A monthly review May 2011

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

2

3

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Skretting Australasian Aquaculture 2012 Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre,Victoria, Australia. Following the success of the previous four Australasian Aquaculture events, we are pleased to invite all those who have an interest in the ongoing development of aquaculture in the Asian Pacific region and in the continued growth of the industry to join as we convene in Melbourne, Victoria for the fifth biennial Conference and Trade Show.

Skretting Australasian Aquaculture 2012 (AA12), ‘The Next Ten Years’ will provide a valuable opportunity for presentations from academia, researchers and industry, facilitating the meaningful exchange of information amongst the aquaculture and related industries and inspiring all participants to contribute to the future. AA12 will provide a forum for education, knowledge transfer and development of new skills along with professional development of all sectors within the industry. Read more ...

Perendale Publishers Team at Victam International 2011 at Cologne, Germany Perendale Publishers are at the Victam International show in Cologne, Germany at STAND AO34, eight of the team are there including the owner of Perendale Mr Roger Gilbert along with Nicky Barns, Caroline Wearn, Sabby Major, Tuti Tan, Iain Gaynor, Steve Chuter and Nigel Jew. They are there to answer all your questions and to promote our publications, the International Aquafeed Magazine, Grain Feed & Milling Technology and The International Milling Directory, they look forward to meeting you, hope to see you there.

Fish farm opponents march, rally at legislature About 250 people gathered at the legislature Sunday after marching down the Saanich Peninsula to protest against fish farming, which they say is menace to wild fish populations. The march, all 23 kilometres of it, began on the Tsawout First Nation and proceeded all the way to the legislature for speeches and cheers. The march and rally were part of a campaign called Vote Salmon, which is asking all British Columbians to raise the issue of the dangers posed by open-net pen salmon farming to the wild populations and the environment. Opponents of fish farming contend the fish, living in tight pens, make for a breeding ground for viruses, bacteria and parasites, which can be passed to wild populations. Read more ...

THE INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED MARKET PLACE

Hi my name is Martin Little. I am the Aquaculturists, with a background in Marine Zoology and eight years working in the field as a consultant fisheries observer in the North Atlantic, I am now part of International Aquafeed magazine, and as well as my column in the pages of the magazine I will be running a accompanying blog that can be found at http://theaquacul-turists.blogspot.com/

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

4

Another side of tilapia, the perfect factory fish Americans ate 475 million pounds of tilapia last year, four times more tilapia last year than they did a decade ago, a vast majority of the fish harvested from pens or cages in Latin America and Asia. But at the Aquafinca fish farm here, a modern miracle takes place daily: Tens of thousands of beefy, flapping tilapia are hauled out of teeming cages on Lake Yojoa, converted to fillets in a cold slaughterhouse and rushed onto planes bound for the United States, where some will appear on plates within 12 hours. Making this once obscure African native the most popular farmed fish in the United States. Although wild fish predominate in most species, a vast majority of the tilapia consumed in the United States is “harvested” from pens or cages in Latin America and Asia. Read more ...

Nutreco spends £24m on fish feed plant upgrade Animal nutrition and fish feed giant Nutreco is investing UK£24 million (US$39.574 million) to upgrade its fish feed plant in Averøy, Norway. The investment consists of an upgrade of the grinding facility, a new intake line and expansion of both storage capacity and operation premises. It is expected this will enable Skretting, Nutreco’s fish feed business, to meet future market demand for high quality feed for salmon and to maintain its market leader position in Norway. The Norwegian fish feed market has grown with an average of eight percent a year from 2006 to 2010. Read more ...

High production costs cause worries to tra fish producers Tra fish exporters still feel unhappy, even though the tra fish export volume increased by five percent, while export turnover increased by 21 percent in the first quarter of the year in comparison with the same period of 2010. The difficulties in material access plus the high production costs have been threatening their business. The average tra fish export price in March 2011, increased by a little over January and February, from US$2.55 (UK£1.546) per kilo to US$2.62 (UK£1.589) per kilo, which is higher than the average export price of US$2.14 (UK£1.298) per kilo in 2010. Especially, the price of exports to the US market was highest at four dollars per kilo, while the export price to Europe 3.4-3.5 dollars per kilo. It is expected that the export price would keep rising in the second quarter of the year. Read more ...

University of Maine researchers make key discovery on lice infestation University of Maine researchers have published a paper in which they demonstrate that the blue mussel, (Mytilus edulis) can eat larvae of the sea louse, a parasitic pest that has recently made a comeback on fish farms, decimating populations of farmed finfish.The findings were published recently in the journal Aquaculture and have implications for the farmed salmon industry in Maine. If further analysis in the field holds up, the use of mussels on salmon farms could be another disease management strategy for reducing the infectious pressure of sea lice in a finfish farm. Postdoctoral researcher Sally Molloy, a microbiologist in UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences, made the discovery last summer along with graduate student Michael Pietrak. Read more ...

5

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Aqua Nor Forum: Trondheim, Norway, August 17-18, within AQUA NOR The AQUA NOR FORUM is a place for science, industry, consumers and policy makers to discuss the key issues that affect aquaculture development. Organised by the European Aquaculture Society in co operation with the Nor-Fishing Foundation, SINTEF and CREATE, AQUA NOR FORUM 2011 will address one of the critical constraints to the development of aquaculture in Europe notably access to sites with high water quality to ensure high quality aquaculture products.

By up-scaling production systems an increase in productivity can be obtained for any specific site; but this must be compliant with legislation, with regard to fish welfare, with regard to husbandry and especially with regard to the environmental impacts of increased production systems. Read more ...

International salmon farming colleagues join forces The International Salmon Farmers Association (ISFA) revealed its new website, www.salmonfarming.org, today in a co-operative launch by its members around the world. Representatives from countries such as Norway, Scotland, Chile, United States and Canada have all contributed to the project. “This is a new approach for the international salmon farming community to connect with the general public and with each other,” said Scott Landsburgh, Chief Executive of Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation. “As the world’s population continues to grow and the need for sustainable sources of healthy and nutritious protein increases, the authoritative information on the website will help to explain the positive contribution that our industry can make towards achieving food security,” added Landsburgh. Read more ...

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

New Article: Replacement of fishmeal and marine proteins in practical diets for Pacific white shrimp using terrestrial land animal proteins Growth of shrimp was not affected by the lower cost diets containing varying amounts of poultry by product meal and soybean meal. Growth is affected when diets do not contain any marine meal. Low levels of hydrolysed feather meal require supplementation with lysine and methionine. At present farmed shrimp are the largest consumers of fishmeal within the aquaculture sector, consuming an estimated 964,000 tonnes of fishmeal in 2007. The aquaculture sector consumed a total of 3.83 million tonnes or 68.4 percent of the total global fishmeal production in 2007. Apart from the limited supply and availability, there is an urgent need to reduce the dependency of the rapidly growing aquaculture sector upon this limited and potentially food-grade marine fishery resource. Read more ... An Article written by Authors : Albert G.J. Tacon (Aquatic Farms Ltd ), Edi Wahyu Cahyono, Uus Sugema, Choiruz Zaudjat and Sergio Nates

7

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

AquaBounty confident despite rise in net losses AquaBounty Technologies is confident about the future despite net losses rising to US$5.3million (€3.56 million) in the year to the end of December up from US$4.8 million (€3.22 million) last time. AquaBounty a biotechnology company focussed on enhancing productivity in the aquaculture market had cash and cash equivalents of US$2.6 million (€1.7 million) at the year-end up from US$1.2 million (€0.807 million) in 2009.

