Eurofish Magazine 3 2010 by Eurofish

June 3 / 2010

www.eurofishmagazine.com

ISSN 1868-5943 June 3 / 2010 C 44346

EUROFISH

MAGAZINE

BAADER at the SPE 2010 More than one step ahead

Eurofish Magazine

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ESE / SPE: Profusion of products with sustainable labels Italy: Seafood imports from outside the EU increase Latvia: Fishing industry adjusts to smaller Baltic Sea quotas FISH INFO network

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In this issue

European Seafood Exposition immune to volcanoes Despite the impact of the international financial and economic crises and the ash from the Icelandic volcano that shut down European air traffic a few days before the European Seafood Exposition, the event proceeded as planned. The organisers and city authorities went out of their way to reassure exhibitors that there was no change to the schedule and even threw in free access to public transport for the three days of the show. The venue itself was as crowded with exhibitors and visitors the first two days as any other year with a fall in numbers on day three. One of the main themes at this year’s show was sustainability. Products bearing the logo of the Marine Stewardship Council or Friend of the Sea or other sustainability standards have multiplied. There were also announcements by the Norwegian Seafood Export Council to say two Norwegian fisheries had been certified to the MSC standard, by the Alaskans to announce the launch of their own sustainability standard, and by the WWF and two European trade bodies to announce a collaboration to press for the sustainable reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Read more on page 10 Latvian fishermen take to adding greater value to their catch – The Latvian fishing sector is adjusting to the smaller quotas for herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea by adding more value to the raw material. Fishing companies are investing initially in freezing machinery, but are also considering more advanced processing possibilities. The number of fishing vessels is slated to come down even further through decommissioning to match the capacity with the resource and bring the remaining fleet into profitability. In the canning sector Latvian products, some of which, such as Riga Sprats, are unique, have a good reputation on markets in countries of the former Soviet Union. The industry is now looking to expand into Western Europe, at first by producing for private label. Read more about the fisheries industry in Latvia from page 28 Italy products should compete on quality, provenance to increase exports – The market in Italy is highly fragmented with small family-run companies dominating the seafood trade. Fish consumption is higher than the EU average but is stagnating, and domestic production is down. Three fourths of the fish supply on the Italian market is comprised of imports. About 60% of the imports come from other EU member states, but the proportion from third countries is growing. The most popular species consumed in Italy are seabass and sea bream, followed by tuna. Local producers of seabass and sea bream are fighting to retain market share in the face of cheaper imports from other countries. The large scale retail sector (supermarket chains) is responsible for over 90% of the national sale of processed fish and seafood, but even sales of fresh seafood through the chains are increasingly. Read more about the Italian market on page 16 The best way to thaw a product – Increasing volumes of Europe’s seafood needs are met by imports from distant countries. Although some of this seafood is flown in fresh the vast majority is frozen and needs to be thawed if it is to be processed further. Defrosting is thus an important step in the production process and there are a variety of methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, to thaw products. Read the second and final part of Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s report on the different thawing solutions in the market and the technology behind them from page 22. Part I appeared in Eurofish Magazine EM1 2010. www.eurofishmagazine.com

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

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[ international news ] Norway: Northeast Arctic cod and haddock fisheries receive MSC certification

Denmark: Danish aquaculture industry to promote cultivation of seaweed

Norwegian Northeast Arctic cod and haddock fisheries have been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council as sustainable fisheries. The certification enables all exporters of cod and haddock who have gone through the independ-

The Organisation of Danish Aquaculture has decided to expand its range of products to include seaweed. At a global level annual production and sales of farmed seaweed amount to over EUR5bn, says Chairman Karl Iver Dahl-Madsen, most of it grown in countries in East Asia. Much of the seaweed eaten in Denmark is imported. But the country has all the prerequisites both in terms of geography as well as knowledge to grow seaweed itself. The Danish

policy. Norwegian fisheries have been certified to several standards including the Swedish Krav and Friend of the Sea. As Terje Martinussen, Managing Director of the Norwegian Seafood Export Council, explains, markets in countries

aquaculture industry has a strong foundation in marine cultivation that can equally be used to grow seaweed. In addition seaweed offers a number of health benefits including impressive quantities of minerals, trace elements, vitamins, as well as healthy fats. According to the FAO in 2008 capture production of aquatic plants in Europe was dominated by France, Ireland and Iceland, but the production of farmed aquatic plants is almost non-existent.

Denmark: Royal Greenland to build packing plant in Moscow

Terje Martinussen, Managing Director of the Norwegian Seafood Export Council, confirms that the Norwegian Northeast Arctic cod fishery is now certified to the Marine Stewardship Council standard.

ent chain of custody audit to use the MSC logo on their products. Norwegian fisheries management is based on the principles of sustainability and has a long tradition of stakeholder involvement in decision making. The marine research establishment contributes with the data which underpins

like Sweden, the UK, and Germany were asking for a certification which is why it was decided to go in for this. The inshore cod and haddock fisheries are also expected to be certified to the MSC standard shortly which will bring the proportion of certified capture fisheries in Norway to 75%.

Royal Greenland is increasing its commitment on the Russian market by building a packing plant on the outskirts of Moscow together with its biggest Russian customer Agama. The idea behind this investment is to maintain and increase the company’s position on a growing and attractive market for peeled shellfish. The packing plant will pack for both partners, and, capacity permitting, also for external customers. A plant to cook warm water prawns for the Russian market is also envisaged. Royal Greenland will be responsible for buy-

ing and installing the processing equipment as well as running the facility. Agama already has a large warehouse and the partners will rebuild a cold storage. The new packing facility, which is a copy of the existing plant in Aalborg, Denmark, will give Royal Greenland greater control over its production in Russia without affecting activities in other parts of the organisation. The plant will be headed by Anders Andersen, formerly a plant manager for Royal Greenland in Paamiut, Greenland. The packing station will open on 1 September 2010.

Fresh and frozen H&G baltic herring in different sizes Fresh and frozen fillets of baltic herring – in blocks, IQF, in vacuum bags, rollmops on plates or in trays vacuum-packed Frozen baltic herring and sprats in blocks of 10kg each IRBE Fishing Company

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Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

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[ international news ] Belgium European processing and retail industries join WWF in call for a sustainable CFP The European Seafood Exposition this year saw the launch of a call by the WWF and its partners for a reformed Common Fisheries Policy that can deliver sustainable fisheries and a sustainable fishing industry. Allied with the WWF were the EU Fish Processors and Traders’ Association AIPCECEP, and Eurocommerce, which represents the retail, wholesale, and international trade sectors in Europe. For us the alliance is not a radical departure from existing policy, but rather an incremental step in our relationship with the WWF, which already has partnerships with some of our members giving them regular advice, says Ludwig Willnegger, the Eurocommerce representative who is also Head of Public Affairs Office at Edeka.

Ludwig Willnegger, Eurocommerce; Tony Long, WWF; and Guus Pastoor, AIPCECEP (extreme right) at a press conference announcing their combined backing for a reform of the CFP that will ensure sustainability.

try in the past, it is willing to ally with former adversaries to press the case for reform. Without these key reforms we will not be able to

bring European fisheries back to health and prosperity, says Tony Long, Director of the WWF European Policy Office.

The alliance has put forward a four point agenda: Mandatory long term management plans for all EU fisheries by 2015; Effective regionalisation; Maximising value from catch to consumer; and applying CFP principles to all fisheries in EU waters and beyond.

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EU fisheries are under immense pressure with a majority considered either fully or over-exploited. This situation jeopardises the future of stocks and with it the livelihoods of those employed by the wild capture and processing industries as well as denies European consumers sustainably caught fish from European waters. The retail sector is looking for a sustainable supply of fish and aquaculture products for its consumers says Mr Willnegger, a view which is supported by Guus Pastoor, President of the AIPCE. The CFP as it stands does not really facilitate the fishermen or the entrepreneurs down the chain, which is why we need to join forces to change the policy and ensure the sustainable supply of fish now and into the future, he says. As a conservation body the WWF has been fighting for sustainable fisheries for years and while its priorities may have been different from those of the seafood induswww.eurofishmagazine.com

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

[ international news ] UK: WildWaters wins Scottish food award

The WildWaters series of products was a winner at the 2010 Scotland Food and Drink Excellence Awards.

The WildWaters smoked and marinated salmon is a range of products from the Shetlandbased Grieg Seafood Hjaltland Ltd. The company is an integrated producer farming and processing salmon at its facilities on the Shet-

land Islands in the UK. The WildWaters range comprises whole sides, loins and sliced packs with innovative flavours as well as the more traditional smoked and organic smoked salmon. The entire range in its distinct packaging was on display at the recent European Seafood Exposition in Brussels. The WildWaters series has just won the company a prize for best Fish and Seafood product at the 2010 Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards, while last year one product, the smoked salmon pastrami won an award in the ‘Fish’ category at the UK Quality Food Awards.

UK: Debate between fishermen and conservationists at Fishing 2010 in Glasgow The Fishing 2010 exhibition in Glasgow will feature a seminar on 22 May where the controversial film End of the Line made by environmental journalist and author Charles Clover, will be screened. The film por-

trays many of the world’s fish stocks as being at dangerously low levels. The screening will be followed by a discussion panel that will include Mr Clover, Bertie Armstrong, leader of the Scottish Fishermen’s Fed-

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

eration, Louize Hill of WWF Scotland, and Prof Callum Roberts of York University. Mr Armstrong will highlight the sacrifices made by the Scottish fishing industry to ensure the sustainability of the resource and of the fleet. The SFF has been transparent about the existence of a problem and has moved to solve it by engaging in dialogue rather than

confrontation said Mr Armstrong. He added that the Scottish fishing industry was now confronted with management restrictions that have gone so far that the industry is suffering even as stocks recover. Urgent action needs to be taken by the EC and the government to put in place a new management regime, he said.

Thailand: FAO Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010 postponed The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia and the Pacific (NACA) and the Department of Fisheries of the Royal Thai Government are co-sponsoring the Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010. Following the political situation in Thailand the organis-

ers have decided to postpone the conference and change the venue. The event will now be held on 22-25 September 2010 in Phuket, Thailand, back-to-back with the 5th Session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries, Sub-Committee on Aquaculture to take place from 27 September to 01 October 2010.

Belgium: Fisheries Commissioner keen to expand ITR’s to all member states In her address to the European Parliament Fisheries Committee on 17 May, Maria Damanaki, the

Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, expressed her interest in seeing the system of

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[ international news ] individually tradable rights (ITR) introduced in all member states. A number of countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, Estonia, Sweden and the UK have been using ITR’s at a national level and have seen positive outcomes, such as fleet reductions and increases in profitability. The system shows that it can bring fleets to economic sustainability and create incentives for a more responsible industry. Many countries however have expressed reservations about the creation of an EU-wide system of transferable rights which the Commissioner said she took seriously. ITR systems should also take into account the impact on small scale fisheries by creating special conditions for them such as making their accession to the system voluntary rather than mandatory. An ITR system should also have safeguards that prevent the concentration of rights in too few hands or too few ports as well as avoid the takeover of the coastal fleet by the offshore fleet.

