Exports of fresh salmon decreased than a billion kroner. by six per cent, while exports of frozen salmon Its founder and CEO, Ola Braanaas, told Fiincreased by 51 per cent. nansavisen: ‘Yes, it does involve extra costs, but at There was an increase in salmon exports to the same time the market wants fish. several individual markets in Europe – Sweden, ‘Our impression is that customers are prepared the UK and Finland (up 34 per cent) included to accept a price increase, as long as we (the pro– but the French market continued to decline, ducers) share some of the added costs involved with the export of fresh whole salmon falling 31 using this method.’ per cent.

Avinor, the Norwegian airport operator, said ‘Home consumption in France does not comFirda Seafood was not alone in using this alterpensate for the closure of the restaurant marnative, but Martin Langaaas, Avinor’s director ket,’ said Trine Horne, the Norwegian Seafood of air cargo, added that capacity was limited as Council’s country director in France. more airlines and air freight businesses decided to ‘Exports of salmon fillet to France decreased ground their fleets. by 58 per cent in week 13 compared to the He said demand for air freight space had same week last year.’ increased sharply and so had the cost and this Meanwhile, exports of fresh whole salmon to needed to be covered. the US continued to fall as a result of the sharp A spokesman for ParcelHero said freight rates reduction in transport capacity. for fresh foods have increased notably in recent Egil Ove Sundheim, the Seafood Council’s weeks as capacity has reduced. country director in the United States, said: ‘In ‘Between 45 and 50 per cent of the world’s air week 13, exports of fresh whole salmon to the cargo is usually transported in the belly of pasUnited States fell by 94 per cent. This is also due senger aircraft; but the majority of US passenger to large parts of the restaurant market in the US services have been suspended – it has not been having closed for business. possible for most British nationals to enter the ‘For fresh salmon fillet, the decrease was 41 USA since March 16. That means a significantly per cent in week 13. We expect the challenges reduced amount of cargo space is available to the relating to logistics and reduced demand to USA. continue here in the US for some time.’ FF ‘In an effort to ease demand and recoup some

We expect the “ challenges relating to

logistics and reduced demand to continue in the US for some time

”

Companies in flight plea to Russia

A NUMBER of Norwegian fish farming companies have called on their government to press Moscow to lift its ban on salmon flights over Russia during the Covid-19 crisis.

The call has come from Sjømatbedriftene,

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Corona - Exports.indd 37

the Federation of Seafood Businesses, which says the move would go some way to relieving a beleaguered salmon export sector.

Several Norwegian media outlets are reporting that federation CEO Robert Eriksson has requested that the transport minister, Knut Arild Hareide, should take up the issue as a matter of urgency.

Eriksson said: ‘I want him to make contact with his Russian colleague to look at the possibility of exempting the Russian air space, so that airlines that can now assist will have the opportunity to fly Norwegian seafood out to those markets that want it.’

It is thought those markets include

of the money passenger airlines are now haemorrhaging, a long list of airlines, including BA, Delta, Cathay and American Airlines, are introducing what are being termed ‘passenger freighter’ services.’

The boss of British Airways owners IAG, Willie Walsh, said: ‘Our intention is to try and keep as much of our capacity available for critical supplies that need to be shipped around the world.

‘We may operate some of our passenger aircraft just for belly-hold cargo to ensure we keep critical supplies moving.’

ParcelHero said other airlines, such as Delta, are already operating mail services from European destinations to the US using idled passenger aircraft; its Airbus A350s can carry 49 tonnes in their hold.

‘And Lufthansa has gone one better,’ said a spokesman. ‘It’s cosseting cargo not only in the hold, but on seats.

‘Lufthansa loaded an Airbus A330 passenger jet with highly urgent goods, mainly from the medical sector, strapped to its seats, on a flight recently; and is planning to operate more such flights.’

Japan and South Korea, which seem to be getting on top of the coronavirus.

But there are also signs that China is beginning to open up again. Last year, Norway exported more than 260,000 tonnes of salmon by air, much of it to the Far East.

Eriksson is also worried that the Asian market could rapidly pick up shortly, catching out salmon exporters because so many airlines have grounded their aircraft.

He said: ‘Although many seafood markets have closed because of coronavirus, there are still markets that are growing, leading to increased demand.

‘The big challenge facing companies is how to get their fish out into the world while planes are left on the ground,’ he added.

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06/04/2020 16:20:57

Coronavirus crisis – Processors and traders

Mixed fortunes in ‘market failure’ Dire Covid-19 consequences for EU supply chain

E

UROPEAN fish processors and traders are calling for further measures to mitigate ‘market failure’ in the seafood industry.

The sector is dealing with a general disruption of demand that has resulted in ‘dire consequences’ in the supply chain of fresh fish, said the body representing EU processors, AIPCE CEP. Businesses active in frozen seafood and ‘shelf stable’ (or ambient) products are facing strong demand at present and are able to provide the market.

But even they may face problems in the near future to rebuild their stocks if the materials are not available, and there are problems with logistics, the processing body warned last month.

While processors and traders welcome EU and individual member state economic measures to counter the impact of Covid-19, they are demanding more action to lessen the impact of the crisis.

The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund must include the processing part of the value chain in its extraordinary measures; and import procedures have to be ‘agile and flexible’, said AIPCE, which represents more than 128,000 jobs and over 3,900 companies in the sector.

‘In these past weeks, the industry has been dealing with a combination of issues that may lead to closures of production sites in the EU and loss of many, in particular, small businesses, with severe consequences for the employment in, for example, coastal areas,’ AIPCE added.

In what it describes as a ‘negative demand shock’, the organisation highlighted the sharp decrease, or no demand at all, in the food service industry.

It also said the market for fresh fish and seafood products has ‘gone down dramatically’, with the partial closing of fresh fish counters at retail outlets in some member states.

Logistics are being hit by reinstated border checks within the internal market; possible delays currently at border sites; the unavailability of vehicles due to the delays produced at border sites; and a possible lack of the usual restaurant services and showering at highway gas stations for truck drivers.

‘The Commission has adopted guidelines to ensure the flow of basic goods, but the situation on the ground remains problematic,’ said AIPCE.

‘For example, the green lanes for food are not a solution, if packaging material is stuck at border sites.

‘Furthermore, a closed EU border for delivery of fresh fish like salmon from Norway, via Denmark into the EU, would be seriously damaging fresh fish sales and create disruption of, for instance, smoking activities in the EU.’ The decision to close the EU outside borders should not apply to transport bringing in food, particularly when this food is either in short supply in the EU, or where the EU is dependent on foreign imports to maintain production.

Red tape should be cut as much as possible in border controls and plant inspections.

Processors are also urging that proposed amendments to the EMFF, which will provide financial compensation to fishermen and aquaculture producers, include their sector too. FF

Grimsby fish auction suspended as chippies shut GRIMSBY fish market will continue to remain open for handling and contract sold supplies, although the fish auction has been suspended.

The decision to shut down the auction last month followed a large downturn in trade resulting from coronavirus and new instructions on social distancing.

Although takeaways are permitted under the current coronavirus regulations, the National Federation of Fish Friers has urged its members not to remain open because of difficulties in ensuring that people stay two

38

Corona Processors.indd 38

metres apart when queuing.

The result is that many – though not all – shops have closed and this has led to a dramatic drop in demand for traditional white fish, such as cod and haddock, of which Grimsby is the main supplier. Hotels and restaurants in the UK have also shut down.

A few shops have switched to taking delivery orders, but it is not enough. And while Iceland continues to have comparatively low infection rates, fishing effort is being cut back because many market outlets in the UK and

Green “lanes for

food are not a solution, if packaging material is stuck at border sites

”

Europe have closed down.

Despite the post war emergence of burger bars and ethnic takeaways, the fried fish trade remains a major force and is worth almost £1.5 billion a year.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 16:23:41

Mixed fortunes in ‘market failure’

Fish escaped wartime rations IRONICALLY, fish was one of the few staple foods that was not rationed during the Second World War. Ministers felt fish and chips, then the country’s only fast food outlet, was so much part of the national character, shops should remain open.

While many Grimsby and Hull trawlers were converted to mine sweeping duties, some fishing vessels remained in service and did venture out, but it was at a heavy cost.

Several hundred fishermen lost their lives to U-boats and mines in their quest to put fish on tables at home.

‘Continuing as normal’ JCS Fish of Grimsby, one of the UK’s leading independent salmon and trout suppliers, reports it is currently not suffering any major impact to its operations.

‘In the light of the current public health emergency created by the spread of Covid-19, we would like to reassure customers that we are monitoring the situation carefully and taking steps to minimise the risk of disruption to our operation, as well as protecting the health and wellbeing of our employees,’ said the family company, run by husband and wife team Andrew and Louise Coulbeck.

It added: ‘However, we are planning for all worst case scenarios

Above: Andrew and Louise Coulbeck

to ensure we have an effective business continuity plan in place.’

The plan, said the Coulbecks, is ‘focused on enhanced protection for JCS Fish site operations and employees; increasing internal awareness of possible threats posed by the outbreak; the maintenance of strict internal hygiene and health surveillance; and action planning to minimise any supply or operational interruptions’.

‘Since 100 per cent of our raw material is sourced from FAO 27 (primarily Scotland and Norway), we do not currently anticipate disruption to our raw material supply chain.

‘We are working closely with our key suppliers and customers to ensure we can support everyone in continuing as normal. Communication is key.

‘We continue to actively monitor the situation and track advice from government and the relevant health authorities. Should there be any significant change in our position we will provide a further update.’

Billingsgate traders’ safety fears TRADERS at Billingsgate market in London said they had to close because there was a lack of coronavirus protection.

Eight out of 40 stalls at the fresh fish market decided to close on March 28, according to reports, with merchants saying customers refused to obey the two metre apart rule.

Steve Monaghan, who runs John Stockwell, told the Daily Mail: ‘Some people are closing because their suppliers are drying up but people like myself didn’t feel there was enough being done to reduce as much risk as possible for myself, my staff and the public.

‘I could trade but there wasn’t anyone implementing any of the government procedures. It’s poor, really, really poor.

‘It was worrying me more and more every night and in the end I took a decision we were safer at home.’

A spokesman for City of London Corporation, which runs the market, said: ‘The welfare of staff, traders and customers is the top priority when it comes to operating Billingsgate Market.

‘A number of steps have been introduced to ensure a safe environment is maintained.’

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Corona Processors.indd 39

Outlook ‘positive’

THE Hilton Food Group, owners of Grimsby based Seachill and supplier of salmon and other seafood to Tesco, said its trading outlook remained positive despite the crisis.

The group, which said it had a good cash flow, is expanding into the southern hemisphere via Australia and New Zealand, along with exploring further opportunities through Seachill.

It said in a trading update: ‘Hilton remains well placed to deliver continued growth over the medium term enhanced by further opportunities to develop our cross category business in both domestic and overseas markets.

‘Overall, during the currently evolving Covid-19 outbreak, we remain focused during these chal-

lenging times on the wellbeing of employees and working with our customers, themselves market leaders and key suppliers across our territories, to help meet the currently increasing consumer demand for protein based products.’

