Fish Farmer Magazine September 2018

Fish Farmer VOLUME 41

Serving worldwide aquaculture since 1977

NUMBER 09

SEPTEMBER 2018

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LICE BUSTERS

FRENCH CONNECTION

SALMON SUCCESS

NORWEGIAN GOOD

Farming better cleaner fish for the future

Reports from a memorable show in Montpellier

Craig Anderson on his company’s record results

Martyn Haines investigates a model training method

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Contents 4-15 4-14 News

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

16-21 16-17 16-22 Industry pioneer News Extra Parliamentary inquiry

JENNY HJUL – EDITOR

Fair hearing French connection Farmers must fight back

TI

Steve Bracken SSC’sfinal record results The sessions

salmon farming sector Scotland, when it wasonal to heno focus this month is pictures on in Europe, the internati T HE is coincidence that andwhere videos oftold unhealthy be thewere subject of to a be parliamentary inquiry, embraced industry willsent soon gathering the EAS (European salmon news outletsfor just asjoint the Scotti shthe opportunity this would provide explain how operated.

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

These The industry had nothing to hide and, if given a fair hearing, conference, to le betostaged over days in theof southern French images had litt do with thefive current state Scotland’s ficould sh address much of the criti cism levelled against it.latest city of -Montpellier.

As well asare highlighti ng the technological farms where sea lice levels in decline and, in fact, at a fiveFishlow Farmer supported this view, but at times advances in our fast moving sector, Aqua 2018felt willthat alsosalmon feature year (htt p://scotti shsalmon.co.uk/monthly-sea-lice-reports). farmers were being drowned out by the noisier elements of the sessions onpropaganda emerging markets andwhich look atinvolves the roleallofthe fishusual This latest campaign, angling lobby, which called forasthe investi gatiRural on.meeti But asngs the farming in alleviati nghad poverty.

Increasingly, industry anti-aquaculture suspects, came Holyrood’s Economy sessions progressed, and eventually farmers’ voices heard, are their scope, subjects such aswere the social andbroadening Connecti vity committ eetackling returned from the summer recess we to became mistic.into Weand now believe MSPs, perhaps with acceptability ofopti aquaculture contributi on it farming. makes to global considermore its draft report thethe future ofthat salmon food security and saving thedown planet, aindustry move that is toanti welcomed. the excepti onwant of one two Greens cahoots with -farming Those who toor shut thein have, asbeexpected, Also investi gati ngacti initi aties, veswhich inregard thenow developing world, Harrison campaigners, will, on balance, the industry in a Dr favourable stepped up their viti involve breaching the Charo Karisa of WorldFish writes about the farming potenti al inin light.

They will hopefully see that farmers take their environmental biosecure environments of farm sites to snatch photographs Nigeria, both in catf ish and ti lapia culti vati on. responsibiliti es seriously and that businesses will only ever invest the hope of finding incriminating evidence against farmers.

Onein In Scotland, the summer has been something of a waiti ng game growth that is sustainable. campaigner filmed himself searching, unsuccessfully, for dead while the parliament is in recess and thethose members of Holyrood’s If the members, yet to of fish at acommitt Marineee Harvest site.especially Another said hewho sawhave ‘hundreds’ Rural Economy and Connecti vity committ ee conti nue tosubject weigh up visit a salmon farm, would like to learn more about the of infested salmon in a pen, but we only have his word against that the evidence in their inquiry intogood salmon farming. don’t expect their we have plenty stories ourWe May Even of theinquiry, professional vets and of biologists who in manage theissue. welfare of their report until the autumn but hope the MSPs are using the time bett er,farms they could headbasis. to the Highlands later this month, where these on a daily to become fully acquainted with the facts about fish farming. they willindustry meet the aquaculture industry en masse at Scotland’s If the proud itsrement high standards, it says itlongest is, it This month alsoissees theofreti of Marineas Harvest’s biggest fish farming show. must mount a much more robust defence of itself, through its serving employee, Steve Bracken. We had no trouble collecting We will certainly be at Aquaculture UK in Aviemore and look representati ve body, the SSPO, than it has done to date.

The warm tributes from his friends and colleagues to mark the forward toand, seeing many of the you there too. campaigners, we now see, willrest stop milestone along with of at thenothing, industry,and thefarmers team at Fish should be prepared to fivery ght back.

Farmer wish him all the best for the future.

Fish Farmer is now on Facebook and Twitter

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

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

Cover:Steve AlisonBracken Hutchins, Dawnfresh Cover: explains Lumpsucker farmingfarming director, LochCharles Etive. salmon toon Prince Picture: during hisScott visit Binnie to Marine Harvest in 2016. Photo: Iain Ferguson

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Contents – Editor’s Welcome

48-49 41-43 42-44 Brussels Aqua 2018

Salmon market Montpellier preview From shrimp torobust salmon

50-55 44-46 46-49 Brussels Aqua 2018

New processors’ groupon Sti rling course Pictures at the exhibiti

22-23 18-19 24-27 Salmon market SSPO

Current trends In good Meet thehealth new chief executive

56 48-49 50-58 Book Training Aqua review 2018

Focus onHaines cleaner fish Martyn Conference round-up

57 53-55 60-63 Aquaculture Nor AquaFishing 2018 UK

24 20 28-29 BTA Comment

Introducti on Farming Focus onangle Africa

What’s in a name?

Phil Thomas

58-59 60-63 68-69 Aquaculture Australia Training UK

26 22-23 30 Shellfish BTA

Chris Mitchell Barramundi boom Martyn Haines

Montpellier report Doug McLeod

28-31 24-25 32-33 SSPO Comment Shellfi sh Rising stars MartinBrown Jaffa Janet

32-33 26-27 34-35 Shellfi Cleanershfish Comment Janet Machrihanish Marti nBrown Jaffa

13

34-35 28-29 36-41 Comment Cleaner Farm visitfish Marti nofJaff a era Vaccines Dawn new

36-39 32-35 43-45 Wild salmon Cleaner fish decline IoA careers

69 64-67 70-73 Aquaculture Nigeria Networking UK Meet the team on Boosti ng producti Dave Conley

81-82 76-77 Aquaculture UK From the Archive Awards David LittinleChina reports Growth

91 78-79 Retail & Marketing Processing & Retail News

Figure 9. Development of salmon nominal catch in southern and northern NEAC 1971 to 2016.

Text at top inserted by author. Filled symbols and darker line southern NEAC.

The mackerel hypothesis Transport Sti rling students

Subscriptions Address: Wyvex

Eat more fish jobs Save Pinneys Carlisle jobs

92-93 80-81 Aqua Source Directory

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

Find all you need for the industry

46-47 40 37 Brussels Innovation Cleaner fishconference

94 82 Opinion

Figure 10. Examples of the young mackerel currently growing up ‘all over’ the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and along the Norwegian coast at the moment. These were caught in a ‘washing set’ by the purse seiner ‘Brennholm’ at an arbitrary position 100 nm west of the Lofoten Isles in January 2018. At this stage these small mackerels are competitors to the postsmolt salmon, Printed in Great Britain for the proprietors Wyvex Media Ltd by J Thomson Colour Printers Ltd,later they will be both competitors and potential predators. The new and abundant availability of juvenile mackerel in the multi sea winter salmon feeding areas may be a good explanation to Glasgow ISSN 0262-9615 why the MSW fishes have such a good condition at present despite their poor early sea growth.

Photo JC Holst.

Introducti on Novel technology Temperature

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By Nick Joy

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09/05/2018 08/08/2018 15:36:28 06/09/2018 18:05:09 16:32:15

United Kingdom News

NEWS...

Activist breaks into Scottish salmon farm A SCOTTISH salmon farmer has been targeted by an activist who broke into a farm site without permission to take underwater photographs.

The Scottish Salmon Company said it was approached by the Scottish SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) at the end of August with pictures taken by an unnamed photographer, allegedly at one of its sea sites in the Hebrides.

The company’s CEO,

Above: Scottish salmon farms targeted

Craig Anderson, said there was no evidence that the photographs – apparently shot by a scuba diver equipped

with a waterproof GoPro camera – were at a SSC farm, but they welcomed the SPCA to inspect the facilities

Nominate top aquaculture trainees now THE search is on for Scotland’s top rural trainees as Lantra launches its Land-based and Aquaculture Learner of the Year Awards for 2019.

Nominations have officially opened and rural employers, colleges and schools are being asked to put forward their best learners.

The awards offer trainees of all ages a springboard to succeed in their careers, as well as highlighting the need for businesses to invest in new entrants, training and skills development.

This year’s Aquaculture Learner of the Year was Mull based Alan Tangny of Scottish Sea Farms.The runner-up was Marine Harvest employee Scott Forder.

As well as prizes for Overall Winner, Runner-up and Modern Apprentice of the Year, there are also awards for Higher Education, School Pupil and Secondary Schools, CARAS (Council for Awards of Agricultural Societies), Jean’s Jam for inspirational tutor and the Tam Tod Trophy for outstanding young learner.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony at the DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro on March 7, 2019, hosted by farmer and stand-up comedian, Jim Smith.

The closing date for nominations is November 9.To enter, call Lantra on 01738 310364, email scotland@ lantra.co.uk or visit -www.scotland. lantra.co.uk/learner-year

Above: Alan Tangny receives his award from Dougie Vipond

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for themselves.

The organisation did so and the company – which is Friends of the Sea certified and was the first UK salmon producer to be Global GAP certified – said it received a clean bill of health from the SPCA. But Anderson is concerned about the recklessness of the invasion:‘It’s a breach of health and safety, and it’s a breach of biosecurity.

‘When people are so angry that they want to put their own lives at risk and put our fish and the biosecurity of our fish at risk, it’s a serious matter. It’s unprofessional, it’s possibly illegal and we’ll look into it further.’

He thinks there have been other cases of this happening in Scotland.

‘We’re not allowed to know information, funnily enough – we have to give information but when we ask a question we get no answers.’

Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said:‘We can confirm we were alerted to a salmon farm on the Isle of Lewis and our enquiries are currently ongoing.’

In a separate incident, an anti-salmon farming activist attached a GoPro camera to the nets of a site in Mull, believed to belong to Scottish Sea Farms.

The activist was overheard on the ferry by a salmon farm supplier, who recognsied him, saying ‘mission

accomplished’.

Drones have been reported flying close to or above sites at Marine Harvest in recent weeks, capturing images.

The pictures, believed to have been taken at Marine Harvest’s Loch Leven farm, were published on the Facebook site of another anti-salmon farming campaigner.

Gideon Pringle, operations director of farming at Marine Harvest Scotland, asked to comment on a film of apparently unhealthy salmon belonging to another producer, wrote: ‘I would be reluctant to comment on this video, as the image of the few individual fish targeted does not accurately represent the situation occurring in the Scottish salmon farming industry, or at any of our farms.

‘We have available a suite of very successful management tools to manage sea lice levels, and our latest levels, at the warmest part of the year, show no farms nearing the threshold levels that require notification to Marine Scotland.’

Activists in Canada have made a habit of invading farm sites and harassing staff – Marine Harvest recently won a court injunction against campaigners to protect the welfare of its fish and employees in British Columbia – but in Scotland, protests have mostly been law abiding.

Skilled jobs boost for Orkney ORKNEY is to gain six new skilled jobs after Scottish Sea Farms was granted approval for a new salmon farm off Lober Rock close to St Margaret’s Hope in Scapa Flow.

The new £3 million farm has consent to grow 1,274 tonnes of salmon and is expected to go live in 2019.

Consisting of 12 x 80m pens and a 200-tonne barge, it will be managed by a sixstrong team.

Richard Darbyshire, Scottish Sea Farms’ regional production manager for Orkney, said:‘This latest consent is hugely positive news.

For the remote communities in which we live and work, the new farm will bring skilled jobs and training, additional business for local suppliers, and a boost to local economies in terms of increased disposable income.’

The new farm will bring the company’s Orkney estate to eight.The islands’ local geography has helped deliver strong results.

Darbyshire said the lack of wild salmon rivers means that sea lice isn’t an issue.

‘Testament to this, we haven’t administered one treatment for Lepeophtheirus salmonis in 10 years of farming in Orkney waters.’

Orkney will now have the capacity to grow more than 10,000 tonnes.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

06/09/2018 16:25:13

All the latest industry news from the UK

Marine Harvest farm changes Dawnfresh expansion set to goapproved ahead

Drones to monitor water quality

SCIENTISTS MARINE Harvest wonDawnfresh the go ahead to expand of itstofarms in Argyll. appear at a local hearing’.

SCOTTISH trouthas farmer is expected to twobers from the UniThe approval company’s to merge five sites intopens four were approved

by Argyll The conditions imposed on Dawnfresh include win toplans increase its number of fish versity of StirandLoch ButeEtive Council at the end of June, the Oban Times reported. ensuring the finished surfaces of the hoppers on in Argyll. ling launched a Inmeeting one application, Harvest sought 16 xfloats 100mare cages of a into dark recessive colour.

A of Argyll Marine and Bute Council’s Plan-to modifyand project in Sep12 x 120m cages,Services and increase biomass Committo 2,500 tonnes,And at Poll eaststocking of any more than priornatoGille, the first ning, Protective and Licensing tember using of Shuna Island. that planning permission be 10 of the 12 permitted cages or any increase tee recommended new technology This is one of the 10 farms earmarked for 12 innovative have biomass across the site in currentwhich permitted granted to replace x 80m cages with x 80m environets, to enhance the provedofsuccessful in tackling gill health problems during at Dawnfresh Marine must ‘submit a strategy as atrials whole, cages an alternative design. monitoring of Harvest farms on Skye and Western for monitoring and managing the interactions Also, the installation of a the hopper feed Isles. system water quality.

Above: Shuna Island There were objections to the proposal from the campaign group Friendsof the between thethe operation farm and the wild and a biomass of 1,545 tonnes was recommended Along with the Above: Andrew Tyler of Sound of Jura but these were by the council. fish environment’. for approval at the site, Etive 4 atoverruled Airds Bay. In a second application, Marine Harvest planned to boost production at Plymouth MaThe application planning officer said in amore report: ‘The company dedicated to local strategy should address responses to Ceann (BDNC) had received than 330 ob- is This its Bagh Dail Nan at Loch Shuna, Ardfern, byfrom expanding rine farm, Laboratory and colleagues across employment, thechannelled training ofthrough employees, the use of local contractors where breaches of containment and sea lice jections, mostly the Friends it from 10 tocon12 x 120m circumference cages, and increasing its capacity Europe, they are testing cutting edge to possible and the desire group. to integrate into the local environs economically trol measures at theand site, as3,500 well as set out a of Loch Etive campaign tonnes. techniques as part of a €5 million scheme socially.’ programme for the monitoring of changes in the But subject to certain conditions, objections There were 24 objections, including CraignishUnion’s Community Council funded byfrom thethe European Horizon planning officer’s recommendation prevalence of seatolice infestations wildDistrict Salmon byThe thecouncillors group, andagreed by the with Argyllthe District Salmon and the among Argyll and Fishery Board.

2020 programme. approveBoard, the plan: ‘Although [measures] will not eradicate impacts uponawild salmonids within zone of 30km from community the farm. councillors Fishery were withdrawn.

Craignish ‘to the the creeping incremental Theyobjected will study feasibility of using fish, they will mitigate impacts toby a point which in the officer’s view, and ‘Both parties appear reassured the manner increase in capacity posed by this application application drone and otherand in the situassociated technology to that of most consultees, has renders application in which the application beenthe handled, and acceptable.’ (outwith the area but in themonitor same water body) at Poll Gille’.The work will the quality ofna water.

Its impact, theminor reportchanges said, is ‘unlikely to be subject to some being made tosignificant’.

They called for a moratorium on expansion further theis dovetail with a until Stirling ledresearch projecton that the recommended conditions to address their environmental impacts of salmon farming hadtobeen concluded. using satellites monitor water quality concerns, the Fishery Board would be willing to But the planning report said supporters from space. of the farm had argued: ‘The develwithdraw its original objection,’ said the council’s opment of the site will support local jobs,hope particularly for young people with Scientists that information gathered dation for visitors.

MARINE report. Harvest has revealed opportunity for progression, and will help retain workingdevices age people Argyll. from drones or lochside willinhelp Kevin O’Leary, feed plant site plans to build a visitor centre And the Friends of Loch Etive, represented ‘In terms of complaints made regarding and light pollution, the site address gapssound in conventional monitoring manager, near its Linley-Adams new feed plant at also Kyleakby Guy (who represents the told the Press and Jour- manager is approachable and sympathetic to local opinion.’ and support data collected with satellites. nal:Trout ‘This is a stunning location inanti-salmon on Skye, dedicated educating farm lobbytogroup Salmon and Councillors again agreed with the recommendation, approving expandProfessor Andrew Tyler, deputythe dean and with views and seems people about Scottish salmon Conservation Scotland), ‘would be content towonderful see ed fish farm. associate dean for Research in the Faculty the ideal place for a visitor centre farming. the application determined in the first instance, Marine Harvest plans to close its Ardmaddy site asatpart of the changes and of Natural Sciences Stirling, leads the where people canDawnfresh find out more The company has invested more Above: farming director Alison Hutchins without the opportunity for them and their memreduce combined capacity from 9,600 to 9,500 tonnes. £2.9 million GloboLakes project. about salmon farming and enjoy a than £100 million in the feed factaste of Scottish salmon. tory at the Alt Anavig quarry, and ‘Salmon farming is one of the it is due to open later this year.

Highlands’ big success stories Around 170,000 tonnes of fish ability for UK vets, farmers and all NOAH, which represents the UK with a great story to tell and we feed is expected to be produced our animals.’ animal medicines industry, has think a visitor centre would be a annually at the site, feeding salmCompanies have been carrying welcomed the publication of the on farms around Scotland, Ireland, welcome addition to Skye. out extensive Brexit contingency government’s first no-deal Brexit ‘We’re very keen to be good Norway and the Faroe Islands. planning, covering all aspects of planning notices.

Plans for an adjacent visitor cen- neighbours and will be discussing But it said that business remains their supply chains, from regulatoplans for an impressive facility tre were first mooted more than ry compliance and stocking levels very concerned about the lack with local people once the feed two years ago (Fish Farmer, May to logistics and customs. of sufficient time to execute a plant is up and running at the end 2016), when land was acquired But, according to a recent smooth EU exit process without of the year.’ for the development.

NOAH member survey, less interruption to the availability of Councillor John Finlayson said: These plans have now prothan 15 per cent of companies vital veterinary medicines.

‘As the impressive feed mill gressed and will reportedly say they are prepared for a hard NOAH chair Gaynor Hillier continues to move forward apace, extend to two buildings, one for Brexit, with the vast majority of said: ‘The production and supply it is also encouraging to see that a visitor centre and café, plus a respondents saying they are not of veterinary medicines is totally Marine Harvest are thinking separate building with accommofully prepared should there be a dependent on complex internaahead with projects that reversion to WTO (World Trade tional supply chains that must will benefit the local Organisation) rules on March continue to function effectively economy and also help 30, 2019. This is neither through after Brexit, their unique status support some of the lack of effort, nor unawareness being recognised in the recent accommodation and of the need to act, but due to government White Paper. housing issues facing the magnitude of the complex ‘Raw materials will need to Skye. tasks involved in such a specialist arrive at manufacturing sites and ‘The addition of a sector. Furthermore, because the veterinary medicines will need to visitor centre showgovernment has not yet set out be transported across borders to casing the history and the exact arrangements that will meet market requirements. working of the fish operate in the ‘Any border farming industry, which UK in case of a delays, addito my knowledge will no-deal Brexit, it tional complex be the first of its kind, is very hard for processes will also be a welcome industry to be or increased tourist and educational sure that they costs will risk attraction.’ are prepared. medicines avail-plant taking shape at Kyleakin Above: The feed

Plans unveiled for salmon visitor centre

Vet medicines fear over no-deal Brexit

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UK news.indd 5

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08/08/2018 16:25:30 15:30:39 06/09/2018

United Kingdom News

Volumes down, costs up in MH Scotland

MARINE Harvest announced a strong performance for the second quarter of this year, with an operating profit or EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) of €175 million.

But there was a ‘significant decrease’ in harvest volumes in Scotland and biological costs were up 33 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The overall results for the group are in line with forecasts and compare with an EBIT of €198 million for the corresponding period last year, when salmon prices were higher.

The company said this year’s second quarter figures were supported by good results, a strong market outlook, and a solid financial position. However, harvest volumes were lower than the corresponding period last year, at 78,346 tonnes in the quarter (78,612 tonnes in 2017).

In Scotland, harvest volumes declined from 18,515 tonnes gutted weight in Q2 2017 to 8,958 tonnes in Q2 2018. This was due

to lower opening biomass as a consequence of timing of smolt stockings and lower performance on the fish harvested in 2018.

The decline was slightly more than expected but, in tonnage terms, Scottish harvest volumes developed more or less as expected.

The effects of higher achieved prices and increased margin from Consumer Products on salmon of Scottish origin were more than offset by lower harvest volume and cost increases.

Cost per kg was reduced in the second quarter compared to the first quarter; however, compared to the second quarter in 2017 costs increased.

Biological costs per kg in Scotland increased by 33 per cent in the second quarter of 2018 compared to the corresponding quarter of 2017, mainly due to increased feed and health costs and negative scale effects.

No incident based mortality was recognised in the second quarter and sea lice levels at the end of the quarter were lower than at the end of the comparable quarter of 2017. Production has been lower than in the second quarter of 2017 as a result of lower opening biomass.

Salmon company up for two awards THE Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) has been shortlisted in two categories at the Highlands & Islands Food and Drink Awards.

The business, which has been acknowledged for its achievements in export and sustainability, is one of 44 companies to have been shortlisted for awards across 14 categories.

Held in association with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, the awards recognise the excellence of the region’s diverse food and drink sector.

Now in their 14th year, they celebrate the quality, growth and innovation in the industry, which has led to the reputation of the Highlands and islands as a top global food destination.

Prize supplier up for three awards INVERNESS based Gael Force Group has been shortlisted for three prizes at the annual Highland Business Awards.

The leading aquaculture supplier has been recognised in the Outstanding Performing Business for 25+ employees and Inverness and Ross-shire Business of the Year categories.

And Gael Force’s group managing director and founder, Stewart Graham, is up for the Business Leader of the Year honour. Last year, the company won Outstanding Performing Business for 25+ employees at the same event.

Now in their sixth year, the awards highlight the best businesses within the Highlands and islands region.

Also making the shortlist is salmon farmer Loch Duart, which is in the running for Caithness and Sutherland Business of the Year, and Wester Ross Salmon, which is a finalist for the Exporter of the Year award.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Inverness on Friday, September 28.

Salmon farmer a top investor in people INVESTMENT in jobs and skills within Scotland’s rural communities has helped earn one of the country’s leading salmon farmers a rare accolade.

Scottish Sea Farms has won an Investors in People (IIP) platinum accreditation, the highest possible IIP status.

The company has also retained its Investors in Young People Good Practice Award at gold level and has been accredited with the IIP Health and Wellbeing Good Practice Award.

This makes Scottish

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Sea Farms only the seventh company in Scotland and the first salmon farmer in the UK to achieve all three awards.

The investment has resulted in: 3,755 training days in the last 12 months; staff retention reaching

an all-time high of over 92 per cent; absenteeism falling to an all-time low at 1.5 per cent; and awards including Aquaculture Learner of the Year, Finfish Farm Manager of the Year and Rising Star.

Scottish Sea Farms’

Above: Helping local employment

Craig Anderson, chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Company, said: ‘As a local employer, we’re very proud of our Highlands and islands heritage.

‘The area is recognised around the world for its quality produce and these awards celebrate this well earned reputation.

‘To be shortlisted in two categories is great recognition of our commitment to building a sustainable business, providing quality long-term employment, as well as supporting local suppliers and the regional economy.’

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Inverness on October 5, to be hosted by STV presenter Jennifer Reoch.

Big fish: Page 16

head of human resources, Tracy Bryant-Shaw, said: ‘The vast majority of our 440-strong team live in the same communities as they work, over 200 of whom are between 17-28 years of age, so we know first-hand how important it is that skilled jobs and opportunities for career progression exist.

‘By investing across these complementary areas, we’re helping to retain locals, encourage those who have previously left to return, and also attract new faces.’

Sturgeon hosts ‘valuable’ seafood summit A SEAFOOD summit organised

by Nicola Sturgeon last month focused on long-term Above: Nicola growth opportunities, investing in capacity, and building Scotland’s brand at home and abroad.

It was described

by Food and Drink Scotland boss James Withers as a ‘valuable meeting’, and it involved all sections of Scotland’s fisheries industry, including aquaculture.

Concern has been growing, especially among skippers and processors, over Sturgeon what will happen once the UK leaves the EU. Fish processing companies, which rely heavily on EU labour, are worried they will not have enough people to staff the production lines, while vessel owners want to see the UK resume full control of its fishing grounds.

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

06/09/2018 16:25:50

All the latest industry news from the UK

Former retail boss joins mussel farm THE former seafood boss of Morrisons has been appointed general manager of a pioneering mussel farm.

Huw Thomas, who was aquaculture and fisheries manager for the supermarket chain from 2012 to 2016, brings significant experience of the industry to his new role at Offshore Shellfish, based in Brixham.

He also commands respect for his recent work with the Pew Charitable Trusts on sustainability and the campaign to end illegal fishing, said Offshore Shellfish.

‘We are delighted to welcome Huw to the company and look forward to working with him to steer the next stage of development,’ said managing director John Holmyard.

‘We have grown fast over the past couple of years, expanding our production capacity, increasing sales volumes, and building a skilled workforce.

‘Huw’s insight into the wider seafood industry will be of great help in making Offshore Shellfish a world class company.’

Offshore Shellfish has successfully completed three years of sea trials, which have shown that production of high quality rope grown mussels in a fully offshore marine environment is achievable, despite the many challenges the location brings.

The arrival of a 24m purpose built harvesting vessel, the Holly Mai, earlier this year allows the company to step up its harvesting capacity to meet customer demand.

‘Shellfish has been a major interest of mine since I started in the seafood industry in the mid 1990s,’ said Thomas.

‘Being able to return to that sector of the industry and work in a company that farms some of the most sustainable seafood in the world is a natural progression of my career.

‘I look forward to helping the founders, John and Nicki Holmyard, to achieve their ambitious plans to expand the production of farmed mussels in the UK.’

Above: Huw Thomas

Campbell moves to Europharma CAMPBELL Morrison, a familiar face at MSD Animal Health for years, has joined Europharma, one of the UK’s leading developers of fish health and welfare programmes.

He brings a wealth Above: Campbell of experience in aq- Morrison uaculture to his new position as key account manager.

Based at Europharma’s Clydebank headquarters, he will play a leading role in growing Europharma in Scotland.

Morrison said: ‘I’m delighted to join the Europharma team, to continue my close working relationship with Scotland’s aquaculture industry.

‘The high esteem that Scotland’s food and drink sector, particularly salmon, is held in, highlights that it is as important as ever that companies such as Europharma continue to push the boundaries in terms of providing proactive fish health and welfare services.

‘Europharma is at the leading edge of fish health and welfare and I look forward to contributing to the company’s growth.’

The world moves forward Feeding is the most important task in aquaculture. Therefore, you should choose the best and most advanced tool.

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06/09/2018 16:26:08

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NEWS...

SalMar to invest £63m in new plant and new fisheries minister, Harald Tom Nesvik, were present during the announcement.

Witzøe told the audience: ‘This will be a significant step in strengthening this region as an important industrial engine in the company’s development.

‘We expect to start construction work in the summer of 2019, Above: CEO Gustav Witzøe with a view to using SALMAR is planning become one of the the plant during the to invest 675 million world’s most advanced second half of 2020.’ kroners (around facilities for processHe said the area, £63 million) in a ing salmon. although quite a ground-breaking new The project, unveiled distance from major production and proby SalMar CEO Gustav markets, had been cessing plant in the Witzøe, will be based chosen because it was north of Norway. at the coastal comon the Gulf Stream The independently munity of Klubben and offered good owned and rapidly ex- Næringspark in the growth conditions for panding fish farming district of Senja, creproducing Atlantic company – which owns ating up to 70 jobs. salmon.

50 per cent of Scottish Norway’s prime minSalMar planned to Sea Farms - said it will ister, Erna Solberg, overcome the distance

problems by creating a coherent and integrated value chain.

This included a new state of the art fish farm at Tranøy, which included deliveries to its marine facilities in the north, and a new salmon processing factory in Lenvik.

‘This way we will have been able to establish a complete fishing industry value chain in the north, a value chain which will become even more robust after we have invested significant amounts in the purchase of new farming licences.

‘SalMar will in the future directly supply large parts of the world with healthy seafood, wholly produced, and directly delivered from northern Norway.’

Industry pays tribute to Irish aquaculture champion TRIBUTES have been paid to Irish aquaculture champion Richie Flynn who died in hospital last month.

Flynn, who was 49, was a stalwart of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA), where he worked for 27 years, after joining in 1991.He started off in the IFA press office and five years later he moved into the agriculture section, where he represented the country’s fish farmers for 22 years. Flynn was the first president of the EU Aquaculture Advisory Council, established in 2016; he also served as a board member of the Marine Institute, and chaired the EU Advisory Committee on aquaculture from 2001 to 2011. And from 2012 to 2016, he was president of the European Shellfish Federation.

Jan Feenstra, who worked closely with Flynn as chairman of the Irish Salmon Growers’ Association, said he would always remember him for his loyalty and his fearless work in promoting fish farming.

IFA president Joe Healy spoke of his shock at hearing of Flynn’s death: ‘Richie was a well respected colleague and somebody who was utterly dedicated to his work in IFA. His commitment to farmers for his entire working life was steadfast. On behalf of everybody in IFA, I want to offer our condolences to his family, in particular his wife, Trish, and their two children, Liam and Róisín, his mother, Helen, and his sister, Sinéad.’

The IFA’s national office and the Roscommon regional office were closed for a day to honour their colleague.

Left Richie Flynn

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Iceland salmon farmer plans Oslo listing ARNARLAX, Iceland’s largest fish farming company, has said it is working towards a listing on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

Company chairman Kjartan Ólafsson told the Icelandic newspaper Frettabladid that the completion of a 2.6 billion (Icelandic) kroner share capital increase and expanding its balance sheet should underpin further development. He hopes to register the business on the stock market within the next two years.

