Eurofish magazine 6 2013
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Transcript of Eurofish magazine 6 2013
is a member of the FISH INFO network
Armenia: Explosive growth in fi sh exports
Trade and Markets: Seafood imports are the backbone of the European market
www.euro� shmagazine.com ISSN 1868-5943 December 6 / 2013 C 44346
Sustainability – a wind of opportunity for Polish FLAGs
PolandE
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urofish Magazine
is a member of the FISH INFO network
European Seafood Exposition: Has a new name from 2014
Technology: Cooking machinery for the processing industry
ISSN 1868-5943 June 3 / 2013 C 44346
Aquaculture: Which new species today show the most potential?
Investments in trout farming sharply boost production
Romania
EU
RO
FISH
International Organisation
June 3 / 2013 E
uro�sh Magazine
29/05/13 6:53 PM
The fisheries and aquaculture sectorin Europe,brought to you by EurofishMagazine.
Eurofish International OrganisationH.C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46
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Tel.: +45 333 777 55Fax: +45 333 777 56
www.eurofishmagazine.com
is a member of the FISH INFO network
Armenia: Explosive growth in fi sh exports
Trade and Markets: Seafood imports are the backbone of the European market
ISSN 1868-5943 December 6 / 2013 C 44346
Sustainability – a wind of opportunity for Polish FLAGs
Poland
EU
RO
FISH
International Organisation
Decem
ber 6 / 2013
Euro�sh M
agazine
s ture
you
Tel.: +45 333 777 55Fax: +45 333 777 56
.comAquaculture: Fish tanks come in different shapes, sizes, and materials
22/11/13 4:27 PM
Aquaculture: Fish tanks come in different shapes, sizes, and materials
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Eurofish Member Countries at the European Seafood Exposition
Interview with Anne Christine Brusendorff, ICES General Secretary
www.eurofishmagazine.comwww.eurofishmagazine.com ISSN 1868-5943 C 44346
EcoFishMan
Ecofishman discusses draft of new fisheries management system
Processors grumble at high raw Processors grumble at high raw material pricesmaterial prices
LatviaLatvia
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www.eurofishmagazine.com Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 3
In this issue
Poland: is the EU member country with the largest share of the EU’s total Axis 4 budget at approximately 40.
In absolute terms this amounts to EUR235m and shows the importance of fisheries both marine and inland,
as well as aquaculture, for communities across the country. These funds are managed by Fisheries Local
Action Groups (FLAGs), partnerships between fisheries actors and other local private and public stake-
holders in a region. Eurofish Magazine had a chance to visit two of the 48 FLAGs that Poland hosts to get an
idea of the issues and the opportunities that these bodies provide the community. Read more from page 20
Armenia: Trout farming in Armenia has grown explosively over the last two decades. The availability of
high quality water at the right temperature and in sufficient quantities has provided the foundation for
an aquaculture industry that produces trout and sturgeon among other species. The fish is mainly con-
sumed locally though about a fifth of the production is exported to Russia and other countries in Eastern
Europe. The ministry of agriculture has outlined a development strategy for the sector which aims at
almost tripling production to 25,000 tonnes by 2015. Read more from page 44
Serbia: Landlocked Serbia has a freshwater aquaculture sector, which, though small in terms of the national
economy, has shown several positive trends over the last decade. These include an increase in the number
and efficiency of farms, improvements in product quality, and marked growth in the production of carp. In
addition, the consumption of fish has been rising. Fish farming is dominated by the extensive cultivation of
carp in ponds and the intensive cultivation of trout in raceways or cage systems. Among the reasons for the
increase in production is better farm management following the privatisation of farms as well as the intro-
duction of extruded feeds. Collaboration between research institutes, feed producers and fish farmers has
resulted in feeds that have improved the nutritional quality of fish meat with more omega-3 fatty acids and
improved omega-3 to omega-6 ratios. Read more on the Serbian aquaculture sector from page 48
Aquaculture: Tanks or other containers, are one of the fundamental pieces of equipment in almost all
aquaculture facilities. They perform a variety of functions – to hold the fish in hatcheries, or at the grow-
out stage, as receptacles for live feed, and as temporary storage or transport facilities. To fulfil this array
of functions tanks and basins come in a variety of shapes, sizes, materials, and of course, costs. Fac-
tors that influence tank design include climatic conditions, environmental regulations, and production
requirements. Broadly, tanks can be divided into flow-through systems like raceways, and round tanks,
which differ from each other in their design and in their effective water exchange rates, which refers to
how rapidly the water in a tank is refreshed. As aquaculture becomes more widespread the simple tank
is evolving into something increasingly sophisticated. Read more on page 52
Algae: Interest in the production of macro and microalgae is growing as ever more uses are being
found for them. Algae as food have long been appreciated in parts of East Asia as they provide valuable
minerals, trace elements, and also omega-3 fatty acids. Algae are also the source of useful ingredients
that have applications in the food and nutraceutical industries. Since they are relatively easy to cultivate
experiments are being carried out to see if algae can be effectively used to compensate for nutrients that
are released by fish farms and whether they can be used as an ingredient in fish feed. Another potential
use of algae that is attracting global attention is as bio fuel. Read Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on these
versatile protists from page 56
Polish FLAGS see opportunities in sustainability
02_In_This_Issue.indd 1 04/12/13 6:10 PM
4 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013
Table of News 6 International News
Events 16 Seafood Barcelona, 22-24 October 2013
Quality bacalao combines Icelandic raw material with a Spanish chef!
17 Fish international 2014 spotlights fi sh farming
American experts bring aquaculture workshop to Europe
18 CONXEMAR-FAO Whitefi sh Congress, 30 September, Vigo
Unique opportunity to explore market trends
Poland 20 Innovation and knowledge will play a greater role in the Polish
aquaculture sector
Environmental benefi ts of fi sh farming need to be promoted
26 Polish inland fi sheries
Economic importance to rural areas
30 The Dgał Experimental Stocking Centre grows fi sh for
research, restocking, and revenue
A focus on sturgeon and other high-value species
32 Bogaczewo – Lake fi sheries and more
Diversifi cation at its best
34 FLAGs of opportunity
Helping communities become sustainable
37 First-sales centre
Advantages for fi shers, buyers, and authorities
38 Polish Fish Industry Congress, 16–18 October 2013, Bolszewo
Fish marketing should focus on greater value addition
40 BMC - What you see is what you get!
Graduating from trading to processing
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Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 5
Contents 42 Fishing, processing, port management, and shipbuilding
Szkuner is the heart of Władysławowo
Armenia 44 Fish farming in Armenia is fl ourishing
High quality contributes to explosive growth in fi sh exports
Serbia 48 Serbia watches its aquaculture industry grow
Carp is still king
Aquaculture 52 Fish-farming tanks: form and function
Fixed solutions or modular concepts?
Aquatic Plants 56 Algae production in aquaculture
Valuable foods and versatile industrial raw materials
Trade and Markets 59 The EU depends on imports to satisfy its demand for fi sh
Imports support EU fi sh and seafood processing
Guest Pages: Jacob Færgemand 63 The explosion of certifi cation and labelling programmes
Moving slowly towards consensus
Service 62 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers
Worldwide Fish News
Brussels page 6
Canada page 13
China pages 8, 15
Denmark pages 8, 12, 15
Estonia page 6
EU page 10
France page 14
Greece page 7
Italy pages 11, 13
Lithuania pages 6, 15
Norway pages 12, 14
Russia page 10
Spain pages 13, 14
US page 8
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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]
Estonia: Baltic sturgeon resettlement project launchedTh e fi rst individuals of the criti-
cally endangered sturgeon spe-
cies Acipenser sturio were recently
introduced into Estonian waters.
Th e Ministry of the Environment
said the hope is that the new pro-
gramme will revive the species,
commonly known as the European
sea sturgeon among other names,
in the eastern corner of the Baltic,
where it was once native. Cur-
rent conditions are optimum for
a revival, the ministry said. Scien-
tists say water quality in the lower
Narva River is now acceptable.
Similar eff orts have been launched
in Germany and Poland and indi-
cations are that success is possible.
Four hundred fi ngerlings – one-
year-old specimens raised in Can-
ada – are being introduced into the
stretch of river below the fall line.
One hundred of them are marked.
Th e project cost is EUR 24,000. Th e
last sturgeon was caught in Esto-
nian waters in 1996, when a 290 cm,
136 kg fi sh became entangled in
a Baltic herring dragnet off the
island of Muhu – technically illegal,
because the fi sh was not released.
Th e preserved fi sh is on display at
the Natural History Museum.
Lithuania: Training course in recirculation technologies for aquaculture specialists A training course in recirculat-
ing aquaculture systems (RAS) for
breeding and farming commer-
cially valuable species, including
sturgeon, pike, perch, eel, and
rainbow trout, was held by the
Vilkauda Fisheries Local Action
Group (FLAG) on 18–19 September
2013. Th e course was held in the
conference centre in Backoniu vil-
lage, Kaišiadoriu district. Th is intro-
duction to RAS technologies was
meant to increase the awareness of
the course participants about the
possibilities off ered by these sys-
tems. Th e courses were attended by
35 participants from 20 Lithuanian
aquaculture farms.
Information about the latest devel-
opments in closed and semi-closed
recirculating aquaculture systems
was presented by Julian de Bondt
from the Dutch company Hesy;
Professors M. Szczepkowski and
Z. Zakes, from the Inland Fishery
Institute (Olsztyn, Poland); and
Mr M. Juchniewicz, owner of a
Polish trout farm that employs
state-of-the-art RAS technology.
Mr J. Kondratien.e from the Lithu-
anian Food and Veterinary Service
introduced participants to the most
recent EU requirements for the
production, marketing and sale of
farmed fi sh and seafood. Th e pres-
entations were well received by the
participants.
On the second day participants
visited two fi sh farms, where RAS
technologies are in use. Th e fi rst
farm, Leteka UAB, located near
the town of Palanga, was com-
pleted in spring 2013. Th e farm
was designed by the fi rm Hesy and
has a total capacity of 80 tonnes
of commercial eel. Currently,
the farm rears glass-eels, and
Mr S. Jankauskas, one of the
Participants at a training course on recirculation aquaculture systems
organised by the Vilkauda FLAG in Lithuania.
co-owners, reported that the
results were better than expected.
Th e next visit was to the town of
Taurag.e, where the farm Tauru
žuvys UAB employs RAS technol-
ogy to raise rainbow trout. Th e farm
was designed and built three years
ago by the owner Mr J. Daugveckas,
who has implemented many origi-
nal ideas that the course partici-
pants examined in great detail.
In summarising the two-day project
Vytautas Andriuškevicius, Director
of the National Association of Aqua-
culture and Fish Products Produc-
ers, underlined the value of such
programmes for the future develop-
ment of aquaculture in Lithuania.
He also emphasised the vital role
played by the European Fisheries
Fund and its fi nancial assistance to
the Lithuanian FLAGs.
Brussels: FEAP sees major role for EU in development of European aquaculture
Th e Federation of European Aqua-
culture has re-elected Arnault
Chaperon to serve as President
of FEAP for another three-year
term. Mr Chaperon was re-elected
unanimously by the 35 repre-
sentatives of the diff erent national
member associations at a meet-
ing on 5 November. At the same
event Yvette White, who represents
French aquaculture producers, was
honoured with the 2013 FEAP Award
of Excellence. Ms White’s career
started in the private fi sh farming
sector in the UK and then France,
where she worked for the Stolt Sea
Farm Group. She later held leading
positions in French aquaculture
associations and was awarded the
Légion d’Honneur, France’s most
prestigious civilian honour.
Th e next day, 6 November, FEAP
held the second edition of its
annual aquaculture event Aqua-
culture in Motion, where the
EU’s “Strategic guidelines for
the sustainable development
of European aquaculture” were
discussed. FEAP representatives
presented their ideas on how
European aquaculture should
develop saying that while national
plans were the responsibility of
each Member State all the players
– national, European, producers,
researchers, and NGOs – had a
role to fulfi l. According to FEAP,
Europe should remain respon-
sible for assuring a level playing
fi eld, clear and accurate infor-
mation for the consumers, com-
munication and promotion of EU
aquaculture products, the promo-
tion of producer and inter-branch
organisations and improving
research and development for the
industry.
6 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
04_News_INT.indd 1 05/12/13 12:55 PM
[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]
Greece: No longer leading seabass and bream supplier
According to the Financial Times,
Greece has lost its crown as the
world’s largest producer of seabass
and bream to Turkey. Greece’s
seabass and bream industry, one
of its most important agricultural
exports, is the victim of tight-
ened bank fi nancing and lower
demand by Mediterranean con-
sumers, the leading European
buyers of white fi sh. According
to the Hellenic Foreign Trade
Board, fi sh, mainly farmed sea-
bass and bream, is Greece’s sec-
ond largest agricultural export
after fruits and nuts, surpass-
ing olive oil and cheese. Until
last year, Greece led the EUR
1.5 billion industry in Europe,
but according to the UN Food
and Agricultural Organisation
(FAO), the country’s production
of seabass and bream is pro-
jected to fall 7 to 94,000 tonnes
in 2013. Turkey is likely to see
its output rise more than 12 to
108,000 tonnes.
A sharp rise in overall seabass and
bream supplies has weighed on
prices at a time when feed costs
are rising, squeezing margins
sharply. Many of the highly lever-
aged Greek producers have been
hit, with companies “suff ering
from tight credit and rising costs
on feed, putting many fi rms in the
red,” said the FAO, quoted in the
Financial Times. Many farms in
need of cash have been forced to
harvest their cages and sell small
fi sh, which has had a negative
impact on overall tonnages pro-
duced.
Turkish output of seabass and seabream is likely to rise more than
12% to 108,000 tonnes in 2013 displacing Greece as the world’s largest
producer of seabass and seabream, according to the FAO.
Th e Turkish industry has been
supported by a growing economy
and government aquaculture
subsidies. An industry-wide mar-
keting eff ort to promote seafood
to new markets has helped Turk-
ish companies in the sector to
diversify their export destinations
to include northern Europe, Rus-
sia, and the Middle East. Turkish
companies have also developed
fi lleted fi sh products for export
markets, which are easier to sell
in supermarkets in countries that
have not been big seabass and
bream consumers.
Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 7www.eurofi shmagazine.com
04_News_INT.indd 2 05/12/13 12:56 PM
[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]
Denmark: Salmon ShowHow 2014 moves to CopenhagenMarel’s Salmon ShowHow, an
event dedicated to the global
salmon processing industry, has
moved to a purpose-built loca-
tion named Progress Point just
fi ve minutes from Copenhagen’s
airport. Th e company has held
this event since 2001 at its Nør-
resundby site in Jutland and the
move to Copenhagen is likely to
benefi t the many international
customers who will be attending.
Marel sells to salmon processors
the world over and the Salmon
ShowHow will demonstrate the
latest equipment, integrated
systems as well as stand-alone
machines, in the new facility.
Progress Point boasts 2,900 sq.
m of demonstration halls, meet-
ing rooms, a large auditorium,
as well as dining and entertain-
ing areas. Attendees will not only
benefi t from the live demonstra-
tions of the equipment through-
out the day, but will also be able
to discuss the latest trends within
the industry with their peers, and
hear experts address some of the
key issues facing the sector today.
Th e Salmon ShowHow is on 5 Feb-
ruary 2014. For more information
about the event, visit www.marel.
com/salmonshowhow or write to
China: Focus on premium products drives success of seafood showChina’s economy although no
longer growing in double digits
is still expanding at a respectable
7-8 percent a year. Th is growth
is boosting disposable incomes
and swelling the size of the Chi-
nese middle class. Among the
signs of greater prosperity is the
tendency to spend more on sea-
food, as well as the increased
frequency of eating outside the
home. A survey by the Hong
Kong Trade Development Coun-
cil (HKTDC) reports that 67 of
the respondents said they liked
going out and spending more
now refl ecting higher incomes
and increasing urbanisation.
According to Zhang Yumei, a
fi sheries specialist at the Agri-
culture Information Institute at
China’s Academy of Agricultural
Sciences, China consumed 3 mil-
lion metric tonnes of seafood in
2011 outside of the home, signifi -
cantly higher than 1.15 million
mt in 2000. Th e Asian Seafood
Exposition, an event organised
by Diversifi ed Business Commu-
nications, capitalised on these
trends with an increased focus
on premium products includ-
ing salmon, crab and lobster,
abalone, sea urchin, sea cucum-
ber, and oysters. Research by
the HKTDC reveals increased
interest in imported products in
the face of persistent concerns
about domestically produced
food items. Of the 7,500 attend-
ees from 75 countries many
were volume seafood buyers,
representing the retail, whole-
sale and food service sectors,
Seafood buyers and suppliers from around the world come to do
business in the Hong Kong and Asia Pacifi c markets.
who were particularly interested
in products for the upper end of
the market, says Ms. Mary Lar-
kin, Vice President of Seafood
Expositions. A dynamic Chinese
economy is feeding a general
sense of optimism among exhib-
itors that has resulted in 80 of
the fl oor space already being
renewed for the 2014 edition of
the event, when it will be rechris-
tened Seafood Expo Asia.
US: Victory for Alaskan salmon fi shing industryAfter ending its partnership last
year with the Marine Steward-
ship Council (MSC), the seafood
world’s most prominent sustaina-
bility certifi cation group, in favour
of its own labelling eff orts, the
Alaskan salmon industry appear
to have won the fi ght, recently
saying that it was standing fi rm
in its decision to drop the outside
certifi cation group. In an eff ort to
save money and reduce what they
considered to be outside interfer-
ence in a thriving business, the
Alaska Seafood Marketing Insti-
tute created its own label in 2012,
in collaboration with an Irish
group, Global Trust, reasoning
that the state’s reputation for sus-
tainable fi shing was good enough
for most environmentally con-
scious consumers.
According to the New York Times,
the move to drop outside certifi ca-
tion quickly drew a reaction from
customers, as WalMart, Sodexo, a
giant food services company that
supplies the military, and others
said they would no longer buy
Alaskan salmon without the inde-
pendent check. Portraying itself
as a victim of Walmart’s “anti-
American purchasing policy” and
“foreign” interference in the fi sh-
ery, Alaska defended its USD 6.4
billion seafood industry. After a
Senate hearing during which the
companies that were threatening
to stop buying Alaskan salmon
were questioned, the companies
appear to have backed down.
In October, the salmon industry
essentially declared victory, say-
ing it would move forward with
its own labelling eff orts. By dis-
missing the Marine Stewardship
Council, the Alaskan industry
says it will save money. In addi-
tion to the cost of certifi cation
and the chain of custody audits
that are done by third-party con-
tractors, the MSC charges from
ca. 0.3 to 0.5 of the wholesale
value of the catch for the right to
use its logo, a substantial sum.
8 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
04_News_INT.indd 3 05/12/13 12:56 PM
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04_News_INT.indd 4 05/12/13 12:56 PM
[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]
EU: European Parliament votes against fi shing fl eet renewalDuring discussions on the Euro-
pean Maritime and Fisheries
Fund (EMFF) held in October,
the European Parliament voted
against the reintroduction of
subsidies for building new fish-
ing vessels. The proposed EMFF
will be worth more than EUR
6.5 billion, between 2014 and
2020. Members agreed draft
rules for the allocation of the
EMFF, which should help fish-
ermen comply with require-
ments of the new Common
Fisheries Policy (CFP). To help
fishermen comply with
the discard ban, the EMFF will
fund fishing gear and equipment
that offer more selectivity to
deal with unwanted catches.
Parliament also voted to double
investment in data collection.
Making more information avail-
able will lead to better under-
standing and management of
fi sh stocks and help fi shery
authorities fi ght illegal fi shing.
Th e plenary rejected the fi shery
committee’s proposal to subsidise
the construction of new vessels.
Th is measure had been the sub-
ject of intensive campaigning by
NGOs and citizens ahead of the
vote. However, Members voted
to support the modernisation
or replacement of engines, if the
new engine’s power output is at
least 40 per cent lower than that
of the engine it replaces.
It is hoped that the decisions
will provide concrete measures
to eliminate overfishing and
improve the management of
fleet capacity, while allowing
fishermen to earn a living. The
decisions should promote fish-
stock recovery that would oth-
erwise be threatened by a larger
fleet with longer ranges. Par-
liament also included a pack-
age, put forward by the S&D
and Green groups, to subsidise
traineeship and education for
fishermen under 35 years of age
in the small-scale fishery sector.
Negotiations on the EMFF are
scheduled to be finished before
the end of the year.
Russia: FAO Sub-Committee on Aquaculture meets in St PetersburgA subsidiary committee of the
Food and Agricultural Organisa-
tion’s Committee on Fisheries
the Sub-Committee on Aqua-
culture was established in 2001
to address aquaculture mat-
ters at intergovernmental level.
The seventh session took
place in Russia, St Petersburg
from 7 to 11 October. As aqua-
culture production continues
to increase worldwide the role
of the Sub-Committee also
becomes stronger as it serves
a multilateral framework for
consultations on aquaculture
issues.
Welcoming all delegates Árni
M. Mathiesen, Assistant Direc-
tor-General of the Fisheries
and Aquaculture Department,
FAO outlined some of the most
important emerging issues
in the sector to be addressed
by the Sub-Committee.
Th e role of the blue economy
initiative and the importance
of enhanced global partner-
ship among others may facilitate
the sustainable development of
aquaculture, which is the young-
est industry among other eco-
nomic sectors.
From left to right, Johan Williams, Norway, COFI Chair; Arni Mathiesson, FAO; Igor Manylov, fi rst Deputy
Minister of Agriculture, Russia; Rohana Subasinghe, FAO; Vasiliy Sokolov, Deputy Head, Federal Agency
for Fisheries, Russia; Indroyono Soesilo, FAO
Igor Manylov, fi rst Deputy Minis-
ter of Agriculture of the Russian
Federation stressed the impor-
tance of the aquaculture sec-
tor worldwide and highlighted
the eff orts being made by the
Russian Government to double
aquaculture production by 2020,
to make the sector more attrac-
tive for young people, and to
foster enhanced public-private
partnership.
Among other things, the Sub-
Committee assessed the FAO
Fisheries and Aquaculture
Department’s eff orts in imple-
menting the recommendations
of the past session, as well as
progress made on the imple-
mentation of the Code of Con-
duct for responsible Fisheries
provisions relevant to aquacul-
ture and culture-based fi sher-
ies. Major topics to be discussed
included the “Global aquacul-
ture Advancement Partnership
(GAAP) Programme,” which
gives special attention to the
needs of developing countries,
aquaculture certifi cation, spatial
planning importance, and the
usefulness of aquaculture devel-
opment. Th e role of aquaculture in
providing healthy food for human
consumption and improving
nutrition was also addressed. Th e
Sub-Committee focused in par-
ticular on diff erent collaboration
initiatives through existing coop-
eration platforms. Collabora-
tion between and within regions
was considered important to
bring together knowledge and
expertise.
10 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
04_News_INT.indd 5 05/12/13 12:56 PM
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Italy: Offshore mariculture event to focus on investmentTh e discussion about the risks
and benefi ts of off shore aquacul-
ture is an ongoing one. Farming
off shore reduces confl icts with
other users of the coast, pollution
from cages is less likely to accu-
mulate, and the fi sh benefi t from
cleaner water with more uniform
oxygen and temperature levels
thanks to the wind and the cur-
rents, than can be found closer to
the coast. But the infrastructure
that open water cultivation calls
for is more expensive to establish
and the farming technology itself
is yet to mature. Th ese, and other,
issues facing decision makers in
the industry will be the subject
of the fi fth off shore mariculture
conference to be held next year
in Naples, Italy between 11 and 14
April. Th e conference will high-
light the latest developments
in the area of off shore farming
relating to technology, legisla-
tion, and management, but also
fi nance and investment. Species
that lend themselves to culti-
vation on exposed sites will be
another aspect of the confer-
ence as will the integration of
fi nfi sh farming with the culture
of shellfi sh and seaweeds to neu-
tralise environmental impacts.
Research and case studies as well
as the latest policies and prod-
ucts will be presented by experts
in diff erent areas of business
management, stock husbandry,
and farming technologies. Th e
conference will focus heavily on
investment and is expected to
Delegates at the 2012 edition of the Offshore Mariculature conference
visit a fi sh farm. The 2014 edition of the event will be 11-14 April in
Naples, Italy.
attract investment companies and
entrepreneurs looking for oppor-
tunities. For more information
please contact: Isobel Roberts,
Events Marketing Manager on
+44 (0) 1329 820098, email irob-
[email protected] or visit
www.off shoremariculture.com
[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]
Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 11www.eurofi shmagazine.com
04_News_INT.indd 6 05/12/13 12:56 PM
[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]
Denmark: DanFish and DanAqua host meetings between Nordic and Chinese companiesTh e presence of 11 major Chinese
companies at DanFish/DanAqua
in Aalborg is expected to bring
dividends in the months to come.
Liangqi Xu is head of strategic
development at Shanghai Fisher-
ies, which generates an annual
turnover of DKK 6.5 billion, oper-
ates 76 trawlers, long liners and
purse seiners and employs 3,300
people. It also runs one of the
biggest distribution centres in
China and has its own harbour
in Shanghai. Mr Xu is interested in
resource-saving and environmen-
tal technologies as well as aqua-
culture equipment and intends to
pursue the contacts he has made
at the business to business event at
DanFish to set up agreements that
match his company’s develop-
ment strategy. Th is is but a single
example of the potential returns
generated at this Aalborg exhibi-
tion for the fi shing and aquacul-
ture sector that this year attracted
300 exhibitors from over 40 coun-
tries and almost 14,000 visitors.
Th e matchmaking event between
Chinese and Nordic companies
was a fi rst for the exhibition and
showed a signifi cant level of inter-
est for Nordic technology that
should translate into partnership
agreements and concrete orders
in the weeks to come.Liangqi Xu, head of strategic development at Shanghai Fisheries, is
interested in equipment from the Akva Group.
