Eurofish Magazine 1 2013

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ISSN 1868-5943

February 1 / 2013 C 44346

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Fisheries: The mackerel war in Europe ComFish: Increasing the impact of ďŹ sheries research Technology: Sustainable packaging can give commercial beneďŹ ts is a member of the FISH INFO network

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2013 C 44346 February 1 / ISSN 1868-5943

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In this issue

Italian landings continue to trend downwards The performance of the Italian fisheries sector in 2011 was decidedly mixed. For the fleet as a whole income and profits were down as costs, particularly those of fuel, climbed and landings continued to drop. Although the average landing price increased compared to 2010, in general prices were not high enough to cover the additional costs. The results varied for individual fleet segments, and even within the different segments there were geographic disparities. The fleet has been affected by stricter regulations governing mesh sizes, minimum landing sizes, as well as fishing distance from the coast. Sanctions for infringements have also been tightened. Increased production costs have lead to adjustments to fishing areas and the economic crisis has resulted in changes to the market to which fishers have had to adapt.

Read more on page 23 German consumption of fish has remained stable at over 15 kg per capita for the last six years. While there are certainly places where people eat more fish Germany’s population of over 80m people makes for a substantial absolute volume of fish that is consumed in the country. The overwhelming majority of this is imported making Germany an important market for fish and seafood exporters. Almost three fifths of the imports are from outside the EU, with Norway, China and the US the major suppliers.

Within the EU it is Poland, the Netherlands and Denmark that are the biggest trading partners. German consumers are increasingly interested in sustainability not just of wild fish, but also of farmed seafood, and seek reassurance through labelling schemes, so exporters should take note. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on page 49 Fisheries: The tussle between the EU and Norway on the one hand and Iceland and the Faroe Islands on the other over stocks of mackerel in the North Atlantic shows no signs of resolution after four years.

Negotiations between the parties have not yet resulted in any breakthroughs. By setting unilateral quotas for themselves Iceland and the Faroe Islands have forced the Marine Stewardship Council to temporarily withdraw its certification of nine mackerel fisheries in the north east Atlantic to the dismay of fishers and processors. The issue has repercussions on political relations between the countries concerned and does nothing to support Iceland’s application for membership of the EU. Read more on page 52 Trade and markets: The latest edition of the finfish study produced by AIPCE-CEP, the European Fish Processors and Traders Association analyses how dependent the European fish processing industry is on imports in general and on whitefish in particular. For some species of whitefish such as Alaska pollock and pangasius the dependency is 100. As EU catches continue to decline and aquaculture production stagnates the report makes a strong case for ensuring the continued import of reasonably-priced whitefish into the EU as it gives consumers a wider selection of fish products to choose from and enables a processing industry that provides employment as well as supports research and innovation within the sector. Read more on page 55 Packaging: Consumers, policy makers, industry, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders are all interested in developing more sustainable economies. One way of contributing to this aim is by making packaging more environmentally friendly. There are several methods of doing this.

Life cycle assessments of packaging products take into account, among other things, how much energy goes into its production and how much it costs in environmental terms to dispose of it and should be performed for all packaging. Using less material to achieve the same or better results (doing more with less) is another method of saving on packaging. Packaging can be made more sustainable by the greater use of biodegradable or compostable materials. Better design can also help increase sustainability and reduce waste by making it easier to recycle or reuse packaging. Read more on page 60 www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Table of News 6 International News

Projects 17 ComFish aims to increase the impact of fisheries research Black Sea countries need to cooperate closely to reduce pollution 21 Sustainable fisheries project by Metro Cash and Carry and Tudav Understanding the bonito as a first step towards its protection

Italy 23 The economy of the Italian fisheries sector shows few encouraging signs Landing prices increase slightly in 2011 34 Fisheries management in the Mediterranean Measures must be adapted to the different fisheries systems 35 Feder OP.IT, the federation of producer organisations for Italian fisheries and aquaculture A bottom-up approach to pelagic fisheries management in the Adriatic 37 Ostricola on Sardinia combines traditional oyster farming methods with new approaches The rebirth of Italian oyster farming 41 Luciano Cocci makes machinery for the bivalve industry Crisis encourages diversification into new markets 45 Caviar Giaveri has been farming fish for over 30 years Building a brand for sturgeon caviar 48 Trout farmers work to develop environmentally-friendly packaging Reducing the carbon footprint of products for institutional catering

Germany 49 Germany’s fish market Sustainability is a prerequisite for market success

Front cover: A hydraulic dredger in the harbour at Cattolica, Italy. These vessels fish for clams in the sand typically up to 12 m from the coast.

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Contents Fisheries 52 Still no respite in the “mackerel war” EU increases pressure on Iceland’s fishery

Trade and Markets 55 Adequate raw material imports critical to maintaining growth in consumer demand for seafood Sustainability helps underpin demand for whitefish 58 Bivalves market report Exports to EU markets decline 59 Fish oil and fishmeal market report Fishmeal prices likely to rise with high demand

Worldwide Fish News

Technology

Australia

page

8

Belgium

pages

Chile

page

Denmark

pages

Estonia

page

France

pages

Greece

page

12

Greenland

page

11

Iceland

page

7

Italy

page

6

Lithuania

page

14

Norway

pages

Portugal

page

11

Singapore

page

8

Spain

pages

6, 7

UK

page

16

USA

pages

11, 12, 14

60 New developments in materials promise a more sustainable future Packaging becomes even greener

16 6, 15 16 9, 15

Guest Pages: M. C. Monfort 64 Proliferation of certification labels serves mainly to confuse Consumers are not at the core of the sustainability debate

Service 63 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Italy: New campaign launched to reduce food waste by retailers and consumers The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), and others have launched an initiative that seeks to reduce the 1.3bn tonnes of food worth an estimated USD 1 trn that is lost or wasted in

the world each year. Loss refers to the production stages – harvesting, processing and distribution, while wastage is at the other end of the value chain, at the retail and consumer levels. The campaign, Think.Eat. Save. Reduce

Your Foodprint (thinkeatsave.org) provides simple tips to consumers and retailers to reduce wastage. In Europe and North America per capita waste has been calculated at between 95 and 115 kg per year. Reducing this could have a

profound effect on the environment as the global food system is a huge consumer of resources in the form of land, freshwater, energy, and contributes significantly to deforestation, overfishing, and the production of greenhouse gases.

Denmark: Fish farmers mull formal complaint against Turkish subsidies to aquaculture industry

Denmark: Scientists, ďŹ shers and other stakeholders meet to improve advice on stock management

The Organisation of Danish Aquaculture (ODA) is considering filing a formal complaint with the European Commission regarding state support to the Turkish aquaculture sector, reports the January edition of the ODA newsletter. A law firm in Brussels with experience in these issues has advised ODA that filing these formal complaints is an expensive and demanding process. ODA is therefore investigating whether it can draw on the support of colleagues in Europe to conduct such a case. Imports from Turkey are not subject to customs duties under the terms of the Association Agreement between Turkey and the EU, provided that the imported products

The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) is an international organisation responsible for the coordination of marine research on the impact of human activity on the marine environment and on the management of marine bio-resources in the North Atlantic, North Sea, and Baltic Sea. The results of this research take the form of advice that is used by decision-makers to shape fisheries policy in the European Union. In January ICES held its annual meeting with the Regional Advisory Councils (RAC) for the eighth time.

The RACs represent the fishing industry, environmental bodies, anglers, and others with an interest in fisheries. The annual

do not distort or threaten to distort the domestic EU market. In its answer to questions submitted by Ole Christensen, a Danish member of the European Parliament (MEP), the European Commission has indicated that it is aware of the subsidies received by the Turkish aquaculture sector, and of the concern within the European aquaculture industry of the rising imports of Turkish farmed fish. In his response to Ole Christensen, Karel de Gucht, Commissioner for Trade, has said the Commission would take it up with Turkey if the case can be made that its exports of farmed fish to Europe do not fulfil the terms of the Association Agreement.

meetings are an opportunity for a free and frank exchange of views between fishermen and scientists, who have often in the past been at loggerheads, in the interests of better and more accurate advice on which to base policy decisions. The meetings allow discussions on a wide range of topics from data and fish stocks to ways assessments can be strengthened and improved through to management plans, and the review of ICES strategic objectives. The benefits of these regular meetings are mutual; for the RACs the inputs they provide reflect the reality of the fisheries as experienced by fishermen, while for ICES the discussions facilitate advice that is useful and relevant.

Spain: Variety of packaging solutions from single machine

Turkish production of farmed freshwater trout increased from 40,000 tonnes in 2003 to 100,000 tonnes in 2011.

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Cabomar Congelados, a Spanish processing company based in Galicia, produces a variety of frozen seafood including squid, shrimp, mussels, clams, sardines, tuna and even swordfish. The company has invested in a thermoformer for skin packaging, one of the first companies In Spain to do so.

The decision was prompted by the development of a new mussel

product that was to be packaged in thermoformed packs with ribs in the side walls for improved stability. The solution was a Sealpac RE30 thermoformer that can produce skin packs, as well as flexible vacuum and rigid film sealingonly packs at high speeds. The line was designed with a single forming station, a double sealing station and a tandem top film unwinding www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] unit to enable quick changeovers between different pack styles.

The company had assembled and pre-tested the machine at its factory in the Netherlands so the

installation at Cabomar’s facility was quickly carried out. Skin packaging is relatively new in Spain, though it is widely used in Italy and France. It offers a shelf life

of 18 to 24 months for frozen seafood, high visibility, and reduced consumption of packaging materials. Cabomar Congelados’ Sealpack RE30 thermoformer also

produces flexible film vacuum packs and rigid film sealing-only packs, which the company exports to Germany, Belgium, France, and Portugal.

Iceland: New trimming machine from Marel further optimises fillet yields A new trimming robot from Marel, the ITM2, features highly advanced vision technology that calculates the most profitable way to trim a fillet, loin or belly after measuring its shape, size and, weight. Even the colour of the fillet can be used as a parameter to determine the optimal cut. The machine works accurately, rapidly, and tirelessly, increasing the productivity of any salmon processing operation. Fillets are trimmed using automatic servo knives and a circular trimmer. Productivity increases as the machine consistently delivers uniformly trimmed pieces of fish tailored

to individual specifications. The machine can be used for both pre and post rigour fillet processing and by integrating it into a line with Marel’s Innova yield monitoring software the configuration becomes even more effective. By integrating predefined weighing points along the processing line, Innova enables processors to monitor the raw material utilization at each processing step, thereby taking the management of yields and enhancement of production value to new levels.

Furthermore, with an instantaneous overview of productivity and system uptime, the processor can react quickly and keep

the line running at maximum efficiency, while also improving traceability. Fillets are trimmed

with precision using automatic servo knives and a circular trimmer.

Marel’s new trimming equipment measures weight, shape, and colour of fillet to consistently deliver customised trimming.

Spain: New management plan discussed by fishers, policy makers Fishing industry representatives from Galicia, Asturias, Cantabria, and the Basque country met Carlos Domingues, Secretary General of Fisheries in the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, reports FIS. The meeting was to

discuss the new fisheries management plan for the Northwestern Cantabrian fishing grounds, under which a transferable system of fishing quotas has been proposed. Companies have generally welcomed the proposal,

Meet us at March 5-7,

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which would allow them to consolidate the quotas from several boats onto a single vessel as well as use the quotas as assets that can be bought, sold, or bartered.

Joint management of vessels owned by associated companies

or by provincial associations to optimise quota utilisation was also proposed. The goal is to enable the fleets to make the best use of quotas so that the activity is profitable, said the Secretary General.

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Singapore: Challenges to the sustainable development of Asian finfish aquaculture

Warming waters off eastern Australia push fish, other marine animals south

Finfish accounts for 64 of total Asian aquaculture production, a sector that continues to grow at 5 per year. However the sector is plagued by the rising costs of small scale production systems, cyclical demand, the lack of controlled environments, the poor image of Asian finfish, and poor marketing. These are some of the factors that are constraining the sector’s potential and will be addressed at the forthcoming conference on finfish aquaculture in Singapore. Finfish Aquaculture: Industrialisation and Sustainability, will be the third of the annual Aquaculture Roundtable Series of events (TARS 2013). To ensure the sus-

Warming waters of the east coast of Australia are pushing fish further south in search of lower temperatures, reports ABC. While the gradual increase in temperature is causing marine species to migrate, events such as a recent marine heatwave off Western Australia pose a more immediate threat to corals and fisheries. And scientists now say that climate change poses the greatest single threat to the long term survival of the Great Barrier Reef.

A network of coastal monitoring stations provides data on salinity and temperature of the water with records going back 70 years.

While the background rate of ocean warming has been about

tainable development of the sector, problems associated with the environment, product safety and quality, and integrated production (hatcheries, grow-out, processing, marketing, and sales) need to be identified and solved.

Monoculture, standardisation of production techniques, economies of scale, and technology will be among the topics athe conference, which will be held from 21 to 22 August in Singapore.

Researchers, NGO, producers, policy makers and administrators, feed suppliers, and equipment manufacturers are expected to participate in the event, which will feature international experts and key stakeholders as speakers.

0.7 degrees in 100 years, the temperature of the waters off the east coast of Australia has increased by a little more than two degrees over the same period. And with the trend expected to continue by 2050 the water will be two degrees warmer than it is today, says the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia’s national science agency. Ocean fish, intertidal animals such as snails and limpets, and even coastal fish have been moving south. Climate change may not be directly responsible for marine heatwaves, but they are expected to become more frequent, increasing the vulnerability of corals.

Norway: Consolidates its role as Europe’s most important seafood supplier The value of Norwegian seafood exports in 2012 were lower by NOK1.8bn (EUR242m) or 3 compared with 2011 despite increased exports of salmon and trout, reports the Norwegian Seafood Council. This is the second consecutive year of decreased export values. Lower prices as well as lower volumes from Norwegian fisheries contributed to the decline in export values in 2012. Reductions

in value were seen in cod, saithe, prawn and shellfish exports.

Lower mackerel prices resulted in a NOK634m reduction in export value, while lower herring quotas lead to reduced volumes of herring exports and a reduction in value worth NOK183m.

On the other hand there was an increase in the export volumes and value of farmed salmon and

trout. In total exports of these two species increased by NOK600m to NOK31.5bn, of which salmon accounted for NOK29.6bn. Economic problems on several markets notwithstanding, Norway has consolidated its postion on major seafood markets increasing its market share. In 2012 it was the single largest supplier of seafood to the EU accounting for 20 of EU seafood imports. In Russia Norwegian

dominance is even more impressive. Fully 38 of Russian imports of seafood come from Norway.

Russia was the most important individual market for Norwegian seafood importing NOK6bn followed by France with NOK4.9bn.

The worst performing market in 2012 was Japan with a reduction of NOK755m to NOK2.1bn, a fall of 26, largely due to the reduction in mackerel prices.

EU, Norway talks yield increases in quotas for key stocks Bilateral talks between the EU and Norway which concluded recently resulted in increased quotas for several key shared stocks including North Sea haddock (15 increase), North Sea whiting (11), North Sea plaice (15), North Sea saithe (15), and North 8

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Sea herring (18). The North Sea cod quota remains unchanged at the 2011 level, with a facility for boats to increase their cod catch further if they participate in catch quota trials. There was also a 15 increase for West of Scotland saithe. For mackerel a catch limit

was set that maintained the EU and Norway’s traditional share of the total allowable catch at 90 (as in 2012) sending a signal of the two parties’ resolve to Iceland and the Faroe Islands, with whom an agreement on the management of the mackerel stock has not yet

been reached. The agreement also included the constitution of a working group, comprising gear technology experts, administrators and the industry, to find ways of further increasing selectivity within the fishery particularly in the North Sea. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] France: Improving communication between shellfish researchers and producers

USA: Sustainable Ocean Summit workshop to discuss ways to ensure sustainable maritime industry

Euroshell is an EU co-funded project that brings together 18 players in the European shellfish sector, including producers, researchers, and policy makers, to identify the factors that constrain producers’ access to research results, which ultimately hinders the sustainable development of the sector. The project seeks to improve the dialogue between the research establishment and the producers so that research outcomes are effectively disseminated to the producers and their organisations, who in turn can communicate their research priorities to the scien-

The Sustainable Ocean Summit, a conference dedicated to the international maritime industry, will bring together leaders from a range of ocean industries including shipping, oil and gas, fisheries, aquaculture, tourism, renewable energy (wind, wave, tidal), mining, ports, dredging, cables, pipelines, the maritime legal, financial and insurance communities, and others to identify the challenges to the sustainability of the world’s oceans and develop solutions.

The meeting will take place in Washington on 22-24 April 2013.

The conference will be preceded

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tists. From October 2012 to March 2014 the partners in Euroshell will identify the factors that inhibit the transfer of knowledge within the sector and will discuss ways of ensuring effective communcation. Euroshell will also provide a forum to enumerate the key requirements and functioning of an extension network that will benefit producers and researchers and bridge the the gap that may curently exist between them.

The first Euroshell stakeholders meeting was held in Arachon, France at the end of November 2012 and brought together about 60 particpants.

by a workshop, “Oceans 2050” where participants will discuss the projected state of the oceans and the maritime industry in 2050 and will formulate what must be done to ensure that both are healthy and productive. The workshop and the summit are organised by the World Ocean Council (WOC), an international alliance of maritime industries committed to corporate ocean responsibility.

The output from the workshop will define WOC strategy over the medium term to secure a viable and sustainable maritime industry sector.

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WELCOME TO THE 8th

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Portugal: Young fish technologists encouraged to apply for 2013 Peter Howgate Award

Norway: Retail seminar to feature again at North Atlantic Seafood Forum

Fish technologists (born on or after 1 January 1983) from anywhere in the world are encouraged to apply for the 2013 Peter Howgate Award. The award, now in its second year, has been instituted by colleagues of Peter Howgate to acknowledge his vast contribution to the field of fish technology over more than three decades of work at the Torry Research Station in Aberdeen.

The aim of the award is to support young scientists and technologists who have shown a promising start to their career in fish technology. The award provides financial help for travel which will contribute to advancing the candidate’s experience, skills

The retail session at the North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) has always generated significant interest among the audience.

Supermarkets are a vital part of the production chain with a direct interface to the consumer and their insights into consumer needs and future market developments are unique. After highly successful sessions in 2009 and 2011, the European Retail Seminar will return to the 2013 event to be held 5-8 March in Bergen, Norway. The economic crisis in Europe is abating, but consumers have experienced real reductions in disposable incomes that are making them more careful about spending. In this climate what are the products that will gain and which stand to lose? Fish is gaining ever increasing recognition as a healthy source of protein, which represents an opportunity to increase sales, but at the same time sustainability, both of captured as well as cultured fish, is an issue of increasing importance for consumers. How to exploit the one and insist at the same time on

and knowledge and is specifically aimed at those in a junior position. More information is available from the Secretary, Peter Howgate Award, Megapesca Lda. Portugal (megapesca@mail. telepac.pt). The 2012 award was won by Ms. Annamalai Jeyakumari, a researcher at the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, Cochin, India. The award, which provides a travel grant of EUR500 (about US$600) has helped Ms. Jeyakumari to continue her PhD research work on emulsification and encapsulation of omega-3 fatty acids, by undertaking a period of study in December 2012 at the University of Kasetsart in Bangkok, Thailand.

Greenland: Royal Greenland posts best annual results ever Net profits of DKK136m and revenue growth of five percent gave Royal Greenland the best annual results in the company’s history. Mikael Thinghus, managing director, said that the company was following its two-year old strategy, which seeks to make the company the leading supplier of fish and shellfish from the North Atlantic. By successfully exploiting a favourable market for Grenlandic products the company has created the foundation for its further development, which will include creating opportunitites for continued growth, and further reducing the risk for the company’s owner the government of Greenland. In the North Atlantic the company’s business has developed strongly with major investments in the prawn www.eurofishmagazine.com

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processing factories in Sisimiut and Ilulissat increasing productivity enough to compensate for declining prawn quotas and a difficult period in deep-sea prawn fishing. Revenue increased by seven percent and there was a strong development in operating profits. The highly competitive European business area still suffering from the effects of the financial and economic crisis was more challenging. Revenue here grew modestly and the operating profit showed improvement. Despite the uncertainty of the raw material situation and increased competition on the European market the company anticipates further growth in the next year with a further increase in revenue and net profits of more than DKK135m.

the other? These and other questions will be answered during the session by leading retailers as they discuss two key issues. The first, the key drivers of growth, will look at consumer and seafood trends, innovations in products and packaging, as well as category and store management and identify the role they play in delivering growth.

Presenters will also address the second issue, making growth sustainable, offering their ideas on how to manage sustainability and responsibility across the whole supply chain. The seminar will include speakers from Young’s Seafood, Jonathan Banks Associates, and the retail chains, M&S (UK), Coop (CH), Norges Gruppen (NO), and Leclerc (FR). For more information visit nor-seafood.no.

Belgium: Extension of FPA with Ivory Coast to benefit Spain, France As the existing protocol between the EU and the Ivory Coast on fishing opportunities for EU vessels for tuna and other migratory species is set to expire in June 2013, the two parties have negotiated another protocol to replace it.

Under the new terms the EU will be entitled to fishing opportunities for 6,500 tonnes for which it will pay EUR680,000 of which EUR257,000 is intended for the support of the Ivory Coast’s fishing policy. EU vessels will also pay

higher advance payments to fish in Ivory Coast waters. The partners will cooperate closely in the fight against IUU fishing and sectoral support has been increased to help the Ivory Coast meet its international obligations such as port state control after the civil war.

Fishing vessels will be more closely monitored with the help of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and electronic logbooks. The agreement with the EU stands mainly to benefit Spain and France.

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Greece: High profile event brings together Mediterranean aquaculture industry leaders for brain storming session Mediterranean aquaculture companies are known to compete fiercely against each other. However, in December, Intranemma, a project funded through the Lifelong Learning Programme and managed by the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY), Greece, organised a meeting of senior managers from Mediterranean aquaculture companies. The purpose was to bring the Mediterranean aquaculture community together to explore the principle barriers facing the sector and to discuss ways of dealing with them. The event saw 37 senior executives from Greece, Turkey, Spain, Cyprus, Croatia, and Israel.

After an opening presentation

by Dimitris Valachis (President of FGM and Managing Director of Andromeda S.A) participants heard presentations from Dr. Carlos Diaz (Vice President, BioMar Continental Europe), Mr. Pedro Ramos Rodriguez (Managing Director, Skretting Southern Europe & Skretting Spain), Mr. Lars Liabø (Founder, Chairman Kontali Analyse AS),

and Mr. Arne Sorvig (EATiP Chair: Thematic area Consumers and Product Quality). One of the key messages from the event was that investors like stability and are willing to invest in the potential of aquaculture. However, boom and bust cycles were recognised to be

seriously damaging the Mediterranean aquaculture industry. Participants agreed that the sector needs to reach a maturity level to be able to self-organise and learn to predict and eventually control these cycles, thereby ensuring the sector’s sustainability. To achieve

this, closer communication and cooperation between all stakeholders is needed to develop a road map to secure this sustainability. The high level of interest shown at the meeting has prompted the organisers to plan a similar event in 2013.

