Aquaculture Scoop is a magazine for aquaculture professionals worldwide
Issue 09 / June 2015 Risk Management
ROV’s in aquaculture
Spotmix Fish Feeding
Biomin
Aquaculture Cages
Benefits of the system
Below the surface
Good Gut Health
Expo list Top events related to aquaculture from around the world, on p. 24
21 GLOBAL EVENTS: We list the world’s top industry events. PAGE 24
Risk Management
Pictured: Triple collar plastic cage design p.4
ROV’S IN AQUACULTURE
Deep Trekker Read more on page 09
Published by Nisa Media Ltd www.aquaculturedirectory.co.uk Find us on Facebook and Twitter www.twitter.com/aquaculturedire
Spotmix Fish Feeding System p.12
Azeus Extruder / Expander p.20
Aquaculture will supply two-thirds of global fish consumption by 2030
Sign up to our FREE weekly newsletter Email us at seafood@nisamedia.com Source: World bank report
Editor’s Comment
Welcome to the June issue
Visit us online at
www.aquaculturedirectory.co.uk Welcome to the latest issue of Aquaculture Scoop. In this issue we take a look at Risk Management in Aquaculture Cages thanks to an in-depth and revealing report by Trevor Meyer. We learn about ROV’s in Aquaculture courtesy of Deep Trekker and how they are proving useful for Marine Harvest Canada. Spotmix give us a full report of their Fish Feeding System. We also look at interesting and extensive information on Gut Health from Biomin. With many events coming up why not visit our website and download the latest 2015 wall planner.
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Risk Management
Aquaculture Cages
ROV’s in aquaculture Below the surface
Spotmix Fish Feeding Benefits of the system
Biomin
Good Gut Health
Azeus Pellet Mill
Extruder and Expander
Published by: NISA Media Ltd 14 Clarke Way Cheltenham GL50 4AX United Kingdom
Editorial Manager Nicky Barnes Tel: +44 117 2306494 Email: nbarnes@aquaculturedirectory.co.uk
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News Editor
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Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
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More information:
Risk Management
Global Aquaculture Services 101 Flemming Avenue, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, UK Tel: +44 7707 692717 Tel: +356 79692718 Email: trevor@globalaquaservices.com
Risk Management in Aquaculture: Cages By Trevor Meyer
In the second of a series of articles on risk management in aquaculture, Trevor Meyer of Global Aquaculture Services discusses the risks associated with cages, and how best to manage those risks.
of square cages. As such, individual components are easily repaired and/or replaced as and when necessary. Wood is also a cheap, readily available building material.
In this article the word ‘cage’ refers to the floating structure from which the fish holding net is suspended, and does not include the net. A number of cage designs have been developed since the birth of commercial aquaculture in the 1970s, which have involved a progression from relatively flimsy wooden structures to steel cage platforms and, most recently, plastic cages. More sophisticated submersible cage designs have attracted some attention recently, but most are yet to demonstrate their financial viability because of their high unit cost and complex management and fish husbandry requirements.
The disadvantages of wood in cage design include its relatively low strength and susceptibility to degradation by boring marine organisms. Such cages are therefore only suitable for inshore conditions with minimal wave and current action. Wooden cage components will also typically have a life of only a few years, and so will require
regular replacement. Whilst in the water, maintenance of wooden cages will consist of regular inspections for damage and replacement or repair of cage components as and when necessary. The connections between the floats and the cage infrastructure should also be regularly inspected, and any damaged or missing floats replaced. Any brackets used for the connection of mooring ropes should also be inspected on a regular basis and repaired or replaced as and when necessary.
Wooden cages Wooden cages are still widely used in some parts of the world, such as China and Southeast Asia. The physical properties of wood mean that is it best suited to small square cages in very sheltered conditions and may represent the most cost-effective cage design for some forms of aquaculture, such as grouper and snapper culture, where small quantities of high value fish of differing species and sizes are reared. Most cage designs consist of wood or bamboo-framed walkways with floatation tanks attached, assembled into rafts
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
Wooden cages, Vietnam
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Risk Management
Steel cages Steel cage platforms were widely used during the 1980s and 1990s, particularly in the salmon aquaculture industry, and represented a clear improvement in strength over wooden cage structures. In Europe this cage design has largely been replaced by plastic cages, but steel cage platforms are still widely used in some countries, such as Chile. Steel has the advantage of being a very strong material, and so allows the construction of square cages with a side length of up to 40m, but its relative inflexibility means that cage structures require moving parts, such as hinges, to allow flexing of the cage platform with wave action. Steel is also subject to corrosion, and so all steel cage components need to be galvanised, and need to be regularly inspected for signs of corrosion. Hinge components of steel cage
Steel cages offer the advantage of providing a stable working platform on which various pieces of equipment, such as air blowers, feed blowers, electrical generators, grading machines, etc., can be installed. However, such platforms are not very stable in rough sea conditions, and so most steel cage platform designs are not suited to exposed offshore environments. The strength and rigidity of steel, and the high buoyancy capacity of steel cage designs does, however, make them suitable for inshore sheltered locations where strong tidal currents are experienced. Most reputable manufacturers of steel cages will manufacture a range of designs, and certify their cages to particular environmental conditions, such as maximum wave height. Therefore the model of steel cage chosen should reflect the expected conditions at the production site. Risk management of steel cages includes the regular inspection of all steel components for signs of corrosion. Any areas of corrosion identified should be
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
closely examined and any components showing signs of a significant reduction in strength should be repaired or replaced. All moving parts, particularly hinges between cage walkways, should be regularly inspected for signs of damage and wear to any nylon bushes or other components in the hinge. Most steel cage platforms will be fitted with brackets of varying designs for the connection of mooring lines. All brackets should be of an appropriate strength for the calculated loading forces on the mooring lines, and should be regularly inspected for signs of damage, wear or corrosion. Float units should be regularly inspected for damage and for secure fittings to the steel cage infrastructure.