Norway: Comprehensive programme takes shape as countdown to conference begins
Billed as the world’s largest
seafood business conference,
the next edition of the North
Atlantic Seafood Conference is
expected to be even bigger than
its predecessors. From 4 to 6
March 2014, Bergen, the site of
the event, will play host to the
600 delegates from 400 compa-
nies and 40 countries, who are
expected to attend. Participants
can look forward to learning
about the latest developments
and trends in products, mar-
kets, trade, research, legislation,
policy, finance, and economics
that will come to determine the
future of the industry. The over-
riding theme of the 2014 event is
“Seafood and food security - set-
ting seafood into a new and vital
geopolitical role. ” Under this
broad banner some 100 experts
will make presentations on a
range of subjects divided into
10 seminars spread over the
three days. NASF partners with
a number of organisations to
ensure the credibility and variety
of the conference programme.
Among them is the Food and
Agricultural Organization’s
(FAO) Fisheries and Aquacul-
ture Department that will hold
its biannual Sub-Committee on
Fish Trade meeting in Bergen a
couple of days before the NASF.
Delegates from the FAO meet-
ing are expected to prolong their
stay to attend the NASF as well.
The Fisheries and Aquacul-
ture Department will be closely
involved in the individual
NASF sessions on pelagics, and
whitefish, and the combined
session covering food secu-
rity, illegal fishing, fish trade,
and policy. Other sessions at
NASF include the European
retail and food service seminar,
traditionally a popular event,
that brings representatives
from several large European
retail chains to discuss issues
such as consumer trends in
Europe, sustainability, and the
outlook for food service in key
European countries. Norway’s
recent election resulted in a
new government taking over
in October this year. Both the
prime minister and the minister
for business and trade, which
will now also be responsible
for fisheries and aquaculture,
come from Hordaland county,
of which Bergen is the seat. As
a result of this connection NASF
is expecting to attract a top
representative from the govern-
ment to address the policy ses-
sion.
More details on the conference
are available at http://www.
nor-seafood.com/
The North Atlantic Seafood Forum will open its doors to the
international seafood industry 4-6 March 2014 in Bergen, Norway.
12 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
04_News_INT.indd 7 05/12/13 12:56 PM
[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]
Italy: GLOBEFISH and the FISHINFONetwork acknowledged by the FAOTh e Food and Agricultural
Organization (FAO) of the United
Nations executes projects around
the developing world to benefi t
the poor and deprived. A recently
published catalogue of the organ-
ization’s achievements in diff er-
ent regions of the world included
GLOBEFISH and the FISHIN-
FONetwork (FIN) among the suc-
cess stories. GLOBEFISH, a unit
within the Fisheries and Aqua-
culture department, was estab-
lished in 1984 and has specialised
in the collection, analysis, and
dissemination of information
on the global fi sh trade. Th e
production and trade in fi sh has
changed radically over the last
three decades. In 1980 the global
export value of fi sh was USD15bn,
while today it is USD130bn,
about half of which comes from
the developing world. Th is sum
exceeds the combined exports of
the next four most valuable com-
modities – tea, rice, cocoa, and
coff ee. Th e increase in exports
has been supported by the devel-
opment in logistics, distribution,
and packaging and by the explo-
sive growth in the aquaculture
sector. GLOBEFISH has closely
followed these trends, analysing
them and making this analysis
available to everyone who needs
it, the private sector, administra-
tive bodies, or research organi-
sations. GLOBEFISH also coor-
dinates the FISHINFONetwork,
which connects six independent
regional fi sh information services
(Infofi sh, Infopeche, Infopesca,
Infosamak, Infoyu, and Eurofi sh)
dedicated to the development
of the fi sheries and aquaculture
sector within their regions. Th e
fi sh information services provide
technical expertise and capac-
ity, gather and analyse data,
organise events, and distribute
information, as well as develop
and manage projects for the ben-
efi t of the industry in each region.
Th e work of the regional services
together with GLOBEFISH has
benefi ted the fi sheries and aqua-
culture sector contributing to its
growth and increasing signifi -
cance for global food security.
Spain: Three shellfi sh zones reopened in GaliciaTh e Technological Institute for the
Control of Marine Environment
(Intecmar) authorised the reo-
pening of shellfi sh capture areas
in the estuaries of Muros and
Noia, Camariñas, and Ferrol, after
a three-week closure in October
caused by a toxin-induced red
tide. Th e newspaper La Opinión
reports that Intecmar also decided
to reopen a shellfi sh capture zone
in the estuary of Vigo and a plat-
form polygon in Redondela, while
another one in the same area
was closed. Th us, there are now
only fi ve open mussel farming
polygons in the estuaries of the
community: four in Redondela
and one in Cambados. In three
of the reopened areas (Muros,
Noia, and Vigo), the capture of
infaunal shellfi sh – cockles, clams,
and razor clams – was in progress,
while that in Ferrol focuses on the
production of the variegated scal-
lop (Chlamys varia) and queen
scallop. Santiago Cruz, head of the
grower association in Noia, com-
plained about the delay in detect-
ing the presence of toxins in the
river, a situation that caused them
considerable loss.
Canada: 2013 World Seafood Congress provides insight into global market Th e Marine Institute (MI) of
Memorial University hosted the
World Seafood Congress (WSC)
on behalf of the International
Association of Fish Inspectors
(IAFI), an organization that pro-
motes global seafood trade. Th e
congress was in Newfoundland
and Labrador from 28 September
to 3 October and was supported
by the Canadian Government,
Government of Newfoundland
and Labrador, Food and Agricul-
ture Organization (FAO), United
Nations Industrial Development
Organization (UNIDO), Cana-
dian Centre for Fisheries Innova-
tion, and a number of commercial
sponsors. Nearly 400 delegates
from more than 30 countries,
including retailers, academics,
primary producers, processors,
and government representa-
tives listened to presentations
on a wide range of topics under
the theme Creative Solutions for
Global Challenges. Innovative
technology, sustainable fi sher-
ies management and inspection
and quality control practices
were just some of the topics
addressed by the 130 speakers
at the event. Delegates partici-
pated in workshops, information
sessions, expert panels, special
interest meetings, formal presen-
tations, poster displays and tours.
A variety of interactive sessions
on food safety and inspection
modernization, seafood sustain-
ability, seafood innovation, prof-
itable seafood markets and global
export and trade were also held.
Th e congress featured high pro-
fi le speakers from the Canadian
Food Inspection Agency, Euro-
pean Commission, FAO, UNIDO,
and country representatives, as
well as seafood and aquaculture
certifi cation bodies, NGOs and
industry leaders.
Members of the FISH InfoNet-
work, Infofi sh, Infopesca and
Eurofi sh, were invited by the FAO
to give presentations on little-
known seafood markets. Th e
Eurofi sh presentation centered
on Armenia, Belarus and Kazakh-
stan. In Kazakhstan the market
is expected to grow to 250,000
tonnes and will be dependent on
imports mainly of pelagics, but
with growing opportunities for
salmon. In Belarus too the market
is highly dependent on imports
of fi sh, mainly frozen herring and
sprat, but also salmon and trout,
which are processed for the
domestic market as well as for
export. In Armenia (see article
on page 44) domestic produc-
tion is from aquaculture which
has grown rapidly in the last cou-
ple of years to ca. 9,000 tonnes.
Four fi fths of the production
is consumed on the local mar-
ket, but the volume of exports
has jumped to 1,800 tonnes in
2012 from 215 tonnes in 2009.
Trout and sturgeon are the main
farmed fi sh and aquaculture pro-
duction could increase to 25,000
tonnes by 2015.
Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 13www.eurofi shmagazine.com
04_News_INT.indd 8 05/12/13 12:56 PM
[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]
France: GAA honours Bjørn Myrseth with Lifetime Achievement AwardBjørn Myrseth, a pioneer in the
aquaculture industry, was hon-
oured with a Lifetime Achieve-
ment Award by the Global Aqua-
culture Alliance (GAA) at its
annual GOAL conference this
year. Bjørn Myrseth’s aquaculture
profession took off with the Nor-
wegian company Stolt Sea Farm
of which he was the managing
director, farming rainbow trout
and salmon, and subsequently
with the production of salmon
smolt. Stolt Sea Farm expanded
production into other species
such as sturgeon and turbot,
as well started farming salmon
at sites in Scotland, the US and
Canada. In the mid-80s Mr Myr-
seth left the company to set up
on his own and started working
with partners in Chile for the pro-
duction of salmon, as well as in
Greece and Spain for the produc-
tion of seabass and seabream. His
interest in fi sh farming also took
him to China where he began
farming grouper, and then back to
the US where he initiated a cobia
farming venture in Florida with
grow-out in Belize. Th e potential
he saw in cobia also led him to
start a facility in Vietnam using
fi ngerlings from government
research institutes. Eventually Mr
Myrseth sold his company to the
Polish salmon processor Morpol,
but is still looking for opportu-
nities in South East Asia to farm
barramundi, grouper, pompano
or snapper.
In addition to his role in indus-
try Mr Myrseth was also a
founding member of the Euro-
pean Aquaculture Society. Mr
Myrseth’s experience in Nor-
way has shown him that creat-
ing an aquaculture industry
calls for investments in generic
Bjørn Myrseth (right) receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from
Wally Stevens, Executive President of Global Aquaculture Alliance at
the GOAL 2013 conference in Paris in October.
Norway: Reciprocal access to fi shing in SkagerrakA new agreement has been
reached between the European
Union and Norway on reciprocal
access to fi shing in the waters of
Skagerrak. Th is agreement, which
supersedes the previous arrange-
ment from 1966 between Den-
mark, Sweden, and Norway, will
allow those countries to maintain
reciprocal access for their vessels
in each other’s waters within the
defi ned area and ensure continuity
of their fi shing operations in this
area. Further joint work is under-
way on important selectivity meas-
ures in the Skagerrak area. Th e new
agreement was fi nalised in Lon-
don on 24 October, and allows for
control measures in line with the
principles of Coastal State jurisdic-
tion while maintaining the same
conditions as at present within
the defi ned area of Skagerrak and
Kattegat. Fisheries will be subject
to management and conservation
measures established either indi-
vidually or jointly by the Parties,
including control measures taken
by the relevant Coastal State.
Although the 1966 agreement was
allowed to expire in August 2012,
the countries agreed that their ves-
sels could continue to fi sh in the
waters of the respective countries
until a new agreement could be
reached.
marketing, quality standards, as
well as research and develop-
ment. These three prerequisites
make him question small-scale
aquaculture as a way of creating
an industry. While small-scale
may benefit an individual
farmer or even a small village,
he feels, it does not contribute
to the building of a sustainable
industry as it will not attract
the necessary levels of invest-
ment or knowledge that are
needed. Erik Hempel
Spain: Pescanova investors seize controlA group of shareholders have
reportedly taken control of debt-
ridden Spanish fi sh and sea-
food manufacturer Pescanova, a
Spanish fi shing company based
in Redondela, Galicia, with its
base of operations in the port
of Vigo. Th e company, which
was founded in 1960, was on the
verge of fi ling for bankruptcy
resulting from liquidity problems
since early April 2013. According
to Th e Financial Times, inves-
tors led by Catalan brewing
company Damm – Pescanova’s
second-largest shareholder
with a 5.84 stake – won a vic-
tory to replace the group’s for-
mer chairman and appoint new
directors. Veteran banker Juan
Manuel Urgoiti, who sits on the
board of clothing group Indi-
tex, has been appointed as the
company’s new non-executive
chairman, the publication noted.
According to the Spanish online
publication FIS, other directors
now include Luis Angel Sanchez-
Merlo, independent director of
Spain’s Sarebbank, and Alejan-
dro Legarda. Urgoiti warned that
the company needs to reduce
the creditors’ covenant to ca.
70. Pescanova, which employs
around 10,000 staff globally, is
seeking to renegotiate previously
hidden debts of EUR3.6bn with
its lenders. Th e fi rm fi led for
voluntary insolvency in April
after having failed to reach an
agreement with creditors on the
renegotiation of its debts. Trad-
ing in Pescanova’s shares was
suspended on 12 March. Damm’s
proposal for the board won 70.8
of the votes of the investors pre-
sent, or 37 of the total outstand-
ing shares, the newspaper noted.
14 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
04_News_INT.indd 9 05/12/13 12:56 PM
[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]
Denmark: Baltic Sea Conference 2013 – blue growth, sustainability, and water industriesMore than 300 participants gath-
ered in Copenhagen on 3 Octo-
ber to take part in the “Baltic Sea
Conference 2013 – Blue Growth,
Sustainability, and Water Indus-
tries”, which took place back-to-
back with the HELCOM Ministe-
rial Meeting. Th e conference’s
purpose was to discuss ways to
create a Baltic Sea region that is
both sustainable and prosper-
ous and that emphasises blue
and green economies. Th e attend-
ees constituted a broad range of
knowledge and perspectives on
the Baltic Sea, including repre-
sentatives from the private sec-
tor, the European Commission,
NGOs, international fi nancing
institutions, and government.
Th e conference was organised by
the European Commission and
the Baltic Development Forum,
together with the Danish HEL-
COM Presidency. Th e conference
advanced the Baltic Sea region’s
new and innovative policy fi eld
of blue growth and promoted
a proactive approach to the
marine environment, which is
at the heart of regional coopera-
tion within HELCOM and the EU
Strategy for the Baltic Sea region.
As Maria Damanaki, European
Commissioner for Maritime
Affairs and Fisheries noted,
the region should build on
its assets, leading innovation
and research, strong maritime
clusters, a proactive approach
towards marine environment
challenges, and well-established
cooperation to ensure the long-
term sustainable development
of its maritime economy.
China: Norwegian fi rms will build salmon and cod farming facility
Th e Norwegian companies Futur-
ama and AquaOptima have signed
an agreement with Lim Shrimp
Organization to create “Aquapolis”,
the world’s fi rst land-based, fully
integrated salmon and cod farm-
ing facility in Hainan, China. Th e
aquaculture complex will produce
cod and salmon from egg to mar-
ket size in a demonstration farm,
and smaller grow-out units will
be run and managed by individual
farmers. Th e farming system will be
an indoor temperature-controlled
recirculation aquaculture system
(RAS), with multiple stacks in one
building, thus increasing produc-
tivity and shortening the length of
culture, Djames Lim, CEO of Lim
Shrimp Organization, told Th eFish-
Site. Futurama and AquaOptima
will supply fi ngerlings to the farms
and take the fi sh to market. Th e
Aquapolis will provide Atlantic cod
and salmon to meet the increas-
ing demand by China’s growing
population, which currently stands
at 1.3 billion, and especially by
middle-income families. Th e fi rst
phase of the project is to build a 70
ha facility. Th e fi rst trial unit will
be completed in six months. Once
the facility has proven successful,
at least 100 units for each species
will be built. Other species will also
be grown in Aquapolis, because
individual farmers will have their
own factory unit in which they can
grow their species of choice. Other
species include sea cucumber,
crab, grouper, and polychaetes.
Individual farmers will also be
given training and technical know-
how to guide them through to har-
vest. Th e Lim Shrimp Organization
is a non-governmental livelihood
programme developer, which uses
aquaculture as the instrument to
create livelihood, helping many
poor families become aquapre-
neurs.
Lithuania: Netting a global leaderOne of the largest producers of fi sh-
ing nets in the North Atlantic mar-
ket, VON, has chosen Lithuania as
the site for its new manufacturing
facility. Th e Faroe Islands-based
company plans to invest ca. EUR
2–2.3 million and will employ more
than 70 textile manufacturing and
mechanics specialists at Siauliai
Industrial Park, Invest Lithuania
said in a statement. Th e facility
will produce various types of fi sh-
ing nets for use in global fi shing,
as well as trawls, cages, and other
equipment used for fi sh farm-
ing. Additionally, it will produce
safety nets and cargo transporta-
tion equipment for off shore oil and
similar platforms. VON’s Lithu-
anian production will be exported
to the Faroe Islands, Norway,
and other countries. According
to Hjalmar Petersen, executive
director at VON, “Lithuania has a
well-developed textile sector and
an experienced work force, with
specifi c competencies that are very
important for our highly innovative
operations. We expect the Lithu-
anian input and the advanced pro-
duction equipment to be used in
the Siauliai-based manufacturing
facility to accelerate our production
modernisation process.” Th e com-
pany uses complex computer
models and special video equip-
ment to monitor the underwater
behaviour of nets and various fi sh
species. Newly employed Lithuani-
ans will be trained by VON at their
headquarters in the Faroe Islands
and the company’s other factories
in Greenland, Norway, Denmark,
and Canada.
Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and
Fisheries, pointed out that the Baltic region had many factors that
could ensure the sustainable development of its maritime economy.
Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 15www.eurofi shmagazine.com
04_News_INT.indd 10 05/12/13 12:56 PM
16 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofishmagazine.com
[ EVENTS ]
Seafood Barcelona, 22-24 October 2013
Quality bacalao combines Icelandic raw material with a Spanish chef!
The product and services
variety was impressive:
fresh, frozen, preserved
and processed seafood, high
value-added products, indus-
trial equipment and technolo-
gies for refrigeration, packaging,
cooking, and smoking along
with transportation and storage
services, design and engineer-
ing, financial services and con-
sulting among others. The New
Product Showcase presented 20
companies from Croatia, Den-
mark, Latvia, the Netherlands,
Spain and Viet Nam offering
their newest and most innova-
tive products, including smoked,
canned, ready-to-eat, easy-to-
prepare items reflecting mod-
ern trends in food shopping and
consumption.
National pavilions promote industry
visibility
Argentina, Canada, Croatia,
Ecuador, Iceland, Norway, Turkey
and USA used national pavilions
to give their industries maximum
visibility. At the Turkish pavil-
ion farmed fish producers were
well represented. Sinan Kiziltan,
Aegean Seafood and Animal
Products Exporters’ Association,
says “Turkey has increased pro-
duction of aquaculture, mainly
sea bass and sea bream, rain-
bow trout and corvina. At the
moment we represent around
50 aquaculture companies from
the Aegean region as well as new
companies who export wild spe-
cies – snails, shrimps, octopus and
cuttlefish. We see a lot of inter-
est from the Spanish market and
a lot of potential trade between
Turkey and Spain, therefore
our producers came here to
demonstrate their products to
Spanish wholesalers. The show
is not big but quite efficient –
all visitors to our stand are real
buyers.”
Croatian participants represent-
ing four companies and two
cooperatives felt very comfort-
able at their joint booth. “We
were happy about previous year
and here we are again now to
present the best Croatia has –
already known products, new
products, new production facili-
ties – to European professionals
and to the Spanish market, and
On 22 October Fira de Barcelona opened its doors welcoming exhibitors and visitors from over 27 countries, who came to participate in
Seafood Barcelona. Attendance at this second edition of the show increased by around 25% compared to 2012 indicating growing
interest in the event.
we have already received good
feedback”, says Zoran Radan
from Croatian Chamber of
Economy.
“Taste and share the secret of
Icelandic bacalao” – an invita-
tion from over 20 Icelandic pro-
ducers and sellers of salted fish,
who recently joined together in
a market initiative to promote
quality products sustainably
sourced from Icelandic waters
to Southern Europe as well as
other markets. For the promo-
tion they used a little Icelandic
house called Eldhús, Icelandic
for “kitchen,” where visitors could
sample products from salted cod.
The secret behind quality bacalao
turns out to be salted cod from an
Icelandic village and a Mediterra-
nean chef.
Varied programme of events
The show’s programme included
several culinary classrooms and a
forum for debates about the sea-
food industry, featuring seven
one-hour Master Classes on cod,
shrimp, anchovies, tuna and mack-
erel, sea bass and sea bream. The
presentations were made by Pro-
mote Iceland, Sogda Ltd, Catalan
Federation of Fishermen’s Guild
and the Government of Andalu-
sia and the cooking classes were
conducted by renowned chefs The second edition of Seafood Barcelona featured national pavilions from countries in Europe as well as
North and South America.
05_News_EV.indd 1 03/12/13 6:52 PM
Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 17www.eurofishmagazine.com
[ EVENTS ]
Xanty Elias, and the brothers Ser-
gio and Xavier Torres. In addition,
nine sessions for cooking demon-
stration and sampling of seafood
products from cuttlefish, mack-
erel, hake, sardines, sea snails,
langoustines and sand eels were
held at the Catalonia pavilion and
organised by Department of Agri-
culture, Livestock, Fisheries, Food
and Environment and Promoter of
Catalan Exports.
Seafood Barcelona for the sec-
ond time proved to be an impor-
tant event for Southern Europe
and the Maghreb. In 2014 the
show will be held under the
name Seafood Expo Southern
Europe and will open its doors
on 22-24 September, so make a
note in your calendars.
Aleksandra Petersen, Eurofish
fish international 2014 spotlights fish farming
American experts bring aquaculture workshop to Europe
In response to public demand
the Bremen Exhibition is very
proud to have been able to
attract two internationally known
authorities for the event, says
Sabine Wedell, the project man-
ager. Normally, Prof. Michael Tim-
mons Ph.D. and James Ebeling
Ph.D. hold their ambitious and
yet entertaining workshop on fish
farming in recirculation aqua-
culture systems (RAS) during the
summer months at Cornell Uni-
versity in Ithaca, New York. Now
they will be presenting it in Europe
for the first time: parallel to the
trade fair in the neighbouring
Congress Centrum Bremen on
Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 Febru-
ary.
Fish farmers with interest in RAS to
benefit from workshop
“We will be addressing both peo-
ple who are considering starting
an RAS farm and farmers who are
already active in that sector and
who want to expand or convert
their farm”, says Michael Timmons.
At the 14th edition of Germany’s only fish trade fair at the Bremen Exhibition Centre from Sunday 9 to Tuesday 11 February 2014
visitors will find the well-tried mix of product presentation, discussion of current topics, and ample opportunities for building or
nurturing business contacts. Beyond that, the fair will this time be looking at some particular areas of the industry – and especially at
the aquaculture sector.
fish international 2014 in Bremen will also have an area dedicated to
aquaculture equipment.
Jan
Rat
hke
“The workshop will examine aqua-
culture systems from an engineer-
ing perspective and look par-
ticularly at the design of several
system sizes from boutique to large
commercial scale”, explains James
Ebeling. And it will also consider
the economics and profitability of
recirculating systems. “We hope
to show our audience that there is
NOT one magical solution, no one
optimal design“, says Timmons.
“We want our listeners to under-
stand that a farming facility has
to be individually tailored to the
location and its owner, be it family
or company, if it is to be economi-
cally efficient.” The two scientists
have already emphasized this in
their standard work on recircu-
lating technology “Recirculating
Aquaculture”. One of the things
they stress there is the significance
of good management: it is abso-
lutely wrong to assume “that an
unsuccessful dairy or pig farmer
could be a successful fish farmer.”
The fact that this unusual work-
shop The fact that this unusual
05_News_EV.indd 2 03/12/13 6:52 PM
18 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofishmagazine.com
[ EVENTS ]
workshop can take place is thanks
to the support of leading equip-
ment supplier Aquacultur Fis-
chtechnik from Nienburg and
the fish feed producer Biomar.
Equipment manufacturers will
again be well represented at the
event. Among others, companies
specialised in the conception
and construction of extremely
efficient recirculating systems for
high-value species; in fresh and
salt water treatment; in nets and
accessories; and in water moni-
toring technology, will be avail-
able to show their equipment and
respond to enquiries.
Network for sustainable aquaculture to debut
The Aquzente network will be
a newcomer to the Bremen fair.
Founded by 14 players from the
aquaculture sector in the summer
of 2012 the network strives for tech-
nological innovations for efficient
and sustainable fish farming and
marketing. The group will present
an extensive lecture programme:
in addition to the three topic sec-
tions “Aquaculture in the region”,
“Process optimization through
new technologies” and “Product
development” the organisers also
(as of today) have about 20 lectures
and discussions on the agenda
for the three days of the fair. “At
their stand Aquzente will each
day be holding a workshop on the
sensory aspects of food products”,
announces Sabine Wedell. Visi-
tors will then, for example, be able
to taste aquaculture products in
a sensory cabin and assess them
according to different criteria.
In addition to the RAS workshop
fish international 2014 also has
two other premieres lined up. On
the one hand there will for the first
time be a contest to find the “Best
Seafood Product”. And on the other
hand the long-standing event will
be sided up by a brand new trade
fair “Gastro Ivent” which will offer
ideas and solutions for the res-
taurant and catering sectors or for
traders who have a catering section.
The exhibition halls will be
open on Sunday and Monday
from 10:00 to 18:00, on Tues-
day from 10:00 to 17:00. One
ticket grants admission to both
fish international and Gas-
tro Ivent. The RAS workshop
requires separate registration at
www.fishinternational.de.
CONXEMAR-FAO Whitefish Congress, 30 September, Vigo
Unique opportunity to explore market trends
The congress brought
together leading world
experts on major white-
fish species, such as Alaska pol-
lock, cod, haddock, hake, hoki,
pangasius and tilapia. Different
issues on whitefish resources,
markets, supply and utilisation
were presented and discussed for
the roughly 300 delegates from
more than 20 countries. Árni M.
Mathiesen, Assistant Director-
General of the Fisheries and
Aquaculture Department, FAO
highlighted the importance of
the blue economy worldwide, the
growing role of aquaculture in the
overall supply of fish and seafood,
and stressed that the congress was
a practical way to transfer informa-
tion about markets and trade to the
industry. He also expressed FAO’s
interest in continuing this collabo-
rative approach in the future.
Carlos Domínguez Díaz, Secretary
General for Fisheries, Ministry of
Agriculture, Food and Environment
of Spain, underlined the important
role of Spain in the international
The World Whitefish congress was organised by Conxemar, the Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Manufacturers and
Exporters of fish products and Aquaculture, and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), as part of its strategy of collaboration with
the private sector. It took place in Vigo, the city of the sea, on 30 September.