AquaBounty said 2010 was a pivotal year when it achieved key milestones towards United States Food and Drug Administration approval for AquAdvantage Salmon. CEO Ron Stotish said: “I remain confident that this will soon be forthcoming, which will enable us to move into the commercial phase of development. Read more ...

Vaccines In Aquaculture: Do They Work? The Director of PHARMAQ Asia, Kjersti Gravningen, discussed the effectiveness of vaccines in aquaculture at the Novus International Seminar, held during the recent biennial VIV ASIA event, reports Stuart Lumb for TheFishSite.com. Ideally, vaccines give long term protection against important diseases, can be simply administered, are safe to use both for the fish and the administrator and are profitable.

Why are vaccines of interest? Of course, prevention is better than cure. There is an increasing demand for fish protein, there is increasing concern about the use of antibiotics, increasing awareness about food safety and finally, vaccines are environmentally friendly. Historically, vaccination by immersion was used against vibriosis and ERM in salmonids in 1976. injection started in 1981. In 1998, oral vaccination was introduced in Japan for tilapia, with DNA vaccines being used in salmon in Canada in 2005. Read more ...

Blue Ridge is number one indoor tilapia producer Blue Ridge Aquaculture has become the country’s biggest producer in indoor-raised tilapia. In a region better known for NASCAR and manufacturing plants, Blue Ridge Aquaculture has become the country’s biggest producer of indoor-raised tilapia, according to The Roanake Times. Displaced furniture workers harvest more than 5,000 fish every day from this farm near Martinsville Speedway. They pump them into white tanks that like some of the chairs they used to assemble are hauled in 18-wheeler trucks to buyers in Washington, Toronto and points in between. Some 35 people work for Blue Ridge Aquaculture, an 18-year-old company that has become the country’s biggest producer in its niche market: indoor-raised tilapia. Innovative businesses such as this one are changing the work force in the region. Read more ...

New record for Scottish salmon exports Fresh Scottish salmon exports reached record levels in 2010, according to new figures from the Scottish Salmon Producers’ Organisation (SSPO). This performance confirmed salmon as Scotland’s largest food export. Exports increased by 20 percent, rising to 78,611 tonnes from 65,480 tonnes the previous year, reports Scotland Food and Drink. It is the second consecutive year that exports have risen as global demand for the healthy and sustainable protein continues to grow. The UK continues to be the most important market by some distance. Seven of the top 10 export markets grew in volume in 2010. Scottish salmon now reaches 54 countries worldwide. Europe remains the main export market, with France its top importer (26,475 tonnes). The USA is the biggest destination in the rest of the world (31,924 tonnes). Read more ...

THE INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED MARKET PLACE

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

8

Genomics - Quantum leap for salmon industry Norway is cooperating with Canada and Chile to sequence the salmon genome. The knowledge generated could provide the answers to several problematic issues involving Norwegian farmed salmon and lead to major competitive advantages for companies taking part in the project. “As project participants, we gain access to the sequence before it is published and made widely available,” says Petter Arnesen of Marine Harvest ASA. “This gives us the opportunity to search for genetic sequences that code for desired traits, which could give us a competitive edge.” Marine Harvest is the world’s largest producer of farmed salmon; Dr Arnesen is in charge of the company’s activities involving selective breeding and genetics. Read more ...

AQUA 2012 To Be Held In Prague The next AQUA event, AQUA 2012, will take place in Prague on September 1 to 5, 2012. The boards of directors of the EAS and the World Aquaculture Society (WAS) have the pleasure to announce that the AQUA 2012 event will take place in the Czech Republic capital, Prague, on September 1 to 5, 2012. The AQUA events are co-organised by EAS and WAS every six years, and AQUA 2012 succeeds the 2006 event in Florence, Italy and the 2000 event held in Nice, France. The event comprises an international scientific conference, an international trade exhibition, workshops for aquaculture producers, forums organised by students and by the European Commission Directorate General for research and many other satellite workshops and meetings. Read more ...

Thursday, May 5, 2011

GLOBALG.A.P presents new Version 4 During a news conference at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels GLOBALG.A.P presented the new revised Version 4. This four-year intensive revision work has led to a standard that provides any aquaculture operation worldwide the opportunity to demonstrate good aquaculture practices across major categories now any finfish, crustacean or mollusc farming activity can now apply for GLOBALG.A.P Aquaculture Certification. Read more ...

Aquaculture Raises Production Stakes Aquaculture in the Philippines raised its share of the country’s marine production last year to 51 percent according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). BFAR Director Malcolm I. Sarmiento, Jr. said that aquaculture was first among the three fishery subsectors in the country with a harvest of 2.7 million tonnes.

Municipal water yield was only 1.2 million tonnes while commercial fishing operations produced only 1.1 million tonnes, he told BusinessWorld. “This is the trend worldwide. Data shows that production coming from aquaculture all over the world already represents about 50 percent of the total global supply of fish,” Mr. Sarmiento said during the recent inauguration of a multi-species hatchery. Read more ...

9

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Aurora Algae Opens New Demonstration Plant Aurora Algae has officially opened its demonstration facility in Karratha, Western Australia, where the Company’s algae-based biomass is being harvested for products in the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, aquaculture and renewable energy markets.

The company has also secured an option agreement on over 1,500 acres of land located near its demonstration facility, which will allow it to begin the process of constructing a full-scale commercial facility equipped to manufacture thousands of tons of algae-based biomass annually. Read more ...

China’s Marine Industry’s Value Increases China’s marine industry generated more than RMB3.84 trillion (US$590 billion ) last year, an increase of 12.8 percent on 2009. In the next five years, the annual growth rate of China’s emerging marine industry is expected to be around 20 percent, according to the 2011 China Ocean Development Report from China’s State Oceanic Administration, according to China Business News. The report, however, said pollution and environmental degradation in China’s waters have created a “grave situation” for environmental security. Read more ...

SPF assesses fishmeal and fish oil fisheries The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) has published a sustainability league table of the principal South American and Atlantic fisheries used for the production of fishmeal and fish oil. The league table follows on from the 2010 table published last year. SFP will publish an annual table from now on to track changes in these fisheries. The 25 fisheries have been assessed using the FishSource methodology devised by SFP which allows basic comparisons to be made against existing fishery sustainability indicators. Some of the main findings from the league table include:1.2 percent of the catch comes from fisheries that score more than eight across all FishSource criteria (category A). The target stocks for these fisheries are in excellent condition. Read more

Friday, May 6, 2011

Cooke Aquaculture buys into Clearwater seafoods Cooke Aquaculture is to acquire 2,900,000 trust Units of Clearwater Seafoods income fund at CAN$1.85 (€1.312) per unit, in a privately negotiated deal. The purchased units represent approximately 10.45 percent of the outstanding trust units of the Fund and approximately 5.67 percent of the voting rights attaching to all issued and outstanding securities of the Fund. Following completion of the acquisition, Cooke will own 5,483,900 units, representing 19.76 percent of the outstanding trust units of the Fund and approximately 10.73 percent of the voting rights attaching to all issued and outstanding securities of the Fund. Cooke is acquiring the purchased units for investment purposes. Read more ...

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

10

Ocean fish farms are a pretty good deal I read with interest the May 1 article “Humongous fish farms are industrializing our oceans,” by Wenonah Hauter, and I must disagree with her conclusion that offshore aquaculture is an undesirable activity in our oceans, particularly here in Rhode Island, where our state’s economy has been traditionally tied to the sea. Globally, capture fisheries have maximized their catch of seafood, and few nutritionists would argue that eating less seafood would be bad for people’s health and well-being. Offshore fish farms are an answer to shortages of seafood in the face of growing local and world demand. It is a well established fact (see United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization statistics) that globally catches of fish and other seafood products have reached their maximum sustainable catch yield of about 80 million metric tons. The world’s marine capture fishery yields have remained roughly steady at this level since the early 1980s, and yet global demand for seafood has been on the rise. Read more ...