Its Saucy Fish brand has recently launched into the Australian market.

It adds: ‘We have also established a number of protocols to protect our people and to minimise contact with our groups.

‘All of our facilities remain fully operational, and in addition we have established business continuity and flexible buy models and supply options, which may be tested during this period as we continue to play our part in feeding the nation and supporting ongoing demand.’

Frozen future for seafood YOUNG’S is Britain’s largest seafood retail brand, with a presence in every major supermarket freezer cabinet in the country, and is expected to benefit from the massive public surge in stocking up during the current crisis.

It has a wide range of fish products well geared to the domestic market. However, its food service sector is likely to take a hit as restaurants and canteens close down.

Just before the lock-

down Young’s decided to go into the calorie reduction business by expanding its popular Chip Shop range, with a new lighter version offering consumers battered fish containing 45 per cent less saturated fat.

Marketing director Jason Manley said: ‘Saturated fat is a big concern for many, so our new range allows more consumers to enjoy a delicious battered fish fillet, without worrying about the fat content.’

Above: Jason Manley

The launch follows on from its Masters of Fish debut, part of Young’s wider investment to reach new customers.

Chip Shop Lighter packs containing two large-size fillets are now being rolled out at Tesco, Asda and Waitrose stores across the UK.

And finally…

THE popular Crab and Winkle fish market and restaurant in Whitstable, Kent, is planning to convert to a drive-thru business during the current crisis.

Meanwhile, in China, 57-year-old seafood merchant Wei Guixan, one of the first known coronavirus victims who was taken ill in Hua’nan market in Wuhan on December 10 last year, reports she has beaten the virus and is now back home. She had

Above: Crab and Winkle fish market

been taken to a respiratory ward at a private clinic suffering from what she first thought was flu. The bill came to more than £8,000, but she says it was well worth the money.

39

06/04/2020 16:24:14

Coronavirus crisis – Events

Open – and shut Plans for farm tours put on hold

P

LANS by Scottish salmon farmers to open their sites to the public in spring have been put on hold in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

The new ‘Open Farm’ initiative involved all of Scotland’s salmon producers and would have seen 16 farms across the Highlands and islands providing a total of 64 tours throughout May. The aim of the scheme, coordinated by the Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation (SSPO), was to engage the public and politicians in the operations of a salmon farm.

The ‘discovery days’ would have offered guests the chance to get out on a farm, watch the fish, talk to the farmers and learn more about how salmon from Scotland reaches supermarkets and restaurants throughout the UK and across the world, said the SSPO. But as with other events involving public access, the SSPO has had to postpone the plans ‘for the foreseeable future’.

Salmon farmers’ priority during the unfolding coronavirus crisis was to keep farms focused on producing fish for the home market, said the SSPO. ‘Our first priority now has to be protecting the health and welfare of everyone working on the farms so that they can continue supplying UK consumers with salmon,’ said Hamish Macdonell, director of strategic engagement for the SSPO. ‘While it is disappointing to postpone this ground breaking project, we will bring it back again when the time is right.

‘The strategy behind the Open Farm month is to let people see for themselves how salmon is farmed, meet the farmers who are out on the lochs every day, and learn how salmon farming has developed since the original idea 50 years ago.’

The SSPO had also planned to exhibit at the Royal Highland Show, which has also now been cancelled.

Macdonell added: ‘The SSPO priority now is to support the sector in maintaining supply of salmon to UK supermarkets and to ensure that we stay in daily

it “isWhile disap-

pointing to postpone this ground breaking project, we will bring it back again when the time is right

”

contact with ministers in both the Scottish and UK governments, with regulators and other organisations while we deal with this most challenging situation.

‘In due course, we will be able to focus again on showing all our stakeholders why this is a sector we are proud of, but for now our actions in managing the supply of healthy food is the right and only thing to do.’

A reception at the Scottish Parliament to showcase the progress made by the sector in the last year has already been postponed. FF

Scottish Pavilion offers Brussels refund SCOTTISH seafood companies that had booked exhibition space at the now postponed Brussels expo are to be refunded by the Scottish government.

Any firms that booked space within the Scottish Pavilion at the world’s biggest seafood exhibition, which had been scheduled for April 21-23, will get their money back, said Scottish Development International (SDI).

Although Seafood Expo Global is likely to be held at a future date, SDI has decided to refund Scottish exhibitors now to help them through the ‘significant challenge’ of the coronavirus outbreak.

In an email to seafood association heads, SDI, which coordinates the Scottish Pavilion, said: ‘Our events team in SDI are in close contact with Diversified [organiser of the expo] to understand future plans, so that we can understand if and

40

Corona - Events.indd 40

when there is going to be a rescheduled event.

‘We will be refunding now any companies who have contracted directly with SDI to exhibit as part of the Scottish Pavilion at Seafood Global in April.

‘Given the significant challenge the seafood sector is facing at the moment, we thought it critical that we act now. This is a large sum of money.’

The cost of an exhibition space alone is understood to be around £35,000 for the larger booths, with extra costs for building up the stand.

Scottish exhibitors who have contracted directly with Diversified should contact them to discuss refunds, said SDI. More than 20 Scottish seafood companies were booked to exhibit as part of the Scottish Pavilion in Hall 9 in Brussels this year.

That included most of the salmon farmers, and trout farmer Dawnfresh. Mowi Scotland was due to exhibit, as usual, on its group stand in Hall 5. Cooke Aquaculture and Grieg Seafood also tend to exhibit outside the Scottish Pavilion.

A representative from one of Scotland’s salmon farmers described the decision by SDI as a ‘great gesture’.

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 16:27:11

Containment – Nets

Open – and shut

September dates for Boston show to take place from April 21THE Boston Seafood show, 23. Potential new dates for postponed last month, is this exhibition, the world’s to be staged on September biggest seafood show, are 23-24, the expo organisers June 23-25. confirmed earlier this month.

Plizga said the September The slightly shorter exhibidates for the Boston event tion will take place at its usual were chosen in consideravenue, the Boston Exhibition tion of the recent escalating and Convention Centre, situation with Covid-19, the with a three-day conference venue availability, as well as programme starting on Sepfeedback from customers, tember 22, said Diversified and high-volume retail and Communications. food service buyers from The annual Seafood Expo North America.

North America had been ‘It is fair to say that this scheduled to start on March year’s event will not be like 15 but became one of the any other years,’ she added. first major seafood events to ‘However, the Seafood Expo be affected by the coronaviNorth America/Seafood rus crisis.

Processing North America ‘While navigating this team is dedicated to deliverunprecedented situation, we ing a high quality event and know there is a need for busi- Above: The 2019 Boston show (photo: thefoodgroup) experience the differential.’ services that are as similar ness continuity and are comHe said some farms on Scotland’s west coast of Scotland had expeas possible to what cusmitted to providing a platform rienced challenges from marauding spur dogfish, which have our easily pandemic,’ said Liz Plizga, group vice president of tomers have come to expect over the years.’ that will bring back together the chewed through the bases of nylon nets.

The September editi on will feature a ‘soluti onsof industry suppliers and buyers who, due to circum- Diversified Communications. ‘We have identified a variant of Sapphire netti ng with fine strands The group also postponedmarine the Brussels driven’which conference programme, by industry stances beyond anyone’s control, were prevented gradeseafood stainless steel, we hope will be a led match for the whichbut hadbothersome been due sharks. experts, said Diversified. from meeting in March as a result of the Covid-19 show, Seafood Expo Global, small ‘Unlike standard HDPE netting and being designed with aquaculture

Zooming in for awards shortlist

The new name for sea lice skirts for the fish farming industry SEPTEMBER is going to be a busy month in the aquaculture calendar, with the big Aquaculture UK exhibition, based in Aviemore, switched from May to September 15-17, and the EAS’s Aquaculture Europe 2020 conference long booked for Cork from September 29 to October 1.

The Aquaculture Awards are due to go ahead in September, too, with a special presentation dinner during the Aviemore show.

Event organiser 5m Publishing said the panel of judges managed to meet on Zoom to draw up a shortlist, which it plans to release on April 15.

The winners will then be an-

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Corona - Events.indd 41

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Working together with Scottish Sea Farms to produce the strongest and most effective sea lice skirts on the market today.

nounced at the awards dinner taking place on Wednesday, September 16, during the Aquaculture UK event.

Susan Tinch of 5m said: ‘We had a record number of entries from all over the world and across a number of sectors.

‘The quality of the entries was excellent and highlight the energy, enthusiasm and innovation happening in the aquaculture industry.’

The decision to postpone the exhibition from its original slot in May was made last month by 5m Publishing and Diversified Communications UK, which has recently bought the event.

William Milne Tarpaulins Scotland Ltd Aberdeen Scotland AB12 3AX T: 01224 631 012 M: 07786 578 456 Email: mark@wm-milne.co.uk 56

Containment - Sandy.indd 56

41

07/04/2020 11:03:37

Coronavirus crisis

Bygone Brussels Highlights from the greatest seafood show on earth

A

S the industry won’t be travelling to Brussels this spring for the annual seafood exhibition, we thought a trip down memory lane was the next best thing. Here are some highlights from the expos we have covered in Fish Farmer over the years, featuring some of the leading characters in the sector, past and present. The expo organiser, Diversified Communications, has suggested new dates in June for the event, but at the time of going to press that was still to be confirmed.

Next April, the giant show moves to its new venue in Barcelona, when, hopefully, normal service will be resumed for us all. As HM the Queen said, ‘we will meet again’.... FF

Above: Xxxxx 04/06/2019 15:56:28

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www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 16:30:29

Bygone Brussels

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Brussels - Montage.indd 43

43

06/04/2020 16:31:20

Coronavirus crisis – New routes to market

‘No Show Fish Show’

draws a crowd

From virtual tastings to an online expo, seafood people find new ways to meet

I

T might not be business as usual in the seafood world but some enterprising companies have devised new ways to promote their products and services.

The No Show Fish Show, a virtual alternative to the huge - but now postponed - exhibitions in Boston and Brussels, is the brainchild of American aquaculture consultant Jennifer Bushman.

Bushman, who runs the company Route to Market, said when her clients heard that Seafood Expo North America, due to start on March 15, had been called off, many ‘just cancelled their plane tickets, packed up their booth and went home’.

But she had other ideas. She decided to coordinate a virtual hub, inviting seafood companies to hold meetings online, stage webinars in place of conference seminars, and even conduct tastings over the internet.

‘I spoke to my clients and suggested they immediately post what they were going to do,’ she told Fish Farmer from her base in Nevada.

Bushman set up the No Show Fish Show group on LinkedIn, attracting 168 members in the first two days. At the last count, this was more than 270.

As well as aquaculture and other seafood businesses, organisations such as the Global Aquaculture Alliance have signed up, as have figures from the Scottish farmed salmon industry.

‘The message is get going!’ said Bushman.‘Tell us how you are problem solving, tell us what experiences you are creating. Don’t try to do business as usual from your desk.’