Ministers and others from leading countries in the fish trade attended the opening of the CONXEMAR-FAO
Whitefish Congress.
trade in fish and seafood products,
and the need to gain the trust of
consumers of fish products. He also
expressed his satisfaction with the
alliance between Conxemar and
FAO which brings knowledge to Vigo,
the heart of the Spanish fisheries sec-
tor, every year.
Demand for fish increases faster than
production
In general global trade and exports
grow much faster than overall
production. Some global trends
are influencing this trend. Rising
05_News_EV.indd 3 03/12/13 6:52 PM
Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 19www.eurofishmagazine.com
[ EVENTS ]
population, income growth and
diversifying diets to include more
fish are some of the factors. The sit-
uation in the market for the main
whitefish species is mixed. World
whitefish markets used to be
dominated by traditional ground-
fish species such as cod, hake,
haddock and pollock. However,
the aggressive growth of aqua-
culture production has changed
this situation with tilapia and
pangasius gaining strong niches
in the market with new consumer
groups. Tilapia farming is gain-
ing attention worldwide, particu-
larly to supply local demand in
regions were local production is
possible. However, the EU mar-
ket is reluctant to switch to newer
whitefish species, such as tilapia.
At the same time negative publi-
cism and consumer perceptions
affect demand for pangasius.
With regard to the supply, there are
reasons for optimism. Some exam-
ples in the past have shown that
wild stocks can recover with the
implementation of good manage-
ment practices. For example, after
years of overfishing cod stocks have
recovered in the North Sea with the
introduction of effective stock man-
agement and conservation meas-
ures. Currently, cod stocks in the
North-Atlantic are abundant and it
has put strong pressure on prices
and ultimately on fishermen.
Groundfish holds a special place among
Europeans
Major producing countries of
whitefish are Norway, Russia
and USA, processing takes place
in China (both fillet and surimi
production) and major markets
are in the EU and USA. China,
with about 24% share, is the lead-
ing supplier of groundfish to the
EU market. It is estimated that
nearly 45% of available ground-
fish volumes globally are con-
sumed by EU consumers. Esti-
mates for 2012 show that Atlantic
and Pacific cod accounts for 65%
followed by haddock and saithe
with a share of 52% and hake –
50%. Apart from very traditional
products – fresh and frozen fish
and fillets, the Mediterranean
countries are a traditional mar-
ket for klippfish (salted and dried
cod) and stockfish (air-dried cod);
however this year’s cold weather
affected this type of production
negatively. Spain is known as the
most important market within
the EU for different whitefish
species, but it has also a market
for cocochas-hake tongues which
are considered as a delicacy by
the Spanish consumers.
Miguel Arias Cañete, Minister of
Agriculture, Food and Environ-
ment of Spain, joined the con-
gress and in his closing remarks
underlined the great importance
of whitefish for a balanced diet,
especially for Spanish consumers.
The Mediterranean diet (in which
fish occupies a strong position)
has been declared by UNESCO
as an intangible cultural heritage.
He acknowledged the role of the
congress in the dissemination of
knowledge and experience and its
impact on the competitiveness of
the Spanish fisheries sector, which
plays an enormous role in both the
national and European economies.
Aina Afanasjeva, Eurofish
05_News_EV.indd 4 03/12/13 6:52 PM
20 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
The Common Fisher-ies Policy is in the fi nal stages of reform. What
aspects of the reform (discard ban, regionalisation, fi shing at MSY, and the general empha-sis on sustainability) do you foresee as having the greatest impact on Polish fi sheries, and how will this manifest itself?
Baltic Sea and other fi shing
companies must follow the rules
while becoming more fl exible
and able to adjust to any change
in the natural environment and
on the markets. Th e main objec-
tive of the reform is to give the
fi shery and aquaculture sector
an appropriately balanced eco-
nomic, social, and environmen-
tal framework. Th e new elements
of key importance to us are bal-
anced fi shing, discard control,
ensuring a future for fi sheries
and aquaculture, increasing job
opportunities, meeting con-
sumer needs and expectations,
more effi cient management
through regionalisation, and a
more rational fi nancing of the
sector.
Many aspects of the Common
Fisheries Policy reform have
already been implemented by
Poland. For example, when the
International Council for the
Exploration of the Sea (ICES)
set the annual fi shing quotas
and TACs, it considered not only
Innovation and knowledge will play a greater role in the Polish aquaculture sector
Environmental benefi ts of fi sh farming need to be promotedThe Department of Fisheries in the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is led by Tomasz Nawrocki, who spoke with
Eurofi sh Magazine at length about some of the issues facing the Polish fi shery and aquaculture sector.
Director Tomasz Nawrocki, Department of Fisheries, Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
scientifi c advice but also the
necessity to achieve catches con-
sistent with MSY starting in 2015.
Sometimes this requires the
consent of the member states,
because it may call for a reduc-
tion in fi shing quotas higher
than those proposed by the EC.
Of course, this is done after con-
sidering the economic condition
of fi shermen and a careful analy-
sis of ICES scientifi c advice.
Implementing the discard ban
in cod, pelagic, and salmon
06_Poland_PO.indd 1 05/12/13 1:01 PM
POLAND
fi shing will be one of the great-
est challenges for Polish fi sher-
ies after 2015. Th e subject is now
being negotiated in the regional
forum, BaltFish. Th e discard ban
will force fi shermen to land all
the cod, herring, sprat, salmon,
and plaice they catch. Th ey will
have to adopt solutions that help
them avoid unwanted catch and
take only species of market value
by using more selective gear.
Th e reform also addresses the
protection of the environment,
in particular the reduction in the
impact of fi sheries on marine
birds and mammals. Th is too
will make fi shermen adopt new
fi shing technologies to deter and
reduce the bycatch of seabirds
and mammals, and will encour-
age them to change their fi shing
areas to protect the marine
ecosystem.
What are the benefi ts and the drawbacks of moving to mul-tispecies management in the Baltic as opposed to the cur-rent single-species manage-ment regime?
Currently, cod is the only species
covered by a long-term man-
agement plan in the Baltic Sea.
The disadvantage of the current
single-species plans is that they
seek restoration of one species
without looking at trophic inter-
relations. The single-species
plans do not look at fish migra-
tion and the role of climatic
factors. But a multispecies plan
should help to build a balance
among a number of species that
are closely linked to each other.
In the Baltic, for instance, there
is a strong relation between
cod, herring, and sprat. Being a
predatory fish, cod feeds mainly
on sprat and herring, whereas
the pelagics feed on cod roe.
This interaction creates a strong
relation between the three
species. The current single-
species plan does not con-
sider these relations, which
has created problems with the
Baltic cod (lean cod). Poland
supports resource management
based on multispecies plans
that address all of the key
interactions between mutu-
ally dependent species. The EC
is now drafting a multispecies
management plan for the Baltic
Sea that will cover cod, herring,
and sprat.
What diff erences, both positive and negative, do you expect a new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) will make to the Polish fi sheries sector?
First, I must emphasise that work
on the draft of a regulation on the
EMFF for the period 2014–2020 is
ongoing, and all of the solutions
mentioned below may be subject
to modifi cation.
Greater support for aquacul-
ture is envisaged in the EMFF.
It includes measures that, so
far, have not been available to
all entities in the aquaculture
sector. Th ese include diversify-
ing business, promoting human
capital, and building contact
networks. Support in this fi eld
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 21
06_Poland_PO.indd 2 05/12/13 1:01 PM
22 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
has until now been available
only to fi sheries local action
groups (FLAGs). Th is prevented
many aquaculture entities from
accessing that support.
It should also be emphasized
that a wide range of support for
aquaculture farms will remain in
place. It is especially important
in Poland, where the production
of farmed fi sh is highly devel-
oped and has a tradition that
dates back to ancient times.
Compared with the program-
ming period 2007–2013, the
reduction in EMFF support
for fi sh processing companies
seems to be a change for the
worse. Th e processing industry
is an important segment of the
whole value chain from fi sh-
ing to consumer. Interrupting
support for fi sh processing may
well disrupt the coordination
of strategic support for the fi sh-
ing sector. For example, manag-
ing discards may not be feasible
without investment support for
the sector.
Another signifi cant change is
the regulation of penalties for
failure to obey the rules of the
Common Fisheries Policy. Cur-
rently, individual fi shermen are
punished by having to return the
grants, but the proposed EMFF
regulation will freeze payments
to the member state involved.
Th is is a highly unfavourable
change as it may introduce a
kind of collective punishment
for the infringement by an indi-
vidual.
Th e considerable changes in
the system of implementing the
operational programme, co-
fi nanced by the EMFF, may also
be a major obstacle. Th e new
tasks, structures, and procedures
will force people to master some
completely new rules, rather
than using their experience from
the past.
Aquaculture is a focal point of the reformed Common Fisher-ies Policy, as aquaculture pro-duction in Europe has been stagnant for many years. What is the status of the aquaculture sector in Poland, and what direction would you like to see it move in?
Th e stagnation in the volume of
European aquaculture produc-
tion is largely caused by limits
set by the environmental protec-
tion law. It is high time to change
those regulations and for green
NGOs to realise the favourable
eff ects of aquaculture on the
environment.
Poland’s accession to the Euro-
pean Union nine years ago has
off ered new opportunities for
modernisation and develop-
ment in the aquaculture sector.
Th e Priority Axis 2 of the Opera-
tional Programme "Sustainable
development of the fi sheries
sector and coastal fi shing areas
2007-2013" (OP Fisheries) which
allowed the implementation of
aquaculture (investment and
hydro-environmental) projects,
has received only 20 of the
budget and all of these funds
have been spent. Th e scope of
the investment projects is very
wide. It includes, among other
things, the modernisation and
upgrading of farms, building
facilities, and equipment that
improve fi sh production.
Further development of fi sh
farming in Poland will follow
directions mapped out at the
EU level, and these continue
the present approach. How-
ever, a clear trend is to release
the potential of aquaculture.
Th is is why the future European
Maritime and Fisheries Fund
foresees broader support to the
sector than the current Euro-
pean Fisheries Fund. Although
any changes will be evolutionary
rather than revolutionary, I can-
not rule out some more dynamic
modifi cations, especially in RAS
production.
Development of the sector is
certainly a priority. The eco-
nomic, social, and environmen-
tal aspects of aquaculture need
to be better balanced, which
means a greater role for inno-
vation and knowledge within
the sector. The planned fund
no longer mentions the division
into priority axes, each dedi-
cated to a specific area of the
fishing sector. But it proposes to
define a relatively small number
of priorities to be supported,
that is, technological develop-
ment through innovation, new
technologies, transfer of knowl-
edge, strengthening the com-
petitiveness and profitability of
business and its diversification,
including new forms of income
related to projects in aquacul-
ture or associated areas. I can
say that, for the first time, we
have properly appreciated the
potential of angling tourism
and the experience of fishing
experts, their knowledge of fish
and the environment in provid-
ing advisory services or imple-
menting projects serving the
natural environment.
Support will continue for envi-
ronmentally friendly aqua-
culture. Th is is why we should
expect further support for tra-
ditional carp ponds, which play
a vital role in maintaining the
environment. But we must make
sure that the relevant knowledge
reaches the minds of a larger
group of people.
Th e future picture of the farmed
fi sh and seafood industry will
certainly depend strongly on the
fi nancial support received under
the programming period 2014–
2020. Th e state of fi shery science
will also play a role, because it
will determine the development
and transfer of aquaculture
knowledge.
How does the aquaculture sector respond to farmed fi sh from countries outside the EU? Is it considered a threat or is the market big enough for domestic producers as well as imports?
Clearly, low price is no longer
the most important thing for
buyers. Th ere is growing aware-
ness among consumers who are
shopping with more care, get-
ting information about products,
and benefi ting from campaigns
promoting the consumption of
fi sh and advertising the resulting
health benefi ts.
Carp is the most popular spe-
cies among fi sh produced by
Polish farms. Its consumption
has stayed at a level of approxi-
mately 0.45 kg/person for several
years now. Carp consumption
seems to face little competition
from other fi sh species, because
carp is the traditional fi sh eaten
at Christmas, when market
supplies of carp peak. Apart from
domestically produced carp,
the market is also supplied by
some 2,000 tonnes of carp
imported usually from neigh-
bouring countries (Lithuania,
the Czech Republic, and Slova-
kia). Producers have recently
tried to extend the carp-selling
season. Indeed, carp is increas-
ingly seen on shop shelves all
year round, and its sales are
supported by many advertising
campaigns.
06_Poland_PO.indd 3 05/12/13 1:01 PM
POLAND
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On the other hand, trout con-
sumption is growing slightly.
Its consumption in 2012 was ca.
0.42 kg/person vs. 0.29 kg/per-
son in 2002. Domestic produc-
tion is supplemented by imports
of ca. 7,000 tonnes, of which ca.
3,500 tonnes come from outside
the EU (Turkey and Norway).
Fresh and chilled trout is usu-
ally available on the market. Th is
means that the product off ered
for sale must be of top quality,
which only domestic producers
can provide. Trout sales, like
the sales of carp, are also sup-
ported by massive promotional
campaigns targeting fi nal con-
sumers.
We can say that, despite a wide
range of imported products,
the sale of fish produced in
Poland keeps growing. Pol-
ish consumers demand a wide
range of products, and among
them, Polish-farmed fish enjoys
a strong position. Apart from
the traditional carp and trout,
we often spot fresh pike-perch,
perch, tench, bream, and roach
in our shops. We can also get fish
from such smaller-scale cultures
as sturgeon, African sharptooth
catfish, tilapia, and barramundi.
At the same time, constantly
improving distribution channels
have a positive impact on the
quality of the delivered product.
Poland has enticed a lot of Europe’s fi sh-processing indus-try to set up facilities, thanks to a competitively priced and
skilled workforce. But as liv-ing standards rise and Polish labour costs increase, compa-nies may consider relocating. How can Poland prevent this?
Many European fi sh processing
companies have opened their
plants in Poland in recent years,
encouraged by easily available and
well-qualifi ed manpower, and the
relatively low cost of labour. But
companies also recognise that the
Polish market for fi sh and seafood
has a large, unutilised potential.
Fish consumption in Poland is
clearly lower than the European
average. An increase in fi sh and
seafood consumption would open
a large market for this type of prod-
uct, and I think businessmen are
aware of this opportunity.
Living standards have improved
signifi cantly in the country over
the past decade. We must remem-
ber that despite the worldwide
economic crisis, Poland’s GDP
grew more than 17 in the period
2007–2012. Yet, the wages, and
consequently the cost of labour in
Poland, are still clearly lower than
in most EU countries. Th e average
monthly (gross) wage in Poland
is approximately EUR 870. Th is is
more than fi ve times less than in
Switzerland, which is at the top of
the list, and more than four times
less than in our western neighbour
Germany. Poland comes behind
other countries such as Spain,
Portugal, and Greece, which are
all deeply bogged down in the
economic crisis, but also behind
Turkey and the Czech Republic.
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 23
06_Poland_PO.indd 4 05/12/13 1:01 PM
24 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
Th erefore, at the moment,
we do not see the threats you
mentioned. And we do not want
the low labour cost to be the
only attraction keeping inves-
tors in our country. We want the
qualifi cations of our workers to be
competitive, and we will carry on
improving their abilities. Consid-
erable funds for the development
of qualifi cations and training
came from the OP Fisheries. We
also support high-quality pro-
duction and the use of advanced
technologies.
Contracts for investment pro-
jects worth nearly PLN 434
million (EUR 103 million) have
been signed with fish process-
ing companies under the OP
Fisheries. As a result of these
investments, Poland has among
the most modern processing
plants in Europe that meet the
highest hygiene and veterinary
standards. We are improving
the transport network by build-
ing new highways and motor-
ways, and we focus on improv-
ing the quality of raw materials
and providing access to large
quantities.
Th is is why we have set up the
fi sh fi rst sale centres. Th ey buy
fi sh from fi shermen and deliver
it to the customers, which
include processing plants. In
this way, we solve the problem
of fragmented supply, delivering
raw material, which is sorted, in
good quality, and in the neces-
sary volumes. We have improved
our control systems signifi cantly
over recent years, and we can
now be sure that all of the landed
fi sh comes from legal and sus-
tainable fi shing.
Th e European Fisheries Fund’s Axis 4 started to actively deploy local partnership principles for
the benefi t of local fi shing com-munities. How do you asses the success of this initiative in Poland?
Th e very implementation of that
initiative is a success, despite
a 2-year delay starting it. Alto-
gether, Poland has 48 FLAGs in
its 16 voivodships (provinces).
Th e FLAG Committee chooses
the operations, based on the
selection criteria approved by
the Minister of Agriculture and
Rural Development. Th e FLAGs
operate in fi shing-dependent
areas, that is, areas where the
number of people working for
the fi shing sector is large. Th ey
could be employed in one of sev-
eral activities: marine fi shing,
fi shing on lakes, inland freshwa-
ter fi sh farms, or fi sh-processing
companies.
Th e implementation of the
FLAG strategy includes carry-
ing out operations of diff erent
types. Fishermen can expect
subsidies for restructuring
and re-orienting their busi-
nesses and for creating new job
opportunities outside the sec-
tor. Support is also available to
municipal authorities for pro-
jects to improve access to pub-
lic transport, reconstruct tourist
infrastructure, and promote the
area covered by the FLAG strat-
egy. Also eligible for support are
public organisations that work
for the development of the area,
for example, by organising spe-
cial interest groups for children,
building museums, or organis-
ing cultural events.
Support for local businesses and
farms is also possible, for exam-
ple, supporting the produc-
tion and promotion of fishery
products from local businesses.
Small, family-owned businesses
benefit greatly from this support,
because it can increase incomes
and help profile the company
over other business types. Sup-
port is available in particular
for fish farms and companies
in the fishing business that
wish to develop tourism as an
alternative source of income.
The development of such busi-
ness supports the development
of the local economy as a whole,
from bars and restaurants to
various tourist attractions, and
to the development of local
industry.
The fi nancial and economic crisis has been a long drawn out aff air from which many countries have not yet recov-ered. What was the impact on the Polish fi sheries sector, and what measures were imple-mented to mitigate it?
The results from the fisheries
sector in 2012 were quite good
despite the very difficult envi-
ronment. The number of profit-
yielding companies grew from
73.9 in 2011 to 85.1 in 2012.
This result was achieved largely
through continuing growth
in labour efficiency. In 2012,
Poland exported 349 thousand
tonnes of fish and fish products,
which is a quantity similar to
the 2011 figure (352 thousand
tonnes). The value of exports
increased from EUR 1,139 mil-
lion in 2011 to EUR 1,201 million
in 2012, and this growing trend
is expected to continue this
year.
Fish consumption in Poland is less than in many other EU countries. What eff orts are being made to increase con-sumption of fi sh among Poles, and particularly among seg-ments such as the young, who
are reluctant consumers of fi sh and seafood?
We take a variety of measures
to increase fi sh consumption,
including campaigns targeted
at young people. In 2008, the
Department of Fisheries coordi-
nated a broad fi sh-consumption
promotion campaign “Fish infl u-
ences all”. Commercials were
broadcast on the television and
radio, and were well received
among consumers. In 2012, we
put out an information leafl et
“Practical hints for fi sh consum-
ers”, which was distributed all over
Poland, mainly to gynaecological
and obstetrics clinics. We wanted
to target pregnant women and
feeding mothers because of their
special dietary requirements. Th e
leafl et included offi cial dietary
recommendations and informa-
tion on the benefi ts of consuming
omega-3 fatty acids.
Th e Fish Promotion Fund was
established in 2009 and is
fi nanced by 0.1 of the net value
of all products subject to VAT.
VAT-paying entrepreneurs are
obliged to levy, collect, and pay
the 0.1 to the Fish Promotion
Fund. Th e Fund’s statutory activ-
ities include support for projects
promoting fi sh consumption.
In 2011, the Fund fi nanced the
promotion of fi sh and seafood
with a campaign known as “Fish
Products from Poland”. It also
co-fi nanced the promotion of
the Fish Market Development
Association’s “Fish Wins”, a
campaign on Facebook aimed
mainly at young people. Asso-
ciations also promote fi sh con-
sumption using the European
Fisheries Fund. For example, the
campaign “Trout Now” by the
Association of Salmonid Produc-
ers and “Mr. Carp” by the Fish
Promotion Society.
06_Poland_PO.indd 5 05/12/13 1:01 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 25
POLAND
Source: Inland Fisheries Institute Source: FAO
06_Poland_PO.indd 6 05/12/13 1:01 PM
26 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
Poland has approximately
550,000 ha of inland
waters, and inland fishing
accounts for ca. 30 of Poland’s
total annual production or
about 54,000 tonnes. Today, ca.
67 of inland fishery production
comes from aquaculture, 26
comes from angling, and only
ca. 6 comes from commercial
lake, river, and dam reservoir
fisheries.
Th e Stanisław Sakowicz Inland
Fisheries Institute dating back to
1951 is the leading independent
research and development facility
in this fi eld. It is supervised by the
subdivision of inland fi sheries in the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development and is led by Direc-
tor Bogusław Zdanowski, while
Professor Arkadiusz Wołos heads
the Department of Fishery Bioeco-
nomics. In general, development
Polish inland fi sheries
Economic importance to rural areasThe inland fi sheries sector in Poland comprises the rearing and culture of freshwater fi sh, commercial lake and river fi sheries,
and recreational angling in inland waters. Commercial lake, river, and dam reservoir fi sheries and angling made the largest
contribution to the production of freshwater fi sh until the mid-1980s, when production came to be dominated by fi sh from
aquaculture.
at the institute is moving in two
directions. Th e fi rst relates to
aquaculture and biotechnology,
and the other relates to natural
waters and the implementation of
the water framework directive.
In recent years, the institute has
focused on innovation and imple-
mentation projects, including:
biotechnologies for the
artifi cial reproduction and
rearing of sturgeon species;
controlled biotechnology
for controlled reproduction
of pike-perch;
increased production of
stocking material of valu-
able fi sh species, with a spe-
cial focus on pike;
improved quality of the
artificial reproduction
and rearing of fish, with a
special focus on fish wel-
fare;
Local fi shermen pull up their catches in the Vistula Lagoon.
06_Poland_PO.indd 7 05/12/13 1:01 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 27
POLAND
Arkadiusz Wołos emphasises the importance of receiving recognition
and support from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
According to the FAO, Poland is
the second largest carp producer
in Europe and, although it had
a period of decline, production
has now stabilised and in 2012
totalled more than 17,700 tonnes;
production of other species in
the sector amounted to ca. 1,500
tonnes.
Less is known about the true
situation of trout. According
to Arkadiusz Wołos, the data
reveals that we saw the high-
est registered production of
trout five to seven years ago,
with a total of ca. 18,000 tonnes.
According to the latest data,
the extrapolated total produc-
tion today would only be 11,000
tonnes, signalling a substantial
drop.
Bogusław Zdanowski says “in
the case of open-water fishing,
of which about 90 of the catch
is lake fishing, we have seen a
drop over a 5 to 6 year period
from around 2,500 tonnes to
about 2,150 tonnes”. Paradoxi-
cally, despite this drop in pro-
duction, the financial standing
of the inland fisheries is stable.
The reason behind this is that
farms, especially lake farms, are
getting more involved in other
types of activities, such as pro-
cessing, establishing their own
shops, or promoting tourism.
Director Bogusław Zdanowski leads the Inland Fisheries Institute in
Olsztyn.
the promotional project
known as Mr. Carp, which was
designed to generate support
for domestic production.
Status of the sector
Polish inland fi sheries can be
classifi ed into three subsectors,
of which the fi rst two relate to
aquaculture:
1) production of carp and other
fi sh species in ponds;
2) production of trout and other
salmonid species;
3) fi sheries in open waters, i.e.,
lakes, rivers, and reservoirs.
Cormorants consume about twice the total commercial catches in lakes.
Ark
adiu
sz W
ołos
06_Poland_PO.indd 8 05/12/13 1:01 PM
28 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
Today fi sh stocks are more or
less at a sustainable level. In lake
fi sheries, the greatest decrease
is in eel. Production in the 1970s
and fi rst half of the 1980s was
500–700 tonnes annually, and
now it is a little over 80 tonnes.
Th e main catches of lake species
are shown in Table 1.
Cormorants: an enormous problem
Th e increasing population of
cormorants is one of the most
signifi cant problems currently
facing Polish fi sheries. Estimates
indicate that these predators
consume more than two times
the total commercial catches
in lakes. Temporary permits for
shooting some birds are issued,
but the results are more or less
undetectable. Little is being done
to reduce the stocks because the
institution responsible for envi-
ronmental protection remains
guarded on the issue. “Th is is an
offi cial opinion and has created
an obvious discrepancy between
the position of the Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Develop-
ment and the Ministry of Envi-
ronment. But this situation is
not exclusive to Poland,” says
Professor Arkadiusz Wołos.
Illegal fi shing reduced
Illegal fi shing is decreasing. One
reason could be the decreas-
ing stocks, particularly of eel.
Eel was by far the most illegally
fi shed stock owing to its sub-
stantially higher price compared
with other species. Today, a kilo-
gram costs PLN 70 (ca. EUR 17),
while trout is PLN 15 (EUR 4). Th e
reduction in the stock of eel has
therefore removed much of the
Inland Fisheries Institute The Stanisław Sakowicz Inland
Fisheries Institute
ul. Oczapowskiego 10
10-719 Olsztyn
Poland
Tel.: +48 89 5241062
Fax: +48 89 5240505
irs@infi sh.com.pl
www.infi sh.com.pl
Director: Bogusław Zdanowski
Head of Department of Fishery
Bioeconomics: Arkadiusz Wołos
incentive to fi sh illegally. Stur-
geon and pike-perch also com-
mand premium prices compared
with other species.
Th e fi shery industry is an impor-
tant element of the economies
in inland and rural regions, and
freshwater fi sh are an important
source of income. Including the
aquaculture sector, lake fi sheries,
and professional anglers, ca.