UK - Kiotech International feed additive experts Kiotech International plc, the supplier of natural high performance feed additives to enhance growth, health and sustainability in agriculture and aquaculture, has announced significantly increased its sales, profit and earnings per share in its preliminary results for the year ended December 31, 2010. During the year the group largely completed the integration of the Optivite Group, whose results are included for the full year. Sales nearly doubled to UK£21.565 million (US$35.315 million) (2009 UK£10.955 million / US$17.94 million) boosted by a maiden full year contribution from Optivite coupled with organic growth (2009: 3 months contribution). Total underlying profit before tax and exceptional items more than doubled to UK£1.877 million (US$3.074 million) (2009: UK£0.764 million/US$1.251 million) with Profit before tax of UK£1.517 million (US$2.484 million) (2009: UK£1.409 million/US$2.307 million) includes exceptional costs of UK£0.261 million (US$0.427 million)relating to the restructuring of the Group. Read more ...

Feed additive market estimated at US$19 billion in 2016 The worldwide animal feed additives market is estimated to reach US$18.7 billion (€12.836 billion) in 2016, according to a new market report. The report, Global Animal Feed Additives by Type, Livestock, Geography, Regulations Trends & Forecasts (2009-2016) from Markets and Markets (M&M) defines and segments the global animal feed additives market with analysis and forecasting of the global revenues for feed additives.

It also identifies driving and restraining factors for the global feed additives market with analysis of trends, opportunities, and challenges. The market is segmented and revenues are forecasted on the basis of major geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World (ROW). Further market is segmented and revenues are forecasted on the basis of products such as antibiotics, amino acids, feed acidifiers, antioxidants. Read more ...

11

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Minister welcomes seafood exports boost The Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Simon Coveney visited the 18 Irish seafood exporters exhibiting at the European Seafood Expo (ESE) in Brussels this week. The exhibition is the world’s largest seafood fair, attracting buyers and sellers from over 140 countries, with over 1600 exhibitors in attendance. Minister Coveney thanked Bord Bia, who organised the Irish participation, for their successful efforts over the year which saw seafood exports increase in 2010 by 18 percent to €365 million (US$531.751 million). The Minister said that”Irish Seafood exporters are indigenous businesses with significant scope for expansion who have an important role to play on the road to national economic recovery”. Read more ...

Monday, May 9, 2011

Aqua Nor Forum 2011 - Upscaling Aquaculture Systems European Aquaculture Society (EAS) and Aqua Nor organise international conference during Aqua Nor in Trondheim August 17-18, 2011. The theme for this year’s conference is “Upscaling Aquaculture systems, Optimising system size for enhanced productivity with environmental equilibrium”. The European Aquaculture Society (EAS) in co-operation with the Nor-Fishing Foundation, SINTEF and CREATE, organises this forum, every second Aqua Nor exhibition in Trondheim. It provides a forum for science, industry, consumers and policy makers to review developments in the aquaculture sector and to discuss the key issues that affect those developments. Read more ...

A Review: Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Organisms Volume 3 ISBN 13 9781 84593 2961

In 2007, 44 authors from 19 countries came together to produce this publication on risk assessment of genetically modified organisms (GMO). The authors came from developing and developed countries.

This is the third book in the series and its topic is transgenic fish. AR Kapuscinski, Professor, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, edited this volume along with Professor S Li, Director, Aquatic Genetic Resources Laboratory, Shanghai Fisheries University, K.R. Hayes, Risk Analyst, CSIRO Division of Marine and Atmospheric Research and G. Dana, PhD Student, Conservation Biology Graduate Program, University of Minnesota.

Fish are a key food source to the world; almost all nations of the world depend on fish.

For the past 100 years we have seen the fishing industry grow with the development of new technologies and these technologies have impacted on the wild fish stock to such a level that many wild stocks of fish are in serious decline. During this time we have also seen the growth of aquaculture, and in recent years that growth has outmatched the traditional fishing industry.

Expanding facilities improved breeding technique of certain species has supported the increasing growth of aquaculture along with increases in quality and quantity of inputs. Also over the past two decades an increased interest in the potential of transgenic fish to increase aquaculture production. The primary aim of transgenic fish has been to increase productivity and to develop model species for research.

THE INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED MARKET PLACE

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

12

Chapter one introduces environmental risk assessment for transgenic fish, covering a range of potential impacts on the environment and estimates the probability and magnitude of those impacts. This chapter also suggests a framework for risk assessments that would improve the assessments scientific validity.

Chapter two looks at problem formulation and options assessment: science-guided deliberation in environmental risk assessment of transgenic fish. Looking at how these options could be used in the different countries of the authors.

Chapter three covers the development of transgenic fish scientific background with an overview of important steps in fish transgenesis, status of development looking at different species. Also other future applications of transgenic fish, as well as trails with crustaceans and molluscs and key research and capacity needs for further development of transgenic fish.

In later chapters the book deals with gene construct and expression, approaches to assessing gene flow. Assessing ecological effects of transgenic fish prior to entry into nature, the introduction to concepts and methods of uncertainty analysis. Risk management, reducing risk through confinement and post approval monitoring and remediation. The final chapter deals with risk assessment of transgenic fish: synthesis and conclusions.

This book allows us to understand the process of how and why risk assessments are so important in the area of genetically modified organisms.

Aquaculture is a major industry globally that is diminishing our dependency on the wild catch fishing industry and reducing the impact on the wild fish stock. So with the development transgenic species we need to be aware and careful of how we use this knowledge. This book is an important book for those that are involved in genetics and also to the many corporations involved in aquaculture: As well as the policy makers of the world’s governments.

Cadiz will boast the largest sole farm in Europe The Norwegian company Stolt Sea Farm plans to set up the largest European sole production and hatchery farm in Barbate and Santa María Port, in Cadiz. Company manager Niels Stolt Nielsen stated that after 13 years of research it was decided that Cadiz meets “all the necessary qualities for sole and turbot hatchery and production”. The businessman introduced the Soleaqua farm implementation project together with the director of the firm in Spain, Pablo García, and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Clara Aguilera. Sole production would start on the 20-hectare farm of Retín, recently granted by the Ministry of Defence to Barbate (Cádiz). Garcia stressed that sole production is “very delicate due to all the required specific conditions”, EFE news agency reported. Stolt Sea Farm plans to raise and fatten the sole on the premises of the Port Authority of Santa Maria Port, where the fish will remain until reaching their minimum weight for the sale, about 200 grams. Read more ...

13

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Sturgeon eggs ‘will be the most valuable agricultural product in Canada’ Spread out on a mesh screen, the black eggs glow before a hunched-over worker who uses tweezers to pluck away every last string of gel and fat. Once salted and packed into shiny tins, the eggs are destined to become caviar, a delicacy whose very name is associated with luxury and, some would say, excess. In this room, however, it’s all business, as the eggs are cleaned and processed, the final steps in a venture more than a decade in the making. As the eggs are gently mounded into containers, Justin Henry hovers nearby, watching over a product he hopes to market as a guilt-free indulgence. By weight, “this will be the most valuable agricultural product in Canada,” said Mr. Henry, general manager of Sechelt-based Target Marine. That potential payback, he hopes, will justify the time and money he won’t say much, but concedes it’s “millions” the company has spent to get to the point of putting caviar in tins. Read more ...