The Stock Exchange in Oslo has its own seafood index, which includes most major Norwegian salmon farming companies along with outside businesses, such as Bakkafrost from the Faroe Islands.

Such is the confidence in the salmon market these days - borne out by some strong second quarter results - that the seafood index has risen by more than 45 per cent over the past few months.

Founded in 2009, Arnarlax, which is part Norwegian owned through SalMar and others, harvested around 10,000 tonnes of salmon in Iceland last year and is planning further substantial growth.

The company is proposing to more than double current output to 22,000 tonnes by 2022.

However, it suffered high mortality rates in the second quarter of 2018, and harvested just 1,000 tonnes compared to 2,800 tonnes in the same period last year.

The industry is young in Iceland but the country’s Marine Research Institute believes it can sustain a salmon farming operation of at least 70,000 tonnes a year without any damage to the environment, provided it is restricted to carefully designated areas.

Kjartan Ólafsson told Frettabladid that Arnarlax was well positioned for growth.

Right: Kjartan Ólafsson

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06/09/2018 16:27:00

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Grieg plans higher growth as revenues rise HIGHER earnings, profits and harvest figures during the second quarter of 2018 were unveiled by the Grieg Seafood Group last month.

Harvest totals came to 22,568 tonnes compared to 18,503 tonnes in Q2 2017, an increase of around 22 per cent.

Grieg said the average realised price was down by NOK 3.21 per kg, due to a combination of a high proportion of harvesting towards the end of the quarter when prices were lower, and lower price achievement for pancreas disease-affected fish from Rogaland.

Grieg Seafood’s total operating income in Q2 2018 came to NOK 2,318.7 million (£213.7 million), an increase of 14 per cent on Q2 2017.

The farming cost (total cost related to fish harvested this quarter) decreased by NOK 1.54 per kg compared to the same quarter last

Norway’s new ‘seafood’ minister

year. Higher harvested volume in Finnmark and British Columbia contributed positively.

In Shetland, harvest volumes were down 23 per cent, from 3,231 tonnes in Q2 2017 to 2,482 tonnes.

‘Cost in Shetland remains high, mainly attributable to algae prevention and sea lice treatments,’ the company said.

‘Low harvest volume also affects cost per kg. Harvest volume is expected to increase in the third quarter and the cost per kg is trending in a positive direction. Regardless, the cost level in Shetland will remain at a high level.’

Production in Shetland was stable throughout the period, with freshwater treatments providing good results and the sea lice situation under control.

The estimated harvest volume for the full year remains unchanged at 12,000 tonnes.

EBIT before fair value adjustment of biological assets was NOK 16.72 per kg for the quarter, up from NOK 8.32 per kg in Q2 2017.

Grieg said that as part of its strategic priorities, it has an overall goal of increasing production by at least 10 per cent annually until 2020, with the main growth in 2019.

‘Grieg expects to harvest 17,100 tonnes during the third quarter this year and 75,000 tonnes for the whole of 2018.

NORWAY’S new fisheries minister, Harald Tom Nesvik, said he wants people to call him the Minister of Seafood. He took over following the resignation of Per Sandberg over a controversial holiday Above: Tom Nesvik in Iran.

Nesvik believes his title should be changed because seafood is the country’s most important regional industry. He said he has been given a ‘dream job’ by the prime minister, Erna Solberg.

Nesvik who, like Sandberg, is a member of Norway’s centre right Progress Party, thanked Sandberg for his work, but said he had some ideas of his own and pledged to do his best for the entire fishing industry, to create jobs and to stimulate growth and ensure cleaner seas.

‘It is an honour to have this job and I will be fisheries minister for the whole country,’ he said.

The minister is expected to maintain his predecessor’s policy of expansion for aquaculture. But fish farming companies will be waiting to see if he bows to pressure to impose additional taxes on the industry.

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06/09/2018 16:27:20

European News

Lerøy reports record half-year turnover

THE Lerøy Seafood Group, one of the few companies with a significant combined salmon farming and conventional fishing business, announced impressive second quarter results for this year.

The company, which owns 50 per cent of Scottish Sea Farms, reported total revenues of NOK 5,042 million (£465 million), compared to NOK 4,224 million (£389 million) in the same period in 2017.

The operating profit before fair value adjustment related to biological assets was higher this year at NOK 1,000 million (£92.2 million), compared to NOK 801 million (£74 million) in Q2 2017.

Lerøy said the increase in profit can mainly be attributed to a higher harvest volume for salmon and trout.

This corresponds to an EBIT per kilo before value adjustment related to biological assets in Q2 2018 of NOK 23.4 compared to NOK 27.3 for the same period in 2017.

The group said first half revenues totalled NOK 10,042 million (£926 million), up four per cent on the equivalent period last year.

This is the highest turnover ever reported by Lerøy for a first half year. The operating profit before fair value adjustment related to biological assets for the first half of 2018 was NOK 1,960 million (£180.7 million) compared with NOK 2,078 million (£191.6 million) for the first half of 2017.

Lerøy CEO Henning Beltestad said: ‘The salmon and trout prices in Q2 2018 were extremely volatile and remain at a high level.

‘The high prices and increased harvest volume in the quarter are the main factors behind the highest second quarter operating profit in the Lerøy Seafood Group’s history.’

SA outbreak hits NRS Q2 results NORWAY Royal Salmon said that costs involved in dealing with an outbreak of ISA (infectious salmon anaemia) at one of its northern region sites had a ‘significant impact’ on its second quarter results.

CEO Charles Høstlund also warned that that it could affect the estimated volumes for the whole of 2018.

The company reported an operational EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) of NOK 181 million for the second quarter 2018 and EBIT per kg of NOK 24.39. Corresponding figures for the same quarter last year were NOK 135 million and NOK 30.70.

Above: Charles Høstlund Norway Royal Salmon said it harvested 8,773 tonnes gutted weight in the quarter, which was 68 per cent higher than in the same quarter last year.

A total of 6,365 tonnes of the total volume were harvested in Region North and 2,407 tonnes in Region South.

The estimated harvest volume for 2018 is 36,000 tonnes, an increase of 13 per cent from 2017.

Cermaq opens ‘most efficient’ new processing plant

Above: State secretary Roy Angelvik at the plant

THE Norwegian salmon farming company Cermaq has opened an ultra-modern new salmon processing factory in the Nordland region.

The plant, located in the community of Steigen, is said to be one of the country’s most efficient processing sites for salmon, and the first factory to be geared up for full digitalisation.

Cermaq said it represents a new standard for the salmon industry and will create demand for a higher trained workforce in the region.

The inaugural ceremony was performed by Roy Angelvik, state secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries, who said: ‘I am impressed by Cermaq’s investment in this part of Norway, building up a future for the salmon industry and creating employment opportunities.’

More than 50 new jobs have been created by the multi-million kroner development.

Cermaq, which also has salmon operations in Chile and Canada, is owned by the Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation, and produces around 187,000 tonnes a year worth more than a billion US dollars.

Knut Ellekjær, managing director of Cermaq, said: ‘This factory is one of a series of investments that the company has made in recent years, contributing to the development of the industry and creating stable employment along the coast.

‘With the opening of this factory, we are developing and strengthening the company for further growth.’

Baader is main equipment supplier both in the processing factory and in the fillet line.

Bakkafrost invests £360m in future BAKKAFROST, the big Faroese salmon farming company, unveiled plans to invest at least three billion Danish kroners (about £360 million) in its operations over the next five years.

The announcement came as the company revealed its results for the second quarter, which were described by CEO Regin Jacobsen as good despite a fall in the price of salmon during the period.

The company plans to construct a new hatchery in Suðuroy for large smolt production, with building due to start in early 2019.

Its investments in its smolt operation over the next five years will be around DKK 1 billion overall, partly to support the large smolt strategy for the new farming areas.

The group also intends on building a biogas plant as part of its 2020 Healthy Living Plan.

Bakkafrost delivered a total operating EBIT of DKK 407.9 million in the three months between April and June.

Harvested volumes totalled 12,900 tonnes gutted weight, compared with 18,400 tonnes in

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the same period last year. The company expects to harvest 49,000 tonnes for the entire year.

It expects to release 13.9 million smolts in 2018, compared with 9.9 million smolts in 2017 and 11.7 million smolts released in 2016.

The group overall delivered a profit for Q2 2018 of DKK 338.8 million (DKK 398.1 million in Q2 2017). But for the 2018 half year, the profit was DKK 611.1 million, compared to DKK 477.1 million in the first six months of 2017.

Turning to Bakkafrost’s investment plans, Jacobsen said: ‘Bakkafrost expects to make investments of around DKK three billion during this period. The salmon farming business has developed dramatically since it started in the Faroe Islands. We foresee great opportunities for development in the future and to be able to transfer these opportunities into realities, large investments are needed.’

He said the investment will be designed to reinforce Bakkafrost’s integrated business model, to minimise biological risk, increase efficiency and create sustainable organic growth.

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06/09/2018 16:27:42

All the latest industry news from Europe

THE world’s largest dedicated seafood air hub is to be built at Oslo airport after it was announced that the cargo handler Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) had won the estimated £80 million contract.

Work will begin early next year and the new hub should be operational by 2021. It will be designed to handle 250,000 tonnes of seafood a year, flying salmon, cod and shellfish to all parts of the world.

Norway currently exports 600 tonnes of seafood a day, but only a third of that total leaves from Oslo.

The rest is shipped to other airports in Europe, with London

Heathrow a major transit point.

The new centre will be specially designed to meet ‘industry requirements for cool chain logistics and innovation’.

Run by Avinor, Oslo is now one of the fastest growing cargo airports in Europe – thanks to the success of Norway’s seafood industry.

Martin Langaas, Avinor airline director, said: ‘We are very pleased to put into place this agreement.’

He said the move would help to make Norwegian seafood more competitive globally and make Oslo airport the preferred hub in northern Europe.

Above: Oslo airport

Veteran feed chief to stand down ‘Einar’s deep AQUACULTURE feed knowledge and executive Einar Wathexpertise has been ne is moving from his transformational current role at Cargill and has helped after 32 years in the position Cargill a sector. leader in aquaculHe will stay with the ture,’ said Cargill in company for the time a statement. being but switch from Wathne will be president and group Above: Einar Wathne replaced at Cargill leader at Cargill Aqua Animal Nutrition by Adriano MarNutrition to take up a temporary con, who joined the group in 2011. position as head of seafood in Wathne, who headed Ewos until Cargill Animal Nutrition. its takeover by Cargill in 2015, Once he has helped to develop said he is stepping down to pursue a strategy to expand Cargill’s other interests and spend more seafood success, he will leave the time with his family. group, according to reports.

Venice fish market under threat VENICE Fish Market, one of the oldest of its kind in the world, is under threat. The Rialto market opened 921 years ago in 1097 and became a symbol of the city’s commercial dynamism.

But the number of fish merchants has been declining and now there are barely a handful left.

Andrea Vio, whose family has been running a fish stall for more than 60 years, told the Daily Telegraph that he used to sell 30 boxes of fish a day, but that figure has now dropped to four or five.

He is blaming mass tourism and rising costs for the market’s demise. The tourists come to watch, but they rarely buy, he said.

Left: Venice fish market

BioMar hit by Norway competition FEED company BioMar’s half-year report reveals a decline in its salmon market, although there was better performance in shrimp.

Overall, the group had improved sales and stronger EBITDA compared to H1 2017, with volume up by eight per cent, driven mainly by the new shrimp business unit, Alimentsa, in Ecuador, The group expects to reach revenue of DKK 10 billion in 2018 but has lowered the full-year forecast by DKK 0.5 billion because of the impact of ‘severe competition’ in Norway.

Despite this, 2018 will be a record

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opment. We have already taken initiatives to increase our volumes and to achieve sustainable profitability.

‘There is no doubt that we will continue to take a lead, collaborating with our customers and the industry in general, driving innovation, sustainability and efficiency.

‘I am confident that we have the means to get our growth in the salmon markets back on track.’

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year, said the company. It is preparing for growth, constructing factories in Australia and China, as well as installing new lines in Denmark and Ecuador.

And a new research centre dedicated to shrimp farming is being established in Ecuador.

BioMar CEO Carlos Diaz said the group would restore the its salmon markets.

‘We see a strong performance in Ecuador, as well as in our newly established companies in China and Turkey.

‘The competition is merely accelerating our speed of devel-

18/02/2015 11:57

18/02/2015 11:57

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06/09/2018 16:28:23

All the latest industry news from Europe

World News

NEWS...

EU pledges €6 billion to help seafood businesses become more sustainable

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THE European Union eries Fund (EMFF). has set aside more But for the first than six billion euros time, UK businesses (£5.3 billion) to help will be left out befishing and aquacause when the fund culture businesses comes into force move towards a in 2021 Britain will more sustainable have left the EU and future. the follow-up transiA total of €6.14 tion period will have billion will be spread come to an end.

Above: Fledgling tilapia farmers over six years and Coastal commuA GROUP of small projectwill that could channelled through nities receive scale tilapia farmers eventually see them a new look European more and broader in Zambia are taking become commercially Maritime and Fishsupport to set up lopart in a community independent.

each to 45 farmers, 40 per cent of them women, and supplies 50 per cent of their feed costs.

Nutreco sustainability officer for Africa Maria Angela Calmet said a similar programme was launched in Nigeria three years ago and has proved a success, with the original cohort of 50 farmers now expanded to 258.

In Nigeria, the third year farmers are reporting 88 per cent survival rates, and Nutreco continues to oversee their feed needs via the Skretting mill in Nigeria.

The company also has a feed plant in Zambia,

cal partnerships and technology transfers in all blue economy sectors, including aquaculture.

The European Commission said: ‘It will also help unleash the growth potential of a sustainable blue economy towards byprosperous Nutreco, aRun more the scheme allocates future for coastal ponds of an average communities.’ size of 200-300sq m

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TOKYO’S renowned fish market is about to stop receiving visitors for the first time in more than 75 years as it prepares to move to a new location in early October.

Tsukiji is the world’s largest fish market and its daily tuna auction is a highly popular tourist attraction in an area packed with restaurants and shops. Many people arrive two or three hours before the market opens for business at 5.30am.

The market will move east of the Japanese capital to Toyosu, the site of a former gas plant.

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Under control

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“

The environment is more stable and the fish use less energy adapting to it

Under control

Above: Project participants at the centre’s opening. Right: CtrlAQUA scientists.

Photos by Terje Aamodt/Nofima.

Joint approach between scientists and industry to address challenges of closed-containment systems

F

our Norwegian research institutions, two outside Norway and several industry partners from technology and the aquaculture industry have started operations at a centre for innovation in closed-containment systems.

The centre, CtrlAQUA, has been given NOK 200 million and eight years to reach its goal of making closed-containment systems for salmon up to one kilogram.

Innovations in closed-containment, where the salmon is separated from the outside environment by a tight barrier, can be important for the further development of the industry,

32

potential

helping to address challenges such as sea lice, diseases and escapes, as well as reduce production times.

Closed systems can be land-based, where water is recycled, or sea-based, in which large floating tanks receive clean water from depth.

In CtrlAQUA, the research will deal with both approaches.

The main focus of the centre is innovation in closed-containment systems for the most vulnerable periods of the salmon production cycle, such as the first sea water, post-smolt, phase.

The centre will also contribute to better production control, fish welfare and sustainability

in closed-containment farms. This will happen through the development of new and reliable sensors, minimising environmental impact through recycling of nutrients and reducing the risk of escape, and diseases transmission to wild stocks.

Senior scientist Bendik Fyhn Terjesen, from Nofima, who is the director of the centre, said that closed-containment systems for salmon up to one kilogram have further advantages than simply preventing lice and escapes.

‘We can control the environment in which the fish lives in a closed-containment system.

The environment is more stable and the fish

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November Cover.indd

use less energy adapting to it. This means that the salmon has more energy available for growth and good health.’

Closed systems for strategic phases in salmon farming can help to make the Norwegian vision of an eight-fold growth in value creation from aquaculture possible, and lead to an increased number of jobs and the production of healthy seafood.

In the centre there will be three departments: technology and environment, led by Dr Fyhn Terjesen; preventative fish health, led by Harald Takle, also from Nofima; and fish production and welfare, led by Lars Ebbesson of Uni Research.

CtrlAQUA is one of 17 Centres for Research-Based Innovation (SFI), a major programme created by the Research Council of Norway.

The primary goal of the SFI programme is to strengthen companies’ capacity for innovation, and to develop leading industry relevant research.

Nofima is accompanied by five solid institutions in CtrlAQUA: Uni Research, the University of Bergen, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the Freshwater Institute in the US and the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.

The University of Bergen will have principal responsibility for research education at the centre. The total budget for CtrlAQUA will be

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the outcomes, but in Zambia there was a certain wariness, after an earlier government run project which didn’t offer follow up support to the farmers.

Calmet said Nutreco reassured the selected farmers that they would be accompanied throughout by company’s experts.

Each farmer has one pond, in a block of close-together ponds with similar stocking densities.

‘We’re involved and we want it to succeed,’ said Calmet.

‘We want them to be independent eventually.’

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in the south of the country, and quality extruded feed is delivered from here to Kasama in the north, where the fledgling farming enterprise got underway in July.

The farmers are currently preparing their ponds to stock in September and a local project manager will live within the community to help not just with feed but also with technical expertise. He plans to visit each farm site once a week, offering reassurance to the new producers.

In Nigeria, local people were keen to join the venture once they could see

”

NOK 196 million, spread over eight years.

Industrial partners from the supplier industry are Krüger Kaldnes AS, Pharmaq Analytiq, Pharmaq AS, Oslofjord Ressurspark AS, Storvik Aqua AS and Aquafarm Equipment AS. Participants from the aquaculture industry are Marine Harvest ASA, Grieg Seafood ASA, Lerøy Vest AS, Cermaq Norway AS, Bremnes Seashore AS, Smøla klekkeri og settefiskanlegg AS, Marine producers Norway AS and Firda sjøfarmer AS. The formal opening by the Research Council took place at the end of May at Nofima, Sunndalsøra. Norwegian fisheries minister Elisabeth Aspaker, present at the ceremony, said the goal of the CtrlAQUA SFI is perfectly compatible with the government’s ambitions for the aquaculture industry.

‘I have great expectations for the achievements of CtrlAQUA. Even though eight years is a long time, it is urgent that we find solutions to reach the goals. CtrlAQUA is an important part of this.’

The director of innovation in the Research Council, Eirik Normann, presented the SFI plaque to Fyhn Terjesen, saying: ‘You have put together a very strong consortium. I want to point out that the committee that evaluated the application was fascinated by the innovation that the concept brings with it, and it believes that the centre will probably produce important innovations within aquaculture.’ FF

NOFIMA FACTS With 360 employees and customers from 49 different countries, Nofima’s turnover in 2014 was £527 million The company is currently engaged in 620 projects worldwide.

Nofima has several laboratories and pilot plants, which it uses for research, including: BioLab – an accredited contract and research laboratory; NAMAB – a flexible minifactory; and Patogen Pilot Plant – Europe’s first highsecurity production hall.

Nofima carries out research for the fisheries, aquaculture and food industries, including: breeding and genetics; capture-based aquaculture; fish health; and consumer and sensory sciences.

Each year Nofima organises several symposia, courses and seminars in which its scientists share their expertise.

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09/07/2015 09:41:56

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World News

Sharing salmon expertise a ‘win-win’ THE Global Salmon Initiative, set up to improve sustainability in the sector, marked its fifth anniversary in August.

The group, which now represents 50 per cent of world salmon production, brings together the CEOs of many of the biggest farming companies, as well as feed and pharmaceutical interests, to shape the future direction of the industry.

The GSI members, though commercial competitors, agree to share knowledge and expertise to ‘identify and integrate new innovations’, according to a press release.

GSI co-chair and Marine Harvest CEO Alf-Helge Aarskog said: ‘When we started GSI we weren’t sure if it would work.

‘Different companies, different regions, coming together to focus on environmental improvements based on sharing best practices could be a win-win for the industry and the environment.

‘We quickly realised that we all had common challenges, and that by bringing together the best expertise in the industry and working collectively with those CEOs willing to take a risk and focus on the long-term future of the industry, we could actually start to see improvements industry wide.’

The GSI said its model of pre-competitive collaboration and collective thinking has been one of the group’s major successes.

Jason Clay, senior vice president, Food and Markets, of the World Wildlife Fund, said: ‘GSI’s approach of identifying challenges and creating a frank and practical conversation on how to find solutions, as well as a platform for exchanging information, is what is really changing the game.

‘In no other sector have we seen change at the speed and scale as we have Above: Marine Harvest done through the GSI, and it’s the GSI members’ visionary outlook that is CEO Alf-Helge Aarskog making that possible.’

The CEO of BioMar, Carlos Diaz, said the initiative had been successful because of the commitment of the CEOs involved and their enthusiasm and investment.

In an interview with Intrafish, he singled out an improvement in biosecurity as one of the GSI’s achievements to date.

‘We have made very important progress in sharing knowledge, not only between different players in one country, but between different countries.’

Another big focus, he said, had been certification, with the ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council) standards chosen as the preferred scheme.

Five years ago, no farm had achieved ASC certification; today the GSI has more than 40 per cent of its production ASC-certified and is working towards 100 per cent.

Diaz said there had also been progress made on communication, but challenges remained.

‘We need to communicate better the importance of the salmon sector as a sustainable industry that provides a healthy product.’

Work to start on Tasmania feed plant

Above: Site of BioMar’s planned feed plant

FEED company BioMar’s proposed new facility in Tasmania has won the final seal of approval from the local authority and the 14-month construction phase can begin.

The company announced plans last December to develop the AUS $56 million aquaculture feed production plant in response to the growth of the sector in Australia.

The factory at Wesley Vale, near Devonport, will produce around 110,000 tonnes of aqua feed per year, creating 55 ongoing jobs.

The site once housed a particle board man-

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ufacturing mill and, with the redundant facilities dismantled, the area is now ready for work to start on the new production building.

BioMar Australia was due to hold an open day at the new site with a traditional barbecue, as part of its efforts to keep the local community informed and involved.

BioMar Australia technical customer account manager Alasdair Bradley said he was delighted to receive the Latrobe Council’s development application (DA) approval, allowing the project to take the next steps.

‘As part of the DA approval process, the Environment Protection Authority approved the Development Proposal and Environmental Management Plan, ensuring BioMar’s production facility meets all required environmental responsibilities and practices,’ he said.

Carlos Diaz, CEO of BioMar Group, said: ‘Now that we have all the final approvals we look forward to getting construction underway.

‘Soon we will be producing locally made, high performance aquaculture feed not only for the Australian market but for New Zealand and, in the near future, other export markets.’

Surge in Vietnam seafood exports VIETNAM has netted more than US$4.7 billion in seafood exports during the first seven months of this year.

The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers said this represented an 8.1 per cent increase on the same period last year.

If the upward trend continues, the country expects to earn at least $8.5 billion and possibly up to $9 billion for the whole of 2018. The 2017 figure was $8.3 billion. Prawns and shrimp accounted for $3.8 billion of that total.

Aqua 2018: Page 50

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06/09/2018 16:29:27

World News

BC politician named as salmon boss THE British Columbia Salmon Farmers’ Association has appointed a former politician as its new head, replacing Jeremy Dunn, who is now responsible for community relations and public affairs at Marine Harvest Canada.

John Paul Fraser joins the BCSFA as executive director, effective immediately. He was BC’s deputy minister overseeing government communications and public engagement until last year.

He said of his new job: ‘I was drawn to this role Above: John Paul Fraser by the opportunity to become an advocate for this important but misunderstood industry at a critical time.

‘BC’s salmon farmers provide nearly three quarters of the salmon harvested in the province each year while supporting thousands of Canadian families in rural coastal communities with good jobs, many of them held by young, local First Nations people who are deeply connected to the environment they work in and the communities in which they grew up.

‘In looking at this role, I was struck with just how deeply our province’s salmon farmers understand that wild salmon come first and that they play a critical role in protecting wild fish populations.

‘They understand they must, and do, operate responsibly by using the most innovative green techniques and acting on independent science.

‘They also understand how important it is that they are giving consumers a local and healthy alternative to eating wild salmon when making their

Chilean merger forms super group AGROSUPER, one of Chile’s top food producers, last month announced plans to buy AquaChile for $850 million, Reuters reported.

AquaChile, one of Chile’s largest salmon producers, had recently struck a $255 million deal to purchase two smaller Chilean fish farming operations, boosting the company’s access to the Magallanes region of Patagonia.

Several salmon producing companies in Chile have moved to consolidate in recent months as demand and prices for salmon have increased and Chilean operations recover from several years of outbreaks of red tide and salmon specific viruses.

In 2016, an outbreak of red tide in Chile killed millions of fish, devastating the world’s second biggest salmon exporter and resulting in losses upwards of $800 million.

AquaChile last month had announced a plan to issue $340 million worth of shares on the Norwegian stock market to finance investment and acquisition goals.

meal choices.’

Fraser said his first priority will be to gain the public’s trust: ‘While the importance of salmon farming is well understood in the communities where our members operate, that is not the case in urban centres and there is no question we have work to do on that front.

‘I look forward to bringing forward the story of just how important and progressive this industry is.’

Canada farmers welcome new minister THE Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) has told the country’s new fisheries minister that it is ready for dramatic expansion.

The alliance welcomed Jonathan Wilkinson to the post after the previous minister, Dominic LeBlanc, was moved to a new job as Intergovernmental Minister of Northern Affairs and Internal Trade in a cabinet reshuffle.

The CAIA said it looked forward to working in partnership with the new man to create jobs and growth.

Timothy Kennedy, executive director of the CAIA, said: ‘Canada’s seafood farmers are already among the most sustainable producers of protein in the world.

Above: Jonathan Wilkinson ‘We have an opportunity to lead the world as we further build upon and expand a highly innovative and responsibly developed aquaculture industry.

‘With the new minister’s leadership, we are confident this moment can be seized.’

The minister holds lead federal responsibility for aquaculture and Canada’s farmed seafood sector, which operates in every part of the country, creating well-paying jobs for thousands of Canadians.

The alliance says that as demand for nutritious and safe seafood

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outstrips the production capacity of the wild fishery, aquaculture has grown substantially worldwide.

‘Each year, demand grows worldwide by 6.9 per cent to 9.9 per cent. This has led to intense global competition as nations such as Norway, Scotland and New Zealand have expanded their capacity significantly,’ it said.

During this time, Canada’s industry has remained largely unchanged, despite the fact that Canada has by far the largest bio-physical capacity for development.

‘The opportunity to grow and recapture a sizeable portion of global market share is substantial.’

Kennedy said: ‘With a supportive policy and regulatory environment, our industry is ready to expand dramatically, creating new middle class jobs and growing our economy, much of that activity in coastal communities and with indigenous partnership and engagement.’

The alliance also took the opportunity to thank LeBlanc for his dedication and work on behalf of Canada’s farmed seafood sector.

‘Minister LeBlanc recognised the potential of our industry and provided appreciated leadership in fostering a national vision for our sustainable growth,’ said Kennedy. ‘His is a record and approach that we can build upon.’

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06/09/2018 16:29:47

All the latest industry news from around the world

Huon aquaculture doubles Falcon fleet AUSTRALIAN salmon farmer Huon Aquaculture has boosted investment in underwater robotic technology to inspect its sea pens.

Two new ROVs will bring the fleet to four in a move to improve the monitoring of nets, rigging and moorings at Huon’s farms.

The pens are positioned in areas of strong current and rough water and the Saab Seaeye Falcons, designed for such conditions, can remain steady while undertaking its tasks and manoeuvring with precision, said Saab Seaeye.

Sri Lanka launches aquaculture programme SRI LANKA has initiated a five-year plan to develop its aquaculture industry as a key foreign revenue earning activity.

Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Minister Dilip Wedaarachchi has asked the national aquaculture development authority to prepare and submit a

programme ‘in a timely manner’.

He also expects the programme, which includes both fish cultivation and processing, to create new employment and therefore contribute to Sri Lanka’s national economic recovery.

Huon, which produces more than 24,000 tonnes of salmon a year, sees the Falcon as ideal for aquaculture operations as its low profile allows deployment sideways between a walkway and the net. Furthermore, its thrusters have no shaft seals to service or inspect and no oil within the vehicle.

The Falcon’s iCON behaviour based intelligent control architecture offers precise positioning and active station keeping to let the operator concentrate on the task in hand, thereby reducing their workload.

The vehicle’s intelligent control system allows for a wide range of equipment to be easily added and changed for many different tasks.

The Falcon packs all this into a compact 1 x 0.5 x 0.6m versatile system that can operate at 300m and 1,000m and has been proven worldwide since 2002.

Huon, which produces more than 24,000 tonnes

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06/09/2018 16:30:09

News extra – The Scottish Salmon Company

Big fish

Craig Anderson on record results, growing harvest volumes and an exciting future

C

RAIG Anderson, chief executive of the Scottish Salmon Company, has good reason to be cheerful, talking on the phone to Fish Farmer from Oslo, where he presented record results for the first half of 2018.

A businessman rather than a salmon farmer, he has put in top production managers, while he and his commercial team, headed by sales and communications director Su Cox, travel the world in search of new markets.

The strategy is paying dividends, with the Scottish Salmon Company reporting record revenues of £98.3 million in the first half of 2018, up 36 per cent from £72 million in the same period last year.

The Edinburgh based producer also saw harvest volumes grow significantly, from 11,617 tonnes in the H1 2017 to 15,777 tonnes this year.

The company’s EBIT per kg increased 28 per cent to £2.11 compared with £1.65 during H1 2017; and it has been able to revise its annual forecast to 28,000 tonnes, up from 26,500 tonnes.

Anderson, an award winning leader who joined the company as chief executive in 2013, attributed the success to a strong market for Scottish salmon in general and impressive exports for his team. Some 59 per cent of sales went abroad to 27 countries, including to Canada for the first time.

On top of this, the new management, including head biologist David Cockerel, formerly of Marine Harvest, and production director Hank Poeschle, from the US, oversaw health improvements, reduced mortalities and an increased weight of harvested stock.

‘We’re very pleased, the whole team has been working very hard for this,’ said Anderson, speaking from Norway on August 31.

The Scottish Salmon Company is the leading salmon producer with operations only in Scotland, employing more than 500 people across its head office and 60 sites on the west coast and in the Hebrides.

The UK remains the company’s biggest market, with France also strong and Germany increasing, but the focus recently has been on developing markets beyond Europe, which Anderson said they have targeted for the past two years, with brands such as Lochlander, Tartan and Native Hebridean salmon.