Participants at a unique gathering of senior executives from the Mediterranean aquaculture industry in Greece.

Belgium: European Parliament’s Committee of Fisheries endorses key elements in the Commission’s reform of Common Fisheries Policy In a vote on 18 December the Committee of Fisheries of the European Parliament passed with comfortable majorities key amendments relating to the ban on discards, the obligation to sustainably manage stocks, and more regionalised decision making. These are fundamental elements in the Commission’s proposal for the reform of the

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Common Fisheries Policy which seeks to make fishing fleets viable, and promote European aquaculture, for the benefit of the communities that depend on these activities and of consumers. Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries said the vote was a clear endorsement of the proposal put forward by the Commission

for an ambitious reform of the CFP. She specifically mentioned the Committeee’s support for fisheries management based on the sustainable exploitation of resources from 2015 and its endorsement of a ban on discards. The Commission’s reform proposal will mean that all stocks should be rebuilt to healthy levels to maximise catches for

fishermen while the practise of discarding fish will be phased out following a clear schedule that will allow fishers the time to adapt to the new regime. Decisions regarding fisheries management will be taken with the involvement of the fishers and other stakeholders and will take into account the characteristics of the individual seabasin.

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Belgium: Better delivery systems could help FLAGs to achieve their objectives FLAGs and beneficiaries), as well as what can be financed from Axis 4, what decisions are taken at what level, and what timescales apply.

The efficacy of FLAGs, their ability to improve the quality of life in the surrounding community, depends largely on the way Axis 4 is implemented. Implementation in turn depends on the rules and procedures that govern the relationship between the elements involved in the implementation process (the European Commission, Managing Authorities, Paying Agencies,

The FSU recently carried out five case studies to analyse these factors, collectively called the Axis 4 delivery system, that influence the FLAGs’ ability to achieve their objectives.

The studies identified crtical points at different implementation levels, the details of which are available from the Farnet Magazine No. 7 (https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/ fpfis/cms/farnet/files/documents/ FARNET_Magazine_07_EN.pdf ).

They also identified some ways to solve problems in the delivery system, including capacity building, using a problem solving approach, developing trust between the different players, and regularly evaluating delivery systems. These findings may contribute to improving delivery systems under existing Axis 4 activities, which can continue until 2015, but they are particular relevant when designing delivery systems for the new programming period 2014 to 2020.

Lithuania: New protocol to FPA with Mauritania cripples Baltlanta

nations whose fleets fish off the coast of Africa are also not happy with the new terms and hopes this

will have an impact on the European Parliament which is due to vote on the legislation in March.

Changes in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement that the EU has signed with Mauritania have had a profound impact on the Lithuanian company Baltlanta, reports the Baltic Times. Once the biggest fishing company in the Baltics, the company has been forced to ground its five-vessel fleet and sell two of the ships as a consequence of the new terms agreed with Mauritania. Alfonsas Bargaila, chairman of Lithuania’s Fishing Enterprise Association (LFEA) told the paper that the redistribution of quotas, the

Belgium: No change in TACs for Black Sea turbot and sprat

A FLAG meeting in Raisiene, Lithuania. Based on an analysis of a series of case studies, the Farnet Support Unit has recommended how Axis 4 delivery systems can be improved to make FLAGs more effective.

Under its Axis 4 the European Fisheries Fund can co-finance local development projects designed to improve the quality of life in fisheries communities. According to the latest edition of Farnet Magazine, today more than 300 projects are being run in 21 Member States, varying from one each in Belgium and Slovenia to 48 in Poland.

These projects are developed

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and run by Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs), networks of private, public and civil society partners that develop a strategy, and the measures to achieve it, for the sustainable development of fisheries areas. All the activities in the Member States are coordinated at the EU level by the European Fisheries Area Network (Farnet) Support Unit (FSU).

shifting of the fishing zone further out to sea, the obligations to buy fuel locally in Mauritania, to offload the fish only in Mauritanian ports, to recruit 60 of the staff within the country, and to donate two percent of the catch to a Mauritanian charity have been catastrophic for the company. The redistribution in particular has favoured the large EU states with the big fleets and without extra quotas the company is staring at bankruptcy, said Bronius Bikulcius, the Baltlanta director. The company claims that other

The December Agriculture and Fisheries Council meeting set the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) and for turbot and sprat in the Black Sea. Quotas for both species remain unchanged from 2012, although the Commission had proposed a 15 reduction compared to 2012 in the turbot TAC based on scientific advice. The TAC for turbot was set at 86.4 tonnes and will be split

evenly between Romania and Bulgaria, while the TAC for sprat was set at 11,474 tonnes of which the Romanian quota is 3,442.5 tonnes (30) while the Bulgarian quota is 8032.5 tonnes (70).

The Council, Commission and the two Member States also agreed to reinforce measures designed to prevent IUU fishing for turbot in the Black Sea. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Denmark: More stable quotas for Norway pout on the way

France: European Parliament casts emphatic vote for sustainable fisheries

Norway pout (Trisopterus esmarkii) is an industrial fish species with a very short life cycle.

As a result fishers that target the species need to know the quota very shortly after the scientist have made their recommendations, otherwise it cannot be exploited effectively. This was the case in 2012 when Danish fishers were forced to stay in port although there was fish to be caught because the quotas were announced too late. The delay meant that fishers were unable to catch all the fish they were entitled to. Denmark has raised the issue in the Agriculture and Fisheries Council and has secured the backing of the Commission and the other Member States

The European Parliament voted overwhelmingly on 6 February for the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. The vote on the draft report by Ulrike Rodust (S&D, DE) on the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) Basic Regulation, the cornerstone of the CFP reform package, passed with 502 in favour and 137 against, reports the WWF. The vote is one more step on the way to achieving sustainable fisheries in Europe. In December the European Parliament’s Committee of Fisheries voted in favour of the reform. Various bodies have expressed their support for the vote. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation has welcomed the vote in the European Parliament saying that the decentralised

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for a rapid solution to the issue.

Denmark has suggested that the quota year instead of following the calendar year could run from November to November following the fish’s biology instead of the calendar. Another solution could be to change to a quota that is announced once a year instead of three times as is the case at present. A third proposal is to operate with fixed minimum quotas.

Mette Gjerskov, Danish Minister for Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, says the most important issue is to solve the problem, irrespective of which solution is preferred.

Denmark is the only country in the EU that targets Norway pout and the entire quota is allocated to Danish fishers.

fisheries management envisaged in the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy will allow better management regimes that are developed regionally and take into account regional specificities. The European Commission too welcomed the vote in the European Parliament.

Maria Damanaki, Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said she was pleased with Parliaments support for a fisheries policy that seeks to exploit fisheries sustainably and that will bring an end to the practice of discarding. The Fisheries Council, European Parliament, and the European Commission now have to negotiate a final agreement by the middle of the year.

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] UK: Sea of Okhotsk pollock fishery companies seek Marine Stewardship Council Chain of Custody certification Thirty-two fishing companies of the Russian Pollock Catchers Association in the Sea of Okhotsk pollock fishery will use independent certifier Fish Certification International for their certification against the Marine Stewardship Council’s Chain of Custody (MSC CoC) standard. Established in 2006, the PCA leads the Russian Pollock Sustainability Alliance and aims to promote and implement improvements for the fishery. The PCA membership currently includes 45 fishing companies, operating almost 130 fishing vessels, located within the Russian Far East regions

of Vladivostok, Sakhalin, Magadan and Kamchatka. The move for MSC Chain of Custody certification will reassure the PCA’s customers that the fish can be traced all along the supply chain. With the addition of the PCA to its client list Food Certification International’s activities in Russia continue to expand. The company already has four fisheries, two in full assessment and two in pre-assessment for certification to the MSC standard, in the Murmansk region. The growing Russian portfolio underscores the company’s global ambitions in the certification sector.

US: GM salmon may soon be a reality on American dinner tables An announcement by the US Food and Drug Administration stating it saw no reason why genetically modified salmon should not be produced has prompted a UK food safety certifier, Cert ID, that certifies to the BRC standard as well as the Non GMO and EU Regulatory standard among others, to warn importers of fish, and fishbased products from the US of the importance of having robust GM testing mechanisms and Non

GMO certification in place. The FDA annoncement is the culmination of an almost two decade-long process of federal approval for a gene-modified salmon developed by the company AquaBounty Technologies of Massachussetts.

In a press release, Richard Werran, managing director of Cert ID Europe said that the prospect of commercially produced genetically modified fish entering the food chain is now closer than ever

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and warned that importers of fish or products derived from fish or fish by-products would be prudent to assess their risk of exposure and to consider ways of integrating GM

testing into their sourcing procedures. The AquaBounty salmon, an Atlantic salmon, incorporates a gene from a Chinook salmon that enables it to grow faster.

BAP certification for salmon producers in Norway and Chile BAP certification has now reached Europe. Norwegian salmon producer Vikenco AS, part of SalMar, has been certified to the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standard, the first European producer to gain the certification. The Vikenko facility is located in Norway’s Romsdal region, in the northern part of western Norway and processes 24,000 tonnes of salmon annually into fresh whole fish, steaks, fillets and portions, as well as frozen whole whole fish and bellies for markets in Norway, the rest of Europe and the United States. The certification will cement the company’s relationship with its existing customers as well as help it to break into new markets.

While Norway gained its first BAP-certified processing plant, a Chilean salmon farmer, Congelados Pacifico S.A. Group, a producer of 10,000 tonnes of

Atlantic salmon annually, has become the second Chilean salmon farmer and the third globally to achieve three-star Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) certification. Two of the company’s operations, farming and processing, are now certified to the BAP standard while feed is sourced from EWOS Chile Alimentos Ltda. in Coronel, Chile, which is also BAP-certified. The two farming sites Chillidque and Morrolobos were certified in December, while the processing facility in Biobio was certified in October.

The company produces fresh and frozen head-on and headed-andgutted fillets and portions among other product forms, and also markets frozen hake and hoki.

The certification confirms that the fish is raised and processed in an environmentally and socially responsible way.

Estonia: Peipsi fishers suffer from early closure of fishery Fishers on Lake Peipsi and neighbouring lakes may lose out on fish worth thousands of euro due to the premature closure of the fishing season in November by authorities concerned that the quotas agreed in partnership with Russia may have been exceeded, reports Estonia Public Broadcasting (ERR).

Subsequent analysis of the data showed that this was in fact not the case and the fishery was opened again in December, but thin ice on the lake prevented the fishers from catching all they might

otherwise have. Ain Soome, head of the Department of Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture said about 7 percent of bream, 7.5 percent of pike and 10 percent of the pike-perch quota was left. A Peipsi fishermens representative was not optimistic about the chances for further fishing in the last days of the year, but further south a representative of the Lake Lämmijärv fishermen felt that if the cold persisted and it did not snow, the ice on Lake Lämmijärv would be thick enough to allow the fishers to walk on. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ PROJECTS ] ComFish aims to increase the impact of fisheries research

Black Sea countries need to cooperate closely to reduce pollution The Regional Participatory Stakeholder Event (RPSE) held in Bulgaria, on 7 and 8 November 2012 was the first in the series of regional events within the ComFish project and targeted the industry, government representatives, research institutions, NGOs and other key stakeholders in the fisheries sector.

C

omFish is the acronym for “Strengthening the impact of fisheries related research through dissemination, communication and technology transfer”, a EU-FP7 funded project, that aims at identifying important fisheries topics with long term impacts, and ascertaining

whether scientific results have been properly communicated to fisheries stakeholders. What are the related challenges, needed actions and possible solutions, and how research can address and explain fisheries related challenges will be amongst the outcomes of this project.

Identifying the issues is a first step Impeccably organised by the Institute of Fishing Resources in Varna, one of the project partners, the RPSE gave the participants the opportunity to express their views over two days of intense work that

emphasised discussion and consensus building. Over 40 participants, including project partners and representatives of EU and non-EU countries bordering the Black Sea (Bulgaria, Romania, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Turkey) provided their inputs in the identification of important

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[ PROJECTS ] highlighted by all coastal states, followed by the need of strengthening the cooperation between the countries involved, as well as of the Black Sea organisations and institutions in order to implement the much needed changes in the region. Therefore the establishment of an international fisheries management organisation, as well as an advisory council was amongst the solutions envisaged by the participants.

At the first Regional Participatory Stakeholder Event organised under the ComFish project over 40 participants from EU and non-EU countries bordering the Black Sea (Bulgaria, Romania, the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Turkey) identified fisheries-related issues with long term impacts as a first step towards finding solutions.

common fisheries topics with long term impacts.

Grouped in small teams by country and with the help of facilitators whose role was primarily to catalyse interaction and dialogue, stakeholders identified some of the main challenges concerning the Black Sea fisheries sector, which have been categorised in four main groups: legal, environmental, scientific and socio-economic. In the spirit of open dialogue and tolerance towards the difference of opinions expressed, a multitude of priorities were identified within these categories.

The particularities of the Black Sea include reduced water exchange with the Mediterranean Sea through the Bosphorus Strait, the absence of tides, reduced water salinity, lack of oxygen for over 80 of the waters, and a surface layer (above 150 m) of great biological productivity.

There about 185 marine species and 50 fresh water species (the 18

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latter occasionally inhabit narrow parts of the sea that are influenced by its main tributary rivers, such as the Danube, Dnieper and Dniester). Turbot is among the most valuable fish species; however, due to its depleted stocks, and small catching quotas, there are limited fishing opportunities for this species. Small pelagics – anchovy, sprat and horse mackerel are the species with relevant commercial importance that are fished on a regular basis.

Of the six countries surrounding the Black Sea (two EU and four non-EU Member States), Turkey dominates by far the fisheries in the region, accounting for over 80 of the total catches. Recently, landings in Bulgaria and the Russian Federation started to pick up; however in Romania a decreasing trend has been registered. Turkey’s fisheries are characterised by high investments in fishing fleet and fishing gears, a good progress in the development of mariculture and the emergence

of an advanced fish processing industry; however, with over-populated cities and high demand of seafood and conflicting interests between stakeholders, there is a need for better fisheries management at both national and international levels.

A common vision for a diversity of challenges It was remarkable that despite differences in problems and priorities within the Black Sea basin, for example, a high level of anthropogenic pollution in the northwestern part of the sea and high overfishing pressure by dredging and bottom trawling in its southern part, the cultural diversity of the countries bordering the Black Sea, there was a common agreement amongst the participants on the prioritised challenges as well as the proposed solutions.

Among the legal issues, the lack of common fisheries regulations with a regional approach was

From the environmental perspective, the reduction of pollution was clearly the main challenge indentified, mainly from land based sources, the marine litter, but also the impact of the invasive species, destruction of habitats, underwater man-made noises and ultimately climate change.

It comes therefore as no surprise that the debates on this issue were lengthier and the solutions proposed by stakeholders touched many diverse areas.

It has been acknowledged by stakeholders that there is a need of harmonising the data collection methodologies among the non EU Black Sea countries, so that real time information about catches and landings are obtained. The role of the EU in supporting regional initiatives was mentioned as a possibility to improve the stocks assessment methodologies, the collaborative surveys, the implementation of an ecosystem based approach supported by scientific evidence as well as for developing marine aquaculture technologies.

Careful consideration of outputs “Fisheries are an integral part of most societies and the sector makes important contributions to the economic, social health and well-being. At the same time www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ PROJECTS ] fish resources are suffering the combined effects of heavy exploitation and, in some cases, environmental degradation. The responsibility for declining stocks and falling economic returns and employment opportunities in fisheries must be shared amongst fishers, fisheries management authorities, fishery scientists and those involved in environmental degradation” thinks Prof. Dr. Ertug Duzgunes of the Faculty of Marine Science, Turkey.

awareness about the ecosystem issues and ultimately the need of more investment in the fisheries sector.

The Bulgarian participants raised several issues related to the fisheries management in the Black Sea, which need urgent resolutions in the near future. Among them is the lack of common legal framework for all Black Sea countries, the need of extended control on the illegal, unregulated and unreported

Participants were grouped in small teams by country and with the help of facilitators, whose role was primarily to catalyse interaction and dialogue, stakeholders were encouraged to engage in a frank exchange of views.

He added that “it was beneficial seeing here different stakeholders of each nation, apart from scientists. The methodology used by the project team enabled us to use a new approach to common problems.

Starting from national problems, we had the opportunity to discuss regional fisheries management problems while sharing our personal and national skills and experiences. Last but not least, fishermen and fisheries organisations had the opportunity to discuss common problems with different points of views. I also felt that the outcomes of the workshop have been carefully considered. I am ready to be involved again when and where is needed.”

Extended and open conversations highlighted any outstanding issues facing the economic and social sector of fisheries, with top prioritised issues being: improving the efficiency of the fishing fleet, enhanced training and education for fishermen, creating an attractiveness of the sector so that young people are employed, maintaining and/or rehabilitation of the artisanal fisheries, increasing the public www.eurofishmagazine.com

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(IUU) fisheries and to limit the fishing practices. “The Bulgarian team supports the idea that the main possible way to address the challenges is the establishment of a new International Regional Fisheries Management Organization, but meanwhile an effective model of cooperation among all riparian countries should be found in the framework of General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)” is the opinion of Mr Konstantin Petrov of the National Agencies for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Bulgaria.

Actions are needed Having a consensus approach and spelling out potential solutions for the improvement of fisheries management is a good beginning, however, further concrete actions are needed. “The responsibility of the scientific community is not only to provide society with new knowledge, but also to be able to ‘translate’ scientific results and findings to a comprehensible language for both policymakers and people on the coast who constitute the main beneficiaries of the improved aquatic systems” was the conclusion of Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2013

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[ PROJECTS ] Dr. Mustafa Zengin, of the Central Fisheries Research Institute in Trabzon, Turkey.

So what are the next steps? ComFish project will identify over the next twelve months existing EU and non-EU scientific projects that can provide the necessary scientific data, methodological and infrastructural support to make the proposed solutions a reality.

The knowledge generated at the next RPSEs, which are scheduled to take place in the course of 2013 for the Atlantic, Baltic, Mediterranean and North Sea, will be shared via the project partners with stakeholders from the Black Sea region, who will benefit from the experience of their counterparts from other regions.

A useful and informative workshop “The debates were very interesting, especially because they offered the opportunity to share the experiences of other countries. The workshop has allowed me to have a more complete picture regarding the issues of fisheries management in the Black Sea, including those not directly related to the Romanian fisheries. I believe that such initiatives should be repeated, even in other projects, involving, if possible, a greater number of stakeholders, given that there are not many opportunities for comparison between the various professionals who are involved in the Black Sea fisheries” is the opinion of Mr Daniel Buhai,

representative of RO-PESCADOR a fisherman association in Romania.

“As on of the project partners and organisers of the first regional event of the ComFish project we have been very pleased that the participants found this workshop a stimulating working process, that new approaches to fisheries management which included conservation, environmental, social and economic considerations have been discussed and

most important, that a consensus among participants has been reached. We are looking forward to the results of the next event that will take place in Norway, from 25 to 27 February 2013”, concluded Ms Vesselina Mihneva, of the Institute of Fishing Resources, Bulgaria.

For more information please visit www.comfish.eu or contact Dr Paul Pechan, project coordinator (paul.pechan@ifkw.lmu.de) or Anca Sfetcovici (anca.sfetcovici@eurofish.dk).

ComFish will establish how scientific results can be better communicated to other stakeholders.

Please visit us:

SPE Brussels

13 23. - 25. April 20 27 Hall 4 Booth 60

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[ PROJECTS ] Sustainable fisheries project by Metro Cash and Carry and Tudav

Understanding the bonito as a first step towards its protection Beykoz Dalian

A sustainable fisheries project “Where are the bonito?” started as a collaborative project by Metro Cash & Carry and the Turkish Marine Research Foundation (Tudav) in Turkey. The project aims to identify migration routes and to estimate changes in stocks with a view to making recommendations on how the fish can be protected.

Istanbul, Çanakkale, Izmir, Samsun, Trabzon, and Iskenderun were selected as the tagging locations to present better understanding of the migration routes of this fish. Dalian, line and hook, and purse seines are used to catch bonito for tagging in this project.

T

he Atlantic bonito, Sarda sarda is a widespread, schooling and migratory fish species that lives off shore and in the coastal zones of temperate seas such as the Black Sea, Marmara, Aegean and Mediterranean

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Seas. They migrate between the Mediterranean and Black Sea based on the sea temperature. For example, their migration through the Istanbul Strait begins when the sea temperature is 11°C in March.

They migrate in the opposite

direction from the Black Sea when the sea temperature is 24°C in fall.

They enter from the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara when the sea temperature is 10-11°C. In spring the fish enter the Black Sea for feeding and spawning and in late

autumn they turn back to winter in the Marmara and Aegean Seas. Spawning takes place from the end of May till mid July on the continental slopes of the Black Sea, when the water temperature averages 18oC. Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2013

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Beykoz Dalian

Beykoz Dalian

[ PROJECTS ]

Metro Cash & Carry’s Managing Director, Mr. Kubilay Özerkan.

Big bonitos no longer to be found Bonito have various names in Turkish depending on their size.

Vonoz 12-16 cm; Kestane 16-22 cm; Çingene 22-28 cm; Palamut 28-35 cm; Zindandelen 35-40 cm; Torik 40-45 cm; Sivri 45-55 cm; Altıparmak 55-65 cm; Peçuta 65 cm and above. Unfortunately, big bonitos (sivri, altıparmak and peçuta) are not known anymore. They start to reproduce at 38 cm although the legal minimum catch size is 25 cm since 2011, which means young bonitos are caught and never reach adult size. As a result,

Prof. Dr. Bayram Öztürk tagging Atlantic bonito.

the stocks are dwindling steadily.

For some the answer is simple, “if torik (big bonito) is no longer available, can we not eat lakerda (salted bonito)?” but Protection of this fish is possible. Hopefully it will happen before it is too late.

A fisheries project covering the Mediterranean and Black Sea countries, “Where are the bonito?” aims to improve national and international protection of this commercially important fish as it migrates through the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea coastal waters.

Understanding migration patterns could contribute to stock recovery The main purpose of the research is to update migration routes and find out changes, if any, due to overfishing, climate change, pollution, or other reasons. In addition, the project expects to find out when and through which national waters the fish pass, and to estimate changes in stocks that have been depleted for various reasons. To achieve these aims, 22

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4,500 bonito (1,500 a year between 2012 and 2015) will be tagged and released in Turkish waters for the first time in 55 years. By tagging the bonito information on their migration routes will be updated through recapture reports and the pressure on the stock can be better predicted.

The first bonito-tagging experiment was carried out in 1957 by Numann in the Istanbul Strait.