The notion of the hub stemmed from a discussion Bushman had with the US sales manager of Norwegian salmon farmer Kvarøy Arctic, who recalled how in the 60s and 70s, salesmen used to send out flyers with their promotions when they couldn’t afford to travel to distant shows.

They called this a ‘No Show Fish Show’ and Bushman spotted an opportunity to reinvent the concept in the age of modern social media platforms.

‘We in this industry are a little bit too tactile, we like a handshake, we like our face to face meetings, it’s very old school, we love meeting people,’ she said.

She believes ‘meeting’ customers and contacts online will be an increasingly popular way of doing business, beyond the show season.

‘This is only the beginning and it could be a model for the future because we all get on planes too much.

Food service was ‘getting walloped’ because restaurants, bars and hotels had closed; but retail was doing very well.

‘How do we support our customers and community where they are right now in the best way possible?’

The response to No Show Fish Show so far has been ‘great’, with virtual launches and panel discussions and tastings all highlighted on the LinkedIn page.

Recent postings included instructions for cooking ‘Dragon Salmon’; live culinary demonstrations feauring farmed salmon and other seafood; promotions for seafood related webinars; virtual celebrations for colleagues’ birthdays; and direct fish sales.

Being in the taste business could have been a challenge, but Bushman said virtual tasting sessions are going ahead, with people sent samples by post.

‘It’s like doing a wine tasting with a bottle of wine in front of you and someone 3,000 miles away who’s got the same bottle of wine.’

On the LinkedIn page, Bushman calls on companies to ‘network, share what our brands are up to, and discuss all things seafood; host your own demos,

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No Show Fish Show..indd 44

From “virtual

tastings to an online expo, seafood people find new ways to meet

”

Below: Jennifer Bushman

panels, and giveaways on your brand’s social media channels’.

Chris Cumming, senior sales manager of Pacifico Aquaculture, which farms striped bass, was among the first to join the network.

‘These are challenging times we are in, and we have a unique position to help our customers solve problems now more than ever,’ he wrote.

‘In the wake of conference postponements, new travel policies and much more - we have decided to host a series of our own virtual meetings and experiences designed to inform, entertain and engage e-guests.’

Kvarøy Arctic rebooked all its Boston show meetings online and organised virtual tastings.

Managing director Alf-Gøran Knutsen said: ‘Our motto is that there is no problem as long as it can be solved.

‘As a team, we understand the need to cancel events and postpone travel for now. Instead of meeting in person, we have come up with a way to still share Kvarøy Arctic with you by hosting a series of live virtual experiences on Facebook and Instagram.’

A Woman in Seafood seminar scheduled for the Boston expo will also go ahead in webinar format, featuring Bushman, among others, on the expert panel.

Bushman said the overall aim of the No Show Fish Show open forum was to ‘support customers and community’.

‘I think this is going to be a real pivotal moment for us as an industry; how do we inspire and then move the industry forward coming out of this?’

Follow this link to visit the virtual hub https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13836623/. FF  Air waves: Page 46

www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 16:35:54

‘No Show Fish Show’ draws a crowd

No Show shorts ONE of the events flagged up on the No Show Fish Show hub was the first China International Fisheries Online Expo.

Co-sponsored by the China Fisheries Association and the Dalian Municipal Government, it kicked off on March 21 as a live online platform.

Zhao Xingwu, president of the China Fisheries Association, said at the ‘opening ceremony’ that expos play an important role in China’s fast growing fishery economy.The Online Expo played a leading role in opening up new marketing models.

The event brought together companies from around the world and more than 700 kinds of products, and a new platform was set up for the online exchange of seafood.

Danielle Davis, director of marketing and partnerships at Niceland Seafood, said food producers, distributors and retailers are ‘evolving quickly to get food to the people when the people cannot go out. It’s a new normal’.The company sources white fish and ASC certified farmed salmon from Iceland and everything it sells has ‘sea-to-pan’ traceability technology so customers can trace their fish using a scannable QR code, said the company.

OCEAN Beauty Seafoods salesman Albert Ballard said he had ‘taken some time during this craziness’ to help out his company’s production team.

‘Rather than getting flustered by the things I cannot control, I decided to sharpen my skills and ‘go to school’ within our business.

‘Over the last week I’ve paid close attention to our quality control processes, cut fish, worked try pack production, as well as continued my day to day sales and account management.

‘I challenge each of you during these crazy times to take some time to refresh or build on your seafood knowledge.’

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45

07/04/2020 11:05:37

Coronavirus crisis – New routes to market

Air waves

Salmon farmer delivers live broadcasts to reassure customers

N

ORWEGIAN salmon farmer Kvarøy Arctic is managing to send ‘a lot of fresh products’ to its American customers, said CEO Alf-Goran Knutsen.

The small, family owned company has isolated each of its five sites so they work separately from each other, but people are ‘adapting to the new reality’, said Knutsen in a live broadcast posted on the company’s Facebook page.

‘These are difficult times and there are things we have to do to make sure we can produce the salmon and stay healthy,’ he said, speaking from a workboat at one of the farm sites.

The fish are fed from land, with all operations kept apart, and there are challenges harvesting and processing the salmon.

‘But at the moment, everyone is doing a helluva job to get the salmon out there. In Norway, we’re into week three now of lockdown, the same as many European countries, but we’re still managing to get the salmon over the borders and over to the market.

‘In the beginning, it was, of course, chaotic but now it’s going more and more into normal conditions. We are trying as hard as we can to make sure that everything is going smoothly.’

Knutsen said it seemed that salmon was one of the products customers wanted so his company would do its best to keep the flow going into the US. ‘It is very important in these times to remember that food is something we have to continue to produce so we are taking our responsibility and doing the best we can.’

As well as sending fresh salmon to the US, Kvarøy Arctic, based on Kvarøy Island in Nordland County, is also freezing fish to make sure there is a constant supply, ‘even if we have problems with logistics’.

‘We have been able to use negotiated cargo on both air and container ships to keep our fish moving into the United States,’ Knutsen told Fish Farmer.

‘We deliver fish to several regions of the country in both food service as well as retail. Whole Foods Market brings Kvarøy Arctic into the north east, mid Atlantic, south, midwest and mountain states, with a small amount also going to the west coast.

‘There are challenges but with good partnerships and our logistics team working non-stop, we have had a steady flow of fish into the US since launching on February 1.’

Kvarøy Arctic, a third generation family firm, had been selling into the US market through Blue Circle Foods before striking out on its own.

‘We have several distributor partnerships as well as fish going into value added programmes, such as smoked salmon.’

The company’s sales and logistics teams are all working from home and people are adapting to being connected and holding meetings online, even though the situation is difficult.

‘We have been doing a lot of live events since this happened and we’re going to continue,’ said Knutsen.

‘We have a US team based throughout the country that has been supporting these incredible efforts. We helped to launch the #noshowfishshow and are doing outreach virtually to support buyers, chefs and consumers during this important time.

‘This includes virtual farm tours, deductive tastings, Instagram and Facebook live. We have also launched campaigns with such companies as Kamado Joe, Chef Eric Gephart and Top Chef Eric Adjepong.’

He said while it’s difficult to get fish from restaurants, the chefs can teach people how to prepare fish from home.

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‘In Norway, we make a lot of fish at home, but I guess in the US it’s more common to eat salmon when you go to a restaurant.

‘But we’re trying to do our bit to help everyone learn how to cook salmon in the best possible way.

‘Basically, we are doing everything we can, both on the farm and on the ground in the United States to support the flow of fresh delicious and nutritious fish into market.

‘We are grateful for the huge efforts that our partners have made to bring it to their communities. We want to support them in every way that we can.’

Knutsen said he would carry on updating customers every week on what’s happening on the farm, so they can see that ‘everything is okay’.

Watch Alf-Goran Knutsen’s broadcast at https:// www.facebook.com/KvaroyArctic. FF

Above: Alf-Goran Knutsen

“

With good partnerships and our logistics team working non-stop, we have had a steady flow of fish into the US

”

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06/04/2020 16:39:23

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06/04/2020 16:41:00

New routes to market – Advertorial

Novel focus in nutrition

Logical logistics

Above: Development of all feeds start in the Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre

Above: Roll on roll off tank services

AQUAFEEDS have evolved quite considerably over the years, mainly in the use of alternative raw materials. While the aquaculture industry has continued to grow exponentially, this has created a greater demand for alternative protein sources for aquafeeds.

Research conducted at the Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre (ACAC) has concentrated on working towards comprehensively evaluating the nutritional potential of novel ingredients.

All of the research conducted with novel ingredients at the ACAC is based on the 4Ps principle: Performance, Pollution control, Palatability and Planet.

This includes nutritional quality: fish performance and health, digestibility, faeces quality and palatability. All this information is essential in deciding how to use these new raw materials.

Read more at Alltechcoppens.com/research

FERGUSON Transport & Shipping is the logical choice for fully integrated road and marine logistics solutions.

Serving the west coast of Scotland and Northern Isles, the company delivers ADR, integrated waste management services, day to day husbandry or mort recovery, feed deliveries, treatments, pen washing and fish harvests with specialist cylindrical fish tanks.

Its port facilities incorporate shipping and agency services, ware-

housing, material handling, cranage, office facilities, quayside berthing and on site waste management.

Ferguson’s multi-purpose fleet of workboats is available for private hire seven days a week, 365 days a year, for short, long-term and adhoc contracts for the movement of general cargo, as well as a large dry dock facility, suitable for the manufacture and fabrication of high-energy offshore deep water fish farm structures.

INTEGRATED MARINE, RAIL & ROAD LOGISTICS SOLUTIONS THROUGHOUT THE UK Work vessels and Port services available for short term, long term and one-off contracts

Dedicated to your performance 48

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www.fishfarmermagazine.com

06/04/2020 16:42:16

New routes to market – Advertorial

Ahead of the curve Heralding a new era of skinners A NEW generation of skinners from Belgian outfit Steen has seen improvements to the company’s original techniques which keep it ahead of the game in relation to current health and hygiene regulations.

In practice, both the ST700T table skinner and ST700V automatic skinning machine have knives which can be set and locked at different cutting heights so more fish can be processed on the same machine to enable deep skinning.

The advantage of the technique used is that the knife can also be taken out of the machine for better cleaning or to be replaced by another knife type.

In addition, the machines can be dismantled so that hard-to-reach areas are exposed for easier and more thorough cleaning.

With the ST700T, the back plate and knife can be removed, while the infeed plate opens up. As for the ST700V, the top unit, the knife and the conveyor belts can be removed from the machine and the infeed and outfeed belts can be folded open.

The fact that no tools are needed to do any of this is part of the innovative concept of the whole series.

Steen has also developed a mobile unit for these machines, on which all the components can be placed to ensure a safe and clean work environment and to give easy access for thorough cleaning.

As well as these advantages, there are options available to make use easier and faster. For the ST700T, for instance, an optional outfeed plate, table, water collector and skin separator, additional blade and more are available.