4,500 persons are employed.
Angling is a huge sector in
Poland, with an estimated 1.5
million anglers. About ten years
ago, the total value of angling,
including catches, stocking
materials, business, and fi shing
trips, was estimated at more than
PLN 1 billion (about EUR 240 mil-
lion). At the same time, the total
value of aquaculture production
was PLN 300 million (ca. EUR 72
million). Poland’s inland waters
are restocked with 23 diff erent
fi sh species – a rare situation
in Europe – and the total fi nan-
cial value of restocking is much
greater than the value of catches.
Th e economic performance of
fi sheries is generally stable with
trout farms doing best, followed by
lake fi sheries, with carp farms last.
Carp producers are trying to intro-
duce additional species in a bid to
increase the profi tability of their
operations.
Th e ratio of consumed inland
fi sh is somewhat uncertain, but
it is estimated that ca. 20 of
Poland’s total fi sh consump-
tion of 10–12 kg per capita is
from inland fi sheries, of which
trout makes up about 1,25 kg per
capita. Almost all products from
open-water fi sheries and carp
farming are consumed in Poland,
whereas trout is also exported.
Priorities for the next program-
ming period, 2014–2020, focus on
stabilising the legal environment
for fi sheries and taking action on
the cormorant nuisance. Imple-
mentation of the new OP may
prove diffi cult owing to the low
profi tability of some farms. Th ey
simply do not have the funds
needed. And freshwater pond
fi sheries in Poland (and Europe
in general) are not accepted as an
important and equal-rights sub-
sector of aquaculture but rather
as a natural resource.
Table 1. Catches from 270,000 ha of lakes in Poland in 2012Species Tonnes Species Tonnes
Bream 724,18 Carps 141,92
Pike 273,15 Pike-perch 118,18
Roach 247,06 Eel 85,08
Vendace 206,80 Smelt 24,12
Perch 150,30 Other 24,34
Tench 147,53 Total 2142,66
06_Poland_PO.indd 9 05/12/13 1:01 PM
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06_Poland_PO.indd 10 05/12/13 1:01 PM
30 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
Sturgeons are an anadro-
mous species, which means
they migrate from the sea
to freshwater for spawning. In
Poland, they have been recorded
travelling as far as 700 km for this
purpose. In a recirculation sys-
tem, the spawning of sturgeon
takes place in January and Febru-
ary and takes about two months.
It is more complicated than with
other species, but the Dgał Exper-
imental Stocking Centre has been
doing it successfully for 12 years.
Th e conditions in the basins imi-
tate the fi sh's natural environ-
ment. During winter, water tem-
peratures are decreased and then
gradually raised and lights are
turned on to signal spring. Th e fi sh
do not produce eggs every year,
so several stocks of each species
have to be maintained according
to the number of years between
spawning (two years for Siberian
sturgeon, four years for Russian,
and at least four years for Atlantic
sturgeon).
Atlantic sturgeon is a delicate
species and is bred for restock-
ing in the Baltic Sea region, but
plans are being made to produce
the fi sh for sale. Atlantic stur-
geon matures between 13 and 14
years of age when females reach
a weight of ca. 50 kg. In the wild,
maturity would not occur before
they reached 18 to 20. Being sensi-
tive, they react to anything: move-
ment, sound, and lights being
turned on and off . Because of this,
losses of Atlantic sturgeon are
more frequent and still occur after
they reach 1 kg, whereas other
sturgeon species experience prac-
tically no losses.
Th e species can reach sixty years in
age and grow to almost 5 m, with
weights exceeding 300 kg. Today,
natural sustainable populations
are maintained only in the US and
Canada. In Europe, they are almost
entirely extinct, so stock restocking
is highly prioritised.
Studies have revealed that the
sturgeon population in the Bal-
tic Sea belongs to the Cana-
dian subspecies rather than the
European variant, as previously
thought. Research indicates that
this species migrated to the Bal-
tic approximately 1,300 years ago
and subsequently displaced the
native species.
Most experiments are carried
out on the Siberian sturgeon,
because it is the easiest to grow
and reaches sexual maturity at the
age of only 8, making it the species
of sturgeon most commonly bred
in captivity. Research focuses on
obtaining the female stocks by,
for instance, hormonal reversal
of sexes. But the coding system
for sexes is diff erent in sturgeon
than in other species. Currently,
it is not possible to genetically
distinguish males from females,
and only when they reach a size of
The Dgał Experimental Stocking Centre grows fi sh for research, restocking, and revenue
A focus on sturgeon and other high-value speciesThe Dgał Experimental Stocking Centre is a unit of the Inland Fisheries Institute, which carries out experiments to improve the
breeding of fi sh species with a particular focus on sturgeon and other high-value species for both restocking and sale.
Fish for restocking are tagged to allow them to be traced.
ca. 1,5 kg can the sexes be identi-
fi ed using ultrasonic scanning;
but this is labour intensive and
therefore done only for restocking
or in connection with the produc-
tion of caviar.
Polish sturgeon behind Russian caviar
Russian sturgeon is excellent
for caviar, so-called black gold,
because their eggs are big and
very black and this makes them
more sought after, although they
mature later (ca. 12 years of age).
Th ey grow without much eff ort to
200 kg and 3,5 m.
Two companies in Poland breed
sturgeon for caviar. According
to Mirosław Szczepkowski of the
Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fish-
eries Institute, “We have many
customers in Lithuania who
source breeding materials from
our hatchery and sell them to
Russia. We sell sturgeon weighing
1 to 2 kg to Russia, and thus Polish
sturgeon is the origin of Russian
caviar. At least some of it”.
A fi sh for the future?
Pike-perch is bred from the insti-
tute's own broodstock. “Everyone
wants to breed this species, but
unfortunately, it is very diffi cult”,
says Miroslaw Szczepkowki. “Espe-
cially at the initial stages, growing
them from eggs to 1 to 2 g fi sh and
getting them to eat feed. Th ere are
farms in Denmark and Poland that
specialise in growing them, but in
Poland, we are the only ones who
grow them from scratch”.
Th e species is only bred for
restocking but there is a huge
demand for this fi sh once they
06_Poland_PO.indd 11 05/12/13 1:01 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 31
POLAND
have reached the 1 to 2 g threshold.
Prospects for growing this species
have the greatest potential, and
the institute has been contacted
by a Dutch company willing to
pay very good prices. Currently,
the breeding process is far from
perfect, and there is ample room
for improvement, but the institute
believes this is a species for the
future and will be working on this
more intensively.
Th is species is also very popular
for angling, which is why they
are caught extensively. Th e tradi-
tional methods of restocking fi sh
of 2 to 3 cm is not very eff ective
for pike-perch. Th ey are eaten by
predators and therefore have to
be bigger. Th e institute has to fi nd
out the optimal size for restock-
ing. Advantages are, however,
that pike-perch adapt easily and
maintain their killer instinct. Even
after having been fed on fi sh feed,
they quickly go back to preying
on other fi sh when released. Pike
for instance needs to be released
when it is no larger than 5 gr,
otherwise they lose their instinct
to prey on fi sh. Pike breeding
is otherwise quite productive”.
Pike-perch and pike are mainly
restocked within the region.
Currently, research is being
done on white fi sh (Coregonus
lavaletus), which is very popu-
lar in Poland. In fact, it nearly
became extinct because of its
popularity. Two breeding stocks
for both restocking and sale to
farms are maintained. Szczep-
kowski explains, “Th ey grow
quickly but are somewhat deli-
cate, especially to some bacte-
rial diseases. We are working to
improve its resistance. Th e spe-
cies is also popular with trout
farmers as a supplementary fi sh.
White fi sh from here is stocked
throughout most of Poland”.
Measuring the effect
All fi sh for restocking are tagged
with microchips under their skin,
which will remain in them for
life. Monitoring the effi ciency of
the restocking is an important
objective and, with these tags,
identifi cation can be made, fi sh
counted, and movements tracked
using diff erent monitoring sys-
tems. Gear attached to buoys or
boats that register the fi sh can be
used for this. Radio transmitters
are used for sturgeon and pike-
perch. Th e tags are hydroacous-
tic and can be registered using
antennas.
If the fi sh do not register, they
either are dead or have been
caught. Because the radio
The sexes of sturgeon cannot be determined before they have reached
a size of 1,5 kg.
Mirosław Szczepkowski shows off some of the farmed species.
transmitters are fairly large, they
generate a return rate of ca. 66
from anglers. Only a small per-
centage of the smaller tags are
returned, because anglers simply
do not notice them. Th is informa-
tion was benefi cial as it proved
that pike could survive after
spawning. Th e fi sh were marked
after spawning and released into
the lakes, revealing that the fi sh did
survive. Th is caused changes to pro-
cedures, allowing fi sh to be released
for restocking after spawning at the
hatchery.
The hatchery employs six aca-
demic researchers and seven
technical workers to conduct
experimental research. The
hatchery produces 300,000
fry per year, of which 50,000
are released for restocking,
and 250,000 are sold. It has
facilities to produce more
sturgeon, but this is the amount
that currently can be sold.
Demand is growing however, ca.
20 per year.
“With our specialties, sturgeon,
pike-perch, and white fish, we
are definitely the leaders in our
field and receive at least 30 to
40 visits from other breeders to
see how we do it”, says Szczep-
kowski. “As a result, in recent
years, the number of recircu-
lation aquaculture systems
established around Poland has
increased, with support from
the EFF. It is seen as an oppor-
tunity to move from an extensive
to an intensive farming method.
We want to develop and encour-
age more and more people to
develop their own farms. Begin-
nings are always tough, but it’s
important not to get discour-
aged,” says Mr Szczepkowski.
Dgał Experimental Stocking Centre The Stanisław Sakowicz Inland
Fisheries Institute
Department of Sturgeon Fish
Breeding
Mr Mirosław Szczepkowski
Pieczarki 50
11-610 Pozezdrze, Poland
Tel.: +48 87 428 3666
Mob: +48 500 052 342
szczepkowski@infi sh.com.pl
www.infi sh.com.pl
06_Poland_PO.indd 12 05/12/13 1:02 PM
32 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
Managing Director Bogu-
sław Kelles-Krauz and
his wife moved here as
newlyweds, straight after gradu-
ation. He has been director for
more than 20 years and proudly
shows off his accomplishments.
Th e farm is located on 4,700 ha,
of which 4,300 are lakes. Th e rest
consists mostly of grassland, for-
est, and meadow. Th e company
was initially state owned but
was privatised in 1994, when the
former employees established
a joint-venture cooperative that
won the tender in the privatisa-
tion process.
Activities galore
Th e company started out with
simple lake fi sheries but subse-
quently began breeding, catch-
ing, selling, and processing. Th e
company owns a trout farm and
fi ve carp centres covering more
than 220 hectares. Carp centres
are farms with hatcheries, where
they breed carp for their own
production as well as for sale to
other fi sh farms.
As the company grew, it gradu-
ally added facilities for storage,
refrigeration, freezing, smoking,
processing, and packaging. Th e
processing is basic and involves
cleaning, descaling, and fi llet-
ing. Ninety-nine per cent of their
products are made with fi sh from
their own catches, and all waste
products are sold to a fi sh-feed
producer. Th e place also fea-
tures two guesthouses that can
be rented, overlooking the lake.
Bogaczewo – Lake fi sheries and more
Managing Director Bogusław Kelles-Krauz
Lake Narie, one of the lakes owned by Bogaczewo. The company has a total of 4,300 ha of lakes.
Most of the bookings are made
between May and August, but
it is possible to rent them year-
round.
“We own two small shops where
we sell a large selection of our
products to the locals and to other
local shops, like in the nearby city
of Olsztyn”, says Kelles-Krauz.
“We also have an agreement with
the LeClerc supermarket chain,
which sells our whole line of prod-
ucts in stores throughout Poland”.
“And then there’s our restau-
rant, which operates during an
extended summer season from
April to October, where we serve
dishes made with our freshly
caught fi sh. It is very popular
with both locals and tourists,”
says Kelles-Krauz. “People like
to come out to eat good quality
close to where the fi sh are
caught. Fish is simply better that
way”. Bogaczewo does not sell
products abroad because there
is still plenty of opportunity in
Poland.
Th e types of products sold vary
depending on the season. For
Diversifi cation at its bestZakład Rybacki Bogaczewo, or Bogaczewo Fish Department in English, was establish in Bogaczewo between Warsaw and Gda‘nsk
next to Lake Narie in 1952. It has made Bogaczewo synonymous with diversifi cation in inland fi sheries.
06_Poland_PO.indd 13 05/12/13 1:02 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 33
POLAND
instance, king carp is sold live
and almost only in December
according to Polish tradition. Th e
fi sh scales look like coins and
symbolise wealth; they are given
to family and friends around
Christmas. Th e fi sh is sold live,
and people take pride in descal-
ing, cleaning, and giving them
away. Most other products like
trout and vendace are sold either
whole or fi lleted, fresh on ice,
smoked, or frozen, in vacuum
packs to preserve the quality.
Approximately 500 to 600 kg
of fi sh are processed daily and,
including sales of unprocessed
or live fi sh, the company can sell
up to a tonne per day. Processing
is driven by the daily demand.
“We try to regulate our catches
according to our needs, so we
don’t catch more than we expect
to sell. Th at way, we ensure that
the stock will survive in future,
and we can guarantee our cus-
tomers that the fi sh is as fresh as
possible,” he says.
Th e operation employs 35 people.
It uses approximately a tonne of
feed for the fi sh farms per day.
Last year roughly 300 tonnes
of fi sh were sold, generating
a revenue of ca. EUR 840,000.
Mr. Kelles-Krauz’s wife shows a hook used for smoking eel
Nets confi scated from illegal fi shing decorate the terrace.
Approximately 50 to 60 tonnes
are not sold because they consti-
tute the basis for the breeding of
stocks.
Nothing comes easy
“We are impatiently waiting for
society to become wealthier”, says
Kelles-Krauz, “because fi sh is
more expensive than other foods
and not aff ordable by everyone.
But we are moving in the right
direction. Polish society has to
learn to eat carp all year round
instead of just at Christmas. We
are trying to do this by extend-
ing the season that carp is avail-
able. Now, sale starts in October
and doesn’t end before summer.
Earlier, we only sold live carp, but
now we also sell fi llets to make it
easier for people to eat”.
Bogaczewo has received co-
funding for investment in the
farm from the European Fisher-
ies Fund and Mr Kelles-Krauz
is waiting for the new fi shery
programme to determine if
any future opportunities can
receive fi nancial aid. “Th ere are
always lots of ideas and new
plans. Th e fi shing business is
not easy but it’s not too bad
either”. He smiles before con-
tinuing. “Th is is our fi rst real
job, and we would like it to be
our last. So, just 15 years more
to go”.
Bogaczewo Company Fact File
Zakład Rybacki Bogaczewo Spółka
z.o.o.
14-300 Morag-Bogaczewo
Poland
Tel.: +48 8985 4031
Mob.: +48 8975 4031
Managing Director: Bogusław
Kelles-Krauz
Activities: Lake fi sheries, fi ve
carp farms with hatcheries, a
trout farm, a small processing
facility, two small shops selling
fi sh, and a restaurant
Employees: 35
Yearly production: 300 tonnes
06_Poland_PO.indd 14 05/12/13 1:03 PM
34 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
FLAGs of opportunity
With a EUR 235 million
budget from the EFF,
Poland is well ahead of
runner-up Romania, which has
only EUR 7 5 million. An additional
one-fourth of the support comes
from national funds making the
total budget EUR313 million. Axis
4 funds are managed by fi sheries
local action groups (FLAGs), part-
nerships between fi shery actors and
other local public and private stake-
holders in a region. Together, they
design a strategy that addresses the
specifi c needs for economic, social,
and environmental welfare, which
can then be implemented through
a variety of initiatives.
Th e advantage of this bottom–up
approach is that the application
process is managed by those who
know the people, the community
and, more importantly, their needs.
A central body in Warsaw could
never know the diff erent needs of
diff erent communities. People are
helped in the application process
by locals and do not need to travel
long distances to apply. Th is makes
it possible for more people to apply.
Poland’s 48 FLAGs cover almost a
quarter of its territory, with about
one-fi fth of them situated on the
coast and the rest distributed inland.
Eurofi sh magazine had the chance
to visit two FLAGs in northern
Poland to get an idea of the issues
that were important to the com-
munities and the opportunities
that the FLAGs provide.
Vistula Lagoon FLAG
Th e Vistula Lagoon is a shal-
low freshwater lagoon located
in northern Poland on the Baltic
Sea, roughly 90 km long, 10–19 km
wide, and up to 6 m deep, with an
average depth of around 2 m. Th e
Polish–Russian border runs right
across it, so that the surface of the
Polish part of the bay amounts
to about 340 km2, with approxi-
mately 500 km2 remaining on the
Russian side. Th e lagoon is fed by
several rivers and is connected
to the Baltic Sea by the Strait of
Baltiysk, on the Russia side of the
border.
An agreement signed between
Poland and Russia in 1956 allowed
the free movement of vessels on the
Vistula Lagoon without the need for
documents or visas. It also granted
access of passage to the Baltic Sea;
however, this has periodically been
revoked, most recently in 2005. Th is
has been so problematic that the
idea of building another passage on
the Polish side into the Baltic Sea, so
easing its dependence on Russia, has
been considered. Th e investment
would, however, be great and could
cause ecological disruptions, such as
unbalancing the lagoon’s freshwater
ecosystem as a result of the infl ow of
brackish waters from the Baltic.
Border issues
Th e border between Poland and
Russia, however, also provides
Helping communities become sustainablePoland has allocated 32% of its European Fisheries Fund (EFF) budget to Axis 4, making it the EU member country with the
largest allocation, accounting for roughly 40% of the total Axis 4 budget or EUR235m.
Fishermen prepare their gear in Piaski harbour.
06_Poland_PO.indd 15 05/12/13 1:03 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 35
POLAND
the region with potential. Tour-
ism from the neighbouring Russian
city of Kaliningrad is thought to be
an untapped source of income to
improve the economy of the Vistula
Lagoon area. With a population of
ca. 450,000 people living in Kalinin-
grad (approximately the same size as
Gdansk) and located less than 60 km
from the Polish border, the city off ers
signifi cant potential for cross border
tourism. Unfortunately, Poland is
making entry from Russia very diffi -
cult, so the Russians do not come as
often as the Poles would like.
Piotr Kasza, a local fi sherman and
vice-president of the FLAG board,
says, with 28 unemployment in
the region, we should really be
interested in the development of
tourism. Tourists that spend PLN
10–50,000 PLN (EUR 2–12,000) per
visit won’t accept having to spend
four hours crossing the border.
When the borders were open,
each quarter Poles spent PLN 4
million (EUR 1 million) in Russia,
while Russians spent PLN 40 mil-
lion (EUR 10 million) in Poland.
Th is amount was documented by
VAT returns, which do not account
for services like hairdressers, spas,
and other treatments, and therefore
the actual amount is in fact sub-
stantially higher. Kasza says, “Our
only opportunity for the region is
cooperating and trading with Rus-
sia, and encouraging tourism.”
Cormorants are also an impor-
tant issue in the Vistula Lagoon.
Currently in the region, there is a
natural reserve of 15,000 pairs of
black cormorants, who eat all of
the fi sh. It is a tragedy for fi sher-
men in the Vistula Lagoon.
Th e main species fi shed in the
lagoon are herring (in spring), eel,
pike-perch, and bream. In summer,
the bay is shallow, and the water
gets too warm for the fi sh, aff ording
the fi shermen a break. Th at makes
tourism even more important. Th is
downtime could be used to provide
services to visitors.
During the trip on the lagoon, a
vessel from the fi sh inspectorate
pulled up and agreed to answer
a few questions regarding illegal
fi shing. Controls are performed
daily, and amounts of catches and
types of fi shing equipment are
noted. Th e fi ne for illegal fi shing
is up to PLN 50,000 (EUR 12,000),
so very few venture into this illegal
business. Th irty illegal fi shermen
are caught annually, and 450–500
illegal nets are confi scated, usu-
ally in spring when pike-perch
and bream spawn here. Provisions
excluding people caught fi shing
illegally from applying for EU fund-
ing has helped limit illegal fi shing.
When asked what FLAG funding
has been spent on, Director Andrzej
Wisniewski states, “Seventy per
cent of our funds have already been
spent and only PLN 200,000 (EUR
50,000) remain for next year. Th ese
funds have been vital to the sustain-
ability of our region”.
A few highlights of how money
was spent include renovating
a kindergarten, building play-
grounds, setting up an agri-
tourism enterprise, purchasing
equipment (for tourism, medical
centres, fi re departments, etc.),
setting up a restaurant, con-
structing two hatcheries, and a
permanent astronomy exhibition
in Frombork cathedral to com-
memorate Nicolaus Copernicus.
Northern Kashubian FLAG
Located in a former fi shermen’s
house and sharing a building with
the Władysławowo city council
is the Northern Kashubian FLAG
headquarters. Th e focus of this
FLAG is fi sheries and tourism.
Its area covers 770 km2 and has
a population of almost 100,000
Director Andrzej Wisniewski and Piotr Kasza, fi sherman and board
vice-president, show what the Vistula Lagoon has to offer.
A fi shing vessel in Frombork harbour with the cathedral in the
background where Nicolaus Copernicus worked.
Vistula Bay FLAG
Total public budget of FLAG
2007–2013: EUR 6.9 million
EFF: EUR 5.2 million
Other public (national/ regional/
provincial): EUR 1,740,000
Director of the Vistula Lagoon
FLAG: Andrzej Wisniewski
Vice-President of the Board and
fi sherman: Piotr Kasza
Address:
Zalew Wislany
ul. Zeromskiego 14
14-500 Braniewo
Poland
Tel.: +48 55 235 11 12
Fax: +48 55 235 10 42
www.lgrzalewwislany.pl
06_Poland_PO.indd 16 05/12/13 1:03 PM
36 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
inhabitants. With EFF aid exceed-
ing EUR 13 million, the North-
ern Kashubian FLAG has one of
the largest budgets to assist and
develop the region. Approxi-
mately EUR 10 million have been
spent, with another 5 million left
to spend before the end of the pro-
gramme in 2015. Th e fi shing index
of this particular FLAG is 5,34,
which means that there are 5,34
fi shermen per 1,000 inhabitants.
Th is is one of the highest indices
in Poland and throughout Europe.
Th e region’s history dates to before
the 16th century when Kashubian
fi shermen united in occupational
groups known as Maszoperias
in order to fi sh more eff ectively.
Th e basic rule in these groups
demanded an equal division of
catches. Th e skipper, referred to
as “the fi rst among equals”, had
to work like the others. Maszo-
perias were organised primarily
for types of fi shing that required
the integration of larger groups of
fi shermen, such as seine and fyke
fi shing.
Northern Kashubian FLAG
Total public budget of FLAG
2007–2013: EUR 17.7 million
EFF: EUR 13.3 million
Other public (national): EUR
4.4 million
President: Zbigniew Chmaruk
Address:
Północnokaszubska Lokalna Grupa
Rybacka,
ul. gen. J. Hallera 19
84-120 Władysławowo
Poland.
Tel.: +48 58 114 68 90
Fax: +48 58 774 53 62
www.plgr.pl
Wearing a traditional fi shing hat of the region, President of the Northern Kashubian FLAG Zbigniew
Chmaruk sets sail in a Pomeranka, a traditional wooden fi shing boat.
Traditional oak fi shing boats with
sails, many built by the fi shermen
themselves, were also used for tra-
ditional coastal fi shing. Th e vessels
were similar in structures but var-
ied in size. Th e largest “Pomeranka”
was about 7 m long and was used
to fi sh with a large salmon seine.
Th e absence of ports made this
vessel popular because they could
be pulled safely ashore during
storms using one’s own strength.
Today, the fi shing fl eet has been
upgraded, and the Pomerankas
cater mostly for enthusiasts and
tourists.
Fishing has always played an
important role in the Northern
Kashubian region. Inhabitants of
the Hel peninsula, a sandy, 35-km
long peninsula almost lacking in
agricultural land, were forced to
support themselves almost exclu-
sively with marine fi sheries. Th is
has made the people proud, and
their strong ties to fi shing are
revealed in many aspects of their
lives. Th is manifests itself in a fi sh-
ing forest, fi shing houses, a fi shing
language, and fi shing-related festi-
vals. Religion has a strong presence
here, but fi shing is omnipresent,
as seen in the church in Jastar-
nia, decorated with fi sh and fi sh
motives, inside and out, on its
doors, ceilings, benches, and altar.
Today, the beaches of the penin-
sula attract many tourists, espe-
cially during summer, as well as
wind and kite surfers.
At the end of October, a call for
proposals was closed for the
allocation of EUR 3 million. Th e
FLAG staff helped more than
60 newcomers apply for funds.
FLAG receives an average of 120
applications per call, of which
20–30 are implemented. Th is
time, 153 applications were
received, 86 within the area of
“Adding value to fi shery prod-
ucts, the development of ser-
vices to the communities living
in areas dependent on fi sher-
ies – the social and economic
sector”. Th is demonstrates the
area’s thirst for funding and the
wealth of ideas. Eighty projects
have already been implemented
or are ongoing. Large projects
include building piers that dou-
ble port capacity, establishing
recreational marinas, creat-
ing Poland’s fi rst subterranean
vacuum pumps for unloading
fi shing vessels, extending stor-
age facilities, and providing
new processing equipment.
Smaller projects include provid-
ing equipment for restaurants,
creating sailing schools, creating
horse-riding facilities, and build-
ing playgrounds. Projects can be
viewed on an interactive map on
the FLAG website.
Ending the tour of the Northern
Kashubian FLAG, President Zbig-
niew Chmaruk sums it up quite
well. “Fishing is not just a living, it’s
in our hearts”.