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Croatia: New additions to Offshore Mariculture programme Offshore Mariculture 2010, the third event in the series, will be held this year in Dubrovnik, Croatia on 16-18 June. It will comprise a technical conference followed on the third day by a visit to a seabass and sea bream farm. Titled “Exploring the progress and prospects for offshore mariculture in European and international waters” the first session in the conference programme will address policy and legal issues in Europe, Asia and the US as well offering an insight into the latest research in the field. Speakers include Professor Patrick Sorgeloos, University of Ghent, who will cover Asia, Michael Rubino, Manager, NOAA Aquaculture Programme, for the Americas, and Torgeir Edvardsen, Board Member EATiP, who will report on Europe. Other sessions will look at the practical side of

offshore farming; the problems of escapes, how wild and farmed fish interact, and the technological developments in feeding. Addressing these and other issues will be Dr José Aguilar-Manjarrez, FAO, Jone Gjerde, COO, the Akva Group, and Professor Branko Glamuzina, Vice Rector, University of Dubrovnik. In addition, delegates can expect presentations from a number of members of the industry to balance the academic with the practical. Croatia is also one of the leaders in the field of integrated coastal management and several presentations will discuss offshore aquaculture, the environment, and sustainability from different angles. On the second day a series of case studies analysing the use of technology to increase efficiency and yields will be presented. For more information and to register visit www.offshoremariculture.com

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

ESE / SPE Brussel ese / spe B r usse lss As usual, visitors attended the Brussels fairs ESE and SPE in crowds on the first two days.

visitor numbers. Whereas at the start of the exhibition it’s often hard to find a way through the crowds the aisles are frequently almost deserted on the last day. This is an unfortunate bad habit which can be seen at a lot of fairs and so far no satisfactory solution has been found to deal with it in Brussels, either. Some exhibitors even make matters worse by starting to pack up ready for the journey home in the early afternoon. Others start packing their exhibits so early that late visitors must easily gain the impression that they are a source of disturbance.

ESE and SPE 2010 with over 1,600 exhibitors

Increasing number of products with sustainability certificates The ESE took place for the 18th time this year and once again lived up to its reputation as the biggest seafood fair in the world. More than 1,600 exhibitors from nearly 100 countries were in Brussels to present the full spectrum and variety of international seafood products. It is particularly pleasing that more and more of them are produced on a sustainable basis. The number of seals, logos and certificates used to confirm this is growing constantly.

he three exhibition days in Brussels have long been an established fixture in the diaries of a lot of seafood suppliers and buyers. And nothing had changed there this year either although there had been some concern in the run-up to the event. As if the global financial crisis, a lack of consumer purchase interest, and the euro’s current prob-

lems were not already enough, ash from the Icelandic volcano brought air traffic to a halt just a few days before the fair. In the face of such a multitude of adverse conditions some people may have asked themselves whether it was worth making the journey to Brussels at all. To combat such fears the exhibition organisers quickly sent out a circular inform-

10 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

ing them that everything was absolutely on schedule, most of the exhibits had already arrived, and that they were ready and waiting for visitors. And they came – like every year – in large numbers, particularly on Tuesday and Wednesday. Only the third and final day was considerably weaker with regard to

The breadth and depth of the product range on display at this year’s ESE left nothing to be desired. The exhibits included everything the global seafood industry has to offer from new, original and interesting items to the familiar tried and tested products: frozen and fresh products, seafood from aquaculture and fisheries, everything from raw materials, through canned products to high-quality convenience. The range also included all kinds of services plus ingredients like spices or crumbs and other coatings. The seafood processing fair SPE drew visitors to Hall 4 with processing and packaging machinery as well as technical auxiliary equipment and accessories. Frequent visitors to both fairs are aware, of course, that a lot of companies exhibit regularly in Brussels. Their stands are often to be found in exactly the same place in the halls every year. This makes orientation easier and saves time but at the same time leads to a certain monotony despite the new products on display. That was why it was particularly pleasing www.eurofishmagazine.com

revie w

At the ESE Rob Schreur, Viciunai Sales & Marketing Director, had high hopes for attracting new customer groups with sushimi, a fresh sushi-style surimi product with oriental fillings.

that 160 new companies – 10% of the exhibitor pool – exhibited this year in Brussels. Some countries had also enlarged their national pavilions visibly in order to offer more firms a platform for international presentation. Like all industries the seafood industry hopes that the global economy will recover quickly and that demand will soon start to rise again. Although fish and seafood have so far not been affected as badly as other food categories by a decline in sales the crisis seems to have hit some companies harder than others. This was recognizable in Brussels because even in Halls 5 and 6 which always attract a lot of visitors and are thus particularly popular with exhibitors several stand spaces remained empty. As a rule, new companies have to wait ten years for a position in one of these halls and then pay months in advance of the fair. Companies that had this year decided to renounce their privilege of an exhibition stand in these halls and accept the loss of their advance payment in order to save the follow-up costs for stand construction, travel expenses and presentation would thus seem to be under very strong pressure. www.eurofishmagazine.com

Those companies that could afford to take part in this year’s Brussels fairs were for the main part satisfied. All the important buyers were present to gain information or place orders and their interest in new products was high. Some exhibitors complained that business had suffered and was more nervous than usual due to uncertainties and unforeseeable market developments. Despite this, however, they were optimistic that they would soon be able to overcome this difficult phase.

Randy Rice, Technical Director of ASMI, explained at a press conference the reasons and intentions behind the introduction of the “Global Trust” seal for seafood from Alaska.

labels are developing into a necessary requirement for trade with seafood. The seafood industry has recognised the public volatility of

this topic and acted so convincingly that, this year, even the environmentalists whose activities are otherwise inevitable at fish

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Alaska introduces own sustainability seal The prevailing subject at the fair which outshone the key topics of previous years such as traceability, health value of seafood, or wellness, was sustainability. It seems to have taken a hold on the whole industry and it is hard to find exhibitors that are without climate or environmental seals, evidence of responsible social standards, organic certificates or sustainability logos for one of their products. Everyone is out to win customers with ‘sustainability’ and it felt as if the blue MSC label was flaunted on every second packaging. It can hardly be ignored: Sustainability

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Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

ESE / SPE Brussel s

Although the fair organisers tried to hide the empty spaces with seating it could not be overlooked that several exhibitors had decided not to take part in ESE.

fairs had stayed at home. Norway announced at a press conference on the second day of the fair that about two thirds of the country’s fishery products from herring and cod to mackerel now bear the MSC logo. This is a good achievement for Norway and a lucrative

one for MSC which is probably the most important certification organisation. Its seal is not only held in high esteem but is also financially lucrative… Because certification is profitable in particular for the organisations that are responsible for awarding the

recognized and much sought after seals. So it was no wonder that certifiers such as MSC or Friend of the Sea were present at the fair with their own stands. Companies that are in urgent need of such seals in or-

der to continue selling their products have to face the additional costs of certification – costs that can rarely be passed on in full to the customer. This fact constitutes a strong motif to search for alternative seals that also attest sustainability but are considerably

ESE / SPE – Exhibitor spotlight

A broad spectrum of machines and equipment for the fish industry was on display at the joint stand of Salmco Technik Germany and Industrade France. The numerous daily demonstrations, partly with customers’ products, met with great interest and showed the variety of the Salmco slicers. This led to a lot of customer contacts and purchase intentions, some of them from the Pacific region, too, for slicing sashimi. The Brussels exposition 2010 once again proved to be a big success for Salmco. 12 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Karavela is one of the leading fish canning companies in Latvia with a 120-year old history and export sales to more than 30 countries worldwide. The company specializes mainly in canned pelagic fish (mackerel, herring, sardines, sardinella, sprats etc) and other species (salmon, cod, tilapia) in different packaging sizes (Hansa can, ¼ P-long, round cans, etc). Karavela offers products under own brand name Kaija or with customers’ private labels. The production plant is IFS certified. In 2010 the company opens a new production plant for fish preserves and fish smoking. More information is available on www.kaija.lv. www.eurofishmagazine.com

revie w less expensive. After Iceland introduced its national quality seal for responsible fisheries already at the beginning of 2009 (“Responsible Fisheries”) Alaska has now followed suit. At the ESE representatives from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) announced that they now want to introduce their own seal “Global Trust” for sustainable fishing. Its usage is to be free of charge for customers who want to mark Alaska as the country of origin of their products. Certification will be carried out by an independent institute. The first products with the new seal will be appearing on the market already next year. The fact that this free seal is likely to be well received is beyond doubt particularly because it basically confirms for fishery products from Alaska the same as the expensive MSC seal does. It’s easy to suspect that with the introduction of “Global Trust” some companies will turn their backs on MSC in the medium term, particularly since a lot of companies in Alaska have long been asking themselves why they should spend a lot of money to have something confirmed that is taken for granted in their region. The sustainability of the Alaskan fishery is sufficiently internationally recognised and undisputed so they believe they can save themselves the cost of MSC certification. Buyers have no alternatives anyway because wild salmon with the MSC label are currently only available in Alaska. There were times when customers were already fully satisfied if the fish they were buying had been caught in accordance with the permitted fishing quota. Today, expensive seals and certificates are necessary to confirm that everything involved in the catch and afterwards was done correctly and without damage to the environment. As long as suppliers www.eurofishmagazine.com

Sustainability seals like the MSC certificate are increasingly becoming a necessary requirement for trade with seafood. Advertisment

cannot pass on part of the costs of certification to the customer they will be on the lookout for less expensive alternatives. This is a disastrous development since, stimulating as competition might be for the industry, it has a rather negative effect where certification is concerned because every new seal or logo that is printed on a product packaging initially only confuses the consumer. The effectiveness of a sustainability seal depends above all on a maximum number of customers knowing what it stands for and what it attests. The more certificates there are for the same thing the less credible they are. It thus remains questionable whether the attempt to introduce one’s own seal is really going to achieve its objective. What else was striking at the Brussels fairs? One thing in particular: the exhibitors were saving on everything that wasn’t part of their actual business. Companies that after a busy day at the fair used to invite their customers and part-

ners out for a meal at an expensive Brussels restaurant today make do with a stand party or do without festivities altogether. Biros, lighters and other giveaways that were handed out lavishly in the past are no longer so prominent at the stands so that they can’t just be picked up by anyone who goes by. The only thing that has remained are the small organisational disappointments and peculiarities that occasionally lead to frustration at the Brussels fair… for example the frugal press room whose meagre equipment hardly offers journalists any support for their work. And another source of annoyance was the strange instruction that on the afternoon of the last fair day no-one was permitted to take fish products out of the hall without written authorisation. To ensure adherence to this bizarre rule bag checks are even carried out at the exits if there is any suspicion. Any prospective buyers who would like to take a product sample back home with them won’t find it easy in Brussels.

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

[ fair review ] Alimentaria

Popular food exhibition with underwhelming fish and seafood representation

he popularity of Alimentaria Barcelona 2010 was apparent already when trying to access the fair venue – hundreds of cars queuing on the roads leading to Fira de Barcelona Gran Via. Inside the exhibition centre itself the picture was even more impressive – thousands of people moving between seven halls enjoying the abundance of food and drink displayed at over 4,000 multi-coloured booths. The organisers say that during the five days of the show over 140,500 people visited of which 25% were international. Representatives from 75 countries exhibited and people from 155 countries visited the event. Such international involvement is explained not only by the diversity of food and drink, but also by the extensive business programme organised during the fair: the Research, Development and Innovation series of events included the International Food Forum, and a Congress on the Mediterranean Diet; while the International Project Activities series promoted the development of business opportunities between the agri-food sector in Spain and in other parts of the world. Alimentaria 2010 also continued its focus on Central and Eastern European countries, a successful initiative taken at Alimentaria 2008. The seafood sector was represented by around 200 companies

at three different shows – Congelexpo, Interpesca and Expoconser, exhibiting frozen seafood, fish culinary and canned fish. Andalusia, Basque Country and Galicia had their pavilions bringing companies from the regions to participate. From the exhibitors’ point of view the fair was a success and completely met their expectations. Most of the exhibitors from the seafood section said they would prefer to go to generic food shows instead of the shows dedicated to seafood only. The reason being that fish traders’ biggest customers are supermarket chains, and the buyers prefer to “shop” at the fairs where they can get everything in one go: fish,

meat, dairy products, soft drinks, wines and chocolates. From this point of view Alimentaria satisfies both – those who sell and those who buy. On the other hand, compared to Intercarn (meat products), Interlact (milk and dairy products) or Intervin (wines and spirits) the fish and seafood products were poorly represented both in terms of the exhibitor number and in terms of product assortment. The fact that fish and seafood products were hardly present at the countries’ national pavilions was also frustrating. One of the reasons for this lack of seafood sector representation could be, of course, the

forthcoming European Seafood Exposition, which is perceived to be the most important seafood show in Europe. A good example of how fish can be promoted was given at the pavilion of FROM (Spanish acronym for the Regulation and Organisation Fund for the Fish and Aquaculture Products Market), where visitors were offered a programme of events on: presentation and marketing of seafood products; new technologies and their role in improving marketing efficiency; better methods of cutting and filleting fish to make cooking quick and easy; ways of enjoying canned products; tuna, oyster and trout tasting; as well as sustainability and responsible consumption, traceability and adding value. The FROM pavilion was definitely a point of attraction in the fair’s busy schedule. The five days of the fair went really fast – a dynamic business programme and high level of attendance made Alimentaria a good communication platform; a forum to meet business partners and to learn about innovations and trends. And the general opinion from both visitors and exhibitors was that the fair was hectic, but good.