For the ST700V, options include long and short in-and outfeed belt, an infeed table and a speed regulator to optimize production.

Above: The ST700V automatic skinning machine

FISH PROCESSING MACHINERY ST700TV TABLETOP SKINNING MACHINE

Thanks to our goal for perfection for 60 years, we alwas have been delivering high quality products and services for the fish processing market.

By meeting the technical challenges and goals set by our customers, we have build long-term relationships of trust with our clients.

The introduction of the ST700TV skinning machine is a typical result of such collaboration.

This tabletop model, which is available in different versions, is capable of skinning a variety of whole fish, as well large fillets. On top of that this machine is suitable for both light and heavy duty operations.

Security

A series of electronically monitored guards and foot pedal help for controlled use.

Technology The knife holder can be taken out without extra tools.

Efficiency

The skinning knife can be set and locked at different heights.

Easy

The in- and outfeed plate, as well the rear side, can be opened easily without the use of extra tools.

New

A brand new concept with a succesful track record in the skinning industry.

Discover our full solution portfolio on our website!

Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality STEEN WORLDWIDE - F.P.M. INTERNATIONAL NV Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable 33, 2920 Kalmthout - Belgium Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience ServiceFranseweg Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience +32 3Reliable 665 04 Solid 00 | info@steen.be | www.steen.be Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid Experience Service Quality Success Reliable Solid

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06/04/2020 16:42:51

Coronavirus crisis – Containment

‘Business as usual in unusual times’ Ace Aquatec establishes regional support network to maintain response times Forbes said the company was happy to be able to provide more work in rural communities.

‘It’s obviously important for our customers to get what they need, but we’re all passionate about finding ways to support the different communities we work in.’

To this end, the company is donating £3,000 to support coronavirus efforts, with each member of staff having a say in where the money is spent.

‘We’re pretty privileged in that we can keep people in work and we don’t have to worry about our livelihoods, but there are people out there who will have problems, will be struggling, and we want to do what we can to help,’ said Forbes.

He said Ace Aquatec is still seeing new business coming in, and has a lot of R&D projects going on, in different stages.

‘If this continues for months and we can’t get UNDEE based technical equipment supplier Ace Aquatec has put an out on the sites as much as we want, there are improved regional support network in place during the coronavirus still quite early concept R&D projects we can crisis to ensure a quick response to customers’ needs. move forward. We’ve got that to fall back on, we With the country in lockdown, contingency plans were needed to can still be productive. It’s a benefit for us that provide technical back-up for the company’s acoustic deterrent devices and we have quite a mixed portfolio of projects.’ electric stunners, installed in often remote regions.

The company now has ten direct employees Contractors have been recruited in the Western Isles, on the west coast, and plans to expand more this year. They hired in Shetland and Orkney, said Ace Aquatec’s head of sales and marketing, a regional manager for Chile this year, based Mike Forbes. in Puerto Montt, and a regional manager for ‘We’ve been upskilling some new people, electricians and engineers, Australia and New Zealand joined in March. pretty quickly on basic maintenance. So if anything does go wrong, and There is also a vacancy for a regional manager for hopefully it won’t, we’ve got people there as technical support.

Norway.

‘We don’t need to go out to sites very often, but our focus has been ‘We have ambitious plans for the year, both in on ensuring our response times have not been impacted and we can do terms of product development and also expandeverything in a safe way.’ ing our reach in different countries, with Chile, Forbes said establishing the network of local contractors has largely been Norway, New Zealand and Australia being where made possible with the addition of Ian Lawson, formerly of Akva, to the our big focuses are, on top of the UK. team.

‘Even if things slow down a bit right now for the Lawson, who was at Akva for more than 15 years, joined Ace Aquatec last production, the priorities in terms of doing the month as head of operations, and his connections have proved invaluable, Above: Ace Aquatec’s head right thing for the environment and for the fish said Forbes. of sales and marketing, aren’t going to change,’ said Forbes, who also ‘We’re really lucky to have Ian on board right now. This [the coronavirus] Mike Forbes (left), and paid tribute to the Ace Aquatec team, all now has been disruptive but it has given us a really good prompt to get some managing director working remotely from home. things set up that will be useful even when we return to normal.’

Nathan Pyne-Carter ‘The highlight for our business has been to see Ace Aquatec has also moved equipment from one of its suppliers based what a resilient group we have working for us. in England to a contractor in Scotland, in the Dingwall area.

There is so much change going on now, in our ‘He is currently on lockdown at home, and is able to do repairs or upworking lives and in the lives of our customers grades to systems, which the supplier in England might not be able to do if and suppliers, and even more so in our personal they are shut down. lives. But in spite of all that, it’s been business as ‘By working with a lot more independent people who can operate from usual in unusual times.’ home, we can keep them productive and earning, as well as being able to  Sea lice solution: Page 64. FF support our customers.

This has “given us a

D

really good prompt to get some things set up that will be useful even when we return to normal

”

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06/04/2020 16:47:21

Containment – Predator deterrents

TAST force ASC approved seal scarer could beat US salmon ban

N

EW anti-predation technology that could help salmon farmers avoid an export ban in the US has been approved for use on Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified farms.

The Targeted Acoustic Startle Technology (TAST), developed at St Andrews University, deters seals from salmon farms without affecting other marine life, according to the company selling it.

GenusWave said the system, which had been tested on farm sites, was the only acoustic deterrent approved by the ASC. The ASC has determined that Targeted Acoustic Startle Technology is not the same as an ADD (acoustic deterrent device), said GenusWave.

The TAST has been granted a variance request by the ASC, which means it can be used on its certified farms.

The ASC Salmon Standard prohibits the use of acoustic deterrence devices by certified farms, but allows exceptions if ‘there is clear scientific evidence that future acoustic technology presents significantly reduced risk to marine mammals’.

It accepted TAST as a sustainable predator control solution that ‘promotes both environmental protection and healthy fish’.

Under the US Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), companies that do not comply with strict welfare measures will soon be banned from exporting salmon to the States.

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“

A startle reflex based system reduced seal predation by up to 97 per cent on a fish farm over the course of one year

”

The legislation, due to affect imports from January 1, 2022, prohibits the shooting of seals on salmon farms.

The MMPA also stipulates that any country using deterrent devices that cause injury will be banned from exporting salmon to the US. The Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation said last autumn it was not clear whether acoustic seal scarers would come under the provisions of the MMPA. The US market for Scottish salmon in 2019 was worth £179 million, the largest export market outside the EU. The St Andrews team behind TAST, Dr Thomas Götz and Professor Vincent Janik, said acoustic startle devices differ from ADDs in that they emit lower noise doses.

Götz said: ‘This method has been shown to be successful in deterring seals from a fish farm while not adversely affecting the behaviour and distribution of harbour porpoise.

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06/04/2020 16:50:22

TAST force

How the technology works

Clockwise from top right: GenusWave fisheries research trial; common seal; the transducer (underwater speaker); control unit; Vincent Janik (centre)

CONVENTIONAL high-power acoustic deterrent or harassment devices (ADDs and AHDs) are widely used to keep seals away from fish farms, writes Dr Thomas Götz.

These devices often aim to induce pain or scare target animals by emitting sound at very high source levels and duty cycles (that is, the time that sound is produced)1.

The long-term success of these devices is often limited and habituation, a decrease in responsiveness to the signal, can be a significant problem in contexts where food motivation is involved2.

ADDs have also been highlighted as a conservation concern as they cause large-scale habitat exclusion in non-target species, such as harbour porpoise and dolphins.

They also have some potential to cause hearing damage in target and non-target species, particularly when noise pollution is almost continuous because farmers use many devices1.

An alternative can be found by harnessing an autonomous reflex arc in the brainstem, the acoustic startle reflex, which has been found to cause flight and avoidance behaviour without a decrease in responsiveness over time in the majority of tested seals3.

‘In a consecutive study, a startle reflex based This approach only requires low noise doses by using brief, system reduced seal predation by ~91-97 per isolated sound signals emitted at low duty cycles. cent on a fish farm over the course of one year Target specificity can be achieved by choosing a frequency while operating at a duty cycle of less than one band where hearing sensitivity of seals is higher than in non-tarper cent using a noise dose that is more than get species, such as harbour porpoise4. one order of magnitude lower than in ADDs.’ The method has empirically been shown to be successful in GenusWave claims that the benefits of the keeping seals away from a fish farm while not adversely affecting startle response technology extend beyond the behaviour and distribution of harbour porpoise4. the efficient dispersal of predators, by reducing In a consecutive study, a startle reflex based system reduced stress on farmed salmon. seal predation by ~91-97 per cent on a fish farm in Argyle over ‘Reduced stress means stronger immunity to the course of one year, a result that was also confirmed in a disease, better appetites, faster growth, better second, shorter term test on a farm in the same area5. yields and higher revenues,’ said GenusWave.

As the device emits much lower noise doses than ADDs in a ‘Less stress actually produces better tasting frequency band where porpoise have lower auditory sensitivisalmon, too.’ ty, there is no risk of hearing damage in target and non-target TAST has been implemented in an industrial species4. prototype and is available for use on fish farms REFERENCES as SalmonSafe.

1 Götz, T. & Janik,V. (2013). Acoustic Deterrent Devices to Prevent Pinniped GenusWave said that the ASC approval has Depredation Efficiency, Conservation Concerns and Possible Solutions. Marine led to a backlog of orders from certified farms Ecology Progress Series. 492, 285–302. in Norway.

2Götz, T. & Janik,V. M. (2010). Aversiveness of Sounds in Phocid Seals: Psy‘There are also multiple farms in Scotland cho-Physiological Factors, Learning Processes and Motivation. Journal of Experimental Biology. 213, 1536-48. that are scheduled for delivery and installation 3Götz, T., & Janik,V. (2011). Repeated elicitation of the acoustic startle reflex leads of systems in April, May and June, even though to sensitisation in subsequent avoidance behaviour and induces fear conditioning. the coronavirus situation has added a level of BMC Neuroscience, 12(1). doi: 10.1186/1471-2202-12-30 uncertainty to these plans.’

4Götz, T., & Janik,V. (2015). Target-specific acoustic predator deterrence in the GenusWave is currently in the process of marine environment. Animal Conservation, 18(1), 102-111. consolidating design and increasing production 5Götz ,T & Janik,V. (2016). Non-lethal management of carnivore predation: longcapacity to meet future demand by the industry. term tests with a startle reflex-based deterrence system on a fish farm. Animal It is busy ramping up production lines with the Conservation, 19(3), 212-221.

6https://asc-portal.force.com/interpret/s/article/VR334-Salmon-v-1-2-2-5-1 next systems available in June/July. FF

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07/04/2020 11:07:18

IFFO – The Marine Ingredients Organisation

Highlights and low blows

Communication is core for often maligned marine ingredients sector, writes Dr Neil Auchterlonie, the outgoing technical director of IFFO

I

T HAS been a tremendous honour to work as technical director for IFFO for the past four and a half years, certainly the highlight of my career to date.