‘In fact, on June 24, the day after the Brexit vote, I was on the plane to New York, and burning shoe leather up and down the east coast. We’ve been very active, and put a lot of miles under our belts.

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‘No one knows what punitive tariffs there may or may not be…but we can’t procrastinate and worry about it so let’s go and find new markets.

‘We’re just back from Japan, where we were at the Seafood Expo, and we’ve now got people on the ground there and having a local presence really helps. As well as Japan, we have a local presence in France and in the United States, which is working really well for us.’

Anderson said provenance is highly prized in Japan and buyers there like the fact that SSC salmon can be traced all the way back to the farms.

‘If you buy it from us we guarantee that fish will only come from Scotland, will only come from our farms. That’s getting traction now and is being well received,’ he said.

‘And we’ve been able to take some Label Rouge salmon into Canada for the first time, which is exciting.

‘Our export strategy is built on development of long term partnerships, promotion of our provenance led brands and strong customer relations.

‘During the period, our new Lochlander brand, a product tailored for high end food service, was successfully introduced into the USA.’ The SSC specialises in 5 to 6kg fresh salmon and that’s what it takes to the worldwide market. Kiev in the Ukraine is another export destination, with some Label Rouge going there at a premium price, and there are other countries on the horizon.

Anderson said they had increased production and efficiencies in Scotland, with two new 2,000 tonne sites commissioned this year, at Portree on Skye and Maaey in Uist in the Outer Hebrides.

The company is also about to take delivery of a 400 tonne Gael Force feed barge, the SSC’s biggest yet, which will be based at Portree and service two sites of 2,000 tonnes each.

‘In essence, this is our first 4,000 tonne site, which helps us increase efficiencies,’ said Anderson. ‘One barge, same amount of men, two sites.’

The company has also invested in smolt production, rebuilding its freshwater hatchery in Applecross, which will be operational by February next year.

‘A lot of companies worldwide are bringing the time at sea down to a shorter period but we’re not doing that,’ he said.

Above: Craig Anderson.

Left: Premium product.

Opposite: Guaranteed provenance

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Big fish

‘Our freshwater strategy is staying the same; we’ve just re-invested in Applecross and in Uist as well, in freshwater facilities.

‘Rather than go for one big super recirculation unit to produce 300, 400, 500g smolt, we’re going to stick to the 100-125g smolt.’

Anderson said the health and welfare of the stock remain fundamental to operations.

‘We continue to invest in our health management strategy to ensure a best practice approach. What we’ve been able to do is increase the tools we have to look after the fish; that increases the speed we can get to the fish if there’s a problem, and either get the fish out or get them better quicker.

‘And with our feed strategy we’ve been able to grow the fish bigger – in the first half of this year we grew a lot bigger fish and our mortality was below budget.

‘Put this together and we’ve been able to re-forecast to the end of the year at an increase based on the higher weights and less mortality.

Looking forward Looking ahead, Anderson, along with the rest of the sector, awaits the outcome of the parliamentary inquiry into Scottish salmon farming, conducted earlier this year.

‘I gave evidence at the inquiry in May and it’s difficult to comment until I see the recommendations from the committee.

‘But we’re looking forward to it. All the companies were very pro-active during the inquiry, we went and we told a straight story.

‘We talked about a buoyant, energetic industry that wants to grow and is more transparent than it’s ever been, and also wants to engage with other sectors of the business at the same time.

‘I don’t know of any other industry in this country, or others, where competitors actually talk to each other at the same level that we do – it’s very encouraging.

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‘I talk to the managing directors of our competitors and we all agree that we are friends at sea and competitors in the market.

‘Our biologists get on the phone with each other and if there are any issues, joint action can be taken.’

His company shares equipment, such as hydrolicers and thermolicers to control sea lice, with other producers, and he said they all help each other out.

‘It’s an excellent method. When it comes to health, sharing information and being transparent is very good for the industry as a whole.’

However, he is sceptical that such measures will make any difference to some of the anti-farming campaigners.

‘If your strategy is to close down the salmon industry in its entirety, nothing will change your point of view.’

His future plans involve further consolidation of the farming operations: ‘We’ll continue to apply for new sites and continue to apply for not only new sites but organic growth, whereby some of our 700, 800 or 900 tonne sites – we’ve applied to move and make them into bigger sites so they are less inshore and become more efficient.’

The company is targeting linear growth, and he is confident he has the team in place to deliver this. He said they are all ‘continually trying to improve, continuing to try to make things better, producing better fish in a cleaner environment and being sustainable’.

‘We want to linearly grow so we can sustainably grow and professionally grow and make sure we can produce good quality fish.

‘It’s not about the speed at which we grow it’s about… the timing that allows us to keep on producing quality fish that we can export worldwide.

‘This is only the first step in the journey; it’s the second cycle for this management team, the first step into the next level, so we’re quite excited about it.’ FF

We’re very “pleased, the

whole team has been working very hard for this

”

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06/09/2018 16:18:54

Trade associations – Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation

BY IAIN BERRILL

Healthy

approach

Reporting system makes Scottish farmers the most transparent in the world

M

AKING sure that the fish Scottish salmon farmers rear are healthy is crucially important - not just because farmers care about their fish as sentient animals but also because it makes complete business sense.

Salmon farmers work in a dynamic, fast changing environment, with many natural challenges. Every farmer and business wants to maximise fish survival rates and the sector is committed to reducing mortalities to a minimum.

The causes of mortalities are always complex. So, like all food producers reliant on the natural environment, Scottish producers continually think ahead and work to ensure they can adapt quickly and effectively to mitigate negative impacts.

Farmers invest in preventative measures and continually learn from their own experiences and those of others in the sector, sharing best practice.

The salmon farming sector in Scotland spent almost £50 million on fish health management last year and, given that the majority of farmed Scottish salmon is RSPCA Assured, the sector is widely recognised for the care with which it produces its salmon.

Scottish salmon farmers regularly take part in local, national and global initiatives aimed at improving the health of their fish and to further understand fish health challenges.

These include the global Gill Health Initiative, an international collaboration of industry and scientists, as well as the sector’s involvement in multi-million-pound projects funded through the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) and Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum (SARF).

Examples of projects recently funded include a range of studies to develop farmed cleaner fish and a large epidemiological study to better understand complex gill health challenges.

Significant levels of applied research and development have also been supported through various EU funding initiatives, including sea lice management strategies supported by the EMFF (European Maritime and Fisheries Fund).

At a broader UK level, the ARCH (Aquaculture Research Collaborative Hub) initiative has created a research network to assist academics and the

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aquaculture sector in identifying research priorities, establishing relevant projects to address those priorities, and building the best consortia to undertake the research.

Each company has its own dedicated teams of fish health professionals, who work alongside the highly experienced farm production teams, to ensure the health and welfare of their fish.

The knowledge and experience of the company health professionals and production teams cannot be overstated, and they use this to effectively mitigate against fish health challenges by adopting world leading biosecurity and animal

Above: Vaccinating. Below: Sea lice statistics shared

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06/09/2018 16:17:31

Healthy approach

mortality over the full production cycle. This approach goes above and beyond regulatory requirements.

This reporting is a long-term activity with a long-term objective – to improve the health of fish and their survival rates. The mortality data will feed into the new Farmed Fish Health Framework (FFHF).

This collaborative framework is designed to ensure the growth of the sector – which hopefully most people in Scotland wish to see, given the Transparency jobs, economic activity and many other benefits salmon farming generAdd in the tens of millions of annual R&D ates – is achieved sustainably. spend and it’s clear there is a concerted, The FFHF group had two clear initial objectives. The first - to deliver a industry wide commitment to tackle health high level framework for farmed fish health by spring 2018, with priorichallenges.

In the interests of openness, transparency and tised work streams, clear milestones and measurable outputs - has been achieved. general reassurance, salmon farmers – along The second is to oversee and facilitate implementation of the framewith the government and industry regulators – work and provide bi-annual progress updates against agreed milestones agree that information should be shared more widely and that, specifically, figures on fish mor- within each priority work stream.

The working group reports directly to the Cabinet Secretary for the talities should be available in the public domain.

This open and transparent approach reiterates Rural Economy and Connectivity.

To our knowledge, Scotland is the first significant salmon farming nation the salmon farming sector’s commitment to to take this approach to publishing this type of information, and also the responsible farming. only UK livestock sector to do so in a regular and systematic manner.

How does this reporting work in practice?

We are proud to be leading the way, not just in the UK but globally. All The sector publishes a monthly mortality figure for every farm, indicating the status of fish this work means we, as a sector, can continue to improve and demonstrate our fish health and sustainability credentials. health at the farm at that specific point in time.

Dr Iain Berrill is research and data manager of the SSPO. FF Additionally, figures are calculated for total husbandry practices.

Moreover, the Scottish salmon farming sector’s globally pioneering work on integrated fish health management has been key to sustainable development and its legacy is still seen today.

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“

We are proud to be leading the way, not just in the UK but globally

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06/09/2018 16:17:48

Trout

When is a salmon not a salmon?

Norwegian fears over export market as China reclassifies its fish

T

HE decision by China to classify rainbow trout as salmon has caused consternation in the global aquaculture sector, particularly in countries such as Norway, worried about their future export performance.

Victoria Braathen, who heads Norway’s export mission in Beijing, said it was too early to say what the consequences would be for the country’s salmon companies. She said China also has a generic term that covered most white fish species.

China is a major producer of both salmon and rainbow trout, with most of the latter bred in Tibet, known as China’s Qinghai province.

Norwegian salmon exports are still small by comparison and there is still a block on supplies from some of the country’s larger companies.

However, sales have been increasing and so far this year, China (including Hong Kong) has purchased 16,454 tonnes of fresh salmon from Norway, a huge increase of 141 per cent compared to the same period last year.

(Source: Salmon Business) China’s new ruling came into effect last month. Consumers had been complaining that they were being deceived after it was revealed by a Chinese broadcaster survey that up to a third of salmon being sold was in fact trout.

People are concerned apparently that freshwater trout may contain parasites that can be passed on to humans.

In Hong Kong, part of China but with its own laws, serving freshwater fish raw is illegal, so the ruling could have implications for the sushi market.

‘It’s not only the issue of rainbow trout being substituted for salmon, but whether freshwater fish should be used for sashimi at all,’ Dr Kevin Kwok, an assistant professor in the department of applied biology and chemical technology at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, told CNBC news.

Sigurd Stefansson, a salmon expert at the University of Bergen, said: ‘While the two may be related, they are not the same. You cannot label rainbow trout as salmon.’

But Professor Zhu Chunhua at the Guangdong Ocean University thinks that the new labelling is sufficient for ordinary consumers who, he claimed, were often not fully aware of what they were eating.

He said the alternative was to import large amounts of salmon from Europe, but that was not a practical solution.

The China Aquatic Products, Processing and Marketing Alliance, along with 13 fishery companies, agreed and decided to legitimise the practice rather than ban it.

They said that salmon is an umbrella name for a species ‘in the family of Salmonidae’ which includes rainbow trout.

Also, the Chinese Aquaculture Association has dismissed public criticism by saying that all fish grown in China meet the strictest conditions.

Aquaculture consultant (and Fish Farmer columnist) Martin Jaffa wrote on his website (CallanderMcDowell, August 18) that possibly one of the reasons behind the Chinese decision was the fact that trout can be grown in seawater in the same way as salmon, and large fillets of sea grown rainbow trout look very much like salmon fillets.

‘Whilst this decision has been received with some incredulity in the west, it is not as crazy as it first appears,’ Jaffa wrote.

‘The Salmonidae group consists of 10 different genera, including the pacific salmon Oncorhynchus and the Atlantic salmon Salmo.’

The Latin names for chinook salmon, sockeye salmon, coho salmon, pink

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“

Whilst this decision has been received with some incredulity in the west, it is not as crazy as it first appears

”

salmon, keta salmon and rainbow trout are: Oncorhynchus mykiss, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Oncorhynchus kisutch, Oncorhynchus nerka, Oncorhynchus gorbuscha, and Oncorhynchus keta.

‘Most consumers are unlikely to be able to identify one of these, let alone say which is the rainbow trout from these names,’ said Jaffa.

‘They all seem very similar. Rainbow trout has the same Oncorhynchus name as salmon so why not call it salmon too?

‘For comparison, the Latin names of Atlantic salmon and brown trout are: Salmo salar and Salmo trutta.

‘Even the brown trout has a sea going form and most consumers would be unable to tell the difference between and Atlantic salmon and a sea trout.’

The Chinese, he concludes, may have a point.

Doug McLeod of the British Trout Association returns soon. FF

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Untitled-1 21

06/09/2018 11:16:12

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Right: oysters. trea But everything appears very diffof erent.

On the basis of one day Schotanus HZ University in the Nethrectory Opposite ‘I hadpage to (top): be very activeelse onJildou the state level to spent visiti ng hatcheries in Laizhou (north west of Qingdao) and one morning erlands opened with a report on ongoing work get things(below): going,’ he said. ‘I established a state Abalone, Mussel toarestore intertidal in the Oosterschelgrowers’Herve association with few allies, started surer, Steve Bracken, Miguad, Sunil Kadri and Kenmussels Hughes farm. de. This is considered important for controlling writing an industry newsletter and sent it to all n: Andrew Balahura erosion, increasing biodiversity and providing a the state legislators, brought in guest speakers wds wdowds@fishupdate.com Publisher: Alister Bennett from other states where things were going Fax: +44 (0)well 131and 551where 7901 e-mail: editor@fishfarmer-magazine.com nary a negative word was .com www.fiheard. shupdate.com Eventually we got some traction and regulations thatEH5 were2DL holding back ettes Park, 496fixed Ferrythe Road, Edinburgh NTEGRATED multi-trophic industry.’ er’, P.O. Box 1, the Crannog Lane, Lochavullin Industrial Estate, Oban, Argyll, PA34 4HB aquaculture (IMTA) aims 0) 1631 568001This led on to a larger consortium, with a to reduce the environnumber of growers getting together at various Clockwise from top right: f world £95 including postage. All Air Mail. mental impacts of monECSGA meeting; oyster; meetings and the idea of establishing an East oculture of fish byRobert farming them in ietors Wyvex Coast MediaShellfish Ltd by Headley Brothers Ltd., Ashford, Kent ISSN 0262-9615 Dr B Rheault.

Growers Association was banassociation with filter feeding molluscs, died about. They had seen how well organised and so remove particulate waste the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association m material and algae to utilise dissolved (PCSGA) had become, how effective they could nutrients. A further possibility has been considered be in meetings with regulators, how they - that of pest control. It sounds ideal: why not use the siphoning focused government research dollars toward power of mussels or other bivalves to take out the infectious key problems – they wanted that. stage of the sea louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis?

While setting up the ECSGA, Skid continued This is a free swimming planktonic stage, the copepodid. Since the size to run his own company, farming and marof this infective stage is around 500μm, it is within the range of particle keting oysters trading as Moonstone Oysters size that can be taken up by mussels, although their normal diet of phytoworking out of Narragansett, Rhode Island, plankton is much smaller. and he is still an adjunct faculty member in Initial trials carried out in the University of Maine demonstrated that the University of Rhode Island’s Department mussels in experimental situations did indeed take up the copepodids. of Fisheries and Aquaculture. He established They were found in the stomachs of mussels but also in other parts of the East Coast Shellfish Research Institute the mussel, but the main point was that they were clearly being removed and has been successful in attracting several from the water column.

Researchers further north, in New Brunswick, Canada, looked at a wider 12 range of filter feeding bivalves and also looked at the effects of temperature, shellfish individual size and whether the sea lice were presented on

26

Photo: JHBrown

I

22

012-013_ff03.indd 12

own or in association with phytoplankton. small part of Chinese shellfitheir sh aquaculture.

The of bivalves were basket The hatcheries I visited were allspecies reminiscent of basicused shrimp hatcheries, cockles, (Clinocardium nutt allii), Pacifi c oysters which they may wellresearch have beengrants once since this area had previously substantial federal to address critical industryconcentratresearch (Crassostrea gigas), mussels (Myti lus edulis and ed on shrimp aquaculture before disease wiped it out. priorities.

M galloprovincialis and their hybrids) and Pacific They were all laid out on the same basic lines, with square concrete tanks How has the ECSGA grown and is it still growing? scallops (unconfi rmed hybrids Mizuhopectfor larval rearing, but the scale them wastoimpressive.

Theaofhatcheries now We grow in membership byofabout 10 20 per cent year and we en yessoensis x Pati nopecten caurinus), which produce different species succession using same then had a sharp increase thisinpast year, but wethe still onlysystems, have a scallops, small fracwere obtained fromgastropods, commercial growers in oysters, thenindustry in someas cases abalone andthe other of which tion of the members.

Of estimated 1,300 farmsmore on the Island, British Columbia. later.Coast, we only have Vancouver East about 15 per cent. The nature of the industry For theways trials, were provide placed individually commercial product (presumably by breeding to augment populations The system is integrated in other too.bivalves Scallop shells thewho settatleis such that many farmers are very small, part-time operations in two litre containers with 450 copepodids in depthmaterial sincedues. harvesting on intertidal is no longer permitted). ment forThere the oysters and the oyster spat areseveral sold attof ached to these won’t pay arethe few large farms, and these believe 750ml of water.

In the past (2011) they transplanted large quantities from the sub-tidal, 36 scallop shells. they don’t need to join an association. They can hire their own lobbyist.

Allleast four species were found to ingest the tonnes at three locations, but all had disappeared within 200 days.

They sett le at a density of at 20 per shell, but oft en far higher.

They are What are the main issues facing ECSGA? larvae, temperature wasareas not aassignifi It was thought this was because the sub-tidal mussels notcant adapt then grown on inthat the same tanks asand there are nowith nursery such.

The We spend a lot of time and energy dealing shellfishcould sanitation factor.

Large shellfi sh individuals ingested far to thecan inter-tidal so Schotanus’s project isdominate to investigate whether shells thenparahaemolyticus beconditions, broken to allow the oysters moreto room to grow.much They aremy issues.

Vibrio control seems of more than small. rope collected spat could perform better whenwar usedwith for reseeding. eventually grown ontrying in lantern nets. time.

We are also to rectify the trade the EU so we can Ofoperati the from species investigated, scallops were Transplanting mussels elsewhere was not Of thesome very many hatcheries ng in Laizhou (of aintotal ofsustainable 3,000 in north restore ofinter-tidal the lucrative connections we had EU amarkets five found to take inthe greater numbers of2018) larvae, but option.

The question was really whether rope collected mussels were China and 5,000 in China as a whole – pers. comm.

Ximing Guo only years ago. We are trying to get acknowledgement for the ecosystem five size for size the cockles consumed the most. stillproducing sufficiently phenotypically plastic adapt to thethe new environment, are triploid C. gigas. Only onetoiscredit producing tetraploid oysters and services we provide through nutrient trading, and we are con-and In separate experiments, the shellfi were is the adaptation needed more to do with the period out the this one hatcherytois really controlling the technology even though itsh isof out of stantly working improve water quality andexposure expand harvest areas. found to consume between 18 to 38 per cent of water or the exposure to waves. patent now.

Are there different chapters in the ECSGA or are members mainly the hatcheries copepodids to them.

While Abalone was the next topic, with a fascinating talk from Peter Britz onthe the They sell sperm to the other or presented the actual triploid larvae.

C. oyster folk? bivalves took in the larvae regardless of whethdevelopment of a ranching programme involving security guards outside hongkongensis is the only commercial oyster species cultured in China which We represent about 60 per cent clam farms, 40 per cent oyster farmsis ersoaring phytoplankton was present not, they took theirhatchery research laboratories, prices for abalone, andorcrime rings and a not – it ismussel collected aft er sett lement in estuarine areas and has and there is areared nascent industry. indown a far illegally higher proporti on of phytoplankton sniffer dog trained to track fished abalone. proved diffi cult to raise in hatcheries so far.

I have heard you talk at conferences about the importance of lobbywhen both present.

Essentially, the value of abalone isbay sowere high in China that it has become the species ofyou scallop grown is the scallop (Argopecten irradians), introingThe – what do advise?

This could be related tothe findings from much vehicle for money laundering, yet at the same time costs for farming duced in the early 1980s, producing more than 800,000 tonnes.

It is really important to ensure that the regulators don’t put you out of older work onproblems the behaviourthe of Chinese sea lice scallop, larvae, abalone becoming too high.

This wasare because business.

Ifintroduced you are not involved in the process with of writing the regula3of disease where it was shown that their the copepodids can Cultured abalone are identifiable fairly easily, with bicolour shells, and is now the preferred species since it can be grown to market size within tions, then the law of unintended consequences dictates that they will takeranching, evasive acti on when they detect the so the scene was set for legal provided the security cover was in one year. probably hurt you if you don’t protect yourself. You need to participate feeding flowatti field oftoa environmental bivalve. This evasive beplace.

I heard from various sources that the tude issues had in the scientific research, the public outreach and the education of your haviour actually be before viewed in this YouTube Evidence for developments with native oyster restoration changed radically inencouraging the past fivethe to can 10 years, in that could legislators.

By the demonstrating growth in green jobs,this thefarmers sustainable 08/02/2013 11:24:01 clip,were http://bit.ly/2neRpfg was provided in two presentations.

Firstly, from Pauline Kamermans do more or less anything, but much more controlled now. seafood production and the ecosystem benefits, we can enlist thewho help How can thisrelated be applied in thepracti commercial told uscurious that the ofhow Dutch efforts once.offshore Ipoliticians was tofocus know thisrestoration atti tude towere I of was of when the regulators get crazy, or ifhatchery we centred have a need reon?inThis is more complicated.

The rst wind farms. shown what wasEducating added to situati the the hatcheries.

There were twoisfihuge search dollars. thewater legislators is a constant task.

There issuestudies the larvae of L salmonis are velyat Having got for pilot in such had looked diff erent products although Iiscouldn’t understand thethey labels, Ipositi was told turnover andapproval theyand know nothing about yourlocations, industry.

If you don’t have phototacti cseveral and will be found at greater concenhabitat requirements for the native oysters so that they could best match they were diff erent brands of mixes of species of bacteria species time to do it then you need to pay someone to do it for you. This isused why tratithese ons inpreferences. the surface metres of the sea.

Above: Mussels theprobioti locations suit as cs. available busy professionals aretomembers of trade associations.

This behaviour would to be accommoOpposite page: Scallops; The criteria included sizeof ofpeople sediments, sheer stress, sand wave was striking wasgrain the lack working inhave the hatcheries; water Is What export a major interest for your growers? dated for by the placement of the shellfi sh but Pacifi c oysters height and sand wave migration speed. exchange was manual and place every 12market hours but seemed We are experiencing antook explosion in the forthere oysters rightto be this is easily possible with suspended culture.

Particularly important are those characteristics determining how far almost no young people around. now, so there is not a lot of surplus production to send overseas, but And howsince effecti veno is longer itislikely to populations be? larvae moved release, the aim for viable the to be I was will toldbe that manyafter of the hatcheries were as they were Much of the work on IMTA and this self-sustaining. being left behind by technology, but there clearly is demand foralso spaton and I saw www.fishfarmer-magazine.com potenti control lice been was carried was heartening about thisalas presentation was thathas Pauline littWhat le evidence of much technology such. of sea out the north eastern states of thehas US.been presenting information that ininaddition to the Arkwhere project which A visit to IOCAS in Qingdao provided insights into aquaculture may be working withparti oyster reefinterested restoration 2016, now threethe more going.

I was cularly to since see that theythere wereare researching cultisitesonestablished this year(Asian alonerapa andwhelk), with one more planned for next year.in 10:29:56 www.fishfarmer-magazine.com vati of Rapana venosa which I had seen being reared 06/03/2015

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Figure 1 from left, Pauline Kamermans, Zoë Holbrook, Jildou Schotanus and Peter Britz. Photo www.fishfarmer-magazine.com JHBrown

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08/08/2018 06/09/2018 15:03:47 16:15:05

Aquaculture for restoration

This is a remarkable speed of progress. She was at pains to say they are all pilot scale but it seems a hugely encouraging start.

Another innovation that pricked my ears was that of 3D printing of reef structures for settlement. Adults have been attached to these. I am really looking forward to more news on these developments.

Meanwhile, in the UK there is also significant progress. Zoë Holbrook, a PhD student at Southampton, reported on work she is doing, funded by the Blue Marine Foundation, on the use of beds elevated off the sea floor. She is looking at two different elevation heights, 80cm and 20cm, and two different stocking densities, 240 per cu m and 120 per cu m.

Monitoring performance will include monitoring for disease, reproductive status and their immune-competence.

Progress is most encouraging, with actual spat settlement occurring already, but there are also problems, of course, with things such as spider crabs larger than the mesh side of the oyster containers somehow finding their way in, and the ubiquitous oyster drills are also a problem.

For such an interesting session it was a great pity that the timetabling meant that it clashed with a whole day session on the Vivaldi project, which tackles shellfish disease, also of huge relevance to shellfish restoration. How to be in two places at the same time, that’s the big question for a reporter. The speakers deserved a bigger audience!

More Aqua 2018 reports: Page 42. FF

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The “ abalone

programme involves security guards outside research laboratories, soaring prices, crime rings and a sniffer dog

”

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06/09/2018 16:15:29

Comment

BY DR MARTIN JAFFA

Hard sell Seafood Week promotion may struggle to change consumer habits at fish counters

B

Y the time you read this issue of Fish Farmer magazine, the UK should be celebrating National Cupcake Week (begins September 14).

This is according to a comprehensive list of National Food Days in the UK that is posted on the food blogging website Tartanspoon.co.uk.

It is fascinating what foods us Brits are prepared to celebrate. The list is a never ending surprise. However, the biggest surprise is the absence of Seafood Week 2018, which actually begins on October 5 and lasts until the 12th.

For the last two years, I have unfortunately missed some of the Seafood Week celebrations as I have been abroad, but this year I am in the country for the whole week.

In fact, my own celebrations will continue after seafood week ends as my partner’s son is getting married that weekend. (Congratulations to Marlon and Hilary.)

According to Seafish, this year’s Seafood Week will consist of eight themes, one for each day of the week-long celebration. These themes revolve around specific species including: ‘Memorable mackerel’, ‘Crazy about crab’, ‘Mad about mussels’, ‘Fish and Chip fanatic’, ‘Sensational scallops’, ‘Loving langoustines’, ‘Pick up some plaice’ and ending the week with ‘It’s time for tuna’.

The latest report on the state of fisheries and aquaculture from the FAO states that 47 per cent of fish and seafood consumed is now farmed.

The high proportion of farmed fish and seafood is not just an FAO statistic but is reflected in the offering in many UK supermarkets.

Fish counters are dominated by farmed fish such as salmon, sea bass, sea bream, rainbow trout, and basa.

Wild caught fish include cod, haddock, tuna, monkfish, plaice, lemon sole, hake, mackerel and sardines.

Of course, there are other species available, but their availability depends on the store and the counter. Some counters also offer shellfish such as mussels and large prawns, both of which are farmed.

Farmed might now make up nearly half the fish and seafood on the fish counter but it seems Seafood Week is mainly about the wild. The only day devoted to a farmed fish or seafood is ‘Mad about mussels’.

Seafood Week, therefore, doesn’t really seem to reflect the make-up of the fish and seafood market. Part of the reason is historical. When Seafish was established through the amalgamation of the Herring Board and the

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Martin Jaffa.indd 24

White Fish Board, as part of the Fisheries Act 1981, with the intention of covering al fish and seafood, one member of the House of Lords objected.

He didn’t want salmon to be included in their remit and, consequently, Seafish is now not involved in the marketing of salmon and thus salmon is effectively excluded from the Seafood Week campaign.

The problem is that salmon is the UK’s favourite fish and this omission now looks like a poor decision.

In addition, most of the other popular farmed species, such as sea bass, sea bream, bass and warm-water prawns are not farmed in the UK and so may not be considered part of the promotion of the UK fish industry.

However, tuna, which is featured in the forthcoming promotion, is not a UK species.

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06/09/2018 16:13:44

Hard sell

The “ exclusion of

salmon from the remit does rather tie Seafish’s hands

”

According to the UK government, Seafish supports the seafood industry to work for a sustainable profitable future.

It offers regulatory guidance and services to all parts of the seafood industry, including fishermen and farmers, processors, importers, exporters and distributors of seafood as well as restaurants and retailers.

Thus, as an imported species tuna would earn its place, especially as consumer demand ensures that sufficient volumes are imported to help contribute to the industry coffers.

At the same time, it can be seen that the exclusion of salmon from the remit does rather tie Seafish’s hands.

I am sure that the promoters of National Cupcake Week have little problem encouraging consumers to eat a cupcake whatever day it is.

By comparison, Seafood Week presents many

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Martin Jaffa.indd 25

challenges. In theory, the idea of promoting a different species on each day will offer a range of choices.

However, anyone spending any time in supermarkets will see that few shoppers opt to buy fish during an average week.

Prompted by the tradition of ‘Fish on Friday’, many fish counters seem to do the bulk of their business on a Thursday and Friday and possibly Saturday too, but for the rest of the week, fish counters are largely a nogo zone.

It will be a hard sell to persuade shoppers to buy crab on a Saturday, mussels on a Sunday, scallops on a Tuesday and langoustines on a Wednesday.

The Monday of the promotion is dedicated to fish and chips, but I would have thought that Friday is a big day for fish and chips and it might have made more sense to build on this strength.

Of course, there is more to Seafood Week than retail sales as Seafish encourages restaurants and fish and chip shops to get involved.

I can’t say that I have been to a restaurant during Seafood Week to see how they promote fish dishes but I do intend to try this year. I just hope that there is salmon on the menu. FF

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06/09/2018 16:14:05

Cleaner fish – Machrihanish

Major milestone in sea lice control Inside the first hatchery to close the wrasse lifecycle PICTURES BY MARY DAVEY

C

LEANER fish (lumpsucker and wrasse) are being deployed in salmon cages to remove lice from farmed salmon with good effect in many countries, including Norway, Scotland, Ireland, the Faroe Islands and Canada (which uses cunner instead of wrasse).

The rearing of wrasse and lumpfish utilises marine finfish technology developed over many years, writes Jim Treasurer in his seminal book, ‘Cleaner Fish Biology and Aquaculture Applications’.

But the technology of cleaner fish production is still in its early stages and is continuously tested and improved, as researchers explain over the next pages.