Fifty-five years later, in 2012, bonito were tagged symbolically at the historic Beykoz Dalian (coastal set nets) on 5 June, World Environment Day. The presidents of the fisheries cooperatives, academics, as well as Metro Cash & Carry’s Managing Director Mr. Kubilay Özerkan and Tudav’s Chairman Prof. Dr Bayram Öztürk attended the ceremony.

Public encouraged to participate If a tagged fish is found the finder is requested to send Tudav the date, place (if possible with latitude and longitude information), tag ID number, fork length and weight information, and a pho-

tograph of the fish. The finder becomes an important part of the “Where are the bonito?” project and gets to participate in a lottery. The latest information from the project will be published on the project website http:// www.palamutlarnerede.org/EN/.

A popular book is planned that will describe the results of the research and explain about bonito to raise public awareness of this species, and to make recommendations to national and international bodies (Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock, FAO/ GFCM etc.) on the protection and sustainable exploitation of this fish. On the basis of scientific data generated by the project recommendations will be made to national and international authorities on establishing fishing bans, closed seasons, and other protective measures.

Bayram Öztürk, Elif Karakas˛ Tudav Phone: + 90 216 424 07 72 Fax: + 90 216 424 07 71 Address: P.O. Box: 10, Beykoz, 34820, Istanbul, Turkey E-mail: tudav@tudav.org www.eurofishmagazine.com

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ITALY

The economy of the Italian fisheries sector shows few encouraging signs

Hydraulic dredges target clams living in the sand. Ninety percent of the production is striped venus clams.

Landing prices increase slightly in 2011 Capture fish and seafood volumes in the Italian fisheries sector have been declining steadily over the last few years with only the occasional year defying the trend. The last time capture volumes increased over the year before was in 2009 which showed a year on year increase in volumes of 7%. Since then, the downward trend has continued with a 7% fall in 2010 and a further 6% drop in 2011 to 212,000 tonnes.

S

everal factors contribute to this decline, increased production costs have resulted in changes to fishing areas; stricter regulations governing mesh size, distance from the coasts, and minimum landing sizes; new controls on

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fishery activities from capture to sales and sanctions for infringements; and changes in catch composition as fishers targeted different species in response to changes in demand from the market due to the economic crisis.

Increased production costs reduce fleet profitability The 2011 edition of Osservatorio Economico sulle Strutture Produttive della Pesca Marittima (Economic Observatory of

Production in Marine Fisheries) in Italy, produced by the Institute for Economic Research in Fisheries and Aquaculture (IREPA), reports that the overall fall in volumes combined with increased production costs further reduced profitability in the Eurofish Magazine 1/ 2013

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ITALY

sector. The only positive feature of 2011 was the slight increase (5) in the average production price which compensated partly for the decline in volumes. Reduced profitability also has an impact on crews; labour costs fell by 12 in 2011, while the number of people employed by the fleet fell less than 1 from 28,982 in 2010 to 28,724 in 2011. Since 2004 the number of employees in the fishing sector has reduced by 18 or 6,000 positions, with losses in all fleet segments except for the hydraulic dredges, where employment increased by 4 or 50 workers. The sectors that have suffered the most retrenchment are the longlines with 60 job losses leaving 700 positions and the passive polyvalent segment, where employment is

Fleet capacity declines further

down 53 leaving 1,600 jobs.

The decrease in employment in general is due to the decommissioning of vessels and the resulting decline in capacity, but also because the increased production costs have reduced the profitability of the fleet.

and 10 (small-scale vessels) of the total tonnage of the fleet, and 48 (bottom trawlers) and 24 of the power (small-scale vessels).

The proportion of this distribution has not changed significantly since 2010, but since 2010 the total number of vessels has fallen by 159 or 1.2, while GT is down 4 and kW has reduced by 2.6. This decline is consistent with a generally falling trend in the capacity of the fleet. Since 2004 the number of vessels has reduced by 1809 (12), GT by 31,700 (16), and kW by 165, or 14. These reductions have been brought about by vessel decommissioning under different fishing effort adjustment plans.

The Italian fishing fleet has been steadily declining in numbers, gross tonnage, and kW since 2004.

In terms of numbers, the fleet in 2011 comprised 13,064 vessels of which the small-scale fishery with nearly 8,764 vessels and the bottom trawlers with 2,525 vessels

The income recorded by the Italian fleet also shows a

Bolzano

VerbanoCusioOssola

AOSTA/AOSTE

Belluno

FRIULIVENEZIAGIULIA

Pordenone

Trento Como Lecco

Gorizia Treviso

Bergamo

Varese

Novara

Trieste

LOMBARDIA

MonzaBrianza

Biella

Vicenza

Venezia

Brescia

Milano

VENETO

Verona

Vercelli

Padova

Lodi Cremona

Pavia

Torino

PIEMONTE

Udine

TRENTINOALTO ADIGE

Sondrio

Mantova

Asti

Rovigo

Piacenza Alessandria

Cuneo

Favourable weather allows increased number of days at sea

Ferrara Parma

LIGURIA

Reggio Emilia Modena

EMILIA-ROMAGNA

Genova

Bologna

Ravenna

La Spezia

Savona

Forlì-Cesena Lucca

Imperia

Pistoia

Rimini

Prato PesaroUrbino

Firenze

TOSCANA Livorno

While capacity as measured by GT and kW has reduced, the fishing activity as measured by the average number of days at sea per vessel went up from 126 days in 2010 to 133 days in 2011 an increase of

Ancona

Arezzo

Pisa

MARCHE

Siena

Macerata Fermo Perugia

UMBRIA

Grosseto

Ascoli Piceno Teramo

Terni

Pescara

Viterbo

Rieti

ABRUZZO LAZIO

Chieti L’Aquila

Roma Campobasso Frosinone

Isernia

MOLISE

Foggia

Latina Caserta

Avellino

Napoli

Olbia-Tempio

BarlettaAndriaTrani

Benevento

PUGLIA Bari

CAMPANIA Potenza

Sassari Salerno

Taranto

Matera

SARDEGNA Oristano

Brindisi

BASILICATA

Nuoro

Lecce

Ogliastra

Medio Campidano

Cosenza Cagliari

CALABRIA

CarboniaIglesias

Crotone Catanzaro

Vibo Valentia

Reggio Calabria

declining trend as catch volumes drop and prices per kilo stayed broadly stable. Total income dropped

by EUR100m between 2009 and 2011 as production fell by 30,000 tonnes. In 2011 the average landing price per kg was EUR5.18, up 4 from EUR4.96 in 2009. Income in 2011 was EUR1,101m against EUR1, 202 m in 2009.

24

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Messina Trapani

Palermo Enna CaltanisAgrigento

SICILIA

Catania

setta Siracusa Ragusa

Sicily followed by Apulia are the regions with the biggest fleets in terms of number of vessels, gross tonnage, engine power and crews employed, see Table 3.

are the most numerous. In terms of tonnage these two segments represent 62 (bottom trawlers)

6. The increase in the number of fishing days can be attributed to the greater activity of the small www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Table 1 Italian fishery production, years 2008-2011 Landings (t)

Income (mln €)

Landings prices (€/kg)

2008

2009

2010

Marine fisheries

227,011

242,437

224,758

2011 212,369

Mediterranean marine fisheries (a)

216,567

234,082

223,007

210,324

Oceanic marine fisheries (b)

10,444

8,356

1,751

2,046

Aquaculture (c)

157,872

1,62,325

153,466

153,466

Total production

384,883

404,762

378,224

365,835

Marine fisheries

1,105

1,202

1,115

1,101

Mediterranean marine fisheries (a)

1,082

1,179

1,103

1,090

Oceanic marine fisheries (b)

23

23.05

12

11

Aquaculture (c)

466

475

333

333

Total production

1,571

1,677

1,448

1,434

Marine fisheries

4.87

4.96

4.96

5.18

Mediterranean marine fisheries (a)

5

5.04

4.94

5.18

Oceanic marine fisheries (b)

2.2

2.76

6.91

5.23

Aquaculture (c)

2.95

2.93

2.17

2.17

Total production

4.08

4.14

3.83

3.92

Source: a) Irepa; b) Istat; c) Unimar. For 2011 the provisional figures from 2010 have been reported in the absence of the annual figures

scale fishing vessels following clement weather in the last few months of the year. For purse seiners the average number of days at sea increased by 9 to 104 days.

On the other hand, the midwater pair trawlers were at sea for only 140 days, 12 less than in 2010 and the second lowest number of days recorded in eight years. In general since 2004 the trend has been falling for all fleet segments except the passive polyvalent vessels.

Longliners and midwater pair trawls saw the greatest decline in the number of days at sea to 123 (-17) and 140 (-16) respectively. Hydraulic dredges that target clams spent 15 fewer days at sea. The passive polyvalent vessels increased slightly the number of days spent at sea from 128 days to 131 days (2). The overall reduction in the number of days at sea can be partly attributed to the increase in fuel prices, but also to the way the fishing sector organised its activities to optimise fishing and reduce costs associated with landing. The overall reduction in effort disguises significant regional differences. In www.eurofishmagazine.com

06_Italy_IT.indd 25

the northern Adriatic for example the introduction of a ban on bottom trawling within three miles of the coast had a direct impact on fishing communities there. In Calabria, Liguria, and northern Sicily a derogation in 2011 allowed bottom trawling between 0.7 and 1.5 nautical miles from the coast provided the depth was at least 50 m. For purse seiners too the national picture hides regional discrepancies. While on average, effort increased 9 between 2010 and 2011, in Calabria the seiners reduced the days at sea by 50 to 77 while in Abruzzo too the season was curtailed. On the other hand, in Liguria and Tuscany along the Tyrrhenian Sea, activity levels of the fleet were higher.

Hydraulic dredges that target clams spent on average 85 days at sea in 2011 down from 89 in 2010. In the Adriatic the clams are caught at depths of 3-12 m which is very close to the coast and if the state of the resource is delicate in an area, for example if there are too many young clams, then these areas can be closed off. This means

that the effort will vary depending on the status of the resource and

as this is constantly changing the fleets in different regions spend

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Table 2 Characteristics of the Italian fishing fleet by fleet segment, 2011 Fleet segment

No. of vessels

%

GT

%

kW

%

Bottom Trawl

2,525

19.3

103,854

61.5

498,829

47.6

Mid-water pair trawl

132

1.0

10,572

6.3

48,059

4.6

Purse seine

268

2.1

16,186

9.6

67,382

6.4

Hydraulic dredge

706

5.4

9,394

5.6

76,332

7.3

Small scale fishery

8,764

67.1

16,817

10

250,937

23.9

Passive polyvalent

483

3.7

6,501

3.8

69,859

6.7

Longlines

186

1.4

5,540

3.3

36,479

3.5

Total

13,064

100

168,864

100

10,47,877

100 Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

more or less time at sea. In Emilia Romagna on the north Adriatic coast, dredgers had a better season in 2011 after several poor ones, while those in Monfalcone further north along the coast stayed in port. Vessels using passive gear were on average more active in 2011 than in 2010. On average the number of days at sea went up slightly to 131 (2) due to good weather conditions. While vessels in the northern and central Adriatic did not register an increase, those in other regions of Italy gen-

erally did. Polyvalent vessels use a variety of gear and the landings vary with gear type, level of activity, season, and area.

Several factors contribute to reduced overall productivity The productivity of the Italian fleet as a whole following the trend of several years fell further in 2011. Compared with 2010 volumes were down by 6 to 220,324 tonnes and values fell by 1 to

EUR1,090m. The difference in 2011 was that the decline was despite a 6 increase in effort suggesting a disquieting drop in productivity.

Average volumes and values by vessel and by day at sea recorded there lowest levels since 2004.

Compared to 2010 the average annual volume landed per vessel was 16 tonnes down by 5, average annual value per vessel fell by less than 1 to EUR82,700. Some of the factors that contributed to this have already been mentioned, including the changes in fishing

zones due to increased production costs; alterations in catch composition as markets shifted in response to the economic crisis; new restrictions on mesh sizes, distance from the coast, and minimum sizes of several species stemming from the Mediterranean Regulation 1976/2006; as well as new control regulations and sanctions that cover the entire production chain from catch to sale. The decline in productivity varied across the country with the biggest falls seen along the Adriatic coast — in Emilia Romagna by 20, in Veneto by 15, and in Marche by 14, on the other hand Liguria and Sardinia showed a 19 increases in catches.

The decline in productivity affected only some segments of the fleet. The greatest decline in volumes was seen among the midwater paired trawl segment where catches fell to 34,000 tonnes, or by 23. Although prices increased in this segment by 12, it was not enough to cover the decline in volumes. The most impressive

Table 3 Main technical parameters of the national fleet and employment by region, 2011 Regions

Vessels

Gross tonnage (GT)

Engine Power (kW)

Crew

Number

Percentage

GT

Percentage

kW

Percentage

Number

Percentage

Liguria

535

4.1

3,713

2.2

34,680

3.3

853

3

Tuscany

619

4.7

5,619

3.3

43,011

4.1

1,082

3.8

Lazio

600

4.6

7,914

4.7

57,009

5.4

1,005

3.5

Campania

1,146

8.8

10,462

6.2

70,622

6.7

2,524

8.8

Calabria

864

6.6

5,722

3.4

45,210

4.3

2,434

8.5

Apulia

1,605

12.3

19,747

11.7

135,325

12.9

3,941

13.7

Molise

91

0.7

2,661

1.6

10,896

1

209

0.7

Abruzzo

548

4.2

10,065

6

47,236

4.5

1,185

4.1

Marche

870

6.7

18,191

10.8

92,894

8.9

1,867

6.5

Emilia Romagna

741

5.7

9,455

5.6

75,431

7.2

1,306

4.5

Veneto

722

5.5

12,023

7.1

81,980

7.8

1,658

5.8

Friuli Venezia Giulia

404

3.1

1,967

1.2

27,044

2.6

733

2.6

Sardinia

1,298

9.9

9,845

5.8

78,669

7.5

2,333

8.1

Sicily

3,021

23.1

51,480

30.5

247,869

23.7

7,597

26.4

Total

13,064

100

168,864

100

1047,877

100

28,724

100 Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

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performance was from the purse seiners, which had a 3 increase in volumes landed to 32,000 tonnes, and a 30 increase in value to EUR69m. The small scale fishery too put in a solid performance catching 37,000 tonnes, a 9 increase, worth EUR296m, 8 up, on 2011. But these positive figures were not enough to change the overall result fleet as a whole.

For the fleet as a whole the only positive development was the 4.8 increase in the landing price per kilo to EUR5.18. Just over half the volume of the Italian catch was from the Adriatic in 2011, followed by 22 each from the Tyrrhenian Sea and Sicilian waters. The Ionian Sea contributed the remainder.

Anchovies and sardines are the main targets of the pelagic fleet Of the finfish caught by the Italian fleet in 2011 the greatest volumes were from the small pelagics, anchovies and sardines, as well as clams. These finfish species are caught primarily by the pelagic pair trawlers and purse seiners. There are about 65 pairs of trawlers and another 270 purse seiners operating in the northern and central parts of the Adriatic, where, due to the continental shelf, the water is shallower as compared with the southern part.

The Italian pelagic fleet fishes both anchovies and sardines, but anchovies dominate amounting to 76 of the total of the two species. The Italian fleet concentrates on anchovies which are more plentiful on the western side of the Adriatic and there is greater demand for them on the domestic market. After crises in 1987 for anchovies and between 1986 and 2000 for sardines, the stock status for these two species has improved. Enrico Arneri, Project Coordinator of the FAOAdriaMed Project says that the www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Table 4 Average days at sea by fleet segment, 2008-2011 2008

2009

2010

2011

Var 11/10 (%)

Bottom Trawl

147

159

150

147

-2

Mid-water pair trawl

124

161

158

140

-12

Purse seine

83

100

96

104

9

Hydraulic dredge

104

87

89

85

-5

Small scale fishery

111

130

121

134

10

Passive polyvalent

123

135

128

131

2

Longlines

127

126

129

123

-5

Total

118

133

126

133

6 Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

latest assessment suggests that the stock of both is healthy. The FAO-AdriaMed Project promotes scientific co-operation among the Adriatic nations (Albania, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia and Montenegro) to improve the management of fishing activities. In this capacity it collects and analyses the data on shared stocks from all the participating countries. However, while the stock is healthy there are market issues in Italy that relate to the size and the quantity of the fish that need to be addressed.

In particular if too much fish is landed this puts pressure on the price and for pair trawlers with their high energy costs this can make a sizeable difference to their profitability.

(7), and swordfish (6). Catches of anchovy have stayed fairly stable since 2008, staying between 45,000 and 55,000 tonnes while sardines have fluctuated between 12,000 and 16,000 tonnes. Hake catches have shown a steady downward trend since 2006, when catches reached 18,000

tonnes, to 10,000 tonnes in 2011.

Clams catches which were just under 30,000 tonnes in 2007 have hovered between 16,000 and 20,000 tonnes since 2009. In general since 2004 average landing prices per kilo have moved independently of the supply with the average landing price fluctuating

Increase in anchovy prices offset lower volumes The volumes of anchovy caught in 2011 amounted to 46,000 tonnes representing a drop of 15 or 8,000 tonnes compared to 2010. However, the production value increased by EUR2.5m as prices went up by 21. Of the total catch, volumes of anchovy, clams, sardines, and hake were the highest at 22, 9, 7, and 5 respectively. In value terms hake had the highest value at 8 or EUR86m followed by anchovy (7), deepwater rose shrimp Eurofish Magazine 1/ 2013

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Dr Enrico Arneri, Project Coordinator of the FAO-AdriaMed Project says that the latest assessment suggests that stocks of anchovies and sardines in the Adriatic are healthy.

much less in the face of steadily lower volumes of fish. In 2011 as production dipped to an 8-year low the average price increased 5 to EUR5.18/kg. The average landing price increased for low unit value fish like anchovy and sardines, which went up by 20 and 11 respectively, as well as for higher value species like hake (5) and red shrimp (6).

Other demersal species including Squilla mantis (18), horned octopus (13), and cuttlefish (9) also showed an increase in the unit landing price. In the pair trawl and purse seiner fleet segments the average landing price increased by 11 and 27 respectively. Hydraulic dredges,

which almost exclusively target clams, saw no change in the average landing price. The fleet segment that showed the biggest decrease in average landing price was the longline sector where prices went down by 12 to EUR7.42/kg partly due to the lower production of swordfish.

Among the bottom trawlers the average unit price increased 2 to EUR7.23/kg.

Bottom trawlers were the most productive segment The bottom trawlers constitute the most productive segment in the Italian fleet in terms of total catches. The vessels numbered 2,525 in 2011 which is 19 of the Italian fleet, and accounted for 62 of the gross tonnage and 48 of the kW. The boats vary in size from less than 12 m to 40 m and use bottom trawls and beam trawls to catch a variety of finfish, molluscs and crustaceans. The boats in the 12-18 m category amount to some 54 of the total fleet and were responsible for 42 of the catches, while those above 24 m constitute 11 of the fleet and catch 20 of the total. Altogether this segment caught 34 of the total volumes or 72,000 tonnes, which was an

8 reduction from 2010. Prices on the other hand increased only by 1.5 showing the impact of the economic crisis on the demand and consumption of seafood. The decline in volumes can be attributed to a combination of different factors, including a reduction in the resources, stricter EU regulations on mesh size and distance to be maintained from the coast while fishing, and finally the increasing cost of fuel which brought about changes in fishing operations to reduce costs. All along the Adriatic coast the fleet had reduced landings and revenues. On Sicily which is home to the biggest trawler fleet in Italy vessels landed 5.6 less fish in 2011 or 18,600 tonnes. In addition to high fuels costs these vessels have suffered from difficulties in access to traditional fishing areas off Libya and Tunisia and have had problems finding specialised crews.

The bottom trawlers suffered reductions in catches of almost all species. Catches of deepwater rose shrimp, the most important in terms of volumes at 14 of the total trawler catch, declined by 3.3 in the Sicilian Channel, the origin of 74 of this species. Although catches by the bigger vessels

Table 5 Productivity and economic key indicators, national fleet, 2008-2011 2008

2009

2010

2011

Absolute value Landings in volume (t)

216,567

234,082

223,007

210,324

Landings in value (mln €)

1,082.26

1,178.96

1,102.76

1,090.33

Landings prices (€/kg)

5

5.04

4.94

5.18

Average value by vessel and by day at sea Yearly landings in volume by vessel (t)

16.1

17.5

16.8

16

Landings In volume by day at sea(kg)

136.3

131.4

133.7

120.3

Yearly landings in value by vessel (000€)

80.5

88.3

83.1

82.7

Landings in value by day at sea (€)

681.3

662

661.2

623.6 Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

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increased by 290 tonnes, catches by smaller vessels (12-24) m declined by 550 tonnes resulting in a net reduction of 260 tonnes.

Landings of hake, the second most caught species by the bottom trawler fleet also declined by 11. Squilla mantis, 6 of the catch or 4,000 tonnes in 2011 was almost 1,000 tonnes lower than in 2010 due to lower catches in Emilia Romagna and Marche in particular.

Steep fall in mid-water pair trawler landings The mid-water pair trawlers number some 132 vessels and amount to 1 of the Italian fleet.

These vessels saw a dramatic fall in production in 2011, when volumes landed plummeted 23 to 34,000 tonnes. In terms of value the fall was less marked (-14) as it was helped by a rise in unit prices (+12). The main species targeted by the pair trawlers are anchovies, sardines and mullets.

The main factor behind the fall in landings was the reduced number of days at sea which dropped 12 to 140 days. The daily average production per vessel stayed stable at 2,050 kg. Anchovy catches dropped 29 to 24,000 tonnes, while sardine production fell by a more modest 6 to 7,000 tonnes.

The decline in catches can be seen in all regions but one to varying degrees. In Apulia, however, production increased slightly and turnover substantially (+25) due to the higher prices for anchovy.

Purse seiners recorded a slight increase in production of 2.6 to 32,000 tonnes, while values increased by a hefty 30 to EUR69m thanks to a 27 increase in unit landing prices to EUR2.12/ kg. The bulk of purse seine catches amounting to 85 of the catch or 27,000 tonnes in 2011 were the pelagics anchovies and sardines.

A study of landings over a longer www.eurofishmagazine.com

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period shows a trend which reflects the cyclic abundance of the stock. Increased catches in 2011 were in line with this cycle, but were also in response to increased activity of the fleet with days at sea increasing from 94 to 104. However, the landings per day at sea fell from 1,312 kg to 1,261 kg. In regional terms vessels from Abruzzo showed stable landings while those from Sicily increased 12 to 12,600 tonnes, and the Tuscan fleet landings declined slightly. The Sicilian fleet traditionally contributes about 40 of the purse seine catches.

