Clifford Spencer Aaquaculture without Frontiers – UK unique There are several national Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) organisations, so you may be pondering what makes this one special. In this column I’m going to discuss what AwF UK’s USP’s are and what really is going to make it stand out from the crowd. The UK organisation will carry out all of the original aims and objectives of the founding versions plus a few more. We will promote responsible aquaculture and techniques, pay special attention to alleviating poverty, provide technical and managerial expertise of our profession from students to retirees. We will demonstrate simple techniques for facility construction, resource use, farm operation and management, and for product consumption and sale, not to mention training others. We will also cooperate with existing NGO’s, work at both the grass roots and industry level, seek integration of aquaculture with other income and food generating activities, go for long-term, well designed, operated and monitored projects that are assessed for efficiency and be transparent and accountable. We have close ties with the African continent and plan to be heavily involved in developing and encouraging the varying forms of aquaculture there. Indeed our next activity is to work with the World Aquaculture Society in its inaugural conference in Cape Town in June this year. An initial meeting has already taken place in South Africa with the event organisers and a further meeting will take place this month in Texas at Aquaculture America in particular, to work with those setting up an African chapter of the World Aquaculture Society. We are also hosting an event there and providing speakers to promote Aquaculture America, as well as speakers aiming to promote African aquaculture, one of who will be representative of the African Union. The UK based AwF is the co-owner of the budding National Aquaculture Centre based at the Humber Seafood Institute at Grimsby’s Europarc, located in a region of the UK where over three quarters of the nationally consumed fish is processed. Hull University is an academic partner of the National Aquaculture Centre, which will through this association receive the benefit of the involvement of the Institute of Estuarine and Coastal Studies as well as the Hull International Fisheries Institute. In all of this, AwF will be able to guide and direct the National Aquaculture Centre’s activities to the benefit of the whole value chain of the UK aquaculture industry as well as being involved in global outreach on a project-by-project basis. What type of programmes will AwF UK CIO offer and to whom? Features of the charities work will be designed on the basis that fish production and consumption provides opportunities for employment, and increased family income. Remarkable levels of women participation has been achieved in aquaculture in developing countries and the skills in resource management are strongly developed by supporting fish farming. Indeed even
illiterate people are able to practice aquaculture, including operating hatcheries. For instance the number of ponds is increased in simple and basic aquaculture that comes with the charities promotion of an increased awareness on environmental and health matters. As living standards are gradually changed through the charities activities, social dignity is enhanced through involvement of the local population. From these objectives, a natural leaning to the developing world for our activities is obvious. Feed is a major issue for fish producers with feed companies making a lot of money, sometimes not having a clue of the nutritional needs of the species. They are in effect selling a black box and everyone has to buy it! Feed production is not sufficiently specialised and it is a major issue. In reality, fish farmers will also need to develop their own feeds and again the NAC connection can help AwF in directing effort and results to vulnerable farmers and their families.
My objectives and long-term goals as Chairman
We are keen to educate people on the value of seafood, which is something that seems to be getting lost particularly in the developing world. Indeed the key message from the UK’s National Health Service is that ‘A healthy diet should include at least two portions of fish a week, including one of oily fish.’ In its document on fish and shellfish it suggests that a portion is 140grammes. (I.e. 280grammes per week) and this information is provided on the NHS website*. Older people in the UK eat the more seafood on average, the country has an ageing population profile where by 2035 the UK population is forecast to be 71 million with people aged 75 and over growing from 7.9 percent in 2012 to 13 percent in 2037. Increased aquaculture production contributes to securing future nutritious food supply at the same time supporting local economies and delivering a carbon-efficient outcome. So the farming of fish needs to become the norm in the West to ensure that the current imports from developing countries become a thing of the past. In any case, the expanding middle classes will ensure there is a strong demand to pull ratio and keep these supplies in those countries whilst increasing the cost to importers of these current supplies. Further reading: * http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/fishshellfish.aspx.
Currently Mr Spencer leads the Global Biotechnology Transfer Foundation (GBTF), which is dedicated to promoting the potential for biotechnology to support sustainable, long-term, socio-economic development. He is also Chairman of Trustees for Aquaculture without Frontiers UK.
10 | March 2017 - International Aquafeed