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Fish stocks continue to decline as production from aquaculture increases Global fisheries production from fish caught in the wild and from aquaculture (fish farming) reached 145.1 million tons in 2009 (the most recent year with data), an all-time high. This represents a 1.9 percent increase from 2008, slightly higher than the previous year’s 1.8 percent growth rate. Forecasts for 2010 suggested a growth of 1.3 percent to 147 million tons. For years now, the world has been warned that overfishing is leading to a chronic shortage of seafood. So, in a bid to find a sustainable solution, scientists turned to farming fish. Now an environmental think-tank has produced a report which raises fears about the effects of fish farming. The Worldwatch Institute says it’s having a serious impact on the food chain. Read more ...

After Japan’s nuclear disaster, is seafood safe? Will Pacific-caught seafood be safe to eat following the recent nuclear disaster in Japan. The short answer is that things look promising. Here’s why. According to the Food and Drug Administration, less than four percent of total US food imports come from Japan and most of that is packaged foods and snacks that are more typically found in speciality markets and imported food sections of your grocer. Leafy greens, dairy and meat the foods most susceptible to radioactive contamination are a rare import. When it comes to seafood, the US imports about two percent of its supply from Japan, but most of that is caught well out to sea, and not from fish farms in coastal regions such as the area where the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear complex sits. Any foods from that area could prove problematic, but given the devastation done by the tsunami to that region, it’s unlikely that any goods will be imported from there anytime soon. Read more ...

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

14

Zhangzidao Fishery buys into sturgeon aquaculture company Zhangzidao Fishery Group will spend 100 million yuan (US$15.4 million) to buy a 20 percent stake in a Yunnan-based sturgeon fishery company, marking its entry into the freshwater aquaculture industry, reports China Business News, citing a company filing. The target firm is China’s largest sturgeon fishery and has more than 10 fisheries in Beijing, Hebei, Chongqing and Yunnan. Zhangzidao Fishery, which is based in Dalian, said the international price of sturgeon caviar hit €5000 (US$7,174) per kilogram. Read more ...

Flounder farming could lead to stock enhancement Long, narrow turkey houses are a common sight in the rural regions surrounding Fayetteville. But in Bunnlevel, something different is growing under those roofs. Larry Lanier, owner of Little River Trails Aquaculture, is in the process of converting four poultry houses into a full-fledged flounder farm.

For more than a year, he’s overseen construction of a nursery and three grow-out houses for the fish. He expects the project to consume at least six more months before it’s completed. But considering how long it’s taken the US to get on board with growing marine fish, that’s a short wait. “This is the future,” Lanier says. And the future is upon us. Read more ...

Yngve Myhre appointed as new CEO in SalMar SalMar ASA’s board of directors has today appointed Yngve Myhre as the new CEO. Mr Myhre has long experience from a number of companies within fishery, aquaculture and processing. He will assume the position from June 6, 2011. “I am very pleased with the appointment of Yngve Myhre. He has long experience and great expertise from the seafood industry and he will contribute to further develop the strong position SalMar has achieved as an industry leading salmon farming company”, says Bjørn Flatgård, Chairman of SalMar ASA. Yngve Myhre has extensive experience from the seafood industry. He was the CEO of Aker Seafoods ASA in the years 2001 to 2010. Mr. Myhre has previously been the CEO of the salmon farming company Nova Sea AS where he currently serves as Chairman. Read more ...

Mekong dam must not threaten fish and economy Consultants planning to bid for a planned reappraisal of the controversial Xayaburi Dam proposal on the Mekong main stem need to commit to using current best practice in the hydropower industry, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has urged. The call from WWF follows Mekong River Commission deferment of a decision on the dam amid mounting criticism from Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, expert panels and environment and community groups of a lack of information on key potential dam impacts which could affect the food supplies and livelihoods of millions. “Putting it frankly, the key documentation prepared by consultants for the promoters of this dam has been nowhere near international standards and it reflects very poorly on the consultants involved,” said Dr Jian-hua Meng, WWF International Sustainable Hydropower Specialist. Read more ...

15

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

16

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

AquaChile aims to become a global aquaculture producer The Superintendencia de Valores y Seguros (SVS) authorised AquaChile to open 30 percent of its property on the Santiago Stock Exchange on May 19. Meanwhile, the Chilean company is planning to explore alternative goods to be produced in Brazil and possibly in Vietnamese territory. There is also willingness to expand its presence in Costa Rica in the tilapia business and expand into Panama, the newspaper La Tercera reported. Thus, the company intends to become a global producer of aquaculture products and improve its strategic position internally. AquaChile expects to raise about US$ 350 million (€243.275 million) with its debut on the stock, of which over two-thirds will be allocated to finance their plans for the next six years, which will require a total of US$ 470 million (€326.684 million). Read more ...

Aquaculture development viable in the Amazon, according to BNDES A study by the National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES) determined that fishing and fish farming in the Amazon region of Brazil are activities with social and economic viability “Fishing is attracting a strong and competitive sector besides including small producers. It generates employment and income, and it is an efficient activity,” expressed the coordinator of the Department of Government Relations of BNDES, Victor Alexander Contarato Burns. With the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture (MPA) and representatives of nine Brazilian states, the Bank authorities discussed a project to increase fish farming in the Amazon region. Read more .

Certification endorses fish farming done in a manner respectful to First Nations Mainstream Canada is the first salmon farming company in Canada to be certified under a new third-party standard which ensures that sustainable management of aquaculture includes First Nations values and interests. An independent audit in March determined that Mainstream Canada’s practices at their Clayoquot Sound sites within the traditional territory of the Ahousaht First Nation meet the requirements of the Aboriginal Principles for Sustainable Aquaculture (APSA) standard, established by the Aboriginal Aquaculture Association (AAA). Read more ...

17

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Novus expands Arkansas feed supplement facility A number of dignitaries, including the Governor of Arkansas, helped cut the ribbon Tuesday on a newly expanded and LEED Silver Certified manufacturing facility in Little Rock for Novus International animal feed supplements. The Novus Arkansas site was developed in 2006 to manufacture MHA® feed supplement, a source of methionine, an essential amino acid in premixes and farm feed mills which provides benefits to laying hens and other livestock and companion animals. The new expansion features a 45,000 square foot manufacturing facility for MINTREX®, Novus’ chelated trace mineral products for aquaculture, poultry, pork, beef, dairy and pet nutrition. In keeping with the commitment Novus has to sustainability, the expanded facility earned Silver LEED Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The company headquarters in St. Charles, Missouri has earned Platinum LEED Certification. Read more ...

Scottish salmon: facts and figures China’s dispute with Norway over the awarding of the Nobel prize to dissident Liu Xiaobo has provided a chance for Scottish salmon farmers to break into the Asian market. Here, we reveal some facts and figures about the Scottish salmon market

Scottish farmed salmon has held the French Government’s top quality award, Label Rouge, for the past 19 years. It was the first non-French food to receive this accolade

Scottish farmed salmon has been awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status by the European Commission, setting it alongside Champagne, Arbroath Smokies and Parma Ham

1m fresh salmon meals are eaten in the UK every day

1m smoked salmon meals are eaten in the UK every week

Additional 40m servings of fresh salmon were consumed in UK households between 2006 and 2008. Read more ...

Shell crucial for suitability of krill in fish feed Deshelled krill meal in salmon feed gave a better growth rate and digestibility of nutrients in salmon compared to whole krill. Deshelling also result in lower content of fluoride and will thereby make krill more suitable in salmon feed. These are some of the findings in the PhD thesis of Jon Øvrum Hansen at the Aquaculture Protein Centre (APC-CoE), who defends his thesis 29th April at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB). The total biomass of Antarchtic krill is probably the world’s largest of one single species, and is promising as ingredient in fish feed. Krill has a balanced amino acid profile and the fat of krill is rich in phospholipids, with a high content of omega-3 fatty acids. Krill is also a suitable attractant in fish feed. Read more ...