IFFO is an organisation that would be categorised towards the small end of the SME definition, but it is one which has influence well beyond its size, playing an important role in representing and supporting the fishmeal and fish oil industry, predominantly, but also a whole range of other members.

It has been in existence in some shape or form since 1959, so there is a great deal of history behind IFFO’s work, and that legacy is always something that I have been conscious of in the role for a body that represents a truly global membership of marine ingredient producers and other interests.

IFFO has always been at the forefront of defending the marine ingredients industry, and by extension, the aquafeed and aquaculture industries, against the tediously regular criticisms of using fish to feed fish.

For those who are open to taking on new information and understanding concepts, once explained there is little debate on the use of whole fish as raw material for fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO).

Where fish are not used for direct consumption, the next best thing is to use that resource to manufacture high quality feed ingredients that support the production of fish that people do want to eat.

The readers of Fish Farmer, however, will know that when it comes to aquaculture, the critics of the industry are not known for their possession of the traits of openness and understanding, so this has remained, and will surely remain, a challenge for some time to come.

When it comes to raw material supply for FMFO, however, the one topic that has shown up with increasing regularity is that of the importance of capture fisheries and aquaculture by-product (heads, frames, viscera, trimmings) as the base for production.

Currently, at least 33 per cent of global production comes from this raw material, and the trend is for increasing utilisation. This uses material that would carry both an economic and environmental cost for removal, and transforms it into a societal benefit.

There is still a lot of material available that isn’t collected (mostly for practical reasons), as was confirmed by a desk study by Dr Richard Newton of Stirling University, but changes in technology and seafood operations- such as the increasing adoption of smaller, concentrated fishmeal plant on pelagic fishing vessels- will change this over time.

In addition, the continued increase in aquaculture production ensures that this will also provide an increasing volume of raw material over time, often in a readily available format due to the often centralised nature of aquaculture product processing.

This is a great story for the FMFO industry and one which is often overlooked. This material, essentially a waste stream from seafood processing, can be utilised as a resource to manufacture a high quality feed ingredient.

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As an aside, I have been struck by how often I have read articles about seafood waste, or even been involved in meetings where the discussion is about how to make good use of the material, adding value and contributing more to fragile coastal communities and economies – ignoring the fact that the fishmeal industry has been achieving this for decades.

Yes, there may be products to manufacture from specific seafood waste streams, and there is a need for further research to support this, but those products- especially those for the nutraceutical, functional food or feed, or even fashion industries – are comparatively low volume and will not achieve the high utilisation rates that are seen with FMFO production.

The lack of acknowledgement about the role that FMFO production has achieved in seafood processing waste management over decades highlights one of the biggest issues that the industry faces.

This is a success story that is often ignored, as are many of the other key benefits of FMFO. IFFO has worked hard on this since its inception, and will continue to do so for many years to come, but it is a challenge that continues to materialise, no matter how often the organisation refutes many of the claims with data, evidence and information.

This is core IFFO business, facing up to a general lack of knowledge and understanding by many in the public domain and, consequently, the recurrence of a batch of arguments that appear based on science but are, in fact, spurious.

Effective communication is at the heart of this work, and the IFFO team does a great job, but the rise of social media provides a large echo chamber which often departs from factual debate and, within which, the arguments are often emotional rather than scientific.

The FMFO sector is not alone in having to deal with this, as I am sure many of us are aware, and all those working in aquaculture are equally conscious of this challenge.

Speaking of challenges, my time at IFFO also coincided with the rise of several of the so-

One does “not have

to venture too far in the media to find negative press about the use of fishmeal and fish oil in aquafeeds

”

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Highlights and low blows

called F3 Challenges.

The F3 prefix was originally a reference to ‘fish free feed’, but subsequently was amended to the much more appropriate ‘future of fish feed’.

The F3 Challenges have encapsulated what have been many of the issues around the rise of the novel ingredients from the laboratory to reality.

At IFFO, we have been very clear in our statements regarding the importance of these new feed ingredients coming online in support of growing aquaculture’s continually increasing demand for feed volume.

Unfortunately, IFFO’s perspective of working together for the future of feed has so far not always been shared by some in the sector, resulting in a flurry of media articles about fishmeal replacement, zero fish feeds, and similar.

Initially, this provided plenty of scope for work in defending the fisheries that supply much of the raw material for FMFO. Early on, many of the novel ingredients placed their products in complete juxtaposition to FMFO,

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arguing that choosing their product would improve feed sustainability credentials by requiring less FMFO and reducing fishing impacts.

This was flawed logic since, as many will know, the small pelagic fisheries that provide the bulk of the raw material for FMFO are actually relatively well managed, as confirmed independently by organisations such as the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership.

Certainly, the early marketing of some of the novel ingredients’ production was not aligned with the vision of working together. But to be fair, much of it was probably set to attract the interest of investors rather than to promote the products themselves as the production volumes at the time were extremely low, at best.

It is notable that we are now seeing the rise of some workable commercial scale volumes of these materials, with the introduction of algal oils in particular, but with the prospect of more products to come in the near future.

One of the great things about working in IFFO is the wide network of experts that the organisation engages with around the world. For several years we have been describing IFFO as an evidence based organisation and there is a lot of science behind that statement – both internal IFFO projects, and external peer reviewed publications.

One of the highlights for me, personally, has been engaging with key fisheries scientists such as Prof Ray Hilborn of the University of Washington, and Duncan Leadbitter of FishMatter Pty (a consultancy based in Australia).

Opposite Dr Neil Auchterlonie.

Above: Blue whiting Photo: Mikko Heino

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IFFO – The Marine Ingredients Organisation

I have learned a great deal from both about fisheries management in relation to raw material supply for FMFO production.

Duncan’s project work in South East Asia was a highlight and the region represents a particularly complex set of circumstances when it comes to fisheries, seafood and the fishmeal industry. The fisheries are targeted for food, and the material used for fishmeal tends to be bycatch in the main, very different to the majority of the fisheries supplying raw material for FMFO. There are some very real challenges in the region with regard to fishery management but the trend is for some improvement, with various initiatives such as, for example, the Seafood Task Force. The fishing industry has grown over time in many of the countries in the region, and making change is an enormous challenge because a large number of people rely on fish for food and commerce.

Improving fishery management implies restrictions, such as the reduction of catch, or the reduction of effort (through reducing the number of boats fishing, for example), or the adoption of different gear (for example, net mesh sizes), all of which ultimately have implications for local food security, health and income.

These are tough challenges for national, regional and local governments to face up to, and so sometimes the pace of change may be understandably slow.

One mechanism that supports this trend for positive change is the increasing adoption of the Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) approach. FIPs are a practical means of improving fishery management where perhaps there may be weaknesses in regulation or enforcement.

Their success in improving fisheries has been confirmed by peer reviewed science (Cannon et al., 2019), and they are based on the application of good fishery management principles to a target fishery.

As well as the obvious improvements in the fishery itself, there are also socio-economic advantages in FIPs, that may provide benefits such as in relation to product supply and price, or to working conditions for employees.

Another possible benefit goes wider than just the fishery itself, where with improvements to the management of a target stock, there are very likely also benefits to the wider marine ecosystem as well.

Good FIPs can be ways of improving fisheries where national governments may lack the resource for effective management, and their application therefore provides an upward trend of improvement across the fisheries which, to date, may have been underperforming.

The application of FIPs to the world of fishmeal is very interesting, and for reasons of biology many of the fish species that are used as raw material for fishmeal can respond quickly to changes in management practices.

That is something that makes the fishmeal world so exciting to be involved with. A large proportion of the fish species that are utilised as raw material for FMFO are the small pelagic fish species, which typically mature young (within one to two years), grow fast, and produce a large volume of eggs.

When environmental conditions are conducive, stocks of these fish species can be highly productive. The implementation of management controls

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via FIPs, where previously these may have been lacking, can see fisheries improve in relatively short timescales of three to five years.

This is great news for the communities that are dependent on these stocks, as well as for the sustainability of FMFO production, aquafeed and aquaculture.

The concept of FIPs also fits into the IFFO Responsible Supply standard, where it is the foundation of the standard’s Improver Programme, helping to improve from the already impressive figure of more than 50 per cent of global annual fishmeal and fish oil being provided as third-party, independently certified, product into global supply chains.

This is just a flavour of some of the subject matter covered by IFFO, and the breadth of the work undertaken by the organisation is truly remarkable.

As I move on to a role in consulting and contracting, I am sorry to leave a fantastic team of people, headed initially

by Andrew Mallison and latterly by Petter Martin Johannessen. It is a team that carries influence well beyond the sum of its parts, one which it has been both a pleasure and an honour to be part of for the last few years. FF

We are “ now seeing

the rise of some workable commercial scale volumes of these novel materials

”

Top: Pelagic fish Middle: Duncan Leadbitter Left: Prof Ray Hilborn

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06/04/2020 16:55:48

Research – Russia

BY DMITRY PYANOV

Max potential Turbot attracts renewed interest as aquaculture candidate in Kaliningrad

T

URBOT (Scophthalmus maximus) is considered a valuable nutritional species in Europe and is successfully cultivated by many European companies located primarily in Spain and Portugal.

Over the past ten years, China has become a world leader in turbot aquaculture, with a volume of about 55,000 tonnes per year, according to the FAO. On the other hand, cultivation of turbot is not yet widespread, although there is a certain potential for this in other countries, such as Russia.

In this respect, the Kaliningrad region can be considered a promising area for turbot aquaculture in this country.

Today, the region is a Russian semi-exclave located on the coast of the Baltic Sea and sharing borders with Lithuania and Poland. The fish farming industry is so far only represented by freshwater species produced by small-holder farmer enterprises; these include common carp, rainbow trout, sterlet and African catfish. There are as yet no marine aquaculture species present.

It should be pointed out that farming of Atlantic (North Sea) turbot was introduced in the UK in the 1970s and, moreover, initial attempts at cultivation of Black Sea turbot (Scophthalmus maeoticus), a species closely related to Scophthalmus maximus, were even conducted during the Soviet era.

Until recently, however, there was only little interest in the region in aquaculture with turbot from the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea has very low salinity, ranging from almost freshwater level (3-8 ppt in the surface water) to 10 ppt in the deep basins. Adaptation to such environmental conditions has resulted in the turbot eggs in the sea developing in

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a demersal way, while all other populations of this species have pelagic eggs (Kuhlmann et al., 1980; Bagge, 1981; Florin, Höglund, 2006; Nissling et al., 2006; Martinsson, Nissling, 2011).

The effectiveness of natural turbot spawning at salinity levels below 6 ppt is low, and only a small number of newly hatched larvae survive (Kuhlmann, Quantz, 1980, Nissling et al., 2006).

This is consistent with the data on turbot distribution in the Baltic Sea. Thus, the abundance of species is higher in the southern part of the sea and by the island of Gotland, where the salinity level is about 7-8 ppt, compared with that in the Northern Baltic area, where it is about 5-6.5 ppt.