06_Poland_PO.indd 17 05/12/13 1:03 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 37
POLAND
First-sales centre
The fi shing vessel that has
just arrived in the harbour
is carrying cod, which
fi shermen are obliged to register
at the fi rst-sales centre, accord-
ing to regulations from the Min-
istry of Agriculture and Rural
Development. In the process of
weighing, they are sometimes
accompanied by an inspector
from the sea-fi shery inspector-
ate, sometimes not. Usually
20–30 of the catch is randomly
selected and weighed while the
rest is loaded directly on the
transport truck, in case a buyer
already is sourced. Th is fi gure,
however, can be changed by a
buyer or an inspector.
After weighing, a “fi rst-sales
document” is produced, which
is required by the control regula-
tions. Fishermen have no obliga-
tion to use the fi rst-sales centre
to aid in the sales process. But if
some or all of the catch has not
been sold already, the centre can
facilitate a sale and also provide
the necessary storage facilities
until the products can be distrib-
uted.
Th e advantages are that buyers
are certain that they receive the
right amount and quality, and
do not have to perform their
own controls. Also, some buyers
are interested in larger quanti-
ties than a single fi sherman can
provide, and so the fi rst-sale
centres collect fi sh from several
vessels until they can provide the
right amount. At the same time,
authorities know that all catches
are correctly accounted for. Cod
and salmon species must be reg-
istered at the fi rst-sales centres,
but fi shermen use it for other
species too because of the ser-
vices that the fi rst-sales centres
provide, which also includes pro-
viding ice and facilities to clean
equipment. Hygiene is obviously
very important to maintain the
freshness of the fi sh as long as
possible.
“Initially, local fi shermen were
not positive towards the idea of
the centres, but now after they
started using the facilities and
can see the advantages, their
perceptions are gradually chang-
ing”, explains Leszek Piłka, Fish-
eries Department, Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Develop-
ment.
For more information, please
contact: Leszek Piłka
Head of Market and Fish process-
ing unit
Fisheries Department, Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development
30 Wspólna St.
00-930 Warsaw
Poland
Tel.: +48 22 623 24 40
Fax: + 48 22 623 22 04
Jarosław Kirszling, a fi shing vessel owner and head of the largest
fi shermen’s association in Poland, the Association of Sea Fishermen.
Leszek Piłka, Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development is happy with the success of the fi rst sale centers.
Advantages for fishers, buyers, and authoritiesLocated in Władysławowo harbour is one of the four newly created fi rst-sales centres in the region (there are currently nine
centres in Poland). This one is managed by Poland’s largest fi shermen’s association, the Association of Sea Fishermen. It is led
by Jarosław Kirszling and represents 250 captains and ca. 30% of the Polish fl eet.
06_Poland_PO.indd 18 05/12/13 1:03 PM
38 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
Polish Fish Industry Congress, 16–18 October 2013, Bolszewo
The congress opened with
a session devoted to
trade, which focused on
demand in the domestic mar-
ket and the financial situation
of Polish firms. It was repeat-
edly emphasised that, despite
high hopes for an increase in the
consumption of fish in Poland,
the demand for fish and sea-
food remains stable or is even
decreasing slightly.
According to Grzegorz Mech (GfK
Polonia), Polish consumers are not
shopping as much as previously
and are choosing less-expensive
products. Recently, less has been
spent on products in most catego-
ries, except for fresh and smoked
fi sh, although an increase in trout
and salmon sales was noted.
Krzysztof Hryszko (IoAaFE)
pointed to the poor fi nancial
results for the fi rst half of 2013,
during which the Polish fi sh
industry generated smaller prof-
its despite increased sales. Th is is
mainly the result of a weak inter-
nal market and the high cost of
raw material, especially salmon.
Adding value a priority
A theme vitally important to all
participants and relating to the
future of the Polish fi sh market
was that of fi sh promotion. Kris-
tin Pettersen from the Norwegian
Seafood Council pointed out that
marketing should not focus on
increasing the sales volume, but
must prioritise product valorisa-
tion and maximisation of added
value.
Increasing added value was
the subject of presentations by
Fish marketing should focus on greater value additionBetween 16 and 18 October at the Polish Fish Industry Congress, representatives from Poland’s fi sh-processing industry met
scientists, experts, and advocacy groups to discuss the current condition and future development of Polish fi sh processing.
Invited speakers gave advice on how to overcome current stumbling blocks and prepare for a brighter future, and local players
debated matters closer to home.
Presentations at the conference often provoked a lively discussion which benefi ted the audience as well as the speakers. Here, Jerzy Safader
from the Polish Fish Processors Association has the fl oor.
Hub
ert B
iern
dgar
ski
06_Poland_PO.indd 19 05/12/13 1:04 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 39
POLAND
suppliers of technology. Łukasz
Betlinski (Linde) pointed to the
crucial benefi ts of cryogenic
chilling and freezing to fi sh
products, and Gonzalo Cam-
pos (Sealed Air) showed several
innovative solutions in the fi eld
of packaging.
Katia Tribilustova from Eurofi sh
pointed out a number of trends in
the labelling of fi sh and seafood
products. Labels are used to high-
light the value of fi sh as a protein
source, to focus on the product’s
green credentials, or to emphasise
its nutritional value. She showed
how labels can be used to attract
specifi c consumer segments, such
as the elderly with large and clear
texts that are easy to read, and
how they are used to stress health
aspects such as reduced salt, no
trans-fats, or the use of certain oils.
Problems of certifi cation
An emotional discussion took
place concerning the certifi cation
of fi sh products. From the ecolo-
gists’ point of view, represented by
Piotr Predki from the World Wide
Fund for Nature (WWF) and Anna
Debicka from the Marine Stew-
ardship Council (MSC), the cer-
tifi cation of fi sh products (MSC
and the Aquaculture Stewardship
Council) supports the sustainable
use of natural resources. For the
fi sh processors, it is an expensive
tool that increases the price for
consumers. Th e processors main-
tained that, although certifi ca-
tion is voluntary, in fact, pressure
from the supermarkets makes it
obligatory. Further, supermarkets
derive marketing benefi ts without
incurring any costs.
Describing his own experiences
introducing certifi ed products to
the Polish market, Przemysław
Cieslik (Contimax) pointed out
that customers are overwhelmed
by the fl ood of advertising, which
devalues the information about
certifi cation on the label. In this
situation, “only a long-term infor-
mation campaign will increase
the value of certifi cation as per-
ceived by consumers”.
Looking ahead
On the last day of the congress,
representatives of the fi sh industry
and administration discussed
future challenges. Th ese included
the slow consolidation in the
Polish fi sh processing indus-
try (Bogusław Kowalski, Graal),
the diffi cult raw-material situa-
tion (Jerzy Safader, Stanpol), and
increasing regulations connected
to food safety and environmental
protection (Piotr Bykowski, Polish
Fish Processors Association).
Outlining the fi nancial perspec-
tive until 2020, Paweł Łazarski,
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural
Development, left no room for
misunderstanding: EMFF will
not fi nance investment in fi sh
Polish Fish Industry CongressDate: 16–18 October 2013
Location: Bolszewo, Poland
Organiser: Fish Market Develop-
ment Association
Partners: Eurofi sh, Linde, TUV Nord,
Sealed Air, North Atlantic Seafood
Forum, Fish Industry Magazine
No. of participants: 103
Fish processing plants
represented: 28
Fishery and aquaculture
organisations represented: 12
processing, except for activi-
ties that foster innovation. He
encouraged the processors to
seek other EU fi nancial instru-
ments.
Th e annual Fish Market Devel-
opment Association prizes for
the best fi sh and fi sh-product
promotional campaigns were
awarded. Th e best social cam-
paign, the third stage of a cam-
paign promoting trout, was
created by the Polish Trout
Breeders Association. “Th e
Golden Fin” prize in the category
of promotion of a branded fi sh
product was awarded to Lisner
Ltd, Poznan, for a campaign
promoting the sandwich paste
“Pastella”. Th e prizes are awarded
by an independent jury of eight,
representing Polish fi shery
organisations and experts.
Th e Polish Fish Industry Con-
gress successfully nurtured
debate among the scientists,
experts, and the managers of
the Polish fi sh processing indus-
try. Th e project was fi nanced by
the European Fisheries Fund in
the frames of the Polish opera-
tional programme for fi sheries.
Tomasz Kulikowski, Fish Industry
Magazine
The winners of the Fish Market Development Association Prize: Jacek Juchniewicz (left), chairman of the
Polish Trout Breeders Association, and Jacek Suryn, fi sh category manager, Lisner Ltd.
Hub
ert B
iern
dgar
ski
06_Poland_PO.indd 20 05/12/13 1:04 PM
40 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
Poland’s political transi-
tion at the end of the 1980s
aff ected many companies.
Many of the country’s fi sh pro-
cessors were unable to come to
grips with the adjustments and
were forced into bankruptcy. Th is
was also the case in the Baltic Sea
region, where BMC was doing
business. As a growing number of
companies, whose products BMC
was trading, went out of business,
BMC had to develop a plan to
secure its own survival.
An opportunity lay ahead, because
the company knew that the market
for processed fi sh products was
still robust, with strong demand
from its buyers. So, the company
made the strategic decision to ven-
ture into the processing business.
According to Jerzy Szc-
zepankowski, managing director
of BMC, “Obviously substantial
investments in equipment and
machinery had to be made and, at
the start, hiring and managing per-
sonnel were also diffi cult. Maybe it
wasn’t a good idea and we should
have just continued trading,” he
says with a modest smile. In 1993,
the fi rst can was produced with
the BMC brand, and the company
hasn’t looked back.
Today, the company has a complete
processing plant in Władysławowo
on the shore of the Baltic Sea,
approximately 40 km north of
Gdynia. It employs 150 people,
BMC - What you see is what you get!
Graduating from trading to processingBest Marketing Concept, or BMC as it is currently known, started 25 years ago as a small, family-owned company trading mostly
fi sh products. Within a few years, the political situation in Poland would change the company’s future.
with the number increasing to 200
during seasonal peaks. Produc-
tion stands at between 50,000 and
100,000 cans of fi sh, divided into
approximately 60 diff erent prod-
ucts in 10 diff erent types of cans.
Th e products are primarily sold
under the “BMC” and “Baltica”
labels.
Th e main species include sprat,
mackerel, and herring, but several
other fi sh, such as salmon, tuna,
trout, fl ounder, and carp, fea-
ture in smaller productions. “Our
turnover is up to USD 1 million
(EUR 750.000) per month”, says
Jerzy, “and 90 of our products
are packaged at weighing stations
by hand to assure that the right
amount of fi sh is provided”.
Raw materials from Poland and the world
BMC has two major local sup-
pliers of raw materials primarily
for herring and sprat, and several
smaller companies for specifi c
species and for general availabil-
ity. Mackerel and Atlantic herring
are usually purchased abroad, and
the company buys raw materials
from Scandinavia, Ireland, Ice-
land, China, and Canada. “When
fi sh of good quality is accessible at
a reasonable price, we buy it. Th e
source does not matter," says Mr
Szczepankowski.
A small shop next to the BMC
factory sells its products to
the local community, but
most products are distributed
throughout Poland by a network
of wholesalers, and are available
in many supermarket chains.
A few export adventures have
also been tried in Ireland, Eng-
land, and China, but these were
more as prestige projects than
for profit.
Revenue is invested
Mr Szczepankowski, “We have a
principle that everything gener-
ated by the company stays in the
company. We try to invest our
earnings to maintain, develop,
and modernise the company. Th is
is a family business and we want
to see it grow”. Lack of funding,
however, is always an issue, he
explains.
Another issue of concern is the ever-
present challenge of sourcing fi sh.
For example, he points to the cur-
rent situation with mackerel, which
is diffi cult because stocks from last
year are running low and the new
season has barely started. “We are
eagerly waiting for new deliveries of
mackerel”, he says. “Th e sellers know
that this is the situation for everyone
and are therefore increasing prices.
Not an optimal situation for us”.
Diversifying in a competitive market
Th e Polish market for canned fi sh
is very competitive, with pressure
from buyers for lower prices. Sev-
eral initiatives have therefore been
taken to produce alternative prod-
ucts that stand out. Last year, BMC
Jerzy Szczepankowski, the Managing Director of BMC takes pride in
delivering quality products.
06_Poland_PO.indd 21 05/12/13 1:04 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 41
POLAND
began smoking fi sh with a new
smoking oven partly fi nanced by
EFF. Today, smoked products create
work for 25 to 30 people or for 15 of
the staff . Fish pâtés, marinades, and
salads are also newly developed
products. In future, the company
will introduce other products with
ready-to-eat meals and fi sh soups,
which the company believes will be
successful.
Making good quality visible
BMC is also in the initial stages
of testing a new range of pack-
aging for existing products,
namely glass jars. Glass allows
the customers to see the high-
quality products on the shelf
and not wait until they open
the packaging. Th e use of glass
packaging requires changes to
the production lines and is more
labour intensive, requiring per-
sonnel to place the fi sh carefully
into the jars, knowing that it
needs to look appealing.
“But we believe the investments
are worth it. Th e fi rst labels arrive
soon, and the slogan for the new
range of products will most likely
be ‘What you see is what you get’.
It sums up our wish to show off the
high quality, although the saying
isn’t very polite in Polish,” Mr Szcz-
epankowski reveals.
“We deliver products of pristine
quality and, because this is a
family business, I am putting my
family name on the line for every
to eat, delicious, and look invit-
ing.” This attitude has earned
the company eight golden Euro-
pean awards for the quality of its
products.
Sprat being prepared for smoking.One assembly line can produce 8.000 cans in an 8 hour shift.
product. It is more than just sell-
ing large quantities. I don’t want
to sell an inferior product in
order to save a little. And I want
to crea te products that are ready
Company Fact File
Best Marketing Concept
ul. Przemysłowa 14
84-120 Władysławowo
Poland
Tel.: +48 58 67 40 206
Fax: +48 58 67 40 935
www.bmc.com.pl
Managing Director:
Jerzy Szczepankowski
Activities: Fish processing
Main species: Sprat, mackerel,
and herring
Main products: Around 60 types
of canned products
Production: 50,000–100,000
cans per day
Employees: 150–200
Turnover: Up to EUR 750,000/
month
06_Poland_PO.indd 22 05/12/13 1:05 PM
42 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
POLAND
In the 1950s, the company
operated small fi shing boats,
but gradually brought larger
units into service. As the com-
pany developed, the number of
vessels grew, reaching more than
50 in the early 1980s. With the
large and modern fl eet in place,
the introduction of processing
was a logical next step, building
a fl ake ice plant, a fi shmeal and
cod-liver-oil factory, and pro-
cessing, storage, and freezing
facilities. Since then, the fi shmeal
and fi sh-oil factory has been
closed as an environmental ini-
tiative and the fl eet reduced. In
recent years, funds from the EU
have helped introduce a modern
cold storage, renew the produc-
tion facilities, and improve the
shipyard.
Five vessels remain
Fishing and processing are Szkun-
er’s main activities, accounting
for ca. 75–80 of the company’s
turnover. Today, only fi ve 25 m
fi shing vessels with maximum
capacities of 80 tonnes remain,
which fi sh primarily for sprat,
herring, and cod in the Baltic Sea.
Th is year, catches have amounted
to ca. 5,500 tonnes of sprat, more
than 500 tonnes of herring, and
ca. 50 tonnes of cod. Th irty peo-
ple, or six per vessel, are employed
in this activity. To meet demand,
this supply is supplemented with
purchases from fi shermen in
Władysławowo and other ports.
Fishing, processing, port management, and shipbuilding
Szkuner is the heart of WładysławowoEstablished in 1955, Szkuner is one of the largest fi shing companies in the region as well as one of the oldest. Today, it makes up a
substantial part of the Władysławowo harbour with its administrative, processing, cold storage facilities, and shipyard.
Semi-processed products
Th ere are many companies in
Poland that engage in fi nal or full
processing, but Szkuner sells only
semi-processed products, primar-
ily for further processing. Th is was
a strategic decision made many
years ago, during the pre-accession
period, because further processing
would require signifi cant invest-
ments that could not be sourced.
Seventy per cent of the products
are delivered to the fi ve major pro-
ducers of preserved fi sh, ca. 20
are sold to smaller companies, and
10 is sold to wholesalers. In total,
90 workers are employed process-
ing fi sh, with seasonal increases of
about 30. Main products include
frozen blocks of sprat that end
as smoked or canned products,
fresh or frozen herring fi llets for
marinated and canned products,
and fresh or frozen IQF cod fi llets.
All products are sold to domestic
companies.
About adding fi nal processing to
the long list of activities at Szkuner,
Michał Hernik, director of fi shing
and processing says, “We thought
about whether to pursue this mar-
ket, but it would require the con-
struction of a completely new pro-
cessing facility from scratch. We
own a plot of land that could be
used for that purpose, but it would
require signifi cant funding.” In 2008,
a new cold storage was opened,
increasing the total storage area to
2,000 tonnes. Th e company’s freez-
ing equipment has the capacity to
freeze 80 tonnes of fi sh per day. Fish
waste is sold to Denmark.
Mr Hernik is also the manager of
the Władysławowo port, ensuring
that the harbour’s infrastructure is
maintained, supplying water, ice,
and energy for vessels, and man-
aging berths.
Modernising and repairing the Polish and European fl eets
Th e shipyard repairs and mod-
ernises more than 100 vessel per
year; ca. 10 are complete builds
or reconstructions. Operations can
be performed on steel or wooden
units up to 30 m long and weighing
220 tonnes. Typical work includes
painting, welding, construction,
and repair.
Th e yard is full of vessels and
barges, and current projects
include turning a vessel commis-
sioned by a Dutch company into
an off shore vessel that will work
off the coast of Africa. Permits and
clearance to work on police and
military vessels have been granted,
and this year, the yard has been
ISO 9001 certifi ed. Th is is a stamp
Michał Hernik is director of fi shing and processing at Szkuner and
manager of the Władysławowo fi shing port, which berths 60 fi shing
vessels.
06_Poland_PO.indd 23 05/12/13 1:05 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 43
POLAND
of approval and is expected to help
attract additional business. In all,
45 workers are employed on full
contracts, and ca. 120 additional
workers are hired during busy
periods.
Th is shipyard shows off some of its
latest improvements, including a
new mobile crane and a recently
built 22 m high, 35 m long, and
21 m wide tent-like building. Th is
provides better indoor working
conditions. Among other things,
it will be used for paint work,
because the air in the structure
can be dehumidifi ed with machin-
ery, thus extending productivity
by eliminating dependence on
favourable weather conditions.
Th e tent is non-fl ammable so that
welding and electrical work can be
done indoors without fear of ignit-
ing it.
Currently, 90 of the work com-
missioned at the yard is on Polish
vessels but foreign companies are
becoming more frequent, with
several prospects already in the
pipeline. Adam Otrompka, the
Director of Shipyard, says, “We
are negotiating with a Norwe-
gian company who wants us to
build an historic vessel for the
city of Bergen. It will be a small
vessel built from scratch that will
transport up to 12 people. A water
tram”.
Th e Dutch company mentioned
above is also planning to recon-
struct at least one other vessel
within the next year. Th e shipyard
wants to be able to pull out even
bigger vessels in the future and is
also looking at diversifying into
aluminium service, repair, and
construction. Business is slowly
developing in a positive direction
after a period of stagnation. “Ship
and vessel owners had to postpone
modernisation and maintenance
work as they simply could not aff ord
it during the past several years,
but this is slowly changing,” says
Mr Otrompka. “Hopefully, it will
mean more work for us in the
future.”
As a large company in a relatively
small city, Szkuner takes pride in
its involvement in the community.
Currently, it has strengthened
cooperation with the local FLAG
to create a programme of work-
shops for students of gastronomy
schools to familiarise them with
the processing of and value of fi sh
products. Th is will also promote
the consumption of fi sh prod-
ucts in general, as future chefs
get interested in traditional fi sh
dishes, popular in the region.
In July, Szkuner sponsored fi sh
soup for 4,000 people as part of a
publicity event at Władysławowo
harbour. It was an excellent
promotion activity and created
awareness in the region of the
benefi ts of fi sh consumption. Next
year, another event is planned
where a fi sh market with local fi sh
dishes will be opened for ten days
at the end of August. “We hope to
see you there.”
Sprat are prepared to be frozen into blocks.
Director of Shipyard Adam Otrompka would like to attract more
foreign customers.
Company Fact File
Szkuner Sp. z o.o.
ul. Portowa 22
84-120 Władysławowo
Poland
Tel.: +48 58 677 74 01/
+48 58 677 75 55
Mob: +48 699-422-509
www.szkuner.pl
Director of fi shing and process-
ing: Michał Hernik
Director of shipyard: Adam
Otrompka
Activities: Fishing, processing,
port administration, and ship-
yard services
Main species: Sprat, herring, and
cod
Main fi sh products: semi-
processed products, fresh and
frozen
Production this year: 5,500
tonnes of sprat, over 500 tonnes
of herring, and 50 tonnes
Employees: Shipyard: 45–120 and
Fishing/Processing: 120–150
06_Poland_PO.indd 24 05/12/13 1:05 PM
44 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
ARMENIA
Fish and seafood export is one
of the fastest growing sectors
in the country. In 2011, fi sh
exports from Armenia amounted
to 1,600 tonnes, from 429 tonnes in
2010 due to an increase in exports
to the Russian Federation. In 2012,
this tendency continued as fi sh
exports reached 1,800 tonnes. Rus-
sia is the main market for Arme-
nian fi sh, but Armenian companies
also export their fi sh products to
Ukraine, Georgia, the USA and the
United Arab Emirates.
Abundant freshwater from artesian wells
Fish breeding is a relatively recent
phenomenon in Armenia. Th is
land-locked country has extensive
experience in fi sh farming since
1920, however its commercial
fi sh production did not exceed
a few hundreds tonnes until the
end of the last century. Starting
from the late 90s, a new stage in
the development of fi sh farming
began which was supported by
new business models in the agri-
cultural sector. Several large fi sh
farming enterprises were estab-
lished that made rational use of
their water supplies, and some of
these fi sh farms introduced fi sh
hatcheries.
Armenian fi sh farms are mainly
located in the Ararat Valley, which
is rich in high-quality ground
water. Around 70 of all water
sources drain to the Ararat Valley,
and there groundwater is used
for irrigation in agriculture and
fi sh farming. Th e water arrives
under pressure from a depth of
about 100-180m, and depend-
ing on the actual depth, the tem-
perature varies from 13ºC to 15ºC.
Armenian underground water is
very clean, and in most parts of
the country it is possible to use
groundwater for drinking without
additional purifi cation or fi ltra-
tion. About 25 of the country’s
springs have high concentrations
of nutritious, nitrates and fl uorine
compounds. Additionally, Arme-
nian groundwater resources are
very well protected from pollution
due to their deep location; the
aquifers are covered by thick,
almost impermeable, clay layers
and the upward fl ow of ground-
water prevents pollution from
entering the aquifers. Th e coun-
try’s groundwater resources are
highly signifi cant for fi sh farming,
and Armenian fi sh has gained a
special niche on many markets
as a natural and especially tasty
product due to the qualities of the
water used for breeding.
Trout and sturgeon dominate production
today
Expansion of the national fi sh
farming accelerated at the end of
Fish farming in Armenia is fl ourishing
High quality contributes to explosive growth in fi sh exportsArmenian apricots and brandy are probably the best known and most popular agricultural products exported from this country. In
2011, of the total export of food and beverages from Armenia, beverages, spirits and vinegar had the largest share of 87%, followed
by vegetables and fruits with 8%. Meat, fi sh and seafood amounted to 1% of the total Armenian food and beverages export.
Production of farmed fi sh in Armenia has grown 67% in the last four years. In 2012 output was 8,850 tonnes, of which trout species amounted to
about half or 4,800 tonnes, sturgeons for 1,636 tonnes and other fi sh species for 2,414 tonnes.
07_ARMENIA.indd 1 03/12/13 6:58 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6/ 2013 45
ARMENIA
the 1990s. While in 1991 there were
only 10 fi sh farms in the country, 9
for carp and 1 for trout, and 4 fi sh
hatcheries, in 2012 the number of
fi sh farming companies reached
234. About 78 of all fi sh farms or
183 companies are located in the
Ararat Valley, and they occupy
97 of the total area used for fi sh
farming (2,677 hectares). Refl ect-
ing the fl ourishing number of
fi sh farms, the total production
of farmed fi sh in the country
increased in the past four years
by 67 from 5,280 tonnes in 2009
to 8,850 tonnes in 2012. In 2012,
trout species were responsible
for half of the production or 4,800
tonnes, sturgeons for 1,636 tonnes
and other fi sh species for 2,414
tonnes. Th e local market is the
main outlet for the distribution
and consumption of Armenian
farmed fi sh absorbing 80 of the
farmed fi sh output, while 20
is exported. Russia is the main
market for Armenian fi sh which
have reputation for high-quality,
in particular, trout and sturgeon.
Armenian companies also export
fi sh in fresh and chilled and pro-
cessed forms to Georgia and
Ukraine, and to the USA and the
United Arab Emirates.
Th e sector has several dynamic
companies looking for oppor-
tunities to improve and expand
their businesses. A few of them
are briefl y profi led in the follow-
ing pages.
Mkhchyan Fish specialises in sturgeon
Th is fi sh farm was established in
2010 in the Mkhchyan village in
the Ararat Valley. It has success-
fully used advanced technology
and production methods to meet
Mkhchyan fi sh specialises in sturgeon farming, and in particular on
Beluga and Siberian sturgeon.
market demands. Led by its direc-
tor Ambik Gevorgyan, Mkhchyan
Fish specialises in sturgeon farm-
ing, and in particular, of Beluga
and Siberian sturgeon. Beluga or
European sturgeon (Huso huso),
also called giant sturgeon, is one
of the largest and most valuable
sturgeon species. Siberian stur-
geon (Acipenser baeri Brandt) is
another sturgeon species farmed
by the company. Mkhchyan Fish
has its own sturgeon hatcheries
where 6 million fi ngerlings are
reared. Sturgeon species are sold
when they reach 2 kg of weight.