Plastic cages Circular plastic cages were introduced in the 1990s and are now the most common cage design in use in large
parts of the global aquaculture industry due to their high strength, flexibility, relatively low weight, resistance to corrosion, low cost, simplicity and relative ease of repair. Most cage designs employ high-density polyethylene pipes which are fusion welded into circles, or ‘collars’, of varying diameters, from 13m to over 50m. The most common pipe diameters used are 250mm for relatively sheltered sites, 315mm for more exposed sites and greater diameters, including 400mm, 450mm and 500mm, for large, offshore tuna penning cages. The pipe wall thickness also varies, with thicker pipe walls being used where greater strength is required. The cage collar pipes provide their own buoyancy, and cage designs with a single collar pipe, two collar pipes and even 3 collar pipes are commonly used. Cages with multiple collar pipes include some level of redundancy against the failure of any single collar pipe, and will also provide additional strength and buoyancy. Collar
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Risk Management
pipes are usually filled with polystyrene to provide additional buoyancy in the event of a collar pipe flooding, and some cage designs use safety chain to provide security against collar pipe fracture. Most plastic cage designs include brackets which function by acting as a frame in which the multiple collar pipes are held in place and by providing an attachment point above the water surface for the fish holding nets and a handrail. There are a wide variety of bracket designs on the market, some of which are moulded plastic and incorporate both the collar bracket and net support into a single unit, whilst others consist of a separate collar bracket to which is connected a stanchion. Brackets are normally loosely connected to the collar pipes to ensure optimum flexibility during wave action, and the brackets are typically held in position using plastic stoppers or rope fitted to the collar pipes.
can lead to total stock losses. In all cases, welding should be carried out by properly qualified and certified personnel, preferably employed or contracted by the cage manufacturer. Where possible, the welding should be guaranteed against defects by the cage manufacturer. The cage collar pipes and brackets should be regularly inspected for damage, and any damaged components repaired or replaced. Being a relatively soft material, plastic is easily damaged by contact with metal structures such as the hulls of steel workboats. Plastic collar pipes should be regularly inspected for signs of significant scratching, shaving or abrasion, particularly where workboats regularly come into contact with the cages. Cage brackets are also often damaged by contact with workboats, and any broken brackets should be replaced with
temporary ‘bolt-on’ brackets until the cage is taken ashore for repair. Nets should be properly fitted to the cage. The stanchions and handrails of plastic cages are not normally designed to hold significant weight. Therefore, nets should be connected to the cage such that the bulk of the net weight is supported by the collar pipes via the net waist (water-line) ropes. The handrails and stanchions should normally be used for the connection of jump-nets only. Cage bridles should be properly fitted to the cage collar pipes. Incorrectly fitted mooring bridles can lead to kinking of collar pipes and deformation of the cage. The load forces at each attachment point to the mooring system should be spread between multiple bridles, and bridle ropes should be wrapped around multiple collar pipes for extra security. The tension of
With respect to plastic cage risk management, the most important points to consider are as follows: The cage design and specification should be appropriate for expected conditions at the production site. A clear description of site conditions should be forwarded to the cage manufacturer so that an appropriate cage design can be selected for the site in question, and the cage specification chosen should be accompanied by a statement from the manufacturer stating that the cage design is suitable for expected conditions at the site. The welding of the individual collar pipes should be carried out by skilled professionals and to the cage manufacturer’s specifications. Failed welds have been known to cause catastrophic cage failure in the past, and
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
Failed welds of collar pipes
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Risk Management
the bridles should be regularly monitored to prevent excessive tension leading to collar pipe damage, and to maintain optimum cage shape. Excessive lateral movement of cage brackets During storm conditions the failure of stoppers can result in excessive lateral movement of cage brackets around the cage. This movement can lead to contact between brackets and rope connections to both the net and the mooring system, and can lead to damage of either component. During routine inspections brackets should be repositioned and secured with new stoppers. Damage to collar pipes caused by contact with bracket In some plastic cage designs the point of contact between the bracket and the collar pipe can result in excessive abrasion and subsequent deep grooving of the collar pipe. During routine inspections the point of contact between the cage brackets and the collar pipes should be examined and damaged collar pipes replaced as and when necessary.
Inspection protocol Cages should be inspected for major damage on a daily basis, and more detailed inspections should be carried out at regular intervals and following any major storm events.
Cages should be taken ashore for routine repair and overhaul as part of the farm’s routine equipment maintenance programme, ideally between stock cycles when the cages are empty of fish.
Broken brackets on a plastic cage
Excessive net weighting Very heavy net weights can lead to submergence of the collar pipe and damage to the collar pipes at the point of connection with the weight rope. The size of net weights should be consistent with the design strength of the cage, and the weight load spread around the entire cage. Fouling of plastic cage components In some locations submerged parts of the cage are colonised by large encrusting organisms, such as barnacles and oysters, which have sharp edges and can tear netting upon contact and even cause flesh wounds should a fish farmer slip and fall between collar pipes. Cage components should be cleaned of encrusting organisms on a regular basis, or fitted with simple anti-fouling systems.