Striped venus clams form 90% of the clam catch The hydraulic dredging fleet targets clams living in the sand,

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Table 6 Landings in volume and in value, landings prices by fishing fleet Fleet segment

Landings in volume (t) Landings in value (mln €) Landings prices (€/kg) 2011

Var.%

2011

Var.%

2011

Var.%

Bottom Trawl

71,951

-8

519.99

-6.4

7.23

1.7

Mid-water pair trawl

34,218

-22.9

40.05

-13.9

1.17

11.7

Purse seine

32,335

2.6

68.7

30.3

2.12

27

Hydraulic dredge

21,790

0

62.62

-0.6

2.87

-0.6

Small scale fishery

36,620

9.1

296.45

7.6

8.1

-1.4

Passive polyvalent

8,143

-3.4

63.43

-3.6

7.79

-0.3

Longlines

5,267

2.3

39.09

-10.5

7.42

-12.5

Total

210,324

-5.7

1,090.33

-1.1

5.18

4.8 Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

primarily striped venus which amounted to 90 of the catch in 2011, but also other varieties. The fleet is based primarily in the northern and central Adriatic with 77 of the 700 vessels hosted in Veneto and Abruzzo. The clam

fishery is highly variable due to the changing abundance of the resource and also due to the local management of the fishery by management consortia that have territorial rights. Production levels in 2011 were 22,000 tonnes

and increases in production were recorded in several east coast cities, including Ancona, Rimini, and Venice. Production doubled in Rimini and almost tripled in Ravenna. Other clam species that are caught are hard clams (8 of

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Table 7 Landings in tonnes by selected species and fleet segment in 2011 Species

Bottom Trawl

Mid-water pair trawl

Purse seine

Hydraulic dredge

Small scale fishery

Passive polyvalent

Longlines

Total

European anchovy

474

24,149

21,010

-

446

158

-

46,237

Sardine/European pilchard

326

7,346

6,399

-

223

84

-

14,378

European hake

8,100

-

0

-

1,486

498

377

10,462

Swordfish

15

1

10

-

872

2,518

1,941

5,357

Striped mullet

4,356

1

-

-

414

22

-

4,793

Horse mackerel

2,395

333

745

-

724

175

0

4,373

Mullets nei

451

1,842

127

-

1,137

10

-

3,568

Albacore

7

-

32

-

411

897

1,157

2,504

Northern bluefin tuna

-

-

753

-

11

64

594

1,422

Other finfish

18,360

546

3,232

-

19,675

3,310

1,197

46,318

Total finfishes

34,484

34,218

32,308

-

25,399

7,736

5,266

139,412

Striped venus

-

-

-

19,668

0

-

-

19,668

Common cuttlefish

2,636

-

0

-

3,075

113

-

5,824

Changeable nassa and murex

2,309

-

-

10

2,425

1

-

4,745

Octopuses

6,197

-

-

-

2,704

85

-

9,186

Squids

2,676

-

0

-

424

13

-

3,114

Other molluscs

2,725

-

27

2,112

611

10

-

5,284

Total molluscs

16,543

-

27

21,790

9,239

222

-

47,821

Deepwater rose shrimp

10,022

-

-

-

3

4

-

10,029

Squilla mantis

4,018

-

-

-

1,308

102

-

5,427

Norway lobster

2,696

-

-

-

2

0

-

2,698

Giant red shrimp

2,343

-

-

-

6

1

-

2,350

Other crustaceans

1,845

-

-

-

663

78

1

2,587

Total crustaceans

20,924

-

-

-

1,982

185

1

23,091

Total

71,951

34,218

32,335

21,790

36,620

8,143

5,267

210,324 Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

landings and 12 of revenue) and smooth callista (fasolari).

Small-scale fishery catches are high value The small-scale fishery comprises vessels of up to 12 m in length. They are the most numerous vessels in the Italian fleet, 8,800 or 67. Due to their small size however they account for only 10 of the gross tonnage and 24 percent of the total power. These vessels use mainly passive gear, nets, pots, longlines and traps and in 2011 they caught 37,000 tonnes or 17 of the total catch, which corresponded to 27 of the value. This fishery 30

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catches a large variety of species, finfish, molluscs and crustaceans, but due to the small vessel size is highly influenced by weather conditions. In 2011 this segment increased the number of days at sea from 122 to 134 and recorded an 8 increase in the value of landings to EUR300m making it the segment of the fleet that has the highest catch value after the bottom trawlers. The high value is thanks to an average price per kilo of EUR8/kg that the small-scale fishery commands, the highest of all the fleet segments, despite a slight decline compared to 2010.

Average landing prices increased in Sicily by 6 to EUR9.13/kg,

were stable in the Adriatic and Ionian Seas and fell by 6 in the Tyrrhenian. The most caught species is cuttlefish at 3,000 tonnes or 8.4 of the total, which is however a drop of 725 tonnes compared to 2010. Other important species are octopuses with 2,700 tonnes, mullets (2,600 tonnes), hake (1,500 tonnes), and soles (900 tonnes).

The Tyrrhenian Sea has the largest number of vessels at 3,560 or 40, which bring in the most fish (14,000) tonnes and greatest revenue (EUR113m). In the Adriatic there are around 2,400 vessels targeting mainly snails, cuttle fish and Squilla mantis and soles. The

total catch is 11,500 tonnes with a value of EUR94m. On Sicily the small scale segment comprises 2,100 boats, which typically target large pelagics, swordfish, albacore tuna and dolphin fish, as well as cuttlefish. Landings amounted to 6,300 tonnes worth EUR57m of which cuttlefish contribute the most at 10. The Ionian Sea has the smallest fleet of small-scale vessels at 800, which landed 4,700 tonnes in 2011. The passive polyvalent fleet comprises vessels over 12 m that fish with passive gear, traps, nets, pots, and longlines. Since none of them dominate, the fleet is called polyvalent. This segment makes up 4 of the total fleet or www.eurofishmagazine.com

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nage (3.3 or 5,540 GT) and power (3.5 or 36,000 kW). This segment has 186 vessels or 1.4 of the total fleet. The total tonnage caught by this segment was 5,000 tonnes in 2011, which represented 2.5 of the total catch, and was a 2.3 increase compared with the catch in 2010.

However, the longer term trend shows that catches in the sector have fallen by 50 since 2005 and 2006 when production each year exceeded 10,000 tonnes. Over the last few years the sector has been experimenting with new gear and for the fleet as a whole the catch by day at sea has shown an upward trend from 105 kg in 2004 to 224 kg in 2011. Annual landings in volume per vessel have also increased over the same period from 16 to 28 tonnes. In value terms the catch at EUR39m showed an 11 decrease in comparison to 2010. The unit

Table 8 Income statement, national eet, 2008-2011 (mln ₏)

2008

2009

2010

2011

Income

A

1,082.26

1,178.96

1,102.76

1,090.33

Intermediate costs

B

511.69

435.12

459.19

515.93

Gross value added

C=A-B

570.56

741.59

643.57

574.40

Labour cost

D

260.51

359.47

316.62

278.86

Gross proďŹ t

E=C-D

310.05

384.38

326.95

295.82

Depreciation costs

F

196.60

188.96

184.97

199.39

Interest costs

G

36.78

35.27

31.51

44.90

Net proďŹ t

H=E-(F+G)

76.67

160.14

110.47

51.54 Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

close to 500 vessels. In 2011 these vessels spent 134 days at sea or 10 more than in 2010. However, the volume of landings fell 3 to 8,000 tonnes while the value of landings declined 4 to EUR63m.

Unit prices for this segment were stable compared to the year before and at EUR7.79/kg were in fact the

highest unit prices for the whole fleet with the exception of the small-scale segment. Swordfish, albacore tuna, hake and bonito are among the most targeted fish by this fleet segment, but several other species of finfish, molluscs, and crustaceans are also caught.

Production from this segment is

mainly from Sicily (3,000 tonnes), Sardinia (1,500 tonnes) and Calabria (1,250 tonnes).

Longliners experiment with new gear The longline segment of the fleet is the smallest in terms of gross ton-

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price for longliner landings was EUR7.42 which represents a decline of 13. The high unit price is related to the high value species that the longliners target. In 2011 these were swordfish, which amounted to 37 of the catch or 2,000 tonnes, albacore tuna (1,200 tonnes), and bluefin tuna (600 tonnes). There are regional differences in the landings by the fleet both in terms of volumes and in the concentration of species. Almost half the total production comes from the Ionian coast of Sicily, where most of the vessels are based, and where there is a long tradition of fishing with longlines. Most vessels here are more active with higher catch

volumes than in other parts of Italy.

Vessels operating in the Sicilian Channel landed 1,800 tonnes. On the south coast of Sicily landings fetch a higher average unit price, EUR10/kg as opposed to EUR7.42/ kg, as 70 of the landing is swordfish. The south Tyrrhenian fleet is based in north Sicily and catches amounted to 200 tonnes valued at EUR2m. In the Adriatic, longliners landed 721 tonnes with hake the dominant species.

Income for the fleet as a whole continues to fall In 2011 the overall economy of the Italian fishing fleet continued its

downward slide. Income was at its lowest since 2006 with the exception of 2008, which was a particularly bad year for the fisheries sector. In 2011 gross value added, the difference between revenue and intermediate costs, fell to EUR574m and gross profit, the gross value added less labour costs fell to EUR296m, the lowest since 2006. Net profit, the gross profit less depreciation and interest costs, fell to EUR52m a steep drop from EUR209m in 2006. Falling revenues is part of the problem, but the industry has also suffered an increase in costs. Intermediate costs as a proportion of income have increased by 10 from 37

Fuel prices push overall costs ever higher

Table 9 Economic performance indicators, 2008-2011 (%) Indicators

2008

2009

2010

2011

Intermediate costs/income

47.3

36.9

41.6

47.3

Labour costs/income

24.1

30.5

28.7

25.6

Gross value added /income

52.7

62.9

58.4

52.7

Gross profit/income

28.6

32.6

29.6

27.1

in 2006 to 47 in 2011. Gross profits as a proportion of income have declined from 34 in 2006 to 27 in 2011 as a result of higher costs.

The lower revenue and increased intermediate costs had an impact on labour costs which at 26 of revenues were at their second lowest level since 2006. Only in 2008 were they lower. Intermediate costs increased primarily because of higher fuel prices. Average fuel costs increased 27 compared with the previous year as the fleet spent EUR300m on fuel in 2011 up from EUR237m in 2010. As a proportion of the intermediate costs fuel costs climbed from 43 in 2006 to 58 in 2011.

Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

The intermediate costs are the sum of the fixed and variable costs. Fixed costs are related to the management and maintenance of the vessels while the variable costs include fuel expenses as well as commercial and other costs

Table 10 Income statement by fleet segment, national fleet, 2011, '000 € Fleet segment

Income

Intermediate costs

Gross value added

Labour cost

Gross profit

Bottom Trawl

203.60

115.96

87.64

45.12

42.64

Mid-water pair trawl

324.81

183.17

141.64

80.61

61.02

Purse seine

282.37

103.29

179.07

95.16

83.92

Hydraulic dredge

88.43

24.76

63.67

28.64

35.02

Small scale fishery

33.64

12.65

20.99

9.48

11.51

Longlines

205.09

94.46

110.63

56.20

54.44

Total

82.74

39.15

43.59

21.16

22.45 Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

Table 11 Total intermediate costs, 2008-2011 mln € Year

Energy costs Commercial Other variable Total variable costs costs costs

Maintenance Other fixed Total fixed costs costs costs

Total intermediate costs

2008

298.10

55.60

75.30

429.00

46.70

43.30

89.90

518.90

2009

201.80

61.00

81.40

344.20

46.70

44.20

90.90

435.10

2010

236.98

56.96

77.62

371.56

46.04

41.59

87.63

459.19

2011

301.16

54.67

75.48

431.31

44.33

40.29

84.62

515.93 Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

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Table 12 Current income and break even point BEP 2010-2011 Fleet segment

Income (â‚Ź)

Break even income (â‚Ź) Income/BEP 2011

a

b

c=a/b

Income/BEP 2010

Bottom Trawl

519,992,550

556,022,680

0.9

1.1

Mid-water pair trawl

42,627,347

43,626,265

1

1.2

Purse seine

66,123,071

61,853,455

1.1

1.2

Hydraulic dredge

62,618,154

38,016,797

1.6

1.8

Small scale ďŹ shery

296,446,740

186,715,817

1.6

1.7

Passive polyvalent

63,425,737

37,263,428

1.7

1.8

Longlines

39,094,075

30,000,841

1.3

1.5

Total

1,090,327,673

909,686,373

1.2

1.4 Source: Mpaaf-Irepa

directly linked to the production. In 2011 the variable costs at EUR431m amounted to 84 of the total intermediate costs up from 81 in 2009 and from 76 in 2003. Fixed costs have been falling steadily in absolute terms from EUR117m in 2003 to EUR85m in 2011. Fishermen have

been hit both by falling revenues and increasing costs, a combination which has a direct impact on their income. Gross income has fallen by 42 since 2006.

The profitability of the different segments of the fleet has been

affected to varying degrees by the general decline in revenues and increase in costs. While gross profit fell by an average of 9, bottom trawlers, pair trawlers and longliners saw profits go down by up to 20. The decline in profits is associated more with the

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rise in costs than with the fall in revenues. Fixed costs were more or less stable, but commercial costs increased slightly in spite of the lower volumes caught. Fuel costs caused the average cost per vessel to increase by 18 and by up to 30 for hydraulic dredges. All vessel segments show these trends, excepting the small-scale fishery, dredges and purse seiners, which had a 30 increase in revenue and so could compensate for the higher production costs. Efficiency of the fleet is the ratio between the revenue and the break-even revenue.

If the ratio is below one the activity is not economically sustainable.

For the Italian fleet the rise in production costs and lower levels of production brought the index of several fleet segments close to one, suggesting that the fleet needs to increase its profitability.

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Fisheries management in the Mediterranean

Measures must be adapted to the different fisheries systems Massimo Spagnolo, director of the Institute for Economic Research in Fisheries and Aquaculture (IREPA) in Salerno, Italy, was recently called upon by the European Parliament’s Committee of Fisheries to discuss an amendment to a regulation on the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources in the Mediterranean. In a background note* prepared for the Committee, Prof. Massimo Spagnolo, analysed the tools for fisheries management in the Mediterranean discussing their strengths and weaknesses and drew conclusions as to how fisheries in the Mediterranean should be managed in the future.

F

ish stocks are a typical example of what economists term a common resource, defined in economic terms as one that is rival and nonexcludable. Rival, because the fish taken by one fisherman are no longer available to be caught by another. Non-excludable, because neither fisherman can be excluded from catching the fish.

Management of fish stocks therefore seeks to change this by introducing rights-based measures.

Catch quotas and effort quotas Two kinds of rights-based management strategies that have been proposed are the Territorial User Rights for Fisheries (TURF), and user rights on resources. Prof.

Spagnolo explains that TURF is a management tool used for small scale fisheries in a limited area, where a community of fishermen define the regulations governing their activity, resulting in a decentralised management system that acknowledges the fishers culture and experience. The regulations defined by the fishermen fall within the relevant national or community legal framework.

On the other hand user rights may take the form of catch quotas or effort quotas. The former 34

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give the quota holder the right to a defined quantity of a specific stock and are a useful tool where fishing activities target a single stock. However, since fisheries in the Mediterranean are mainly artisanal and multispecific, effort quotas are a more appropriate management tool.

Among the two type of rights, the analysis found that, territorial user rights is the only management tool to have been deployed in the Mediterranean (apart from in the bluefin tuna fishery). There was, however, no single model that could be used in all situations. It was necessary for the measures to be adapted to each case depending on the homogeneity of the fishing community, the area covered by the right, and the structure of the resource. TURFs were effective in small scale fisheries close to the coast in a restricted area, the smaller the area the more effective the management. The analysis also established that management measures such as schemes to withdraw capacity when properly introduced could reduce pressure on the stock and produce an effective, but if taken in isolation, temporary recovery of the stock. When designing national or community

Professor Massimo Spagnolo, director of the Institute for Economic Research in Fisheries and Aquaculture (IREPA) in Salerno, Italy.

management plans it is necessary to coordinate management measures to achieve the most effective result.

Management measures based on four types of fisheries The study finally made its recommendations for management measures in the Mediterranean based on four categories of fisheries. In the small scale coastal fisheries the recommendation was to use TURFs that allowed

the local fishermen to decide and plan the management of their fishery as they knew the local conditions and culture best and could introduce the most effective mix of measures. In the case of fisheries that involved the fleets of a single country, the analysis suggests the state can implement a l management plan which allocates effort quotas for multi-species fisheries and catch quotas for mono-specific fisheries, independently of territorial waters since fishing effort does not follow legal boundaries. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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In the case of fisheries involving stocks that are targeted by fleets from different EU nations the recommendation is a community management plan that lays down individual effort quotas for demersal and benthic stocks and possibly a combination of effort and catch quotas for pelagic fish.

The last category of fisheries are those that fall outside territorial

waters and involve non-EU countries. These are for example fisheries in the Sicilian channel that target mainly monospecific stocks of red and pink shrimp, hake and mullet. Given the difference between EU and non-EU fleets in terms of productivity as well as in social and economic conditions, a management solution would probably have to focus

on individual catch quotas as well as technical measures. This would probably be easier than introducing effort quotas as the latter may not fit with the non-EU countries’ objectives for their fleets. Any international management plan would be discussed by the participating countries at the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean.

In conclusion the study suggested that management measures should be adapted to the needs arising from different areas and fisheries systems *What kind of management for Mediterranean fisheries (ISBN 978-92-823-3954-1)

Feder OP.IT, the federation of producer organisations for Italian ďŹ sheries and aquaculture

A bottom-up approach to pelagic ďŹ sheries management in the Adriatic Ancona, a city on the Adriatic Sea, is host to a pelagic ďŹ shermen’s association with some 80 vessels – 18 pelagic pair-trawlers, 10 beam trawlers, and the rest bottom trawlers. The eet is important locally, but also nationally as it is responsible for more than 60% of the Italian catch of small pelagic ďŹ sh, anchovies and sardines.

T

he association has a reputation for being one of the most responsible in Italy, laying down rules for its members that are more restrictive than EU or national legislation. The association is responsible not only for the administration of the fishing companies but also for the management of fishing operations. For example, the association has introduced, in addition to the closed season for bottom trawling in the summer months (established by the Italian Ministry), a restriction to the activity of bottom trawlers (3.5 days a week). Moreover the association has introduced a daily quota per vessel for the anchovies caught by pelagic trawlers. The association finally establishes rules (fishing days per week, quota etc.) for the

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06_Italy_IT.indd 35

associated vessels on the basis of market prices and status of resources.

Fishing restrictions conserve the resource, and maintain prices There are two main reasons for this, says Federico Bigoni, the President of Feder OP.IT, the federation of producer organisations for Italian fisheries and aquaculture. The first is to ensure the sustainability of the resource, the second to maintain prices, by controlling the amount of fish that comes onto the market. The system has been so successful at stabilising prices that the association is now working to extend the system to the nine other pelagic producer organisations that fish in

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the Adriatic Sea. If a common set of rules can be agreed on they will be presented to the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policies to be incorporated into a management plan for the Adriatic. And when Croatia joins the EU, the management plan should also govern their fleet, subjecting Croatian vessels to the same rules and regulations with which Italian and Slovenian vessels must comply. The significance of this approach, says Mr Bigoni, is that it is a bottom-up proposal that has been put together by the industry and suggested to the authorities rather than the other way round.

He anticipates that homogenising the rules so that all the operators in the Adriatic fish under the same terms will make it easier to manage the market.

Preventing a glut of pelagic fish from hitting the market at the same time and sending prices through the floor may, however, become less of a threat in the future as catches have been declining slightly, but steadily over the last few years. Mr Bigoni thinks this does not necessarily reflect an overfished stock, but rather the fact that fishermen are trying to catch bigger fish – to catch less, but better – as the price is mostly determined by the quality, not the volumes. To ensure a consistent quality, the association has developed protocols for all the productions steps that are to be followed which enable both a high standard of quality and the traceability of the product from the vessel to the retailer.

Demersal resources vulnerable to shifts in activity The pelagic fleet of the Adriatic sea (Italy and boundaries countries) still probably has 36

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the Adriatic, the data on the stock assessment from all countries fishing in the same basin should be considered. In some cases fixing a daily quota might increase the discards at sea, since a vessel can target some other species and sizes once the quota has been reached. Therefore a weekly quota could more reasonable as a management measure. The only effective solution would be to apply quota to catches rather than to landings, but this would Dr Alessandro Lucchetti from Mr Federico Bigoni, the CNR-ISMAR, the Institute of Marine imply much stricter control and President of Feder OP.IT, Sciences, says that among hydraulic surveillance activities on board the federation of producer organisations for Italian ďŹ sheries dredgers a fund for decommissioning fishing vessels, something which is in general not feasible at the is being discussed. and aquaculture. moment in the Mediterranean. slightly more capacity than can segments: the shift from pelagic Self-management be supported by the stock. Due to bottom trawling could cresystems can address to the current economic crisis ate problems both to the market over-capacity some vessels are trying to shift and to the demersal resources. their activity form pelagic to Moreover with regard to the bottom trawling. Dr Alessandro analysis of biological, ecologi- In the demersal fleet, however, Lucchetti from CNR-ISMAR, the cal and environmental issues there is still too much capacity.

Institute of Marine Sciences, says related to the potential applica- Getting rid of excess capacity presently there is a kind of equi- bility of a quota system for the will not be an easy task as funds librium among the different fleet anchovy and sardine fisheries in for decommissioning will not be available in the next programming period (2014-2020). In other segments of the fleet different ways of dealing with the problem of over-capacity are being considered. In coastal areas for specific species (e.g. within one mile from the shoreline for clams) and for specific gears, such as hydraulic dredges, a self-management system has been developed, which is indeed used for clam fishing. Daily quotas, fishing days, closed seasons and areas are usually established by the consortium on the basis of the status of the resources.

Among the hydraulic dredgers Dr Lucchetti says that the creation of a fund for decommissioning is being discussed that could be financed by a levee on sales. The fund will compensate fishers who want to give up their Pelagic trawlers landing the catch of anchovies and sardines in the harbour at Ancona. capacity and leave the business. www.eurofishmagazine.com

08/02/13 7:21 PM

ITALY

Ostricola on Sardinia combines traditional oyster farming methods with new approaches

The rebirth of Italian oyster farming A yearning for the sea brought Alessandro Gorla from Rome to San Teodoro on the east coast of Sardinia. There, with his brother, he started Ostricola, which has become the largest grower of oysters in Italy. He remembers, “My world was totally different. I was in banking, an investment broker, but I always loved the sea. I needed a change”.

Oysters in frames have been collected from the lagoon and wait to be sorted.

H

is enthusiasm has enabled him to found Ostricola and build a small company that is unique: It is the only company in Italy that farms oysters exclusively. “Others farm mussels or clams and maybe a few oysters, but for us, it is the core business. Now, there are one or two oyster farms in Sardinia, but traditionally they have been located in the Adriatic, around Venice and near Taranto”, Gorla says. The company received authorisation to fish in late 2007, but oyster farming began in 2008. In 2011, Ostricola produced www.eurofishmagazine.com

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approximately 16 t of oysters. Last year, it produced more than 20 t.