Alimentaria attracted exhibitors from 75 countries and visitors from all over the world, but the fish and seafood section was scattered across categories making it difficult to get a good overview.

14 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Aleksandra Petersen, Eurofish aleksandra.petersen@eurofish.dk www.eurofishmagazine.com

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italy

The market for seafood in Italy

Decline in domestic production The Italian fishery sector is highly fragmented and characterized by family run companies. In 2008, the availability of fish products in Italy was over 1,200,000 tonnes. Of these, 464,000 tonnes originated from the domestic fish production, equally subdivided between fishery and aquaculture products, while over 890,000 tonnes derived from imports. Only a marginal share of product is exported abroad.

Several actors in supply chain In Italy, the supply chain structure is characterized by a complex network of actors involved in all stages, from first sale to final consumer. Fishery products are usually landed in boxes after a first processing step on board and transported to places of sale, namely production markets or first sale markets. In this first phase, main buyers are wholesalers, retailers (traditional and large scale retailers) and HORECA (Hotels, Restaurants, Catering). Wholesalers in turn resell products to other wholesalers, retailers or HORECA. There are about 70 production markets, mostly concentrated on the Adriatic coast, such as San Benedetto del Tronto, Ancona, Civitanova Marche (Middle-Adriatic), Goro, Cesenatico (North Adriatic), Trapani and Aci Trezza (Sicily). Sales take place through auctions (with ascending price system) or

Picture: Audun Lem

sentially, the picture resulting from an analysis of the main fishery economic variables is not completely positive: domestic demand shows that the consumption of fish and seafood is stagnating, also highlighted by the decrease of domestic production and imports over the last year. On the other side, exports’ role in Italy is secondary compared to other countries, with only a small volume of products exported. Fishery products are usually landed in boxes after a first processing step on board and transported to places of sale, namely production markets or first sale markets.

through electronic auction, with a descending price system. Other types of wholesale markets are mixed markets and redistribution markets, in which many actors operate such as wholesalers, buyers and big fish farmers. In mixed markets local products are sold as well as national and import products. The main mixed markets are Chioggia (where the largest number of exchanges takes place, more than 12,000 tonnes in 2006), Molfetta, Messina and Catania. In redistributive markets (Milan, Turin and Venice) products originate from Italy and other countries. Retail essentially includes: modern distribution, fishmonger’s shops and corner markets. The Large Scale Retail (LSR) covers over 90% of the total national

16 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

which generate a variety of distribution methods. Traditional channels are fed directly by local production markets or by aquaculture (if they are close to the sale point) or by wholesalers who buy at different types of markets (production, mixed and redistributive). The HORECA sector is supplied by LSR and local wholesale markets. The processing industry buy products directly from national and international wholesalers. Processed products are sold to LSR which forward them to their outlets. Only a small part of the processed product follows the traditional trade channels (agents, wholesalers, retailers).

Domestic supply strong in the south

Traditional trade channels decline in importance

In Italy the fish sector, strongly fragmented and typically traditional-oriented, covers a secondary role within the entire agro-food scenario, with a percentage (2008) slightly lower than 4% in terms of production and 4.6% in terms of value added, compared to other sectors (agriculture and forestry). At a regional level, the fish sector plays an important role, especially in southern regions (Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Sicily), in which 52% of the domestic fleet and 46% of domestic production (2008) are concentrated.

LSR demand for fish and seafood is directly fed by aquaculture and processing industries and by importers (for imported products). LSR generally provides for logistics and products distribution through its logistics platforms. Traditional distribution is more heterogeneous, depending on local contexts

Farmed trout production is mainly concentrated in four regions (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardia, Trentino and Veneto), which all together exceed 70% of domestic production. Eel production is also highly concentrated in Emilia Romagna (over 38%), Campania (18.8%) and Veneto (18.8%). Pro-

sales of processed fish products (canned, packaged, frozen), but also in fresh products LSR has an increasing share (from 44% in 2002 to over 52% in 2007). This development confirms fish buying trends among Italian families, who appear to be much more interested in reducing the time spent shopping.

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italy

Evolution of Italien import in 1,000 tonnes

Market shares of major sales channels Per cent of volume

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total 828 844 873 900 935 896 Fresh products 176 182 178 185 192 184 Processed products (Frozen, canned, etc.) 652 662 695 715 743 712

Large-scale retail Fish shops Local markets Other channels Natural fresh fishery products Large-scale retail Fish shops Local markets Other channels

Source: Ismea, Eurofish

duction of farmed gilthead seabream, seabass and other species is both on land and in sea cages: Puglia (17.5%), Sardinia (17.5%) and Sicily (11.9%) are the most involved regions.

Fish production decreases again in 2008 In 2008, total fish production (446,531 tonnes) confirmed the negative trend that has characterised the fishing industry in recent years, reporting a further decrease (-11% compared to 2007). This

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reduction, due mainly to the decline of maritime fishing activities, has been partially compensated by aquaculture which maintains steady production levels and which, in 2008, slightly exceeded fishery production. The negative trend in production is also evident in terms of turnover (-17.9% in 2008 compared to 2007) which amounted to 1.106 billion euros in 2008, the lowest level since 2000. In 2007, fuel costs amounted to 51% of the total costs incurred by the maritime fishery (net of wage costs).

55,1 22,5 7,9 14,4

59,7 19,6 6,8 13,9

61,1 18,9 6,4 13,6

Variation 2007/2002 11% -16% -19% -6%

44 38,7 13,4 4

51 33,3 11,3 4,4

52,4 32,2 10,6 4,8

19% -17% -21% 20%

2002

2006

2007

Source: ISMEA

Between 2000 and 2008 the fleet registered a significant downsizing from more than 17,000 fishing boats to 13,374 (source: ISMEA) and a GRT decrease of 37.2%. This generated a significant socio-economic impact with a reduction in employees from over 38,000 in 2003 to 29,349 in 2008. The biggest

segment is the “artisanal fishery” with 8,831 fishing boats. In 2008, anchovy was the most captured species, with over 45,000 tonnes, representing 20.8% of the total catch. Clams are the most caught shellfish. Mussels and clams account for 69.7% in terms of total aquaculture volume, while among

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

italy

Imports from third countries increase As regards import, about 60% of total imports come from within the EU but, in recent years, third countries are increasing their exports to Italy. Ecuador, Thailand, Argentina, Peru, Morocco, Mexico and India are the major suppliers of processed fish products and in recent years they increased their market shares thanks to their prices which are notably lower than Europe’s. In 2008, a significant quantity of fish and seafood was imported (about 896,000 tonnes); around 80% of this quantity were processed products, especially processed fish and frozen shell-

Picture: Audun Lem

finfish, trout has the bigger share with 39,400 tonnes in 2008, 16.6% of the total. However, within the Italian market, it is squeezed between imported products (for example, pangasius) which are notably cheaper, and products which are more appreciated by consumer and therefore command a higher prices (for example seabass and gilthead seabream each account for more than 4% of aquaculture production). At a regional level, the fish sector plays an important role, especially in southern regions (Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Sicily), in which 52% of the domestic fleet and 46% of domestic production (2008) are concentrated.

fish.The main imported fresh products are: mussels, seabass, gilthead seabream and salmon; while imported processed products include: canned tuna, squid and cuttlefish, octopus, tuna loins, caramote prawns.

Fall in demand for fishery products In 2008 domestic demand confirms the long stagnation that characterizes the consumption of fishery products in recent years,

with a decrease in consumption per capita: from 22.1 kg in 2006 to 21.9 kg in 2007 to 20.6 kg in 2008. In 2007, ISMEA data on domestic consumption reported a sharp slowdown in growth (+0.7%) and a negative trend in 2008 (-0.8%) compared to 2007. In particular, the demand for fresh fish showed a significant reduction (-3.1%), while consumption of processed products increased by 1.7%: among these, the chilled products, generally cheaper than fresh products, have also reported

a slight decline in prices in 2008. In detail, in 2008, ISMEA noticed that among fresh products, the demand for gilthead seabream increased (+15.4%), a positive trend which characterizes the last three years. Positive trends are also reported from the purchase of mussels (+1.9%), hake and cod (+10.6%). Among products that showed a decrease are anchovies (-3.4%), red mullets (-6.8%), seabass (-6.1%), salmon trout (-14%), cuttlefish (-7.7%) and octopus, clams and shrimps and caramote prawns, all with decreases exceeding 10% compared to 2007. Among processed products, for which the demand has continued to grow despite rising prices, a revival in consumption of tuna in brine and oil (+1.6%) and especially anchovies in oil (+11.4%) can be seen. An increase is reported in purchases of frozen/ deep frozen packed products and a smaller increase in frozen unpacked products. Consumption prices of fresh fish, because of a weak demand, kept the average level of 2007. The 1.3% increase in average prices in the whole fish category (which is less than

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18 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

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agri-food products in general) is essentially due to a price increase in processed goods.

To export Italian seafood products need to strengthen their identity In the meantime, exports, which were stable in 2007 compared to the year before, showed a significant reduction (over 7%) in 2008. This was partly due to the decrease in domestic production, but it is necessary to highlight the minor role Italy plays as an exporter of fish and seafood compared to other competitors, mainly due to the scarce differentiation of Italian products which have no specific identity and can only compete on price. This makes Italian products less competitive than those coming from third countries, which are sold at notably lower prices. Fresh product exports include mainly anchovies (18% of exported fresh products), sardines (14%), mussels (8%) and trouts (7%), while the share of processed products is represented by canned tuna (22% of exported processed products). Exports are directed mainly to European countries, such as Spain, Germany, Greece and France. Japan is the sole non-EU country receiving Italian exports. The role of fish products in the food industry sector is absolutely marginal. In 2007, the turnover of canned fish accounted for less than 1% of the total turnover of food industries. Even smaller is the contribution of frozen fish.