The farming of ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) has progressed slowly and the majority used as cleaner fish is wild caught. However, it is the sector’s ambition to become self-sustaining and use only farmed stocks.

Around one million are now produced per annum by Marine Harvest in Norway, according to Treasurer. And in Scotland, scientists recently achieved a major breakthrough at the hatchery in Machrihanish on Scotland’s west coast.

The facility reached a milestone when it completed the lifecycle of raising wrasse in a controlled environment.

Wild caught ballan wrasse have been bred for more than six years in Machrihanish, in a collaboration between Marine Harvest, Scottish Sea Farms and the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling.

The offspring have been reared from egg to adults of reproductive age, and in spring this year those same offspring spawned for the first time.

These eggs have now hatched and the team has also gone on to successfully wean the wrasse larvae and fry from live food to a dry diet.

It’s hoped the breakthrough will help meet the growing demand for cleaner fish as Scotland’s salmon farmers increasingly seek to control sea lice through non-medicinal, environmentally friendly approaches.

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Cleanerfish - Intro.indd 26

Marine Harvest Scotland’s hatchery manager Paul Featherstone said: ‘Ballan wrasse provides highly effective, highly natural sea lice control and as such is in huge demand.

‘With this breakthrough, we now have proven procedures for breeding, weaning and rearing wrasse, which will both help ensure farmers have a more secure, controllable supply and reduce reliance on wild stocks.’

Scottish Sea Farms’ head of Fish Health, Ralph Bickerdike, added: ‘These landmark breakthroughs are the result of many years of collaborative research, involving a significant investment of time and money by farmers and academic partners intent on developing natural solutions to the control of sea lice.’

The two salmon farmers entered into the multi-million pound collaboration in 2011 with support from Innovate UK, then more recently the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre and feed company BioMar. Under the terms of the collaboration, all

Images: F1 Machrihanish bred wrasse which will become the broodstock for future fish (left).

The medium sized fish (above) are about to go to sea but are bred from wild wrasse.

(Right): Wrasse eggs being incubated on carpet squares.

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06/09/2018 16:12:37

Major milestone in sea lice control

This will “ help ensure

farmers have a more secure supply and reduce reliance on wild stocks

”

insights gleaned will be shared with the wider sector for the common good.

Earlier this year, Marine Harvest won planning consent to build a new wrasse hatchery at Machrihanish, to help meet the growing demand for farmed cleaner fish.

Once completed, the 20,000 sq ft plant is expected to produce around 800,000 wrasse a year.

It will be located adjacent to the existing Machrihanish wrasse hatchery, which produces around 200,000 farmed wrasse annually, in the joint farming programme with Scottish Sea Farms.

Marine Harvest is also developing Anglesey Aquaculture in north Wales, as another hatchery for rearing wrasse.

Jim Treasurer said the number of hatcheries

involved in wrasse and lumpfish farming is increasing so rapidly it is difficult keeping track, but he estimates there are now 41 in Norway, two in Iceland, one in Ireland, one in the Faroes and nine in the UK. ‘This re-energises expertise in finfish culture, in hatchery capacity and in the farming of new species. Spin-off effects have included the development of new areas in fisheries science, in fish biology and in genetics, fish nutrition, fish transport, pathology, health management, hatchery practice and cage technology (or rather, the use of furniture, hides, and enriched environments),’ writes Treasurer.

‘The next developments are likely to include the spread of the technique to other continents and especially in the Americas, in Canada and in Chile.

‘Creative approaches may one day lead to the application of cleaner fish in south-east Asia and in the Mediterranean, should the need arise.’

‘Cleaner Fish Biology and Aquaculture Applications’, edited by Jim Treasurer, is published by 5m Publishing. FF

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06/09/2018 16:12:56

Cleaner fish – Immunology and vaccines

The trial continues It’s early days but providing adequate protection to lumpfish and wrasse is vital

BY GYRI T. HAUGLAND AND ANITA RØNNESETH

C

LEANER fish have been shown to be an efficient biological alternative to medicines for the removal of salmon lice.

In recent years, the number of farmed lumpfish in Norway has increased dramatically, from 0.4 million in 2012 to 27 million in 2017 - facilitated by the existence of several production sites that previously produced cod. These were empty and could be rebuilt, and the fish farmers used their experience with marine fish to farm lumpfish.

In contrast to wrasse, which needs live feed at early life stages, lumpfish are able to eat dry feed just after hatching.

Most of the wrasse used are wild caught and numbers for 2017 show that in Norway 23.5 million wrasse of various species were wild caught.

Strict regulations are thus needed to ensure sustainable use of wrasse.

The production of lumpfish has been successful, but there have been – and still are – challenges with high mortality due to bacterial infections, both during production and after transfer to sea.

The most common diseases in Norway are vibriosis, atypical furunculosis and pasteurellosis. The currently available commercial vaccines contain Vibrio anguillarum and atypical A. salmonicida.

In cases where commercial vaccines are not available or do not give adequate protection, autogenic vaccines are an alternative. However, there are strict guidelines and demands that need to be followed if use of autogen vaccine is considered (www.legemiddelverket.no).

Vaccination of both lumpfish and wrasse is highly necessary, and vaccine trials have shown promising results (Biering et al. 2016).

But continuous effort must be put into further increasing the protection provided by the vaccines. Particularly challenging is protection against atypical A. salmonicida as this is a very heterogenic bacteria group.

It is also important to focus on Pasteurella sp., as this bacterium is currently not included in the commercial vaccines and the incidences of pasteurellosis in lumpfish have been steadily increasing in recent years.

Cleaner fish can be vaccinated by injection and/or immersion methods.

The lumpfish is vaccinated with intraperitoneal (ip) injection at the size of 8-10g and it is recommended to wait 500 degree days after vaccination before transfer to sea (Fig. 1). For wrasse, 500-600 degree days is recommended.

Although there has been progress in vaccine development, there is

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Vaccines.indd 28

still a need for more research. The question is frequently asked about what time point during development is the lumpfish immunocompetent?

Does an early dip vaccination protect the lumpfish at early stages? Does dip vaccination at an early life stage boost intraperitoneal vaccination at a later time point?

Studies so far indicate that dip vaccination of juvenile fish (1-2.5 g in size, Fig. 2) does not give reduced mortality nor promote production of specific antibodies, suggesting that more research is needed regarding immunocompetence and to elucidate how lumpfish can be protected at early life stages (Fig. 3).

Increased knowledge of the immune system and the host-pathogen interaction is important as it is the basis for vaccine development.

In previous studies, we have shown that the innate immune system of lumpfish and wrasse is very efficient. The immune cells can ingest foreign particles very rapidly in a process called phagocytosis, and they have several strategies to degrade bacteria, including respiratory burst (where oxygen is converted to reactive oxidative species) and a range of enzymes (such

Left: Figure 2, lumpfish juveniles. Above: Lumpfish vaccination (with permission from 5m Publishing). Opposite - (top): Team members and collaborators of the Norwegian LumpfIshproject. Photo: Rolf Hetlelid-Olsen. (below): Figure 3, Dip vaccination of lumpfish

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06/09/2018 16:11:21

The trial continues

“

Improved welfare and health of the cleaner fish is a prerequisite for their further and successful use

”

as myeloperoxidase and acid phosphatase) that contribute to microbial degradation within the immune cells.

It is also known that B cells in fish, including lumpfish, are not only antibody producers important for adaptive immune responses and long term memory, but they also have phagocytic activity and thus likely play a role in the early, innate immune system.

To enhance the tool box for studying cleaner fish, transcriptome and genome sequencing has been performed. We obtained sequence information from lumpfish by doing so-called RNA sequencing. By using this approach, we obtained sequence information of about 220,000 genes in lumpfish and the study gave us valuable knowledge of how lumpfish respond upon exposure to the pathogenic bacteria V. anguillarum (Eggestøl et al. 2018).

Genome sequencing of wrasse, combined with transcriptome profiling of the intestine, has given a valuable insight into its gene repertoire (Lie et al. 2018). Loss of stomach, in addition to tiny eggs, can be some of the explanations why wrasse is difficult to produce.

What are the next steps? More research and efforts should focus on vaccine development and strategies, immunology, characterisation of the pathogens, and how survival in the cages

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Vaccines.indd 29

can be improved.

There is also much to learn about the physiology, behaviour and stress of both lumpfish and wrasse. The question, too, is how does stress affect the immune system? If lumpfish and wrasse are going to be used as cleaner fish in the years to come, it is crucial to give increased focus to their welfare and health.

Better characterisation of the pathogenic bacteria, the immune system and responses in these species will give the basis for development of more efficient vaccines than those currently available.

One must keep in mind that vaccine development in cleaner fish commenced very recently and further progress in vaccine efficacy is expected. The improved welfare and health of the cleaner fish is a prerequisite for their further and successful use. FF * Vaccinology and immunology in lumpfish are part of an ongoing project at the University of Bergen in collaboration with Pharmaq, the Norwegian Veterinary Institute, the Institute of Marine research, Fjord Forsk Sogn, the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, the University of Stirling and the University of Santiago de Compostela (https://www.forskningsradet.no/ prosjektbanken/#!/project/244148/no).

Detailed information about vaccines, vaccination and scoring for vaccine effects can be found in chapter 14 by Haugland et al. (2018) in Cleaner Fish Biology and Aquaculture Applications, edited by Jim Treasurer (5m Publishing).

REFERENCES

Biering E, Vaagnes Ø, Krossøy B, Gulla S, Colquhoun DJ (2016). Challenge models for atypical Aeromonas salmonicida and Vibrio anguillarum in farmed Ballan Wrasse (Labrus bergylta) and preliminary testing of a trial vaccine against atypical Aeromonas salmonicida. J Fish Dis. 39(10): 1257-61 Eggestøl HØ, Lunde HS, Rønneseth A, Fredman D, Petersen K, Mishra CK, Furmanek T, Colquhoun DJ, Wergeland HI, Haugland GT (2018). Transcriptome-wide mapping of signaling pathways and early immune responses in lumpfish leukocytes upon in vitro bacterial exposure.

Sci Rep. 27;8(1):5261 Haugland GT, Rønneseth A, Wergeland HI (2014). Immunology and vaccinology of lumpfish and wrasse. In: Treasurer, J. (Ed), Cleaner Fish Biology and Aquaculture Applications.

5M publishing, Sheffield, UK, pp.258-280.

Lie KK, Tørresen OK, Solbakken MH, Rønnestad I, Tooming-Klunderrud A, Nederbragt AJ, Jentoft S, Sæle Ø. (2018). Loss of stomach, loss of appetite? Sequencing of the ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) genome and intestinal transcriptomic profiling illuminate the evolution of loss of stomach function in fish. BMC Genomics 19(1):186 Full references available from Gyri.Haugland@uib.no

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06/09/2018 16:11:43

Cleaner fish – Anaesthesia

Stress test

Species specific protocols must be developed to ensure welfare

BY GYRI T. HAUGLAND

F

ISH anaesthetics are used for immobilisation, surgical operations and euthanasia. To ensure the welfare of fish, species specific protocols should be developed.

Both lumpfish and wrasse are used as cleaner fish in Europe and Canada for removal of sea lice from salmon and while most of the wrasses are wild caught, all lumpfish are farmed.

The number of lumpfish produced has increased rapidly over the last few years, but it is still a novel species for the farming industry, and more knowledge is needed about its behaviour and responses to stress and disease.

Lumpfish use their suction disc, which is modified pelvic fins, to adhere to the substrate, such as kelps or stones in the sea or the walls in the fish tanks in the laboratories.

Lumpfish thus have very different behaviour to salmon, for example.

This has created challenges during their handling, both during transfer from the production sites to transport vehicles, and from the vehicles to well boats and net pens.

Additionally, behaviour makes it difficult two tablesthis at the end and nice lumpfish pic in theto fileevaluate if the fish are stressed or diseased.

In a study on anaesthetising lumpfish, performed at the University of Bergen in Norway, the researchers found that it was also difficult to evaluate if the lumpfish are sedated or not.

A common method to investigate whether fish (salmon and zebrafish, for instance) are sedated is to pinch the tale. The lumpfish did not react to this.

However, pinching them in the lower lip produced a strong reaction and so this method can be used to examine if the lumpfish are sedated.

The establishment of optimal anaesthetic protocols is of major importance as the fish can die if the doses are too high or the exposure time is too long.

As a first step for developing anaesthetic protocols, the lumpfish behaviour at different stages of anaesthesia was examined (Table 1).

In the study, three commonly used anaesthetics were included: metacaine (also known as finquel and MS-222); isoeugenol (also known as Aqui-S); and benzocaine. The effect of anaesthetic concentrations, sea

Below: Table 1. Overview of behaviour of lumpfish at different stages of anaesthesia (from Skår et al.

2017). Opposite: Table 2. Overview of recommended concentrations for full anaesthesia of lumpfish (from Skår et al. 2017)

Table 1. Overview of behaviour of lumpfish at different stages of anaesthesia (from Skår et al. 2017)

Stage

Plane

Description

Appearance

0

Normal

Normal

I

Light sedation Excitatory

Disoriented

Swimming activity Normal/adhere to the substrate Reduced

Excited

Increased

II*

1

III

IV

Equilibrium Normal Normal/ reduced Struggles to maintain balance Lost

Light Anaesthetized Stopped anaesthesia 2 Surgical Anaesthetized Stopped Lost anaesthesia 3 Deep Anaesthetized Stopped Lost narcosis Impending Moribund Stopped Lost death *Observed at high concentrations of metacaine (> 400 mg L-1) 1 Responsiveness refers to reaction to external stimuli (pinch in the lower lip)

30

Anaesthesia.indd 30

Responsive ness1 Yes

Muscle tone Normal

Respiration

Reduced

Normal

Normal

n.d.

Normal

Irregular/ increased

None

Decreased

None

Relax

Normal or decreased Shallow

None

None

Nearly absent

None

None

Stopped

Normal

water temperature (6oC and 12oC) and body weight (10-20g, 200-400g and 600-1300g) was assessed (Skår et al. 2017).

For lumpfish, a concentration of 200 mg L-1 can be used for full anaesthesia independently of fish size and sea water temperature. However, importantly, for lighter anaesthesia (for example, for vaccination/immobilisation) or when handling small fish, (10-20g), 100 mg L-1 is sufficient (Table 2).

Benzocaine is not recommended if the water is cold (6oC) or for fish above 600g. Isoeugenol is not recommended for full anaesthesia for lumpfish as the recovery time is very long.

In the study by Skår et al. (2017), the therapeutic windows and conditions for euthanasia of lumpfish were also determined. The lethal doses varied with the different anaesthetics, fish size and temperature.

The study is based on observations only, and further examination of the effect of the anaesthetics on the lumpfish physiology should be performed. Until such data is available, care should be taken upon anaesthetising lumpfish.

A study performed by Iversen et al. (2015) has shown that Aqui-S can be used to sedate lumpfish, during handling and transport for example.

Previously, Aqui-S was also used after transport, prior to emptying the fish tanks, as it makes the lumpfish detach more easily.

Nowadays, though, it is not common to sedate lumpfish during transport or when emptying the fish tanks.

Instead, care is taken to ensure optimal conditions during transport (see next page), and if the fish tanks are emptied slowly, the lumpfish will detach.

Our experience is that it is not necessary to anaesthetise lumpfish with easy handling, such as transfer from one fish tank to another or for vaccination.

Of the wrasses, the species most commonly used as cleaner fish are goldsinny wrasse (Ctenolabrus rupestris L.), ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta A.), corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops L.) and rock cook (Ctenolabrus exoletus L.).

Among these, only ballan wrasse is farmed.

Wrasse has to be sedated prior to handling for vaccination. Finquel is most commonly used.

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06/09/2018 16:05:31

Stress test

REFERENCES

For juvenile ballan wrasse, 50-100 mg L-1 is recommended (Durif et al. 2014). The same concentration has also been used to immobilise corkwing wrasse prior to PIT tagging (Halvorsen et al. 2016).

Low doses of Aqui-S have been used to sedate wrasse during transport, but this might have an adverse effect as sedated wrasse tend to lie low in the water column, creating a low oxygen level. Common practice nowadays is not to sedate wrasse during transport.

Anaesthetising of lumpfish is part of a Norwegian project regarding lumpfish immunology, health and disease financed by the Research Council in Norway and University of Bergen (https://www.forskningsradet.no/prosjektbanken/#/project/NFR/244148). FF

the doses “areThetoofishhighcanordietheif exposure time is too long ”

Table 2. Overview of recommended concentrations for full anaesthesia of lumpfish (from Skår et al. 2017)

Concentration Max exposure fast anaesthesia time (min) -1 (mg L ) 6 30 200 10 10 – 20 12 30 200 10 6 60 n.d. n.d Metacaine 200-400 12 30 n.d. n.d.

1 6 10 n.d. n.d 600-1300 12 101 n.d. n.d.

6 10 200 10 10 – 20 12 10 200 10 Benzocaine 6 Not recommended 200 - 400 12 100 10 200 < 10 *Isoeugenol is not recommended for full anaesthesia of lumpfish due to long recovery phase.

1 = the large fish (600-1300g) was not incubated for more than 10 minutes. n.d. = good conditions for fast anaesthesia with regards to both acceptable induction and recovery times was not found.

Anaesthetics*

Fish size (g)

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Anaesthesia.indd 31

Temp (C)

Concentration normal anaesthesia (mg L-1) 100 100 200 200 200 200 100 100

Max exposure time (min)

Durif C, Bjelland R, Skiftesvik AB (2014).

Anaesthesia of ballan wrasse. In: Helland S, Dahle SW, Hough C, Borthen (Eds), Production of ballan wrasse, Science and practice.

Unijep, Belgium, pp.

117-119 Halvorsen KT, Sørdalen TK, Vøllestad LA, Skiftesvik AB, Espeland SH Olsen EM (2017).

Sex- and size-selective harvesting of corkwing wrasse (Symphodus melops) – a cleaner fish used in salmonid aquaculture. ICES Journal of Marine Science 74(3): 660-669 Skår MW, Haugland GT, Powell MD, Wergeland HI, Samuelsen OB (2017). Development of anaesthetic protocols for lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus L.): Effect of anaesthetic concentrations, sea water temperature and body weight. PLoS ONE 12, e0179344.

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06/09/2018 16:06:41

Cleaner fish – Transport

Handle with care Managing the movement of fish between different water environments

BY THOR MAGNE JONASSEN

T

Planning of transport Only healthy and vaccinated fish should be delivered. Today, a withdrawal period of 500 degree days after vaccination is recommended to ensure good effect of the vaccine before transfer to sea cages.

To prevent escapes after transfer, individual weight samples should be taken shortly before transport to verify that the smallest fish delivered cannot pass through the cage net meshes.

All transports should be planned in such a way that change in water temperature on sea transfer is as little as possible.

Practical considerations will modify this, but the establishment of some main principles may contribute to improved fish robustness after sea transfer. One is temperature transitions, which should be minimised. A large and abrupt drop in temperature may induce a ‘cold shock’ response that involves stress, and mortalities at worst.

Temperature affects the metabolism of the fish, and tolerance to han-

60

40

Plasma cortisol (ng/ml)

RANSPORT is probably one of the most complicated and stressful operations in fish farming. The most obvious challenges for the fish, particularly in closed systems typical for road transport, are the transfer between environments that may differ in water quality, the effect of repeated handling during transport, and challenges with accumulation of metabolites in transport tanks with no water exchange.

An investigation of mortality in lumpfish in 2015 showed that among 23 salmon farms where lumpfish was used, 80 per cent reported mortality rates of 25 per cent or more, and that some of the acute mortalities were associated with the fish transport.

It is conceivable that such initial mortalities, at least in part, may be related to transport conditions and handling.

20

0

-20

-40

Before starvation

Before loading

Figure 1. Plasma cortisol concentrations (ng/ml, mean ± SE) in two groups of lumpfish dling and transport stress is normally higher and after Above: 2Figure Plasma and black bars) before starvation in darkness days 1. starvation. at the lower end of the temperature tolerance cortisol concentrations (ng/ml, mean ± SE) in range. In lumpfish, optimal temperature for two groups of lumpfish growth is in the range 9-16 °C, depending on (white and black bars) the fish size. before starvation in Feed withdrawal before transport is impordarkness and after 2 tant to reduce the loading of faeces and medays starvation. Left: Fast tabolites in the water during transport, which well-boat for cleaner may give deterioration in water quality. Hence, fish transfer. Opposite starved fish will tolerate a longer transport (top): Truck transport to

cage with removable tanks. (below): Figure 2. Change in plasma cortisol concentrations (ng/ml, mean ± SE) over time in groups of lumpfish subjected to “normal transport” (blue triangles) or subjected to netting Figure 2. Change in plasma cortisol concentrationsonly (ng/ml, ± SE) over time in gro (at O mean h, termed lumpfish subjected to "normal transport" (blue triangles) or subjected “control”, light blue to netting only (a termed "control", light blue squares). The transportsquares). conditions the transport group wa The in transport aeration and ~100% O2 , 8 h duration, 30 kg/m3 stocking density, conditions in the darkness. transport group was 8 ºC, ~100% O2 , 8 h duration, 30 kg/ m3 stocking density, aeration and darkness.

32

Cleaner Fish - Transport.indd 32

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Handle with care

60

Plasma cortisol (ng/ml)

40

20

0

-20

-40

Before starvation

Before loading

Figure 1. Plasma cortisol concentrations (ng/ml, mean ± SE) in two groups of lumpfish (white and black bars) before starvation in darkness and after 2 days starvation. time and have a reduced excretion.

Normal procedure for lumpfish is two to three days’ feed withdrawal in darkness, in order to reduce the risk of aggression due to feed depletion, before transport at normal rearing temperatures of approximately 8°C at the juvenile stage (20-30 g).

At lower temperatures, fasting time should be increased since metabolism and the rate of digestion is reduced with temperature.

Analyses of the stress hormone cortisol from blood plasma indicate no increase in stress in lumpfish after two days’ fasting in darkness (Figure 1).

Water quality under transport The tolerance of cleaner fish to different water quality parameters is still largely unknown,

A short-term period of “ stress is rendering the fish more vulnerable to other challenges related to sea cage transfer

”

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Cleaner Fish - Transport.indd 33

Figure 2. Change in plasma cortisol concentrations (ng/ml, mean ± SE) over time in groups of and transport guidelines must so far be based are important under fish transport: oxygen lumpfish subjected to "normal transport" or subjected to netting on knowledge on other species and practical (blue (O2),triangles) carbon dioxide (CO2), total ammoniaonly (at O h, experience.

(TAN=theconditions sum of NH4+ and transport NH3) and total termed "control", light blue squares). The transport in the group was 8 ºC, In closed fish transport, wa- organic carbon (TOC).and Duedarkness. to the relation, 8 h duration, 30 kg/m3the stocking density, aeration ~100% O2 containment ter quality deterioration due to the fish metabolism sets limits to transport time. Mucus loss and faeces may also affect water quality.

The metabolism increases with temperature, stress level, handling, swimming speed, digestion rate and reduced fish size.

In particular, four water quality parameters

ship with CO2, pH is normally logged as an indicator of CO2.

Cleaner fish are normally transported at 8-10 °C and slightly higher for wrasse.

Experiments have shown that an increase of temperature from 8 °C to 12 °C in eight hour simulated transports of 30-40 g lumpfish at

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06/09/2018 16:02:07

Cleaner fish – Transport

a fish density of 30 kg per m3 water did not result in any changes in plasma cortisol or several other secondary stress responses.

Oxygen is the primary parameter to control and regulate during transport, and should be kept around 100 per cent saturation. High O2 saturation may reduce the toxicity of ammonia and increase tolerance for CO2, but may also damage the fish – that is, for salmon it may damage the gill chloride cells.

Oxygen super-saturation may occur in transport tanks, while oxygen saturation in sea cages may typically vary from 85-95 per cent.

Increase of oxygen saturation from approximately 100 per cent to 150 per cent in transport experiments with small lumpfish did not result in any changes in plasma cortisol or several other secondary stress responses.

As oxygen is consumed, CO2 is excreted and accumulated in the water, increasing the H+ and pH drops. Seawater has a relatively high buffering capacity for CO2 and when the transport water is aerated (degassed) pH and CO2 are normally easy to stabilise under transport of lumpfish.

Typical water quality parameters from 15 different commercial transports of lumpfish are given in Table 1.

In general, long before CO2 reaches harmful levels, the NH3 will pose a serious risk for fish welfare. The best way to keep low NH3 is to keep the pH low, which happens through the accumulation of CO2.

Also, NH3 increases with reduced temperature (NH3 doubles when temperature falls from 20 to 10 °C as a result of change of the NH4+ - NH3 equilibrium), which may be of concern under closed transport at low temperatures.

It is also worth noting that tolerance for NH3 is reduced with fish size, stressed fish are more sensitive to NH3 than unstressed fish, and swimming fish are more sensitive than resting fish.

Most importantly, the tolerance for NH3 varies largely among fish species, and there is no information of the tolerance in lumpfish.

Another concern in closed containment transport is accumulation of waste products such as mucus and faeces observed as an increase in total organic carbon (TOC). There is a risk that such substances may attach to the fish gills, hence disturbing the respiration and stress the fish.

There is little known about this in lumpfish, but care should be taken to reduce the risk by fasting the fish before transport.

Handling and transport conditions Whether the fish is transported in closed tanks on a truck, or in a well-boat with closed tanks, or water flow-through, some of the critical points are fish handling time (duration of handling stress), oxygen monitoring and control, physical impact from equipment/ procedures (loss of mucus and skin erosion) Above: Specialised fast-going well boat.

Left: Figure 3. Average plasma concentration (ng/ml) of 15 groups of lumpfish (n=6 per group and sampling time) through three stages of the transport. Vertical lines indicate standard error of mean (±SEM).

Opposite - (top): Figure 4.

Average specific growth rate (SGR) in lumpfish 30 days after exposed to different transport conditions (Exp. 1: 8 and 20 hour transport time, Exp. 2: stocking density of 30 and 60 kg/ m3, Exp. 3: transferred from 8 °C to transport temperatures of 8 or 12 °C and handling after transport). Vertical lines indicate standard error of mean (±SEM). (below): Secondary transport is no longer common practice

110 100 90

Plama cortisol (ng/ml)

80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 Before loading

After primary transport

After secondary transport

Figure 3. Average plasma concentration (ng/ml) of 15 groups of lumpfish (n=6 per group and

34 sampling time) through three stages of the transport. Vertical lines indicate standard error of

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mean (±SEM).

Cleaner Fish - Transport.indd 34

06/09/2018 16:02:49

Handle with care

Exp. 1: Duration

SGR (% of BM/day)

SGR (% of BM/day)

and biomass control in transport tanks (fish 2,5 and distribution). counting NS (p=0.67) The truck should be prepared for loading by filling2,0 the transport tanks with fresh seawater, normally 1,5 from the same source as where the fish has been reared. The water source should be known 1,0 to be free of pathogen.

The most common way to load the transport0,5 tanks is by direct pumping from the rearing tank, often via a fish counter. This is the most0,0 stressful operation, and oxygen may drop Control tanks during 8 h transport abruptly in the transport loading due to the handling stress. Hence, closely monitoring and regulation of oxygen around 100 per cent saturation is important.

A series of controlled transport simulaNS (p=0.70) tions3,0 with lumpfish showed maximum stress response shortly after loading, where plasma 2,5 cortisol increased in average from 27 to 83 ng/ ml during 2,0 the first hour after transfer to the transport tanks (Fig. 2).

1,5 Thereafter, the average cortisol levels decreased to 53 ng/ml during the 8 hours 1,0 transport simulation, despite a gradual deterio0,5of water quality. ration This 0,0points to the loading procedure as a major stressor during transport, which should Control 30 kg/m3 be optimised particularly with respect to handling time.

Previous common practice for truck transport includes a secondary transport from shore the fish NS (p=0.08) 2,0to the cages (Picture 1), where were unloaded from the truck to transport tanks on boat.

1,5extra handling was shown to cause This unwanted additional stress (Fig. 3). Today, most 1,0 commonly the whole truckload goes directly

20 h transport

Exp. 2: Stocking density

60 kg/m3

SGR (% of BM/day)

Exp. 3: Temp. + sec. transport

by ferry to the cages (Picture 2), or the tanks may be disconnected from the truck and placed on a smaller boat without disturbing the fish. Small sized and fast well-boats specially designed for cleaner fish are also in use.

As previously mentioned, loading stress is a main stressor during transport while the actual transport gives resting time, where the fish slowly recover despite gradually deteriorating water quality.

This was shown in controlled experiments with simulated transports where cortisol levels were comparable to levels in undisturbed fish after 20 hours of transport.

Transport simulations also showed that variable stocking densities (30 and 60 kg m-3) and transport temperatures (8 and 12 °C) did not give any change in plasma cortisol after transport or detectable changes in growth rate (Fig. 4) or mortalities (no fish died) during the 25 days in tanks following transfer.

These observations suggest that, as long as fish are provided with oxygen (~100 per cent saturation), aeration is sufficient and stocking density is acceptable (< 60 kg m-3), the fish are able to tolerate the transport conditions mentioned above for longer periods. However, it is possible that the short-term period of stress is rendering the fish more vulnerable to other challenges related to sea cage transfer.

Further studies should examine the combined effect of transport and other stressors in order to elucidate possible accumulative effects.

Recordings of transport conditions (for example, temperature, duration, stocking density, survival, water quality) and results from veterinary controls may, together with recordings of net pen husbandry protocols and daily registrations of environmental conditions and mortalities, help the fish farmer to build a knowledge database providing an important basis for developing optimal transport protocols.

Photos reproduced from Jonassen T. M. et al. (2018) Transport of lumpfish and wrasse. In: Treasurer J. (Ed) Cleaner Fish Biology and Aquaculture Applications. 5m Publishing, Sheffield, pp. 313-329. With permission from 5m Publishing. FF

Further studies should “ examine the combined effect of transport and other stressors Figure 4. Average specific growth rate (SGR) in lumpfish 30 days after exposed for” different transport conditions (Exp. 1: 8 and 20 hour transport time, Exp. 2: stocking density of 30 and 60 0,5 0,0

Control

8 °C

12 °C + sec. transport

kg/m3, Exp. 3: transferred from 8 °C to transport temperatures of 8 or 12 °C and handling after transport). Vertical lines indicate standard error of mean (±SEM).