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
Excessive grooving of collar pipe caused by abrasion against bracket
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Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
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ROV’s in Aquaculture
More information:
Marine Harvest Contact:
Kiara Vallier Industry Specialist Deep Trekker Inc. kvallier@deeptrekker.com Tel: +1 519 3423177
Ian Roberts Communication Manager Marine Harvest Canada Ian.Roberts@marineharvest.com Tel: +1 250 8503276
Below the surface of Canadian Salmon Farms – A World of Possibilities A rising concern in today’s world with the rapidly increasing global population is the need to feed everyone without over hunting and fishing the world’s resources. The effects of overfishing tell a narrative similar to that of the American Bison where zero restrictions on hunting led to the extinction of the species. This example should act as a warning to the world about the delicacy of the earth’s resources and offers a highly relevant lesson to the world’s fishing population. With the amount that humans consume today, it is predicted that if the situation does not change then in 50 years all of the fish in the ocean could be gone. The improvement of technologies and rising populations have led to a decline in the number of fish populations due to over fishing. Wild salmon are no exception to this pattern. For companies like Marine Harvest, who operate numerous salmon farms within Canada, the threat of species extinction is one of the main reasons that motivate them to farm fish like the Atlantic salmon. Commercial salmon farming began in British Columbia, Canada in the 1970s, and Marine Harvest is one of the most prominent players in the area with operations taking place all around the world and between 30 and 35 farms operating in British Columbia alone at one time. In total they produce approximately one fifth of the world’s farm raised salmon and trout. As the presence of fish farms gain prominence,
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
the need to frequently inspect and monitor these farms are highly important to ensure both the health of the fish and the surrounding ecosystems. Tools such as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and other underwater cameras have given farmers the ability to see below the surface of water from the comfort of land. The Canadian fish farming industry has changed drastically within the past two decades. Ian Roberts from Marine Harvest Canada has been in the fish farming business since 1992 and has experienced firsthand the changes that have occurred as time has progressed. When Ian began working with salmon farming everyone working at the farms were responsible for performing a wide range of activities. He described the
roles that he performed when he first started in the industry which include everything from feeding to cleaning to performing dives himself. In the early nineteen-nineties, employees of a fish farm were able to perform their own dives with limited certification to complete net inspections, net-washing, anchoring, size grading, smolt deliveries and so much more. During this period, the farmers who are considered experts in the field and running a fish farm were also the ones who were going below the surface to monitor the day-to-day activities of the fish and the infrastructure. During this period there was no gap between those who know the ins and outs of fish farming and those who were diving below the water because the farmers themselves could travel below the surface. Today this is not the case.
Aquaculture Controller
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ROV’s in Aquaculture
In the mid 1900’s the regulations changed and now all divers who work on Marine Harvest farms are required to be commercially certified. This is what began the knowledge gap between the farmers who know the farms and the divers who complete work to maintain the submerged infrastructure. Today with this regulation, most fish farms are required to hire a dive team to perform all underwater tasks rather than keep commercial divers on staff full time. Though professionally trained in diving, these divers are not experienced in fish farming and may not be reporting all information to the farm managers because they may think it is irrelevant. Ian explained that in today’s world, someone can hold the role of an assistant manager without ever having seen the farm from under the surface.
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
As Gerry Burry, Site Manager at Marine Harvest’s Quatsino operating area explains, “farms are like an iceberg. A person can only see about ten per cent of the farm that is floating on the surface, leaving the rest of the infrastructure underwater and out of sight”. Considering that only ten percent of fish farm activity takes place above the surface of the water, this knowledge gap can have significant effects on the operation of the farm. The regulations of commercially certified divers working in farms has significantly increased the safety of both divers and employees. The downfall to this is farmers trusting people who are “untrained in the field” to take care of their farms. Commercial divers are also required to work in teams of three, which can result in high manpower
costs. Combine this with the need to constantly have eyes under the surface and it is easy to see how divers have been labelled as one of the most expensive employees that a fish farmer must hire. With the high cost and discrepancies in knowledge between farmers and divers, farmers have begun to explore other options to perform the basic duties of maintaining their farms. To bridge this gap in farming expertise and reduce diving costs, Marine Harvest has invested in the Deep Trekker DTG2 ROVs to act as their remote divers for an efficient view of their farms and submerged infrastructure. Deep Trekker offers fully portable and easily maneuverable robotic underwater cameras in the form of an ROV. Ian Roberts explained that the units have been a huge asset to the fish farms,
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ROV’s in Aquaculture
allowing the farmers to perform their own inspections in as much detail as they need without worrying that a diver would miss an important observation. There are a number of different reasons why a fish farmer needs to have eyes under the water. Even though they cannot perform certain tasks themselves the farmers can use the DTG2 ROV to ensure that the divers they are hiring are performing their tasks up to the proper standards as well as perform routine inspections that they otherwise would have to hire divers to perform. An important part of salmon farming is transferring small salmon (called “smolts”) from freshwater to saltwater. This process mimics the natural lifecycle of a salmon. Farmers need to check on the smolts every couple of days to ensure that they are growing properly. Initially Marine Harvest used to hire divers every few days to check on the smolts throughout periods of high vulnerability, and closely monitor survival. Today Marine Harvest produces their own smolts but must still check the status of them every couple of days.
close to the surface and “jump” out of the water. What can be inferred is that if the fish are not jumping then they are not happy. This could mean a few different things; if the fish cannot be seen at the surface then a farmer in most cases would want to check to make sure that the salmon are still schooling properly. If they are swimming close to the edge of the cage it can mean that the oxygen levels in the water are low. Without a remotely operated vehicle, a farmer must send a diver down to check on the fish when they are swimming too low. Meaning, a farmer must first purchase the service and then must take on the task of making sure the diver understands what different fish behaviours mean so that they can gain an accurate insight as to why the fish are unhappy. Divers are highly experienced in what they do but it makes sense that they do not have as extensive a knowledge on fish behaviour as the farmers do. By using the DTG2 ROV, Marine Harvest farmers have been able to monitor all of these aspects without the need to hire a diver unless they deem it necessary.
Smolt introduction is only one aspect of fish farming that happens in the day-to-day operations of a fish farm. Farmers also need to do net inspections, net anchoring, size grading, lift up system inspections as well as monitor general fish behaviour.
Fish feeding is another major component to fish farming that has been improved by the use of the DTG2 ROV. Though there are cameras set up at the feeding sites, there is little flexibility among them and farmers are unable to see if there is a large population of their fish swimming below the feed cameras who are not feeding properly. Having the ROV to swim down and see the percentage of fish that are above the feed camera is able to help the farmer assess if they need to alter their systems or investigate the low swimming fish further.
Why examine general fish behaviour? A lot can be told from the way the fish are acting. One of the main characteristics of salmon in fish farms is that they swim
Fish farms are a huge part of the salmon market in BC. Marine Harvest operates a large portion of the industry and uses nets that can reach a size of 35 meters x
With the use of the DTG2 ROV, fish farmers around the world are able to do their own smolt inspections, use the optional mort retrieval bracket, and only bring in divers if they see a need to have hands under the water.