Canned tuna dominates the Italian processing industry According to ISMEA data, in 2007 fish processing production registered a decrease, after the slight growth in 2006. In 2008 too there was a slight decline in producwww.eurofishmagazine.com

tion though less than the previous year, in line with that reported by the food industry. The difficulties of the Italian fishing industry, also found in many other European countries, are mainly focused on canned tuna (86,000 tonnes), which in Italy represents the most important part of the fish processing industry. In recent years, the increase in overall production costs, due to the decrease of tuna catches, led the Italian companies, totally dependent on foreign countries for raw materials supply, to change their production and commercial strategies: on the one hand, frozen tuna imports are again increasing (against tuna loins, more expensive), on the other side, the need to reduce costs has led many companies to outsource productions nearby fishing areas and where labour cost is lower. Domestic demand has been increasingly satisfied by foreign products. Rising energy costs have further damaged the fishing industry. Bolton Alimentari SpA (a subsidiary of Dutch multinational Bolton) is one of the main canned tuna companies both in Europe and in Italy, where it has some 50% of the domestic market for tuna processing. It includes brands such as Palmera and Rio Mare (first and third Italian brands in 2006), the Spanish Calvo (currently in serious financial difficulties according to operators), which owns the Nostromo brand (second Italian brand) and Star along with the Spanish Jealsa Rianxeira which owns the brand MareAperto. In 2006 production of frozen fish amounted to 25,000 tonnes enough to cover just a quarter of domestic demand. Leading frozen fish brands in Italy are Findus (Unilever Italy) followed by Buitoni (NestlĂŠ Italy) and PanaPesca. Alvise Bragadin, Cogea, a.bragadin@cogea.it

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italy

Orbetello

Premium quality sea bass and sea bream for the Italian market Orbetello, a small town in the Italian region of Tuscany, is located on a large 2,700 ha lagoon in the Mediterranean bearing the same name. The Orbetello lagoon has been fished for centuries and also provided the broodstock for aquaculture since Roman times. Fish farmers grew the fish in ponds next to the lagoon using the warm water to produce fish that could be harvested round the year.

his tradition of fish farming continues today. Since 1974 when the first farm was established the Orbetello cooperative has been farming fish in tanks built very close to the lagoon. The second farm was established a year later and today there are three land-based facilities and one using sea cages. Until thirty or forty years ago water the hydrological characteristics of the area were such that water from the ground used to spout naturally from the surface and could be used for fish farming. The water is characterised by its medium salt content (20-36 %o) and high natural temperature (2225 degrees centigrade) which was

maintained throughout the year. Today, says Marco Gilmozzi, the vice president of the Coopam Cooperative, which is responsible for the sales and marketing and general manager of one of the farms, the water pressure is not as high so it does not come out of the ground spontaneously, but it is just below the surface and we can pump it from a depth of 1-2 m. The easy access to the water keeps the cost of pumping to a minimum.

Water safe from contaminants According to Dr Gilmozzi a study carried out by a regional agency

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in Tuscany (ARSIA) found that the water that is used on the farms has been under the ground for many years and therefore the risk of contamination with herbicides or pesticides or with microorganisms that can infect the fish is virtually non-existent. The overriding philosophy among the farmers is that the production should be as natural as possible so that customers will essentially be unable to tell the difference between farmed and wild fish. This means however that much of the water flowing through the farms is not recyled. We do reuse about 30% of the water says Dr Gilmozzi, but to do more than that will call for mechanical filtration

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systems that will counter the idea of a naturally produced fish. Even the fish feed used is obtained from a reputed supplier and is certified free of GMO (genetically modified organisms) ingredients. Our feed does not contain much more than South American fishmeal, fish oil, maize and soya.

Independent certification of water, fish, feed In addition to these optimal conditions the farms have also provide documented confirmation of the quality of the fish giving customers another layer of security that the fish they buy is as good as it purports to be. An independent third party is used to test the water in the tanks both at the inflow and the outflow, to check samples of fish from each batch of production, and to analyse the feed for

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italy

every kind of risk, including the presence of gmo. Only after the results of the tests are received is the fish released on the market. The consistently warm water used for production allows the fish, seabass, sea bream and umbrina, to grow to about 800 g in two years. Harvesting at from 08.00 in the morning to 12.00 noon and seven to eight tonnes a day are processed. Delivery starts already at 14.00 when the first trucks leave the processing facility with the fish bound for destinations all over the country. We are only 90 minutes away from Rome so the fish is delivered there within six to seven hours of being harvested. We sell our fish right across the country, says Dr Gilmozzi, in the north, south, centre, and the islands. Customers include hypermarkets, wholesalers, important restaurants, and hotel chains. Harvesting is six days a week and the fish is delivered daily, by the end of the day we do not have a single kilo of fish left in our store rooms. So far most of the fish is delivered whole on ice. We want people to see how fresh the fish is and unless you are an expert it is easier to recognise the freshness of a whole

8 kg umbrina were sold as steaks, fillets and even whole, but this year there are only 1-2 kg fish.

Cheaper imports are a serious threat

Christian Guidi (left) and Dr Marco Gilmozzi, Vice President of Orbetello Coopam. Dr Gilmozzi woud like to see the date of harvest to appear on all farmed and wild fish on sale in Europe.

fish rather than a fillet, explains Dr Gilmozzi. But acknowledging the growing demand for fillets three years ago Coopam invested in the equipment to scale, gut, fillet and package in modified atmosphere. So when the demand for fillets increases they will be able to supply the products, but for the moment still more than nine tenths of the prodcution is sold as whole fish. The fish are available in different sizes, 600-800 g is typical for the seabass and sea bream, but seabass is also available in 2 kg sizes, while sea bream in 1,000 to 1,500 g. The umbrina varies from 800 g all the way to 8 kg. Last year a lot of

The European aquaculture sector was hit by a double crisis last year. On the one hand was the international financial crisis on the other was a sectoral crisis due to overproduction brought about by imported seabass and sea bream that was sold at much lower prices than Coopam’s. For the last ten years says Dr Gilmozzi we have been struggling with producers from outside Italy who sell on the market for prices less than their production costs. He claims to know of companies that have debts that are many times their annual turnover. That is why the Italian Fish Farming Association (API) would like to introduce European legislation that would make it mandatory to put the date of harvesting on to any kind of fish (farmed or wild) that is sold anywhere in Europe. Then customers could make informed choices about whether they want to buy fish that was harvested 8 to 24 hours ago or fish that is 3 to 6

days old. Another weapon in the group’s armoury is the Orbetello brand. Ten years ago nobody was interested in the brand now however they only want fish with the label, and it is widely known through out the country. This wide recognition is purely attributable to the high quality of the product which has spread by word of mouth, as the group has not invested money in marketing efforts to promote the brand name. As a result of the crises last year sales went down by 20%, but on the positive side buyers were willing to pay the full price because of their confidence in the brand. Despite the difficulties the group has slowly increased its production by 5-10% a year and capacity has now reached the maximum of about 2,500 tonnes a year including 500 tonnes from the Orbetello Lagoon. But Dr Gilmozzi is quite clear that the ultimate goal is not merely to increase production but to translate it into higher sales. As a first step in that direction Coopam is working to obtain complete ISO certification (9001-14001-18001) as well as to get Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status for its products.

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technology

Defrosting frozen products – Part 2

Defrosters for the fish industry Whether it’s herring from the North Atlantic, shrimps from Asian farms, or hake from the southernmost point of Africa, a lot of seafood products are traded frozen. Before they can be further processed they have to be thawed. In industry, special defrosters are used to do this. They are based on different technologies and for this reason alone there is no “ideal” technique that fulfils all requirements.

very defrosting technology has its advantages and disadvantages and not every system fulfils all requirements. Anyone wanting to invest in industrial defrosting equipment should therefore define their needs exactly beforehand to enable them to find the most suitable system. Whilst some companies make only occasional use of frozen products and can defrost them in batches, others need automatic defrosting units that work continuously to enable a constant supply of raw materials. It is also of significance how much time is available for defrosting. The desired thawing speed does not only determine the size and the performance of the planned system but also, and to a large extent, the choice of defrosting technology. Companies that do not have steam or hot water connections in their production rooms would possibly have to face follow-up costs. A further point for consideration is which hygiene requirements the product will have to fulfil later on. Foods that up to consumption will not be heated again after thawing have to meet much more stringent requirements than products that will undergo thermal treatment. Anyone who invests in an automatic defrosting unit needs more qualified staff than is required for thawing products in a simple water bath. Independent of this, however, defrosting will lead to additional work that will take ad-

ditional time because the defrosting apparatus naturally has to be cleaned, disinfected and maintained regularly. The necessary financial outlay often soon pays off, however, due to the higher material yield and constant, often even better quality of the defrost-

ed products which is to be expected from using such systems.

Defrosting with still and forced air The least expensive but also the least effective method is of course

Before investing in defrosting systems a company should precisely define its needs.

22 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

to defrost seafood in the air. The ambient temperature should not be too high (0 to max. 6°C), however. For this method, the product’s packaging and any insulating layers have to be removed and the product preferably spread out in just one layer. Because air has a relatively low thermal conductivity the thawing rate is very low. In order to accelerate the process the outer layers of the frozen block that have already started to thaw should be removed from time to time to allow the air direct contact with the inner regions of the block. This method is cheap but hardly suited to defrosting larger quantities of raw materials, particularly since product quality suffers considerably during slow defrosting because through the long period of time spent in the air the fish loses a lost of moisture from the surface and dries out. It is mainly fillets that are affected here. Another problem of air drying is that it is difficult to monitor and regulate the temperature within the product. Air blast thawing units in which water saturated air heated to about 40 to 50°C (usually with steam) is blown over the frozen products at a high speed are considerably more suitable for defrosting. Periodically the direction of air flow is reversed so that the seafood is warmed more uniformly. The circulated air is humidified in the recirculation duct by water sprayed from nozzles. This prevents the products from drying out. Such thawing units that work with moving air (forced air thawing, air blast thawing) can cope with considerably larger quantities of seafood, particularly when they work in continuwww.eurofishmagazine.com

t echnology

ous operation. They allow for much better process monitoring and control. Additionally, they are comparatively economical because the heated air remains within the unit if it is well sealed off and so can be used several times over, with only the inevitable heat losses having to be compensated. In this kind of thawing unit the frozen products can be arranged either on racks or on conveyor belts. Because forced air units have a high thawing capacity which can also be very finely adjusted they are preferably chosen for sensitive seafood products such as frozen shrimps or fillets of high-value fish species. Problems can really only arise through insufficient maintenance of the unit or due to programming errors. If, for example, the thawing time is set too long the product can be over-thawed or even pre-cooked. An ambient temperature of 40 to 50°C would be high enough for that. This can also happen if the products to be thawed are arranged in such a way that the air accumulates in certain zones leading to the development of hot spots.