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Cleaner Fish - Transport.indd 35

35

06/09/2018 16:03:02

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Untitled-1 36

06/09/2018 11:47:01

Cleaner fish – Temperature

Spotlight on lumpfish Research improves understanding of captive broodstock

F

AST growing lumpfish have a quick generation time, being able to spawn between one and two years’ old.

The demand, as of 2016, for these cleaner fish in Scotland is about 12.6 million fish, but the industry aims to have 50 million lumpfish deployed by the end of 2020.

There is a need, therefore, to be self-sufficient as soon as possible, with the production of a sustainable commercial broodstock.

There are many attempts around the North Atlantic to try and produce this, in Canada, Ireland, Norway, and in Scotland, where there has been successful spawning of lumpfish, getting several broodstock to spawn.

But there is a lack of information on basic rearing requirements to make captive production commercially viable.

As with any ‘new’ species, successful captive spawning requires a clear understanding of their reproductive development as well as environmental and nutritional requirements.

Stirling PhD student Samuel Pountney described recent research, part of the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre’s project to establish a better supply of lumpfish, during a presentation at the recent WAS/EAS conference in Montpellier.

The study - Temperature effects on captive lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) broodstock spawning season and gamete quality - aimed to describe reproductive development in lumpfish and the effects of holding temperature during the spawning season on productivity and gamete quality of captive lumpfish broodstock.

Just prior to their first spawning season, 506 farmed lumpfish (245M: 261F) were separated into 6°C, 9°C and 14°C treatments and maintained on these regimes until spawning was complete.

Every four weeks sacrificial samples were taken to assess gonadal development (histological) and milt quality (sperm density by spectrophotometry).

A large scale assessment of gamete quality was conducted one month into the study where a full factorial cross compared eggs and milt from each treatment (6M: 6F), plus a pool of wild sourced milt (n = 3). Eggs were assessed after 150 degree days and recorded as a percentage eyed rate for each individual cross.

An oocyte developmental scale was validated to create species specific definitions of size ranges of key developmental stages.This scale was used to interpret oocyte population spread and progression in relation to environmental treatment, which confirmed that lumpfish are a batch spawning species.

Total fecundity was estimated to be 40440 ± 12434 oocytes per kg body weight, independent of treatment.

The spawning window was inversely related to rearing temperature (72 days, 6°C: 28 days, 9°C: 11 days, 14°C) and while the number of natural spawning events was comparable in the 6 °C (25 events) and 9°C (20 events) treatments, it was notably lower under the 14 °C treatment (three events).

Furthermore, females reared at 14°C showed clear evidence of early and rapid gonadal regression. A significant reduction in sperm density was observed in the 14 °C treatment (5.8 x 109sperm/ml) compared with prestudy measures (11.9 x 109 sperm/ml), which was not apparent in the other conditions.

Above: Samuel Pountney Eggs from the 14°C treatment were unviable, while the 14°C milt remained viable when crossed to oocytes from lower temperatures.

There was also evidence of a negative interaction, in terms of quality, between gametes from fish reared at 6°C. To assure viable gametes, captive reared lumpfish broodstock must be held <10 °C during the spawning season.

This study is an important first step in understanding environmental optima

There “ is a need,

therefore, to be selfsufficient as soon as possible

”

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Cleanerfish - Samuel.indd 37

regulating reproductive development in the species, said Pountney.

Going forward, farm rearing practices will be adjusted accordingly to work towards a viable captive rearing programme.

Stirling student wins top prize

SAMUEL Pountney, who is a second year PhD student at Stirling University’s Institute of Aquaculture, won the Student Spotlight award at the Montpellier conference.

His research, a part Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) and part EU funded project, was conducted in collaboration with Dr Ingrid Lein of Norwegian research institute Nofima, and supervised by Stirling’s Dr Andrew Davie and Professor Herve Migaud.

Pountney’s abstract, submitted before the conference, was one of three student submissions selected by the World Aquaculture Society.The three students then each gave a three-minute flash presentation in the Student Spotlight competition during the opening plenary session of Aqua 2018.

In a vote open to all conference delegates, Pountney was named the winner, and he delivered his full presentation during a later session of the conference on hatchery technologies and broodstock, larvae and juvenile management.

Dr Davie said findings from the research have been used to amend hatchery rearing protocols in the UK, with the goal of improving the future production of captive lumpfish broodstock. FF

37

06/09/2018 16:00:07

Cleaner fish – Ireland

BY MAJBRITT BOLTON-WARBERG

Positive trend Collaborative effort needed to make further progress

I

RELAND’S seafood sector saw its value increase by 6.4 per cent in 2017, recording its third consecutive year of growth. Since 2015, its contribution to Ireland’s GDP has grown by 14 per cent, to €1.15 billion (The Business of Seafood, 2018, BIM) supporting more than 14,000 jobs nationwide.

Irish salmon production alone increased by almost 50 per cent between 2015 and 2017, from 13,000 to 19,305 tonnes (BIM Annual Aquaculture Survey 2018), accounting for around 12 per cent of the value of the seafood sector, €141.2 million in 2017.

The majority of Irish salmon production (more than 80 per cent) is certified organic by quality labels such as Naturland, and therefore it secures a premium price in key export markets.

As in other salmon farming countries, there are several bottlenecks limiting the development of the industry. These include biological concerns (including sea lice, amoebic gill disease, and jelly fish), lengthy and convoluted licence applications and negative public perception of finfish farming.

In Ireland (as in many other countries), there is a concentrated effort being made to solve these biological bottlenecks and to decrease the time and clarify the processes surrounding licensing applications. There is good cooperation between academic institutions, government and industry, with both national and EU funding streams facilitating this work.

Sea lice infestations and amoebic gill disease (AGD) give rise to lost production, additional costs of treatment and potential negative interactions with wild stocks. With reduced efficacy of chemical treatments in controlling lice and growing environmental concerns, the need for sustainable solutions has never been greater.

Currently, cleaner fish (lumpsucker and wrasse) are being deployed in salmon cages to remove lice from the farmed salmon hosts with good effect.

In Ireland, AGD is treated predominantly using hydrogen peroxide or freshwater. While lump-

38

Cleanerfish - Ireland.indd 38

sucker can tolerate both hydrogen peroxide and freshwater, wrasse cannot survive freshwater treatments.

One of the current challenges is removing cleaner fish prior to treatment to prevent loss, while the long term effects of these treatments on cleaner fish (when they are not removed) is unknown.

The strategy for sea lice control in Ireland varies from farm to farm with cleaner fish (wrasse and lumpsucker), freshwater, bubble curtains and fallowing among the methods being utilised.

Wild caught wrasse (predominantly ballan or corkwing) and farmed lumpsucker are employed as cleaner fish on Irish salmon farms.

There is currently no wrasse production in the country and no quota for the wrasse fisheries, although a strict health screening is in place to ensure biosecurity when transferring these wild fish to sea pens.

Much research is required in this area and it seems inevitable that wrasse production will be targeted for development in Ireland in the coming years.

Irish scientists from the Carna Research Station (CRS) were involved in the ECOFish project (Northern Periphery Programme) in 2009, which was aimed at developing technology for producing ballan wrasse.

One of the project outputs was a series of technical leaflets on various topics, including broodstock, rearing of juvenile wrasse, health of farmed wrasse and farmed application of wrasse.

From 2015-2018, CRS , a marine research facility (part of the Ryan Institute at the National University of Ireland Galway) on the west coast of Ireland, was awarded contracts for undertaking applied research and semi-commercial production of lumpsucker for use in an integrated pest management strategy on Irish salmon farms.

Funding was awarded through Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM, Ireland’s Seafood Development Agency), via the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (20142020), with support from Marine Harvest Ireland.

During this time a total of 482,609 lumpsucker were produced at CRS for use in the Irish salmon industry.

A team of researchers focused on optimising husbandry (feeding, stocking density, temperature optima, increased surface area- hides), evaluating efficacy (initial study), examining freshwater and hydrogen peroxide tolerances (with Fish Vet Group), PIT tagging (with the Marine Institute) and alternative protein feed trials.

Currently, there is limited research being conducted on lumpsucker at Carna Research Station. A small stock is being utilised in an INTERREG funded project (INTEGRATE) for use in replicated small scale integrated multi-trophic aquaculture systems to evaluate nutrient uptake in seaweed.

Bantry Marine Research Station in Cork, a privately funded research centre, is actively producing lumpsucker and it is likely that more producers will come on line in the coming years to support industry needs.

It seems “inevitable

that wrasse production will be targeted for development in the coming years

”

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Positive trend

Other biological research is focusing on cleaner fish behavioural studies in net pens, producing larger smolts using RAS (recirculating aquaculture systems), the use of invertebrates as feed sources, and the development of autogenous vaccines.

These are being undertaken by a variety of institutions including Galway Mayo Institute of Technology’s (GMIT) Marine and Freshwater Research Centre, Fish Vet Group and the Marine Institute (MI).

The Marine Institute is the state agency responsible for marine research, technology development and innovation in Ireland and is developing its aquaculture research capacity through a marine aquaculture research site in County Galway, and hatchery and rearing facilities in County Mayo.

A range of collaborative initiatives are ongoing, with partners in national higher education institutions, and development agencies (such as Irish Seafood Development Agency and Údarás na Gaeltachta), along with international collaborations.

One of the key focus areas of the aquaculture section is evaluating the living conditions and environment of cleaner fish (through tagging technology) to assess their overall health and welfare and to gain insight into their movements and behaviours in sea cages.

In addition to its sea lice research, the MI is investigating the potential benefits of RAS to increase the overall size of smolt produced in Ireland, with the aim of producing a more robust smolt. A larger smolt, reduces time spent at sea and this will help address a number of environmental concerns such as diseases and sea lice.

On the topic of licensing, the MI leads a work package in the H2020 TAPAS project, which evaluates existing regulatory and licensing frameworks across the EU and proposes new and flexible approaches to both licensing and regulation.

By evaluating existing tools the project can develop new approaches for

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evaluating carrying capacity, environmental impact and future risk, as well as developing tools for more efficient licensing processes.

These include new models for far- and nearfield environmental assessment, providing better monitoring, observation, forecasting and early warning technologies.

A more collaborative approach to the development of the aquaculture sector in Ireland, inclusive of all stakeholders, would facilitate greater progress through a common goal.

In this vein, Údarás na Gaeltachta is developing a marine innovation park (Páirc na Mara) in Connemara (west Galway) which will provide the infrastructure and facilities necessary to support a cross-section of marine enterprises.

The main goal for the park is to facilitate the translation of RTDI (research, technology, development and innovation) potential into new products and services.

Overall, there is a positive trend towards increased aquaculture production and associated research in Ireland. Going forward, it is only through collaborative efforts with multiple stakeholders that we will see real progress being made.

Dr Majbritt Bolton-Warberg led the team at Carna Research Station researching the optimisation of lumpfish farming. FF

Above: Corkwing wrasse

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06/09/2018 15:59:12

Kaeser Kompressoren – Advertorial

Kaeser chiefs Innovation creates energy efficiency and reduces stress

F

ISH farmers are now able to increase stocking densities and generate higher revenues with less energy costs and operational worries, thanks to a full range of durable products from Coburg, Germany, based company Kaeser Kompressoren.

Established in 1919 as a mechanical engineering workshop, Kaeser Kompressoren is a family owned business and today one of the world’s leading compressor manufacturers and compressed air system providers. Kaeser’s comprehensive product range comprises rotary screw and reciprocating compressors, vacuum pumps, positive displacement and rotary screw blowers and many components for compressed air treatment.

All compressors and blowers are still completely manufactured in Germany and meet the highest German quality standards. Due to comparatively

high electricity prices in Germany, Kaeser products have always been developed with the aim of improving energy efficiency. High quality, reliability and durability, together with low energy consumption and comparatively low service costs, are the reasons why Kaeser Kompressoren is the preferred supplier for companies in the aquaculture sector.

Intensive aquaculture is a relatively new sector in food production and the use of high-tech equipment to intensify production even more so. The trend of using high-tech equipment began with the strong growth of Norwegian salmon farms and is now expanding into various other countries and is becoming more and more important for other species and applications as well.

The first application of Kaeser products in the field of aquaculture was the pneumatic conveying of feed with positive displacement blowers. The extruded pellets are conveyed from a feed barge into the cages of salmon farms. This type of feeding is still state of the art and already used worldwide. As a result of positive experiences with the high quality blowers, Kaeser compressors and blowers are now used throughout the entire aquaculture value chain by various companies that include Kaeser products in their aquaculture solutions.

Left: The Kaeser Kompressoren team at their booth at Aqua18 in Montpellier, presenting the versatile applications of Kaeser air products in the entire value chain of aquaculture. Opposite (top right): Kaeser blowers and compressors are integrated into aquaculture equipment produced by many companies. The picture shows a Kaeser rotary lobe blower, integrated into a feeding system produced by FishFarmFeeder. (top left): A Kaeser rotary lobe blower (package) without sound enclosure, installed next to a RAS bio filter in a newly built recirculating system. (below): The blowers being placed outside on a barge in Norway. They deliver air to a feeding system from AKVA.

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Kaeser chiefs

bubble curtains prevent the entry of “Thealgae and jellyfish into the cages ” The product groups and their areas of application are: Blowers: - The main application of Kaeser Positive Displacement Blowers in the field of aquaculture is still the pneumatic conveying of extruded feed pellets.

- The trend to breed more and more fish in recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) has made the aeration of bio filters another large area of application. The rotary screw blowers save up to 30 per cent energy with the same volume flow and pressure. For bio filters that have to be aerated 24/7, 365 days a year, screw blowers pay for themselves quickly.

- Another growing market for positive displacement blowers is the aeration of ponds in the field of shrimp farming. Experience shows that the stocking densities in the ponds can be increased by using a blower in combination with paddle wheel aerators, to distribute the enriched water.

- In addition to this, feed cultures for larvae of aquatic organisms (microalgae, brachionus, artemia.) need a strong aeration, for which Kaeser’s positive displacement blowers are used. Within those cultures, it is particularly important to have a constant air supply. Short failures can cost a culture of feed and, with this, also the cultured species.

Compressors: - In summer, many salmon farms all over the world suffer from algae blooms. In Scotland, the salmon stocks are threatened by jellyfish swarms.

These dangers can wipe out the fish stocks of entire farms. In several countries (Chile, Canada, Tasmania, Scotland) so called bubble curtains are therefore used to prevent problems caused by algae and jellyfish. The curtains prevent the entry of algae and jellyfish into the cages. Diesel powered

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portable compressors Mobilair or stationary screw compressors from Kaeser are the preferred solutions to produce these bubble curtains.

- Another use of Kaeser Mobilair and stationary screw compressors is the ventilation of off shore cages with aeration rings. The circular injection of air has several effects. The oxygen content increases, which leads to a growth rate increased by up to 30 per cent and can make the difference between growth and stagnation, especially in warm summer months. Furthermore, cooler, oxygen-rich water from deeper water layers is transported to the surface.

Due to the continuous flow of water towards the surface, the water in the upper layers is pushed out of the cage, thus keeping the copepod larval stage (the stage that infects salmon) away from the fish. Contrary to general scepticism, the injection of air into salmon cages does not lead to nitrogen related problems.

- Disease prevention is a major issue in fish farming. A great source of disease is cadavers. Kaeser Mobilair compressors and stationary screw compressors are used to remove dead fish from the cages automatically and immediately after death, by using an airlift. New developments are aimed at removing the faeces from closed cages as well. This would reduce the ecological impact of a fish farm to a minimum.

- Intensive aquaculture makes the use of pure oxygen indispensable. Pure oxygen can either be bought and stored in containers or be produced on-site.

If the cost of electricity is low, or the accessibility of the sight is bad, on-site oxygen production is the choice. Keeping certain stocking densities, the constant supply with oxygen is mediatory. A failure in the compressor supplying the oxygen purification unit with air, leads to a complete loss of the livestock.

- Pneumatic controls can be found in the entire value chain of aquaculture.

From a feed factory, through RAS, to slaughterhouses- the rotary screw and reciprocating compressors are used for all kinds of pneumatic controls.

- In many regions of the world, weather conditions are too harsh for conventional offshore farming. For this reason, submersible cages are increasingly used. To lift them from the underwater position to the surface, the cages have air chambers which are filled with air produced by Kaeser compressors.

With subsidiaries and exclusive sales partners in over 100 countries, Kaeser Kompressoren is the perfect partner for compressed air needs and system solutions in the aquaculture sector, tailored to the customer’s needs. Kaeser’s specialists all over the world will be happy to answer any questions arising. FF

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Aqua 2018 – Montpellier

Huge untapped potential in

aquaculture

Janet H Brown reports on conference plenary, from Asian shrimp to Norwegian salmon

T

HE joint EAS/WAS meeting, held in Montpellier at the end of August, got off to a good international start with an overview from Dr Árni Mathieson, assistant director-general Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO, updating the audience on the global situation of aquaculture.

The biennial publication of the ‘State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture’ has just published its 13th edition - an essential tool for so many people and accessed 1,500 times per day.

The progress it reports is mainly positive, with momentum being maintained towards meeting the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals with their 2030 target, particularly that number 14 (conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development).

Aquaculture is a very important part of this since it accounts for 53 per cent of the production figures of 80 million tonnes of food fish, and 20 per cent of global animal protein.

Some two thirds of this was freshwater production and there is great scope to produce even more, said Mathiesen, who set a target of 150 million tonnes by 2030.

The growth rate of production in aquaculture for 2001-2016 at five to eight per cent (excluding aquatic plants) must be encouraging, even if it does not match the much higher rates of the 80s and 90s.

There is great diversity in aquaculture production globally and big

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potential that is untapped, especially in Africa, he said.

This development is also very unevenly distributed so there should still be scope for growth. The ‘unfed’ aquaculture is currently only 30 per cent of the total and this is an obvious area for developing, with plenty of advantages for further encouragement of shellfish aquaculture.

However, all was not positive. Food and agricultural systems are facing unprecedented challenges, with natural resources over exploited, greater problems with water scarcity and pollution, land degradation and deforestation, biodiversity and ecosystem service losses, and overfishing and IUU fishing (illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing).

Of the environmental challenges faced, Mathieson said these disproportionately affected the poor.

The code of conduct for responsible fisheries is now more than 20 years old and equivalent sustainable aquaculture guidelines are being developed. The aim is for an agroecology, achieving greater synergies by applying ecological principles, hence transforming production systems with holistic solutions.

Aquaculture cannot continue to rely on land sourced feed so the idea is to look to oceans for access to sun-driven primary production, such as phytoplankton.

Mathieson invited the audience to contribute to finding ways to solve some of the problems – such as controlling anti-microbial resistance and finding ways to conserve the valuable genetic resources of aquatic animals.

The FAO will also collaborate by working more closely through agencies such as EAS and WAS from now on. They are looking for best practice in aquaculture and how to lock that into investment opportunities.

‘Aquaculture will hopefully realise its potential and contribute even more than it does today.’

“

The aim is for an agroecology, achieving greater synergies by applying ecological principles

”

Left: Robins McIntosh and Arni Mathieson.

Opposite: (from left to right) Michael New (conference steering committee), Mathieson, McIntosh,

Øyvind Oaland of Marine Harvest, William Daniels (WAS president), and Bjorn Myrseth (EAS president)

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Figure 1 from left Robins McIntosh and Árni Mathieson Huge untapped potential in aquaculture

Shrimp Robins McIntosh, executive vice-president of Charoen Pokphand Foods (CP), is an old hand in aquaculture with 40 years’ experience, but his plenary speech was about Thai based CP. CP was established by a Chinese immigrant from Fujian, who set up a seed shop for rice in Thailand. One of his sons, Dr Lin, saw shrimp farming on a visit to Taiwan in the 1970s and wanted to introduce it to Thailand – CP would produce the feed.

Dr Lin, or Dr Chingchai to give him his official Thai name, always espoused intensive culture and they worked with farmers to improve technology. They also produced the ‘Shrimp newsletter’, and were supported by the Thai Department of Fisheries and by good university back-up.

This all sounds most positive, but at the same time the Taiwan shrimp industry was collapsing with disease problems, and having a Taiwanese passport was a very positive attribute on a CV if applying to work in Thailand.

The first major problem to hit the Thai farming industry, however, was not disease, but the death of the Japanese Emperor in 1989, which put paid to all the exports to Thailand’s major customer for their farmed shrimp.

Subsequent problems were all disease related; in 1994-1996 white spot disease (WSSV) arrived from South America, and in 2000 there was Penaeus monodon slow growth syndrome (MSGS).

In the late 80s, McIntosh was running a shrimp hatchery in Thailand and Dr Lin decided he would like to visit in his capacity as head of CP Feeds. Dr Lin was told that it was a bio-secure facility and that under no circumstances

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were visitors allowed, but following much discussion he and his party viewed the process via the observation windows.

The party left and nothing more was heard about this visit. McIntosh went off to Belize to set up his super -intensive systems there. Then, in 2001, out of the blue, he received a hand written letter from Dr Lin inviting him to Thailand.

He learnt later that after their visit to his hatchery in Thailand, they had all thought he was quite mad, but with the setbacks they had experienced since, they had realised what a severe problem disease could be, and McIntosh was given the job of sorting things out.

In 2000, Asian farmers were relying on antibiotics and the P monodon broodstock was infected with a variety of pathogens. McIntosh introduced closed maturation systems and established a breeding programme for his imported SPF P.vannamei.

There had been moves to import P. vannamei before which had not

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Aqua 2018 – Montpellier

prediction), but the extent to which such advances will revolutionise management is probably not yet fully appreciated, said Oaland.

Machine learning has already proved successful in developing eDNA solutions for effective environmental monitoring, making an understanding of the environment around salmon farms much easier to monitor.

However, these needed the taxonomical studies to have already been done – it is not yet all down to machines and innovation. But a lot more such developments can be expected. FF

Left: Robins McIntosh

Step up to close food security gap worked well, so there was some reluctance on the part of farmers to accept the new species and a tendency to overstock.

However, with the CP practice of working with farmers and of running their own farms, a lot of improvements were introduced.

With the arrival of early mortality syndrome (EMS), which was new in having a bacterial toxin to deal with, they had to introduce a system to remove shrimp faeces so that toxin levels were kept low.

So it was all very much a story of increasing intensity and increasing technology from an enthusiast for his subject.

Innovation The concluding talk, from Øyvind Oaland, Marine Harvest’s global director for research and development, provided an interesting contrast; salmon farming started as a comparatively high tech industry compared to the Asian shrimp farming but changes within the sector are on a similar scale.

Marine Harvest aims to change the fact that despite the ocean covering 70 per cent of the earth’s surface, it only yields two per cent of the food supply.

The company, the world’s biggest salmon farmer, is a vertically integrated producer with its own breed of salmon, the Mowi, and it operates in 24 countries.

The arguments in favour of greater reliance on salmon aquaculture were convincing – it achieves a food conversion half that of chicken and with a carbon footprint equivalent to chicken, but much less than other land produced livestock, yet marketable as a healthy food.

The challenges the industry faces are that they do not own their production areas and operate in an open environment, so there can be farm to farm impacts.

In 2015, the Norwegian government introduced a new category of ‘development licence’ designed to boost technological innovation.

If approved, the development licence would then be free for 15 years, and if a project was carried out, the licence could be converted to a commercial licence for a rebated fee.

Of the 105 applications received, eight have been approved already.

The Egg concept, created by Marine Harvest, is one of these. A semiclosed system, with 90 per cent of its construction below the water, it is able to carry out a full cycle and water intake is from the depths of the fjord, thus avoiding pathogens and, most importantly, sea lice.

The Beck cage, a flexible submersible offshore farming cage, is another Marine Harvest concept, as is Neptune, a 40m diameter floating, semi-closed tank in which waste is collected and re-used.

In addition to these new systems, there is the potential exploration of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Much of this technology is already in operation for feeding control and lice infection (counts and

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SUSTAINABLE aquaculture will have to ‘step up’ to close the food security gap, said the EU’s fisheries commissioner, Karmenu Vella, in a message to the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) and European Aquaculture Society (EAS) conference in Montpellier.

‘These are exciting times for the aquaculture community. The world’s population is growing; we know we need high quality proteins to feed us all, but we also know that land based proteins exhaust precious resources,’ he said, in a video link during a press conference on day three of the joint WAS and EAS event.

‘It is clear that we can use our oceans more. At present, the oceans provide only two per cent of our daily calorie intake – clearly, the oceans can provide more.

‘Our challenge is to do it sustainably. Wild fisheries alone cannot be the answer.’

The commissioner said science had come to the same conclusion. Sustainable fish farming brings economic growth, jobs and stability to rural and coastal areas.

It contributes to food security, and it provides consumers with fresh, local and heathy proteins while keeping our oceans healthy.

‘That is why the European Union is working to unblock the remaining obstacles to the sector’s sustainable development.

‘We are encouraging higher investments and less bureaucracy; we are endorsing a more efficient allocation of maritime space and we are promoting a positive shift in consumer attitudes.’

This work is paying off, said Vella, noting that in 2014 EU fish farming was valued at more than four billion euros.

But nearly two out of every three fish that is consumed in the EU is imported.

The sector is not booming, although there has been some recent progress, with production volumes up four per cent and value up two per cent.

‘The keys to a successful and sustainable future are in our hands,’ Vella told the conference, which attracted close to a record 3,000 delegates from across the world.

‘It is up to us ensure that the fish on our plates is high quality and sustainably farmed and to respect and preserve our oceans for now and for future generations.’

The Montpellier conference, at the Corum centre, ran from August 25 to August 29.

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06/09/2018 11:50:04

Aqua 2018 – Montpellier

The full Monty!

Scenes from the European and World Aquaculture Societies’ record breaking show

A

QUA 2018 welcomed a record 3003 participants from 109 countries to the southern French city of Montpelier at the end of August. The event, which took place from August 25-29, comprised a scientific conference, world press day, trade exhibition, industry forums, workshops, student events and receptions. The truly global gathering highlighted the latest aquaculture research and innovation to underpin continued growth of this fast developing food production sector. There were 800 oral presentations, 317 posters, 10 industry sessions and 175 trade show booths. Exhibitors represented almost every aspect of the industry and most reported a lively flow of visitors to their stands, with high

quality enquiries and business leads to follow up.

The AQUA events are co-organised by the European Aquaculture Society (EAS) and the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) and are held every six years. Past events were held in Nice (2000), Florence (2006) and Prague (2012).

The next EAS conference will be in Berlin, from October 7-10, and WAS events will be held in Bogota, Colombia, from October 23-26; in New Orleans from March 7-11 next year; in Chennai, India, from June 19-22; in San Jose, Costa Rica, from November 19-22; in Honolulu, Hawaii, from February 9-12, 2020; and in Singapore, from June 8-12, 2020. FF

Clockwise from above: Guests at Danish feed group BioMar’s reception and dinner at the beautiful (and sun dappled) Château de la Mogère near Montpellier; Dr Marc Oswald of the international NGO APDRA Pisciculture Paysanne, which promotes small-scale fish farming, working mainly in Africa; Neogen, food safety specialists; French aquaculture specialist Faivre, which marked its 60th anniversary during the show by holding a glittering champagne reception for friends and customers at the Brasserie du Corum, beside the conference centre; Shellfish Hatchery Systems, displaying its Aquahive growing system for lobster juveniles.

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The full Monty!

Clockwise from top: Former Fish Farmer sales boss William Dowds; Place de la ComĂŠdie in the centre of Montpellier; Aquasoja, the Portuguese fish feed innovator; teh team of Canadian high tech company XpertSea, which is pioneering machine learning and artficial intelligence in aquaculture applications; Kjetil Ribe and AkerBioMarine colleagues, who staged a round table discussion on the stand on nutrition and novel feed ingredients; the BioMar reception.

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Aqua 2018 – Montpellier

Above: Claire Corp, Henri Herledan and Christine Perrot Cornu of Westair, the French company behind the Multizone automatic feeding system.

Since its launch earlier this year, the innovation, which delivers feed in precise quantities, has been installed on one of the biggest trout farms in France, in Rochelle, and has attracted worldwide interest. ‘We are working on industrialisation now to supply a mass market,’ said Christine, who reported very lively business throughout the trade show.

Below: The EAS students group who kept the show on the road.

Left: Malta based AquaBio Tech Group had one of the busiest stands in Montpellier and Shane Hunter (centre) agreed with many exhibitors that the exhibition, which closed a day before the conference, could have run for another day, given the interest from show goers.

Top left: CFeed of Trondheim, the world’s largest commercial producer of live copepods.

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The full Monty!

Clockwise from above: The student winners of Aqua 2018â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s #WeRAquaculture Stamp Hunt - the competition involved the simple task of collecting stamps from designated booths by break time on the Tuesday afternoon.

The lucky winners, who had to be present to claim the generous prizes of full entrance to either the Berlin EAS or New Orleans WAS, were (left to right): Ida Hedal, Dmitry Pyanov, Jonathan Roques and Zoe Holbrook; EAS students at the Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reception - which included wine-tasting - at Chateau de Flaugergues on the outskirts of Montpellier; David Calitri of Calitri Technology, Belgium based makers of fish counters; IMV Technologies, which launched Quicksorter, its new egg sorter machine.

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Aqua 2018 – France

Aquaculture needs more agro

Ecological approach will help reduce environmental impact produced in the same space, but more is produced than if they were cultivated separately’, Dabbadie added.

The workshop had three objectives: documenting current practices; understanding how integrated aquaculture and agro-ecology help to meet the challenges of reducing poverty and hunger; and identifying knowledge gaps in the development of sustainable agro-ecological aquaculture.

FAO uses 10 indicators to characterise agro-ecology: the diversity of species and biodiversity; the co-creation and sharing of knowledge between actors; the promotion of synergies between different activities in the production system and with the environment; efficiency in the use of resources; recycling; the resilience of communities and ecosystems (especially to climate change); human and social values; culture and food traditions; responsible governance; and a circular and solidarity economy. FF

Above: Lionel Dabbadie

A

N ecological approach to aquaculture was the subject of a special workshop at the Aqua 2018 conference in Montpellier.

Organised by the French research organisation CIRAD and the FAO (the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the UN), the session focused on agro-ecology and its application to aquaculture.

Agro-ecology is based on applying ecological concepts and principles to optimise interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment, while taking into consideration the ecosystem and social aspects.

The rapid growth in global aquaculture production has sometimes had adverse environmental and social impacts, which the aquaculture sector is now seeking to reduce, said CIRAD. As in other fields of agriculture, agro-ecology is one of the most promising avenues for inventing a new resilient and sustainable aquaculture, but also for helping the sector to adapt to climate change.