“For four years, we have grown slowly but steadily”, he says, “but we haven’t reached our target. We want to produce at least 40 t, but our eventual target is 50 to 60 t.

And we want to upgrade our facilities and machinery, for example to electronic sorting”.

The company has six employees.

Gorla remarks that he and his brother Francesco are the only male employees. “This was not a conscious choice. But I must say that women are very good workers.

They are precise and constant. The work is organised so that they can do everything. There are no heavy weights to lift. The cages are small and easy to handle”.

Nature had other ideas The company’s growth has been in spite of serious obstacles. Sardinia experienced catastrophic flooding in both 2008 and 2009.

“We had to rebuild our farm twice, and we lost nearly 80 of the profit for those years”. Now, Gorla finds his company fighting a natural

disease that is being advanced anthropogenically.

Oyster Herpes Virus type 1 (OsHV-1) has led to an annual mortality of between 55 and 60 at Ostricola.

According to the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (Ifremer), OsHV-1 seems to be spreading in Europe, and its spread could accelerate as seas continue to warm. The virus killed between 20 to 100 of breeding Pacific oysters in some French beds in 2008, 2009, and 2010. And in 2010, the virus was discovered in the southeastern English city of Whitstable. Tristan Renault, Eurofish Magazine 1/ 2013

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director of Ifremer’s genetic and pathology laboratory, explains, “The virus is so efficient that it can wipe out 80 of the oysters in a bed within a week”.

Gorla attended the recent Oyster World Congress in Arcachon, where it became clear that the virus has become the most serious problem faced by oyster farmers.

His strategy has been to purchase twice the number of spat. “Yes, it’s expensive both financially and in labour costs, but it is necessary to assure production”, Gorla reports.

Gallic influence Today, China produces more than 80 of the world’s farmed oysters.

Japan and South Korea are second and third, respectively. France is fourth, the largest producer in Europe with an annual production of 120,000 t of the cupped oyster Crassostrea gigas and an additional 1,500 t of the flat oyster Ostrea edulis.

Gorla has close ties to the French molluscan aquaculture industry, which is not surprising because, in addition to Gorla’s eager-

ness to exchange information and the fact that he purchases spat from French sources, Italy imports 90, approximately 7,000 tonnes, of its oysters from France. He admits that France suffers from a shortage of production and imports oysters for domestic consumption. “So why they are interested in selling to Italy? They sell to Italy what they can’t sell in France because the quality is not so high”.

He continues, “Italians want to eat oysters but they are used to eating inexpensive, low quality oysters.

I think that if the Italian market were educated to recognize good oysters and had access to good production, consumption would rise. Educating the public would mean a serious increase in our business”. To cultivate his contacts with the French oyster farming industry, Gorla has learned to speak French. But he says that the interest is mutual on the part of the French. “The French understood, before the Italians, what was happening in Italian aquaculture. They invited me to their meetings, because they wanted to hear about our experiences”.

He recalls asking them, “Why do you want to about know my experience when your fathers, your grandfathers, practised this for so many years?” They explained that French farmers have been doing the same thing for generations, often without questioning if it was right or wrong. “They told me, ‘You are like a virgin’. They knew that I was seeking new ways of doing things, for example studying Australian methods. They were very interested”.

A system for farming oysters Gorla admits that there are as many different systems for farming oysters as there are farming locations.

In the system that he has developed, he follows traditional methods as well as introducing innovations from around the world.

Gorla purchases the spat from France. They are approximately 4 mm, and are placed in bags with fine mesh, where the seed is nursed until individual oysters are about 1 cm in size. Using a system developed in Australia, the bags are attached to floatation devices,

The oysters from Ostricola, a company farming oysters on Sardinia, are slightly more expensive than those from France or the Netherlands, but they are fresher and usually none have to be discarded.

allowing them to float with the tides, an Australian innovation.

He points out that, on the French Atlantic coast, tides recede, exposing oysters to the air. “This is very important”, he says, “because dry oysters keep clean, the parasites die, and the grass doesn’t grow as much”. In the Mediterranean, however, the tide does not allow the oysters to dry, and so Gorla uses a system that allows the cages to be adjusted according to the needs of the moment, floating to the surface and coming into contact with the air, as necessary.

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Alessandro Gorla (left), the owner of Ostricola, and his brother Fabrizio.

price”. Currently, the company is permitted to lease just three hectares of the lagoon, which has a total area of 2,230 hectares. Gorla points to concerns about water pollution caused by industry

and mining operations and the intransigence of local authorities as limiting factors. “If I could use more of this lagoon, we could do more, much more. I could easily reach 100 tons”.

The actual farming of the oysters began in 2008 and production in 2011 was 16 tonnes.

Lines holding the bags and cages are not fixed to poles but are allowed to move up and down.

Gorla explains, “For example, during winter rains, the surface water becomes fresh, and salinity drops.

We are able to lower the oysters to the bottom where salinity is higher”. After a few months, the oysters will have grown enough to be placed in the final cages. As they grow, each develops a foot with byssal threads with which to attach itself to a solid surface.

So begins the nearly continuous, effort-intensive process of sorting the oysters and placing them in cages according to size.

Oysters are harvested by lifting the racks to the surface and removing mature oysters. It usually takes between 12 and 14 months from the time the spat are put in the sacks until harvesting.

After harvesting, the oysters are sorted again according to size and are placed in depuration tanks www.eurofishmagazine.com

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for 24 hours. During depuration, the oysters are rinsed in clean seawater to expel impurities and intestinal contents, addressing the problem of human illness caused by viral and bacterial contaminants. Finally, they are packed in wooden crates each weighing three kilos, and they are shipped to customers. Currently, distribution is limited to Italy, mostly in Sardinia, and to a few customers on the Mediterranean coast.

The urge to grow Gorla says, “We are increasing our production and hope to go to Rome and Milan soon, and eventually much farther. Our greatest difficulty is not sales but the limits imposed on production, such as the company’s size and the size of the lagoon.

Unfortunately, we have not yet reached other markets. We are forced to produce small quantities but with high quality at a high

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The best oyster

A grading machine sorts the oysters in to different sizes to ensure a uniform final product.

Wooden frames with a plastic mesh are also used to keep the oysters.

As he expresses his plans for the future, his impatience becomes clear. “I would like to have more.

Maybe I can expand by finding another place. Having two different production locations would lessen the risk by spreading it around. If one place is unlucky one year, I can count on the other”.

The company has received EU funding through the European Fisheries Fund (EFF; the Fundo Europeo de la Pesca, in Italian), that enabled them to erect structures and buy machinery. Gorla says that he designed the project and wrote the proposal alone, which brought him great personal satisfaction.

Ostricola Company Fact File Ostricola Via Nazionale SNC Loc. Traversa 08020 San Teodoro (OT), Italy Tel.: +39 383 3646566 Fax: +39 0623 3210873 info@ostricola.it, www.ostricola.it 40

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Managing Director: Alessandro Gorla Products: Oysters Volume: 16 tonnes in 2012 Markets: Italy Employees: 6

Gorla is quick to point out the difference between his oysters and others on the Italian market.

“It’s very difficult to find the right sized oyster in Italy. Here, the consumer is used to very large oysters, seven oysters per kilo, but they are too big. Smaller is better”. According to Gorla, most oysters in Italy are consumed in restaurants. “Restaurant owners are in the habit of paying €6 per kilo for oysters from France or the Netherlands, with seven or eight oysters per kilo. And this is after four to six days of travel, so one or two of these must be discarded. So, for five or six oysters they are paying €6.

“We sell a kilo for between €10 and €12, and they get 13 or 14 oysters, with little or no waste because the shipping time is minimal. The price is higher, but they get more fresh, high-quality oysters”. At the beginning, customers perceived the price as being high. “But now, customers who started out buying three or four boxes are buying 20 or 30 boxes at the same price. Here is proof that this is the way to survive and keep growing”. Most oysters are eaten either raw or very lightly cooked, and so it is crucial that they be alive until the moment they are consumed.

Gorla notes, “We are obliged to indicate that on the label. It is European law”.

He explains how to recognise a dead oyster. “If it is dead, it opens. A good oyster is closed, strongly and securely. They must be resistant to opening, and if you tap it, they have to sound like they are full, not like a bell.

They should be filled with water.

If the oyster is dry or open, throw it away. Oysters are more delicate than other molluscs because

they are usually eaten raw, but it also applies to mussels”.

Subtle differences Each oyster has its own meroir, something like a memory of the water in which it grew, reflecting the water’s salinity, temperature, and quality. According to internationally recognized chef Michael Cressotti, “You’re tasting the region and salinity of the water, just like the terroir of a wine, where you can taste the soil and the grapes”. Gorla describes his oysters are being more perfumed, tasting more of the sea. “Our water is cleaner and saltier, and our oysters feed on a different type of micro-organism, giving them a different flavour”.

He asserts that there is no difference between farmed and wild oysters. “As a farmer, I can’t even tell. A wild oyster that grows here in my water is like the farmed one. My oysters are very ecologically healthy, as good as wild or better, because I take care of the shape and the quality. It’s in my interest to use techniques that provide the growing oysters access to the field in the best way possible, every time”.

In light of the hard physical labour, natural disasters, and the struggle to reach the capacity that he wants, is Gorla still happy with his decision to abandon work in the financial sector?

“Yes, I really am. I’m lucky because I have had this opportunity to choose my job. It gives me great satisfaction because at Ostricola we all like our jobs and our products. I have the chance to create some jobs, and in an area like this, that’s very important.

We have done very well in spite of everything, and we are going to continue to do well. We have a great future in front of us”.

William Anthony www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Luciano Cocci makes machinery for the bivalve industry

Crisis encourages diversification into new markets Luciano Cocci is an Italian company based in Coriano, Rimini, on the Adriatic coast, that produces equipment for shellfish farming and processing. Italy has a significant production of farmed shellfish, of which the largest volumes are from Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis), and the clams, Japanese carpet shell (Ruditapes philippinarum), and grooved carpet shell (Ruditapes decussatus).

A

ccording to FAO data for Italy production of Mediterranean mussels increased slightly from 62 thousand to 64 thousand tonnes between 2006 and 2010, but the period hides considerable fluctuations. Between 2007 and 2009 production went

from 58 thousand tonnes to 77 thousand tonnes, an increase of 33. In the case of Japanese carpet shell, also known as Manila clam, the trend has also been downward – from 57 to 36 thousand tonnes between 2006 and 2010, while over the same period grooved carpet shell pro-

duction went from 5,400 tonnes to 1,000 tonnes.

Investing in farms to build better machines Effective production of mussels today can involve a high degree of mechanisation. Machines can

take over some of the more tedious jobs freeing up labour to be deployed elsewhere. They can also work faster and more efficiently and in circumstances that may be uncomfortable or potentially dangerous for humans. In Italy different systems are used for the cultivation of bivalves.

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Mediterranean mussels are grown on ropes suspended from long lines. The seed is attached to the ropes and is kept in place with the help of a nylon mesh and the ropes are suspended from the long lines. The long lines use floatation devices such as buoys and are anchored at either end. Depending on the location the farmer attaches the seed to the rope manually or with a machine that fixes the seed to the rope using a cotton or nylon mesh that later disintegrates.

By the time the mesh disintegrates however the mussel has attached itself to the rope. In the Adriatic Sea around Rimini there is a natural abundance of seed.

As a result farmers do not have to attach the seed to the rope – it occurs naturally.

Luciano Cocci designs and constructs machinery for each stage of the production of molluscs.

It started out in 1978 as a firm that specialised in mechanical engineering and five years later decided to focus its efforts on the production of machinery to completely equip clam fishing boats. It went on to design and produce equipment for the mussel farming industry and today has formed a collaboration with a vessel builder in order to offer a complete turnkey solution for mussel farmers. As a supplier of equipment to the mussel farming industry the company felt that it was important to experience exactly all the issues a mussel farmer faced. It decided therefore to invest in its own mussel production facility. This would give it the relevant insight into mussel production and contribute to the development of innovative solutions. The company has three boats of 23 m, 16 m and 12 m which it has equipped with its own equipment for the production of mussels.

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Initial equipment for clam dredgers The main activity on board the boats is to work on the mussels; to bring the sock on board from the water, open it, take out the mussels, grade them, and resock them. All the machinery on board the vessel is made by the company. We are primarily a manufacturer of machinery, says Danilo Cocci, who works for his father, the owner of the company. We started by supplying the equipment needed on board the kinds of boats, which are used to fish clams. Then 7-8 years ago we bought a small farm with one boat in order to test the performance of our equipment. The farm is for the production of mussels, but the equipment can be used for mussels, clams, oysters, and sea snails among other products. Though it is still used to test and adapt equipment, the farm has also expanded and become an activity in its own right with a significant production of mussels. Today it comprises three sites with lines while at another site the company is experimenting with a new kind of line that will allow them to produce more using less space. Currently there is one line of this new kind in production, but the new site will only have the new type of line. Prototypes of equipment that can be used with the new lines are already being tested The production from the farm is mainly sold as mussels in the sock to customers, who return the socks to the sea at their own sites to grow them some more. If they do not reintroduce the mussels into the sea, they open the socks, separate the mussels, grade them, and pack them in nets for sale to the retail sector. We do not sell directly to the retailers, says Danilo Cocci, but occasionally we will pack 20-30 kilos of mussels in nets for some

customers. One of the problems the farmers in that part of the Adriatic have to deal with is the quantities of seed. Mr Cocci explains how in the Adriatic there is an abundance of seed for 8 to 9 months in the year. Unlike in other areas here there is so much seed, he says, that we have more of a problem getting rid of it as it settles on the socks and unless we remove it we cannot sell the socks as it adds to the weight and customers will only pay for mussel not for seed.

Water parameters are monitored constantly The ready availability of seed has laid the foundation for an important mussel farming industry in the Emilia Romagna region.

Giuseppe Prioli, the president of the Association of Mediterranean Aquaculturists (AMA), says there are 24-25 farms in the area each with an average area of one square km and with 20,000 to 30,000 m of longlines, which are typically 1,000 to 2,000 m in length and 50 m apart. The longlines are held up by buoys which also indicate whether the socks are ready to be harvested. When the buoys are low in the water it means that the sock is heavy with mussels and should be processed. The socks are suspended along the longline at a distance of half to one m from each other. The interval depends on the individual farmer. If they hang too close to each other the sock can touch the bottom and the mussels will drop off, but if they hang too far apart the longline has fewer socks and lower yield. The temperature of the water also plays an important role in the output. Winter temperatures in the Adriatic are 5-6 degrees C, but in the summer the temperature can rise to 27-28 degrees C, which is too warm for the mussels and can cause them to stop growing as well as weaken the byssus threads which attach

Luciano Cocci, the founder and owner of Lucian Cocci srl, a producer of equipment for the bivalve sector.

the mussel to the sock. Temperature along with salinity, oxygen content, and other parameters are monitored by an institute which takes samples from five sites along the coast. This data is also released to AMA and Dr Prioli places it on a website to which all the members of the association have access.

Adriatic produces 70% of Italy’s mussels Out of Italy’s 20 regions mussel farming is practiced in 13 of which Emilia Romagna has the greatest area under cultivation and the highest production of mussels.

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture puts the area at 39.5 sq. km and a production of 18,000 tonnes in 2010, 26 of the total.

According to Dr Eraldo Rambaldi, the director of AMA, this type of offshore farming started first in the late 80s and early 90s, while before that aquaculture had been mainly in the lagoons. The development of technology, buoys, boats, lines, anchors, chains, etc. enabled the move offshore. The Adriatic is also a relatively shallow sea; the sites where the mussels are farmed have a depth of 10-12 m. In contrast the Tyrrhenian Sea on the Italian west coast is much deeper, 3 km from the coast and the depth can be 100 m or more. This makes it www.eurofishmagazine.com

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that are fully equipped for bivalve farmers.

Focus on innovative solutions and new markets should deliver growth

The company’s customers usually buy socks to be returned to the water. These are not processed but loaded directly onto pallets for delivery.

too expensive to farm offshore, but there are inshore sites where mussels are cultivated. The cultivation is limited however, 70 of the Italian production of mussels comes from the Adriatic.

Equipment for finfish processing a new area On the machinery side Cocci is producing a wide range of shellfish processing and packaging machinery, packaging machines, multihead weighers, and equipment for mussel farms and boats.

One of the first pieces that we made was a grader for clams, says Danilo Cocci. It was made in stainless steel and vibrated and

Luciano Cocci srl Luciano Cocci srl Via Maranello 1 47853 Coriano (RN) Italy Tel.: +39 0541 658449 Fax: +39 0541 657984 cocci@cocci.it www.cocci.it Directors: Luciano Cocci, Danilo Cocci www.eurofishmagazine.com

06_Italy_IT.indd 43

could replace the manual version that was widespread at the time. Gradually over the years the machinery became more sophisticated and more varied and the company today is focusing on innovative new machines that will bring about even greater efficiencies in the production. The range of machines includes declamping, grading, socking machines, belts, brushers, cleaners, and polishers for bivalves as well graders and printers for the labels that go on the products. Cocci is also looking at new areas such as finfish production and developing machines such as sorting equipment for fish, which is particularly useful in the kind of multispecies fishery found

Company Fact File Activities: Equipment manufacture; mussel farming Products: Processing and packaging machinery for the bivalve farming industry Markets: Italy, Spain, France, Iceland, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Germany etc.; Canada, USA, Australia, Turkey, Mexico, etc.

in the Mediterranean. The machinery is built in-house in the 6,000 sq. m workshop and each piece is custom-made to suit the particular requirements of the client. Smaller components, such as motors, are sourced from outside but all the stainless steel work is done by the company. We have 200-300 different models and we produce 2-3 of each every year, says Danilo Cocci.

We also do turnkey projects and have entered into collaboration with a boat builder to provide boats

The main market for the machinery is in Italy and Spain, but the equipment also sells in other parts of the world including Canada, Iceland, and Australia. The company offers after sales service in Italy and parts of Spain, while it has resellers covering the rest of Spain and in Canada who provide the same service. Developing its markets abroad has helped the company blunt the impact of the economic crisis which has deeply affected Italy. Local customers were not investing in their businesses and buying new machinery and sales in other parts of Europe and the world compensated. Developing machines for new business areas is another way of safeguarding the company against slumps in demand in certain sectors and by focusing on innovative solutions to existing and potential problems Luciano Cocci is ensuring a successful future for itself.

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Associazione Mediterranea Acquacoltori (AMA), the Association of Mediterranean Aquaculturists

Networking across Europe for the benefit of its members The culture of bivalves in Italy has a long tradition. The country produced some 111,000 tonnes of bivalves in 2011 using several different kinds of gear including fixed systems, longlines, offbottom and bags. Sites of bivalve cultivation can be found in 13 of the 20 Italian regions, with the main producers being Emilia Romagna, Sardinia, and Apulia. Mussels and Japanese carpet shell clams dominate the production.

Since 2002 the industry has been supported in its efforts by the Associazione Mediterranea Acquacoltori (AMA), the Association of Mediterranean Aquaculturists, an umbrella organisation for the marine aquaculture industry in Italy. It has 64 members, most of them cooperatives with a combined production of some 34,000 tonnes of mussels and 13,000 tonnes of clams (2011). While most members cultivate mussels and clams, there are a few who farm other products, such as seabass and sea bream, and oysters. AMA

works to promote the bivalve and fish farming industry in Italy, representing it in various fora, providing assistance in different circumstances and cooordinating the development of the industry all along the value chain. Project preparation, environmental evaluations, and the dissemination of information about new technology are also among the activities of the association. AMA is part of Lega Pesca, the national association of cooperatives in the fisheries sector and is also a member of EMP, the European Mollusc Producer’s Oganisation.

Dr Eraldo Rambaldi, director of the Association of Mediterranean Aquaculturists.

Dr Giuseppe Prioli, president of the Association of Mediterranean Aquaculturists.

Bivalve production in Italian regions in 2010 (tonnes) Region

Mussels

Percentage

Japanese carpet shell

Percentage

Emilia Romagna

17,652

26.3

17,587

48.3

Apulia

16,265

24.2

524

1.44

17,407

47.8

Veneto

12,023

17.9

Sardinia

5,129

7.6

Grooved carpet shell

Percentage

Oysters

Percentage

Total 35,239

27

34.6

16,816

11

14.1

22,611

12,023 63.8

0.2

Marche

3,523

5.2

3,523

Molise

2,750

4.1

2,750

Friuli Venezia Giulia

2,489

3.7

Campania

2,420

3.6

710

1.95

3,199 2,420

Liguria

1,854

2.8

Abruzzo

1,182

1.8

0

1,854

Sicily

1068

1.6

197

1,182 0.54

40

51.3

1,305

Lazio

698

1

698

Calabria

80

0.1

80

Total

67,133

100

36,425

100

78

100

103,700

Source: MIPAAF, AMA, SIRAM

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Caviar Giaveri has been farming fish for over 30 years

Building a brand for sturgeon caviar The implosion of the Soviet Union in the 90s also signalled the collapse of wild stocks of sturgeon in the Caspian Sea due to overfishing and rampant poaching. As the fear became widespread that sturgeons were heading for extinction, two species Acipenser sturio and A. brevirostrum were placed on Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) while all other sturgeon species were placed on Appendix II. An Appendix I listing effectively bans international trade in the species while Appendix II subjects the trade to strict rules and regulations.

Set on 15 ha in Treviso province in the northeast, Caviar Giaveri is among the biggest producers of caviar in Italy.

T

he word “caviar” is not a protected term and may be used to designate eggs from other fish species and even for roe-like products produced from seaweed or other raw materials. However, for most connoisseurs, the word caviar should really only refer to the eggs of the sturgeon. The three best known caviar varieties are those from the fish Huso huso, Acipenser

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gueldenstaedti and A. stellatus know by their Russian names Beluga, Ossetra, and Sevruga respectively. Beluga caviar is universally acknowledged as the best tasting. It is also the rarest and the most expensive as the fish takes 14 to 20 years to mature. The eggs are large with a diameter between 3 and 3.3 mm, a relatively thin skin, the taste reportedly creamy and the colour can vary from light

to dark grey. The Ossetra eggs are smaller, from 2.7 mm, with a tougher skin, nutty in flavour with a taste of the sea, and the colour can vary from light grey brown to deep brown sometimes with gold flecks. Although Ossetra caviar is primarily from A. gueldenstaedti, eggs from A. persicus or A. nudiventris are also termed Ossetra.

Sevruga (A. stellatus) eggs are the smallest, reaching a maximum of

1 mm in diameter, and have a thin skin with a medium grey to steel grey colour.

Caviar from farmed sturgeon dominates the market With the trade in wild caviar so heavily circumscribed, producers around the world have been Eurofish Magazine 1/ 2013

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investing in the production of farmed sturgeon to meet the demand for caviar. From 2001 to 2010, according to data from FAO, the production of cultivated sturgeon went from 3,100 tonnes to 40,000 tonnes. In 2010 the world’s biggest producer was China with 35,000 tonnes followed by Russia (2,100 tonnes) and Italy (750 tonnes).

sensors monitor all the parameters influencing the wellbeing of the fish such as oxygen, temperature, and ammonia. If threshold levels are exceeded the system reacts to bring the level of the offending parameter back within the specified limits.