Water based thawing methods One of the simplest methods that is used particularly frequently within the fish industry is water based thawing. The spectrum of methods used ranges from simple immersion tanks to continuously operating sprinkler systems which thaw the frozen products with heated water. Water is a good defrosting medium because it conducts heat 24 times better than air. Water based thawing techniques are particularly suited to whole or gutted and headed fishes (h & g), frozen blocks of fish and frozen shrimps. They are less recommendable for thawing fillets because the texture and www.eurofishmagazine.com

Frozen products are often thawed by immersing them in water in stainless steel baths for several hours.

flavour of the muscle flesh can be negatively influenced by contact with the water. Within the fish industry the simple water bath made of stainless steel is a popular utensil. The frozen product is simply put into tanks filled with water and left there for a few hours, usually overnight. Mostly a hosepipe is installed to distribute water into the tank whereby the fresh water flows into the tanks constantly whilst the old water which is soiled by thawing glazing, slime, fish blood, drip loss etc. flows out via an overflow. With regard to investment costs such immersion tanks are relatively inexpensive which presumably contributes to their wide use within the industry but this supposed advantage is often forfeited as a result of their relatively high water consumption. In the meantime there are already technically more sophisticated systems which are equipped with integrated water heaters, filters and pumps and

which use the water several times over. The quantities of soiled water arising in such systems can still be considerable, however. A rule of thumb says that about 3 to 4 litres of water should flow through the system per kilogram of fish to be thawed. A further problem stems from the fact that water based defrosting plants are difficult to monitor and control. In order to keep the water temperature constant and geared to the products it would have to be possible to change the water throughput rate during the thawing process as required (the thawing process should be stopped at the latest when the product’s core temperature gets close to 3°C). This is particularly relevant if tap water is used for thawing because the temperature of tap water can vary considerably over the course of the year. There are hardly any systems which offer such options, however. Through being in contact with the water over a longer period of time the raw materials

can leach and lose quality, particularly product parts that are at the edge of the frozen blocks. Whilst these parts defrost first and then remain immersed in the water for hours the fish at the centre of the block is often still frozen. The long time spent in the water does not only have a detrimental effect on the texture of the muscle flesh but can also lead to mass development of microorganisms. Even if there is only one single contaminated frozen block within a water bath all the others can be infected too and rendered unusable. A more developed variant of water based thawing techniques is a continuously operating sprinkler system in which the frozen fish lies on conveyor belts or in shelflike frames and is sprayed from above by a water shower. The water is usually heated to 16 to 18°C which improves heat transfer to the frozen products and shortens thawing time. Although these thawing systems have certain advantages over water baths, the

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

technology

basic disadvantages such as high water consumption and the risk of excessive pathogen development remain.

practical applicability noticeably, however, so that it has so far not been used much in the fish industry.

High frequency, vacuum and microwaves

An equally effective and gentle but more technically demanding technique is vacuum thawing. This technique involves the frozen products being placed in an airtight chamber. (The largest systems currently have a capacity of between 10 and 12 tonnes.) A vacuum is then created within the chamber. At the chamber’s base is a reservoir of water which is heated slightly so that it evaporates constantly. The water vapour condenses on the cold surface of the frozen products which absorb the heat energy contained

In recent years new defrosting techniques have been developed which have certain advantages over the traditional methods but are considerably more complicated as regards technology and mostly also much more expensive. The first of these techniques uses the heat that develops when a high-frequency voltage is applied to frozen blocks to thaw them. The frozen blocks are placed between two parallel metal plates across which a high frequency voltage is applied. If the voltage and current frequency are sufficiently high, heat develops in the frozen block and the ice it contains begins to melt. This method is convincing due to its high performance and speed. A disadvantage, however, is the relatively high electricity consumption and the risks that electricity involves. Apart from that, electric defrosting only leads to satisfactory results if certain conditions are fulfilled. The frozen blocks should be of the same thickness throughout and as far as possible of uniform composition (i.e. the frozen fishes or seafood should not be too big and have to be spread evenly within the block.) This technique is thus less suitable for large species that are frozen round and are distributed irregularly in the blocks because here there is the danger of localised overheating within the product. Such inhomogeneous blocks can be dipped briefly into water prior to thawing to achieve a more uniform conduction of electricity in the block. These drawbacks limit the method’s

in the water misting and thereby thaw quickly. The system can be regulated relatively well via the vacuum and the evaporation volume. Products that have a large surface area in relation to their shape and thickness are particularly suited to this thawing method. The thicker a product is, of course, the more time it takes to thaw completely. As in the household, microwaves are a useful method for defrosting frozen products in industrial plants, too. The energy-rich radiation penetrates the food and causes water molecules in the product’s interior to oscillate (dielectric heating). The resulting heat ensures that the prod-

uct does not only thaw on the outside but at the same time in its interior, too. However, frozen water is relatively hard to heat using microwaves because the water molecules are fixed within the ice crystal and will thus only oscillate to a limited extent. This is, however, not the main reason why microwaves are relatively rarely used for thawing in industry but rather the danger of causing thermal instabilities in the frozen products. Everywhere where there is a particularly large amount of water in and on the product more radiation is absorbed and heat produced. This increases the risk that the product will be overheated in some areas whilst just a few centimetres away it is perhaps still frozen. Microwave thawing systems are thus difficult to control. They are rarely used for thawing frozen products completely but are rather used to increase their temperature to slightly below zero degrees, usually to about -5°C. In this way it is possible to limit the risk of overheating and still shorten thawing time.

Radio frequency defrosting plants and new techniques

Blowing warm humid air over frozen products is an effective way of thawing them.

24 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

In Europe microwave ovens typically work with electromagnetic radiation which has a frequency of 2.455 GHz. In other countries, particularly in the USA, frequencies of about 915 MHz also come into consideration for industrial microwave ovens. The 902-928 MHz range is freely accessible in the USA as so-called ISM frequency band (Industrial, Scientific and Medical band) – ISM bands are those frequency ranges which can be used for appliances in industry, science and medicine and in the household). Both frequency ranges have their advantages and disadvantages. Bawww.eurofishmagazine.com

t echnology

The initial investment in water-based thawing systems is low, but water consumption is relatively high.

sically, the lower the frequency the greater the penetration depth but the lower the absorption rate, too. If the frequency is too high the penetration depth is accordingly low so that only the surface is heated. That is why industrial defrosting systems were developed that operate with radio waves of relatively low frequency. The way they work is similar to systems that are based on microwaves. The product that is to be defrosted is placed between two parallel electrodes which alternately radiate radio waves. In contrast to microwaves the temperature in the product rises relatively evenly and uniformly although differences can occur here, too, if the frozen block is not sufficiently homogeneous. The risk of local overheating rises the closer one gets to 0°C. That is why the thawwww.eurofishmagazine.com

ing process, similar to with microwaves, is usually ended shortly before this limit is reached (at about -2°C) with radio waves, too. One can reckon on about 15 to 45 minutes to defrost a 5 cm thick frozen block. Depending on the construction type, radio frequency defrosting systems are available both for batch defrosting (c. 40-600 kg/h) and for continuous operation (900-3,000 kg/h).

ity and temperature within the chamber are constantly controlled so that consistent conditions prevail. Sensors monitor the surface and core temperatures of the frozen products and reduce the performance and heat input to the same extent that the temperature of the frozen products approaches thawing point.

It has long been known that extremely high pressures of about 200 MPa are very suitable for freezing. Due to the high pressure the development of ice crystals is avoided. The product cools to temperatures of about -21°C without ice crystals forming. These only arise – but then suddenly and at the same time everywhere – when the high pressure is reduced. Due to this lightning-speed transformation the damages to the tissue are only slight. Now there is considerable hope that the use of high pressures might offer advantages during thawing, too. Partly this has already been proved in experiments. In the case of frozen tuna blocks that were thawed under 50 to 150 MPa in 30 to 60 minutes the drip loss was considerably lower than when defrosting blocks under normal pressures, for example. However, there were undesired side effects, too, such as a rather unattractive discoloration from the typical tuna red to pink. Equally undesired were the effects when thawing surimi. Here, too, there was discoloration, and sometimes the proteins contained in the product even denaturalised. Only the future will tell whether this thawing method is really suited to industrial applications. mk

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There are also new kinds of defrosting technology that promise good thawing results. These have either been undergoing tests for several years or are already on the market. Among them are climate systems in which water or steam is sprayed finely into the thawing chamber through jets. This function corresponds largely to thawing under vacuum whereby with the new systems a vacuum does not have to be created. Humid-

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Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

technology

3X Technology

Defrosting machines for high quality production 3X Technology manufactures a range of processing solutions for the white fish, salmon, shrimp, and pelagic fish sectors. Founded in 1994 the company has developed from supplying the local processing industry on Iceland to selling its equipment on the international market, earning it awards for its export performance. Among the equipment the company produces is a solution for defrosting frozen fish. While there are several technologies that are used for the thawing process 3X Technology uses one that circulates temperature controlled water round the frozen product to thaw it gently and evenly. The system is used to thaw frozen blocks of herring, mackerel, shellfish, and whitefish and is based on the fact that the operator can control the heat supplied to the system, and the time the blocks are kept in the tank depending on the requirements. It uses the “first in, first out” principle to ensure that all the blocks are treated exactly the same way. The system comprises a tank with a large screw

Feeding the frozen blocks into the thawing unit.

that effectively divides the tank into sections. An electronic conveyor saves labour by carrying the pallets with the blocks up to a scissor elevator at the in-feed end of the tank. The operator can adjust the height of the elevator so that he can comfortably remove the blocks from the pallet and feed them into the tank. Normally a single operator is enough to run the system at full capacity. Usually the tank is filled in the morning with water, the temperature of which is determined by the species that is being defrosted, how it is going to be used afterwards, as well as the product form. Apart from blocks the system can also

The frozen block in the first minutes. 26 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

thaw individually frozen items. The temperature of the water falls from one end of the tank to the other. For cod or other ground fish, for example, the water is typically between 9 and 11 degrees centigrade at the start – it should not be too hot – and by the time it reaches the outlet at the opposite end of the tank it will have dropped by 2 degrees. With whitefish, for example, by the time the fish is ready to come out of the defroster the temperature on the surface is 3 to 4 degrees while the core is between–0.5 and –1.5 degrees. At this stage the company recommends laying the fish in tubs for the final adjustment to

The block starts to break up.

the temperature, as filleting and skinning with a skin temperature of 4 degrees will reduce the yield. To reduce water consumption the water is reused during the day. The system uses 20 percent of the water used in a conventional defrosting tank where the product is immersed and left to thaw for 10-20 hours. In the 3X Technology system the water from the outlet is filtered to remove any fish particles or other debris, it is reheated using steam or heat exchangers that can use several types of external energy, and is then pumped back into the tank. Fresh water is used each day, however the future, says Pall Kristjansson, marketing manager, is to add on recirculation equipment similar to that used on fish farms to recycle the water so that it can be used repeatedly for extended time periods without having to change it. The company is currently working on how to enable this. The defrosting system has a number of advantages, it offers better handling of the material, constant flow, water savings, reduction in labour costs, and better raw material yield in the fish produced afterwards, and is flexible with the possibility to control temperature and time. In addition the “first in, first out” principle ensures all the raw material gets exactly

Fully thawed mackerel after one hour in the thawing process.

t echnology

the same treatment. As the blocks move through the machine it is also possible to blow air on to them to prevent them from freezing together. The equipment is available in three standard sizes that can then be customised for each client. Of course, the client can adjust the speed of the screw and the temperature of the water on the factory floor, but major adjustments have to be done by the manufacturers. So far customers have been mainly in Europe, in the UK, Denmark, Spain, Germany, France and of course Iceland, as well as Canada. A network of dealers in Europe and Canada is responsible for sales and service of the machinery.

Steriflow introduces Shaka

Taste the difference in soups and sauces A manufacturer of autoclaves for the food and pharmaceutical industries Steriflow SAS is a 35year old company whose equipment is used around the world. In 2005 Steriflow SAS licensed the Shaka technology which was invented in the UK. Using this

equipment can be used with any kind of container including cans, glass jars, pouches, and plastic trays. Reducing the process time has a positive impact on the product. Recent tests made on soups

Combining mechanics with thermal knowledge to allow products to be processed for short times at high temperatures provides an opportunity to all manufacturers interested in improving their products. From the end of 2009, the equipment is available for

3X Technology Company Fact File 3X Technology Hlidarsmari 1 IS 201 Kopavogur Iceland Tel.: +354 450 5041 sales@3xtec.is www.3xtec.com Marketing manager: Mr. Pall Kristjansson Products: - Defrosting equipment in three standard sizes: - 1.6 m wide x 5 m long, for herring and mackerel - 2.1 m x 7 m for herring and mackerel in bigger volumes, and also for various ground fish species - 2.1 m x 11 m for herring and mackerel in bigger volumes, and also for various ground fish species and shellfish thawing and maturing Typical values: - Throughput on single tank is 1-4 tonnes per hour - Thawing time range is 1 - 3 hours depending on product - Core temperature of material after thawing from 0°-10°C depending on customer requirements www.eurofishmagazine.com

Steriflow has created an autoclave in which the products are shaken vigorously while being sterilised. This increases the penetration of heat and correspondingly reduces the cycle time.

technique the product is vigorously shaken while in the autoclave. The frequency of the shaking is 100-150 cycles per minute and this movement increased the penetration of heat into the product thereby allowing a reduction in the cycle time compared to regular autoclaves. The

show a dramatic improvement in preservation of micronutrients like vitamin C and polyphenols compared to traditional processes (including pasteurization). Using Shaka equipment allows a lower level of salt in the recipe for an equivalent aromatic balance as tested on soups.

industrial production; 1300 mm diameter autoclave together with semi or fully automatic loading. Pilot equipment is available for trials on customers’ site or at the Steriflow pilot plant. For more information visit www.steriflow.com.