Lionel Dabbadie from CIRAD said: ‘While traditional aquaculture, as practised for thousands of years in Asia, has always been perfectly integrated into its natural, agricultural and human environment, new approaches are currently emerging.’

Examples include aquaponics (combining aquaculture and hydroponics), integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (combining polluting species with extractive species and crops such as filter-feeding molluscs or macroalgae), insect farms to feed fish, or the use of lumpfish to control sea lice in salmon.

Rice-fish farming systems in Madagascar and fish-rice systems in Guinea are two examples of agro-ecological approaches that CIRAD is studying. Rice-fish farming involves producing fish in rice fields.

‘The fish stir the sediments at the bottom of the fields and thereby contribute to the suspension of nutrients that the rice needs in order to grow.

The fish, on the other hand, feed on the periphyton that develops on the rice stalks.’

In this integrated agro-ecological system, ‘not only are two food products

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“

Traditional aquaculture, as practised for thousands of years in Asia, has always been perfectly integrated

”

Palavas, a platform for change DELEGATES to Aqua 2018 had the opportunity to visit the experimental site at Palavas-les-Flots, a small coastal city close to Montpellier.

The 6,000 m2 station, between sea and lagoon, is the largest research infrastructure dedicated to mariculture in France, and the third largest in Europe.

It is composed of: - 4,000 m2 of covered infrastructures (five halls), which host about 200 tanks (0,5- 11 m3 ), 300 aquariums (8- 200 l) and an experimental livestock of sea bass consisting of wild, domesticated and divergent selected lines (600 live fish and 30,000 cryopreserved sperm) allowing research on all stage of fish development (larvae, juveniles, adult); - 2,000 m2 of outdoor infrastructures (11 raceways; 2 of 160 m3, 9 of 20 m3 ) for experiments on algae culture in open fields.

- A room dedicated to tilapias and other species

Above: Tilapia. Opposite: Palavas-les-Flots; carp

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Aqua 2018 – Aquaculture needs more agro of interest for fish farming in developing countries. The second most produced fish species group after carp, tilapias are forecast to reach the top, with their production due to double by 2030.

The space is used by researchers from a host of institutes, working together on freshwater and marine fish projects, the development of the aquaculture sector and, more generally, marine biodiversity and its uses.

Nearly 20 years ago, national and European research institutes adopted the strategy of working together to provide overall responses to aquaculture challenges more quickly. The four major institutions involved in French fish farming research, all based in the Occitanie region of southern France, are INRA, IRD, CIRAD and IFREMER. Around 30 members of staff from the four institutes share material and human resources at the Palavas platform, and adopt a multi-disciplinary approach which combines genetics, genomics, physiology, behavioural science, ecology, animal science, systems engineering and development science.

In one project, CIRAD is working on breeding more male tilapia, which grow faster than females. As the hormone treatments used to obtain male single-sex populations are not very sustainable, researchers are looking for alternatives, such as environmental factors.

The new 100 m² tilapia room is equipped with thermo-regulated and recirculated circuit aquariums and containers. It enables research to be carried out in advance of the R&D work in the field in developing countries, helps train partners and guarantees continuity between these different forms of research.

CIRAD is also investigating feed efficiency and adaptation to plant based food. In particular, scientists are carrying out work to assess the possibility of replacing soya cake with microalgae to reduce the environmental impact of fish farming.

The IFREMER employees, meanwhile, are currently working on 23 fish farming research projects, focusing on feed efficiency, disease resistance and sex determinism.

Aquaculture research at INRA is historically focused on freshwater species (especially trout), but work on marine species is conducted in close coopera-

tion with IFREMER. The research spectrum is wery wide, from genetics to multi-criteria evaluation of farming systems, through physiology, pathology, immunology, nutrition and evaluation of environmental impacts.

The French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD), an internationally recognised multidisciplinary organisation working primarily in partnership with Mediterranean and inter-tropical countries, is a French public establishment under the joint authority of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Via its network and presence in 50 or so countries, it takes an original approach to research, expertise, training and knowledge sharing, to the benefit of countries and regions that make science and innovation key drivers in their development.

Netwax E4 Greenline from NetKem Netwax E4 Greenline offers excellent protection against fouling on pen nets Netwax E4 Greenline is developed for antifouling treatment of pen nets under “green” licences.

The special active ingredient is approved by IMO and listed by OMRI for use in ecological agriculture.

“Green” licences

The Norwegian government has issued special licences for aquaculture with emphasis on reducing strain on the environment.

IMO

Institute for Marketechology, Switzerland.

Approves products used in ecological agriculture.

OMRI

Organic Materials Review Institute, USA. Lists products for use in organic food production.

Slalåmveien 1, NO-1410 Kolbotn, Norway - Ph.: +47 66 80 82 15 - post@netkem.no

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ANTARCTIC KRILL SUSTAINABLE AND FUNCTIONAL

An ingredient for superior health and increased growth Read more QRILLAQUA.COM

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06/09/2018 11:50:57

Aqua 2018 – Global perspective

Dynamic development Bangladesh wins funds to promote systemic change

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ANGLADESH is the most aquaculture dense country in the world, with 14.9 tonnes per km2 of production.

According to WorldFish’s country director for Bangladesh and South Asia, Malcolm Dickson, this is even greater than China’s farming density, estimated at 5.1 tonnes per km2, although total tonnage in Bangladesh is much lower.

The industry, which produced 2.2 million tonnes in 2016, is made up of millions of homestead ponds, as well as commercial aquaculture and RAS systems, rearing a wide variety of species, from Indian and Chinese carps to shrimp, and pangasius and tilapia, the latter two the main farmed fish.

The sector, spread all over the country, contributes two thirds of fish supply n Bangladesh and is highly dynamic, said Dickson. In fact, the country is often called a ‘development laboratory’ because of its fast changing systems.

Freshwater prawn culture, for instance, has developed from one or two farmers five years ago to some 5,000 today.

There has been a big shift to fed aquaculture in recent years and a recent trend away from pangasius and tilapia to higher value species.

However, there is very little processing or exports and most of the fish is sold whole to the domestic market. Any processing is mainly for shrimp and prawn.

The main challenges to the industry include a lack of space, with pressure from population growth and very high land prices; water pollution, labour availability in some areas, and competition for finance.

Climate change and extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts, cyclones, hurricanes and salinisation also affect further development.

Added to this, there are food safety concerns, with a lot of scare stories about antibiotic use, formalin and pesticides, which influence the media savvy urban population, who are liable to change their behaviour on the basis of the bad stories, whether real or perceived - ‘it seems in Bangladesh people think food producers are out to poison them’, said Dickson.

There are opportunities for growth, however – among them, the fact that fish is seen as good for nutrition.

The Bangladesh sector has received generous help to expand over the past few years from USAID, which funded a $25 million aquaculture programme, Aquaculture for Income and Nutrition (AIN), managed by WorldFIsh. This brought benefits including improved strains, especially of GIFT tilapia, improved feed quality from private sector feed mills, and the dissemina-

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tion of information to fish farmers.

It also expanded polyculture, promoted the use of Specific Pathogen Free shrimp, started a carp genetic improvement programme, and increased fish production by 60 per cent – from 422,744 tonnes to 677,310 tonnes, and shrimp production by 30 per cent, from 36,034 tonnes to 46,700 tonnes.

Sales, meanwhile, went up by 102 per cent in value, from $491.03 million to $992.95 million. The number of farmers applying new technologies or management practices rose by 792,333.

Overall, it was a very effective project, said Dickson, improving both nutrition and income for farm households. And it succeeded in training nearly 130,000 farmers, 55 per cent of whom were women.

It was due to finish in 2016 but was extended into 2017 while USAID and WorldFish devised a follow up programme, based on a market systems approach. This looks at what makes a market work, covering the supply, production and selling of fish.

‘There’s a recognition that we need to look at supporting systemic change, not just concentrating on the value chain itself. We need to look at the overall environment,’ said Dickson.

This initiative, Bangladesh Aquaculture and Nutrition Activity, was awarded $24.5 million in February this year and aims to achieve further sector growth sustainably, by looking for new business ideas, building on old ones and adopting new practices, sharing information, trying things out and accepting there will be some successes and some failures.

WorldFish is facilitating the project, working with market actors – those who are already in the sector, in feed, hatcheries, or the market place – who then work with the poor.

These type of market system approaches are increasingly seen as the way forward in developing the aquaculture industry, said Dickson.

The programme has a strong focus on nutrition, aims to give 400,000 people improved access to better quality aquaculture inputs, is looking for 30 per cent increase in investment from the private sector, and a 20 per cent increase in the number of households adopting improved nutritional practices.

It will use NGOs and market actors to leverage continued investment by the private sector.

Following stakeholder workshops – with seed, feed, NGOs, whole sellers, online super shops, youth and women based organisations- WorldFish identified problems in the sector and received more than 100 proposals.

It selected 21 of these on different issues to carry forward. Dickson said they hope to award grants to the first eight by the end of September.

The USAID investment is by far the largest globally in aquaculture using a market systems approach and it is hoped it will stimulate co-investment from existing market actors. FF

“toWelookneedat the overall environment

”

Top: Bangladesh fish farmers Above: Malcolm Dickson of WorldFish

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Aqua 2018 – Global perspective

Around the world

A

SPECIAL session during the Montpellier conference heard from aquaculture specialists in several of the world’s top producing countries. Each gave an outline of how their industries had developed, where

they were today in volume and value terms, and what their prospects were for the future.

The speakers had been asked by chairman Denis Lacroix to provide best and worst case scenarios for the years ahead, taking into

account the unique conditions in their own sectors.

In no particular order, here are the highlights from China, India, Brazil, Norway, Greece, Egypt, and Vietnam. FF

Brazil’s ‘exceptional’ conditions will drive development BRAZIL has exceptional conditions to develop aquaculture, including 8,400km of coastline, 12 per cent of the planet’s available freshwater, five million hectares of dams and reservoirs, and two million hectares of rice culture – which can be used to produce a lot of species, as in China.

On top of all this, the country has warm temperatures all year round, a large consumer market, and a sizeable scientific base, with some 17 universities with specific aquaculture programmes.

The sector, which has its roots in the 1970s, produces 800,000 tonnes a year, 70 per cent of this in small family firms, and employs around 20,000 people, said Professor Wagner Cotroni Valenti of Sao Paulo University.

The inland waters are the most developed, with tilapia production at 46 per cent, and tambaqui, a native species, at 37 per cent, while shrimps represent nine per cent, bivalves three per cent, and all others about five per cent.

The systems used are mostly intensive, fed monoculture (using a large amount of commercial diets), with the fish grown predominantly in cages in freshwater, and some in earthen ponds. There is some IMTA (integrated multi-trophic aquaculture), RAS and unfed.

Valenti said he believed Brazil’s future focus should be on more integrated systems, with fed and unfed species reared together, but ‘most people in Brazil don’t think like me’, he admitted, and at the moment the preference is definitely for monoculture.

The biofloc technology is progressing with shrimp and tilapia but the energy and costs are high. Also, the staff need to be very dedicated because it’s not easy. But, he added, Brazil has possibly the best biofloc technology in the world.

The country faces several challenges to develop sustainably, such as a lack of seed for new species used in IMTA, although there is no space shortage in Brazil.

In a good scenario, there will be a strong political will to develop integrated systems, with aquaculture and agriculture such as rice, fish and prawn culture, and aquaponics in the cities.

Some farms are producing shrimps, oysters and seahorses, and others produce shrimp, seaweeds and oysters. Integration is important, said Valenti, because it helps the environment to recycle, There isn’t any offshore aquaculture so there is potential here, too.

Aquaculture production overall is increasing by about six per cent a year and it will continue to grow, said Valenti, driven by the amount of space and the large and expanding population.

Above: Professor Valenti with Norway’s Geir Lasse Taranger and Satchi Kaushik

New species in Vietnam vision VIETNAM sees great potential for further developing its fast growing seafood industry, which has many natural advantages, saiwd Dr Dinh The Nhan.

These include year round warm temperatures, high rainfall, more than 2,000 marine fish species and 450 freshwater species. Out of a total water surface area of 1.7 million hectares, one million hectares are currently exploited for aquaculture.

Some 70 per cent of farming takes place in the mainly freshwater and brackish water of the Mekong River Delta, where the main products for export - shrimp and striped catfish (pangasius) – are reared.

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Annual shrimp production was 650,000-700,000 tonnes in 2017, and pangasius output from the Mekong Delta was around 1.252 million tonnes, up by 5.4 per cent on the previous year.

But disease prevalence in shrimp and pangasius and tilapia presents a major challenge to farmers, and production costs are steep.

Most feed ingredients are imported and feed accounts for 70 per cent of shrimp costs and 75 per cent of catfish costs.

The weak monitoring of traded seed means quality is unreliable, and genetically improved catfish broodstock provide only 60 per cent of hatchery needs.

In the main export markets for shrimp there is stiff competition and falling prices, while catfish sales face new trade barriers and increasing protectionism.

Added to all this, are the impacts from climate change, rising sea levels, and extreme weather incidents.

Developing a vision for aquaculture growth by 2040, Vietnam proposes to investigate new species for culturing (for example, four species of sturgeon are being spawned in commercial numbers in the Vietnamese highlands), and new farming methods; a programme to support R&D, innovation, education and training; an improved contribution from the private sector; and greater international collaboration on research.

With the political will, training, and innovation the country could be producing 6.5 million tonnes by 2040, said Dr Dinh The Nhan.

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Around the world

China focuses on ecosystem as well as economy CHINA is not just the world’s biggest aquaculture producer but the oldest, tracing its fish farming origins back to 1100 BC, said Professor Wang Qingyin of the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute.

In modern times, the country was one of the first in the world to recognise the importance of aquaculture when, in 1959, a national policy, ‘developing aquaculture and catch fisheries simultaneously’, was developed. Then, in 1986, the Aquaculture First policy was launched.

The output is now around 51.4 million tonnes a year (2016), out of a total fisheries tonnage of 69.1 million tonnes, and is worth 895.4 billion yuan (£100 bilion), representing 74.51 per cent of aquatic yield and 74.59 per cent of value.

This accounts for about 60 per cent of global aquaculture production, according to FAO statistics.

The variety of species farmed is estimated at more than 200, including fish, crustaceans, molluscs, algae and sea cucumber.

There is also mass seaweed (about five million tonnes a year) and shellfish farming which, said Professor Wang, removes three million tonnes of carbon from the shallow sea ecosystem annually.

There are challenges, though, with

Above: Professor Wang Qingyin

such rapid growth. Problems include a green algal bloom that has affected Qingdoo since 2008. And there is limited technology in many areas.

More genetically improved varieties

are needed and disease control must be improved, said Wang.

The focus now is on green development, with the emphasis on quality and market demand, resource utili-

sation and the ecology and social benefit as a whole, rather than yield alone.

Schemes, such as the one in Sungo Bay in the Yellow Sea, are seeing well developed IMTA (integrated multi-trophic aquaculture), with the cultivation of oysters, scallops, abalone, sea cucumber (China produces about 200,000 tonnes annually) and seaweed together.

There is also extensive rice field aquaculture, a system that dates back 2000 years and is now growing fast again in China.

In 2016 there were 1.5 million hectares of rice fields supporting aquaculture, representing some 20 per cent of the total freshwater production in the country.

And 1.6 million tonnes of aquatic products were produced from rice fields in 2016, with species as diverse as crab, crawfish and turtles being reared.

The ethos of the industry in China is changing fast, said Wang. In 2000, people talked about the economy in the development of aquaculture; a few years later it was the economy and the environment; today it is the economy, the environment and the ecosystem.

Water scarcity drives innovation in Egypt EGYPTIAN aquaculture accounted for 1,370,660 million tonnes in 2016, representing more than 80 per cent of total fish production, and the biggest output in Africa.

This marks massive growth over the past 30 years of 38 times, from just 36,000 tonnes in 1986 – a remarkable achievement, with very practical and simple methods and systems, said Denis Lacroix.

The main species reared are tilapia, carps, catfish, sea bream, sea bass and meagre, and shrimps, 90 per cent by the private sector.

The systems are mostly extensive or semi intensive in earthen ponds, although intensive systems in tanks and cages are rapidly developing.

Pressure on available water resources in the Nile has led to the establishment of brackish ponds in the middle of the desert, with the help of creative engineering.

The government wants to develop aquaculture everywhere and there are innovative integrated systems being established, such as the transformation of rice fields into aquaculture production sites.

And there are aquaponics projects raising Nile tilapia and North African catfish alongside crops such as lettuce.

Research and development priorities include dynamic zoning and planning; selecting local feed ingredients to reduce dependence on imports; reducing the pressure on collecting wild finfish fry by increasing the capacity of the hatcheries; developing technology to shift from semi extensive to at least semi intensive, which currently only exists in the desert farms and in the Red Sea marine farms.

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There are two possible scenarios for where the industry will be in 2040. In the first, if the trend of the last three decades continues, the country would be producing 5.2 million tonnes with an expected population of 160 million an 33kg per person fish consumption.

A less optimistic scenario would see aquaculture growing rapidly and then stabilising at around three million tonnes, and 19kg per capita fish consumption a year. Challenges to further growth could include political tensions, lack of fresh, brackish and marine water sources, lack of feed and fry, and rising sea levels.

Right: Denis Lacroix

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Aqua 2018 – Global perspective

Significant growth in Greece depends on EU GREEK aquaculture production has been between 105,000 and 125,000 tonnes for the last five years, said Professor Leonidas Papacharisis of the Federation of Greek Mariculturalists.

In 2016, it was 123,000 tonnes worth more than 0.5 billion euros, with sea bream, sea bass and mussels accounting for most production.

Europe is the biggest market, with 78 per cent of the total volume exported to the EU. Some 20 per cent is sold locally, and the rest to other countries, including the US and Canada.

There has been huge consolidation in the industry in Greece: in the 90s, there were about 300 companies operating; five years ago, there were just 85; and today there are 45 – but the volume is the same.

There is a trend in the Mediterranean, he said, to diversify, but it is always a risk to introduce new species.

Aquaculture development zones are being created in which it will be easier for farmers to obtain licences and provide enough space to grow the sector.

Papacharisis outlined three possible future scenarios. In one, output could double to 310,000 tonnes, with the growth mostly in marine species. Political willingness will enhance expansion and there will be more value added products, new species, new feed ingredients – preferably produced locally, an increase in efficiency and a limit on chemotherapeutics.

A less optimistic scenario would see a rise in production to 200,000 tonnes, and the worst case scenario would be just 150,000 tonnes a year, with Greece held back by a lack of R&D, and hit by an increase in imports from third countries (outside the EU) and a market dominated by low price products.

There will be rapid aquaculture growth globally, in this scenario, but it will be slow in Europe, most notably in Greece.

Greece has the space, the environmental conditions and the human resources to significantly increase its aquaculture industry, said Papacharisis, but this is an EU country and the EU framework has to reduce uncertainty and encourage investment.

Above: Greek output could double

India needs improved technology to grow INDIA has a national action plan to develop its varied aquaculture sector to about 10 million tonnes by 2020 to meet the increasing demand for seafood in its growing population.

Last year, production stood at nearly 6.5 million

tonnes, up from 0.63 million tonnes in 1985, with Indian major carps accounting for 67.4 per cent of aquaculture pond production.

The country, with its 7,000km of coastline and many small islands, has great scope and resources to meet demand for seafood, which is increasing de-

spite the fact that 300 million Indians are vegetarians.

As well as Indian carp, the country produces Chinese carp, pangasius, tilapia and shrimp – which over the past ten years has shifted from Penaeus monodon to Litopenaeus vannamei (whiteleg).

India is also rich in scientific resources, with eight dedicated fisheries and research institutes and almost 600 aquaculture scientists, three fisheries universities and 25 colleges of fisheries, said Satchi Kaushik.

But although India is a major aquaculture nation it has many challenges: there is a lack of genetically improved fish (apart from Jayanti rohu), and this has limited freshwater production to under three tonnes per hectare.

There has been a sluggish transition to feed based aquaculture and feed management is inefficient. There is no national

mechanism to prevent or control aquatic animal diseases, and there is a lack of expertise in intensive technologies such as RAS and sea cage farming.

There are also huge regional disparities in the use of technological advances, said Kaushik, and a lack of environmental standards, credit facilities and insurance schemes.

He said there are three possible scenarios in the evolution of aquaculture to 2040: steady annual growth with moderate and gradual scientific interventions; decreased annual growth due to lack of innovation, competition and inadequate inputs; and rapid annual growth as a result of culture system intensification and the wide adoption of improved technologies.

Left: Many challenges remain

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06/09/2018 15:33:25

Green light

Aqua 2018 – Norway

Salmon not the only focus of Norway’s future

N

ORWAY achieved an all-time high in seafood exports last year, with more than 70 per cent of the value from aquaculture, said Geir Lasse Taranger, research director at the Institute of Marine Research.

Unlike other major aquaculture countries, Norway ‘has not been so good at diversification in different species’ and the sector is mostly salmon.

Despite big efforts, the production of cod and halibut and other species has been very small. But there is new interest now in mussels, lobster, trout and sea urchins.

While the biggest salmon producer in the world, with production at 1.2-1.3 million tonnes, there has been almost no production growth in Norway since 2011, although the industry had been growing at 10 per cent annually for almost 35 years.

There has been a big debate over the sustainability of farmed salmon, with sea lice still regarded as the biggest environmental impact, while many other challenges are now under control.

To try to provide a more predictable future, the government recently introduced the traffic light system, which began by dividing Norway’s coast into 13 zones. These are based on water currents and disease transfer.

Within each zone there is a high connectivity between farms, meaning that they also have a common responsibility to solve their problems.

Advanced water current and sea lice distribution models enable the connectivity between farms to be calculated. The government can then decide which zones can sustain further growth or not.

Sites with very low sea lice counts are deemed ‘green’ and are allowed six per cent growth every second year; areas that are ‘yellow’ cannot grow; and ‘red’ zones, where sea lice levels exceed the limits, must cut production by six per cent.

But there are many opportunities in the industry, said Taranger. ‘What we see from this system and previous government systems is driving a big search of innovation in terms of new technologies and new production schedules in order to get out of this situation where it’s not sustainable.

‘It’s not only sea lice and disease transfer, there are a lot of other impacts if the industry is going to grow. Although we have a quite extensive research and monitoring system, there is a big need for better monitoring on the coast and understanding of the coastal ecosystem if we want to double the aquaculture production.’

He said the gathering of real time data from fish pens with big data and machine learning (mentioned in the Marine Harvest plenary) was a very important tool to assist the collaboration between farmers in order to solve the problems.

Strong governance is key for the development of marine aquaculture, and the traffic light system promotes a common effort to solve common prob-

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lems – ‘farmers can’t do this alone’.

Taranger said there were several new solutions for salmon farming, including producing sterile fish; developing larger smolts of up to 1kg in land based RAS instead of putting them into the sea at 100g; innovations such as closed cages in seawater; partly submerged cages; and ocean farms, such as SalMar’s experimental Ocean Farm 1.

Reducing escapes into the rivers, one of the biggest problems previously, was under better control now, with a lot of new measures introduced to improve containment.

Taranger predicted three different scenarios for salmon aquaculture by 2040: under current conditions, it would be 1.5 per cent growth a year, very low compared to the 10 per cent in the past.

If problems get worse, growth could stall by 2029 and production could be no higher than 1.5 million tonnes.

If the main challenges are solved by 2029 and there is slow growth of 1.5 per cent a year, 2.2 million tonnes by 2040 is achievable.

But if all the challenges can be solved by 2021 and there is growth of between three to six per cent a year, by 2040, there could be 2.4-4.1 million tonnes of salmon in the most optimistic scenario.

These different outcomes depend on whether farming stays on the coast or develops offshore, with the latter allowing for much greater growth.

A new search to diversify could see Norway move into low trophic culture such as kelps and mussels, as well as enhancing the cultivation of other finfish, such as rainbow trout, halibut, cod, and cleaner fish.

Taranger predicted a big increase perhaps for shellfish and low trophic aquaculture, but starting from a very low level, because of problems with algal toxins in the fjords.

Several companies are trying IMTA, exemplified by Ocean Forest, growing blue mussels in the vicinity of the salmon farms and extracting the organic material that’s coming from the farms.

There is big potential, too, in kelp farming, especially offshore – 10-20 million tonnes is achievable, according to SIntef. FF • Rainbow trout – 99,000-184,000 tonnes by 2040 with three to six per cent annual growth; • Atlantic halibut – 20,000-57,000 tonnes with growth of five to ten per cent; • Atlantic cod, turbout, and Arctic charr – 16,000-50,000 tonnes with growth of 10-20 per cent a year; • Cleaner fish, including wrasse and lumpsuckers.

“

There is a big need for better understanding of the coastal ecosystem if we want to double aquaculture production

”

Top: There is potential for species such as halibut

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Aqua 2018 – Norway

Cod’s comeback National breeding programme brings new hope for commercial farming

T

HE history of cod farming in Norway has been something of a roller coaster. There was great excitement over research breakthroughs in the 1980s but commercial success did not materialise.

Then came the dramatic developments from 2000, when wild catch quotas were low and cod prices high, and the industry grew by 60 per cent annually from 2002-2008, said Atle Mortensen, head of the National Breeding Programme for Cod at the Norwegian research institute, Nofima.

Growth was much faster than the corresponding development of salmon farming, but it reached a breaking point suddenly and commercial cod farming ended in 2014 in Norway.

At its peak, this sector produced 20,000 tonnes and in 2008 there were 20 hatcheries and 533 licences for cage farming. Today, many of these hatcheries are being used for cleaner fish.

Why the collapse? Mortensen said the poor quality of juveniles led to low growth and high mortalities; diseases such as vibriosis and atypical furunculosis hindered development, as did a newcomer, francisellosis. That was a bad one, said Mortensen, with no antibiotics or vaccines against it.

And there were problems with escapes, deformities, and, in 2008, the economic crisis, which led to a liquidity shortage and people were forced to pay back their loans.

On top of this came the increase in total allowable catches and the subsequent drop in the price. In the market, there was no distinction between farmed and wild caught cod. Cod farming was a new industry and it couldn’t survive, said Mortensen.

However, the national cod breeding programme, launched in 2002, kept going, supported by the Norwegian government.

Presenting the results from this initiative, Mortensen said selective breeding in a classical family selection has produced at least 200 families per generation.

There had been an improvement in juvenile production and an increase in the growth rate of nine to ten per cent per generation, which is about three years. So growth is around three per cent a year, much the same as Atlantic salmon.

There are different prices for different sizes of cod. Export prices from 2016 showed that for the smallest, 2kg cod, the price was quite stable throughout the season, but if the size is increased from 2-4kg the price jumps one euro per kilo.

So, said Mortensen, it’s very important for farmers to grow their cod larger than 2kg to get the price premium. Even larger fish can obtain an ever higher price.

Also, prices are best in the autumn because the landing of wild cod takes place from January to May – ‘if you are smart, you don’t sell your farmed cod in this period,’ said Mortensen.

The location of the breeding programme cod farms is Tromso, about 70 degrees north, so the fish are reared in cold temperatures.

But there is also a test station in Dønna, in mid Norway. Here, where temperatures are warmer, there has been a large difference in growth, with fish 4kg by the end of July and expected to grow to 5-6kg.

There is around five degrees difference in temperature between this area and the north, and this seems to be the optimum environment to cultivate bigger cod. Further south there is the threat of francisellosis, ‘which is horrible,’ said Mortensen.

Production of juveniles is now under control – high survival rate, satisfactory growth, lower frequency of deformities, and an increase of growth rate in the

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We’ve “ domesticat-

ed the fish – they are behaving like salmon, swimming in circles

”

Above: Prospects for farmed cod are encouraging

cages of 30 per cent.

The percentage of early maturing of cod is decreasing. It was around 95 per cent when he programme started, and is now around 75 per cent.

Most cod mature at two years old and spawn in the cages. Recovery is quite fast, particularly when the temperature is higher.

‘We have domesticated the fish – you can see the fish in cages behaving now almost like salmon, they are swimming in circles in the cages. Before that the tendency was to swim more randomly in the cages.

‘And the tendency to escape had gone. They have understood that to stay inside the protective cage is better- they have meals several times a day and so on - than trying to get out.

But there are still challenges, such as the grower feed, and the strength of francisellosis.

From 2016, several cod farms have been established and the interest has increased a lot – ‘almost every week I have a telephone call from people wanting to do this’.

But the government programme is the only producer of juveniles and doesn’t have the capacity to produce large amounts.

‘We think that there is hope for commercial cod farming now. We think production has improved so much, the prices are quite high for the moment, we have indications that the quotas for wild cod will go down by around 100,000 tonnes next year, from 800,000 to 700,000 tonnes – so wild cod prices will also be high for the next couple of years.’

The prospects are encouraging for farmed cod, Mortensen concluded. FF

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06/09/2018 15:26:34

All our products are designed to withstand the harsh weather and currents of the North Atlantic, and can be tailor made for your specific needs.

Vonin.indd 59

06/09/2018 11:55:28

Aqua 2018 – Africa

Resetting the research agenda How can Africa’s farmers benefit from applied science?

A

SPECIAL session on the research needs of African aquaculture attracted delegates and speakers from across the continent and from both academic and commercial backgrounds, representing a span of species and production methods, in large, medium and small scale enterprises.

Organised by the Institute of Aquaculture’s Will Leschen and SARNISSA (Sustainable Aquaculture Research Networks for Sub-Saharan Africa), the aim of the meeting was to identify past successes and failures, in order to refocus applied research priorities and better serve the future growth of the industry in Africa.

Looking at the continent as a whole, and trying to address the demands of hugely diverse countries, might have seemed daunting, but the session highlighted the immense potential of the region.

Charles Ngugi, of Karatina University in Kenya, set out some of the challenges facing the sector. As there is little coordination of research activities, farmers are not feeling the impact, and African aquaculture is not growing as expected.

While some countries have seen big growth in intensive farming – Kenya, Ghana and Uganda, for example – smallholders are mostly subsistence based and remain isolated from the commercial value chain.

The continent is very young, with more than 60 per cent of a 1.2 billion population in sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 25, and there is therefore a very large number of people who need employment.

Research is required in the areas of nutrition and feed; pond dynamics and ecology; socio economics; fish breeding; and polyculture – such as growing tilapia with catfish.