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
35 meters x 30 meters. Regular net inspections – a requirement included in the Province’s aquaculture licence – can prove to be a huge job for divers and the use of the DTG2 ROV has improved efficiency and saved the company money since the day ROV inspections were implemented. Similarly to how salmon farming methods have evolved, ROVs continue to improve as well. Deep Trekker is constantly working to provide quality products with unique add-ons and smart technology in order to create systems that can fit a number of different needs within various industries. The possibilities are endless with a Deep Trekker ROV to ensure smooth operations and inspections of submerged assets such as fish farms around the world. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rrd81 http://www.farmfreshsalmon.org/histor y-salmon-aquaculture-bc-canada
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Spotmix Fish Feeding System
More information: Mag. Karl Heinz Denk, www.schauer-agrotronic.com
Spotmix Fish – the exceptional Feeding System for Professional Fish Farming For more than 10 years, Spotmix Fish has impressed professional fish breeders worldwide with never-before seen options in fish feeding and with sensational profitability. The pneumatic, fully-automated feeding system is able to distribute supply any pond or lake with virtually any amount and composition of feed portion as many times a day as is needed. From the central feed chamber, feeding stations for farmed fish up to 800 m away can be supplied in the same way as the breeding basins with a feed amount of just 20 g per feed. The capacity of a system makes it possible to automatically distribute approx. 2,000 kg of fish food per day. Spotmix Fish is most frequently used for fish farms with trout-like fish (so-called salmonids) and
Fish Farm Hofer
in sturgeon breeding. But it is equally possible to use in other types.
Topo Fish Feeding Management Software TOPO Spotmix Fish VUI (Visual User Interface) is an exceptionally convenient feeding and management software for automatic feeding in fish farms. With this software feed quantities can be adjusted to temperature, which greatly improves nutrient utilization. The data are stored in a fully network-compatible SQL database, making it possible to access them with portable devices and to diagram them on any internet-based terminal. Spotmix Fish Feeding System
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
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Spotmix Fish Feeding System
feeding curve can be specified on an input screen depending on the water temperature. This prevents feed losses. The supply of speed can therefore be ideally adapted to the actual needs of the fish automatically and at all times. Spotmix Fisch automatic feeding system has been used for professional aquaculture fish farming in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for more than 10 years.
Spotmix Fish Feeding System
Spotmix Fish saves on feeding costs by reducing feed losses by up to 20%. Many of our customers confirm that this system pays for itself in less than two years. Spotmix Fish saves on work time and substantially improves the quality of work due to the automatic distribution of the needs-based feed mix by a central feed chamber Spotmix Fish is a professional management program, which offers a centralized overview of the status of the fish stock and the feeding, and also enables direct intervention via the changing of the feeding strategy. Spotmix Fish from Schauer Agrotronic is revolutionizing automatic fish feeding has been used for professional aquaculture fish farming in Germany, Austria and Switzerland for more than 10 years. Many customers rely on the Spotmix Fish Feeding system. Although the German speaking countries have been the main markets for the system, Schauer in between has installed the
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
Spotmix Fish feeding system multiple in other countries in Scandinavia, Belarus, Armenia. Our customers are happy about the reliability of the system and the economic benefits out of feed and labour cost savings. The standard solution in the area of fish feeding consists of automatic feeding machines which are installed in the ponds on a decentralized basis and distribute the feed either directly through the activity of the fish, or on the basis of time control and/or sprinkle the feed into the water. Spotmix Fish is a fully automatic centralized feeding system which distributes the recipe and quantity-adjusted feed portions to the individual feeding points over up to 800 m. The quantities of feed are specified according to need on the basis of feeding curves. The consumption levels of the fish vary, however, due to different water temperatures that depend on the season and the weather conditions. Therefore, with Spotmix Fish, this has been automated with a "sensor detection via temperature sensors." With this system, the correction value for the
Many customers rely on the Spotmix Fish Feeding system. Although the German speaking countries have been the main markets for the system, Schauer in between has installed the Spotmix Fish feeding system multiple in other countries in Scandinavia, Belarus, Armenia. Our customers are happy about the reliability of the system and the economic benefits out of feed and labour cost savings. Mr. Werner Ruf was one of the first customers in Germany. He reported about his 5 years of experience with the Spotmix Fish feeding system from Schauer Agrotronic at the trade fair “Aquafisch 2006” in Hanover. Werner Ruf is a fish farmer in Wildbad 4, D-86925 Fuchstal near Landsberg am Lech (www.lechtalforelle.de). Farm Report about 5 years of experience in fully automatic Feeding System for Fish Farming: Werner Ruf, Southern Germany “The Spotmix Multiphase Feeding System meets all requirements of a modern Fish Feeding- and Management System. Even more, the system works unbelievably precisely, which I could not imagine before”, said Mr. Ruf. The main benefits of Spotmix Fish automatic Feeding System are for Mr. Ruf:
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• Feeding on demand at requirements of different fish herds at any time with out any restrictions. • Automatic O2-enrichment before the feeding and adjustment of feed curve due to the water temperature, avoid feed losses. • Underground installation of feed pipes enable to dispense feed to feeding points, which are up to 800 m away. Thus you have more space around the ponds/channels. • Fully automatic feeding all-the-year avoids fluctuations of the feed supply during holidays.
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
• Permanent optimisation of feed strategy can be achieved due to exact management data and the excellent flexibility of the system concerning adjustment of recipe, quantity and dispensation.
websites: www.schauer.co.at; www.fischzucht-ruf.de .
• Mr. Ruf managed to realise feed savings of 10 %, due to an optimal mixture of feed and several feedings per day and feeding points. Therefore the payback period for his Feeding System was only about 3 years.
Another reference customer from Switzerland, the manager Mr Albert Bossy from Pisciculture de la Gruyére Sa reported about his experience with Spotmix Fish feeding system 2012: “Reasonable labour time savings and improvement of feed conversion rate could be realized with the Spotmix Fish feeding system”.