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Latvia

Buyers in Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine are major purchasers of block frozen herring and sprat from Latvia. Here the raw material is being landed at the company Irbe’s processing factory in Roja.

Latvia: Greater decentralisation of European fisheries management desirable

Further decommissioning to bring profitability to the Baltic Sea fleet There are 793 Latvian fishing vessels and small coastal boats operating in the high-seas and the Baltic Sea with a total engine power of 62,274 kW and total gross tonnage of 41,202 GT (April 2010). In 2009 the total catch of the Latvian fishing fleet was 162,884 t.

he coastal zone in Latvia represents the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga waters, up to a depth of 20 meters. Coastal fishing is an essential occupation for those people who living in the coastal regions of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga. A separate catch limit for

coastal fishing is guaranteed by law and may not be set lower than in the previous year. However, for cod fishing in the Baltic Sea the level may not be set lower than 3%, and for herring fishing in the Baltic Sea not lower than 4%, of the total quota allocated to Latvia.

28 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Coastal fishing generates GT. The number of vessels in this much employment segment represents approximateThe Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga coastal fishing fleet, which covers vessels with an overall length up to 12 m, consists of 685 fishing vessels with total engine power 5,809 kW and total gross tonnage only 986

ly 86.4% of the total Latvian fishing fleet, but only 9.3% of the total engine power and 2.4% of the total gross tonnage. Also, one of the specific issues that representatives from EU member states and other stakeholders stressed at a conferwww.eurofishmagazine.com

Latvia

ence organised by the Spanish Presidency in May is the definition of the coastal fishery. Currently most states have regulations that differ for the coastal fleet, but these vary from state to state. The idea of defining the coastal fleet be it by vessel length, engine power or some other criterion, is to try and give easier access to technical assistance through the European Fishery Funds. Stationary fishing gears are the main equipment used in the coastal fishery. There are different types of nets and traps, as well as seines for herring fishing. Most catches in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga coastal waters consists of herring, flounder, vimba, eelpout and garfish, as well as salmon. Total catches in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga in 2009 were 2,644 t which is 1.6% of the total catch of Latvia’s fishing vessels.

Offshore fishing for sprat, herring, cod In total 97 vessels with a vessel length from 12 m to 40 m fish in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga beyond the coastal waters. Total engine power of these vessels is 24,296 kW and total gross tonnage 10,606 GT. This segment accounts for about 12.2% of the total number and about 39% of the total power, and 25.7% of the total gross tonnage of the Latvian fishing fleet. The fleet, however, is an aging one with an average age of 28 years, according to Inarijs Voits, president of the fisheries association. When a vessel gets to be so old it does not pay to invest in it, he points out. The companies cannot invest in newer vessels because they are expensive, the profitability is low and banks are only giving limited credits. Over the last decade several vessels have been decommissioned www.eurofishmagazine.com

Catches of the Latvia’s fishing vessels in tonnes 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Total catch 148.907 140.958 155.342 156.955 162.883

Catch in the coastal waters in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga 2.679 2.695 2.347 2.759 2643,7

Catch beyond the coastal waters in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga 90.425 80.069 88.609 83.718 75.820

Catch in high-seas 54.991 57.300 63.349 69.545 84419,9

Source: Latvian Ministry of Agriculture

using EU funds for the purpose. In 1999 we had 220 vessels fishing outside the coastal zone, says Mr Voits, and 132 companies, while today there are only 65 companies. He feels further decommisioning is necessary to bring the fleet in balance with the resource and to improve the profitability of the fleet. A prognosis worked out by the EU suggests that both the sprats and the herring quota in the Baltic Sea are set to decline over the next two years. Falling quotas in the Baltic Sea are affecting the companies fishing there. Alexander Blohins, a big Latvian quota holder in the Baltic Sea, is moving his activities into processing to add more value to what he see as a declining resource. Normunds Riekstins, director of the Fishery Department, Ministry of Agriculture feels however that with the improvement in the cod stock in the Baltic Sea there is reason for optimism. Sprat stocks are in a worse situation he admits, but this is not the first time the fishery is facing fluctuations in this stock. The trawl fishing vessels beyond the coastal waters fish mainly for Baltic sprat, Baltic herring, as well as cod, and bottom set gillnets are used for cod, flounder and salmon. Longlines are also used, but not in any great numbers. The species in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga of greatest economic value are sprat, herring and cod. Catch of these quota species in 2009 was 73,590 t, which was 97% of the total quota

allocation to Latvia. There are also fisheries in the Baltic Sea for non-quota species like flounder, turbot, sea trout, eelpout, vimba etc. In 2009 the catch of these non-quota species was 2,230 t or 3% of the total catch in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga beyond the coastal waters. Total catch in the Baltic Sea offshore fisheries in 2009 was 75,820 t, representing 46.6% of the Latvian total catch.

High seas fishing gave more than half the total catch in 2009 Latvian high seas fishing depends on the European Union to maintain and renew fisheries agreements with third countries on cooperation and fishing in their waters. This fishery is also influenced by decisions taken at the regional fisheries management organizations where the limits for fishing in the international waters beyond coastal states jurisdictions are set. In total there are 11 Latvian vessels registered for high seas fisheries. In the waters regulated by the regional fisheries management organizations three Latvian vessels fish in the areas of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC). Of these, one vessel operates for some periods in Greenland’s economic zone. In addition to these, seven vessels operate in the waters of third countries, such as the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Kingdom of

Morocco. The total engine power of the 11 high seas fishing vessels is 32,169 kW, which is 51.7% of the total fleet capacity, and the total gross tonnage is 29,611 GT or 71.9% of the total fleet. The total catch in the high seas in 2009 was 84,420 t which is 51.8% of the Latvian total catch.

Fish farmers experiment with new species In Latvia the basic fisheries legislation and the fisheries law regulate the administration of fisheries utilization, including inland fisheries management. Although aquaculture is not specially defined, the law sets out the general conditions for the farming of fish in natural water bodies, as well as requirements for restocking. Other aquaculture business activities are regulated by legislation relating to food and veterinary issues. Latvian aquaculture farms operate in the following areas: - Fish and crayfish artificial reproduction and rearing of juveniles for release in natural water bodies for restocking purposes; - Fish and crayfish cultivation and rearing in freshwater ponds or basins up to the market sizes; - Short-term cultivation of fish in ponds for the purposes of licensed angling; - Fish cultivation in household ponds for personal consumption or for private recreational angling.

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

The main species farmed in Latvia Common carp Cyprinius carpio Pike-perch Stizostedion lucioperca Crucian carp Carassius carassius Pike Esox lucius Goldfish Carrasius auratus Rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss Silver carp Hypopthalmichthys molitrix Baltic salmon Salmo salar Grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella Sea trout Salmo trutta Vimba Vimba vimba Brown trout Salmo trutta m. fario Bream Abramis brama Grayling Thymallus thymallus Tench Tinca tinca Whitefish Coregonus laveratus European eel Anguilla anguilla Twaite shad Coregonus peled Siberian Sturgeon Acipenser baerii Vendace Coregonus albula Russian Sturgeon Acipenser guldenstaedti Wels Silurus glanis Sterlet Acipenser ruthenus African catfish Clarias gariepinus Besters Beluga and sterlet hybrid Noble crayfish Astacus astacus River lamprey Lampetra fluviatilis

Latvian farmers have acquired much experience in the cultivation of traditional species (see box). However, in recent years entrepreneurs are experimenting with a number of new species and new systems such as concrete basins and recirculation equipment. Today 241 aquaculture farms are registered with the Food and Veterinary Service (January 2010) including state hatcheries and private farms. The majority of the aquaculture farms are based on pond farming facilities in which the fish or crayfish are cultivated only in open ponds. Total production of fish larvae, juveniles and smolts for fish restocking in natural waters reaches 15 to 25 million per year. The main species that are released are: salmon, sea trout, river lamprey, pike, bream, vimba, pike-perch and small quantities of other fish species. Approximately 80% of the juveniles released in the natural water bodies for the national restocking programme are from the state owned fish farms. Development of the aquaculture sector in Latvia as well as international cooperation in the field is being promoted by the project ”Promotion of Sustainable Management of Fish and Crayfish Resources in Inland Waters and Environmentally Friendly Aquaculture” (PROMIWA). The project lasted from 2008 to 2010 and was realized by the Latvian Fish Resources Agency, in cooperation with the Latvian Crayfish and Fish Breeders Association, the Norwegian institute of Food, Fisheries and Aquaculture research “NOFIMA,” Latvian University and other partners. The project provides advice and practical programmes to increase small water bodies’ fishery potential, special education and promotion of aquaculture

30 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

and fishery, as well as the establishment of an information system using data from aquaculture and inland waters. Project activities played a significant role in training and facilitating discussions on the use of quality water and its impact on fisheries, as well as on aquatic animal diseases, their prevention and other related issues.

Developing new markets for processed fish products Latvia’s geographic location on the Baltic coast predisposes the processing sector to mainly use raw material from the Baltic Sea. However, to diversify their product range, processors also use ocean fish species such as herring, mackerel, sardines and sardinella, and small amounts of tuna. Over the last few years Latvian canneries have also started to use freshwater fish species (pikes, catfish, common carps and others), but these amounts are still modest. There has also been an increase in the production volumes of processed farmed salmon imported in to Latvia.

Increase in processed fish volumes A wide variety of fishery products is produced in Latvia including frozen fish, salted and smoked fish, unsterilized preserves and ready to serve food, as well as sterilized canned fish. Comparing 2008 with 2007, total production volumes of processed fish (fish products and canned fish) increased by 13.9% and reached 193.6 thousand tonnes. In overall terms this growth in output can be seen since 2000. The frozen fish production component, where fish from the Baltic Sea is used as raw material, represents

about one fifth of the total fish production. These are mainly frozen Baltic sprats, which are marketed largely in the CIS countries (Belarus, Ukraine, Russia). For several years, Latvian vessels have been fishing in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and NorthEast Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) fishing zones, as well as in the economic zone waters of Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Kingdom of Morocco. All the frozen fish production produced on board in these fisheries is exported. During 2008 the volume of fish processed on board constituted 61.6 thousand tonnes. Redfish and shrimp are the major species processed on board in the North Atlantic fisheries. While off Mauritania and Morocco it is sardines and sardinella, Atlantic mackerel etc.