Th e territory of the sturgeon
hatcheries and farms is over 5
hectares, and the water used for
fi sh farming comes from under-
ground springs, which ensures
the best possible quality. In 2012,
production of Mkhchyan Fish
was 400 tonnes of fi sh, consist-
ing mostly of sturgeon species.
Of this volume, 150 tonnes of
sturgeon were exported to the
Russian market. In 2013 the com-
pany is expecting to increase pro-
duction by 75 to 700 tonnes, a
fi gure that is expected to grow to
1,000 tonnes in the future. With
its 289 employees, the company
is among the largest fi sh farms in
Armenia.
Mkhchyan Fish has also built
a smoking facility to produce
its own smoked delicatessen
products. Th e main market for the
products is the local one, while
the exports go to the Russian mar-
ket. Th e company expects exports
of sturgeon products to increase
with rising levels of production.
Low-density farming characterises Buniatyans
Fish’ production
Fish farm Hayr ev vordi Buniatyan-
ner (Buniatyans Fish – Father and
son Buniatyan) was established
by Mr Armen Buniatyan in 1991.
Founded in Armavir region in the
city of Echmiadzin the company
is engaged in fi sh farming pro-
ducing rainbow and golden trout,
gegharkuni (a type of Sevan trout),
river trout, sturgeon, silver carp
and white Amur. Th e fi sh farm is
located in Gai village and occu-
pies more than 10 hectares, out of
which 4 hectares are used to pro-
duce trout, 3 hectares are for stur-
geon farming and 3 hectares for
carp and white Amur species. Th e
water from eight artesian wells has
a temperature of 13-14ºC degrees
throughout the whole year, and is
one of the key factors infl uencing
the quality and taste of the fi sh.
Th e sturgeon species are farmed at
18-25ºC, and carp species at
25-30ºC and the water is warmed
naturally by the sun. Underground
water comes from a depth of 150 m.
Th e density of fi sh farming is 10-15 kg
Ambik Gevorgyan, director of Mkhchyan Fish, a company that has
successfully made use of advanced technology to farm fi sh.
07_ARMENIA.indd 2 03/12/13 6:59 PM
46 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
ARMENIA
Ghulyan Arman, Khachatryan Susanna, Avetyan Azat, Aleksanyan Tigran, Poghosyan Gagik, Buniatyan Armen, Buniatyan Arman, Poghosyan Vardan,
Mkrtchyan Harutyun — representatives of the Association of Fish Breeders, and the Ministry of Agriculture.
of fi sh per cubic meter, while in
other countries it can be up to 170
kg. Low density is another key fac-
tor for the quality of the fi sh.
Th e production of the farm in 1991
was 10 tonnes, and over the follow-
ing years the company increased
it to 700 tonnes. Hayr ev vordi
Buniatyanner today produces over
300 tonnes of trout species, 300
tonnes of sturgeon and 100 tonnes
of carp and white Amur species.
Th e fi sh feed is imported exclusively
from Le Goussant and Biomar and
feed costs amount to 80 of the
fi nal product costs. Hayr ev vordi
Buniatyanner production is distrib-
uted under the brand Buniatyans
Fish. Th e company is exporting
production to the Russian market
and planning to diversify its export
markets in the future. Th is year
we have produced 500 kg of black
caviar, Armenian fi sh farmers have
their own brood stocks, so we have
a fully integrated production cycle,
explains Armen Buniatyan.
Th e fi sh farming industry has
been very actively developing in
Armenia since 2002-2004. Our fi sh
farmers cooperate closely and we
are developing a common qual-
ity brand for Armenian fi sh, says
Armen Buniatyan. We can com-
pete on quality, but the main issue
remains access to the European
market and accreditation of the
laboratories, he adds. In the mean-
while, Russia is the main export
market and is seen as a facilitator
and driver of increased production.
Association of Armenian fi sh breeders discusses
future of sector
Several representatives of the Asso-
c iation of Armenian Fish Breed-
ers, which unites 150 fi sh farm-
ing companies in the country,
exchanged their views on the cur-
rent and future development of the
fi sh farming industry in Armenia.
Poghosyan Gagik, the Head of the
Association runs a company which
produces about 600 tonnes of fi sh
(sturgeon and trout), and all the
production output is exported to
Russia. We started applications for
export procedures in 2009, and in
2011 our products were on the Mos-
cow market, where we see a very
good demand. Production cost of
sturgeon is USD5-6, and in Moscow
it is sold at USD15 per kg, said Mr.
Poghosyan. If demand in Europe is
equally high, we can increase pro-
duction 2-3 times. Th e meeting was
also attended by several private
fi sh farmers like Arutyun Mkrchan
(rainbow trout, river trout and carp
producer) and Karen Oganesyan
(rainbow trout producer).
Unifi sh – integrated
production from broodstock to fi nal
product
Th e company Unifi sh, owned by
Armen Mkrtchaynis, is currently
one of the largest fi sh farms in the
country. Unifi sh was founded in
2007 as a result of the restructur-
ing of the company Miavar LLC.
Th e company’s fi rst fi sh breeding
unit was established in the basin
of the lake Sevan near the village
Gandzak in 2002 for breeding two
sub-species of Sevan trout (Ghe-
garkunik and summer trout) and
rainbow trout. At present, the total
area of the water basins exceeds 28
thousand sq. m. Th e incubation
centre in the farm has a capacity of
more than 2.5 million eggs of caviar.
Th e basins for juveniles measures
1,200 sq. m with an annual output
of 1.8 million juveniles of various
trout species. Th ere are also areas
for on-growing commercial fi sh.
Water is sourced from six artesian
wells, which can be expanded to
11 if needed. Th e water tempera-
ture in diff erent springs varies from
14.5ºC to 15.2ºC. Th is water tem-
perature is ideal for trout breeding
and together with the extruded
feed enables the production of
trout with a weight of 0.5-1.5 kg in
less than 12 months. Unifi sh uses
French-certifi ed mixed feed for
trout with no growth stimulators or
genetically modifi ed ingredients.
Over one million fi sh juveniles of
diff erent trout species are sold. Th is
includes sales to the state of Sevan
trout juveniles. Th e commercial
fi sh is sold live, mostly at the local
market. Unifi sh has its own fl eet
of vehicles that transport the fi sh
throughout the country. In 2009,
the volume of annual trout produc-
tion exceeded 230 tonnes. With the
expansion of the production areas
and introduction of technologies
for intensive farming the total out-
put reached a level of 4,000 tonnes
in 2012. Construction of sturgeon
07_ARMENIA.indd 3 03/12/13 6:59 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6/ 2013 47
ARMENIA
farms for breeding of Siberian stur-
geon and Beluga, as well as white
sturgeon (Acipenser transmon-
tanus) and Stellate sturgeon (Aci-
penser stellatus) was launched in
2006. Th e farm is also experiment-
ing with breeding Japanese carp-
koi for delicatessen production and
decorative purposes.
Th e trout farm includes an incuba-
tion department, two young fi sh
breeding departments for grow-
ing fi sh of various weight, areas
for growing commercial fi sh and
replacement brood stock, and an
experimental area to test new spe-
cies of fi sh. A certain amount of
Beluga larvae is imported for fur-
ther breeding black caviar. Th e stur-
geon larvae are imported from Rus-
sia in the last phase of development
and are pre-incubated in the incu-
bation department of the sturgeon
farm. Th e production cycle of stur-
geon farming lasts 10-18 months.
At present the broodstock is pro-
duced on the farm. Th ree-year-
old fi sh weigh 10-12 kg. Th e sterile
water at the optimal temperature
for breeding sturgeon, the good
quality feed, and the high breed-
ing standards observed ensure that
medicine is not used in the produc-
tion and result in excellent tasting
fi sh within 12-14 months, explains
Armen Mkrtchaynis. Since 2008,
Unifi sh has sold juveniles of vari-
ous sturgeon and carp-koi species
with a weight of 10-100 grams. Th e
incubation and juveniles rearing
department grows more than 350
thousand sturgeon juveniles annu-
ally. Exports are growing though
mainly to Russia, Ukraine and
Georgia. Th e company is planning
to increase its export to European
countries and is working towards
the certifi cation of its production in
accordance with European stand-
ards.
Fish farming has huge potential
Th e expansion of the fi sh farming
industry in recent years demon-
strates the range of experience that
has been built up and successfully
applied by the Armenian private
sector. Th e Ministry of Agriculture
of Armenia is keen for the sector
to grow further and has drafted a
programme for development until
2015, which is currently awaiting
approval from the national gov-
ernment. Th e ministry forecasts
that the implementation of the
programme will increase farmed
fi sh production in the country to
25,000 tonnes. With the imple-
mentation of closed recircula-
tion systems, national production
of farmed fi sh can reach up to
100,000 tonnes.
Katia Tribilustova, Eurofi sh
katia.tribilustova@eurofi sh.dk
Armen Mkrtchaynis, Director of Unifi sh and Tigran Aleksanyan, Head
of Fishery and Bee Keeping Division of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Sturgeon larvae held at the incubation department of the Unifi sh
sturgeon farm. The sturgeon larvae are imported from Russia in the last
phase of development and are pre-incubated at the sturgeon farm.
Unifi sh’ trout is bred to a market size of up to 1.5 kg for sale mainly on
the domestic market.
07_ARMENIA.indd 4 03/12/13 6:59 PM
48 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
SERBIA
Serbians consume an aver-
age of approximately 7 kg
of fi sh per capita annually,
putting Serbia at the bottom of
the European consumption scale.
Of the total amount of fi sh con-
sumed, only one-third is domestic
and two-thirds is imported. In the
past ten years, however, annual
fi sh production in Serbia has risen
from 7,000 to 15,000 tonnes. Th e
upsurge is the result of increased
carp production, which has oth-
erwise declined in most European
countries in the past two dec-
ades. Carp has been an impor-
tant aquatic food item around the
world, but as more fi sh species
have become readily available,
the importance of carp culture
in Western Europe has declined,
partly as a result of the appear-
ance of more desirable fi sh such
as trout and salmon. However, fi sh
production in ponds is still a major
form of aquaculture in Central and
Eastern Europe.
Fish farming in Serbia dates back
to the mid 19th century, but it was
between the 1970s and the 1990s,
when fi sh farming expanded there.
State-run companies built high-
capacity farms, and private indi-
viduals built more modest farms.
Carp farms were established on the
plain of the northern province of
Vojvodina. Trout farms were built
in the mountainous regions of Ser-
bia, south of the Danube and Sava
rivers, near high-capacity springs.
Th e terrain’s confi guration makes
natural lakes sparse and small,
and most of them are located in
Vojvodina. Elsewhere, there is an
abundance of relatively unpol-
luted surface water and many
underground water sources with
excellent water quality. After the
break-up of Yugoslavia in the 1990s
and the coming of independ-
ence, private entrepreneurship
started to develop in Serbia. Th e
privatisation of fi sh farms began
in 2003.
Serbia watches its aquaculture industry grow
Carp is still kingAquaculture represents a small part of the Serbian economy. Still, consumption of fi sh has doubled in the past decade, and the
number and effi ciency of fi sh farms have increased considerably for all species. Production of farmed carp in particular has gone up
by more than 100%. These developments point to a promising outlook for the Serbian aquaculture industry.
More than 95% of carp production takes place in semi-intensive systems. This type of carp production
mixes natural food and additional feed (cereals and compound feed, extruded and pelleted).
Serbian aquaculture today
Today, apart from some very small
farms that remained state owned,
more than 95% of the approxi-
mately 14,000 ha used by fi sh farms
are privately owned. Most of the
surface area used for fi sh farming,
approximately 97%, is located in
Vojvodina. Th ere are more than 200
fi sh farms in Serbia, including 85
carp farms, 120 trout farms, 10 cage
systems for the culture of warm-
water species, 3 cage systems for
cold-water fi sh (rainbow trout),
and 1 low-capacity cage system for
beluga and Danube sturgeon.
Conditions in the landlocked
country of Serbia are only
suitable for farming warm-
water species. Fish are the only
aquatic organisms farmed under
Zora
n M
arko
vic
08_SERBIA 1 04/12/13 5:47 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com
SERBIA
industrial conditions, apart
from ornamental and aquar-
ium organisms (primarily fi sh).
Farmed recreationally by a few
low-capacity farms, ornamental
carp are popular aquarium and
pond fi sh, the two most nota-
ble being goldfi sh and koi. Carp
is the main species farmed in
ponds, including common carp
(Cyprinus carpio), bighead carp
(Aristichthys nobilis), silver carp
(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix),
and grass carp (Ctenopharyn-
godon idella). Other popular
species include wels catfi sh
(Silurus glanis), sander (Stizos-
tedion lucioperca), northern pike
(Esox lucius), and rainbow trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss). Spe-
cies farmed in smaller amounts
include tench (Tinca tinca),
brown trout (Salmo truta m.
fario), beluga (Huso huso),
Danube sturgeon (Acipenser
queldenstaedti), greyling (Th y-
mallus thymallus), huchen
(Hucho hucho), and freshwater
bream (Abramis brama) fry,
used for river and lake stocking.
As farmed fi sh production in Serbia
continues to increase, carp leads
the way, accounting for 78% of the
output. Fifty-eight per cent of the
water supply comes from rivers,
39% from irrigation and drainage
canals, and 4% from wells.
Carp production in warm-water farms
More than 95% of carp production
takes place in semi-intensive sys-
tems. Th is type of carp production
mixes natural food and additional
feed (cereals and compound
feed, extruded and pelleted). A
small percentage of carp-pond
production is intensive. It is usu-
ally used in fry production in
small fi sh pools, where produc-
tion reaches between 5,000 and
10,000 kg per ha, using aerators
and compound feed. Extensive
production in carp fi sh ponds is
almost non-existent.
Production has doubled in the
previous ten years. Th is increase
is the result of the privatisation of
fi sh farms in 2003, improved fi sh
farm management, and from 2005,
more frequent replacement of
cereals with complete – primarily
extruded – feed in semi-intensive
farming systems. In 2012, produc-
tion was around 7,500 tonnes,
representing more than 62% of the
total amount of carp produced in
Serbia. Production technology is
based on feeding on natural pro-
duction (zooplankton and bottom
fauna) and the use of complete
feed (primarily extruded) with dif-
ferent protein contents, depend-
ing on fi sh age, water quality, and
season. Owing to the collaboration
of Serbian research institutions,
fi sh-feed manufacturers, and fi sh
farmers, the production technol-
ogy is improving every year. With
complete feed, carp production in
Serbia has increased from 700 kg
per ha in 2005 to around 1,220 kg
per ha in 2012. On farms that use
compound feed exclusively, pro-
duction can reach more than 2,000
kg per ha. Signifi cantly less feed is
used to achieve desired growth,
and there is less non-digested feed
in the water. Finally, the fi sh taste
better.
A decrease or elimination of a
muddy taste (the scent of cyano-
bacteria in the water) and a lower
fat level in the fi sh meat have led to
improved taste. Instead of so-called
“corn” fat, the usage of preserved
feed decreases fat levels to 2–5%.
Corn fat is often present in more
than 10% of total body mass, cre-
ated during the second half of sum-
mer and the beginning of autumn,
in carp fed with cereals, primarily
corn. In addition, the extrusion
process and the careful choice of
ingredients in feed production
improve the carp’s fatty acid profi le.
Production of farmed fi sh in Serbia by species in percent.
Consequently, the quality of carp
meat improves, and taste and
nutritional value become the lead-
ing argument used in marketing
carp to households.
Trout production in cold-water farms
Intensive systems are used in trout
ponds and cage systems. Unlike
carp farming, which has increased
in the past decade, production in
trout farms varies constantly. In
the past decade, total trout-farm
production has varied between
1,200 to more than 2,000 tonnes
(25% fry and 75% fi sh). Varia-
tions in production are primar-
ily the consequence of drought.
In 2012, the water supply to trout
farms was low, resulting in a very
dry year. Th e total surface area
of cold-water farms is approxi-
mately 14 ha. Although intensive
farming systems are applied, on
average a small amount of fi sh
per cubic meter is produced in
these farms (12–20 kg per cubic
metre of water), because a large
number of trout farms operates
at only 5–50% of their capacity.
Th is is the result of their depen-
dence on spring and river capac-
ity. However, in recent years,
systems for water aeration with
oxygen have been used, enabling
steady production that is signifi -
cantly greater than the average
production in Serbia (up to 50 kg
per cubic metre of water). Unlike
feed for carp, which comes only
from Serbian factories, feed used
in trout farms is usually imported.
Production in cage systems
Cages for warm-water-species
farming are set in ponds created
246
10
78
Common carp
Rainbow trout
Bighead carp
Grass carp
Miscellaneous fish
Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 49
08_SERBIA 2 04/12/13 5:47 PM
50 Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofi shmagazine.com
SERBIA
after the gravel, sand, or ore,
has been removed. These cages
are used almost exclusively to
farm carp, although catfish is
also farmed in them, but very
rarely and in small amounts.
Current cage systems capac-
ity is low, from a few tonnes to
30 tonnes, approximately 1% of
total carp production. Cages for
trout farming are placed in cold-
water reservoirs and have a total
capacity of approximately 150
tonnes. Only rainbow trout is
produced in them.
Marked increase in farming effi ciency
In Serbia, the total surface area
dedicated to fi sh farming has
increased 10–15% in the past dec-
ade. Although this increase is
relatively minor, the number of
newly built farms is great. Since
2003, the number of farms has
doubled, and approximately 100
small, family-run fi sh farms have
been established. Although in the
past decade the fi sh-farm surface
current fi sh-farming needs. A
small amount (approximately
2,000 tonnes) of extruded feed is
exported to neighbouring coun-
tries including Bulgaria, Romania,
Bosnia-Hercegovina, and the For-
mer Yugoslav Republic of Mac-
edonia. Th e development of carp
farming has been brought about
by the collaboration between sci-
entifi c institutions and feed and
fi sh producers. A two-year pro-
gramme to adjust the ingredients
in feed is meant to increase the
content of omega 3 and omega 6
fatty acids, and improve the ratio
of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids,
which will benefi t carp placement
in the marketplace.
The future of Serbian aquaculture
Unlike the potential of the carp
farming (including other spe-
cies cultivated in carp farms, such
as silver carp, grass carp, catfi sh,
northern pike, and pike-perch), the
potential for cold-water-species
area has increased only 1% per
year, the increase in production
was greater, with an average of
8% annually, resulting in a two-
fold increase in fi sh production
in 2012 over 2003. Production
growth, which is based on the
growth of carp production, was
the result of better fi sh-farming
management after privatiza-
tion in 2003. After 2003, produc-
tion continued to grow with the
introduction of new carp feeding
technology. Beginning in 2006,
the traditional use of cereal feed
was slowly replaced by a new
feeding technology based on the
use of compound feed, pelleted
and extruded. Today, almost two-
thirds of the carp is produced
using compound feed, primarily
extruded.
Together with the increased
use of compound feed, interest
in compound feed production
(primarily extruded) has grown.
Feed companies produce feed
mainly for warm-blooded ani-
mals, but also have a production
line with an extruder for fi sh feed.
Th ese companies have a produc-
tion capacity of 40,000 tonnes,
which is signifi cantly more than
Zora
n M
arko
vic
Although in the past decade the fi sh-farm surface area has increased only 1% per year, the increase
in production has been greater, with an average of 8% annually, resulting in a doubling of production
between 2003 and 2012. Here, fi sh being harvested in winter.
Today, almost two-thirds of consumable carp is produced using
compound feed, primarily extruded. Here, an extruded feed produced
at the Veterinary Institute in Subotica.
Zora
n M
arko
vic
08_SERBIA 3 04/12/13 5:48 PM
www.eurofi shmagazine.com Eurofi sh Magazine 6 / 2013 51
SERBIA
Zora
n M
arko
vic
Carp is the main species farmed in ponds in Serbia.
Th e freshwater fi shery in Serbia
is primarily on the rivers Danube
and Sava. Fishery waters include
65,980 km of rivers and streams,
about 50 natural and 150 man-
made lakes (accumulations,
impoundments) occupying a total
surface area of approximately
30,000 ha, and a canal network
with a total length of approxi-
mately 30,000 km. Most impor-
tant is the Danube–Tisza–Dan-
ube canal system, which is 840
km long and has a surface area of
3,600 ha. Fishery waters in Serbia
are organized into six fi shery areas
that are assigned to users through
a competition and under condi-
tions regulated by law.
Serbian waters are inhabited by
90 species of teleost fi sh, includ-
ing 52 species regulated as com-
mercial and recreational fi sher-
ies, 29 species that are important
to commercial fi sheries, and
12 that are targeted species of
interest. Th e recreational fi shery
includes 45 species. Commer-
cial fi shing is practised in low-
land rivers: the Danube, Sava
and Tisza. Th e longest river in
Serbia, the Danube, which is 588
km long, is the country’s most
important natural resource: half
the freshwater fi sh caught in Ser-
bia are taken from the Danube.
Recreational and sport fi sh-
ing are practised in all Serbian
waters, except in protected
areas and in the pond sys-
tems, where it is prohibited.
Th e number of recreational
anglers and commercial fi sher-
men totals between 50,000 and
100,000; 450 to 1,000 permits
are issued for the commercial
fi shery annually. Th e average
recreational fi sherman goes
on the water 50 times per year,
and a commercial fi sherman
is on the water 200 times per
year. According to the National
Statistical Offi ce, the total catch
of freshwater fi sh in the period
1949–2005 varied between
500 and 2,000 tonnes. For a
few years, it was less than 500
tonnes. Since 2005, the total
has increased, reaching 4,300
tonnes in 2012.
The freshwater fi shery in Serbia
In Serbia, simple forms of
fi sh processing (smoking, air
drying, etc.) are carried out
as soon as the fi sh is caught
from rivers and lakes. Th is
type of processing is done as a
home-based activity by people
living near large rivers (Dan-
ube, Sava, Tisza). In Serbia,
freshwater fi sh is sold live or
fresh owing to short delivery
times; however, consumer
demand for processed fi sh has
increased. Processing for wider
markets is relatively new. In
the beginning, processing was
done on a small scale aimed
at family celebrations and res-
taurants. In recent years, the
amount and diversity of pro-
cessing has increased. In the
past decade, more than ten
new fi sh processing facilities
have been established. Some
of them have low capacity,
from a few to several tens of
tonnes, but there are also pro-
cessing plants with processing
capacity of 5,000 tonnes per
year, such as DTD Ribarstvo in
Backi Jarak.
Th e company complies with
all food safety standards in its
newly built facilities, where
freshwater fi sh from Serbian
fi sh farms (carp, rainbow trout,
white bighead, and gray big-
head), but also imported fi sh
(e.g. salmon, mackerel, and
hake) are processed. Processed
products include steaks, ham-
burgers, hotdogs, pâtés, as
well as semi-prepared/ready-
to-cook dishes, including fi sh
stew, fi sh soup, and fi sh meat-
balls.
Serbian fi sh processing
(primarily rainbow trout) is much
less. Th e interest in farming other
warm-water species is likewise sig-
nifi cantly less. Apart from one farm
that produces only a few tonnes of
beluga and Danube sturgeon, there
is little interest in such investment
so far. Because more than 100,000
ha of Serbian land are not being
used, have low fertility, are located
next to rivers and canals, and are
convenient for farm construction,
carp-farming surface area will cer-
tainly increase. Th e amount of carp
produced will also increase, not
least because compound carp-feed
ingredients are produced domesti-
cally. Additionally, the improved
quality of carp meat will lead to
greater demand. Improvement in
carp-feed programmes combined
with a carp-family selection pro-
gramme, which began six years
ago with the aim of improving the
quality of stocking fry, will lead to
the continued enhancement of
Serbian carp production.
The change of traditional carp
feeding methods in semi-
intensive farming systems has
resulted in more economical
production, improved nutri-
tional value, and reduced pol-
lutants in fish-farm ecosystems
and outflow water. Further
improvements to the quality of
fish feed and carp meat, selec-
tive breeding programmes,
and Serbia’s huge potential
for carp farming create many
possibilities for improvement
and growth, not to mention
increased consumer interest in
carp.
Zoran Markovic and Vesna Polek-
sic, University of Belgrade, Faculty
of Agriculture, Belgrade, Serbia.
08_SERBIA 4 04/12/13 5:48 PM
Fish-farming tanks: form and function
Fixed solutions or modular concepts?
When people think of
aquaculture, the first
things that come to
mind are ponds or net cages, like
those used in salmon farming
in Norway. Although this is not
incorrect, it is only one of the many
options for farming fish and sea-
food today. More and more prod-
ucts are produced in land-based
facilities that operate indepen-
dently of the sea or open inland
waters. They get their water supply
from rivers and small streams, or
springs and subterranean water
that is pumped from the earth. The
water flows into basins or tanks,
which then become “mini water
bodies” in which fish live and
grow. These basins make land-
based farms largely independent
of the local aquatic conditions.
Basins and tanks are used not only
here, however, but in all of the dif-
ferent aquaculture processes. They
serve as storage tanks for adult fish
and as hatchery tanks for young
fish. They are used for the produc-
tion of live feed and as grow-out
tanks, as transport and quarantine
containers, and for holding, pres-
entation, or short-term fish storage.
The shapes of the containers are
no less varied than their applica-
tions. They can have rectangular or
round bases; they can be cylindri-
cal or cone shaped and stackable in
one another. The tank floor can be
flat or slope conically towards the
centre. There are also “hanging”
funnel-shaped tanks, which can
stand either on supports or on the
ground. Or they can be partly sunk
in the ground, which sometimes
makes work easier.