Ngugi said that, in most cases, those farmers involved in research projects go back to where they were once the programme comes to an end: ‘It’s a sad Left: Charles Ngugi opens the session. Above: Will Leschen and Marc Oswald at the NGO APDRA’s stand. Opposite - (top): Oswald, Leschen and delegates at the APDRA stand. (below): Katrina ole-MoiYoi of Victory Farms, Kenya

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thing.’

‘There must be some link between researchers and small scale farmers…to move the continent’s aquaculture development,’ he said.

Professor David Little, of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture, said it was interesting that the session was discussing the commercialisation of aquaculture because in most parts of the world aquaculture wouldn’t be discussed at all if it wasn’t commercial. In Asia, for instance, there is not much aquaculture that is not commercial in some way or another.

The meeting’s goal was to come up with a research agenda for Africa but, as Little explained, research really means new knowledge. What do we know now that can be used and adapted for Africa?

Research is expensive and there is already a lot of knowledge out there about how to do commercial aquaculture.

And who are the researchers? Research is something everyone does at some level. Do we actually need research and do we need a trained researcher? What level of training is required to come up with something that’s useful in the field and useful to farmers, asked Little.

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Resetting the research agenda

He also suggested that fisheries should not be forgotten in the context of Africa because wild catches are currently feeding far more people than aquaculture.

When investors come in they have practices and models that have very little to do with fisheries, but the communities in Africa are nutritionally more dependent on fisheries and there should perhaps be more focus on this.

‘There is a continuum between a livelihood based around fisheries and one that has moved towards aquaculture,’ he said.

Will Leschen reminded delegates that Africa had been involved in aquaculture more than 2,000 years ago, when Egypt started growing tilapia in ponds in the Nile delta. It was not surprising, then, that Egypt is now the world’s third largest producer of tilapia and one of the leading global aquaculture nations.

In the 1600s, there were enhanced fisheries, with flooded ponds, and coastal systems of artificial reefs – similar, in fact, to agro-ecology systems featured in sessions at the Montpellier conference.

But are these successful and are they scalable, Leschen asked.

Aquaculture on the continent began in its present form around the 1940s and 50s. By the 70s and 80s there were few feed mills, and the hatchery sector was fragmented with issues of quality and quantity (‘you could still say that now,’ said Leschen).

The industry began to develop when the Egyptian government sent its 10 best students to study aq-

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uaculture at Auburn University in Alabama, in the United States; they returned and five of them eventually became the ‘grandfathers’ of Egyptian aquaculture today.

This was a notable success story but the whole history of sending students to overseas universities from Africa is a checkered one. Many go to China, some come to Stirling, some go to the US, but what is their impact when they go back to Africa? Are the courses run by these international universities relevant to Africa?

Organisations and development donors, such as the FAO and the World

must be some link between researchers “andThere small scale farmers…to move the continent’s aquaculture development ”

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Aqua 2018 – Africa

There is a “continuum

between a livelihood based around fisheries and one that has moved towards aquaculture

”

consolidation yet? Maybe this is coming and the number of farms will drop, as happened in Asia with the consolidation of the pangasius industry.

In several other African countries, larger farms are now beginning to thrive, such as Dominion and Victory Farms in Kenya, Lake Harvest in Zimbabwe, Yalelo in Zambia, and Tropo Farms in Ghana.

But, said Leschen, we mustn’t forget the middle scale, referred to as the missing middle because it’s often overlooked. Why are there very few examples of people moving from the small scale into this scale, and what are the mechanisms and the research that would help them?

Prof Little agreed that the missing middle would be an area of growth, especially if Africa follows the Asian model.

African fish farmers cannot move from one exBank, were very much involved too, and set up Asian models in Africa in the treme to another overnight – it is a young industry 70s and 80s.

– but once the middle is more developed, like the These were often integrated systems, with crops and livestock, and their mes- poultry sector, then the smallholders can start to sage was then, as now, that fish farming was a route out of poverty for lower break in. income, rural Africans. Was the money invested in research well spent, asked Companies’ research needs depended on their Leschen. scale – a shrimp farm in Madagascar, for instance, Since the 90s and 2000s, Nigeria has become the lighthouse, along with wanted a good supply of quality seed and better Egypt, for aquaculture in Africa. It’s a very interesting model for development infrastructure, but as a large scale enterprise it has based on one species –catfish, said Leschen, who wondered again what role in-house capacity to invest in the business. research had played in that development.

And in Egypt, WorldFish helped farmers reduce While Egypt and Nigeria had developed aquaculture on a huge scale, there their feed conversion rates, and become more were still no very big producers. Why hasn’t there been any salmon style profitable, by feeding fish more efficiently, said the

Tilapia farmer invests in training VICTORY Farms in Kenya, a fast expanding tilapia operation on Lake Victoria, is a ‘playground for research’, with visiting and local students welcomed, said the company’s sustainability director Katrina ole-MoiYoi. The farm is the largest aquaculture producer in Kenya, despite just celebrating its second anniversary, and sells most of its fish on the domestic market, competing with cheap Chinese imports.

Ole-MoiYoi said the region should be a net producer of fish and its lakes could produce 20 per cent of the global tilapia market, yet Africa is the only place where per capita fish consumption is expected to decline.

Victory Farms is playing its part in addressing that challenge, and last year it provided 340,000 high protein meals, many of them to Kibera, Africa’s largest slum and home to the area’s poorest inhabitants.

Victory Farms has its own hatchery, with capacity expandable to 10,000 tonnes, plus a 50-acre network of ponds and 180 cages on the lake. It employs 225, mainly local, people, in its low tech, labour intensive operation.

It has brought the market to the villages by selling fish through 2,000 ‘market women’ , who trade in whole fish from table tops and can differentiate between locally produced and imported Chinese tilapia.

There is a strong preference for small fish of 200-300g; as ole-MoiYoi pointed out, it’s not profitable for farmers to rear 600g fish because of the high cost of feeding it.

Victory Farms has a graduate programme for Kenyan students and is trying to raise funds to build a training centre.

It has also just launched the VF Aqua Scholars programme, which will provide tuition support for local primary/secondary students who demonstrate outstanding potential and financial need.

The company was set up by American Joseph Rehmann (Fish Farmer, July 2018), who had been at Ghana’s Tropo Farms, and it has Kenyan investors, and a staff ownership programme. It has also just

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secured its first international investment, said ole-MoiYoi. Victory Farms has been talking to two feed companies about building a commercial mill in Kenya. A 50,000 tonne feed mill in the area would create work for 100,000 farmers, said ole-MoiYoi. Some of the farm’s research priorities include: a selective breeding programme, early stage nutrition, a floating hatchery, Lake Victoria disease scoping, novel cage designs (currently being undertaken by AKVA), drones to predict water quality in the ponds, carbon negative aeration, internet of things technology, waste conversion to energy, and alternatives to plastic packaging.

Above: Victory Farms’ Joseph Rehmann with one of the new scholars

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06/09/2018 15:25:10

Resetting the research agenda organisation’s Malcolm Dickson.

African farmers are pioneers and research should be part of their business strategy, at least in larger farms. In South Africa, co-funding schemes work well, where the government matches private investment in R&D – a system, noted Little, that works pretty well in Scotland too.

In conclusion, Leschen said we have to be realistic about what researchers can achieve. The question kept coming back to: what did the Egyptians and Nigerians do and how can the rest of Africa follow their example.

In the end, setting the research agenda for Africa wasn’t the right of academics, but should involve many different people.

‘In the past, a lot of people haven’t been at the table,’ he said.. FF

Big hopes from small operators Polyculture of tilapia with hetTHE purpose of an NGO like erotis is very efficient and there APDRA (Association Pisciculture have been impressive growth Rural en Afrique) is to promote rates, from 10g a day to 30g. fish farming innovation to meet There has been a strong willingfood needs, said Marc Oswald, ness by fish farmers to breed this explaining how his organisation fish, despite initial reluctance, supported smaller scale ventures and now it sells at the same price, to help them become financially or more, than tilapia, with a viable. slightly different market niche. By An NGO could set up invest2015, it had become the second ment; help spread farming JOINT REPORT farmed species in Cote d’Ivoire, techniques; enhance knowledge, Cameroon, and Benin, showing within professional networks small scale farmers’ readiness to (such as farmers’ associations); adapt. and co-build innovation.

Small scale farms can have alThe goal was to solve the issue most zero costs other than labour of food security by systems manand time but still get margins of 2 aged by family smallholders, said euros per kg.

Oswald, and the first principle is It might be small that the farm must be profitable Opportunities andscale, said Oswald, but imagine hundreds of to be sustainable. challenges for aquaculture such small operations being able In the west of Africa, aquain developing countries to link up to an efficient distribuculture developments are quite tor, if there were decent roads. mature, with farms running for 10 years. In Cote d’Ivoire, fish farming is the first activity for 23 per cent of the population, and in Cameroon it is 24 per cent, before rice and other crops.

There are few female pond owners but women are very involved in the stocking, grading and sale of fish.

All aquaculture activity is in polyculture systems, integrated into the family farm. The main species farmed is Nile tilapia, followed by the African arowana (Heterotis niloticus).

Oswald said average prices for these fish are 1.5 euros per kg in Cote d’Ivoire, 2.5 euros per kg in Cameroon, and 2 euros per kg in Benin. When urban markets are accessible, farmed fish are preferred to other fish substitutes.

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Left: Going places - one of the Victory Farms graduate employees, Evance Achiro, mentioned in Katrina ole-MoiYoi’s talk

Opening of a new chapter

Above: Blessing Mapfumo (left) with Belemane Semoli, South Africa’s director of aquaculture, at the WAS conference in Cape Town last year

THE formation of the African chapter of the World Aquaculture Society moved a step closer to fruition in Montpellier.

Work to set up the branch began in the early 2000s but it has been a long journey which, hopefully, will conclude soon, said Blessing Mapfumo, who has been appointed to lead the group.

He told a packed meeting at the conference that there was a strong desire from all levels to have an African chapter.

The meeting, on August 27, built on the ‘monumental’ gathering of stakeholders in Cape Town last June, when the WAS held it first conference in sub-Saharan Africa.

The objectives of setting up the African WAS chapter included developing a globally recognised stage for students and professionals to debate and exchange ideas.

It would also help leverage support for sustainable aquaculture R&D, promote conferences and exhibitions in Africa, disseminate information, share success stories, create job opportunities, and document the experience of fish farmers. And it would facilitate the sharing of equipment and access to technology.

Since the Cape Town meeting, the by-laws of the chapter had been finalised, it has an interim board, and its formation has been approved by the WAS board.

All that now remained was for African members to vote it into existence, a process that should be completed this year, said Mapfumo.

‘Our goal is to have an active African chapter that is meaningful to you, our African audience.

‘Continue to promote it in your countries and encourage people to join,’ he urged the Montpellier delegates. ‘Be part of the way forward.’

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06/09/2018 15:25:28

Crosby Europe – Advertorial

Crosby, Skills & Splash Crosby Europe expands its top performing Trawlex range

BY DAVE EDLER

C

ROSBY Europe is expanding its top performing Trawlex range to meet the specific needs of the aquaculture industry. The company’s Trawlex range of profile chain, connectors and components has had an important footprint in the fishing industry since 1971 and a long track record of producing high-quality hardware, designed to withstand the rigours of heavy use in the fishing industry. While many components of Crosby’s Trawlex range were already in use in the aquaculture industry as well, the company has now expanded the brand offering with a full range of hardware designed specifically for aquaculture.

Crosby Trawlex Aquaculture range is completely certified to the highest standard NS9415 by DNV GL, as demanded by the aquaculture industry. The new aquaculture product range of steel fittings and equipment is now launching its first phase exclusively in the North Sea/Atlantic region, developed for cage mooring systems that are in widespread use in the Faroe Islands, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Scotland. Later this year it will launch globally.

Rob Van Put, regional director at Crosby Europe, takes up the story.

‘The new range includes shackles, profile chain, connector plates, and masterlinks.

There are standard items that Crosby Trawlex already had in its product range, but there is also new equipment, such as the new mooring shackles and mooring plates that have been designed specifically for these applications’.

‘We’re confident that the world-famous Crosby red-pin shackle, with its proven track record, has a great future among this comprehensive new range of aquaculture mooring products,’ said Ashley Hall, Crosby Europe’s Trawlex specialist.

‘The company’s special steels and heat treatments are the key to developing super

We have looked at the “challenges users face and have incorporated innovations to make handling easier

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Crosby - PED.indd 64

”

M

Th ta te aq fea

•A f •C e a •B Id •H e •D •B •U

Product range

K

• • • •

New! Product range • • • • •

Innovative designs to withstand the rigours of Aquaculture Fully approved to NS9415 Full traceability Based on the original ‘Chain with a Fish’ Easy to install and end-user friendly

New!

strength capabilities in its products, while the heat treatment also ensures that ductility is retained and the effects of stress are reduced, providing outstanding resistance to wear and corrosion in the marine environment’.

Van Put concluded: ‘The strength and durability of our mooring system components including the possibility to size down the Trawlex Profile Chain will lead to lower operating costs for our end-users. We have looked at the challenges users face and have incorporated innovations to make handling easier for them, such as the unique fin on the mooring shackle, which allows one person to assemble the shackle’s nut and bolt without any difficulty’.

For more information on this new aquaculture product range, email aquaculture@thecrosbygroup.com FF

Above: Installation in the Faroe Islands

Th rem tra de ea to the wi • • • • • •

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06/09/2018 16:03:49

T T G F E F C

TXMS Mooring Shackle The new TXMS Mooring shackle takes existing Crosby® shackle technology and brings it into the aquaculture industry with unique features.

• A raised fin across all sizes prevents the nut from rotating during solo installation.

• Closed-die forging the body in our UK facility ensures we have total control over the design and material properties of the product.

• Both body and pin have Crosby® PIC Product Identification Codes.

• High strength steel gives the body and pin equal superior strength.

• Double locking achieved by nut and cotter pin.

• Body and pin are heat-treated and fully galvanized.

• User-friendly to divers when installing.

TXBS Bow Shackle

TXDS D Shackle

TXCP Connection Plate

Using the Crosby® Bow shackle body as a base, the TXBS takes this to new levels. Double locking protection as standard to fully comply with NS9415. High quality steel on the body and pin gives excellent metallurgical properties.

Using the Crosby® D shackle body as a base, the TXDS takes this to new levels. Like the TXBS, Double locking protection as standard to fully comply with NS9415. High quality steel on the body and pin gives excellent metallurgical properties.

Manufactured at our ISO9001 certified factory in the Netherlands, the TXCP uses the latest robotic welding machines to give an outstanding product.

• Body and Pin is fully galvanized.

• Closed-die forged – quenched and tempered, with alloy pin.

• High-visibility double-locking makes inspection sub-sea easy.

• Countersunk pin reduces the risk of snagging on nets.

• Both body and pin have Crosby® PIC Product Identification Codes.

• Also available in D version.

• Body and pin is fully galvanized.

• Closed-die forged – quenched and tempered, with alloy pin.

• High-visibility double-locking makes inspection sub-sea easy.

• Countersunk pin reduces the risk of snagging on nets.

• Both body and pin have Crosby® PIC Product Identification Codes.

• Also available in Bow version.

• Fitted with zinc anodes as standard to reduce corrosion.

• Mounting holes make installation and inspection easier.

• Available in 3 sizes as standard to give the installer as much flexibility as possible during design and installation.

• High quality steel gives excellent metallurgical properties.

• The TXCP is fully galvanized for corrosion resistance.

Key features: • • • •

TXMS TXBS TXDS TXCP

Raised fin for ease of installation Fully galvanized for corrosion protection Double-protection fitted as standard Zinc anodes fitted as standard for corrosion protection

TLN Connector

Crosby Trawlex® Chain

The TL was launched in 1971 and remains THE connector in the trawling industry. A two-piece design with pin and bush makes it easy to assemble but very difficult to break. Gold passivation gives the TL its familiar colour and assists with its corrosion protection.

The real challenges to mooring systems when new, are set by the industry’s severe environment.

These conditions may result in early failures caused by wear and corrosion. The new Trawlex Profile Chain™ has been designed to take up these challenges.

• • • • • •

The ultimate connector.

Two-piece design, closed-die forged.

Galvanized and gold passivation.

Fully machined fulcrum points.

Every TL is 100% proof tested prior to despatch.

Fully traceable PIC Product Identification Codes on forged parts.

Crosby - PED.indd 65

• Generous dimensions help to keep the weight of the chain down, whilst maintaining its strength.

• Special heat treatment to assist with corrosion protection and avoid stress failures.

• Profile Chain™ available in sizes 16mm & 19mm • Typically Grade 90-Grade 95

• • • •

TLN Chain TXA344 G2130 OC

Passivated for corrosion protection Double heat-treated to reduce stress corrosion Individually proof tested. Engineered flat Closed die forging, galvanized and painted bolt

TXA344 Galvanized Masterlink

G2130 OC Bolt-type Shackle

Crosby® is well-known for its range of masterlinks and the TXA344 compliments this range.

Bolt-type anchor shackles with bolt & nut with cotter pin.

• Alloy Steel – quenched and tempered.

• Engineered flat on side of masterlinks makes installation of thimbles easier.

• Proof Tested.

• Welded masterlink – generous internal dimensions.

• Forged markings include Product Identification Code (PIC) for material traceability and size.

• Fully galvanized.

• Working Load Limit and grade ‘6’ permanently shown on every shackle.

• Closed-die forged – quenched and tempered, with alloy pins.

• Hot dip galvanized.

• Both body and bolt have Crosby® PIC Product Identification Codes.

06/09/2018 16:04:05

AquaSoja – Advertorial

Wild thing

aquasoja@sojadeportugal.pt

www.aquasoja.pt

Innovative new products help fish cope with stressors

S

EVENTY five years after its mother company Soja De Portugal was formed, and almost thirty years after moving into aquaculture specific feeds, Aquasoja launches two innovative products – Croma and Ygeia Plus (Y+) – to meet the current market needs.

At the EAS/WAS aquaculture conference in Montpellier, Sara Magalhães, Aquasoja’s technical and sales manager, explained the benefits of those new products. ‘Croma, while based on pigment-rich raw materials of marine and vegetable origin, provides gilthead sea bream with a skin colour quite close to that of a wild fish, adding value to the final product and improving the acceptance by the end user.

‘Y+, to be used by all fish species, includes 100 per cent natural ingredients that help fish coping with stressors such as vaccination, handling, predators, environmental changes, and others. Briefly, it stimulates the immune response, by combining β-glucans with vitaAbove: (left to right) Carlos Lopes, Sara Magalhães, Tiago Aires, Elisabete Matos mins, and supports the immune response by introducing nucleotides and Nuno Medina which promote immune cell proliferation; moreover, it prevents fish anxiety and gut disorders while combining plant extracts with organic acids, and protects body cells from free radicals through natural antioxidants such as grape polyphenols. As Y+ works at several levels, it is a very complete product against stress-inducing events.”

Magalhães said that Croma and Y+ are being very well accepted by clients with interesting results being observed.

Croma provides gilthead “ sea bream with a skin colour quite close to that of a wild fish ”

CROMA, THE COLOURING THAT WAS MISSING IN AQUACULTURE

COLOUR

TEXTURE SHELF LIFE

ADDED VALUE

TASTE

Gilthead seabream aquasoja@sojadeportugal.pt

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www.aquasoja.pt

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06/09/2018 15:19:52

good for you, and great for your fish and shrimp.

Interested? Find your local contact at nutriad.com

Nutriad – Advertorial

Feeding the debate Nutriad hosts WAS 2018 symposium on functional feed additives

M

ultinational feed additives producer Nutriad, a pioneer in species specific additive solutions in aquaculture, was present once again at the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) event which was held last month in Montpellier, France. The company organised a mini-symposium titled ‘Functional feed additives in aquaculture – How to add more?’

Merce Isern, business development manager Aqua Health for Nutriad, presented global experiences on Functional Feed Additives to Promote Aqua Health. Alexander van Halteren, business development manager Aquaculture Nutrition for Nutriad, reviewed the different modes of action behind the beneficial effects of bovine bile salts for shrimp, including nutritional, digestive and/or metabolic enhancement.

Dr. Waldo Nuez-Ortin, lead scientist Aquaculture for Nutriad, introduced Selisseo, a novel source of organic selenium for aquaculture.

Guest speaker Monica Betancour, of the University of Stirling, Scotland, explained novel sources of oils for fish feed.

‘This mini-symposium provided an excellent opportunity for our partners and customers to learn about current market developments and new findings regarding the application of our functional feed additives for fish and shrimp’ said Dr. Peter Coutteau, Nutriad business unit director Aquaculture.

‘Nutriad has a strong focus on bringing innovation to aquaculture producers across the world. Therefore, we continue to invest in people and research and to dedicate time to engage with scientists and indus-

We “ continue

to invest in people and research and dedicate time to engage with scientists

”

Above: The Nutriad team at Aqua 2018 in Montpellier

You invest, they digest.

try professionals at events like WAS and directly in the field, as we convert global knowledge into local solutions.’

Nutriad delivers products and services to over 80 countries through a network of its own sales offices and distributors. It is supported by four application laboratories and five manufacturing facilities on three continents. Find out more at www.nutriad.com

FORMULATE MORE WITH LESS Nutriad’s aqua team designed a unique range of functional feed additives to enhance digestive and metabolic processes. Species-specific solutions such as AQUAGEST® as well as a complete range of natural emulsifiers like LIPOGEST and AQUALYSO. They offer more options on ingredient choice, improving protein efficiency and creating a more sustainable aquafeed with less environmental impact. We would like to share our in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience with you. It’s good for you, and great for your fish and shrimp.

A AQ008-23

Interested? Find your local contact at nutriad.com

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06/09/2018 16:04:42

Europe Training and education Europe focus– – Training and education

BY MARTYN MARTYN HAINES HAINES BY

es but differ in one important respect. Learners study vocational subjects alongside the continuation of a more traditional school curriculum, which includes mathematics, Norwegian and English language, among other choices.

Those who select aquaculture enter the Journeyman Certificate and undertake an aquaculture course of 520 hours’ duration over a two-year period.

This includes a mix of ‘on farm’ practical training in small groups, as well as classroom and laboratory based learning activities, which are often complemented by visits to aquaculture technology supply companies.

During their studies, they are continuously assessed by their own aquaculture teachers and the results contribute to their final grade.

At the end of the two-year programme they undertake a day-long practical exam supported by oral questioning by a teacher from another upper secondary school; a national committee of industry representatives set the exam.

Those who are successful are offered apprenticeships, by which stage they are all over 18 years’ old and employable within local aquaculture companies.

Over the following two-year period, they further develop their practical competence in the work place, culminating in a two to three-day practical exam overseen by industry representatives.

This completes what is known in Norway as the ‘two plus two’ system. For those who are successful, full-time employment awaits and an immediate upgrade of their salary by the time they are just over 20 years’ old.

United we stand Norway’s model

schools

How better mobility could address recruitment bottlenecks

How Scotland could make aquaculture careers more accessible to youngsters

T

HE autumn is often a time for reflection, and perhaps more so than ever this year for those involved in aquaculture vocational education and training (VET).

Some influential research initiatives come to fruition, including the Skills Review for the Aquaculture Sector in Scotland, commissioned on behalf of the Aquaculture Industry Leadership Group (AILG), which highlights key workforce development issues.

Hot on its tail, by the end of the year the Norwegian led Erasmus+ BlueEDU Aquaculture Sector Skills Alliance (SSA) completes its research into the education and training needs of 12 EU countries cage farming finfish.

This provides a unique opportunity for Scotland to compare its aquaculture education and training to that of other European countries, thereby sharing good practice and reducing the risk of blinkered introspection as our future education and training strategy is formulated.

One of the most interesting aspects of the BlueEDU research phase has been the comparison of the Norwegian and Scottish aquaculture education and training systems.

The countries have a lot in common as Europe’s two main salmon producing nations, sharing a similar geography and a high reliance on aquaculture as a wealth generator within their coastal zones.

They both have ambitious plans for growing their aquaculture sectors and face many of the same technical challenges.

However, on closer scrutiny, contrasting approaches to aquaculture youth development have been revealed. There are very different pathways available to Norwegian and Scottish secondary school leavers at 16 for our future learnyearsOW old,we as cater they plan their firstaquaculture steps towards an aquaculture career. ers warrants careful consideration, particularly Above and opposite: There Norwegian development againstyouth the backdrop of the ongoing Brexit is a growing There areati 14ons upper schoolsexit in Norway acrossappeti an te negoti andsecondary Britain’s eventual from spread in completed both Scotland and extensive coastal zone, catering for learners who have their Europe.

Norway to explore compulsory secondary With the release in Mayschool of theeducation.

Skills Review for theto mobility exchange These public sector a similar role Scottish collegthe Aquaculture Sectorinstitutions in Scotland,perform commissioned opportuniti es on behalf of the Aquaculture Industry Leadership 68 (AILG) and undertaken by HIE (Highlands and Group

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Training - Martin Haynes.indd 68

Industry school partnerships in Norway What is most remarkable about the Norwegian system is the close working relationship between each upper secondary school and their local fish farming companies.

This provides learners with regular access to state of the art salmon farming facilities and training in small groups for much of the time they spend on the farms.

It is a highly effective way for this age group to learn, particularly when hands on activity and practical problem solving are their favoured learning style.

Some schools go a step further and run their own salmon farms in partnership with industry, and the profits made are invested in the Opposite: Training starts school’s education facilities and provision. early in Norway Islands Enterprise), there Course is muchapplication to reflect anrates act on. have been soaring This autumn also seesand the completi on of the BlueEDU Aquaculthe academic levelErasmus+ of applicants rising year year.

Today,researching aquaculturethe in educati Norwayon is and seentraining ture Sector Skills AllianceonLot 1 project, a very attractive choice by increasing needs of 12 EU countriesasthat cage farm finficareer sh. Clearly, a wealth of opportunity of young people following the comawaits us, some of whichnumbers is European in nature. prehensive ‘twothe plus pathway to a career Whatever Brexit ultimately means, UKtwo’ government has reassured us aquaculture. that we can partake ininthe coming 2019 and 2020 Erasmus+ bid rounds.

On leaving the EU, the completion of any outstanding projects will be UK www.fishfarmer-magazine.com funded during transition.

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Norway’s model schools

Scottish aquaculture VET landscape By stark contrast, Scotland lost the last of its full-time aquaculture provision five years ago when Scotland Rural College (SRUC) became the last to divest after applications had fallen to an unviable level.

When making comparisons with Norway, there are some tough questions that need to be asked. The most obvious one being, how come Norway is experiencing increasing numbers of applications to its Journeyman Certificate when Scotland is unable to sustain a single full-time vocational course in aquaculture?

Winding back the clock to the 80s and 90s, Scotland had several mature pathways that allowed young people to access aquaculture careers, regardless of their home base location.

Commonly, they would undertake a one-year National Certificate to prepare them for initial employment and informal on-farm development, or a formal apprenticeship thereafter.

Some progressed to a Higher National Diploma, followed by a university degree in some cases, and subsequent employment, often fast tracking to positions of responsibility in the industry.

There was also a work based youth training scheme as an alternative entry point and pathway for those fortunate enough to live near a fish farm.

Today, due to the demise of full-time aquaculture VET in Scotland, access to an aquaculture career for those living outside the coastal zone can be most problematic.

I have heard it said that life and work in the coastal zone, where most of the aquaculture jobs are, suit its residents but not outsiders unfamiliar with the lifestyle and challenges.

From what I’ve seen, many young people, following a two-year college vocational course which includes practical work, had gained enough experience to make this transition, wherever they happened to be born.

So, what pathways exist today for young people in Scotland who

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Training - Martin Haynes.indd 69

are not of the academic standard required to enter industry via the university degree route?

Simply this: they can leave school, often as young as 16 years’ old, and seek aquaculture employment, which can be followed by uncertificated in-company training and/or entry to the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) in Aquaculture, if they happen to live in a fish farming region.

While Scottish companies do not insist on their staff undertaking a national qualification and tend to rely on in-company training, they do support ambitious individuals who put themselves forward for the MA, and application rates have risen over the last few years.

Without doubt, this is an invaluable qualification pathway for those who cannot access a full-time college course to become qualified. But should it be the only qualification route in Scotland available to 16-yearold school leavers who lack degree entry requirements?

I am sure this and many other questions will be discussed in full this autumn as the findings of the Scottish Skills Review for the Aquaculture Sector and BlueEDU Sector Skill Alliance get a full airing. Hopefully, industry, VET providers and the agencies that regulate and fund our tertiary education system will all get actively involved in the process.

Martyn Haines is director of Pisces Learning Innovations, an Education Consultancy, and partner within the BlueEDU Aquaculture Sector Skills Alliance and welcomes your questions. He can be contacted by phone (01387 840697) and by email, info@pisceslearning.com FF

What is most remarkable is the “ close working relationship between each school and their local fish farming companies

”

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06/09/2018 15:18:28

Training and education

BY DAVE CONLEY

Who do you

know?

How networking enhances your chances of gaining meaningful employment

N

Above: Networking is a skill like any other

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ETWORKING is a skill, the same as any other taught in school, but it has not been included in any curriculum I am aware of to date.

I wrote the following networking guide for biotech students initially but adapted it for aquaculture students and have subsequently delivered it to various colleges and universities and given class presentations as well.

The time to begin your search for a rewarding employment position is the day you register to go to a post-secondary institution. Why? Because the whole point of getting educated is to be able to apply what you learned in a job that values the knowledge and skills you have developed.

Getting educated is an investment in your future. Finding challenging and rewarding employment is the return on that investment.

I would like to offer you the lessons that I have learned by experience because when I was in your place, more than 40 years ago, nobody told me how to use my time effectively so that I could get to where I wanted to go efficiently.

When you find a job that engages your passions, and that you get well compensated for, then you have reached success, in my opinion.

I want to help you shorten that path to success if I can.

Networking is the best way I know to find a rewarding work situation. All else being equal, people tend to hire the person they know over a stranger. Not fair, but true. That is why the expression exists: ‘It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.’

Networking is the process of meeting people who may be able to help you find opportunities that suit your skills, education and career objectives.

A network of contacts in your chosen field of interest and related fields is like having your own professional support group. Contacts are there for you when you are looking for opportunities and they are there when you need mentoring and other forms of professional and sometimes personal support.

A large network is the best hedge I know against unemployment because most job opportunities go unadvertised but are usually known to people in your network.