Vast assortment of canned fish products Production of fish fillets is modest. Processors specialized in the production of fillets used the Baltic Sea cod, but nowadays most fillets are produced from imported saithe. In the prepared and preserved fish product group the unsterilized preserves segment is well-developed and is represented not only by traditional type of preserves, but also by various types of salads and fish snacks. These products are produced mainly by small fish processing enterprises. The assortment of canned products includes more than 100 different kinds of canned fish and companies each year create new high-quality products that reflect market trends and consumer demands. As already mentioned, the main raw matewww.eurofishmagazine.com

Latvia

Didzis Smits, president of the Union of Latvian Fish Processing Industry, sees private label production as the way to get into markets in western Europe.

rial for canned fish production is Baltic Sea herring and sprat. The oldest and most recognized canned fish product produced in Latvia is canned smoked sprats in oil. These fish products constitute about 70% of the sterilized canned fish volume. Due to the product’s special taste, which comes from the traditional smoking method using alder wood, Latvian canned sprats in oil have been a consumer favourite for more than hundred years. The most recognized brand among these canned products is “Riga sprats.” Six companies have formed an association (the Association of Riga Sprats) that uses this brand. Originally created for the Russian market, the brand lays down strict criteria for the raw material, the colour, the taste, and the smell. The association is open to anybody, but their production has to meet the criteria, says Didzis Smits, president of the Union of Latvian Fish Processing Industry, a ninemember trade body of which five companies are also members of the Association of Riga www.eurofishmagazine.com

Inarijs Voits, president of the Latvian Fisheries Association, feels more vessels need to be decommissioned before the fleet can become profitable.

Sprats. Although 2009 started with a global economic crisis which also affected Latvian fish processors they persisted in their efforts to raise their competitiveness, search for new markets and diversify production. There is not much brand recognition for Riga Sprats in western markets, so the Union of Latvian Fish Processing Industry is getting its member to participate in trade fairs such as the European Seafood Exposition, Sial in Paris, and Anuga. But Didzis Smits is also realistic; the way to get into western markets is less by building brands than through private label production, he says.

Need to diversify production, markets Processing Atlantic fish species in greater volumes and variety is another focal point for the industry. We are good with sprat and herring from the Baltic Sea where we have a lot of experience and knowhow says Mr Smits, but we need to diversify both production and mar-

Normunds Riekstins, director of the Fishery Department, Ministry of Agriculture, would like to see more regional initiatives that address local conditions and concerns.

kets. There is more scope with Atlantic species, and we need to get better at processing this. Currently 65% of the exports go to Russia and the former CIS countries and around 20% to Europe. He is also looking beyond Eastern and Western Europe towards Africa, where he says there are some countries where direct sales should be possible. European support programmes may be one route to increase sales there. China is another potential market, but not an easy one to get into. The Union is working hard to convince the Chinese that Riga Sprats in oil is not something that can be made in China. As a lobbying organisation the Union is actively getting its voice heard not just in Latvia but increasingly in Brussels. Food safety is one of the issues that is currently being discussed. The level of benzopyrenes in some Latvian products has provoked some debate on their safety. Mr Smits emphasises however that Latvian claims are scientifically substantiated and anticipates

that a mutually acceptable solution will be found soon.

Trade in fishery products As a result of Latvia’s close location to the Baltic Sea and its fish resources, as well as the limited domestic market, substantial volumes produced by the processing industry, , are exported. Exports have been aided by processors’ participation in international exhibitions, like AgroFood, Prodexpo, and World Seafood, where they have won prizes for product quality, innovativeness and taste. In 2009 the proportion of fisheries products out of Latvia’s total export volume increased to 2.46%. The foreign trade balance for fisheries has been positive for a couple of decades. Since 2003 exports of fish products, prepared and canned fish have increased. However, this increase dropped suddenly in 2007 because of the crisis in the prepared and canned fish segment, caused by the

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Latvia

ban on Latvian fish exports to the Russian Federation because of the introduction of new standards for levels of benzopyrenes in fish products. Latvia’s fish processing industry exports a large proportion of its production to the Russian Federation. The same year fluctuations in the US dollar exchange rate also hit Latvia’s fish processing sector and canned fish producers lost their previous positions on the American market.

Bulk of exports go to Russia and CIS countries In 2008 the situation in the fish processing sector improved a little compared to the year before and prepared and canned fish export volumes increased by 5.5%, reaching 59.7 thousand tonnes. But in 2009 due to the economic crisis exports of canned fish decreased by 35% to reach 38.9 thousand tonnes compared to 2008. Although there are a number of states (about 40) to which Latvian processors export, the major part of (prepared and canned fish) volumes is sold to Russia and other CIS states. The proportion of other countries amounts to only 4.4% of the total canned fish export from Latvia. The major part of this segment is markets in USA, Israel and Canada. While canned fish volumes exported to the “old” EU countries are insignificant, they continue to increase. Thus in 2009 the proportion of export to these countries increased 2.3 times reaching 7.6% of Latvia’s total canned fish exports. At the time of Latvia’s accession to the EU the proportion of the canned fish export to these countries was only 1.1%. Slowly but surely Latvian fish processing companies are expanding their markets in the old EU countries particularly in Germany, Denmark and

Italy. Prices of prepared and canned fish products have also increased. Between 2007 and 2009 prices went up by 11%. The export of fish products other than prepared and canned fish depend essentially on catches by Latvian fishing vessels in the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Compared to 2008, exports increased by 3.7% in 2009. Exports were mainly to the CIS states (45%), EU (39%), and Mauritania (13%). The figures in brackets represent the percentage of the total export volumes of the fish products of Latvia. Traditionally, the greatest part (>90%) of this fish production constitutes frozen and chilled fish and shrimps and frozen fish fillets while just 10% are smoked and salted fish. Exports of fishery production to the CIS states decreased by 8.7% in 2009 compared to the year before. The highest decrease was in the export volumes to Moldova (about 30%), Belorussia (about 16%), and Ukraine (about 14%). However, there was a 25% increase in export volumes to Russia. During the last years large volumes of frozen Baltic Sea sprat was exported to the CIS states (in 2009 – 24.2 thousand tonnes.). During the same period fillets of frozen cod and saithe, chilled cod and sprat, as well as chilled salmonidae species were exported to the EU member states.

Salmonid imports from the EU increase; from Norway decline Imports in 2009 constituted 36.3 thousand tonnes which represented a decline of 20% compared to 2008. However, the major part of imported fish products, is frozen fish (salmon, herring, Atlantic mackerel, saithe, sardines and sardinella, as well as redfish) Latvian fish processors use this

32 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

as raw material for their production of fishery products. The main supplying nations are Norway, Lithuania and Sweden. In 2009 the imports decreased from most supplying countries, but the biggest decrease was in imports from Sweden. In 2009 imported volumes from Finland, Netherlands and Vietnam increased. Import of the fish production from Norway remained at the level of 2008. Import volumes from the European Union countries (Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania) of the salmonidae species continue to increase while imports of these species from Norway decreases. In 2009, as in previous years, imports of canned fish, as well as other types of prepared fish and seafood, increased. Importers buy these products to provide their customers a wider range from which to choose. A volume of 5.6 thousand tonnes of prepared and canned fish and seafood was imported in 2009. Latvia’s main trading partners in this field were the European Union countries. Altogether Latvia imports fish from 38 countries.

Reform of the Common Fisheries Policy Latvia’s priorities in the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy include the regionalisation of fisheries management. We would like to see a policy that takes into account regional differences says Normunds Riekstins, director of the Fishery Department, Ministry of Agriculture, for example fishing effort regulation rules that are valid in other waters are not necessarily the way to proceed in the Baltic. He would also like to greater possibilities for member states to initiate their own measures and develop their own strategies perhaps in regional groupings rather than waiting for

Brussels to launch the respective proposals. One example he mentions is an EU regional strategy covering not just fisheries but all economic activities of relevance to the Baltic Sea, that is being actively developed by the countries around the Baltic. Another priority for Latvia in the CFP reform is the retention of the 12 mile limit within which only fishermen from that country can fish. These are sensitive waters not just for Latvia but probably for most coastal nations, says Mr Riekstins, and we feel the concerned coastal state is the best adjudicator of who may and who may not fish within this limit. The principle of relative stability where fishing quotas are allocated based on historical rights is also something that Latvia does not want to change. Related to this is the issue of quotas that are allocated to the individual company and which Latvia would not like to see transferred out of the country without the consent of the relevant fisheries administration. Latvia is also interested in multi-annual quotas as they make life easier for the fishers who can plan for the longer term. The fisheries administration in Latvia apart from concentrating on the CFP reform is also working to help the industry using dialogue and consultation to stay aware of its’ needs and requirements. We are looking at ways to ease the impact of the crisis on the industry, says Mr Riekstins, such as by exploring the possibility to substantiate credits from the European Fisheries Fund. We are also looking at how to smoothen the flow of products to our most important markets such as Russia by creating a ministry level collaboration with our respective partners in Russia and other countries. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Atlantikstars

Service, quality and innovation reduces the threat from low cost producers Atlantikstars is a bespoke manufacturer of surimi products offering high flexibility, the possibility to order small volumes, international quality, fast delivery and a wide variety of product forms.

The number of employees will increase by 25 to 30 when the new production line goes on stream.

Maris Bakanovskas, director of trade and marketing..We are being squeezed to lower our prices, complains Mr Bakanovskas, yet at the same time raw material prices are going up. But we do not want to compromise on product quality.

Vadim Dargel, member of the board of Atlantikstars.

hen one mentions surimi in a European context one tends to think of the giant firms in the business, but there are also smaller producers that are fast and flexible and cater to customers who require smaller volumes of specialized products. Atlantikstars, based just outside Riga, is one such company which in addition, has switched its entire production to gluten-, soya, and genetically modified organism (GMO)free surimi products. This step has helped the company to enter the market in almost the whole of Europe where today it supplies companies in Scandinavia, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Lithuania, Greece, Italy, and Spain.

Caught between a rock and a hard place Although competitors from countries where production costs are lower appear in the market, they are no threat for our company, says www.eurofishmagazine.com

The main raw material in surimi is fish mince which can be based on any of several species such as threadfin bream, hoki, Pacific whiting, jack mackerel, atka mackerel, sardine, blue whiting, and Peruvian anchovy. Originally Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) was possibly the most common species for the production of fish mince, but a decline in Alaska pollock stocks and improvements in technology enabled the use of other species to produce the fish mince. Today even non fish species such as the giant squid (Dosidicus gigas) are used to produce surimi. The surimi yield from different species varies depending on the quality of the surimi to be achieved and the characteristics of the fish. .

Japanese technology at the heart of the manufacturing process At Atlantikstars the fish mince is sourced from Chile, Peru, India and lately also from Viet Nam. In the factory, following a recipe, it is mixed with several other ingredients such as starch, oil, sweetener, and salt, using a giant blender. All the ingredients are sourced from reliable suppliers who can provide all the necessary quality certificates. No conservatives are added. Surimi originates in Japan, where it is still pro

duced, and at Atlantikstars the entire production line is Japanese. This allows us to benefit from a century-old tradition in surimi manufacture, says Vadims Dargelis, member of the board, who is so satisfied with the machinery that a planned expansion in capacity will also use Japanese technology. The smooth paste from the blender is fed to the cooker in three continuous belts. Just before they are cooked the colour is added to the strands of surimi which are then carried by rollers through the cooking chambers. The colour varies but is always based on natural ingredients rather than synthetic materials. After the cooking phase the surimi bands are cooled and then rolled into tubes, which are wrapped in plastic and then chopped into the familiar crabsticks prior to being vacuum packaged. The packages are pasteurised and then cooled to 65 degrees before being placed in a freezer to bring the internal temperature down to minus 6 degrees. With this proven technology, the final result is a chilled product which has a shelf life of three months without conservatives. If the requirement is for frozen product the internal temperature should reach minus 18 degrees and the shelf life increases to 18 months.