As Mr. Ruf is absolutely content with the Spotmix Fish Feeding System, he invested in two more systems for his further production sites. For further information please visit the following
On 800 m sea-level in the canton Freiburg in Swiss pre-Alps realm is the aquaculture fish farm Pisciculture de la Gruyére, a pisciculture with a production capacity of 90 t/year rainbow trouts and
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Spotmix Fish Feeding System
• 6 feeding at daylight: Breed and seedlings (2g - 50g) • 4 feeding with daylight: Rainbow trouts (50g - 400g) • 8 feeding at night: chars (2g - 500g) The central feeding kitchen is 13 m long x 4.8 m broad x 4.5 m highly. Feed is stored in silos (16 to) and Big Bags. The Big Bags are lifted over the feed silos, where the feed is taken automatically out by an augers system which is dosing the feed portion by portion into the Spotimx Fish feeding system. Spotmix Fish Outlet
10 t/year char production. Beside the farm manager Mr. Albert Bossy there are 2 more full time employees working at the fish farm. The unit is well supplied with fresh spring water and consists of 4 flow channels with a length of 120 m and a width of 4 m. These are in the form of cascades arranged in 5 partitionings each on 20 basins à 20x4m. Beside natural oxygen entry by natural downward gradients in oxygen boxes a quantity of approx. 70,000 m3/year liquid oxygen is added additionally. The temperature range of the spring water ranges from 6°C in the winter to 10°C in the summer time. With the investment into the Spotmix Fish feeding system the annual production output could be increased from 60 - 90 t annually. Together with our technical adviser Manfred Andeßner an optimal feeding strategy was developed. The automatic fish feeding system Spotmix Fish has been the key solution to optimize the feeding process. 6 main feed components and 2 small quantity dosers are able to dose and mix together different components with a maximum
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
accuracy of up to +/- 10 g. The feeding system spreads out fully automatically from a central feeding kitchen over a distance of up to 800 m with pneumatic distribution the mixed feed to 47 feeding outlets. This happens several times a day. The control of the entire system is done by the extraordinarily user-friendly TOPO feeding computer with the new VUI (visual user INTERFACE) software. The software is excellent with highest functionality and intuitive operation, and offers an ideal tool for the conversion of each desired feeding strategy. The sophisticated feeding strategy at the operation Pisciculture de la Gruyére in the overview:
Feed requirement and feed distribution: • 8 different feed components (size from 1 to 6 mm), inclusive carotin feed, provided in Big Bags • 400 kg up to 600 kg feed are distributed on the average per hour • 90 tons annual capacity of fish feed is distributed
Highly profitability with rapid amortization of the investment costs for the Spotmix Fish feeding system (calculation as per provided by Mr. Bossy on 17.4.2012) 29.200, - CHF labour time saving: (2 hours of x 40, - CHF = 80, - SFR/day x 365 days/year) 8.000, - CHF feed cost saving: (approx. 100 t/year x 5% savings = 5 t x 1,700, CHF) 37.200, - CHF total saving/year with Spotmix Fish feeding system The higher capacity of the aquaculture unit, the automatic water temperature adjustment of feeding curve is not yet taken into consideration: The amortization period of the automatic Spotmix Fish feeding system due to labour cost and feed cost savings is only 4 to 5 years. Further advantages of Spotmix Fish feeding system for the unit Pisciculture de la Gruyére summarized: 1. 2 to 3 working hours labour time saving/day instead of manual feeding
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Spotmix Fish Feeding System
2. 5 - 8% feed saving instead of manual feeding 3. Smaller oxygen load in the water during feeding (oxygen undersupply during feeding avoided) 4. Faster growth of the fish - > this leads into next point: 5. shorter production time - > this leads into next point: 6. higher capacity of production at the pisciculture fish farm 7. Automatic feed quantity adjustment
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
to the water temperature by the feeding computer: (9°= 100%, 8°=92%, 7°=84% fodder quantity of the desired value) 8. More time to the fish check The plant manager Bossy is glad to have invested into the Spotmix Fish feeding system. He stated out; “It generally enables important labour time and feed cost savings, an increase of the production capacity of the existing fish farm by around 30% and a completely new and professional access for a modern fish and feeding management”.
Spotmix Fish VUI Computer
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More information:
Biomin
BIOMIN Holding GmbH Erber Campus 1 3131 Getzersdorf Austria Tel: +43 27828030 Web: www.biomin.net
Good Gut Health is Essential to Growth Enhancement By Rui Gonçalves, Technical Manager, and Gonçalo Santos, R&D Manager Achieving better growth rates or improved efficiency relies on good gut performance in aquaculture species. It is no secret that optimum animal performance encompasses a number of factors, including genetic characteristics of the specie, quality of the diets, environmental condition and absence of disease outbreaks. Add to this industry pressure, such as the need for efficient use of increasingly expensive raw materials or health management, and the picture becomes more complex. A focus on good gut health can help to successfully navigate this large set of considerations and set the foundation for better growth.
Defining gut health The gut is a key organ system which mediates nutrient uptake and use by the animals but also plays an important role in providing an effective barrier against environmental pathogens. Hence, a well-functioning and healthy gut is the cornerstone of performance in aquatic animals. At BIOMIN we define gut performance management according to three objectives: to improve the efficiency of the gut; to prevent gastrointestinal disorders and related side effects; and to re-establish gut integrity after a dysfunction.
Identifying the right solution The aquaculture industry is characterized by a large variety of species compared
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
to other methods of livestock production. In addition, there is diversity in feeding regimes (carnivorous, omnivorous or herbivorous), rearing environments (marine, brackish, or freshwater habitats) and temperature (cold, sub-tropical or tropical climates) and feed formulations. Identifying the correct tool to promote good gut health and growth enhancement must take into consideration these elements along with the value of the species and the specific challenge affecting the production. Consequently, we work continuously with different aquaculture species, identifying the most promising compounds and strategy to achieve the best growth performance for each. Here we provide several examples of ways to support gut health and growth enhancement using distinctly different tools.