In Italy one of the biggest producers is Caviar Giaveri based in Treviso province in the Veneto region. A family-owned company run by Rodolfo Giaveri and his three daughters, Giada, Joys, and Jenny, Caviar Giaveri started as a producer of eel in 1980, and then diversified into sturgeon cultivation to produce caviar. The production of eel continues though the volumes are limited and production is intended mainly for the Christmas market, when the demand for eel peaks. But the main product today is sturgeon.

Caviar Giaveri has several species of sturgeon in stock including the rare Huso huso, Acipenser gueldenstaedti, A. stellatus, A. baerii, A. persicus, A. naccarii, and A. transmontanus as well as some hybrids. The fish were bought from Russia in the 80s and are grown in outdoor tanks where

The caviar from each of the species produced at Caviar Giaveri is different and, in addition, each species takes different lengths of time to mature. This influences the price of the caviar – generally eggs from the slower growing fish are priced higher than those from fish that mature faster to reflect the higher cost of the inputs, feed, water, electricity, oxygen etc. Three years ago the company invested in a processing facility to extract the caviar and to process the sturgeon meat. The facility is HACCP certified and all the equipment was acquired when the plant was built and is therefore also as good as new.

In the production season, after establishing that the eggs are ready the live fish are placed in icy water to stun them, the gills are slit, the fish cut open and the egg sacs removed. These are

Caviar Giaveri

Company Fact File

Caviar Giaveri Via Villanova 10 31030 San Bartolomeo di Breda (TV) Italy Tel.: +39 0422 686038 Fax: +39 0422 686114 info@caviargiaveri.com www.caviargiaveri.com Owner: Rodolfo Giaveri Activity: Farming sturgeon for caviar and meat 46

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Strict CITES requirements to be followed

Species: Huso huso (Beluga), Acipenser gueldenstaedti (Ossetra), A. stellatus (Sevruga), A. baerii, A. persicus, A. naccarii, and A. transmontanus, as well as hybrids.

Employees: 12 Facilities: 100 ponds on 15 ha, HACCP certified processing unit Products: Beluga, Ossetra, Sevruga caviar, caviar from other sturgeon species, under Caviar Giaveri label and for repackaging; sturgeon meat Markets: Europe USA

placed in a tray and handed over to the next stage of the process through a hatch that is meant to prevent any contamination from the fish from reaching the room where the roe is processed. The fish carcass is headed and tailed and then frozen, if it is a big species it will be first cut into pieces.

The facility has full traceability both for sanitary purposes and to comply with CITES requirements. And so for each product the species, the weight, the pond, the batch and other details are provided on the label. The whole system is automated so that once the data is fed in it generates a label. The meat is sold mainly frozen though some quantity is also sold fresh. The meat is really a by product of the caviar extraction process and is not produced unless in connection with the production of caviar. To limit the production of meat the young fish of two to three years are subject to ultrasound tests to establish their gender and the males are removed. Giada Giaveri, a daughter of the owner and the person responsible for quality control, says that the market for the meat in Italy is limited, so the company has begun to export the meat to Azerbaijan and Georgia, where demand for the meat is higher.

Exporting sturgeon meat like all sturgeon products is not easy as, due to its CITES listing, its movement is tightly controlled, which means transactions are closely monitored by the authorities, and exporters (and importers) have to comply with special rules and regulations.

Caviar Giaveri brand currently mainly sold in Italy These controls apply both to the eggs and the meat. After separation from the fish the egg sacs are opened and the eggs removed

Rodolfo Giaveri the owner of Caviar Giaveri, a sturgeon farming and caviar production company in Treviso, Italy.

Tins of the most sought-after caviar, Beluga, from the eggs of Huso huso.

and washed gently and quickly as exposing them to too much water for too long can damage the final product. The cleaned eggs are mixed with salt and a tiny quantity of borax (max 0.04) to preserve them and are then placed in tins. These are termed the primary tins with sizes varying from 100 g to 1.7 kg, which are intended for the wholesale market. The caviar stays in the primary tins for two to three months undergoing a process of maturation during which the liquids (water and fats) drain away and the salt penetrates the egg leaving a drier, firmer product ready to be repackaged in secondary tins. These secondary tins carry the Caviar Giaveri label and are sold mainly on the Italian market. The tins weigh from 10 g to 500 g with six different www.eurofishmagazine.com

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weights in between. We export the primary tins to several other parts of Europe, says Giada Giaveri, including Germany, France, Switzerland, and Belgium, and we are now starting with our own brand in the USA and are exploring the Brazilian and Asian market, which we believe has a lot of potential again for sales of our own brand. At the moment, though, in general, sales on the Italian market are under the Caviar Giaveri label while those outside Italy are repackaged under other peoples’ brands. In addition to the regular sales channels the company also uses the Internet to make sales both within Italy and outside. Once the order comes in we can process it, package the goods and ship them very quickly, says Giada Giaveri, using insulated packaging material so that the temperature of the product is maintained properly during transit. Within Italy a delivery takes 24 hours with a courier and the ice will keep the caviar cooled for that period. The web shop started a year ago in December and orders have gradually been picking up to reach a level of 1-2 a day.

is only at specific times of the year, from September, October to early December and then again briefly in spring around February, March. The shelf life of the product in the primary tins is 18 months. Some customers prefer fresh caviar as the salt has not had time to penetrate, so the company packages that as well. Usually the caviar is not pasteurised

though the processing facility has the equipment necessary to pasteurise. The difference is in the taste and the shelf life. Pasteurised products have a shelf life of 180 days, but the process can have an impact on the taste that is not to everyone’s liking.

Perhaps the most important aspect for a caviar producer

is building a credible brand.

Rodolfo Giaveri the owner of Caviar Giaveri says that brand building is also the most difficult and expensive side of marketing.

Caviar is also much too expensive for it to be widely consumed and he feels one of the ways of making it more accessible is by removing all the intermediaries between the producer and the consumer.

DSI high quality Plate Freezers in a class of their own ... WE DO NOT DARE TO COMPROMISE OUR QUALITY! DSI RANGE OF PLATE FREEZERS INCLUDES: UÊ -Ì> `>À`ÊÛiÀÌ V> Ê« >ÌiÊvÀiiâiÀÃ UÊ >ÌÊÌ «ÊÛiÀÌ V> Ê« >ÌiÊvÀiiâiÀÃ UÊ ÕÌ >Ì VÊL ÌÌ Ê` ÃV >À}iÊÛiÀÌ V> Ê« >ÌiÊvÀiiâiÀÃ UÊ -Ì> `>À`Ê À â Ì> Ê« >ÌiÊvÀiiâiÀÃ UÊ -i v V Ì> i`Ê À â Ì> Ê« >ÌiÊvÀiiâiÀÃ UÊ L i`Ê À â Ì> ÊL >ÃÌÉ« >ÌiÊvÀiiâiÀÃ UÊ À â Ì> Ê« >ÌiÊvÀiiâiÀÃÊÜ Ì ÊÃ } iÊ «i }Ê «iÀ>Ì UÊ Ê« >ÌiÊvÀiiâiÀÃÊ>ÀiÊ>««À Ûi`Êv ÀÊ ÓÊqÊ À iÊqÊ >ÊqÊ Ài UÊ *>Ìi Ìi`Ê Ài* ÌÊÃÞÃÌi Êv ÀÊi>ÃÞÊV ÌÀ Ê vÊV ÀiÊÌi «iÀ>ÌÕÀiÉvÀiiâ }ÊÌ i

Separate label for the retail sector A separate line of products called Privilege is intended for the retail sector as well as for medium level hotels and restaurants. The caviar is good quality from A. baerii, but this is one of the cheapest kinds of caviar that retails at around EUR20 for 15 g, says Giada Giaveri. For the distribution of its own branded product within Italy the company uses a well know distributor of fine gastronomy products, Jolanda de Colò, through which the caviar is distributed across the country.

The product is sold all around the year, but the caviar production www.eurofishmagazine.com

06_Italy_IT.indd 47

*>À Ûi ÊxÊUÊ ÎxÓÊ ÞLÛ>`ÊUÊ* i\ʳ{xÊ nÊnÈÊ{ÓÊ ÊUÊ >Ý\ʳ{xÊ nÊnÈÊ{ÈÊÈäÊUÊ > \Ê`à J`à >ðV

www.dsi-as.com

See you at: SPE-Brussels 23-25 April 2013 r Hall 4, Stand 6015 Eurofish Magazine 1/ 2013

47

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ITALY

Trout farmers work to develop environmentally-friendly packaging

Reducing the carbon footprint of products for institutional catering

P

ier Salvador farms rainbow trout on four sites in the region of Veneto. The sites are small and production is modest, but the fish is of a very high standard, says Mr Salvador, who considers his a niche product with a strong focus on quality. The reason, he explains, is that the water is very good and there is a lot of it, which is crucial to farm trout. The water in the area, in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in the north eastern part of Italy, is spring water that comes up from the ground at a constant temperature of 11-12 degrees. It feeds the basins where the fish is grown to market size for export, for put and take angling, or to be processed. In Italy about 60 of the trout production is processed, gradually replacing the sale of whole fish.

Fillets are becoming increasingly popular as they save time and effort. About 70 of the processing is in the hands of the farmers themselves, says Pier Salvador. If the farmer also has broodstock then he controls all the steps in the production chain, which enables better quality control and a quicker response if a problem arises. In his own production Pier Salvador relies on other suppliers for the eggs, which are then incubated in his hatcheries.

Members of Pier Salvador’s family have been among the pioneers of the trout farming industry in the area and it was his uncle 48

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Rainbow trout is increasingly being processed into fillets in Italy usually by the farmers themselves who control about 70% of the processing.

who founded the association, Associazione Piscicoltori Italiani (API), the body representing the freshwater fish farmers in Italy.

Today, Pier Salvador is the president of API. Together with other farmers in the association he is working on a series of troutbased products such as burgers, and trout salami that can be used for institutional catering in local schools, old-age homes, and hospitals. The idea is to encourage the consumption of products that are locally produced as it is better for the environment, says Mr Salvador. The group also plans to use packaging, where all the components, the tray, the

Dr Pier Antonio Salvador, the director of Associazione Piscicoltori Italiani (API), the body representing freshwater fish farmers in Italy.

film and the label, all have environmental credentials. We want to make these products truly

sustainable, both in terms of the contents and the packaging, says Mr Salvador. www.eurofishmagazine.com

08/02/13 7:22 PM

GERMANY

Germany’s fish market

Sustainability is a prerequisite for market success Average per capita consumption of fish and seafood in Germany was 15.6 kg in 2011, thereby remaining stable at a high level for the sixth year in succession. Although new products create additional buying incentives fish consumption is mainly based on wellknown, tried and tested product forms. More and more consumers are interested in where the fish products they eat come from and whether they were produced under environmentally compatible conditions.

F

rom a global viewpoint there are of course numerous countries where more fish is eaten than in Germany.

With per capita consumption at 15.6 kg the average German can at most be ranked midfield in a worldwide comparison. Despite this, its population of 82 million makes Germany a powerful seafood market, particularly since 88 of demand for fish and seafood is satisfied by imports. Every year the Fish Information Centre (FIZ), a service organisation of the German fish industry, compiles current data, facts and figures on developments within the German market for fish making it possible to identify changes and trends.

Most of the figures named in this article are based on information from FIZ.

in 2007). Germany’s own production thus only covers 12 of total demand for fish and the remaining 88 comes from imports. In 2011 this amounted to the substantial quantity of 1.96 m t worth a total value of 3.56bn euros. Not all of the imports are actually consumed in Germany, however, for a considerable share of the fish products produced by the German processing industry are just as popular in other countries. The German fish industry exported nearly 1 m t of fishery products in 2011 (to be exact 957,000 t for a total value of 1.62bn euros). If German production, imports and exports are balanced against each other the result is a volume of 1.276 m t which remained in Germany and were marketed and consumed there.

The total volume of fish and fishery products (based on catch weight) on the German market in 2011amounted to 2.24 million tonnes which was on the same level as in previous years. More or less the same can be said for production from German fisheries and aquaculture, which rose slightly compared to 2010 from 274,000 to 278,000 t but was slightly below the volumes of earlier years (for example 330,000 t of fish were produced in Germany

German fish industry dependent on imports

www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Whilst in the case of motor vehicles, mechanical engineering and many other areas Germany is one of the world’s leading export nations the foreign trade balance for fish and seafood has shown deficits for decades. In 2011 88 of German demand for fish had to be satisfied by imports whose total value was 3.555bn euros compared to an export value of

A lot of supermarket chains have introduced service counters for fresh fish again to enable them to target customers specifically and demonstrate their freshness concept.

1.623bn euros. The main supply countries for fish and fish products in 2011 were again non-EU countries which accounted for 59 of total import value. Norway was able to assert its position as the main supply country (13.8 of import value), closely followed by China (11.4) and the USA (5.3).

The discrepancy between the very high market share of Alaska pollack and the relatively low import share of the USA is probably due to increased purchases of double frozen raw materials from China by some processing companies.

Vietnam (4.8) and Thailand (3.0) are among the supply countries which do not belong to the EU (over 18 in all). Within the EU, Poland (13.9) is the most

important supplier to the German fish industry, followed by The Netherlands and Denmark each with a share of 8.4. The broad spread of supply countries means that the German fish industry is in a stable position and can compensate supply shortages relatively fast if there are difficulties or bottlenecks in any of the countries concerned.

This is only true for smaller supply countries, however. Shortfalls of big suppliers in some product groups would be difficult to cope with… canned tuna and bonito, for example, for which nearly half of market demand of 73,016 t were imported from Ecuador (16,405 t) and the Philippines (15,376 t) Eurofish Magazine 1/ 2013

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in 2011. Dependence on Poland as a supply country for canned herring and marinades is even greater. In this product segment Polish companies had a share of two thirds of total imports in 2011.

Poland exported twice as many herring products (29,015 t) to Germany as the following countries together: Denmark (6,810 t), Sweden (3,343 t), Netherlands (2,465 t) and Lithuania (2,210 t).

Morocco holds a similarly strong position in the market for canned sardines, with their imports amounting to 4,361 t of the total import volume of 6,708 t, as does Denmark for canned mackerel, with imports accounting for 1,439 t of total imports of 2,200 t.

in 2010, whilst the share of canned tuna rose to 10 per cent. The market share of crustaceans and mollusc products rose slightly to 17.

Although individual supermarket chains have now introduced service counters for fish with a view to enabling additional buying incentives via freshness and quality and to stand out against competitors, fresh fish currently has a relatively low market share in Germany. At 9 it was on a level with smoked fish in 2011 which continues to be a popular product. Fish salads, together with other fish products such as matje herring, appetitsild, salted herring and fork bites, together accounted for 9 per cent.

Frozen products make up one third of the seafood market

Above average rise in fish price level

Marine fishes accounted for nearly two thirds of per capita seafood consumption in 2011 (10.1 kg), followed by freshwater species (3.6 kg) and crustaceans and molluscs (together 1.9 kg).

These figures are all based on catch weight. Alaska Pollack has for years topped the list of the most important fish species, undoubtedly due to the raw materials demands of the processing industry which uses this species for the production of fillets with toppings, fish fingers and other frozen convenience products.

Frozen products are particularly popular among German consumers. They held a market share of 31 in 2011, or nearly the same as in previous years. Canned fish and marinades had a market share of 25 in 2011, equal to a slight decrease compared to 2010 which was mainly due to slightly lower demand for canned and marinated herring. These products held a market share of 14 in 2011, 2 percentage points less than 50

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07_Germany_DE.indd 50

Strong price increases probably put a lot of consumers off buying more fish in 2011. Whilst overall, prices for foods rose by 2.4 in 2011 average prices for fish and fish products rose at retail level by 3.9. This is not due to higher raw materials prices alone but also to higher energy and transport costs within Germany. Comparison of the retail price indices for different foods over the past five years reveals that fish and fishery products rose most strongly.

Compared to 2005 (index 100) they climbed to 123.0. Price rises in the meat and meat products segment during the same period were considerably lower: 112.3.

Prices of dairy products and eggs (117.1), and bread and cereal products (116.2) did not rise as strongly as fish prices either. Viewed more closely, it can be seen that individual product groups within the fish segment were affected differently by price rises. The greatest increase in retail prices was for fresh fish, especially fillets which rose by an average of 9.3, followed by smoked fish prices

Smoked fish products held a 9% share of the German seafood market in 2011.

which rose by 4.1. The prices demanded for fish marinades remained nearly constant compared to the previous year and frozen fish product prices even fell by 0.3 Compared to other sectors of the food industry, companies in the fish industry play a rather subordinate role. Their share of food production accounted for only 1.4, or sales of 2.24bn euros in 2011, 461m euros being generated through sales abroad. About one fifth (19.86) of the fish products produced in Germany are exported. The average ex-factory sales value of all fishery products was 3.71 EUR/kg, which is slightly higher than in the previous year (3.65 EUR/kg).

In spite of this development, a lot of fish companies in Germany are not satisfied with their 2011results.

Although foreign sales rose at an above-average rate sales in Germany within the fish industry and fish wholesale sectors were for the most part below the previous year’s figures. The high costs for energy, agrarian raw materials, loans, fishes and seafood from fisheries and aquaculture and the fluctuating euro-dollar exchange rates reduced profits, particularly since in the price sensitive fish market in Germany there are hardly any

possibilities for producers to pass on their own rising costs to the customer. Considering the huge competitive pressure that prevails, the fish retail trade was happy that it could increase sales by 1.9.

Admittedly, that is not sufficient to compensate for the general rise in costs but it is proof of consumers continued high interest in fish and seafood despite higher prices.

Mainly trout and carp from aquaculture Germany’s marine fishermen caught 237,000 t of fish, mussels and crustaceans in 2011. 93,000 t were landed in German ports, 144,028 in foreign ports. In volume terms landings at German ports most importantly included herring, mussels, shrimps and mackerel, at foreign ports horse mackerel, sardines, herring, sprats and mackerel. The catches mostly come from the North Sea (77,879 t) and the waters to the west of the British Isles (51,195 t), followed by the Baltic (36,145 t) and the waters off Mauritania (30,555 t). Although the German deep sea fishing fleet only has a few fishing vessels it was also active in other fishing regions of the world, for example off the Norwegian coast (22,012 t), off Greenland (12,940 t) and even in the Pacific (471 t). www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Fish marinades are particularly popular among German consumers, especially since in 2011 prices in this segment remained almost constant compared to the previous year.

A large number of fishmongers in the meantime also have snack counters or small bistro sections which are generally well accepted by their customers.

Production from German inland fisheries and aquaculture remained constant in 2011 at 40,461 t.

Trout accounts for nearly two thirds of this quantity, and the rest are mainly carp and other freshwater fish species such as eel, zander, tench, African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) and wels catfish (Silurus glanis) plus several sturgeon species (Acipenser spp.).

argument that critics often use against fishing is that stocks are overfished. The extent of the problem is often intentionally exaggerated to paint a dramatic picture which will put consumers off eating fish. In order to offer sound information on the situation of the fish stocks and sustainable management of fishing resources the fish industry has together with fisheries researchers created the science-based data base “Fischbestände online” (http://fischbestaende.portal-fischerei.de) which offers fish buyers, traders and restaurateurs basic facts on the most important fish species.

Consumers are demanding more sustainable fish products As can be seen above there were no major changes in the upper ranks of the Top Ten apart from the fact that pangasius lost about one third of its market share within just two years. The reason for this drop can be seen in the changed image of this fish which was once very popular among German consumers.

Different media had recently given rather negative reports on the species. Television programmes portrayed poor hygiene and excessive use of chemicals and medication on Vietnamese pangasius farms which worried consumers and weakened demand. Mistrust concerning poor farming conditions in aquaculture is deeply rooted and despite publications to the contrary describing the actual situation on site and the growing number of certified farms it has not been possible to bring about www.eurofishmagazine.com

07_Germany_DE.indd 51

any great changes here. And this reveals what is probably currently the most significant trend in the German fish market: more and more consumers want to know where their fish comes from and under what conditions it was produced. Convenience level and flavour continue to be important but how a product is perceived among the public is no less important.

Excessive damage to the environment, unacceptable farming conditions or unsocial working conditions can all lead to considerably less chance of success on the market. Consumers’ interest and feeling of responsibility are welcome but also entail the risk that they can be used by opponents of the fish industry to create a negative “feel” for certain products. One

German consumers’ interest in more sustainability in fishing and aquaculture is increasingly

The ten most important fish species in Germany (figures in per cent) Species

2009

2010

2011

Alaska pollack

21.4

22.5

23.3

Herring

17.8

19.4

18.5

Salmon

13.8

13.4

12.5

Tuna, bonito

9.9

9.8

11.2

Pangasius

6.7

5.6

4.8

Trout

4.9

4.7

4.5

Cod

2.4

1.6

2.7

Saithe

4.4

3.3

2.4

Mackerel

1.5

1.1

2.3

Redfish

2.8

2.4

1.7

influencing the public discussion and putting considerable pressure on producers, traders and other stakeholders. As a result interest in fish and fishery products from sustainable sources with appropriate certificates has risen very strongly. According to an announcement by the Marine Stewardship Council there were in August 2012 already 4,348 fish and seafood products in Germany marked with the blue MSC logo for environmentally compatible fishing. In the meantime this number is likely to have risen further.

In Germany, consumers’ buying behaviour with regard to fish has changed noticeably over the past few years. Admittedly, people are not buying more fish but they are paying much more attention than in the past to sustainability and environmental compatibility of the products. However, that doesn’t mean that other general trends are thus becoming less important. Convenience, enjoyment value and healthy diet continue to be important prerequisites for successful marketing.

The number of consumers who, when buying fish, pay attention to dietary health and want to have more information on the origins, processing, and quality of the products they eat is growing all the time, even if they are still not representative of the majority of consumers. mk Eurofish Magazine 1/ 2013

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[ FISHERIES ] Still no respite in the “mackerel war”

EU increases pressure on Iceland’s fishery The negotiations between the EU and Norway on the one hand and Iceland and the Faroes on the other hand over the fishing of mackerel stocks in the North Atlantic are deadlocked. An agreement on the allocation of the fishing quotas is not in sight. This unacceptable situation is a risk to the sustainability of the mackerel fishery and presents to the world an example which could hardly be worse. Despite years of negotiations, civilised European states still haven’t managed to solve a fisheries conflict to the satisfaction of both parties.