The species is completely absent in the waters of the Gulf of Bothnia, where the salinity level is 3 ppt (Nissling et al., 2006). In this case, the success of the natural reproduction of turbot is partly dependent on local upwelling events and salty currents from the North Sea, which lead to a short-term increase in the salinity level of the water surface layer.

Since the middle of the 1990s, turbot catches have been steadily decreasing in commercial fisheries over the whole Baltic Sea, where average total landings have been between 800 and 1,200 tonnes.

In 2018, the total catch did not exceed 370 tonnes, while the Russian catch was only seven tonnes (ICES, 2019).

In Russian waters, turbot are usually caught from April-May and September-November using bottom-set gillnets with a mesh size of between 110 and 240 mm, operated from small fishing vessels.

This species usually comprises about 0.1-0.4 per cent of the overall fish catch.

Based on the above and taking into account a future increase in fish consumption, as well as the impact of an unstable hydrological regime in the Baltic Sea, not only commercial farming but also the implementation of artificial reproduction for stock enhancement programmes may be promising.

Left: Turbot larvae Opposite - top: The turbot trial facility below: Improving survival rates of the larval stage

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Max potential

In modern Russia, the focus on turbot cultivation began in the mid-1990s in the facilities of the Atlantic Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (now the Atlantic branch of the Russian Federal Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography or AtlantNIRO) in Kaliningrad.

Initial experiments focused on the incubation process and early larval stages of cultivation, but unfortunately the results did not show much promise; the survival rate of the turbot larvae was under one per cent.

Now, in conjunction with the implementation of

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the Strategy for the Development of the Fisheries Complex until 2030, developed by the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia (Russian Government, 2019), more investment will be made, not only in expanding existing aquatic bioresource production, but also in introducing the cultivation of new fish species.

Thus, the turbot has recently attracted interest again as a candidate for aquaculture in the Kaliningrad region, because it is a species that is highly valued by local consumers as a healthy source of nutrition; it has a low body lipid content of about two per cent of fish meat and a highly digestible protein level of 16 per cent.

On the local market, wild turbot are usually sold frozen as gutted whole fish, fillets with skin or skinned fillets.

It is against this background that, over the past three years, from 2018 to 2020, the branch’s aquaculture department was tasked to develop proper cultivation protocols for turbot juveniles and adapt them to the region’s conditions.

Consequently, the main aims of this project were to investigate the feasibility and features of the cultivation of Baltic turbot juveniles.

Efforts have also focused on providing robust documentation concerning the methods of the most crucial technical procedures, such as the catch and transportation of wild turbot, broodstock management, artificial insemination and gamete management, egg incubation and further larval culture until 1g.

The latter is considered one of the most difficult stages of turbot cultivation: it is the period lasting from the beginning of exogenous feeding until the complete metamorphosis of the larval body (turbot larvae are symmetrical after hatching), where mortality rates may be as high as 98 per cent. But after

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Research – Russia

Large “scale

farming will require reliable marketing and economic research

”

transformation to the juvenile stage, the fish body becomes asymmetrical, and survival rates increase considerably.

The research work was carried out at the institute’s research facility located on the Curonian Spit, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

It is a small-scale RAS based facility, which has been in operation since the 1990s and was previously used mainly for conducting feeding trials on juvenile

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European white fish (Coregonus lavaretus, L.) as well as studies of its artificial reproduction. For the turbot trial, parts of the premises and RAS modules were redesigned and modernised.

Eggs and larvae were obtained from wild turbot breeders. The broodstock was captured in the Baltic Sea along the coast of the Curonian Spit in early June.

After transportation, the individual adults were put in experimental RAS, while males and females were kept separate, and early sexual maturation through temperature stimulation was conducted.

Artificial fertilisation was carried out using the semidry method, in which female eggs were collected by stripping and then put to soak in glass beakers, while male testes samples were homogenised and the resulting suspension with sperm introduced to the eggs through a gauze.

The fertilised eggs were incubated in 20 litre hatching jars using a water flow system with an increased salinity of 15ppt.

It was found that within the egg, a large proportion of abnormalities occurred in the embryo development of Baltic turbot under natural Baltic Sea salinity conditions. And since this local species has demersal eggs, the natural salinity of the sea water was adjusted with synthetic salt, to create a negative buoyancy. The average water temperature was maintained at 13.5oC and the incubation process lasted for 137 hours.

Newly hatched larvae were placed into tanks with microalgae cultures (Nannochloropsis oculata and Dunaliella salina) using the ‘green water’ technique.

The enriched rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) were introduced in a two-day post hatch (DPH) and maintained until 15 DPH, when Artemia salina nauplii were offered at 8 DPH until 20 DPH. Artemia metanauplii hatched from cysts were enriched with fat-soluble vitamins before being fed

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Max potential good result for this species, but still requires improvement.

A higher survival rate can be attained with copepods as the initial feed along with advanced hygiene and bacterial load control.

All the data obtained and results found over three years will be processed by the institute branch’s aquaculture department and will subsequently form the basis of a handbook on techniques of artificial cultivation of turbot, which local fish farmers can adopt and use themselves within the region.

So far, taking into account the existing worldwide turbot farming techniques and recent successful Russian attempts at cultivating this species, it is fair to conclude that the potential of turbot aquaculture in the Kaliningrad region looks very promising.

Looking ahead, the issues of possible restocking programmes and large scale farming will require reliable marketing and economic research.

Dmitry Pyanov is lead engineer at AtlantNIRO. FF REFERENCES:

Bagge, O. 1981. Demersal Fishes. In: The Baltic Sea. Voipio A. (Ed.). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier Science. P. 311-333.

Florin A.B., Höglund J. Absence of population structure of turbot (Psetta maxima) in the Baltic Sea. Molecular Ecology, 2016. Vol. 16 (1). P. 115-126.

ICES, 2019. Report of the Baltic Fisheries Assessment Working Group (WGBFAS). ICES Scientific Reports. 1:20. 653 pp.

Kuhlmann D., Quantz G., Nellen W., Lenz J. The development of turbot-eggs, Scophthalmus maximus L., from the Baltic Sea under different temperature and salinity conditions. ICES CM, 1980. F:31. 8 p.

Kuhlmann, D., Quantz, G. Some effects of temperature and salinity on the embryonic development and incubation time of the turbot, Scophthalmus maximus L., from the Baltic Sea. Meeresforschung, 1980. Vol. 28, P. 172–178.

Martinsson J., Nissling A. Nursery area utilization by turbot (Psetta maxima) and flounder (Platichthys flesus) at Gotland, central Baltic Sea. Boreal Environment Research, 2011. Vol. 16. P. 60–70.

Nissling A., Johansson U., Jacobsson M. Effects of salinity and temperature conditions on the reproductive success of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) in the Baltic Sea. Fisheries Research, 2006. Vol. 80. P. 230-238.

Russian Government, 2019. Mode of access: http://government.ru/docs/38448/

to the larvae, and then offered in the period from 20 to 35 DPH. Starting from 30 DPH, in parallel with live feed, turbot larvae were fed an artificial diet until the end of the experiment.

From the first days after incubation, the water temperature was increased gradually from 13.5oC to 17.0oC by 0.5oC every day; it was maintained at this level until 15 DPH and then increased to 22.0oC on the final day of the experiment.

Over the course of the rearing process, a number of different shaped tanks were employed. In the early stages of larviculture, cylindroconical tanks were used. Then, from 20 DPH to 40 DPH, the turbot larvae grew in round, flat-bottomed fiberglass tanks with a water level of 20cm. From 40 DPH, the fish were placed into rectangular raceways. The light regime was 16 hours of light alternating with eight hours of darkness.

This research found that, by comparison with Atlantic turbot as well as Black Sea turbot, the highest mortality peaks were observed in the first three weeks of growth at 7-10 DPH, when the larvae fully opened their mouths and consumed rotifers in the water column. It was also at 18 DPH, during the transition from rotifers to artemia nauplii.

In the past year, over a period of 70 days post hatch, AtlantNIRO specialists managed to achieve a larval survival rate of ten per cent on rotifers, artemia and artificial diet feeding, which is considered a

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THE WORLD OF AQUACULTURE

Clockwise from above: The raceway; turbot broodstock; RAS tanks for the broodstock; turbot larvae. (Photos: AtlantNIRO)

THE ORIGINAL BELT FEEDER AND BELT FEEDER PRO ... made by professionals for professionals!

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06/04/2020 17:00:16

Disinfectants – Virkon Aquatic

Virus vanquisher

Development of disinfectant runs parallel with the latter day history of salmon farming

W

e live in a time when the idea of virus infections and biosecurity are on everyone’s mind. Professor Ron Roberts explains how the problems of virus biosecurity were dealt with in the early days of salmon culture.

THIS year marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of Virkon Aquatic. The story of its development runs parallel with the latter day history of the salmon farming industry, but it emerged from a rather chaotic situation.

In 1998, the first isolation of the recently discovered Infectious Salmon Anaemia virus (ISAV) was made in Scotland, though it had been found in Norway some years earlier.

The immediate government response was to enforce a total slaughter policy of all infected farms and those in surrounding areas. Mandatory disinfection procedures and fallowing followed, but with no compensation.

This led to the bankruptcy of many Scottish companies, which were then taken over by Norwegian operators.

It also caused a major disagreement between the Scottish Fishery Authorities (DAFS), which recommended various very strong and destructive anti-viral compounds to be used for disinfection, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), which pointed out that such products were illegal in the aquatic context.

Clearly, there was a need for a compound which was strongly virucidal and reasonably environmentally acceptable.

Professor David McKay, the then recently retired director of SEPA, was asked to review the whole problem and produced a detailed report, which recommended only two possible acceptable products: peracetic acid and Virkon, the product used in most

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human and animal virus biosecurity procedures.

Peracetic acid, although ideal in many ways, had a major problem in that it was very corrosive and could cause serious skin and eye damage if mishandled.

Antec, owner of the Virkon patents, was somewhat concerned at the prospect of its product being recommended for use in an industry it did not understand.

I was asked, having recently retired as founder director of the Institute of Aquaculture, to look at the problem.

I was aware of the value of Virkon (invented by Scottish scientist T.R. Auchencloss) in human and terrestrial animal production from working in the past in foot and mouth disease outbreaks, but the existing Virkon brands had a couple of serious concerns for use with fish.

The first was their strong scent, which readily tainted fish products, and the other was the high level of detergent used, purely to deal with faecal matter in animal situations.

The other concern for Antec was that, as a science based company, known for its ethical marketing, all recommendations for use of its products had to be based on independent efficacy assessment.

But Antec had no efficacy data for the fish viruses. The business decision was taken to produce a modified Virkon brand to deal with the different requirements of the fish pathogens. This was called Virkon Aquatic and the company set about getting detailed bacterial and viral efficacy data for it.

The new product proved to be extremely effective as a virucide, in independent scientific laboratory tests in Canada for ISAV, in the UK and Chile for IPNV, and in the UK for various rhabdoviruses and koi herpes virus.

These, plus the high efficacy against the full range of more easily assessed fish bacterial pathogens, were sufficient to justify initial marketing, and further pathogens have been added later. The product could now be launched.