The high cost of fish meal The reliance on less costly protein sources and low-nutrient dense diets to replace costly fishmeal —whether for economic or sustainable reasons— will most likely lead to lower protein digestibility, higher amino acid imbalance, higher carbohydrate and fiber content, since plant raw materials are less digestible and negatively impact the gastrointestinal tract. The presence of undigested nitrogenous compounds in the intestine favors the formation of
ammonia and biogenic amines by the intestinal microbiota. These toxic compounds cause an imbalance of the intestinal microbiota, resulting in inflammatory processes and accelerated turnover of the intestinal tissue, leading to poor performance. In addition, sub-optimal animal performance due to inefficient nutrient use, results in increased feed usage and consequently higher production costs, environmental problems (higher ammonia emissions) and disease vulnerability. Phytogenic feed additives —consisting of herbs, spices, extracts or other plant-derived compounds— have gained considerable attention as a tool to achieve growth performance. The active ingredients (e.g. phenols and flavonoids) can exert multiple effects in animals, including improvement of feed conversion ratio (FCR), digestibility, growth rate, reduction of nitrogen excretion and improvement of the gut flora and health status. In the case of nutrient sparing or fish meal replacement, phytogenics can stimulate the digestive secretions, increase villi length and density and increase mucous production through an increase in the number of globlet cells. As a result, phytogenics can improve feed digestibility, especially for proteins and amino acids. In a trial with gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) at the University of Algarve in Portugal, fish were fed a low
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fishmeal diet (14%), supplemented with a matrix-encapsulated phytogenic feed additive (Digestarom® P.E.P.MGE). Dietary supplementation with Digestarom® P.E.P. MGE showed the best results with a significant reduction of FCR from 1.28 up to 1.12 and an improvement of specific growth rates (from 1.76 to 1.82 %.day-1) (Figure 1). Inclusion of the phytogenic products in the diet significantly enhanced (p<0.05) protein and fat retention (Figure 2). The results also showed that a significant reduction of total nitrogenous losses, which was clearly associated with lower metabolic losses (Figure 3).
Probiotics for pathogen control The use of beneficial bacteria (probiotics) to control pathogens is
gaining acceptance in aquaculture, given the richness of microbial life in aquatic environments. Probiotic bacteria can maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the gut through: competitive exclusion (beneficial bacteria exclude potential pathogenic bacteria through competition for attachment site and nutrients); antagonism (inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria by producing, for example, bacitracin and polymyxin (produced by Bacillus sp.). Probiotics can also promote gut maturation and integrity, modulate and stimulate the immune system, prevent inflammation, boost the metabolism, increase digestive enzyme activity, decrease bacterial enzyme activity and ammonia production, improve feed intake and digestion, and neutralize enterotoxins.
Following the previous knowledge a total of 60 juvenile trout’s (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were used in a trial carried out at a commercial trout farm in Karditsa, Thessaly, Greece. Here we tested the effect of dietary incorporation of Aquastar® Hatchery (multi-strain probiotic) on growth performance and intestinal bacteria count. Here we saw that probiotic, significantly (p < 0.05) increased body weight gain in the test group compared to the control by an average of 10.8 % feed conversion ratio was significantly (p < 0.05) improved by 18.8 % (Figure 4) and Lactobacilli loads were 54.6 % higher in probiotic fed fish compared to fish fed the basal diet only (Figure 5). The lactic acid production makes the microbial environment acidic, which inhibits the growth of some harmful bacteria.
Figure 1. Feed conversion ratio and specific growth rate of sea bream as affected by diet supplementation with Digestarom® P.E.P. MGE. Source: Biomin trials, 2012
Figure 2. Nutrient retention of sea bream as affected by supplementation with Digestarom® Source: Biomin trials, 2012
Figure 3. Nitrogen budget (gain, fecal losses and metabolic losses) in sea bream with supplementation by Digestarom® Source: Biomin trials (2012)
Figure 4. Feed conversion ratio of trout with diet supplementation using AquaStar® Hatchery Source: Biomin trials, 2010
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Biomin
Boosting beneficial bacteria Prebiotics are non-digestible feed ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively altering the composition and metabolism of the gut microbiota. Prebiotics can also provide energy for the growth of endogenous favorable bacteria in the gut, thus improving the host microbial balance. Prebiotics have been reported to enhance host defense and reduce mortality of fish caused by the invasion of gut pathogens. They can also, by enhancing the immune response of aquatic organism, increase the clearance of pathogens from the gut. With regard to the immune-enhancing effect of prebiotics, this may in part be due to direct interaction between prebiotics and gut immune cells receptors as well as due to an indirect action of prebiotics via preferential colonization of beneficial microbes and microbial products that interact with immune cells. At Aquaculture Center for Applied Nutrition (ACAN) in Thailand we used 117g red tilapia (O. mossambicus X O. niloticus) to test the effect of Levabon® Aquagrow E, spray-dried autolyzed yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) product, on growth performance. The results obtained showed that Levabon® Aquagrow E improved specific growth rate (SGR) by 5% and the feed conversion rate (FCR) decreased by 4% (Figure 6) by addition of 0.4 % Levabon® Aquagrow E to the diet.
semi-permeable membrane of the bacteria into the cell cytoplasm. Once in the cell, where the pH is maintained near 7, the acid will dissociate and suppress bacterial cell enzymes (e.g., decarboxylases and catalases) and nutrient transport systems. The reduction of pathogenic intestinal bacteria, which can produce toxin causing damage of intestinal villi and crypt structure, is directly associated with the improved gut structure. In a trial at ACAN, Pangasius catfish fed the Biotronic® supplemented diet had an improvement of 1.72% in SGR compared to the control group and 0.86% when compared with the flavomycin group (Figure 7). Analyzing the bacteria counts in the gut, was possible to observe that animals fed Biotronic® supplemented diets had a considerable reduction in total bacteria
count, -76% than the control group and -43% when compared with the flavomycin group (Figure 8).