I

t was to be expected that the effects of climate change would not be the same for everybody: there would be losers, and there would be winners. The warming of the North Atlantic is causing mackerel shoals to migrate much further north than they used to. This provides a welcome source of income for Iceland’s fishery which readily helped itself to a large piece of the lucrative cake – the total value of the mackerel fishery in the North East Atlantic being estimated at one billion euros. Iceland considered themselves entitled to take this step because they had been excluded from the management of the mackerel stock which is traditionally in the hands of the EU and Norway. Since 2008 Iceland (which previously hardly caught even 2,000 t of mackerel) has set its national fishing quotas unilaterally. And these quotas were not inconsiderable: last year, for example, 147,000 t. And if Iceland can do that, so can we, was the opinion on the Faroe Islands, which then took for itself a similar share of the stock. Last year the Faroese allotted themselves a quota of just below 149,000 t. That was five times higher than in 2009 when Faroese fishermen only caught 27,830 t mackerel. Their government claims that they are entitled to do this because the mackerel graze in the fishing zone of the 52

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islands every summer and during this time put on more than 50 per cent of their weight. These unilateral decisions seem to be setting an example: Greenland set itself a quota for the first time for 2012.

These unilateral decisions led to Iceland’s now being invited to take part in coastal state negotiations on the mackerel quota. But this has not brought any noticeable success, for so far nothing has been achieved. The two opposing parties have become firmly entrenched in their positions.

The catch recommendations of ICES for 2012 were based on the long-term management plan. The unilateral quotas undermine this concept, however, and the stock is no longer being managed according to the principle of sustainability. If every fishing nation fishes its quota to the full, this would amount to 45 more fishes being removed from the stock than the sustainability principle allows. As long as the disputing parties cannot agree to a sustainable total allowable catch (TAC) within the framework of the management plan the anarchical conditions in the North Atlantic mackerel fishery will prevail. If the fishery is continued at its current level the mackerel stock is likely to be outside of safe biological limits by 2014 at the latest.

The conflict over mackerel does not bode well for the future and it may be just the beginning of further global controversies if stocks redistribute.

Each party soon decided who was to blame for this dilemma. Iceland was behaving like a pirate, is the opinion of Martin Howley, an Irish trawler owner. The Icelanders were putting a valuable resource at risk to find a shortterm solution to their financial problems. “The EU and Norway are constantly making new offers to enable a breakthrough but Iceland and the Faroes refuse to budge even one centimetre from their standpoint”, commented Ian Gatt, the Chief Executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, annoyed by the course the negotiations were taking. Friðrik Arngrímsson, the Managing Director of the

Federation of Icelandic Fishing Vessel Owners, countered that they would be only too happy to agree to maximum catch levels within the framework of the ICES recommendations but that the other party was preventing this.

And the Association of Icelandic Fishermen is of the opinion that Iceland as a sovereign state is naturally entitled to set the mackerel quota in its own waters. They had after all wanted to negotiate with the EU and Norway but these had, in spite of numerous offers to talk, refused to listen to reason and had continued to exclude Iceland from the negotiation rounds. The situation is quite complicated: one party refuses to www.eurofishmagazine.com

08/02/13 8:19 PM

[ FISHERIES ] give up any of their fishing quotas, believing them to be their birthright. The other party considers its claims to be equally just and so simply creates a fait accompli.

Even Scotland’s Fisheries Minister Richard Lochhead recognizes the fact that the mackerel schools today often penetrate Icelandic waters… which did not, however, mean that Iceland could just help itself to them opportunistically.

Presumably it has been forgotten that the Scottish fishery also once benefited when the mackerel shoals remained further east a few years earlier. At its core, the dispute boils down to a simple question: Who do the mackerel belong to and who has the right to catch them?

MSC has temporarily suspended mackerel certificates What is particularly absurd about this year-long dispute is the fact that all parties really know how this conflict could be solved in a reasonable manner. The total catch volume would simply have to be divided up between all participating countries, taking Iceland more strongly into account than previously. But: how much “more strongly than previously”?

What would be a fair quota for Iceland?

Agreement will not be possible as long as one side is not prepared to forgo anything and the other side fears that they will get a raw deal. It seems to be of no interest to both sides that they are taking far too many fishes out of the stock and that their fishery is not sustainable. Iceland even accepts that its sustainability logo “Iceland Responsible Fisheries” will forfeit some of its credibility.

The text describing the standard claims that sustainable, responsible fisheries management is a principal pillar of the Icelandic www.eurofishmagazine.com

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fishing industry. This doesn’t seem to apply to the mackerel fishery, however.

The Marine Stewardship Council did the only right thing and, on 30 March 2012, informed the nine MSC-certified mackerel fisheries in the North East Atlantic that their certificates were provisionally suspended. This means that mackerel from these fisheries that were caught after the deadline are, pending further notice, no longer permitted to bear the blue and white label for good management and sustainability. Nearly 1,400 mackerel products, whether fresh or smoked, canned or frozen, are likely to be affected by this decision. Numerous fishermen and fisheries companies that went through the time-consuming, expensive certification process and have now lost the logo through measures decided on by others are frustrated, and quite a lot of them see this step as unfair. But the MSC had no other choice here. It has to suspend the certificate if the capacity of the whole mackerel fishery is not taken sufficiently into account, in order not to forfeit customer confidence in the logo.

The significance of this conflict in the meantime goes far beyond the fisheries sector and it is having a negative effect on political relations between the countries involved. Let us recapitulate: In the first nine months of the year 2008 when the global financial crisis was raging, the value of the Icelandic krona fell by 35 against the euro and the island’s banking system collapsed. Suddenly the financial security of EU membership seemed so attractive to a lot of Icelanders that they pushed their previous concerns aside.

Quite a few of them believed that this would be the quickest way to stabilise their currency and to restore credibility to their country

among loan creditors. In July 2009 the Icelandic government submitted to Brussels its application for EU membership. Minister President Johanna Sigurdardottir and her pro-European social democrats assumed at that time that the negotiations would not last longer than one and a half years and that Iceland would already be a member of the European Union by 2011.

In the meantime, no one is talking about this anymore.

Officially, the accession procedure is still on schedule and the first of 33 negotiation chapters have been completed. However, the facts are that the process has come to a standstill since the chapters that have been dealt with without problems were really only a formality because Iceland already fulfils the conditions anyway through its EFTA membership.

The “big chunks” are yet to come, and agreement is a long way off.

One contentious issue is recovery claims that Great Britain and the Netherlands made to Iceland on account of non-fulfilment of bank accounts with the savings bank Icesave. Both EU countries stepped in within the context of national bank guarantees for liabilities of the Icelandic Landsbanki which had collapsed under the financial crisis. Thousands of British and Dutch Icesave customers would otherwise have lost their money. The Icelanders at that time stated in a referendum that tax money should not be used to pay for Icelandic banks’ unsuccessful business. Because the EU Commission is a participant in the action before the EFTA Court some Icelandic parliamentary parties are already demanding the termination of the negotiations with Brussels. Iceland would actually in the meantime be able to afford the repayment of those 5 or 6 billion euros. The economic crisis now seems to be largely overcome.

Iceland’s economy grew by 2.7 in 2012 and 3 growth is expected for 2013. Unemployment figures are falling and the budget deficit was reduced from 14 in 2008 to about 1.5 in 2012. The restructuring process with rigorous austerity measures and tax increases was painful to many but the Icelanders have focused on their strengths and are managing their money competently.

Approval of EU accession fading in Iceland The Icelandic fish industry must also be thanked for the fact that Iceland’s economy has got back on its feet so quickly. It provides 40 of Iceland’s export revenues, and eight per cent of the workforce are employed in this sector. The trade surplus for fish and fishery products is about one billion euros.

If this is viewed in relation to the population, per capita earnings from the fishery are in Iceland about a hundred times higher than the average for EU citizens. Fishing thus has a disproportionately large significance for Icelanders compared to “normal” Europeans. And that is why the country is fighting so bitterly for its mackerel fishing quota in the North Atlantic, even accepting that the “mackerel war” might endanger EU accession. As regards domestic policy, political parties can currently score points with voters, for the country’s economic recovery has tilted opinions against EU membership again.

About two thirds of the population would today decide against membership in a referendum.

The Icelanders’ fear of losing sovereign fishing rights in Icelandic waters is profound, although this has not even been negotiated yet in Brussels.

The biggest problem that has to be tackled and with which the Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2013

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[ FISHERIES ] Icelanders have difficulty reconciling themselves – if at all – is Article 17(1) of the Council Regulation (EC) 2371/2002 on the Common Fisheries Policy of the EU: “Community fishing vessels shall have equal access to waters and resources in all Community waters.” The Icelandic government accepts that the goals of the Common Fisheries Policy are basically in agreement with their own national interests but does not consider them to be very suitable for the special conditions in the North Atlantic: the Common Agricultural Policy of the EU was after all not developed for the Arctic. That was why the EU Commission should safeguard the particular needs of regions where local populations were especially dependent on fisheries. As a key to solving the problem the principle of relative stability presents itself. This guarantees all EU fishing nations stable shares of the fishing quotas in the context of the Common Fisheries Policy. If this principle also applied to the new EU member Iceland after accession everything could be left as it is at the moment. The Icelanders’ dream is of a kind of “special fishing zone”: Iceland’s exclusive economic zone would then become a special management area in which the Icelandic authorities alone would be responsible for fisheries management and the setting of fishing quotas.

Whether this will ever come about, remains to be seen particularly since the Icelanders show little willingness to compromise.

The problem of Icelandic whaling is also still unresolved and the unilateral increase in the mackerel fishing quota was not very helpful either. In order to substantiate the national claim to the mackerel shoals Iceland’s Food and Veterinary Authority MAST even has DNA samples taken for analysis from mackerel samples 54

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from Canada, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway. Perhaps – and that is what they hope – the mackerel off the west coast of Iceland belong to a different stock than the fishes from the controversial jointly managed European stock. Then Iceland would not be obliged to take other countries into account when setting fishing quotas. And because the disputes over Icesave accounts and mackerel are unpopular with a lot of people the government recently hired a British PR agency to analyse the conflicts professionally and offer appropriate advice.

EU approves sanctions against Iceland and the Faroes The negotiations between the EU, Norway and Russia with Iceland and the Faroes about the mackerel quotas and their allocation are in deadlock. Last year the delegations from these countries met several times in London, Bergen and Reykjavik, without coming to any useful conclusion.

Hardly anything was reported to the public about the specific content of the negotiations so that only speculations could be made about whether the parties had moved any closer together.

It seems, however, that they are still a long way from a compromise. As each meeting ends with no helpful outcome every party claims for itself to have been the more reasonable delegation, the one who had been more willing to compromise. After the three-day meeting in London at the end of October 2012 Iceland’s Minister for Economic Affairs Steingrimur J. Sigfússon was noticeably disappointed by the rejection of his proposition to considerably reduce the fishing volumes of all coastal states. It seemed that the Icelandic initiative envisaged a 15 reduction of the national

mackerel quotas which would have enabled the total fishing volume recommended by experts of annually about half a million tonnes of mackerel. However, no one was willing to swallow this bitter pill, in the end not even the Icelanders themselves. They had demanded a 16 share of the total fishing quota in the North Atlantic. Measured on this, the minister found the 7 which the Europeans allegedly wanted to give them absolutely unacceptable.

The European Union and Norway on the other hand put all the blame on Iceland and the Faroes for the failure of the negotiations so far. Particularly Scotland and Ireland, for whose fisheries mackerel is extremely important, insisted that the EU should at last turn words into action and take measures against the unilateral procedure of the two “troublemakers”. The EU was even obliged to do this, for the IUU directive demanded that all countries which did not recognisably practice sustainability in the management of fish stocks should be excluded from trade with the Community. After the EU had made only threats for many months it finally took action in September 2012. The European Parliament adopted a series of sanctions against Iceland and the Faroes which prohibit or at least substantially restrict the import of mackerel from both countries.

Vessels from the two countries are no longer permitted to land their mackerel catches in EU ports, something which has applied to Norwegian ports for some time already. These restrictions can also be extended to other fish species which are caught as by-catch during the mackerel fishery.

The decision of the European Parliament authorises the Commission to implement the

Icelandic- and Faroese-caught mackerel is no longer welcome in the EU.

threatened measures soon.

Then, at the latest, what is currently still a “cold mackerel war” with the opposing parties taking it in turns to utter accusations and warnings could probably develop into a real conflict with entrenched sides. A lot of people see the EU’s resolution on sanctions rather as an urgent warning to Iceland and the Faeroes to give up their rigid stance in the coming negotiations and show more willingness to compromise. What a fair deal in the dispute over mackerel could actually look like is, however, still not recognisable. Iceland’s government initially appears to be undaunted by the resolution and has explained that they never intended landing mackerel outside of Iceland in another European port anyway. So it looks very much as if the curtain will soon be raised for the next act in this European tragedy. The conflict over the mackerel does not bode well for the future and it is perhaps even only the beginning of further global controversies about the reallocation of fish resources… should the territorial distribution of other stocks, too, shift as a result of climate change. mk www.eurofishmagazine.com

08/02/13 8:19 PM

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] Adequate raw material imports critical to maintaining growth in consumer demand for seafood

Sustainability helps underpin demand for whiteďŹ sh The European ďŹ sh processing industry is heavily reliant on raw materials imported from third countries. Almost two thirds of the total supply of ďŹ sh to the EU is imported and for whiteďŹ sh this ďŹ gure is estimated to be close to 90%, according to the latest edition of the FinďŹ sh Study* produced by AIPCE-CEP, the European Fish Processors and Traders Association. The study analyses the importance of imported seafood for the European processing industry, showing how supply trends reect increasing demand for value-added seafood in the EU.

A

IPCE-CEP, the European Processors and Traders Association, which brings together EU national associations, and associate members from outside the EU represents 130,000 employees, 4,000 enterprises and a production value

of around â‚Ź23 billion. For more than 20 years AIPCE-CEP has produced an annual analysis of the supply of finfish to the EU market, showing the growth in consumer demand for seafood and how it influences supply trends.

The world’s biggest market for seafood The EU is the world’s biggest market for seafood with a supply of 14.7m tonnes in 2011. Of this, the share of imports from third countries amounts to 65 or 9.5m tonnes, an

increase of 5 (in absolute terms) since 2006. Wild catches in the EU show a generally declining trend from 5.2m tonnes in 2006 to 4.9m tonnes in 2011, while over the same period aquaculture production has remained stable at 1.3m tonnes.

Even if EU waters become more

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Pall Gunnar

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]

Iceland is the biggest supplier of redfish to the EU with a 62% share or 37,000 tonnes in 2011. There was no change in this volume compared with 2010.

productive and aquaculture output starts to increase, the volumes and diversity of seafood available within the EU today can only be maintained through imports.

The increase in imports in 2011 compared to the previous year has not been consistent over species. While imports of whitefish from capture fisheries increased by 159,000 tonnes (6.5), freshwater fish imports fell – pangasius to 616,000 tonnes (-12), nile perch to 62,000 tonnes (-13), and other freshwater fish to 106,000 tonnes (-11). Tilapia imports were stable at 42,000 tonnes. Imports of both salmon and surimi increased by 28,000 and 16,000 tonnes respectively. Imported salmon was up 3 in 2011 compared with 2010 reaching 936,000 tonnes,

while surimi imports amounted to 386,000 tonnes, an increase of 4. In the case of pelagic fish, mackerel imports increased by 20 to 130,000 tonnes, while herring imports declined to 400,000 tonnes (-13). Tuna imports showed a 4 increase to 1.7m tonnes. Imports of cephalopods and shrimps also showed a decline to 497,000 tonnes (-4) and 947,000 tonnes (-1) respectively.

Import dependency for whitefish 89% Whitefish is a critical raw material for the EU processing industry and one with the highest import component. Given this significance the study looks at the total supply (EU catches and imports) of the seven main whitefish species (cod,

Alaska pollock, hake, haddock, saithe, redfish, hoki) which in 2011 amounted to 2.9m tonnes. This is a return to the level last seen in 2007 before the financial and economic crisis and an increase of 6 compared to 2010. Of this imports supplied 2.6 million tonnes or 89.

The increase is attributed partly to the better health of stocks around the world, which allowed for more generous quotas. Within the EU too catches of these seven species were more or less stable rather than declining. Another factor was prices, which were generally flat, while the euro dollar exchange rate was favourable for importers. Finally, growth in consumer demand also pulled in imports.

Among these seven species are some, where demand is driven by traditional consumption and preference, such as cod in Portugal and the UK, and others that are demanded across the EU, such as Alaska pollock, that is the basis of the EU fish finger industry.

Cod is the absolute favourite whitefish in the EU with a total supply of over 1m tonnes in 2011, an increase of 5. Of the total, 872,000 tonnes or 86 was imported, an increase of 6. The increase in imports stems from higher quotas for the Barents Sea stocks, as well as increased Icelandic and US quotas (the latter for Pacific cod). The increase in availability of Marine Stewardship Council certified product,

which now amounts to 60 of the supply of cod, may also have boosted consumer and industry confidence in this species.

The Alaska pollock fishery in the US Pacific is the world’s most important food fishery and a 50 increase in quotas contributed to an 18 increase in imports into the EU in 2011 to 854,000 tonnes, a three-year high. Imports from the US were up 40 compared to 2010 to 328,000 tonnes, while those from China, the biggest supplier to the EU, increased 10 to 427,000 tonnes.

Imports from Russia at 96,000 tonnes were stable. The most common format is frozen blocks, which are used in the manufacture of fish sticks across the EU. Imports of hake to the EU were stable in 2012 compared with 2011 at 472,000 tonnes, while EU catches increased 10 to 61,000 tonnes. Imports of hake between 2008 and 2011 were consistently around 475,000 tonnes suggesting that global supplies are stabilising after a period of fluctuation. The EU is responsible for about 50 of global hake consumption. On the other hand haddock supply in the EU grew 4 to 222,000 tonnes, of which imports were 176,000 tonnes, an increase of 6. The main imported product form is frozen fillets accounting for 103,000 tonnes with the main supplying nations being China and Russia. Imports of frozen fillets from Russia saw a huge 71 increase to 23,000 tonnes.

EU import dependancy by key wild captured whitefish species and pangasius in 2011 100 90 80

Percent

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Cod

Saithe

Hake

Alaska-Pollock

Haddock

Species

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A. Redfish

Hoki

Pangasius

Saithe imports were down to 132,000 tonnes (-21), as it continues to trade at higher values than in the past. This is partly due to the development of alternate markets to the EU which has lead to lower production of the cheaper industrial blocks. EU catches of saithe increased slightly to 54,000 tonnes despite a decrease in the quota giving an increased utilisation of www.eurofishmagazine.com

08/02/13 7:18 PM

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]

Freshwater whitefish imports decrease in 2011 Imports of the freshwater whitefish species pangasius, nile perch, and tilapia amounted 817,000 tonnes in 2010 which dropped to 720,000 tonnes in 2011. Pangasius forms the bulk of this volume at 616,000 tonnes in 2011 down from 704,000 the previous year due partly to problems within the industry in the main supplying country Vietnam. Nile perch volumes too fell from 70,000 tonnes to 62,000 tonnes. The main supplying countries are Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. While pangasius is imported primarily as frozen fillets, for nile perch the main product form with some 75 of the volumes is fresh fillets. Imports of tilapia were stable at 42,000 tonnes in 2011 with China the leading supplier by a wide margin and frozen fillets the predominant product form.

the EU’s own resources are inadequate. Imports fill this gap giving consumers access to a wider range of reasonablypriced products that represent a healthy source of protein. Consumer support for sustainability is among the drivers of demand

for some species, such as cod, and could contribute to a general increase in sustainably fished stocks. In addition, imports form the basis of a processing sector that supports not only employment, but also research, and innovation within the industry.

*Fishfish Study 2012, A.I.P.C.E.C.E.P, EU Fish Processors and Traders Association, Brussels, September 2012. The study can be freely downloaded from www.aipce-cep.org

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87 from 73 in 2010. Of the remaining two species redfish and hoki, redfish catches in the EU fell to 20,000 from 25,000 tonnes while imports were stable at 60,000 tonnes resulting in a overall decrease in supply to 80,000 tonnes (-7). Iceland is the biggest supplier of redfish to the EU with a 62 share or 37,000 tonnes in 2011. There was no change in this volume compared with 2010. Imports from China, the next supplier fel1 to 12,000 tonnes (-21). Hoki supply in the EU is wholly dependent on imports with New Zealand the primary supplier (74 of total supply in 2011) followed by China (24).

The main product form is frozen fillets. Imports to the EU increased to 50,000 tonnes in 2011. The rise in hoki imports is due to an increase in quota size in the New Zealand fishery after a period of cautious management. The New Zealand product also benefits from the sustainable credentials of the fishery.

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As the study shows, whitefish is popular among consumers and www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] Bivalves market report

Exports to EU markets decline Campaigns to increase seafood consumption in Peru, Brazil and Chile are expected to have a positive effect on artisanal fishermen and local communities who make a living from catching bivalve molluscs and in small-scale aquaculture and fisheries. They will also benefit aquaculture producers who are facing declining exports to the EU market.

I

n 2012 the Chilean mussels association, Amichile, started a national campaign to promote the “Patagonian Mussel” and is hoping to extend this initiative to the Brazilian market next year. In Brazil, annual consumption of seafood products is 6 kg per capita and the government is trying to increase it to 8 kg per capita.

Newfoundland mussel farmers invest in organic certification In the first six months of 2012 there was a significant decline of 19.9 in Spanish exports of mussels, falling from 1 153 tonnes to 924 tonnes. In Canada, however, mussel farmers in Newfoundland said mussel production was experiencing a good year in 2012. Exports of fresh live mussels go primarily to the USA, and the industry is now developing organic certification and products with controlled atmosphere for the US market.

Mussel imports into France went down from 31 100 tonnes to 21 900 tonnes in the first six months of 2012 compared with 2011, a drop of 29 in volume. Imports from Chile dropped from 6 100 tonnes to just 100 tonnes. In Italy, during the same period, demand fell nearly 28 from 17 900 tonnes to 12 800 tonnes, with no Chilean mussels imported during the first half of 2012. In Spain, 58

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mussels imports during the first six months of 2012 reached 2 900 tonnes, far behind the 5 500 tonnes that were imported in 2007, before the economic crisis.

Clam prices in Spain yet to recover Galician clam producers have been complaining about low prices since 2010. Species that used to have a high commercial value not so long ago, such as almeja fina (Ruditapes decussatus), were traded between EUR 6.50/kg and EUR 18/kg in September 2012, depending on the quality. In previous years the price had reached EUR 30/kg. The low prices have contributed to economic losses among producers in Galicia.

French imports of scallops fall in first half of 2012 Landings of scallops in the USA are expected to be up in 2012, with the increase estimated at about 8.8. However, imports are sharply down despite higher supply coming out of Japan. Japanese exports of fresh live scallops are reported to be up by 186 this year compared with 2011, when the March earthquake and subsequent contamination fears led to negative consumer perceptions and reduced volumes. Argentina exported 2 924 tonnes of Patagonian scallop (Zygochlamys

Spanish exports of mussels declined 20% to 924 tonnes in the first six months of 2012.

patagonica) worth USD 34.2 million, according to statistics from the National Health and Agrifood Quality Service (Senasa).