A major surprise was the finding, originally in Chile, that it was also extremely effective at very low dosage when added to header tanks or the inlet water of smolt tanks or ponds in preventing transfer of virus from carrier to naive fish in the tanks.

It became the only product approved, with full safety data, for this purpose, with the agreement of the UK Veterinary Medicines Directorate, which accepted that treating the water was not a medicinal use.

It then transpired that this worked, too, with fungal spores, bacterial infections and even the anomalous Proliferative Kidney Disease (PKD).

The potential of this, for recirculating systems, was first realised by the koi

Left: Professor Ron Roberts Above: Xxxx

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Virus vanquisher carp breeders, as koi recirculating systems are very often complex with biological filters not easily disinfected and the threat of Koi Herpes Virus ever present.

However, the main use for Virkon Aquatic remains as a biosecurity disinfectant, for foot baths, nets, tanks, hard surfaces and equipment shared between facilities.

It is now some time since there was a serious viral disease outbreak in the fish farming industry, but it also finds multiple uses as a control for listeria infections in fish chills, in transport waters for fish movements, as a single rinse safe disinfectant in the presence of food products in processing plants and as a net, gear and clothing disinfectant in sport fisheries.

Vaccines and better husbandry have played a big part in the recent improved health status of fish, but biosecurity is still the baseline.

The recent experience of us all, with the new coronaviruses, has brought the need for virus biosecurity up to the top of the agenda again.

Virkon Aquatic is distributed in the UK by Bradan Ltd, owned by Ron Roberts.

Roberts has been at the leading edge of fish health for 40 years. He founded the Institute of Aquaculture at Stirling and his book, Fish Pathology, has been translated into nine languages and is the standard academic text on the subject. He started his work on fish epidemics at the University of Glasgow Veterinary School in the 1960s and has worked throughout the world as a fish disease specialist. He believes that the introduction of Virkon Aquatic is one of his most important contributions to the industry. FF

Visionary inventor of Virkon virucides THOMAS Ralph Auchincloss was a remarkable Scottish athlete, scientist and businessman.

Born in Glasgow in 1923, he was the eldest son of the janitor of St Aloysius’s School. An exceptional all-rounder, head of school, captain of games and dux medallist, he also signed schoolboy forms for Celtic football club.

Wartime put a stop to these sporting notions, but a scholarship enabled him to study chemistry at Glasgow University.

He then joined the Jeyes Disinfectant Group, which was taken over by Cadbury-Schweppes in 1972, However, he was at heart a scientist, with a very strong strategic vision. His close involvement with disinfectants had convinced him that while disinfection against bacteria, using relatively simple substances like Lister’s original carbolic acid, and the iodines and chlorines, had served mankind well for more than a century, the challenge of the 21st century would be very different--viruses.

He was certain that intensive livestock production, increased human population size, high human densities in cities and the transport potential of the aeroplane created significant risk to human survival.

He also believed he could produce an answer. He remembered, from his student days, a fascinating chemical reaction, basic to photosynthesis, called the Haber-Wilstatter reaction

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after two German-Jewish Nobel Laureates.

He believed this could be harnessed to allow the formulation of much better virucides.

Resigning his directorship with Cadbury Schweppes at the age of 54, he returned to the laboratory bench.

Starting with one assistant, he formulated several hundred variants of his ideal virucidal disinfectant, utilising natural acids such as malic acid from apples as well as inorganic salts and oxidising compounds.

Eventually, he produced what he considered the ideal formulation, which was highly virucidal at low concentration yet, equally importantly, had excellent safety and environmental characteristics.

The various patented variants of Virkon, as he called it, are now the world’s most widely approved and tested virucides.

Scientists from the west of Scotland have had a quite disproportionate influence on the control of mankind’s pathogens.

Lister, Fleming, and Alick Isaacs, the discoverer of interferon, are all well recognised.

There are many involved in the international control of pandemic diseases in animals who would consider that T Ralph Auchincloss should be considered alongside them in terms of the importance of his contribution to human and animal and fish health by control of viruses.

An Eggsact science THE increasing costs and technical demands of submitting biocidal dossiers to the European Union in support of any specialist egg disinfection products has left Lancashire based Evans Vanodine as the ‘last man standing’ in the field with its approved product, Buffodine.

It is now the only Biocidal Products Regulations (BPR) approved product on the market in the whole of Europe.

For many years, the fish production industry used chemical fish egg disinfectants at the hatchery stage, with the objective being to improve hatchability by the removal of the microorganisms causing disease on the outer coating of the edge, while protecting the eggs themselves.

It is not actually easy to achieve this, because all disinfections are, by design, supposed to kill living cells and the delivery action is not the same as targeted medicinal treatments.

Disinfectants typically work in a ‘general’ way and cannot be focused on a specific problem causing viruses or bacteria.

A lot of them are designed to kill very tough, resistant organisms and so, by definition, they are not going to be environmentally friendly.

It is therefore critical in aquaculture that the correct disinfectant is chosen to avoid major mortality and poor biodegradability.

In the 1970s, buffered iodine disinfectants, such as Buffodine, were invented.

They were designed to halt vertical transmission of viruses such as IPN on the outer membrane of the eggs of salmonid species, without penetrating or damaging the eggs.

Buffodine was the first disinfectant of its type to be developed and gain a patent, and since then this class of product has been largely used for egg disinfection by salmonid and other marine species producers around the world.

The product displays effectiveness on a wide range of marine species, including shellfish, to prevent infection.

However, despite this type of disinfection proving highly effective, it had previously escaped being under control by regulation. This has now changed and the BPR now evaluates the disinfectant ‘actives’ at the core of the product and either authorises them or disallows them.

Currently, out of 550 ‘actives’ only 128 have been passed safe for submission on safety or environmental grounds.

When authorised, product manufacturers have a strictly time limited window to submit a product dossier to an EU authority for authorisation as a finished disinfectant product.

When granted, the company must then apply for mutual recognition of the authorisation in any member states in which they want to market the product.

The process is long, complicated and expensive and, consequently, highly anti-competitive.

Iodine based disinfectants were the first active family to be authorised by the European Chemicals Agency (ECA) and disinfectant formulations based on this compound have now been submitted and authorised by the EU member states.

Unfortunately, the high costs and other technical demands have caused all the other European manufacturers to pull their products from the market, leaving Evans Vanodine with a clear field at this moment in time.

It is a reward for the four years spent in achieving regulated status at a cost estimated at in excess of €100,000.

The British company is now developing a multi-language label for the product and is currently promoting it heavily so that the industry becomes aware of its continued availability as a proven, tried and tested aquaculture egg disinfectant.

If any hatchery finds that their usual product is no longer available due to the new regulations, they now know where to look.

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Products and services

What’s NEW Monthly update on industry innovations and solutions from around the world Ace Aquatec tackling sea lice Scottish technology innovator Ace Aquatec is developing a more sustainable approach to sea lice removal.

The company’s sea lice removal system uses multiple different methods within a single containerised unit. This multi-technique approach minimises the risk of lice developing resistance over time; something that can happen with solutions relying primarily on a single removal technique.

With gentle fish handling at the heart of the design, their system includes unique elements designed to minimise fish stress. Also, its easy integration with existing vessels is expected to improve reaction times to lice outbreaks as farms can add the technology to multiple vessels across their regions.

A working prototype has been manufactured and will be tested by their farming partner soon. www.aceaquatec.com Email: mike@aceaquatec.com The fundament of sustainable raw materials Sustainability has become one of the top priorities for our industry and our society in general. During raw material selection we are aware of the impact that we can have, therefore we source raw materials sustainably. For example, all fish meal is IFFO RS and/or MSC certified; all our soy products are ProTerra certified; and all raw materials are bought on non-GMO conditions. In addition to these policies, we currently source more than 60 per cent of our raw materials locally, reducing needless transportation and reducing the carbon footprint of our feeds. Furthermore, due to the extensive efforts of our research team we were able to significantly reduce the need for fishmeal and fish oil.

In this way Alltech Coppens contribute to a Planet of Plenty™. www.alltechcoppens.com T: +31 (0)88 23 42 200 Dolav 460: Less crushing, lighter and better cooling New from Dolav, the Ace 460 fish box is a shallow, hygienic pallet box. It holds 445 litres or 1,200 kg of catch. At only 580 mm deep, it helps stop fish being crushed. This injection-moulded, single-walled fish box enables efficient cooling.

It has optional drainage ports and hoist grips. Its three integral runners offer safe forklift tipping. The Ace 460 lid suits both chain hoisting and forklifting. At 1,200x1,000 mm, it interstacks with the standard Dolav Ace. www.dolav.com T: +44 1953 889422

Xelect Technology Aquaculture Genetics specialist Xelect has launched new rapid response genetic services for genotyping, pedigree assignment, gene expression, ploidy and sex determination. CEO Ian Johnston commented: ‘Whether it’s impartially checking the ploidy of eggs, or conducting spot checks to avoid in-breeding in broodstock, people want to have certainty over the quality of their supplies and the long-term health of their stocks.’ The tests will be available globally.

Operations director Tom Ashton added: ‘Our teams use the latest technology and insights to offer fast turnaround, guaranteed technical excellence, total confidentiality and – of course – a low price.’ www.xelect.co.uk T: 01334 845204

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What’s New

Lots of LUV

Dutch supplier makes big inroads into Scottish market

A

Dutch shipbuilder is due to deliver a fourth vessel to the UK market later this year, having already fulfilled three orders there so far in 2020, with interest levels peaking from numerous other Scottish companies.

Gorinchem based Damen Shipyards delivered a Damen Multi Cat to Scot Marine on Orkney earlier this year, while Shetland based Johnson Marine received a similar vessel.

The hat-trick of deliveries was completed with the supply of a Landing Utility Vessel (LUV) 1608 to Exeter Fabrications.

Damen’s communications adviser, Ben Littler, was bullish about the company’s future prospects in the country.

‘We are talking to numerous companies in Scotland about future opportunities. Our fourth delivery, a stock built LUV 1908, is likely to be delivered in the region during Q3, and we also see potential for our Utility Vessels 4312 and 2613.

‘We are just getting started in this sector and we build ships for all sectors of the maritime industry, all over the world, so although currently, as a percentage, aquaculture is relatively low, we see a lot of potential in the market and we are confident in the proven designs that we are offering. So we anticipate an increase.

‘What we are anticipating is that the aquaculture ‘Demand for vessels is definitely growing, particularly in the sheltered waters sector, like other sectors of the maritime industry, to be found on the west coast of Scotland. will benefit from Damen’s practice of building ‘We anticipate that new treatment and processing methods will also stimustandardised vessels in series, for stock.’. FF late additional opportunities.

“

We are just getting started in this sector and we build ships for all sectors of the industry

”

Above: Damen’s utility vessel 2613

Forward-facing fish farming

UTILITY VESSEL 2613

The Damen Utility Vessel 2613 offers unrivalled versatility for the aquaculture industry.