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

18

19

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Sustainable small-scale catfish farming William Wurts from Kentucky State University looks at sustainable small-scale catfish farming. Costs of energy, especially crude oil, have skyrocketed causing dramatic cost increases for intensive, commercial channel catfish farming. High energy prices have led to increased costs for distribution (processed fish and feed), electric aeration and on-farm practices relying on fossil fuels. High crude oil prices caused a shift in corn and soybean production from foodstuffs to biofuels. Channel catfish feeds are formulated with roughly 50 percent soybean and 30 percent corn. The costs of feeds and feeding for catfish farming have soared. Fuel prices have not yet matched their previous highs. But because global population growth and fossil fuel consumption have increased exponentially over the past 40 years, and continue to do so, energy costs will likely reach new highs in the near future. Read more ...

New Zealand: Malaysian researcher wins fish technology award Ms Clara Bah, a researcher at the Department of Food Science, University of Otago in New Zealand has won the first ever Peter Howgate Award for young fish technologists. Ms Bah received a prize of €500 (CAN$683.085) which will help her to attend the New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology (NZIFST) conference in Rotorua, New Zealand at the end of June 2011, at which she will present her MSc research findings on the bioactivity of fish roes from five commercial New Zealand fish species.

She hopes her paper will help to publicise how the extraction of useful bioactive compounds from parts of fish which are often discarded can help to improve the commercial value of fishery products. Ms Bah, who has a B.Eng in Chemical-Bioprocess Engineering from the Technological University of Malaysia, arrived in New Zealand in 2008, and obtained her MSc from the University of Otago at the end 2010. She hopes that her ongoing research will lead to a PhD in future. Her supervisor, Dr Alaa el-Din Bekhit, praised her penchant for hard work and learning, and her commitment to developing new approaches to improving utilisation of undervalued fishery resources. Read more ...

Monday, May 16, 2011

Land-based aquaculture in early stages It is true that a farm in Washington state grows salmon to market size on land, but this is not “large” scale as the writer states. About 100 tonnes of salmon are grown annually at that farm. We farm about 800 times as much in British Columbia British Columbia salmon farmers know land-based aquaculture well. For one-third of a farmed salmon’s life, it is grown in recirculating aquaculture systems before being moved to the ocean for continued growth. Read more ...

Advertisements in these spaces come

from the International Aquafeed Market Place. For more information visit

www.aquafeed.co.uk

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

20

Success for New Zealand’s salmon at global taste awards New Zealand King Salmon continues to impress in the highly competitive world of international culinary taste awards. All six of the Nelson-based company’s products submitted for the annual International Tastes & Quality Institute (iTQi) Superior Taste Awards have gained either the top three-star or two-star rating. The company farms salmon in the Marlborough Sounds and in an email from the organisers of the prestigious awards has been congratulated for its excellent evaluation results. It’s the second year in a row that New Zealand King Salmon has achieved outstanding results at the Brussels event. Last year its products received three three-star awards and three two-star awards. Read more ...

Combatting sea lice with genetics Tests on three age groups of farmed Atlantic salmon point to the same conclusion, that there is a huge variation in how well various salmon families tackle salmon lice. A breeding company is now putting Nofima’s research results into practice and offering eggs that are more resistant to lice. Nofima has also found a high genetic correlation between the numbers of sessile and motile adult lice on the salmon. When fewer lice attach to the fish, there are also fewer sexually mature lice. Consequently, testing of various families’ resistance to lice can now be limited to the number of sessile lice per fish, in controlled challenge experiments. Read more ...

US$5.5 Million to develop new Algae-Based feeds Kona-based Cellana LLC, a leading developer of algae-based biofuels and bioproducts, has received a three-year US$5.5 million (€3.896 million) grant to develop a protein supplement from algae as a byproduct of algal biofuels production and to demonstrate its nutritional and economic value in livestock feeds. Funding is provided through the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE)’s Biomass Program through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative and will help increase the availability of alternative renewable fuels and biobased products to diversify the nation’s energy resources. The award was made through a competitive selection process. Read more ...

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Fish growers advised to try skip-feeding After the success of increasing the rice yield for the first quarter of the year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is now gearing towards the improvement of fish production in the country. In a report to Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Director Malcolm Sarmiento advised tilapia growers to try skip-feeding their fish in order to cut on production costs. Sarmiento claimed the impending food crises and rising costs of consumer goods should be a sign for fish growers to follow proper fish cage management practices for them to be able to benefit more from their fish farming venture. Through skip-feeding, fish farmers would be able to cut by half the cost of feeds which would be beneficial to them, their consumers, and the environment. Read more ...

21

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Scottish farmed salmon is the best Scottish salmon has been named ‘best farmed salmon in the world’ in a poll of international seafood buyers from leading retail and food service companies. Seafood International asked 20 buyers from 10 countries to pick the best farmed salmon producing country based on superior taste, quality and appearance. Scottish salmon topped the poll with seven votes, Norway was second with six and Canada was third with two. The results of the survey were announced at the world’s largest seafood show, European Seafood Exposition (May 3-5 ). John Fiorillo, Editor of Seafood International, said: “The survey results are significant because these are some of the biggest and most influential seafood buyers in the world. Read more ...

CPF Focuses On India, Vietnam, Russia & Philippines Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF) has identified India, Vietnam, Russia and the Philippines as its top priorities for market expansion in the next five years. According to The Nation, they have been selected for factors such as potential growth in population, variety of consumption, low numbers of competitors and lack of farm technology. Adirek Sripratak, president and chief executive officer of the company, explained: “We plan to access the market where we believe we can win. “The company’s investment budget this year will be eight to 10 billion baht (THB) (US$264 million to US$330 million). Of that, 60 percent will be spent overseas, with heavy investment in the four countries mentioned. The aim is to increase overseas sales from 26 percent to 40 percent by 2015. Read more ...

Indian seafood exports soars Indian seafood exports reached US$2.7 billion (€1.905 billion) in 2010-2011 compared to US$2.1 billion (€1.482 billion) in the previous fiscal year, officials said. Europe is the leading market for Indian seafood products followed by US, China and Japan. The seafood industry of India is growing and will grow by leaps and bounds, recession or no recession,’ Leena Nair, chairperson of the Marine Products Export Development Authority of India, told EuAsiaNews in Brussels where she attended the European Seafood fair. The 19th Annual European Seafood Exposition (ESE) and 13th Annual Seafood Processing Europe (SPE) were held in Brussels between May 3 - 5. Sixteen Indian companies participated. ‘They did a very good business, almost everybody. Business opportunities have been wonderful. We have increased our business,’ said Nair. Read more ...

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

22

23

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Global standards for responsible salmon aquaculture process entering final stage In Washington DC the final step in the process of creating global stand-ards for salmon farming began today when the Salmon Aquaculture Dialogue kicked off the last public comment period for the draft standards. The final standards will address the key negative environmental and so-cial impacts associated with salmon farming and allow for the economic viability of the industry, which produces more than 60 percent of salmon eaten globally today. Impacts addressed through the standards include water pollution, sourc-ing of feed ingredients, disease transmission between farmed and wild salmon and labor issues on farms. “Continued transparency and involve-ment from a broad spectrum of salmon aquaculture industry stakehold-ers, including retailers, farmers and scientists is needed to ensure the final standards are strong,” said Petter Arnesen of Marine Harvest, who is a member of the Dialogue’s steering committee. Read more ...