In Europe, demand in France for scallops showed a slight decline in the first six months of 2012, from 12 400 tonnes to 9 600 tonnes, compared with 2011.

Argentina became the main supplier with 2 300 tonnes, followed

by Peru, with 1 800 tonnes during the first six months in 2012 against 3 700 tonnes in the same period in 2011. The volume imported by the UK has remained about the same since 2010 at around 2 000 tonnes, while scallop imports into Spain from January to June 2012 went down from 3 680 tonnes to 2 535

tonnes compared with the same period last year.

Chilean mussel farmers concerned about lack of seed Clam producers in Galicia are hoping that the Christmas season will bring an increase in prices, which will help to overcome the poor results obtained from June to September. Oyster prices remain strong because of short supplies as mortalities of juveniles were reported again in the summer.

Meanwhile, Chilean mussel farmers are still worried about the lack of seed that could affect 70 of the production in 2013.

FAO GLOBEFISH www.eurofishmagazine.com

08/02/13 7:18 PM

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] Fish oil and fishmeal market report

Fishmeal prices likely to rise with high demand The severe El Niño conditions forecast earlier in the year have been downgraded to neutral/weak for the Pacific basin and northern hemisphere winter of 2012-2013. However, reduced quotas and poor weather conditions for Peruvian fleets, combined with strong demand across the market, are likely to put upward pressure on fishmeal prices. Meanwhile, fish oil supply continues to stagnate, and soymeal and oilseed markets remain volatile.

Fishmeal imports to Germany soar in first half year 2012 The biggest growth in demand for Peruvian fishmeal is from Germany, with a 90 increase in the first half of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011. Asian markets also posted strong demand in the same period. China is the biggest export market for Chilean fishmeal, taking a 43 share of exports in the first half of 2012.

Chinese demand for Chilean fishmeal increased 11 from the same period last year, while there was also significant domestic demand from Chilean salmon farms. German fishmeal imports from January to June increased by 60 over 2011. The USA increased fishmeal imports by 30 in the first half of 2012, mainly in response to lower soymeal production and depleting soybean inventories. UK fishmeal imports declined 9 in the first half www.eurofishmagazine.com

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of 2012 and remain significantly lower than import levels achieved in the same period of 2010.

Manfred Klinkhardt

T

he most important fishmeal producers, Peru and Chile, as well as Norway, showed decreased production from January to June 2012 compared with the same period in 2011. Despite the lower production, however, Chilean and Peruvian exports of fishmeal to their major international markets were higher during the first semester.

Belgium absorbs a quarter of Chilean fish oil exports Total fish oil production was 22 lower in the first half of 2012 than the same period last year. This is primarily because of production shortfalls in Peru, as well as Chile, where a fishing stop on anchovy fishing was reissued at the end of September. Norwegian suppliers, however, continued to be active. Peruvian exports of fish oil increased significantly, by 53, from last year. The strongest export markets for Peruvian fish oil continue to be Belgium, Chile and Denmark. Chilean fish oil exports fell slightly as a result of increased domestic consumption

by Chilean salmon farms. The other major markets for Chilean fish oil were Japan and China, while Belgium became a new export destination, absorbing 24 of Chilean fish oil exports in the first half of 2012.

Fish oil prices should be stable The outlook for the fishmeal trade remains positive because of good demand even though prices are expected to remain on the high side. While supplies in the first

The biggest growth in demand for Peruvian fishmeal is from Germany, with a 90% increase in the first half of 2012 compared with the same period in 2011.

half of 2012 were somewhat hindered by weather conditions and quotas, production in the fourth quarter should be reasonable given that the severe El Nino conditions have not materialized as initially expected. Factors such as growth in import demand and soybean price are more likely to affect the price of fishmeal rather than climatic conditions.

Fish oil demand from Norwegian and Chilean salmon producers continues to grow although salmon production may slow down somewhat in 2013. The fish oil price levelled off in the third quarter of 2012 and should remain steady, although it may be influenced by spill-over effects from the soybean oil and rapeseed oil markets.

FAO GLOBEFISH

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[ TECHNOLOGY ] New developments in materials promise a more sustainable future

Packaging becomes even greener The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) together with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and other bodies have recently launched a campaign to reduce the estimated 1.3bn tonnes of food that is lost or wasted each year around the globe. The campaign Think.Eat.Save. Reduce your Foodprint. seeks to reduce waste all along the food production and consumption chain.

T

he FAO draws a distinction between food waste and food loss. Waste is typically associated with developed countries, where it happens at the retail or consumer end of the chain and for reasons such as over-buying, preparing meals that are too large, confusion over date labels, purchasing too close to the end of the shelf life, and quality standards that over-emphasise appearance. Loss, on the other hand, is seen more in developing countries, where 95 of the damage is unintentional. It happens usually at the production end of the chain due to a lack of financial, managerial or technical capabilities, including poor harvesting techniques, inadequate storage and transport facilities, limited cooling infrastructure, or unreliable packaging.

Packaging is increasingly versatile The packaging of food is thus one of the factors that determine whether the product is going to be consumed as anticipated or is going to contribute to the estimated USD1trn worth of food that is lost or wasted each year around the world. However packaging does more than maintaining the shelf life and the appearance of a product. A report in 2010 by PwC, an audit and consultancy company, identifies four key roles played by packaging; it preserves and protects the product, conveys 60

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information, serves as brand promotion, and offers convenience, for example, by enabling a product to be placed directly in the oven or the microwave without first having to be transferred to another utensil. Secondary functions for packaging include ensuring product traceability and providing tamper indications.

Decades ago retail packaging was not much more than a brown paper bag or even a sheet of newspaper and a length of string.

At the start of the 20th century packaging for food and beverages in the US consisted mainly of tin-plated steel cans, glass bottles, and wooden crates*. Packaging continued to evolve over the following years including during and between the two World Wars when technologies such as aluminium foil, the plastics polyethylene and polyvinylidene chloride, and flexible packaging to store food (and ammunition) under harsh environmental conditions were developed.

The advent of supermarkets with their supply chains that moved from being local to national and then international also played a role as products needed to be able to travel great distances and still arrive intact. The increase in industrial processing of food and the lack of time among consumers to prepare meals from fresh raw materials are among the other reasons that placed great demands on the way products

European Bioplastics, a trade association for the bioplastics industry, anticipates that bioplastic production capacity will grow five fold from 1.2m tonnes in 2011 to 6m tonnes in 2016.

were wrapped and contributed to the development of a highly sophisticated packaging industry.

Nanotechnology offers new opportunities While metal, glass and paperboard continued to be used as packaging materials for food, developments in other substances, particularly plastics,

made them increasingly useful as packaging materials. Innovations in packaging included active packaging that did not just inertly contain the product, but that could also eliminate oxygen, moisture, odour or other unwanted elements with the use of absorbers, or emit substances such as aromas when desired.

This lead to smart or intelligent packaging, which responded www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ TECHNOLOGY ]

Fish products packaged in glass jars, plastic tubs, and trays at a Latvian supermarket.

Packaging has a variety of functions including to preserve and protect the product, convey information, and serve as brand promotion.

to the atmosphere within the package or the shipping environment and could trigger an active packaging feature or send a warning to handlers. More recently, nanotechnology is being deployed in food packaging to give greater strength, better barrier properties, increased resistance to heat and cold, and antimicrobial effects to prolong shelf life. It is also used to embed films with sensors that can warn users if the product has been infected with food germs. The detection of bacteria, viruses, toxins, and allergens using nanotechnology is possible. However, the use of nanotechnology for packaging food has its share of detractors too. Environmental groups say too little is known about the impact of nanotechnology on human health and the environment. This is also an issue when it comes to the disposal of these materials whether by recycling, composting, or by other means as it would mean the release of nanoparticles into the surroundings. Packaging for fish and seafood, very delicate and highly perishable products when fresh or live, and that are, according to the FAO, the most

– Manufactured using clean production technologies and best practices; – Made from materials healthy throughout the life cycle; – Physically designed to optimize materials and energy; – Effectively recovered and utilized in biological and/or industrial closed loop cycles;

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globally traded food product have also benefited from the evolution of packaging. Today the material used in food packaging include, glass, metals such as aluminium and steel, plastics and plastic laminates, paper board, paper, and paper laminates.

Sustainability of packaging increases gradually While the importance and increasing versatility of packaging for food cannot be denied, today questions are increasingly being asked about its sustainability. In the US the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, an industry group that seeks to make packaging more environmentally friendly defines sustainable packaging as: – Being beneficial, safe & healthy for individuals and communities throughout its life cycle; – Meeting market criteria for performance and cost; – Sourced, manufactured, transported, and recycled using renewable energy; – Optimising the use of renewable or recycled source materials;

The sustainability of packaging is part of a wider interest among consumers, policy makers, industry, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders in a low carbon, more sustainable, and more competitive economy.

In the EU, policy makers both at the EU and national levels are trying to promote resource efficiency and close resource use and waste loops. Companies responding to these policies discovered that efforts to increase recycling and minimise waste had side benefits of improving overall efficiency and increasing competitiveness.

Part of the reason for these policies is to reduce the amount of waste that is generated, which in the EU amounts to five tonnes per capita per year of which packaging waste is estimated at 3. But

waste is also seen as a resource in itself with an economic value and an increasingly important role in decoupling resource use from economic growth. In addition, waste management has become an industry generating significant employment and a turnover of well over of EUR100bn.

Bioplastics are part of the answer As customers seek environmentally friendlier products companies are increasingly trying to respond to this demand. For example, the London Olympic Games in 2012 were probably the most environmentally friendly ever, providing green transport options, housed in green buildings and with minimal impact on natural habitats. The organisers wanted to make them the first zero-waste games in history.

Helping achieve this goal were some of the world’s biggest corporations, including the main sponsor Coca-Cola which announced last September that it planned to increase the use of plant-based material in its plastic bottles with the aim of using the technology in

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[ TECHNOLOGY ] all its plastic bottles by 2020. The use of plastics synthesised from plant materials has been growing in popularity over the years, their use increasing with greater awareness of the environment and the importance of sustainability. European Bioplastics, a trade association for the bioplastics industry, anticipates that bioplastic production capacity will grow five fold from 1.2m tonnes in 2011 to 6m tonnes in 2016.

Multiple advantages of plant-based plastics Bioplastics, according to European Bioplastics, refers to plastics that are either bio-based, biodegradable or both, and they offer two main advantages over conventional plastics – they reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, and the production of greenhouse gases. In addition, if they are biodegradable they offer more options for recovery at the end of the products life.

Bio-based plastics are derived from plant biomass such as cellulose, corn, or sugarcane, while biodegradable plastics can be converted by a chemical process that uses microorganisms in the environment, to carbon dioxide, water, and compost. But the property of biodegradability depends on the chemical structure of the product and not on the raw materials that went into its creation.

Thus, products based on fossil resources can also biodegrade.

The strongest growth in bioplastic production capacity is forecast to be from the non-biodegradable bioplastics such as bio-based polyethylene (PE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), but production capacity for biodegradable bioplastics such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) is also expected to increase significantly.

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The strongest growth is expected to be from the non-biodegradable bioplastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Biodegradable bio-based plastics will amount to 13% of all bioplastics in 2016.

Increases in the use of bioplastics can be attributed to their environmental friendliness, wide consumer acceptance, and the increasing cost of fossil fuels.

They also offer useful technical properties and increased functionality, as well as reduced costs due to cheaper raw materials and greater recyclability. Food producing companies are also discovering that that their customers are not only interested in the environmental impact of the food itself but are increasingly looking at the packaging in the same light.

So there are sound commercial reasons for going sustainable.

Packaging design also contributes to sustainability If the use of more environmentally materials is the first step

along the way to more sustainable packaging, product design is the next step. Packaging should be designed to be repaired, reused, and recycled in order to change the production, consumption, waste chain. Sustainable packaging design needs to look at the complete life cycle of the product to understand its true environmental implications. Each component of the product needs to be evaluated to find out whether it can be effectively replaced with a more sustainable version. If possible the packaging should be reusable and when it reaches the end of its lifetime it should be possible to recycle it without having to worry about some parts of the product (such as labels) contaminating the recycling stream. The design should take into account the space required for storage

and transport and endeavour to reduce it as much as possible.

Packaging should also be conceived to be emptied completely without leaving remnants of the contents stuck in inaccessible corners in order to reduce food wastage.

The use of environmentally friendly materials and better design for food packaging will reduce its impact on the environment and contribute to delinking economic growth from the generation of waste. For companies it can also make commercial sense as their customers are increasingly concerned about sustainability. *Aaron L. Brody, Betty Bugusu, Jung H. Han, Claire Koelsch Sand, and Tara H.Mchugh. 2008. Innovative Food Packaging Solutions. Journal Of Food Science 73 (8):R107-116

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DIARY DATES

11-15 February 2013 PRODEXPO Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7 499 795 3799 mezvist@expocentr.ru www.prod-expo.ru

22 April, 2013 4th European Tuna Conference Brussels, Belgium Tel.: +31 162 714044 Fax: +31 162 430525 support@EuropeanTunaConference.com www.EuropeanTunaConference.com

9-12 August 2013 Aquaculture Europe Trondheim, Norway Tel.: +32 9 233 4912 www.was.org

23-25 April 2013 European Seafood Exposition Brussels, Belgium Tel.: +1 207 842 5504 food@divcom.com www.euroseafood.com

3-5 September 2013 Asian Seafood Show Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel.: +1 207 842 5504 customerservice@divcom.com www.asianseafoodexpo.com

18-19 February, 2013 Finfish Nutrition Workshop Bremerhaven, Germany Tel.: +49 471-94646741 abbel@bis-bremerhaven.de www.aquaculture-forum.de

5-7 March, 2013 North Atlantic Seafood Forum Bergen, Norway jjl@oslo.teknopol.no www.nor-seafood.com

22-24 May 2013 Polfish Gdansk, Poland Tel.: +48 58 554 93 62 monika.juszkiewicz@mtgsa.com.pl www.polfishtargi.pl 10-12 March, 2013 Boston Seafood Show Boston, USA Tel.: +1 207 842 5504 food@divcom.com www.bostonseafood.com

10-13 May 2013 Slow Fish Genova, Italy Tel.: +39 0172 419653 Fax: +39 0172 413640 www.slowfish.it

9-11 April, 2013 North Atlantic Fish Fair Klaksvik, Faroe Islands Tel.: +298 58 29 10 info@fair.fo www.fair.fo 18-20 April, 2013 Seoul Seafood Show 2013 Seoul, Korea Tel.: +82 2 6000 2800 Fax: +82 2 6000 2805 3s@seoulseafood.com www.seoulseafood.com

22-26 May 2013 World of Seafood Bangkok, Thailand Tel.: +65 6500 6712 Fax: +65 6294 8403 l.how@koelnmesse.com.sg www.worldofseafood.com

13-16 August 2013 Aqua Nor Trondheim, Norway Tel.: +47 73 56 86 mailbox@nor-fishing.no http://nor-fishing.no

23-24 September, 2013 Developmental trends and diversification in European Aquaculture Bremerhaven, Germany Tel.: +49 471-94646741 abbel@bis-bremerhaven.de www.aquaculture-forum.de 9-11 October 2013 DanFish Aalborg, Denmark Tel.: +45 99 35 55 55 info@akkc.dk www.danfish.com

22-24 October 2013 Seafood Barcelona Barcelona, Spain Tel.: +1 207 842 5504 customerservice@divcom.com www.seafoodbarcelona.com 10-13 December 2013 Asian-Pacific Aquaculture Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tel.: +1 760 751 5005 worldaqua@aol.com, www.was.org

A d d y o u r e v e n t t o w w w. E u r o f i s h M a g a z i n e . c o m

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Proliferation of certification labels serves mainly to confuse

Consumers are not at the core of the sustainability debate When she established her consultant bureau (www.marketing-seafood.com) 20 years ago Marie Christine Monfort was one of the seafood professionals to consider that a good understanding of the market mechanisms would be key for developing sustainable and profitable seafood production operations. Her intuition proves to be true. She still works extensively at bridging the two parts.

What are the most noteworthy trends you have observed in the consumption of seafood in Europe over the last five years, and how do you anticipate these trends will develop in the future?

The success of aquaculture species is outstanding. Sales of salmon, shrimps, pangasius to only quote the most widespread ones have increased in all European countries, as prices are lower and more stable and quality is better. In the processing sector, portion sized products have gained significant market shares. Most successful products are easy to prepare, such as portion sized fillets compared to whole fish, and at stable prices, such as farmed fish compared to wild fish. I don’t see any dramatic changes to come but more the consolidation of these trends.

Have you noted different patterns of consumption in the different parts of Europe? What regional preferences have you identified in the north, south, east and west of the continent?

Is there a tendency for these differences to converge over the years?

Definitely; Europe is not a single market but a system of diverse 64

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national markets with different consumption patterns. Just looking at the consumption per capita indicator, it varies from 5kg per annum to over 50kg depending on the country. Varying levels of consumption also mean different products and distribution patterns. These patterns reflect each country heritage in the fishing and fish farming industries and their culinary traditions. In short, the further south (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece), the higher people’s appetite for seafood in its fabulous diversity and natural forms; the further North (UK, Germany, Denmark), the lower people’s appetite for seafood and a penchant for pre-packed prepared items. The Eastern countries of the continent have a preference for freshwater fish, available locally, when the Western regions go for seawater species. Over the past two decades, changes have been detected with apparently the northern model gaining ground, I mean a model where large scale actors are efficient at satisfying the new demand fuelled by on-going social changes. Yes, we see tendencies for the harmonisation of seafood styles and consumption habits and I don’t know whether the traditional specificities will resist as the know-how vanishes gradually. For instance, in France,

Marie Christine Monfort is a consultant for the seafood industry.

the young generation is losing interest for the “not easy to open” live oysters.

The financial and economic crisis has been a part of life since the end of 2008 and particularly in southern Europe it has forced consumers to restrain their spendings and focus more strongly on price. What impact has it had on the consumption of seafood in Europe?

The economic recession has indeed forced lower income consumers to turn to cheaper seafood products, or even to turn to other low-priced animal proteins. Several supermarket managers have recently mentioned to me that the demand for cheap species and low value-added products has been boosted in the past few months.

Certification, such as for sustainability or for organic www.eurofishmagazine.com

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production, is becoming an increasingly important issue both for wild as well as farmed fish producers. How much of a role does a label actually play in consumers’ decisions when purchasing seafood? Is there an economic argument for seafood products to be labelled? Can the multiplicity of labels not lead to confusion and scepticism amongst consumers and how can this be prevented?

I have been working on these specific issues together with my business partner Pascale Baelde (www. sea-matters.com). Yes, there has been a boom of labels or tags placed on seafood, labels of different kinds. They differ from the type of value they enhance. Some give information on how sustainable the product is, others on the origin of the production, with “made in…” labels developing fast nowadays. They also differ from the type of certification procedures they follow, from third party certification to self-declaration.

The non-compulsory additional information provided by each label attempts to attract consumers’ attention, but consumers, we must say, know little about what each label really means.

When talking about sustainability of seafood products, we have to be clear: consumers are not at the core of the debate. Of course, when they are asked whether they would prefer to buy a sustainable fish, most of them say yes.

Wouldn’t you? And when they are asked whether they would be willing to pay more to get it, out of rationality many will still say yes. The truth is that some do, but the majority doesn’t, especially in today’s economic turndown.

Yet, large scale seafood players such as supermarket chains, www.eurofishmagazine.com

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processors and food service companies lead the development of sustainability labels. They have an image and a business to preserve.

Consumers may be sceptical, and at the end of the day what they are looking for is a good value for money bargain. Supermarkets have well understood the challenge and attempt to re-assure their clients that they will find under their roofs good, sustainable and ethical food.

The EU with over 500bn inhabitants is one of the world’s biggest markets for seafood. Imports from third countries account for roughly two thirds of its seafood requirements. Do you foresee fish farmed in Europe playing a bigger role in European supply? Which countries and what species are most likely to contribute to this and why?

With limited wild captures, and a strong appetite for seafood, the surplus in demand will be satisfied by farmed items. Why not produced in Europe ? I understand that seafood farming is a top priority for the European Union, as a source of locally produced high quality protein. Consumers are very attracted to this type of seafood, with salmon, mussels, shrimps recording high performances. I am not an aquaculture expert, but I foresee positive performances provided that the industry manages to generate economies of scale and tackle the distribution cost all along the value chain. Developing a sustainable industry will of course be a pre-requisite to attract professional buyers.

As a speaker at different international and regional events in Croatia and Turkey among other places, what message would you

give producers of farmed fish everywhere and in particular in these two countries to better market their products to consumers in Europe?

I would strongly recommend these countries to consider developing their sales on their domestic market. Paradoxically, the countries you mention are characterised by both a growing aquaculture production and rising imports. We know that export markets may quickly offer benefits in terms of prices, value added and profits, but I am convinced that long term benefits are also to be found at home. When it comes to seafood, it has been established that people tend to prefer local production.

Whether they send their products to export markets or to the domestic one, in order to differentiate their production from the competitors, it is advisable to develop a national brand, and in doing so to make all producers follow common rules and share similar values.

You have long been a supporter of a greater role for women in fisheries. Why do you feel so strongly about this issue and how will it benefit the industry as a whole to encourage women because of their gender?

The diagnosis has been made long ago and it is not specific to our industry. Women’ intelligence and labour force are key to the dynamism of the seafood industry. Yet it is not fully recognised. There are impediments for women to access levels of responsibilities in the industry. Higher recognition of women capabilities, higher visibility and access to key jobs would certainly benefit the entire industry. And I wish

here to congratulate Eurofish magazine, in offering issue after issue a fair visibility of women in fisheries. My actions in the field are limited, but I take opportunity when I can to inspire awareness on this issue. So, to all recruiters in the industry, to all board members of private companies, to all conference organisers, I say: be clever, be fair, think women.

As a native of France, a country famous for its cuisine, and with a professional interest in seafood are you also keen on cooking fish and shellfish? You are known to be partial to mussels, do you have a favourite way of preparing them?

Yes I love cooking seafood; and I love seafood with no exceptions, though I have some preferences.

And you are right I am partial to mussels, whether rope or bouchot grown; whether Mytilus edulis from the Atlantic or Mytlius galloprovincialis from the Mediterranean sea. It is so easy and quick to prepare and the dish is very tasteful. This is a top fuzz-free time-saving and low-priced seafood. If mussels are very fresh, live and tight to each other with their byssus threads, such as they have not been stressed by the washing process, I clean them, place them shell-on in the pan, cover with the lid and heat them for a few minutes, with no additional ingredients. The sea water contained in their shell makes them absolutely delicious. My second option, when I cannot access mussels direct from the sea, is to melt a shallot or two in a bit of salted butter, pour a glass of white wine, after a minute or two throw shellon mussels in the pan, cover with a lid and serve after a few minutes.

The one and only risk with mussels, which is for all seafood in fact, is to over-cook them.

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