Most young people start out by looking for jobs online and then submit applications and CVs, along with hundreds or thousands of others, and never hear back from the HR department. Using this method to find the job that suits you the best is like buying a lottery ticket; the probability of winning is one in a million.

Having a network that you have grown to hundreds or thousands of people over the course of your studies is the best way to increase your chances of finding what you want and need when you graduate.

Things you should do Design a business card right away and get 250-500 printed. If you want to use the back of your business card as a mini CV, then you can put your area(s) of interest along with some relevant courses taken and volunteer placements.

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06/09/2018 15:14:48

Who do you know?

“

Remember to hand out your business card and gather business cards from everyone you meet

Create a profile on LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network.

Look at what others have done with their profiles and create yours. Don’t forget to add the LinkedIn profile link to your business card and your email signature.

LinkedIn has many discussion groups that cover general and specific topics in aquaculture. When you have your LinkedIn profile you will be able to join these groups and keep abreast of trends, issues and innovations. You can also contribute to these discussions.

Join professional associations/organisations - these usually have student memberships and are a way to become involved in the various issues of the day. Actively participating where you can is a great way to learn firsthand about the many challenges facing aquaculture in your country and around the world.

These organisations host several events during the year between them, where members come together from all over the country/world. Hand out your business card and gather business cards from everyone you meet.

I have seen many students and young people not make the best use of these meetings because they are shy or don’t know how to approach a stranger. Look at strangers as potential friends waiting for you to make contact. Walk up to people and introduce yourself, ask them where they are from and what they do.

Volunteer at aquaculture events Not only will you meet interesting people, but you will get into these

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events free, a real value considering the typical cost of admission. Showing the organisers that you can be useful to them is a sure way to make a great impression, which will come in handy later when you need a reference.

If you live in a city or close to one, there are hotels and conference centres where different events take place every week. Each will have an online events schedule that you can browse.

Contact the organisers of upcoming events to find out if they are looking for volunteers.

Many events will not be aquaculture focused but some creative thinking should find you an angle. For example, software developers, engineers, marketers, chefs and restaurateurs, and food distributers, to name just a few, are all professional groups with a potential interest in aquaculture.

However, these are people who would not normally attend an aquaculture conference.

Professionals tend to stick to their own fields, but you don’t have to because you’re volunteering, so what do you have to lose? It’s a great opportunity to find out what other groups know and how that information might be useful to you in the future.

”

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Training and education

Interview people working in aquaculture This is a great way to talk to people about their jobs and career paths.

Instead of asking them if they have a position available, ask them if they have time to talk to you about their career and where they see the trends going, the skills necessary, and the qualities employers are seeking.

Because you are not asking them for a job but only information, it is a non-stressful way to pick their brain for tips that you may be able to use in your career search and decision making.

It can be done over coffee at a cafe close to where they work and try to limit it to 30-45 minutes so that it does not take them out of their office too long.

I have been interviewed by students this way and it is usually a good experience. But be aware that not everyone you contact will be receptive to this invitation, so do not take it personally, it could just be a bad day and the timing was not right for them.

When you meet, come prepared with a list of questions or topics that Below: Keep in contact you would like to run through; that way you have a starting point to go with people in your profession. Opposite: Treat from. Depending on how the conversation is going, you may have to be every event as a new flexible and go with the flow. networking opportunity The whole point is to learn things and you cannot always tell where this is going to happen so just try not to be too rigid in your approach. A good conversation is always a matter of give and take. Be professional and polite and thank them for their time and allowing you to meet with them.

Get their business card and give yours before departing. And ask them for three other contacts in their network that you might be able to interview. It’s a way to get more names to add to your network. But don’t push it if they do not what to provide these, it may be that they want to speak to their contacts first. Always give them the choice to email you

later with such information.

Always follow up with an email thanking them again for their time and for sharing their experiences with you. Remember, this informal interview is also another opportunity to make an impression and you never know where this may lead. If they like you and feel that you might make a good addition to their team, you may get a phone call when you least expect it to offer you an interview for a position you didn’t even know was available.

Keep in mind that most of the available positions go unadvertised and usually get filled by people found via networking.

Create a networking database Put the contact information from all the business cards you collect into a database. Use your database to keep in contact with people in your network, to let them know where you are, if you are looking for part-time work, if you are going to an event that they may be attending, and if you have moved and have a change of address, email or phone number.

If you are travelling and you know that some of your contacts may have their own network in the place where you are going, then ask them if they know of anyone there who would be available to meet you to discuss your career goals.

Aquaculture is a global enterprise so there is always something or someone to see when you are out travelling. Don’t ignore this opportunity to meet people and make new friends. International contacts are very valuable as you begin to advance in your career.

Look at travel as an opportunity to expand your network as well as see places - universities, research institutes, companies, farms, and so on - that are aligned with your interests.

Even when you go on holiday, if possible, make it a point to visit a person, a business, a research institution or industry organisation located near where you are staying. Call ahead to make sure somebody is available to speak to you, and if it is a place worth seeing, ask for a tour. I have learned so much doing this.

Don’t forget family, friends and neighbours It is always surprising to find out that somebody in your extended family or neighbourhood

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Who do you know?

your career “is anDeveloping ongoing process that will continue until you decide to stop working

”

there is a lot of turnover in the position. If there is turnover then it could be that the job is problematic, or the manager is problematic.

Never be afraid to ask questions in an interview. If you don’t understand the question, say so. If you don’t understand something about the position that the interviewer has just said, ask for clarification.

When you don’t know something, do not fake knowledge of it because this gets discovered very fast and leaves a bad impression.

Try to be confident but never overly so, everyone gets nervous, so my advice is always to be yourself. The worst thing is to try to be somebody you are not or say things to impress or because you think it is what the interviewer wants to hear. Be genuine, be honest, and be yourself - it is what will give you the edge.

You will not get every job that you apply for but do not get discouraged.

Every interview is an opportunity to get better at interviewing, which is a skill, like everything else that you have learned at school and in life.

Not getting the job is not a sign of failure, only that you are not the person with the skills that the firm is seeking at that moment in time. Move on, be gracious, know that your time is coming and prepare for it.

Timing plays a role in finding a position. Sometimes you are just in the right place at the right time and you get hired without a lot of effort. Be thankful!

What I have learned is that finding a position is not about what is fair or not fair. You can have everything that you think qualifies you for the position but still you don’t get it. Use that opportunity to gather feedback from the interviewer so that you can use it to get better prepared for the next interview.

Final thoughts Developing your career is an ongoing process that will continue until you decide to stop working, which I hope is never. I have met people working in their 70s and 80s and what sets them apart is that they love knows somebody in the aquaculture sector, or what they do and cannot imagine not doing it. a friend of a friend that does. Never overlook They may not put in five-day, 40-hour weeks but they do keep working family or neighbourhood get-togethers or in some capacity, even if that is only mentoring younger people. events as potential networking opportunities.

After a lifetime of personal and work experiences, what good is it if you You will be amazed at how many times a simple remark at one such event can lead to an keep it all to yourself? I am always impressed by people who continue to give of their time and wisdom so that others can succeed. These are the unexpected opportunity. Treat every event as ultimate team-players. a new networking opportunity and be on the Some things to keep in mind: lookout for conversations that mention some‘Opportunities don’t happen, they are made by people that go out and thing in your area of interest. find them’ – Dave Conley ‘If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anyDo study terms/student exchanges in a foreign where’ – Frank A. Clark. FF location Some colleges and universities offer study terms or exchanges in collaboration with their network of post-secondary institutions. This is a great opportunity and provides you with the chance to get out of your comfort zone, meet new people, and experience a different culture.

Life should be an adventure, and this is one of the best ways to have a new experience.

Because these programmes are set up for international students, you can meet people from many different countries who share some of the same interests as you. Some of these friendships may last a lifetime, and may also have a huge impact on your career path.

Prepare for job interviews A job interview is a two-way discussion.

You are being interviewed for a position by a company, and you are interviewing a company to find out if you want to work there. Know as much as you can about the company, its products/services, strengths and weaknesses, major challenges and opportunities.

If you know somebody at the company, then find out why the position is being filled, and if

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About the author DAVE Conley is director of communications at AquaBounty Technologies, an aquaculture biotechnology firm that has developed genetically engineered AquAdvantage salmon, the first transgenic food animal in the world.

A native of Montreal, he has more than 40 years’ experience in food and fibre production, research, journalism, public policy development, public education, and communications.

He served as communications and policy advisor to Canada’s first and only Commissioner for Aquaculture Development at Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and was part of the team that produced two strategic policy documents for the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans – Achieving the Vision, 2003, and Recommendations for Change, 2004.

He joined the board of directors of Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) in 2010 and was appointed executive director in August 2011 and served in that position until June 2013.

AwF is an independent non-profit organisation that promotes aquaculture to alleviate poverty and improve livelihoods in developing countries (www.aquaculturewithoutfrontiers.org).

Conley holds an MSc in Parasitology from the Institute of Parasitology, McGill University, and a BSc (Agr.), Renewable Resources Development, from the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University. He also holds a Diploma in Agriculture, Farm Business Management, from Kemptville College, University of Guelph.

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From the archive – July/August 1994

Half the world’s output – and rising XU XIAO TIN sees Chinese aquaculture expanding with positive government encouragement.

A

QUACULTURE in China has developed substantially in recent years, with freshwater hatcheries doing especially well. According to Mr Liu Shenli, deputy director of the Agriculture Ministry’s Bureau of Fishery, freshwater fish farming was the country’s top fish producer in both 1990 and 1993, claiming over half the country’s total output.

And to be number one in China’s fish industry is no small feat. China is the largest producer of aquatic products in the world, one fifth of its entire food production coming from the sea and its lakes, rivers, streams – and fish farms. Last year, China’s aquatic yield was almost 9.6 million tons- half the aquatic production for the entire world.

Of that total, freshwater fish farming accounted for 6.48 million tons, while mariculture produced 3.08 million tons, according to a Bureau of Fishery report. “Market demand is the main reason for the rapid rise of aquacaulture production” say Mr Ding Xiaoming, division chief of the bureau’s public relations department.

The increased demand has been mostly domestic. As living standard improve in China, more and more aquatic products are finding their way to the nation’s dinner tables, Ding explains. Moreover, since fish farming bring greater profits than growing grain or cash crops, the government is actively encouraging the industry wherever possible. Ding adds: “Apart from contributing to the local governments’ tax returns, fish farming also helps absorb surplus labour in rural areas. At present there are at least 100 million rural labourers out of work across the country.”

Concurring with Mr Ding’s opinion, Mr Liu points out that the increase in aquaculture is also a symptom of the serious ecological imbalance caused by excessive exploitation of natural fishery resources in coastal and inland waters, limiting further expansion of that sector.

“This year, China’s strategy is to maintain fishing activities at the present pace, while accelerating aquaculture breeding,” says Liu. China has excellent

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Above: The cover from 1994’s International File

Fish “ farming…

helps absorb surplus labour in rural areas.

At present there are at least 100 million rural labourers out of work…

”

conditions for developing its industry. The country has 18,000 kilometres of coastline and shallow seas, and mudflats suitable for aquaculture cover a total of 2.6 million hectares. Over a third of its 17.47 million hectares of inland waters, including ponds, lakes, reservoirs and brooks, can be adapted to freshwater fish farming. In 1993, some 585,500 hectares had been devoted to mariculture, and 3.75 million hectares had been set aside for freshwater aquaculture, according to the Bureau of Fishery report.

China’s fish farming industry is manly located in four regions: the shallow seas and shores along the coast, the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River in central and eastern China, the Zhujiang River Delta is south China, and the mudflats on both sides of the Yellow river in northwest China. According to Liu, “The mudflats along the Yellow River that can be exploited for fish farming cover around 933,000 hectares. That is one of our first priorities, since fish farming could be a powerful engine for economic growth in western China” That part of the country has lagged behind the east in the rapid economic expansion over the last 15 years.

China’s freshwater fish farmers raise their fish in three ways, depending on the water available: they breed and stock ponds; erect cages, nets and pens in open water such as reservoirs, lakes, rivers and channels; and breed fish paddies.

Fish culture in ponds covers 1.6 million hectares and makes up about 38 per cent of the total, with an annual yield of 4.9 million tons; in 1993 pond fisheries accounted for 78.6 percent of the country’s freshwater catch. Open-water fishers cover 2.56 million hectares and produce an annual average yield of 1.58 million tons.

Ecological fish farming is becoming more widely practised in pond fish farming. By breeding fish in different depths, planting trees beside the water, and raising water birds, this kind of fish farming forms an ecological chain in miniature. “It helps maintain ecological balance and yields greater profits than ordinary fish breeding” explains Liu. Sea cage farming was first introduced to China in the 1970s but was not initially well received by fish farmers, being relatively expensive. At that time China was dominated by a centrally-planned command economy, and every economic activity was directed by the government. This meant that farmers were told how much they could charge for their fish, and the prices set by the government barely covered their costs. Since the early 1980s, when the country began to adopt a market economy, the form of farming has becoming increasingly popular, being much more profitable. Liu estimate one hectare of cages can yield profits ranging from 30 million (US$3.4 million) to 45 million yuan (US$ 5.1 million) annually.

Paddy fish farming is especially suited to China’s topography and current agricultural priorities. One of the world’s biggest rice producers, China has more than 28 million hectares of paddies: at present fewer than 500,000 hectares are used. The goal is to improve agricultural production and ensure Chinese farmers greater returns for their labour. Liu emphasizes that paddy aquaculture

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06/09/2018 15:08:19

From the archive – July/August 1994 is an important part of the ministry’s drive to make agriculture more profitable.

As well as cultivating freshwater species, aquaculture is expanding in the sea.

In 1983, the mariculture yield reached 3.08 million tons: 71,700 tons of finned fish; 100,000 tons of shrimp; 2.2 million tons of molluscs, and 880,000 tons of seaweed and kelp. These figures are all-time highs.

Despite the heartening progress, Lui acknowledges a number of obstacles that must be overcome if China’s industry is to continue expanding. First, there is pollution caused by both industrial production and fish farming itself. In some cases, fisheries have to be abandoned because toxic wastes from factories compromise water quality and kill the fish; in others, breeding and farming upsets a region’s delicate ecological balance, making it unfit for raising fish.

“To solve the environmental problems, the government must strictly limit industrial pollution, and the Ministry of Agriculture must more closely supervise the water quality of fish farming areas. It must also teach all those in the industry how to practice ecological fish farming” Liu says.

Another major problem is the lack of funds to develop more fish farming areas. China’s economy is expanding at breakneck speed, and this requires massive capital infusions for heavy industry and infrastructure. There is only

so much government money to go around, and the agricultural sector often has to wait its turn. The fact is that farming, in all its guises, yields lower profits than industrial, commercial and other economic activities. Public and private investors do not promise enough financial returns.

Bank funds One solution is for the state to establish an Agricultural Development Bank, a policy-oriented bank responsible for channelling funds into agriculture. Other sources of capital are also being explored, including fund-raising by the farmers themselves and overseas loans. For example, the ministry has been negotiating with the World Bank for a loan to fund mariculture development in south China, and negotiations will soon be completed, according to Liu. He also mentions two other negotiations currently in progress. One is with the Japanese government, for a loan of US$50 million to develop fish farming, along the Yellow River. The other is a US$90 million loan from the Asian Development Bank, to fund mariculture in north China. “I am confident that we will solve these problems,” Liu asserts. “We envisage development of China’s fish farming industry in the next few years.”. FF

Trout recovers from a bad start Report by CHAO YIMIN, managing director Qinghai Trout Company

TROUT culture in China has developed since the species was introduced in 1959, in the form of a gift of friendship from the North Korean government.

The fish were originally from Japanese stocks brought in at the end of the Second World War. Since these tasted so different and provided quality as good as, or better than, traditional Chinese carp, besides being less bony, the Chinese Central Authority of Fishers undertook to expand production.

Within a few years, reproduction techniques were established, using the imported Korean trout, and it became possible to harvest a few tonnes of trout from earth ponds each year.

Unfortunately, the start of the Cultural Revolution in China in the mid1960s, saw the termination of trout culture, as it was perceived as a “Western” food and therefore against Chinese policy. At a time when trout culture was advancing in other countries, it was blocked in China.

It was 20 years before China again opened its doors to the rest of the world ,and the country’s fish culturists discovered how far advanced other countries have become in trout aquaculture.

At that time, therefore, in addition to the native carp, trout and species such as tilapia were introduced again.

Some farmers tried to rear trout in the same way as they produced carp, with little success, while others worked in conjunction with the Japanese, employing their hatchery and raceway techniques, and importing Japanese eggs. Initially, some farms worked well and were quite profitable, as people were prepared to pay a premium for trout. However, problems followed when the disease IPN came in from Japan, destroying most of the small hatcheries.

A further problem was created by the small size of the farms, which meant they could only supply locally, having no facilities for long distance transport to other markets. They also suffered from a lack of processing knowledge. Trout that were frozen like carp lost value, and customers would not buy them.

Most farms at this time were situated in Hilongjiang province, in north-eastern China, which was one of the few regions with the cold water resources suitable for growing trout. In 1988, the UN began surveying north-western China to find further areas for fish culture, and discovered that Qinghai province had plentiful supplies of water at an average year-round temperature of 9-10oC. At the end of 1989, a fisheries development project was initiated, with US$1.5 million from the United Nations Development Programme, and a further million from local government. Operated by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), it (CPR/99/088) was supported by the latest technology and supervision by international consultants.

The project’s hatchery, circular tanks, raceways and cage site proved a success for trout farming, and as a result the Qinghai Trout company was set up. The first eggs were imported in 1991 from Denmark, and since then, they

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achieved an annual production of 150 tons of market-sized fish. Qinghai Trout Company is the largest trout producer in China, employing 21 people.

Meanwhile, the new trout farming technology has spread to 12 other provinces in China and with the exchange of ideas, trout farming is expanding fast at present and appears to have good prospects on the huge Chinese market.

About 400 tonnes of trout are being produced in Gansu province, near Qinghai, from about 25 small family farms, followed by Qinghai itself producing 200 tonnes form one farm. A few sizeable farms in Hilongijang province produce about 100 tonnes between them Shanxi and Shangdong provinces together produce about 150 tonnes a year, the remainder coming from other parts of China.

Currently, about 50 trout farms exist, most still being small, family-run units that supply the local market or restaurants. Generally, they use spring-fed raceways. About 250 people are employed on the farms and in related industries.

The main problems today are: that the long distances between the farms and main cities and overseas markets mean products have to processed; proper processing methods are needed from abroad, whereby fish can be killed, gutted, packed and kept fresh on ice, and low-pollution feeds are needed to protect the environment. Finally, marketing is the biggest challenge for the immediate future. We know very little about this task.

Chinese producers need to work together to overcome these problems, no sections being big enough on their own.

It will take a long time to reach the target and many mistakes will be made, some of which could kill this new industry.

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06/09/2018 15:08:36

Processing and Retail News

Factory offers hope to Pinneys staff

Olympia revamp to include fish

Cavaghan and Gray, the seafood business owned by the 2 Sisters group, is creating at least 200 jobs at its Carlisle factory – with some of those vacancies likely to be offered to Pinneys workers in Annan.

THE £7 million investment follows an announcement that the company has won a major contract to produce a new range of ready meals for Marks and Spencer.

Part of the new Above: Dxxxxxxx work is thought to have come from the Young’s Pinneys site, which has now all but ceased fish production, with closure expected Above: MP John Stevenson at the Carlisle plant by the end of October, two months earlier than previously of fish contracts pass- fish for M&S. That work announced. ing from one company has gone to Young’s in But Annan and to another over the Carlisle are only a few Grimsby. past few months. miles apart and are Cavaghan and Gray In April, 2 Sisters linked by good road said it is investing announced the closure around £7 million at connections. of its Five Star Fish The development is its Carlisle site, which the latest in a remark- factory in Grimsby, includes a number of which produced coated M&S fish ranges and able merry-go-round

some of the retailer’s Gastropub meals.

One local MP has suggested that some of the 450 Pinneys staff who have just lost their jobs may go to work in Carlisle.

John Stevenson, Carlisle’s Conservative MP, described the investment as ‘fantastic news for the area’.

‘This obviously creates opportunity for people in Carlisle, but also has a wider context. We saw Scottish factory Pinneys close down so we could see workers come here.’

William Duncanson, the factory’s site director, told the local BBC news: ‘This is a huge commitment -

Strong business a partnership that “hasIt’sgone from strength to strength ”

we are investing £7 million in a five-year agreement with Marks and Spencer.

‘But obviously we still have a very strong core base business with Marks and Spencer going back 50 years.

‘We produced some of their very first prepared meal dishes and that is a partnership that’s gone from strength to strength.’

Three-way bid for Young’s Seafood THREE businesses are bidding to buy Young’s Seafood, including one of its former owners, reports have suggested.

The Sunday Telegraph reported last month that the £200 million sale of Britain’s largest frozen and chilled seafood company was nearing completion.

The current private equity owners, led by Lion Capital, announced in April that they were putting Young’s up for sale.

Now it emerges that CapVest, another private equity business, which bought Young’s in a £137 million deal in 2002 and sold it off six years later, may want to be reunited with its former partner. CapVest also bought Findus before Lion Capital offloaded it to Nomad Foods for £500 million three and a half years ago.

Another bidder is the giant Japanese Mitsubishi Corporation, which has a separate food division, and owns the Norwegian salmon farmer Cermaq.

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The third contender named in reports is UK Fisheries, an organisation of interests in England and Scotland which owns white fish quotas around the country.

The sale of Young’s is expected to be completed by late this month or early October. Since the sale was first announced, the Grimsby based company has been carrying out a

major restructuring of its manufacturing operations, including the closure of its salmon site, Pinneys of Annan, moving salmon production to Grimsby.

Young’s, which employs almost 2,000 people, then spent £1.5 million buying a 13-acre site in Grimsby, which has been earmarked for future expansion.

A SEAFOOD specialist called Claw is to be a major occupant of a large rooftop bar and street food hub at Olympia in London, which is undergoing a £700 million overhaul.

The 500-capacity centre, Pergola Olympia, is the latest from the Incipio Group, which is behind other Pergola sites as well as Feast Bar and Kitchen, Feast Canteen and the Prince in West Brompton.

Claw, as the name implies, deals largely in shellfish and it will be competing alongside burgers, pizzas and bakery products. There are also plans for two hotels, a theatre and a cinema on the site.

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06/09/2018 15:07:08

Processing and Retail News

TWELVE semi-finalists for the 2018 Seafood Restaurant of the Year competition have been announced.

Featuring those restaurants in the UK deemed to be serving excellent fish and shellfish dishes, they will now compete to win the ultimate title of Seafood Restaurant of the Year.

Launched in 2015 and run by Seafish and The Caterer, the contest was created to find restaurants that not only produce exceptional fish and shellfish dishes, but are able to demonstrate their commitment to responsible sourcing and customer service.

Following initial judging, the top 12 shortlisted restau-

rants in the 2018 competition are: Fish City, Belfast; Kaspar’s Seafood Bar and Grill, London; Lussmanns Restaurant, St Albans, Hertfordshire; Mourne Seafood Bar, Belfast; Purslane, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; Pysgoty, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion; Riddle and Finns, Brighton, East Sussex; The Idle Rocks, St. Mawes, Cornwall; The Kilted Lobster, Edinburgh; The Little Fish Market, Hove, East Sussex; The Saltwater Fish Company, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear; and Wright Brothers, Borough Market, London.

Over the coming weeks, all the restaurants will be visited by a Seafish mystery diner who will rate

their performance, focusing on customer service, quality of menu and flavour of dishes.

The scores from this judging stage will contribute to determining the final five restaurants in the competition.

Last year’s winner, Raz Helalat, owner of The Salt Room in Brighton, said: ‘We wouldn’t have won this award if it wasn’t for all the hard work of the team. Winning was truly a group effort which topped off a fantastic year for The Salt Room.’

This year’s judging panel includes Dave Mothersill, head chef of The Salt Room; Calum Richardson, owner of The Bay Fish and Chips in Aberdeenshire; Giovanna

Photo: The Caterer

Restaurant semi-finalists unveiled

Above: Last year’s winner Raz Helalat (right), owner of the Salt Room, and group head chef Dave Mothersill

Grossi, AA advisor and consultant; José Souto, chef-lecturer at Westminster College, London; hospitality industry consultant, Amanda Afiya; and Paul Hurren, managing director of Lusso Catering.

The winners of the competition will be taken on an all-expenses paid study trip

to Brixham in Devon, to further hone their knowledge of catching and processing seafood.

Andy Gray, trade marketing manager for Seafish, said: ‘The Seafood Restaurant of the Year Competition provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase the wide range of restaurants, pubs

and cafés that are excelling in providing customers with some of the world’s freshest and tastiest seafood as part of a top quality dining experiences.’

Details of the finalists will be announced at the end of September, with the eventual winner awarded in October.

New snack is very ‘salmonish’ Marel boosted by favourable markets THE UK’s first salmon jerky, which is made with Scottish farmed Atlantic salmon, has been created by Meatsnacks.

With factories in Forres and Grantown on Spey, the company is the UK’s largest manufacturer for jerky and biltong in Europe.

Working with such a delicate product like salmon presented a few challenges, said the directors of Meatsnacks, but thanks to the help of the innovation team from Highland and Islands Enterprise, their vision for a new snack was made possible.

Fish Farmer’s Scott Binnie conducted a taste test in the Edinburgh office.

‘At Fish Farmer magazine we’re always keen to see salmon utilised in a new and novel way,’ said Binnie.

‘The Wild West Salmon Jerky certainly hits the spot.

‘Tasty, but less intense than the beef variety, the salmon takes on the marinade and the flavour of either chilli or sea salt and black pepper.

‘A fresh and unusual snack that’s very moreish and very salmonish.’

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MAREL, the international fish and food equipment processing company, has announced strong growth in both new orders and revenues during the second quarter of this year.

The Iceland based business said it has enjoyed extremely favourable market conditions and, as a result, the order book increased to 291 million euros, compared to 272.7 million euros this time last year.

Above: Arni Oddur Thordarson Revenues rose from 244 quarter. million euros to 296.7 ‘In the first six months million euros. The EBIT of the year, revenues and (earnings before interest EBIT were up 18 per cent and tax) was also up from compared with the same 35.9 million euros to 43.2 period last year. million euros.

‘It requires the passion CEO Arni Oddur Thordarand dedication of our 5,500 son said: ‘We continue on employees, as well as a good note with record great partnership with our revenues and a stable customers and suppliers, profit margin in the second

to deliver double digit organic growth as we anticipate this year.

‘The order book is strong and cash flow remains robust, enabling us to continue to invest in the platform to support further growth and value creation.’

He added: ‘We are pleased to announce that Marel has reached an agreement to acquire MAJA, a German food processing equipment manufacturer focused on skinning, portioning and ice machines.

‘Having worked with them through Sulmaq in Brazil in recent years, we know them to be a highly innovative and well managed business with around 200 employees and annual revenues of roughly 30 million euros.’

He said it was hoped that the deal would be finalised later this year.

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06/09/2018 11:58:32

Opinion – Inside track

Positive outlook

BY NICK JOY

O

N the day after the referendum on Brexit, I wrote a piece entitled ‘Here there be dragons’. It was intended to focus people’s minds on the fact that this is nothing to be terrified of.

How I wish the intervening period had been full of thoughtful discussion, but it has not.

The Remain camp has concentrated on the ‘lies’ told by the Brexit camp, and Project Fear, which apparently wasn’t lies, continues.

As I declared then and reiterate now, I am for Brexit. There are so many reasons for leaving this rich country club but I will avoid turning this into a soapbox for my views.

For those who hope for a second referendum, please explain to me how we should respect that one if we don’t respect the first. How can we believe that there is any point to it if, as we have been told repeatedly, referendums are a bad way to manage a country?

So it seems that we are heading towards Brexit and perhaps even a ‘no deal’ Brexit.

Maybe it is time to start looking at opportunities and lining up our targets for Brexit, instead of allowing fear of the unknown to paralyse us.

Where there is risk there is opportunity.

My experience of the EU from the outside, in South Africa and Mozambique, were salutary lessons.

At that time, and I am sure still, Scottish salmon had a tariff of 25 per cent going into South Africa. The Norwegians, apparently so much worse off outside the EU, had negotiated a reducing tariff falling to zero per cent within a year of that point.

On approaching the SSPO to see if this could be changed or even lobbied for, the response was deeply depressing. It was unlikely to happen at all and if it did, it would take years. This proved to be the case and we swiftly lost our customer to a Norwegian.

Mozambique was very different as we were producing fish there. We discovered quickly that despite Mozambique being one of the poorest countries in the world, it was almost impossible to export to the EU. The complexity of regulation and the slowness of change meant that the first hurdle was to get the fish, which we were growing, registered as a species.You can imagine how fast we gave up when told that this was unlikely to take less than a year.

If Brexit is going to happen, maybe we should heed these examples. We already know we will have to form trading relationships with countries as a separate entity. The question is, what is the priority?

Scottish salmon is still exported mostly to the EU and US and these will be top of the list for trade agreements anyway. So who comes next and what sectors can we ally with to apply the maximum pressure?

Agriculture has a strong lobby as does the fishing industry. Have cross industry working groups been set up yet? And if not, why?

As for poor Mozambique, good enough to give aid to but not good enough to import from, what can we do?

I would suggest that the UK needs to become much more open to products from the poorer nations of the world and help them to export their products to us.

Of course, we will have to ensure that the product quality matches the most stringent standards.

But rather than giving aid with one hand and refusing imports with the other, we should spend the aid trying to help nations develop aq-

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Nick Joy.indd 82

Now is the “time for us

all to start targeting what we want from Brexit

”

uaculture for their own and our markets. This would be a wonderful way to help countries to develop but also for us to use our expertise.

We are now faced with a blank sheet of paper (just as I was when I started writing this).

We can either decide we cannot cope and that there will be a disaster (often the way I feel!).

Or we can look at all the positive outcomes that could come from this. As I said back then, I doubt that Westminster will be any more of a friend to rural industry than the EU was, but we have to go on and we have to fight our corner.

Now is the time for us all to start targeting what we want from Brexit and ensuring that we exert as much pressure as we can to get it.

In the days when ‘Here there be dragons’ was put on maps to describe unknown areas, people still travelled into them and discovered they had little to fear.

Now is the time to push ahead, forge partnerships, find new markets, develop new ideas and compete on the world stage with the world class products we have. FF

www.fishfarmer-magazine.com

06/09/2018 15:04:30

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