Extreme user-friendliness comes courtesy of a range of plug & play options that enable the vessel to switch rapidly from harvesting to net cleaning and from dive support to de-licing and much more.

DAMEN.COM

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Industry Diary

Industry DIARY The latest aquaculture events, conferences and courses MAY 20 CPD TRAINING COURSE IN FISH HEALTH AND WELFARE

SEPTEMBER 20 AQUACULTURE UK 2020

NOVEMBER 20 AQUACULTURE AFRICA 2020 Alexandria, Egypt November 28 - December1, 2020

RASTECH Conference

This two-day course provides a solid understanding of the biological particularities of fish, fish health and disease, disease prevention, fish welfare and relevant legislation, and an overview of salmon production in Scotland.

Enrolment deadline: open, the course runs every two months, please enquire through Alex Pargana, a.m.pargana@stir.ac.uk Course date/s: May 26-27

AUGUST 20

Aviemore will once again be the venue for this bi-annual trade fair and conference. It is undoubtedly the most important aquaculture exhibition held in the British Isles. The show has a tremendous following and with increased investment for 2020 it promises to reach even further across the broader aquaculture markets in both the UK and Europe.

Aviemore, United Kingdom September 15-17, 2020

OCTOBER 20 AQUACULTURE EUROPE 2020

RAStech 2020 is the venue for learning, networking and knowledge sharing on RAS technologies, design and implementation across the world.

Hilton Head Island, SC, USA November 16-17, 2020

DECEMBER 20 WORLD AQUACULTURE 2020

WAS NORTH AMERICA & AQUACULTURE CANADA 2020

This World Aquaculture Society event will feature hundreds of world class speakers and delegates from around the globe.

St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada August 30 -September 2, 2020

SEPTEMBER 20 NAFC: AQUACULTURE MANAGEMENT CPD

This conference will cover the full scope and diversity of European aquaculture. AE 2020 will feature an international trade exhibition, industry forums, student sessions and activities, satellite workshops and updates on EU research.

Cork, Ireland September 29-October 2, 2020

ASSG ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2020 This Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme will allow you to gain a diploma level qualification in aquaculture management while working in the aquaculture industry.

It is aimed at experienced aquaculture staff who are working in, or are ready to progress to, aquaculture management roles.

Enrolment deadline of August 14 Course start date of September 7

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The event will be held in Singapore this year with involvement from countries throughout the Asian-Pacific region and around the world.

Aquaculture is growing rapidly in the region and therefore 2020 is the perfect time for the world aquaculture community to turn its focus here.

Singapore December 14-18, 2020

FEBRUARY 21 The Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers’ annual conference features speakers from around the world.

Oban, United Kingdom October 8-9, 2020

AQUACULTURE AMERICA 2021 San Antonio,Texas, USA February 21-24, 2021

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06/04/2020 17:09:34

Fish health – MSD

Remote control How farmers can prepare for the summer vaccination season

W

ITH the weather beginning to warm up, many UK fish farmers will be looking ahead to the summer vaccination period.

Throughout the summer season, MSD Animal Health will be partnering with fish producers to deliver effective vaccination

programmes.

‘Although we are facing unprecedented times, as a team we will continue to support our customers in the best way we can,’ said Liam Doherty, MSD’s technical and account manager.

‘We will achieve this by maintaining a regular dialogue via telephone calls and online, to help provide training and continued product support.

‘While we may not be able to visit farmers in person at the moment as per our normal approach, it’s important the advice and processes are still adhered to despite everything going on.’

Initially, before carrying out any vaccination, it is really important to abide by the guidelines on the product datasheet of any vaccine, said MSD.This includes information on how to store the vaccine, and when it should be administered to fish.

‘When vaccinating, fish stock must be healthy.This includes making sure that the fish are the correct size for vaccination,’ said Docherty.

‘The product datasheet will specify the minimum size fish should be ahead of vaccination, and failing to follow these guidelines could result in adverse reactions in the fish.

‘In the past, some farmers have found the vaccinations ineffective simply because the fish have been vaccinated at the wrong time.’

As well as healthy fish, water temperature can significantly impact whether the vaccination will be effective, and how long the fish need after vaccination to build up immunity.

Top: Vaccination advice Water temperature should not be too high as this can increase the risk of Above: Liam Docherty internal adverse reactions, as Claudia Marin, from the MSD Animal Health aquaculture team explains.

‘One of the most critical aspects of fish vaccination during the summer months is ensuring onset of immunity prior to seawater transfer.

‘This is a period of time after the vaccination during which the fish are held at a specific temperature so that they develop a strong immunity prior to being exposed to the challenge.

‘The MSD Animal Health vaccine,Aquavac PD3, requires 500 degree days after vaccination for SPDV and Aeromonas salmonicida and 540 degree days after vaccination for IPNV. So, if the water temperature is 10oC, you’re looking at 50 days for the 500 degree day development to build up enough immunity in the fish.This means that fish will remain in the tanks for 50 days, before being transferred to sea water.’

She added:‘Pay close attention to the external environment during summer as this could influence your water temperature.’

In some cases, both Docherty and Marin have found that when there has been insufficient time to allow immunity to develop and fish are moved to seawater where these challenges are present, protection may be suboptimal.

This pressure is particularly significant in flow-through systems as there can be large fluctuations in water temperature when it is filtered back into the water source.

Although not visiting farms now, the team would normally be on-site during the vaccination event to provide an auditing service.

‘At the moment, we will be offering support over the phone and online; however, under normal circumstances we would aim to visit the farm for at least one day of vaccination to ensure it is being administered correctly,’ said Docherty.

‘During the visit, we would measure the accuracy of vaccine administration,

We are “ determined

to continue offering technical support despite current adversities

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and check that the machine, or vaccination team is properly managed and maintained.’

Fish Health App But, he said, all MSD customers have access to the company’s vaccination app, used to collate immediate graphs on vaccination accuracy.

‘The Fish Health App will then inform staff on whether the accuracy of a machine is beginning to wane, so that it can immediately be adjusted.

‘If the farm is hand vaccinating, you can audit individuals and input this data into the app, which will again immediately produce pie charts identifying the optimal point of vaccination, acceptable points, and fails.

‘In the long run, poor vaccination can cause huge financial implication due to damaged fish being downgraded at harvest. How well the vaccination procedure has been carried out will significantly impact this.’

He added:‘If vaccination is inaccurate, it can deposit the whole vaccine dose into the fish body wall, which will effectively turn into melanin over time.

‘These parts of the fish will then have to be cut out and discarded. So, for example, if you had a 10 per cent downgrade level on 300,000 fish, the level of loss is huge.

‘In the lead up to summer vaccinations, we recognise that fish farmers will be facing a number of difficult challenges, and many of them out of their control.

‘We would like to reassure our customers that the team is available to offer remote support and advice.

‘We are determined to continue offering technical support despite current adversities, and look forward to resuming farm visits as and when we are able to.’. FF

67

06/04/2020 17:11:12

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06/04/2020 17:14:02

Opinion – Inside track

The new normal S

BY NICK JOY

O what seems to have been several months ago but was, at the time of writing, actually less than two weeks, we arrived back from Italy, having driven down and then had to drive back pretty sharpish.

We almost made it to Sicily, which still has very few coronavirus cases and probably would have been fine if the world had not gone completely mad.

Now before someone starts to suggest that I am like Donald Trump in my view of this crisis, I had better clarify what I mean.

There are so many areas where the reaction to the pandemic will cause far greater consequences than the health implications.

Primarily, this is a disease that puts urban dwellers at risk.All the evidence suggests it does not spread quickly in areas with sparse populations, mostly working in the open air.

It does spread where there is close contact and in highly tactile societies that like to gather together regularly in large groups. Human behaviour is a very good predictor of the spread of disease, as well as science and statistics.

I do not write this just to complain about the decisions that have been made, which are more often reactions to the media and public outcry than the disease, but because we are all going to have to face the consequences of this period.

Panic buying loo rolls and pasta are the well known effects, but lately I have noticed that meat shelves are emptying.As restaurants and cafés are closed, people are eating at home. Sure they are using home delivery but they are aware that even this may be restricted and they will have to cook.

For a food market which has been relatively stable for a long time, how will this pan out? The supermarkets are trying to cope but their policy of creating bigger and bigger outlets has led to the same problem as open borders in Europe, too much travel from too wide an area all meeting at one point.

As France’s President Macron said, this virus challenges the whole validity of the European project. So it does for the concept of huge stores. Does anyone think that people will forget the social distancing and controls the second they are allowed to wander free again?

The public have been told by government to buy what they need online and get it delivered to the home.Why would this change once the virus threat recedes? Absolutely no one is suggesting that this sort of disease is not going to happen again.We are just lucky that this time the mortality rates are low. Public behaviour is going to change.

Travel is going to be looked on with much more suspicion on a local and international level. I am sure you have heard about the caravanettes being turned away from Lewis, and I know that the outer isles of Orkney are not keen for travellers to visit.

This is not just a question of closing borders.This will change the way governments look at travel but, of course, it will also change the way that food travels.

If no one flies then the price of air freight will rise and this will limit the ability to export, to give one example.

My guess is we will all have to work very hard on our relationship with our customers, on the chain of supply as well as the wholesalers.

We are going to have to think more locally and our customers are going to have to think more locally. If you need an explanation why then just take a look in your kitchen. If you can find fewer than five items made in China then you are doing well.

I know Trump has been vilified for suggesting this is a Chinese virus but that is where it started. Just like the large supermarket store argument, if everyone travels to and from one place, or all manufactured goods come from one place, then the risk of infection from that place is high. In other words, to reduce risk, the perception will be that we have to decentralise.

Please understand that I do not necessarily agree with the conclusions peo-

70

Nick Joy.indd 70

less “timeSpend looking

at the science and more time at the way people are behaving

”

ple will draw from this but then I don’t necessarily agree with the reaction to the disease.

Some things are innate to human nature.There will be vile people like the men who beat up an innocent Asian man in London, telling him that they didn’t want his virus. People react viscerally to an existential threat to themselves and their families.

That threat will have a residual impact and the degree and severity of that impact will be commensurate with the degree of disruption of society and the length of that disruption.

My strongest advice to all those who are trying to think strategically about this situation is to spend less time looking at the science and more time at the way people are behaving.

Sure, there are lots of overt signs of selfishness and fear but there also some very ‘normal’ human behaviours becoming clear.

When you add this to government’s desire to protect its people, then it is a lot easier to predict what will happen subsequently.

Is this the end of the European project? I would have to doubt that but it will have a significant impact on some of the freedoms on which we have based our view of markets.

For us food producers there will be plenty to think about as movement of goods will become more difficult and probably more controlled.

It is always important to end on a positive note so I will remind those who produce food that people still have to eat.We will just have to find new ways to get food to them. FF

www.fishfarmermagazine.co.uk

06/04/2020 17:15:04

Welcome

The annual meeting of the European Aquaculture Society

For more info on the TRADESHOW: mario@marevent.com For more info on the CONFERENCE: www.aquaeas.eu ae2020@aquaeas.eu

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