Many factors influence choice of tanks
The decision for or against any of
these solutions depends on the
fish species as well as on specific
production regulations, climatic
conditions, concrete environmen-
tal requirements, and of course on
the financial scope of the investor.
Anyone planning to use salt water
in their facility should note that
the materials for tank construction
are not the same as those required
for freshwater tanks. Local energy
costs can also influence tank con-
struction. Farmers are often forced
to find an acceptable balance
All aquacultural facilities need tanks, basins, or other containers to hold the water and the fish. They are available in various shapes
and sizes and can be made from different materials. Tank design and construction depends heavily on their intended application.
Every model has certain advantages and disadvantages, and there is no universal solution for all aquaculture needs.
between what they would like and
what is actually possible.
When choosing tank materials,
however, there are some areas
where compromises are not pos-
sible, because the material has to
be watertight, rustproof, non-toxic,
and should keep its shape when
filled. The surface of the material
should not cause skin abrasion if
fish rub against it. In practice, plas-
tics are used, such as polyethylene,
fibreglass, or polyresin, a sturdy
resin compound made of sand or
ground stone mixed with synthetic
resin. This category also includes
tanks made of PVC or PE film that
are suspended on stable frames.
Because plastics lack natural stabil-
ity, however, they are best used for
smaller tanks measuring up to ca. 8
m in diameter. If sturdier materials
are needed, farmers should choose
steel or concrete (coated or non-
coated).
Basins and tanks are available in all
sizes, in a wide range of designs and
for various applications. However,
irrespective of the design (which
is often the result of compromise),
nearly all farming tanks can be
divided into two basic types: chan-
nels, also known as raceways or
flow-through systems, and round
tanks. The two types differ not only
in their design but also in the real-
isable water-exchange rates. The
higher the water-exchange rate, the
more often the water in the tank
can be renewed. This depends, for
example, on how fast sediments
Indoor raceway for trout production. Through the parallel arrangement of the tanks, optimal use is made of
the available space in the hall.
52 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofishmagazine.com
[ AQUACULTURE ]
09_Aquaculture.indd 1 05/12/13 1:06 PM
settle in the tank and whether
or not these can be completely
washed away. The water-exchange
rate also influences the oxygen and
ammonia concentrations in the
water and thus ultimately the pos-
sible fish densities in the tank.
Raceways have a strong self-cleaning effect
If fast and effective water exchange
is important, farmers will often
choose raceways. The freshwater
that flows into the channel from
one side pushes the old water out
the other side, thereby replacing it
almost completely. This leads to a
continuous current, which carries
any waste materials (fish faeces
and feed residue) out of the sys-
tem. However, this only works if the
raceway dimensions are correct
and the fish species and density
fit the chosen design. The ratio of
width to depth should be between
2:1 and 4:1. The length of a raceway
depends on the fish species that it
contains and the species’ require-
ments for water quality. For exam-
ple, although the oxygen content in
the water decreases between the
supply end and the exit, ammonia
content increases simultaneously.
Along the length of the raceway,
the conditions become poorer with
every metre. They are best directly
at the water inlet and poorest at
the outlet. This “inhomogeneity” of
living conditions is one of the seri-
ous drawbacks of raceways.
optimal self-cleaning of the chan-
nel, because dirt particles are regu-
larly rinsed out of the system with
the water current. If too much dirt
settles on the bottom, it is often suf-
ficient to simply reduce the water
level. This will lead to an increase in
current speed, which in turn, inten-
sifies the cleaning effect.
As the water level falls, fish den-
sity in the channel rises propor-
tionately. As the fish move, more
dirt is churned up from the bot-
tom, picked up by the current,
and removed from the system.
Small bends or slight changes
in direction within the raceway
can create zones without any
current at all, where dirt parti-
cles will settle. Sometimes steps
or sharp edges are built into the
floor contour to create turbulence
that causes more dirt to remain
suspended and prevents it from
settling. Channels or raceways are
among the traditional techniques
used in freshwater aquaculture.
Clearly, raceways are particularly
suited to current-loving species,
particularly salmonids. Typical
trout raceways are ca. 30 m long,
2–3 m wide, and 1–2 m deep.
Other fish species, for example
tilapia, sturgeon, some catfish,
or individual cyprinid species,
are often farmed in raceways. As
a rule, the water volume in the
raceways is renewed completely
once an hour. Still, for species
requiring a large amount of oxy-
gen, such as young salmon or
trout, this is often inadequate to
ensure sufficient oxygen. For this
reason, many raceway operators
If the segments are prefabricated to the exact size, they only have to be assembled on site to produce a
finished farming tank.
On the positive side however, race-
ways save space because they con-
sist of several long channels, often a
dozen or more, which are installed
next to each other. The construction
of such facilities does not demand
any special know-how and can as
a rule be done by non-specialist
building firms, if certain basic rules
are followed during planning. For
example, the channels should have
a slope of 1–2 from the water inlet
to the outlet so that gravity will
ensure constant current within
the raceway. At the same time,
the current is the prerequisite for
Because water quality in long raceways decreases gradually, the tanks are often additionally aerated or
pure oxygen is added to the water.
www.eurofishmagazine.com
[ AQUACULTURE ]
Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 53
09_Aquaculture.indd 2 05/12/13 1:06 PM
also use additional technical aids,
for example, paddle wheels, injec-
tors, or air blowers, or they even
add pure oxygen to the water.
Raceways are flow-through sys-
tems requiring a lot of water.
Therefore, they are, above all,
suitable to locations with suffi-
cient water available in a suitable
quality. Because the raceways are
constantly flushed through, the
concentration of dirt particles in
the outgoing water is relatively
low, and cleaning the water is
rather complicated and expensive.
For this reason, sedimentation
tanks or plate separators, in which
the outgoing water remains for
some time, are often used, allow-
ing dirt particles to settle. Sedi-
mentation tanks should not be too
small if they are to achieve meas-
urable cleaning effects. Although
they require a lot of space in the
farming facility, they usually repay
the investment quickly because
operational costs are low, apart
from the regular removal of the
sludge that settles there. Occa-
sionally, however, other technolo-
gies are used to clean the water,
for example, swirl separators, air
flotation, foam fractionation, or
chemical flocculation.
Elongated tanks like those used
for young fish in hatcheries and in
other areas of aquaculture are only
variations on the traditional race-
way described above. Many mod-
els and types are available. Mostly,
they are 2–4 m long, are made of
durable plastics, and have numer-
ous additional options, includ-
ing outlet pipes and faeces pits in
which dirt particles can collect;
floor screens and separator screens
for separating the different batches
of young fish; and hanging nets for
the hatching eggs or for larvae.
Round tanks offer homogeneous living
conditions
The second basic type of fish-farm-
ing tank is the round tank of which
there is also a variety of models.
Round tanks also have a natural
self-cleaning potential, although
it is not as effective as that of race-
ways, because the stronger mix-
ing of old and new water in round
tanks reduces the water exchange
rate considerably. Round tanks
require ca. 10 times the tank’s water
volume to fully renew its contents
once. If 10 m3 of water are added
to a full 10 m3 round tank, only 60
of the water content is renewed,
because part of the incoming fresh-
water flows immediately out of the
tank with the old water. Even if the
volume of freshwater added is 9
times the tank volume, it will only
replace 98 of the original contents
of the tank!
That said, the prerequisites for self-
cleaning in round tanks are actually
very favourable. The circulation of
the water in the tank causes the dirt
particles to drift to the middle of
the tank for effective removal. This
centripetal effect is often supported
by a slight sloping of the tank floor
(on average ca. 2) to the centre.
The self-cleaning principle works
best in round tanks with a diameter
of less than 6–8 m. In larger tanks,
as dirt particles move towards the
tank centre, they are churned up
repeatedly by the fish and often dis-
solve before leaving the tank.
As unfavourable as the mixing of
old and new water might be for the
cleaning of the tank, it is neverthe-
less advantageous to the homoge-
neity of the living conditions for
the fish stock. For example, this
can be seen in the oxygen within
the tank, which spreads out more
evenly in round tanks, creating
more uniform conditions. Further,
round tanks have a more favour-
able ratio of surfaces (side walls
and bottom) to the contained
water volume than raceways. This
means that the fish contact these
surfaces slightly less often than
in raceways, so reducing the risk
of injury. The circular current in
round tanks also suits the natural
behaviour of many species that
swim against it and develop more
muscle.
The disadvantage of round tanks
is that they use more of the farm’s
floor space. Whereas raceways are
often arranged directly next to each
other, round tanks should be posi-
tioned at a greater distance from
each other, because they are rela-
tively difficult to manage, which
becomes apparent, for example,
when sorting or harvesting the fish.
For this reason, many round tanks
are not higher than 1.5–2 m.
Other tanks with different dimen-
sions are based on the typical
round tank. Oval or polyhedral
tanks, for example six- or eight-
sided tanks, are easily recognis-
able as developments of the round
tank. Rectangular and cone-
shaped tanks can also be included
in this category. This increases the
spectrum of possibilities in this
sector, offering tanks of different
shapes and sizes for many differ-
ent purposes. The choice ranges
from cylindrical containers with
a cone-shaped base in which the
height of the tank is greater than
its diameter, to classic round tanks
with diameters of 1–10 m and
more.
The so-called D-ended tanks are
a compromise between raceways
and round tanks. They are mostly
channel-shaped or elongated-oval
designs, and they have a central
dividing panel along the longitu-
dinal axis around which the water
circulates. This tank shape also has
certain advantages and disadvan-
tages with regard to its self-clean-
ing capacity and the homogeneity
of the living conditions. D-ended
tanks are often used where space
is restricted and only a limited
amount of water is available.
Various plastics, steel, and concrete
The building materials and instal-
lation options are as numerous as
the shapes and sizes available. As
a rule, tanks for aquaculture are
made of plastics such as PE, PVC,
and fiberglass-reinforced resins,
steel, or concrete. Plastics do not
corrode easily, do not rust, and do
not release toxic substances into
the water. However, tank size is
limited by the material’s relatively
low stability.
Steel presents no problems in
this regard, of course, but it is
susceptible to rust, particularly
Many aquaculture tanks are made of plastic with relatively low
stability, which limits the size of the tanks.
54 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofishmagazine.com
[ AQUACULTURE ]
09_Aquaculture.indd 3 05/12/13 1:06 PM
Concrete is often preferred when building aquaculture facilities, because it allows numerous shapes and
is stable. However, its rough surface can injure sensitive fish skin.
Although plastic-film tanks are relatively inexpensive and quick to install, they are generally short lived.
when in contact with salt water.
That is why plastic coated, zinc
coated, or enamelled steel is
often used, although this is rela-
tively expensive. For this reason,
in some constructions a tight-fit-
ting PE film is simply suspended
in the tank to prevent direct con-
tact between the water and the
steel shell. For particularly large
steel tanks, corrugated plates are
often used as cladding, which is
then stabilised by the water pres-
sure.
Although concrete is a sturdy
building material that allows
various tank shapes and sizes, its
rough surface is often a drawback
because the fish injure their skin
on it. But there are some solutions
to this problem as well, for exam-
ple, a protective coating or sealant
that sticks well, is watertight, and
ensures smooth surfaces. Some of
these products can be brushed on
like paint and then, once they are
dry, seal the underlying surface like
a flexible film. Particularly popular
are coating materials made from
polyurethane, liquid neoprene, and
rubber- and enamel-based prod-
ucts.
An original construction and
insulation tank variant consists of
components formed from PVC,
which can be assembled in the
desired shape, like double-wall
click laminate, and then filled
with concrete. This makes the
tanks stable and long lasting. The
wall surfaces are smooth inside
and out, and do not require main-
tenance, so incur no additional
costs. A fish-farming tank can be
constructed in many different
ways. Some tanks are assembled
on their actual site, and then the
individual pieces are assembled
according to a strict building
plan. They can also be purchased
ready-made or as individual
prefabricated components to be
assembled by the buyer.
To add to existing facilities, it is
recommended that the owner
assemble the extension, using
prefabricated segments that
fit exactly and can be easily
transported through narrow doors
or large rooms. Once at their
destination, the segments are
assembled to produce the desired
result, and then screwed, welded,
or fixed together. Such system
solutions are available in con-
crete. Drössler Ultralith, a high-
performance, extremely resilient
heavy-duty concrete is often used.
It has smooth, leak-proof surfaces,
a high resistance to pressure, and
a high bending tensile strength.
Thanks to its 3D modular con-
struction, it is suitable for the con-
struction of both round tanks and
raceways. The prefabricated seg-
ments are fixed together on site,
using a special technology that
shortens construction time.
For some applications, mobile-
farming tank solutions are available
that can be built quickly. Here too,
the spectrum of possibilities is
broad, ranging from foldable tanks
made of PE film that only have to
be unfolded, to “instant tanks” in
roll containers that are transported
by truck. Before use, a film bag is
inserted that is cut to the exact inte-
rior measurements of the container.
With all of these options, it should
always be possible to find a suit-
able tank type for any aquaculture
application. mk
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[ AQUACULTURE ]
09_Aquaculture.indd 4 05/12/13 1:06 PM
56 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofishmagazine.com
[ AQUATIC PLANTS ]
Algae production in aquaculture
Valuable foods and versatile industrial raw materialsAlgae and aquatic plants accounted for just under 21 million tonnes or about one quarter of global aquaculture production in 2011. Algae are mainly produced in the sea. Farming techniques are inexpensive and relatively simple, they require only little effort, and can be learned quickly.
In Asia, marine algae have been
considered a high-quality and
healthy part of the human diet
for centuries. On average, every
Japanese citizen consumes about
4 kg of algae per year and Japanese
cuisine makes use of more than
20 algae species from the tradi-
tional kombu to nori and wakame.
Japan’s algae requirements are so
high that on top of their own pro-
duction from fisheries and aqua-
culture, large additional quantities
have to be imported every year.
Demand in China, Korea and other
Asian countries is rising too, mak-
ing the Asian continent the most
important market for algae and
algae products. In the past, algae
were occasionally used in some
regions of Europe, too, mostly as
feed for farm animals, as fertilizer
in agriculture, dried for use as fuel
or as stuffing for mattresses.
Marine algae contain large quanti-
ties of minerals and trace elements,
particularly iodine (one kilogram
of algae contains as much iodine
as ten cubic metres of sea water),
important vitamins (e.g. B12) and a
small, but high-quality, amount of
fat that is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.
This alone makes a lot of algae spe-
cies just as valuable as, or even more
valuable than, other foods. In the
17th century it was also discovered
that a lot of red algae have a strong
capacity to jellify. This comes from
the two gelatinous phycocolloids
agar and carrageenan that have
similar jellifying properties to gela-
tine which comes from animal
raw materials. The red algae spe-
cies that contain agar are named
agarophytes (agar-agar can be
produced from about 40 red algae,
particularly the species Gracilaria
and Gelidium); species that contain
carrageenan are called carrageeno-
phytes. Both substances are used
as thickening and jellifying agents
in the food industry, for example
during the production of canned
meats, jams, dessert creams, soups
and milk products (e.g. yoghurt).
Originally the red algae Chondrus
crispus (Irish moss) was the most
important source for the extraction
of carrageenan. Today, however,
Irish moss plays only a subordinate
role. The species of the Kappaphy-
cus and Eucheuma families are far
more important today.
Algae have many uses
Brown algae contain important
substances called alginates (salts
and esters of alginic acid) which,
because of their colloidal and
jellifying properties, are used in
numerous areas of the food, textile,
and chemical industries, in cos-
metics and medicine ( for exam-
ple as adhesives in dentistry and
surgery), during paper production
and in photography. The gelling
capacity of alginates exceeds that
of starch by tenfold. The alginate
content of brown algae accounts
for 15 to 40% of their dry weight.
In Asia, marine algae have been considered a high-quality and healthy
part of the human diet for centuries.
A lot of industrially produced
foods contain substances that
have been extracted from algae
and then processed. And Far
Eastern consumption trends such
as sushi, miso, dim-sum or Asia
salads also contribute towards
more and more algae being con-
sumed directly. Algae are con-
sidered to be healthy and so they
are to be found in a lot of food
supplements. Alginic acids are
said to bind toxins in the body
and encourage their excretion.
Fucoidan, or algal slime, is said
to strengthen the immune sys-
tem. And nori algae, (the casing of
sushi maki), are said to have anti-
bacterial effects; wakame is said
to thin the blood. Products for
slimming can also contain algae
or components of algae. Their
high roughage content is thought
to help during slimming diets
because they stimulate metabo-
lism. Substances from Laminaria
seaweed (kombu) bind choles-
terol in the bowel and thereby
prevent its being reabsorbed by
the body. Carrageenan, agar-
agar and alginates are thicken-
ing agents, but they can also be
helpful during slimming. Because
they can absorb a lot of water
the energy density (calorie con-
tent per unit weight) of the prod-
uct falls.
Only 40 or 50 of the nearly 40,000
macro algae species known
10_Aquatic Plants.indd 1 03/12/13 7:02 PM
Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 57www.eurofishmagazine.com
[ AQUATIC PLANTS ]
throughout the world are used in
aquaculture. It is difficult to deter-
mine the exact number because a
lot of species are not sufficiently
differentiated and are listed in the
statistics in unspecific groups. In
the FAO statistics of 2011 the eight
most important species and spe-
cies groups accounted for 86% of
global algae production.
Whilst the production of some
species such as wakame or
laver has stagnated or risen only
slightly, in recent years other
species have registered amazing
growth. The production of Kap-
paphycus alvarezii, for example,
tripled within just one decade,
and production of Eucheuma spe-
cies rose thirteen-fold during the
same period, from 364,934 tonnes
in 2001 to nearly 5 million tonnes
in 2011. Such growth rates are only
possible because demand for car-
rageenan has risen strongly world-
wide and because algae farming is
possible nearly everywhere and
with only little material expense
as long as the climatic and topo-
graphical factors are suitable.
Algae production is often possible with very
simple equipment
Several factors have to be taken
into account when selecting a
location for an algae farm. Because
it is mainly marine algae that are
produced in aquaculture, salinity
should not be below 30‰. Tem-
perature and water motion also
have to be “suitable” for the algae
species in question. The structure
of the sea bed and the growth upon
it are important factors, too. A
muddy bed is an indication of little
water motion, a dark bed absorbs
the sunlight and worsens the light
conditions for the algae. Algae
need a lot of light for their growth,
and even in clear water light sup-
ply is often only optimal at depths
of 30 to 50 cm. That is why algae
are cultivated below the water sur-
face, but as close to it as possible.
Natural algae growth should not
be too abundant in a farm location
because this would rob the algae
cultures of nutrients. Apart from
that it makes unnecessary work if
the algae cultures have to be freed
from competing growth. Prior to a
decision in favour of a particular
location, test production is often
carried out over a time span of sev-
eral months. If the average daily
growth rate of the algae is between
3 and 5% then their culture will be
worthwhile in the site concerned.
It should also not be forgotten that
sea urchins and algae-eating fishes
(e.g. species of the Siganidae fam-
ily, rabbitfishes, or Tetraodontidae,
puffers) can cause considerable
damages within the cultures. This
also applies to a phenomenon that
is called ice-ice, a name which
comes from the appearance of a
white colouring in different places
on the algae where they will at
some point in time break apart.
The causes of ice-ice are disputed.
Some people think that it is a bac-
terial or viral disease. Others think
that the disorder is triggered by
physical stress or changing local
environmental conditions.
Two methods are mainly used
for growing algae in aquaculture:
the off-bottom line method and
the floating raft method. The off-
bottom line method is generally
used in shallow water below the
low water line, i.e. the region that
can be reached on foot at low tide.
This method involves driving two
wooden stakes into the sea bed at
a distance of about 5 to 10 metres
from each other and then fixing
a monofilament nylon line or a
polypropylene rope between them,
rather like a washing line. The line
should be at least 20 cm from the
sea bed and be submerged deep
enough in the water that it does not
run dry at low tide. At a distance of
about one metre apart and using
the same principle further lines
are strung parallel to this and every
20 to 25 cm seedlings are tied to them
using a special knot. Depending on
the species of algae concerned they
should already be of a certain size,
for example in the case of Lami-
naria (kombu) they should weigh
50 to 150 g. Within 6 to 8 weeks the
algae’s weight increases tenfold and
the algae are ready for harvesting.
This can be done directly at the farm
in the sea or the whole line can be
hauled in and the algae removed on
land at a later point in time. Some
algae sprout again if plant remains
are left attached to the line and they
can then be harvested several times
over.
The floating raft method is suitable
for protected water areas that are
too deep for the off-bottom line
technique. This farming method
uses a floating raft that can be con-
structed in various different ways.
In most cases a 3 x 3 metre frame
is first made – usually of bamboo
but other similar materials can
also be used. Lines are then strung
parallel across the frame, about 15
to 20 cm apart. After the seedlings
have been attached to the lines
the frame is moved to about 50 cm
below the water surface. Floats at
the edge of the frame ensure that
it stays afloat and anchor stones
hold it in the desired position on
the sea bed. Both the off-bottom
line method and the floating raft
method are available in numerous
variations and designs, depending
on the location in which they are
to be used, the available building
materials and other necessities.
Because people are prepared to
pay more money for quality prod-
ucts the algae have to be dried
with the utmost care. It is particu-
larly important during this process
that they do not have any sand or
other dirt on them. The algae are
thus placed to dry in layers on dry-
ing racks or mats, or they are hung
up on the culture lines so that they
can dry like washing on a washing
line. After two to three days in the
sun the algae have usually lost so
much moisture that their weight
will have fallen to a third of its
original. During the drying phase
salt crystals appear on the algae.
These have to be shaken off. (Salt
is cheaper than dried algae and is
thus considered a quality defect.)
Well-trained farmers recognize
the right degree of dryness by the
firmness, resilience and flexibility
of the product. If the algae are still
too moist when put into storage
they could go mouldy; if, on the
other hand, they are too dry, it is
difficult to compress them into the
conventional bales using the mod-
est means the farmers have at their
disposal.
The top eight algae and aquatic plants (based on production volume) in 2011 Species/Group Scientific name Volume (tonnes)
Japanese kelp Laminaria japonica 5,257,201
Eucheuma Eucheuma spp. 4,889,715
Gracilaria Gracilaria spp. 2,215,695
Kappaphycus alvarezii 2,100,146
Wakame Undaria pinnatifida 1,754,504
Laver (Nori) Porphyra spp. 1,636,240
Hijiki, hiziki Sargassum fusiforme 111,310
Spirulina Spirulina spp. 73,140
(Source: Figis, Globefish)
10_Aquatic Plants.indd 2 03/12/13 7:02 PM
58 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofishmagazine.com
[ AQUATIC PLANTS ]
Usage potential of algae not fully utilised
It is mostly kelp (Laminaria japon-
ica) that is produced in worldwide
aquaculture. Kelp is a brown alga
with a leathery body (thallus) that
can grow to 20 cm wide and over
1 m long. This kelp species is said
to have already been cultivated in
Japan at the beginning of the 18th
century, but farming on a larger
scale only began about 60 years
ago. After the harvest the algae are
dried, in either unprocessed or
salted condition. Salted kelp can be
eaten directly as a marine vegeta-
ble. Dried kelp is used by industry:
substances such as iodine, manni-
tol or alginate are isolated and then
put to further use. The develop-
ment of modern methods of algi-
nate production was an important
stimulant for kelp aquaculture dur-
ing the 1960s and 70s. The Japanese
market for “genuine kombu” (ma-
kombu) gets 90% of its supply from
aquaculture. Kombu enhances
the flavour of salads and soy
soups, shortens cooking times and
improves the digestibility of some
foods. It is used to aromatise rice,
is eaten with meat dishes, eaten
fresh, as sweet ‘n’ sour kombu with
tea, and freezer dried algae are nib-
bled as a snack or, with sugar, like
sweets.
Wakame (Undaria pinnatifida)
is no less popular. This is a brown
alga that, along with nori and
kombu, is among the most popu-
lar edible algae species in Asia.
Wakame is farmed in aquaculture
in the same way as Laminaria. In
specia-lized companies the seed-
lings are attached to lines and
during the winter months they
can grow to 2 m in size at the on-
growing farms. Harvesting takes
place from February to June.
After the harvest the algae are
briefly rinsed with freshwater and
then dried in the sun. Wakame is
considered a light, low-calorie,
healthy marine vegetable that is
rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and
is said to have an antibacterial
effect. It contains not only cal-
cium, iodine, thiamine and nia-
cin but also iron. Due to its high
content of fucoxanthin wakame
supports fat metabolism. In Japan
wakame is an important ingredi-
ent in miso soup (there is a com-
parable soup recipe in Korea that
is called ‘miyeok guk,). Apart
from that, the algae are eaten in
salads (tofu) or as a vegetable
side-dish. Wakame is becoming
increasingly popular in European
cuisine, too.
Several of the 5,000 to 6,000
known red algae species are also
of great significance to the human
diet. Some of them, like nori (Por-
phyra tenera) or dulse (Palmaria
palmata) are eaten whole, others
supply just certain ingredients (e.g.
agar-agar, carrageenan).
Popularity of sushi drives demand for nori
Demand for nori, also called laver,
has increased strongly due to the
worldwide sushi trend and this is
driving aquaculture production.
Laver is a relatively small species of
red algae with an unevenly shaped,
lobed thallus. Young plants are ini-
tially green but with increasing age
become brownish or purple red.
One reason for the popularity of
laver is the lack of cellulose in
the cell walls of the algae which
makes them easily chewable and
easily digested. Harvesting usu-
ally takes place at night or early in
the morning because laver loses
its aroma quickly. After cleaning,
the algae are cut up with a small
amount of water and mixed to a
thick puree which is then spread
out to dry on net frames. This is
how the characteristic dry algae
leaves in which sushi rolls are
wrapped are produced. Nori
leaves are not only available in
the “natural” variety but also
with spices, with garlic or other
additives. Dry nori leaves contain
25 to 35% protein and more vita-
min C than the same quantity of
oranges, their vitamin A content
is comparable with that of spin-
ach. Apart from that, Porphyra
algae have an amino acid spec-
trum that is more typical of ani-
mal proteins.