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

FDA must improve imported farmed fish testing A recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has admitted that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s fish safety program for imported farmed fish is “limited”. Around half of the seafood imported into the US comes from farmed fish (aquaculture). Fish grown in this environment can often have bacterial infections, which may require farmers to use drugs like antibiotics. The residues of some of these drugs can cause cancer and antibiotic resistance. When comparing the FDA inspection program to the EU’s equivalent, the GAO found that most inspections consist of reviewing paperwork and health and safety checks rather than actually visiting the fish farms or sampling the actual fish. Some drugs which have been approved for aquaculture in the EU are still banned in the US and therefore without the adequate testing, residues of these drugs may still be entering the US market. Read more ...

The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) holds workshop on sustainable aquaculture The National Aquaculture Association (NAA) and the United Soybean Board have teamed up with local hosts to sponsor an important one-day workshop, “The Four P’s of a Safe and Sustainable Aquaculture Industry: Practices, Presentation, Promotion and the Press” at eight locations across the US. The NAA commented in a recent press release that the workshop aims to provide fish and shellfish producers with the knowledge and skills to market their products more successfully, grow their businesses, help shape the public’s perception of aquaculture at a local level and work with government decision-makers. Read more ...

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

24

A Press Release from Worldwatch Institute. Fishing for Sustainable Practices to Conserve Fisheries New analysis highlights need to sustainably manage global fisheries to secure livelihoods and protect ecosystems. Global fish production has reached an all time high, according to research done by Nourishing the Planet (www.NourishingthePlanet.org) for the Worldwatch Institute’s Vital Signs Online publication. Aquaculture, or fish farming once a minor contributor to total fish harvest increased 50-fold between the 1950s and 2008 and now contributes nearly half of all fish produced worldwide. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, an estimated 53 percent of fisheries are considered fully exploited harvested to their maximum sustainable levels with no room for expansion in production. Population growth and a higher demand for dietary protein are putting increasing pressure on depleted stocks and threatened ecosystems. Mainstream approaches to fisheries management have focused narrowly on short-term profit and boosting production. Worldwatch’s analysis states that practices will need to shift to more sustainable strategies to meet demand and support fishing communities. Read more ...

USDA announce meetings on catfish inspection The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced that it will be holding two public meetings to hear public comments on the proposed regulation for a mandatory inspection program of catfish and catfish products. The proposed ruling would mean that all catfish and catfish products imported to the US would have to come from countries which the FSIS deem as being up to standards in terms of complying with similar FSIS inspections. When entering the US the products would them be checked again. Read more ...

AgriMarine expands reach into Norway AgriMarine Holdings Inc has announced that it has launched the commercialisation of its floating solid wall closed containment technology for fish rearing into Norway. The company has set up a joint venture company under the name AgriMarine Norway AS (AgriNor), with ZED Financial Partners of Toronto and Midos AS of Oslo (collectively the Norwegian JV Partners). AgriMarine will license its technology and know-how to AgriNor and provide technical and financial support. With commercial scale technology and production established in Benxi, China, the company says it has has proven that its production costs are comparable with industry standards for net cage operators. Under the terms of the agreement, the Norwegian JV Partners will apply for concessions earmarked for closed containment fish farming in Norway, with the aim of establishing a closed containment demonstration facility for the rearing of salmon. Read more ...

Taiwan to share aquaculture experience with Palau What can two island nations in the Pacific have in common? Fish farming. President Ma Ying-jeou said Wednesday that Taiwan is willing to share aquaculture experience with Palau. Ma said that when he visited Palau in March 2010, Palau President Johnson Toribiong expressed the hope that Taiwan could co operate with his country on aquaculture. Taiwan indeed has experience in fish breeding, including grouper and milkfish, and would like to share it with other countries, the president said. Read more ...

25

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Doubts surface over desal plant’s marine impact South Australia’s fishing and aquaculture industries say they will do their own research into the details of the supplementary environmental impact statement for the proposed Olympic Dam mine expansion. BHP Billiton has reaffirmed its belief that Point Lowly is the best place for the mine’s desalination plant. Barry Evans from the Keep the Gulf Clean campaign says it wants to know how BHP would address the potential long-term impacts of the plant on marine life. He says previous scientific assessments have shown pumping large amounts of brine into Spencer Gulf could have a heavy impact on the breeding cycle of native species like prawns. “It’s an inverse estuary and that water on the top part of the Gulf takes a long long time to flush out into the ocean and we believe that the damage that this salt will do will be irreparable if it continues,” he said. Associate Professor Jochen Kaempf from Flinders University says the marine habitat is too fragile for any industrialisation. Read more ...

New Zealand Aquaculture Amendment Bill (no. 3) has second reading The second reading of the Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill (No 3) brings legislation to promote investment, reduce costs and uncertainty and ensure managed growth within environmental limits one step closer, says Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister, Phil Heatley. “Following a decade of roadblocks and missed opportunities this Bill is set to reform aquaculture legislation,” says Mr Heatley. “Once enacted it will provide an efficient legislative framework to enable the aquaculture industry to reach its goal of $NZ1 billion (UK£ 488 million) in earnings by 2025.” The Select Committee reported the Bill back to the House on 9 May 2011 and recommended it proceed with some amendments. Read more ...

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Aquaculture damage over 100 billion yen The Japanese aquaculture industry suffered more than 100 billion yen (US$1.2243 billion) in damage, or a quarter of its annual output, from the March 11, earthquake and tsunami, a survey by the fisheries ministry released Wednesday said. In tsunami-ravaged Iwate and Miyagi prefectures, the damage was particularly severe for oyster and “wakame” (brown seaweed) farming, the survey by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry. Read more ...

Pharmaceuticals in fish: We aren’t keeping them out

The congressional watchdog agency, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), has just published a new report comparing the way the Food and Drug Administration deals with inspections of imported foods to methods used by the European methods. The title says it all: “FDA Needs to Improve Oversight of Imported Seafood and Better Leverage Limited Resources.” GAO says: Food and Drug Administration (FDA’s) program is generally limited to enforcing the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point the internationally recognised food safety management system by conducting inspections of foreign seafood processors and importers each year.

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

26

27

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

These inspections involve FDA inspectors reviewing records to ensure the processors and importers considered significant hazards, including those resulting from drug residues if the seafood they receive are from fish farms. The inspectors generally do not visit the farms to evaluate drug use or the capabilities, competence, and quality control of laboratories that analyse the seafood. Read more .

Vietnam Seafood exporter aims at Europe Vietnam plans to boost its seafood exports to Europe a promising market with a huge demand for tra fish (Pangasius), according to an industry insider. Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) Nguyen Huu Dung, confirmed Vietnam’s export intentions while receiving European Parliament Member Struan Stevenson, who highlighted the achievements of Vietnam’s tra fish industry during the past decade, in Ha Noi on Monday. Vietnam has focused on improving the quality of its seafood products while prioritising the sustainable development of the tra fish sector, Dung said. Tra fish processors have adopted international hygienic safety and environmentally friendly standards in order to receive Global Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Best Aquaculture Practice (BAP) and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification. Read more ...

Algae in Berlin: 5th International Algae Congress The city of Berlin is to host the 5th International Algae Congress. This years congress, where algae and science are brought together, is combined with an informational market. The Congress, titled “Micro Algae & Aquatic Biomass”, is to take place December 1- 2, 2011. The potential of micro and aquatic biomass is enormous. The developments follow each other in quick succession. The sessions addressed at the congress are fully compatible to these developments and focus on: Micro algae, aquatic biomass & biofuels, Production systems, Biorefinery, Innovative applications, Genetic engineering and sustainable aquatic cycles. Read more ...