Figure 5. Lactobacilli count in trout gut fed AquaStar® Hatchery supplemented diets. Source: Biomin, 2010
Figure 6. Specific growth rate and feed conversion rate of red tilapia fed Levabon® Aquagrow E. Source: Biomin, 2010
Figure 7. Specific growth rate Pangasius catfish (Pangasionodon hypophtalmus) fed Biotronic® supplemented diet or flavomycin, compared to control group. Source: Biomin, 2014
Figure 8. Total bacteria count in pangasius catfish gut (Pangasionodon hypophtalmus) fed Biotronic® supplemented diet or flavomycin, compared to control group. Source: Biomin, 2014
Conclusion Understanding gut health requires the elucidation of the complex interactions between all different components that will allow the gut to perform under normal physiological functions and to maintain homeostasis, thereby supporting its ability to withstand infections and non-infectious stressors. Given the wide range of considerations in aquaculture production, a focus on good gut health can help farmers to enhance growth. A number of novel feed additives –such as probiotics, prebiotics, phytogenics and organic acids– can help support gut health and growth enhancement.
A sustainable replacement for AGPs Unlike antibiotic growth promoters, which kill both beneficial and harmful bacteria, organic acids attack Gram-negative (pathogenic) bacteria while leaving the beneficial ones in place. In the undissociated form, organic acids can freely diffuse through the
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More information:
Azeus Pellet Mill
Azeus Pellet Mill Website: www.feedpelletizer.com Email: info@feedpelletizer.com Skype: azeus.pelletmill
Extruder and Expander for Aqua-feed Pellet Production Extrusion processing technology has become of major importance in the production of modern feeds used in intensive aquaculture. In recent years there has been a constant growth in the application of extruded diets for aquatic feeding. Aquatic feed by extrusion have superior water stability, better floating property and a higher energy than pelleted diets, which contributes to the increase in fish growth and improvement in feed conversion. Therefore compared with the conventional pelleting process, extrusion technology is the most efficient way to improve the performance of aquatic feed. Extrusion and Expansion Process Extrusion, including dry extrusion and wet extrusion, is the process where the raw material is pushed forward in the barrel by means of screws and pressed through the die at the end of barrel. The general extrusion process involves a high temperature over a short time. Temperature higher than 100 is needed in order to achieve expansion of the feed as it leaves the die. The high temperature in dry extrusion is acquired through dissipation of mechanical energy from heated surfaces such as barrel and screw surface, or generated by shear forces between wall and material and screw and material. For wet extrusion, the temperature is achieved through preconditioning and steam injection. At the same time the material also undergoes relatively high
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
pressure. The pressure difference in the interior of extruder and the external environment will cause the extrusion of the aquatic feed. Basically, the operating principle of expansion is similar to that of extrusion, and their processes are both based on the same principle. However, expansion generates less shear, pressure and temperature in the barrel compared with extrusion, which leads to difference in the shaping method of final pellets and intensity of treatment.
Extruder and Expander Extruder and expander are machines that mainly apply extrusion and expansion technology in feed pellet production. An extruder is a bio-reactor
providing the necessary pressure to force feed mash in the barrel through a restrictive die. Through changes in temperature, pressure, and shear within the barrel, the raw material is forcibly homogenized before it assumes the cross-sectional shape of the die opening. Extrusion equipment is mainly composed of power transmission device, feeding device, pre-conditioner, extruder barrel and discharging cutting device, etc. The barrel of extruder is composed of barrel heads, screw auger, flow restrictors (called shearlocks) and a cross-sectional die. Expanders are similar to extruders, but they have difference in treatment effects and applications. Expanders are commonly used as mechanical conditioners for treating materials
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which are difficult to pellet, to increase the digestibility of cellulose and protein components in order to perform feed hygienistion. Extruders consist of barrels with one or two screws to transport materials and force them through a die. Extrusion can be considered as a high shear treatment. The shear action during expander treatment is much less. Compared to an extruder, the simplicity of the expander allows an effective treatment of relatively large quantity of feed at a low cost. Extrusion machine has received the dominating role production of fish feed. For extruder, there are different types available in the market, such as single screw extruders, twin-screw extruders, wet extruders, dry extruders and etc.
Single Screw Extruder and Twin Screw Extruder
steps occur simultaneously and are independent. In the feeding zone, feed material is simply received form the conditioner and transported forward in the barrel, go through solid conveying and melting process. Making feedstocks from a powder to an elastic dough. Then it will be formed into pellets by flat die shaping. Nevertheless, the conveying capacity of single extruder is poor under high pressure, compared to the same power twin-screw extruder, its production is lower. In general, single screw extruders are more economical to operate than twin-screw extruders, while twin-screw extruders are more advanced, more productive, and more extensive use of performance than single screw extruders. Choose the right one depending on the production demand.
Dry Type and Wet Type Extruder Dry type extruder is the type of machine that does not require a steam boiler for heat or steam injection or jacket heating, and all product heating is accomplished by mechanical friction force. Without utilizing preconditioning, dry extrusion employs lower moisture levels. Therefore it is suitable for processing low moisture and high fat feed material. While wet type extruder is a piece of more complex equipment with precision metering systems for steam or water injection into the conditioner and/or the extruder barrel. Preconditioning is a very important step in wet extrusion process for chemical or physical reactions to take place. The heart of the extruder machine working is:
As the name suggests, single screw extruder contains one screw, and twin-screw extruder is with two screw of equal length placed inside the same barrel. Twin-screw extruder develops on the basis of single screw extrusion machine, which is more complicated than single screw extruder. Twin-screw extruder owns much priority in quality control and processing flexibility, which can deal with sticky, multiple oil or wet raw materials. The screw design of twin-screw extruders can dramatically affect operating efficiency and machine capability. Notice that throughput and screw speed of twin-screw extruder are not interdependent. In contrast to twin-screw extruder, single screw extruder is simple, using rotating beltway with a constant unadjustable spindle speed. It can get good blending through high-speed operation in short time. The barrel of a single screw extruder can be divided into three separate zones: feeding zone, melting zone and molding zone. These
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Azeus Pellet Mill
Advantages of Extruded Aqua-feed Pellet
reduce feed waste, water and air pollution.