The only micro alga that is of
any noteworthy significance for
aquaculture is currently Spir-
ulina, which is really a cyanobac-
terium, formerly known as blue
alga. Spirulina consists of cylin-
drical cells that are arranged in a
long spiral like a long corkscrew,
with either a left or right turn (the
diameter of the spiral is between
0.005 and 0.012 mm). Every sin-
gle cell in this spiral reproduces
through cell division so that
the spiral gradually becomes
longer. When the Spirulina spiral
reaches a length of about 0.5 mm
it falls apart into several pieces
that then grow further according
to the same pattern. In this way
and in a relatively short period of
time a thick algal pulp develops
that can be easily concentrated
and processed. Production is
very simple. It can be carried out
in shallow concrete or plastic
tanks. The resulting dried algae
is a green powder. Dried Spir-
ulina algae have a high protein
content which, depending on
their origin and quality, can be
between 55 and 67%. It is worth
mentioning that they also have a
high content of vitamins, partic-
ularly B12. Demand for Spirulina
is high and is likely to grow fur-
ther. It is used as an additive in
the production of animal feeds,
for example, as a food supple-
ment and as a biocatalyst during
fermentation processes. Spir-
ulina is also said to help during
slimming diets, to reduce blood
fat values, to protect against
infection and to have an anti-
inflammatory effect.
Because so far only a few studies
have been carried out on Spir-
ulina, sound proof is often lack-
ing to support such statements.
However, it is certain that aqua-
culture production of algae will
continue to increase in the coming
years. Attempts are being made to
use algae as feed in aquaculture,
for example, or to produce bio
fuels from algae, or to use certain
ingredients for pharmaceutical
purposes. In a lot of areas develop-
ments are still in their infancy but it
is becoming increasingly clear that
algae are a very versatile, very high-
quality raw material. mk
Demand for marine algae is rising in Korea helped by increasing
consumption of sushi, miso, and dim-sum.
10_Aquatic Plants.indd 3 03/12/13 7:02 PM
[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]
Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 59www.eurofishmagazine.com
The EU depends on imports to satisfy its demand for fish
Imports support EU fish and seafood processingThe European fish and seafood processing industry relies on a consistent supply of raw materials to satisfy growing consumer demand from both domestic and export markets. Recently, Matthias Keller, vice president of the European Federation of National Organisations of Importers and Exporters of Fish (AIPCE-CEP), made a presentation to representatives of the Dutch fish-processing industry.
The audience listened clos-
edly as Dr Keller delivered
four key messages. First,
imports remain the backbone of
the markets. Second, EU quota
opportunity is becoming more
positive, but it remains to be seen
if the catch utilisation rate will
follow. Third, competition from
other populous regions is inten-
sifying, for example from markets
such as Brazil, Russia, and China.
Fourth, are compliance require-
ments and costs making the EU-
markets less attractive to raw
material providers.
Processing depends on imports
In 2012, the total amount of fish avail-
able was slightly less than 14 million
tonnes. Of this, 8.8 million tonnes
were imported from third countries,
and only 4.8 million tonnes came
from European fisheries. Keller says,
“We can plainly see that, without
imports from third countries, we
would not have enough fish to sup-
ply the demand in Europe”.
The dependence on imports
has grown over the past decade.
In 1999, the EU imported 51 of
the fish consumed, and in 2012 it
was 65.
The Association of Fish Pro-
cessors and Importers in the
EU (AIPCE-CEP) argues that
imports are the mainstay of the
EU fish market and should not
be regarded as a threat to the EU
fishing fleet.
Tuna is the most imported species into Europe at 1.19 million tonnes per year. Imports of salmon claim second place at 1.07 million tonnes. This
particular tuna however has been ranched in Europe.
Ale
ksan
dra
Pet
erse
n
11_TM.indd 1 04/12/13 5:48 PM
[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]
60 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofishmagazine.com
Will EU catches sell?
At the same time, Keller asks, if
we have more quota available, are
there markets for it in Europe, or
do we have to export it to other
areas because the demand is not as
strong?
“For example”, explains Keller,
“looking at the large amount of cod
coming from the Barents and the
Norwegian seas, we wonder if there
is enough market for it in Europe”.
He predicts an increase in the
amount of fish supplied by aqua-
culture. “I have absolutely no
doubt that this is possible for the
future in a very substantial way”,
he continues. “I am convinced that
this will happen. The demand for
fish in the EU will increase again,
and that demand will be fulfilled.
But you will pay higher prices in
the future. It’s not a question of
whether fish will be available,
believe it or not. The question is
what will the price be?”
For Keller, it is important that
all statistics be calculated using
live weight equivalent, which is
a way to convert the volume or
mass (more commonly referred
to as the weight) of a product at
one stage in the production chain
to its volume or mass at another
stage in the chain.
“One tonne of fillet blocks and
one tonne of headed and gutted
fish are different kinds of presen-
tations”, he says, “because to pro-
duce a fillet block you might need
double the amount of whole fish.
To make the units equal, we con-
vert everything into live weight”.
Competition is heating up
Keller explains that competi-
tion from other populous regions
for raw materials is intensifying.
“Look at the situation with the
work. “I call it a paper tsunami,
where you have lots of paperwork
to prove that the fish come from
sustainable sources or the cost of
the illegal, unreported, and unreg-
ulated fishing (IUU) regulations.
Many administrative things have
to be streamlined. We’re looking
for a general reduction in admin-
istrative costs. Yes, illegal fisheries
should be investigated, but not
every fishery in the world should
be “accused” in general term”.
Level playing field
Often, the industry or the import-
ers are accused of importing fish
from areas that do not have the
same health standards or the
same competition. The question
of a level playing field often arises.
Keller says, “We have often had the
question about a level playing field.
It’s notable that we find the follow-
ing in the Common Fisheries Pol-
icy. “There is a need to strengthen
the competitiveness of the Union
fishery and aquaculture sector, the
Common Market Organisation for
fishery and aquaculture products
should ensure a level-playing field
for all fishing and aquaculture
products marketed in the Union,
should allow consumers to make
better informed choices and sup-
port responsible consumption,
and should improve the economic
knowledge and understanding of
the Union markets along the sup-
ply chain”.
He continues, “This is an indi-
rect criticism that, very often, fish
products coming from outside
the EU do not follow the rules, so
even the fishermen complain that
imports can have lower health
standards and lower standards
for IUU”. He thinks it is important
to emphasise that, in general,
the European seafood process-
ing industry and traders are not
importing unsafe seafood.
He says that the other important
thing to remember is that the
Matthias Keller, vice president of the European Federation of National
Organisations of Importers and Exporters of Fish.
salmon. There is a lot of salmon
going out to Russia. We know that
there are markets for cod in Brazil,
but we don’t know what will hap-
pen in India”.
In August, the EU Commission
banned the Faroe Islands from
importing herring and mackerel
caught by Faroese vessels. Kel-
ler admits that this might have a
negative impact on the EU’s sup-
ply because the Faroe Islands is the
largest supplier of herring to the EU
market.
“They can easily sell this fish to
Africa. They can easily find other
markets in the world. Look at
Brazil, at Russia, at China. On the
other hand, although we have
strong competition from these
countries, we also can see some
opportunities. Maybe these are
markets for our convenience fish
products”.
Requirements that cost
Says Keller, “Based on the infor-
mation we have at the moment,
even after introducing new regu-
lations, we are not seeing any
interruption of the trade flow.
There is still enough fish coming
into the EU, even if it’s a bit less at
the moment, but this is related to
the economic crisis”.
Still, there are many areas for
improvement. “We need fewer
administrative costs, one of which
is the duty that must be paid on
imports. We are fighting against
duties on the raw materials”. He
points out that countries that
were part of the Generalised Sys-
tem of Preferences, which regu-
lates duties, and paid duties on
their products of only 3, saw the
duties jump to 7 or even to 20.
The second area for improvement
is the amount of administrative
11_TM.indd 2 04/12/13 5:48 PM
[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]
Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 61www.eurofishmagazine.com
Commission and NGOs still feel
that there is substantial activity in
IUU. “But if we look at the trends
in growth statistics”, he says, “we
have not seen any interruption of
trade for any species. And if a large
amount of IUU activity were tak-
ing place, it would register in our
statistics because less tuna, mack-
erel, or cod would be imported,
and that’s just not the case”.
Understanding the European market
Keller explains that these markets
are all different, and to understand
the European market, it is neces-
sary to look at individual species.
“Of course we can give the overall
statistics, but to really describe
the market, we must go into detail
about the main species, where
they come from, and how they
are presented. It is necessary to
go into detail to understand trade
issues, such as partner agreements
and why certain agreements were
made with certain countries. This
is a good first entrance to the mar-
ket if you have not already ana-
lysed the market in that way”.
He points out, for example, that,
although most of the species are
imported, the domestic herring
market is much larger than for
imports, forming a picture totally
different from the other species.
Total market volume of herring
is nearly 1 million t, and 663,000
t come from European catches.
Imports are only half that amount.
Most of the production is frozen
flaps (123,000 t), followed by fro-
zen fillets (91,000 t), and frozen
whole fish (43,000 t).
Tuna, the most popular fish
According to Keller, there are
1.19 million t of tuna in the
European market; it is the spe-
cies with the greatest volume in
Europe. Approximately, 42,000
t come from European catches,
the main part of it, 1.1 million t,
is imported. Most of it, 647,000 t,
is prepared; 269,000 t are loins;
and 200,000 t come as frozen
whole fish.
“People imagine that cod is the
most important species, but actu-
ally it’s tuna, followed by salmon,
cod, and herring, and these are
among the ten most important
species”.
The four largest importers of tuna
are Ecuador, which supplies ca.
225,000 t; Mauritius, 119,000 t;
Thailand, 108,000 t and the Sey-
chelles, 82,000 t. The supply
base is very international, with
1,065,000 t supplied by other
countries.
Salmon
Salmon is the next most imported
species, with most of it coming
from Norway, which supplies
845,000 t of a total import vol-
ume of 1,072 million t. The rest of
the country portfolio is diverse:
China (71,000 t), the Faroe Islands
(62,000 t), and the USA (46,000 t).
Altogether, 48,000 t come from
other countries.
From a market volume of 1.073
million t, 697,000 t are imported
as fresh whole; 168,000 t as frozen
fillets; and 145,000 t as fresh fillets.
Cod
Keller points to cod as an interest-
ing species because the largest
portion of the production is dried
and salted, not for fresh consump-
tion. Norway plays an impor-
tant role, supplying 302,000 t
of the 866,000 t import volume.
Other main suppliers include Ice-
land (198,000 t), China, (139,000 t),
Food balance for fish and fishery products1.000 tonnes live weight
2011 2012
Catches 4.629 4.313
+ Aquaculture 1.260 1.260
- Non-food uses 1.000 700
= Supply for consumption 4.889 4.873
+ Imports (Third countries) 9.221 8.815
= Total availability 14.110 13.688
- Exports (Third countries) 1.951 1.996
= Total consumption 12.159 11.692
Consumption (kg/capita) 24,2 23,2
and Russia, (125,000 t). Almost
102,000 t are supplied by other
countries.
Shrimp
Keller notes that the shrimp mar-
ket is interesting and totally dif-
ferent from the others. It depends
100 on raw materials coming
from third countries. A large por-
tion is prepared and preserved.
It is also interesting to see that
four countries supply the great-
est share: Greenland (105,000 t),
Ecuador (104,000 t), Thailand
(102,000 t), and Canada (70,000 t).
Other countries supply 193,000
t of the total import volume of
874,000 t.
“Of course, here we have to go
into more detail because shrimp
from Greenland and shrimp from
Vietnam are totally different spe-
cies”, says Keller. “The Pandalus
borealis coming from Greenland
is totally different from the Litope-
naeus vannamei from Indonesia,
and the Penaeus monodon from
Vietnam”.
Alaska pollock
“Because no Alaska pollock is
caught in the EU”, Keller says, “we
are 100 dependent on imports,
and frozen fillets are the main
presentation (781,000 t), followed
by frozen meat (65,000 t), and
frozen whole fish (1,000 t). This
is very logical, because we only
need the fillets for processing to
make products that are more con-
venient. Why should we import
fish from Russia or the US that
have the head and bones?”
China, which has only a small
quota for Alaska pollock, is the
largest importer with 400,000 t.
Other main importers are the USA
(366,000 t), Russia (82,000 t), and
South Korea (2,000 t). Mainly, the
fish are caught in Russia and the
USA and processed in China.
Dr. Keller based his presentation
on the 2013 AIPCE-CEP Finfish
Study. The focus of the Finfish
Study is whitefish, but in recent
years, it has included alternative
resources, such as freshwater
cultivated species like pangasius
and tilapia. Further, because the
fish industry relies on a broader
selection of species and types,
the study has been expanded to
include salmon, tuna, pelagics,
and surimi as well as shrimp and
cephalopods.
The 2013 study will be available
soon on the AIPCE-CEP website:
http://aipcecep.drupalgardens.
com/content/white-fish-study.
William Anthony
11_TM.indd 3 04/12/13 5:48 PM
Add your event to www.EurofishMagazine.comAdd your event to www.EurofishMagazine.com
DIARY DATES
5 February, 2014
Marel Salmon Showhow
Copenhagen, Denmark
Tel.: +45 98921511
Fax: +45 98921101
www.marel.com/salmonshowhow
9-11 February, 2014
Fish International
Bremen, Germany
Tel.: +49 421 3505 260
Fax: +49 421 3505 681
info@fi shinternational.de
www.fi shinternational.de
24-28 February 2014
COFI Sub-Committee on Fish Trade
Bergen, Norway
www.fao.org/cofi /ft/en/
4-6 March 2014
North Atlantic Seafood Forum
Bergen, Norway
Tel.: +47 22 87 87 00
www.nor-seafood.com
16-18 March 2014
Seafood Expo North America & Seafood
Processing North America
Boston, USA
Tel.: +1 207 842 5504
www.seafoodexpo.com
31 March – 3 April, 2014
Alimentaria 2014
Barcelona, Spain
Tel.: +34 93 452 10 39
www.alimentaria-bcn.com
9-11 April, 2014
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www.eurofishmagazine.com Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 63
GUEST PAGES
Sustainability is a keyword in political discussions worldwide. As the problem of overfishing looms large in the minds of consumers,
NGOs, and governments, dozens of seafood-certification and labelling programmes have been put in place. Jacob Færgemand is a
managing director at Bureau Veritas, a global leader in testing, inspection, and certification. In the 1990s, he led the alignment of Danish
food-safety standards with the framework of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In 2000, he became chair of the
ISO 22000 committee charged with harmonising food safety standards, which was finalised in 2005. Incidentally, Færgemand was
born into a family of fishermen. Before becoming a fisherman, his grandfather Anders Nielsen was a ferryman and so was given the
nickname Ferryman. Later, he changed his surname to Ferryman, or Færgemand in Danish. Færgemand admits that it is a strange name.
Having already been part of the process of developing standards, what historical perspective can you bring?
The huge number of labelling
schemes that have been devel-
oped by local retailers and fish-
eries organisations is totally
natural. It’s what we saw in
food-safety programmes. They
started 50 years ago with a lot of
local initiatives, which became
regional initiatives. Finally, it
ended up with the ISO standard
that harmonised the methods,
which were largely similar.
I think this is what we will see
in the fish and seafood sector.
All of the schemes will meet in
ISO, where standards that cover
the whole world are developed.
It will be a process of consensus
in which all of the schemes will
be put on the table, and the best
pool of activities will be deter-
mined.
Where do the fishing and seafood industries stand right now?
With all of the different certifica-
tion marks that exist now, I think
the industries are exactly where
we were 15 years ago with food-
safety issues. Starting in 2000, we
actually managed to harmonise
industry methods to produce
safe food. But it took five years to
get there. Bringing all the scheme
owners together was a fight for
the first two years.
Nobody discussed real technical
issues. They were stuck in their
own positions, talking without
actually being willing to find
solutions. But after two years, we
had a breakthrough and started
putting everything on the table.
We discovered that 90 of all
local schemes were nearly the
same.
How close or how far is the fish-ing industry from reaching a breakthrough?
I think we haven’t even started
the process, because the private
certifiers are just pushing their
own local schemes, trying to gain
acceptance. They want to dif-
ferentiate themselves from the
others and convince the retailers
that their scheme is better than
the other schemes. That’s a waste
of money, travelling around sell-
ing something that is more or less
the same. But when the costs get
too high, they will ask for harmo-
nisation. I think it will take three
to five years, because everybody
is fighting everybody else now.
The explosion of certification and labelling programmes
Moving slowly towards consensus
As certification and labelling of seafood become universal, what are the factors driving this trend and what roles do consumers, government and retail-sector authorities, and NGOs play?
Sustainability is actually the
driver here. There are what I call
political consumers, who want to
be green and be sure that they’re
supporting sustainable food
sources, and they are willing to
Jacob Færgemand, Managing Director, Bureau Veritas Certification
13_GuestPage_Last_Page_Intrw.indd 1 03/12/13 7:03 PM
64 Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 www.eurofishmagazine.com
GUEST PAGES
pay a little more for it. They are
pushing the retailers, who want
to sell products that consumers
are able to buy from the other
retailers. The retailers are actu-
ally selling these labels, which
are being created on every con-
tinent.
Authorities are imposing con-
trols through quotas, but when
quotas are imposed, a coun-
try can say, “Yes, but to avoid
unemployment, we need the
fishery now”. So, they overfish,
and that’s the NGOs role: They
want to implement sustainable
policies. They want the authori-
ties to be held accountable for
taking the right decisions, and
if they don’t, they will be pun-
ished.
This is typically how these many
schemes are developed. They
start locally with local needs.
Then, regional players want to
differentiate themselves. Finally,
the political consumers want
to buy something that is green
to prove that they are actually
taking care of the environment,
and that influences the buying
and selling. Consumers want to
buy products from retailers who
have proven that they are offer-
ing something different, leading
to different brands and product
labelling.
The reputation of some farmed whitefish species imported into Europe is not the best among consumers, despite the fact that it comes from certi-fied sources. Could this under-mine trust in certification in general?
If consumers find out that in
Norway or Thailand people are
cheating the system and using
certification marks fraudulently,
they will get confused, and then
they will get mad. Nobody likes
to overpay for a product that is
not what it claims to be. People
will start to investigate whether
the schemes work as they were
intended to, and that will lead to
harmonisation.
Anyone can mark a product, and
the mark’s validity depends on
who is actually controlling the
marking. There is a lot of dirty
work going on out there, where
people use a mark, without con-
trol that they’re actually doing
what they are expected to do.
What you see now is that perhaps
20 out of 60 are not as heavily
controlled as the others are.
Another form of control is the
economic driver. Who is actu-
ally getting hurt if the mark-
ing scheme falls apart? Is it the
retailer or is it the food pro-
ducer? This is the motivation
for requiring independent enti-
ties to go in and oversee the
industries as well as the authori-
ties. This is what the Marine
Stewardship Council (MSC) is
doing.
Labels such as those from the MSC certify that the product is from a sustainable fishery. In theory however, it is the responsibility of the authority that administers fisheries to ensure that the fishery is sus-tainable. When sustainability can only be credibly certified by a third party, are the author-ities abdicating some of their responsibility?
If the monitoring system is con-
trolled by a third party, certifying
by audit that the authorities are
actually doing what they have
signed up to do, you could say
that. On the other hand, what
if you want to approve a fishery
where five countries fish? Who
makes sure that the five coun-
tries are not overfishing? If you
control one or two of them but
not the rest, how can we assure
the consumer that the fishery in
the North Sea is not overfished?
Based on Denmark or the UK,
we know it’s not overfished, but
what about Norway, Russia, and
Iceland?
To talk about sustainable fisher-
ies, you need to talk about the
sea and where the species are
before you can designate the
fish as sustainable and ensure
that one country does not take
more than the others do. Of
course, the countries are com-
mitted to the international
agreement, but you need some
kind of overview, which not
all authorities in the countries
have.
Do third-party certifiers somehow undermine the authority of the national governments?
If I as a citizen of Denmark, for
example, believe that my gov-
ernment is skilled and strong
enough to have a good fishing
policy, then a conflict can arise
with a scheme like MSC, which
is a private scheme controlled
by somebody in another coun-
try. It appears that they are forc-
ing themselves into the Danish
authority system. This is not
acceptable to some authorities,
and that’s why there are a lot of
authorities that are not especially
happy to be a part of the assess-
ments if fisheries should be cer-
tified.
Are they obliged to follow the instructions set by the outside schemes?
They are only obliged if they
agree to be certified. The pres-
sure to accept this comes from
the fisheries sector. If the Dan-
ish industry believes that they
cannot sell Danish products,
they will put pressure on the
Danish government, pushing
them go to for this certification.
If Danish society or the Danish
fisheries sector agree that this
is needed to survive in the long
run, then the Danish authori-
ties have to agree to show the
paperwork proving how they
are controlling their sustainable
fisheries.
You can imagine that not many
authorities would like people
from a private company com-
ing in and commenting on how
they do their work. Things can
get very tense, leading to con-
flict, which is the case at the
moment.
What criteria should an aquaculture operator consider when looking for an independent certifying body; how do they judge which body to choose?
If you want validity in the label-
ling, you should look for certi-
fication, and if you want even
more validity, you should look
for accredited certification.
Accreditation Services Interna-
tional (ASI) is one of the leading
accreditation bodies. Normally,
when a Norwegian salmon
farmer is selecting a certifier, he
turns to the ASI webpage, where
he can see which certifiers have
been accredited.
Organizations like ASI check
that the selected certifying
bodies are doing what they are
expected to do. They ensure that
the certifying body is spend-
ing enough time, has qualified
13_GuestPage_Last_Page_Intrw.indd 2 03/12/13 7:03 PM
www.eurofishmagazine.com Eurofish Magazine 6 / 2013 65
GUEST PAGES
auditors, and supplies cor-
rect reports about everything
that they have seen. And they
demand the actions neces-
sary to raise the fish farmer to
accepted standards. So, I think
that accreditation brings an
extra level of validity to the cer-
tification scheme.
How much self-interest is there in some of these accreditation schemes?
Of course, you can say that you
have money to earn if you lead
a scheme to certify. This is an
industry in itself. There are the
big certifiers such as Bureau Veri-
tas, which I represent, that offer
different kinds of standards. Our
company has to train our people,
pay fees to the accreditors, and
pay fees to the scheme owners.
So, you can imagine that having
ten different small schemes with
100 clients each is more expen-
sive than having one scheme
with a thousand clients, because
I only have to pay one accredita-
tion body.
There is self-interest for those
creating schemes, but big certify-
ing bodies are more interested in
having global schemes with one
set of rules to follow, because
this would be much more cost
efficient. Then we can compete
on the marketplace by offering
the best schemes to the industry,
based on our competencies and
normal price levels.
Bureau Veritas’ idea, and I think
it’s shared by some of our com-
petitors, is that we should be
able to deliver the kind of cer-
tification that a company asks
for. If there are conflicting issues
in different standards, we start
technical discussions with the
scheme owners to find a solu-
tion. Normally, in different
sectors including the fisheries
sector, we see that, even though
we have 50 different schemes,
90 of typical context is the same.
What are the cost implications?
As I said before, political con-
sumers are ready to pay per-
haps 10 to 20 extra to be sure
they are eating organic. It is
not a problem to pass on a
small increase to these con-
sumers. But let’s ask what are
the cost implications of being
certified? Of course, you have
to pay a certification body to
do the audit. Let’s say it costs
a fish farm EUR 3,000. But the
cost to implement the required
changes and systems to receive
certification is 10 to 20 times
higher. So, if you pay me EUR
3,000 to be certified, you will
need to do some cleaning up,
pay for training programmes,
and change systems, proce-
dures, and structures. That will
end up costing EUR 30,000 to
60,000.
We see that farmers looking
for certification and following
our advice gain a lot in inter-
nal efficiency. We can advise
you if you are using the correct
feed. Are your feeding meth-
ods correct, and do you waste
feed, which settles to the bot-
tom of the sea, the lake, or the
tank? Are you using the correct
amount of medicine and is the
method of slaughter correct
and economical? The costs that
they put into this start-up activ-
ity are recouped in two to four
years because they get leaner.
They become better at produc-
ing the fish, and they don’t make
as many mistakes. They develop
better recording methods, which
allow them to see the gains more
quickly. The certified companies
become more profitable because
they get closer to what they’re
doing.
In addition, for exports and
imports there is the supply-
chain-certification scheme that
ensures the amount of fish
captured complies with MSC
guidelines as being sustainably
fished. This also ensures that
the fish meeting the standards
are the same fish that enter the
harbour, are put into produc-
tion, and end up on the trucks
and the ships that lead to the
marketplace. We can follow
the certificates of origin for the
whole supply chain.
This allows us to audit a com-
pany that claims they can sell
this amount of labelled fish and
prove that the fish are actually
caught from a MSC-certified
source, and that they are not
mixed up with fish from other
countries.
Unfortunately, it is still quite
easy to cheat. Consumers need
to be assured, for example, that
two of the ten containers from
Thailand are not substituted
with two from China in the
harbour at Hanoi. Then, they
have the right to demand extra
control measures, and we feel
obliged to put ten controllers in
the harbour of Hanoi to make
sure that this shipment is not
compromised.
But we can’t afford 100, 24-hour
control. If you see failures you
need to increase your control.
That increases costs, but this is
necessary to maintain the certifi-
cates’ validity. We need to avoid
the consumer asking “Why don’t
you control every fish?” Then, the
fish will cost EUR 200 each. It’s a
matter of finding the right level of
control and then the right level of
validity. This is a basic question
that all certification schemes have
to answer.
13_GuestPage_Last_Page_Intrw.indd 3 03/12/13 7:03 PM
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