China’s farm produce prices up Prices for Chinese farm produce went up slightly, while prices for production materials declined, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said on Tuesday, 17 May. Due to higher costs for aquatic products transportation in summer, wholesale prices of eight aquatic products went up 1.5 percent over the previous week. The growth rate was 0.3 percent a point higher, week on week. The prices of meat were mixed with declines in mutton by 0.3 percent and beef by 0.1 percent. Pork prices, however, went up 1.2 percent and chicken prices gained 0.1 percent. Egg prices were up 0.8 percent due to declining output in summer. Food prices have key weightings in the calculation of China’s consumer price index (CPI), a major gauge of inflation, which hit 5.3 percent in April. Read more …

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

28

Aberdeen processor scales back Grimsby operations An Aberdeen fish processor which opened a new factory in Grimsby just over two years ago has decided to close down a large part of its operations in the port. When Andrew Christie Junior expanded in March 2009, creating more than 20 new jobs, it was widely anticipated that it would lead to stronger links between Scotland and Grimsby. However, the fall in fish landings, particularly from Iceland, has created more than a few problems for processors. Despite several attempts to contact Andrew Christie Junior, no-one from the company was prepared to comment publicly on the closure. But it is known that the primary reason is the availability of fish and higher charges in the port. At least a dozen jobs will be lost in the closure. Read more ...

Scottish aquaculture development potential program launched A new program tailored to the needs of the Scottish aquaculture industry has been launched. In conjunction with Levercliff, the program has been designed to provide companies from the Scottish aquaculture industry with support to fully exploit areas of potential development with the aim of securing incremental sales and sustainable profitability. The program includes: five workshops (with guest speakers from the industry); a London study tour (an intensive and informative day exploring everything about the UK seafood consumer. Read more ...

Alliance bid to head off major new salmon farm A Major new salmon farm is being proposed for Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve in British Columbia. The Coastal Alliance for Aquaculture Reform (CAAR) is calling on the provincial government to veto the plan and place a moratorium on net cage tenures in BC. The CAAR say Mainstream Canada has submitted a tenure application to the provincial government for a new open net-cage salmon farm located in Fortune Channel on the east side of Meares Island. The Alliance add that if approved, and then licensed by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the site would add about another 600,000 farmed salmon to a “core aquatic protected area” of the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Read more ...

Friday, May 20, 2011

Aquaculture production falling for the first time in 25 years The Business Association of Marine Aquaculture Producers (Apromar) reported that between January and December 2010, the marine aquaculture industry produced 43,888 tonnes of fish in Spain, 9.4 percent less than in 2009, when 48,441 tonnes were produced. Moreover, the value of the aquaculture production last year was EUR 220 million, representing a decrease of 1.7 percent over 2009 (€224 million) (US$315 million). These declines occurred in Spain despite global aquaculture growing year-over-year rates of over six percent. The drop in the aquaculture production in 2010 is the first in 25 years of activity, as Apromar indicated in its annual report. The association attributed this decline to several factors:

External issues, such as the general crisis of food consumption in Spain;

Difficulty in obtaining credit;

29

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Complications to achieve licensing for new farms;

An inappropriate administrative framework, which is complex and slow;

Lack of equal opportunities against the import of similar products that undermines the competitiveness of local enterprises. Read more ...

Mexico sea cucumber fishery regulation plans The sea cucumber fishery regulation facilitates the sustainable utilisation of this resource, which represents a direct benefit to both the species and the fishermen in the region of Campeche and Yucatán. This is what the head of the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca), Ramon Corral Avila, pointed out to publicise the progress made with the sea cucumber management program in the two Mexican states. After meeting with over 60 representatives of fishery organisations and licence holders, naval and local authorities, traders and representatives of the media, the officer recalled that the sea cucumber fishery was closed on 14 May. He also reported that between the day after the closure and January 31, 2012, there will be a ban for the capture of the resource. Read more ...

Court upholds right of First Nations to sell fish taken in commercial fishery The British Columbia Court of Appeal has upheld the right of aboriginal groups to take part in the commercial fishery and sell what they catch, except for a specialised commercial clam fishery. The case involves a group of bands on the West Coast of Vancouver Island collectively known as the Nuu-chah-nulth, who argued they had a right to harvest and sell fish based on the practices of their ancestors. The federal government claimed there was no evidence of a commercial fish trade by the First Nations’ ancestors. However, a BC Supreme Court judge ruled that expert testimony and historic records showed the bands had a right to fish within their territories and to sell the fish. The federal government appealed that ruling but in a decision released Wednesday, the appeal court rejected the appeal, except for the geoduck clam fishery. The court said because that fishery is a high-tech venture that has only been operational for about 35 years, the First Nations ancestors could not have taken part in such a commercial enterprise. According to an affidavit provided during the trial by the Fisheries Department, the geoduck commercial fishery requires divers to wear specialised gear as they extract geoducks, which live about a metre below the ocean floor. Read more ...

Lake rejuvenation helps fish farming in Bidar India The rejuvenation of lakes by the Jala Samvardhana Yojana Sangha (JSYS) is leading to a revolution in fisheries development in Bidar district. Lakes that were unable to sustain any marine life due to silt, or shallow water levels were developed to support large scale fish farming. Inland fisheries has a huge potential in the district as the temperature inside the tanks is between 32-38 degree Celsius. The abundant growth of plankton and other plants also supports forming of fish in these tanks, says Anil Kumar, a fish expert at JSYS. Thirty-six tanks in three taluks have been developed this way. Heavy monsoon rains last year ensured that all these tanks were overflowing. Read more ...

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

30

Flooding river adds to catfish industry’s pain With all eyes focused on the Mississippi River’s epic flood waters, catfish producers contemplate its potential impact on their already stressed industry. Jimmy Avery, aquaculture leader with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said if the river crests as high as predicted, several catfish farms in the South Delta, particularly those in Sharkey, Issaquena and Yazoo counties may be affected. “There is a possibility that five or six catfish farms may have at least some of their levees topped by backwater flooding,” Avery said. “One processor in the area is planning to close due to projected floodwaters entering the facility.” For those businesses, the losses could be costly. Read more ...

Canadian mussel exports to US increase Canadian fresh blue cultured mussel exports to the United States grew by 10 percent in 2010. This figure is based on import data recently provided by the United States National Marine Fisheries Service, and lists Canadian mussels as the most imported variety of mussels - overtaking New Zealand mussels for the first time ever. “Surpassing New Zealand in mussels exported to the US market is an important milestone for us,” said Terry Ennis, President of the Mussel Industry Council of North America. “For many years New Zealand has led in sales, importing frozen cooked mussels on the half shell. What we’re seeing now is the market respond to our product that is eco-friendly and available live and fresh all year round.” Read more ...

Review of Fisheries in OECD Countries 2009: Policies and Summary Statistics ISBN: 978-92-64-07974-8

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is made up of governments from 30 nations, who work together to address social, economic and environmental challenges of globalisation and to help governments respond to new challenges and developments such as corporate governance and an ageing population.

In April 2009 the OECD published this Review of Fisheries in OECD Countries after it was approved by the Committee for Fisheries.

This review is in three parts:

Part one is a general survey of 2009, this survey is split into three sections. The first section deals with recent trends in OECD fisheries and aquaculture. The second looks at the four policy issue that are relevant for fisheries governance. Section three gives an outlook and future policy challenges within the fisheries sector.

Part two deals with climate change, adaptation and the fisheries sector covering what can be expected, changes in fish stocks and migrations and shared stocks and high seas fisheries. With conclusions and policy implications.

Part three looks at each of the 30 countries covering recent developments, key characteristics of the sector, legal and institutional framework. Also capture fisheries, aquaculture along with market trends and the future outlook.