1. Wide adaptability The capability of an extruder enhances the feed manufacturer’s flexibility to produce fish feed pellets for shrimp, crab, eel, catfish, carp, frogs and etc.
8. Good to aquatic organism health Extrusion cooking provides hygienic feed processing and destroys the pathogens & other most viruses to avoid animal illness.
2. High starch gelatinization Feed material goes through the processing of HTST, starch gelatinization degree increase can reach 80-99% for aquatic animals easily digest.
From the above, it is obvious that extruders are very versatile and can make feeds with many different
characteristics, which can greatly benefit aquatic feed production! There are various types of extruders available in the market such as: dry type extruder, wet extruder, single screw extruder, twin-screw extruder and etc. Different types of extruders own its features, which contribute to extruded pellets with different performance. Therefore before choosing an extruder for your aqua-feed production, you should clearly know what type of you need for your business.
3. Better digestion and absorption Pellets can breakdown quickly in the stomach of fish loses nutrients (during regurgitation), which contributes to better absorb nutrients. 4. Improved water stability The floating pellets are more resistant to disintegration in water and a floating feed allows the fish farmer to observe the condition of the fish and the amount of feed consumed. 5. Water absorption Extrusion moisture content during processing can be controlled over a wide range, which helps to increase the water stability of the final feed. These pellets absorb more water, retain shapes for longer time and results in reduced losses of nutrients. It benefits pellet technical qualities and fish health. 6. Convenient for density control It is entirely feasible for an extruder to produce floating feed, sinking feed and slow sinking feed by density control; that is more conducive to different fish species. 7. Fine mechanical resistance Feed made using extrusion technology is more resistant to mechanical durability and produces fewer fines in the finished feed during transportation. It can
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More information:
Featured Event
Dr Mian N Riaz 2476 TAMU; Food Protein R&D Center Texas A&M University; College Station, TX 77843-2476 USA Tel: +1 979 845 2774 Fax: +1 979 845 2744 Email: mnriaz@tamu.edu Web: http://foodprotein.tamu.edu/extrusion
22nd Annual Practical Short Course on Aquaculture Feed Extrusion, Nutrition and Feed Management A one-week Practical Short Course on Aquaculture Feed Extrusion, Nutrition and Feed Management will be presented on September 20-25, 2015 at Texas A&M University by staff, industry representative and consultants. This program will cover information on designing new feed mills and selecting conveying, drying, grinding, conditioning and feed mixing equipment. Current practices for preparing full-fat soy meal processing; recycling fisheries by-products, raw animal products, and secondary resources; raw material, extrusion of floating, sinking, and high fat feeds; spraying and coating fats, digests and preservatives; use of encapsulated ingredients and preparation of premixes, nutritional requirements of warn water fish and shrimp, feed managements and least cost formulation are reviewed. Practical demonstration of sinking, floating, and high fat aqua feed, are demonstrated on four major types of extruders - (dry, interrupted flights, single and twin screw), using various shaping dies. Other demonstrations include: vacuum coating and lab
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
analysis of the raw material for extrusion. Reservations are accepted on a first-come basis. For more information, programs and application forms, contact details above.
Aquaculture Directory Company A-Z Events Section Products & Services www.aquaculturedirectory.co.uk
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Expo List
Events in detail July 39th Annual Larval Fish Conference 12-17 July Vienna, Austria http://www.larvalfishcon.org/Conf_home .asp?ConferenceCode=39th The International Conference on Aquaculture & Fisheries 20th-22nd July Australia www.aquaculture-fisheries.conferences eries.com August Aqua Nor 2015 18th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 21st August Norway http://www.nor-fishing.no/aqua-nor-2015/ Vietnam Fisheries International Exhibition 24-26 August Ho Chi minh, Vietnam http://www.en.vietfish.com.vn/ International Conference on Fisheries and Aquaculture 26-28th August Sri Lanka September Seafood Expo Asia 2-4 September Hong Kong www.seafoodexpo.com World Seafood Congress 5-9 September Grimsby, UK www.wsc2015.com/ VII Worldwide Tuna Conference 7-8 September Vigo Spain http://www.anfaco.es/convenciones/
Aquaculture Scoop June 2015
October Aqua Fair Asia 8-11 October 9th International Abalone Symposium 5-10th October Korea www.ias2015.co.kr DanFish International 2015 7-9 October Aalborg, Denmark http://uk.danfish.com/danfish/uk.aspx AQUACULTURE EUROPE 2015 20th-23rd October Netherlands www.marevent.com Australian Seafood Industry National Conference Seafood Directions 2015 25-27 October Perth, Australia http://www.seafooddirections.net.au/ GOAL (Global Outlook on Aquaculture Leadership) conference 26-29 October Vancouver Canada http://www.gaalliance.org/GOAL2015/in dex.php Busan International Seafood & Fisheries EXPO 2015 29-31 October Busan Korea http://www.bisfe.com/eng/bisfe/outline.php November China Fisheries & Seafood Expo 4-6 November Aoshan Bay, China http://www.chinaseafoodexpo.com/
Latin American & Caribbean Aquaculture 2015 16-19 November Fortalza Brazil http://www.marevent.com/LAA2015_BR AZIL.html Marel Salmon ShowHow 18-20 November Seattle USA http://marel.com/fish-processing/events/ seafood-showhow-seattle/3038 December Agra Innovate 8-10 December Nairobi, Kenya www.agra-innovate.com 2016 January MVC Cereals-Mixed Feed Veterinary 2016 26-28 January Moscow Russia
Submit your event to seafood@nisamedia.com
to see it featured here in our
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Expo Pesca AcuiPeru 5-7 November Peru www.thaiscorp.com/expopesca/
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