This publication is a comprehensive study of fisheries and aquaculture in OECD countries the data was collected during 2005, 2006 and some recent events in 2007. The review is based on material from the OECD member countries as well as other sources of information within and outside the organisation.

31

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

32

This publication describes major developments affecting fisheries in 2005 and 2006 along with some recent events of 2007 and is a book worth reading, I believe this book would be a valuable asset to student and anyone who has a keen interest in fisheries/aquaculture. It would also be useful to government departments in helping them plan and respond to issues and problems as they arise in fisheries and aquaculture. Defiantly one for the bookcase.

The GAA looks at double in a decade: 2011 Goal The Global Aquaculture Alliance has announced that they will be adding a salmon case study to their GOAL 2011 program. The announcement comes after a study was done on the recovery of the Chilean salmon farming industry from the infectious salmon anemia crisis. With assistance from Chile’s Under secretariat for Fisheries and Aquaculture and SalmonChile, an international team of experts are extracting the principle elements that lead to the disease problem as well as those that contributed to their solution so that emerging aquaculture countries can prevent and/ or mitigate similar environmental/ sanitary impacts. Read more ...

Aquaculture workforce gets financial boost from province The Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association will use CAN$200,633(€144,898) in funding from the province to continue workforce training and skill development. Last year the association, with assistance from the provincial government, co-ordinated a series of courses to improve the proficiency of those employed in the aquaculture sector.

The latest training programs will build on those courses, training new entrants and allow those who have previous training to get a certificate as an aquaculture technician. “This program will ensure employees are receiving the latest training in this highly skilled and continually advancing sector,” said Susan Sullivan, minister of Innovation, Trade and Rural Development. Read more ..

US retailers adopt best aquaculture practices The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has partnered with Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. to assist with the supermarket chain’s aquaculture sustainability program. As well as this the Global Aquaculture Alliance has added another company to the growing list of retailers, food service operators and distributors that have adopted GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification for farmed seafood. Reflecting its continued commitment to sustainable aquaculture, Wegmans will work with GAA to develop guidelines for its aquaculture program that require suppliers to source seafood from environmentally responsible sources. The areas of the supply chain to be covered are the processing facility, farm and hatchery. Read more ...

33

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Aquafeed to boost fishing industry in Papua New Guinea In Papua New Guinea a new locally produced aquafeed is set to boost the country’s fishing industry. Not yet available, the feed will mainly benefit farmers who specialise in trout and tilapia farming. The collaborative work of the National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Department of Agriculture and Livestock has led to the production of the feed, which is created from local ingredients. Trialling of the feed under farming conditions in the past five years has resulted in the semi-commercial production of the fish feed. Alongside the rapid growth of Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) fish processing sector, the new feed will be able to meet the increasing demand for aquafeed. Previously, fish feed has been imported into the country. NFA and its partners have been working to address the demand through the establishment of mini-feed mills and research and development to find a locally available, affordable and nutritious fish feed. Read more ...

Astec: New Aquaculture Business & Science Centre Astec, a new Aquaculture Business & Science Centre, is now open. Based on the Northumberland coast, the centre aims to be the leader in aquaculture research and business. The company website outlines that Astec aims to be at the heart of a growing aquaculture industry that will play a pivotal role in the 21st Century economy. The centre is strategically positioned so that they can pump a constant supply of near tropical temperature, flow-through seawater into their private aqua laboratories, which includes specialist equipment to support a broad range of commercial and research activities. Read more ..

Soybean meal and DDGS in crayfish diets

Interest in the production of Australian red claw has increased over the past few years and the species is commercially cultured in several countries including China, Mexico and Australia. Researchers from Kentucky State University, Aquaculture Research Centre look at the use of soybean meal and distiller’s dried grains (DDGS) as feed for Australia Red Claw grown in ponds. Currently, there is little production of red claw in the United States. In Kentucky, red claw has attracted interest as a potential aquaculture species due to the success of growing them at Kentucky State University’s (KSU) Aquaculture Research Centre during the past decade. Read more ...

Excess water killing fish at Grand Coulee Dam Farm-raised steelhead trout are dying by the thousands below Grand Coulee Dam in Washington because federal operators are releasing so much water. Operators say they’re trying to make room for massive water flows yet to come. The Rockies are caked with a dense snow-pack and it’s starting to melt. Water spilling from the Grand Coulee Dam traps air as it plunges. That air is pushed into the water, and brings with it gasses toxic to fish. Pacific Aquaculture operates a fish farm below the dam. It says dissolved nitrogen is forming micro-bubbles in the fish’s blood, killing 100,000 fish each day. The company is now asking a federal court to intervene. Read more ...

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

34

35

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

Bluefin tuna a step closer to sustainability Hagen Stehr is upbeat. Three months ago, his company Clean Seas Tuna took a crucial step in its long-running, multimillion-dollar trials to breed in captivity southern bluefin tuna, one of the world’s most prized eating fish as well as one of the most endangered. In a world first, Clean Seas transferred fingerlings, each weighing about five grams, bred in its onshore hatchery at South Australia’s Arno Bay to grow in its ocean tanks, successfully completing the life cycle. The feat is similar to one the company achieved earlier with its hiramasa kingfish, which is now a viable part of the business. Read more ...

European Union politician admits misplaced criticism of Vietnamese pangasius Having previously raised concerns over standards in the Vietnamese fish farming sector, Struan Stevenson MEP, Senior Vice President of the European Parliament’s Fisheries Committee, has now acknowledged that EU consumers and aquaculture businesses have little to fear from growing imports. With imports of Vietnam’s pangasius fish reaching 230,000 tonnes in 2010, Mr Stevenson had raised concerns over standards of hygiene, welfare, feed and fish health at many of the 1600 fish farms in the country’s Mekong Delta. However, following a visit to the region, Mr Stevenson said that his own attitude to Vietnamese farmed fish imports has changed for the better. He also concluded that increasing demand for these fish presents a huge opportunity for European businesses ready to take part in an exciting growth market. Read more ...

Bacterial coldwater disease: Review And Current Status Bacterial coldwater disease (BCWD) was first noted in the United States in 1941. The bacterium Flavobacterium psychrophilum was identified and proven to be the cause of outbreaks. Outbreaks occurred in salmonids at low water temperatures (43-50°F) and the disease gained the common name of bacterial coldwater disease or low-temperature disease. It was also called peduncle disease due to characteristic fraying and erosion of the caudal fin and caudal peduncle. The disease was only found in North American salmonids until the 1980s, when it was found in Germany, France and other European countries, and is now found worldwide. In Europe, the disease is called rainbow trout fry syndrome or fry mortality syndrome. The disease has subsequently been found in non-salmonid hosts, including ayu, common and Crucian carp, European eels, forktongue and lake gobies, Japanese dace, pale chubs, perch, roach and tench. The bacteria are ubiquitous in freshwater systems and may be part of the normal flora of gills and skin of fish. Read more ...

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

36

Cermaq new Alarga partner Cermaq will be Alarga’s first partner within the aquaculture sector. Alarga is engaged in enhancing the competitive advantages of Norwegian businesses through increasing companies’ intercultural competence. In Cermaq we see an increasing need to attract talents with a diversified approach in terms of languages, cultural understanding and insight in international business. We are excited about the cooperation with Alarga, says CEO of Cermaq, Geir Isaksen. General manager of Alarga, Dilek Ayhan, says there is no coincidence in Cermaq being the first company within aquaculture on the list of influential business communities to cooperate with Alarga. Read more ...

37

THE AQUACULTURIST | May 2011

For more information about the Aquaculturist visit:www.theaquaculturists.blogspot.comor follow the aquaculturist on twitter