New production line to go on stream in months The crabsticks are produced in several sizes depending on the customerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requirement. They can be retail sizes, big sticks that can be fed into sushi machines, or medium sticks that fall in between. Apart from sticks the surimi can be made into chunks, bites, or shredded, and packaged for hotels, resEurofish Magazine 3â&#x20AC;&#x2030;/â&#x20AC;&#x2030;2010

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taurants, and catering establishments. Atlantikstars makes both chilled and frozen surimi but tends to focus on chilled as here it is at an advantage compared to suppliers from distant countries. We have to constantly stay a step ahead of our competitors, he says. Our advantage is that we are close to the European market, are able to provide fast service and that we do not need to make 10 tonnes a day of a single item, but can make individual tonnes of different products. Current capacity at the factory is 220 tonnes a month. The company plans to expand with further lines for imitation shrimp and lobster products for the Italian market. The total investment will be in the range of EUR2 million. The company has also recently signed a contract to deliver surimi products to a Russian customer under private label for the supermarkets in Moscow and St. Petersburg. With these investments and with plans to try out innovative new products including one with real crab meat for the Spanish market and others with new flavours such as pepper and cheese Atlantikstars is confident of maintaining and increasing its market share worldwide.

Atlantikstars Atlantikstars Mucenieki, Ropazu district Riga region LV-2106 Latvia Tel.: +371 6711 3746 Fax: +371 67702096 atlantika@atlantika.lv www.atlantika.lv Member of the board: Vadim Dargel Director of trade and marketing: Maris Bakanovskas Products: Chilled and frozen surimi sticks, chunks, shredded, bites Packaging: Vacuum packed for retail, wholesale Production capacity: 2640 tonnes per year Markets: Scandinavia, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Lithuania, Spain, Italy, Greece and Russia Employees: Around 60 Turnover: ~ EUR2 million

34 Eurofish Magazine 3â&#x20AC;&#x2030;/â&#x20AC;&#x2030;2010

BraDava

Greater value addition as quotas diminish In 1995 Alexander Blohins, the owner of the two fishing vessels Bravo and Daugava, took three syllables from the names of the boats and used them to coin the name BraDava for his newly established company. Over the last 15 years BraDava has evolved from a purely fishing company with two vessels to a fishing and processing operation with its own ship repair yard and trucks for distribution.

fter several changes in the fleet which saw the number of vessels increase from two to eight of which two were scrapped and five were sold so that there are today three newer vessels of 32 meter, 35 meters and 38 meters that were bought in England, Denmark, and Sweden and although not new they are completely renovated and have a total catching capacity that is substantially higher than that of the old fleet. Some of the cost of the renovation was covered by EU funding and the vessels which vary in age from to 20 to 22 years are more fuel efficient, require fewer people on board, and are more efficient at catching fish. The vessels are seaworthy in all kinds

Alexander Blohins, the owner and managing director of BraDava.

of weather, even when the upper layers of the sea is frozen as happened last winter. We were probably one of the few fishing companies that continued operations despite the severe weather, says Mr Blohins, and catches were good as there were hardly any boats out there.

Liquid ice and fish pumps on board improve quality According to him the vessels are probably the only ones in the Latvian Baltic Sea fleet that are equipped with pumps to convey the fish into the containers that carry the fish to the factory. The pumps increase the quality of the fish by reduc-

Bradava has installed fish pumps on board its vessels, one of the few Latvian fishing companies to do so. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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ing the handling and rapidly conveying the fish into the containers. In the containers the fish is stored in liquid ice which cools the fish rapidly down to around 0 degrees and maintains the freshness and quality until it is brought ashore. The problem today says Mr Blohin is however that although BraDava is among the largest quota holders in Latvia, the quotas for the species that we catch, Baltic herring and sprats, have been falling for the last few years and are unlikely to increase in the near future. Five years ago we had a quota of 15,000 tonnes, then it became 10,000 tonnes and we do not anticipate that they will increase in the near future. To cope with the situation in 2006 Mr Blohins with the help of EU funding invested therefore in a processing plant to add more value to the fish to get a better return on smaller volumes of the raw material. The EU funding covered the cost of some of the equipment in the factory including the fork lifts and the cleaning system for freezing factory. Currently the main processing activity is block freezing which allows the company to stagger the delivery of fish to the market and thereby hold out for a period when prices are higher. Otherwise when the conditions are favourable and the catches are good there is a lot of fish on the market and prices fall.

Catches are best in the winter months BraDava’s vessels can fish throughout the year but the best season for the sprat and herring fishery is from November to March when the water is coldest. At higher temperatures the quality of the fish is not as high and in summer the catches are mixed sprat and herring and have to be sorted before they can be processed. Catches tend to be smaller in summer and as the water gets warmer the fish get softer which also impacts the quality. The weather and the season also define how much of the catch is sold fresh and how much is frozen. The fish is either sold immediately to domestic processors or is frozen into blocks using contact freezers for export to Belarussia. In general 70-80% of the catch is frozen.

Vessel owners face a number of difficulties Mr Blohins is not particularly optimistic about the immediate future. Our main concern is to www.eurofishmagazine.com

Although last winter was severe BraDava’s vessels could still go out and fish unlike other boats.

survive these drastic cuts in quotas. If they continue it will eliminate the fishing altogether on this coast, he fears. This view is shared by Inarijs Voits, President of the Latvian Fisheries Association, who feels that the solution lies in further reducing the size of the Baltic Sea fleet so that capacity is in balance with the size of the resource, which will improve the profitability of the vessels that are left. For fleet owners like Mr Blohins the bleak outlook is compounded by administrative and other factors such as the issue of dioxin, the regulations that a fisherman has to comply with, the monitoring that he is subject to, and the difficulty of finding personnel. Fishing is a tough business and young people only want to work on new and modern vessels. As in other businesses vessel owners find that when skippers they employ make mistakes they can lose their jobs and even their licences, but the consequences of the mistakes fall on the company that hired them, and this can sometimes prove expensive. Out at sea the skipper is the master of the vessel and currently there are no systems in place that will allow the company to monitor or influence what is happening on board. One of the problems mentioned is the requirement to intimate the port authorities in advance of the volumes of the fish that are going to be landed. The regulations allow a discrepancy between the weight intimated and the actual weight of 10%. However says Mr Blohins, if I am carrying 50-70 tonnes of fish it is difficult to estimate how much is fish and how much is ice and water. He is also caustic about some of the reporting requirements which are recorded by different authorities. A small mistake can lead to a severe penalty and some of the requirements just do not make

sense, he says. The rules should be strict of course he agrees, but they do not have to be stupid.

Focus on adding value Bradava is a fully integrated company with its own vessels, repair facilities, distribution network, processing factory, and storage points. Over the next two to three years the company intends to focus increasingly on the processing operations, graduating from freezing to greater value addition including heading, gutting, and filleting. The small cod quota of 127 tonnes which it currently swaps may also play a greater role in the company’s range of products in the Fariga Seafood

BraDava BraDava Ltd. Locu 2 LV 3601 Ventspils Latvia Tel.: +371 26404019, +371 29131377 bradava@inbox.lv Contact persons: Aleksejs Blohins, Dana Odnoroga Vessels: Three pelagic trawlers fishing in the Baltic Sea Facilities: Processing factory, trucks for distribution, ship repair yard Products: Frozen blocks of Baltic sprats and herring, fresh sprats and herring Markets: Belarus, domestic market Group employees: 120 Quotas: 10,000 tonnes Turnover: EUR5 million Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

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Fariga Seafood

Retail whitefish portions for French and German retailers Fariga Seafood, a Faroese-French joint venture, produces frozen saithe and cod portions for the retail sector in Germany and France. The company started as a purely Faroese company in 2005, and became partly French-owned two years later. The main products are based MSC-certified raw material from Norway which is processed and sold to the French partner under its brand.

ens Sofus Thomsen, production manager and chairman of the board of Fariga Seafood, is from the Faroe Islands where he used to run a fish production plant. Five years ago he received an offer from an acquaintance to manage a fish processing factory in Riga and he has been happily living in Latvia ever since. At the processing plant he supervises the whole frozen fish is of Norwegian origin. We used to source fish from the Faroe Islands, he explains, but the transport time was too long as it was first shipped to Denmark and then sent by truck to Latvia and so we now get most of the fish from Norway. The other reason behind shipping suppliers was that the Faroese could not supply MSC certified fish as none of their whitefish has received the certification. For Fariga Seafood the sustainability certificate was important as it served to distinguish them from other suppliers who work with noncertified fish, and it was necessary to have the certification on the German market.

Fariga Seafood specialises in producing whitefish portions from raw material sourced in Norway.

smaller quantities of the raw material rather than continuing as bulk producers, says Mr Thomsen. So now instead of producing 5 kg packages we have shifted to 1 kg and even 300 g portions.

the buyer rejecting the fish because it does not meet the requirements.

The relation with the French partner Cornic is an unusually close one. Cornic is responsible for the sales and marketing of the product and buys Fariga Seafood’s entire production for distribution on the French and German markets. Unlike most suppliers Fariga Seafood does not have a regular contract with Cornic that lays down the specifications of the product. The raw material

Last year from January to September the company processed 6,000 tonnes of raw material which translates into roughly 4,000 tonnes of the finished product. If it had been available the company could have processed a further 3,000 tonnes of raw material. However, Mr Thomsen feels strongly that the company needs to move away from being a volume-based producer if it is to survive and prosper. There is a lot of competition out there, he says. The Faroe Islands and Iceland are making exactly the same product as we do, and the Chinese are buying a lot of raw material. The reason to set up production in Latvia was to make the most of the lower wages. We need to make products that require a lot of manual labour to add value as this cannot be easily reproduced in countries like Iceland and the Faroe Islands. China of course is another story, but there we have the advantage that we are close to both the source of the raw material and the consumer. According to Jens Sofus Thomsen, shipping the raw material to China and then freighting it back to Europe after it is processed also takes time and in that time the market may change so there is some risk that the buyer is saddled with a product for which there is no demand.

Strategic rethink prompted by raw material price hike

Jens Sofus Thomsen, the production manager who also doubles as chairman of the board.

Growth at Fariga has been explosive – from 30 employees in 2005 to 180 working in two shifts in September last year – but since October last year the price of the raw material increased significantly and the company could no longer afford to buy the volumes it had been and so the number of employees has fallen to about 95. This spike in raw material prices prompted the company to rethink its strategy and focus more on value addition. We realised that with unstable raw material prices it was important to add more value to

from Norway can vary in size and different sizes have to be treated differently to achieve a uniform high yield. When the size of the fish is below what is expected, which can sometimes happen, Jens Sofus Thomsen contacts Cornic to discuss the best way to process the fish to maximise the yield. Different ideas for portion sizes and packaging are debated and a decision is reached. Thus processor and buyer reach a consensus on how best to process a consignment of fish rather than

36 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Make the most of low labour costs

Frozen fish is preferable to fresh At Fariga Seafood headed and gutted fish in blocks is slowly thawed using vast quantities of water. The volume of water used is so large that the company is considering some kind of www.eurofishmagazine.com

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recycling mechanism to bring the costs down. Once the blocks can be split up the fish is placed under refrigeration to ensure a slow and even defrosting. After thawing the fish is filleted, the bones and skin removed, and the fillets are cut up into ready to cook portions, which are then frozen again. For Jens Thomsen using frozen raw material is preferable to using fresh. Because the raw material is frozen very soon after being caught the bacterial count is very low as the bacteria do not have the time to multiply. Fresh fish on the other hand tends to have higher bacterial counts as it can take up to two weeks from the time the fish is caught to the time it is processed and during this period the bacteria can proliferate.

Planned increase in production The company has plans to expand its production of bags with IQF pieces which are sold at retailers and also needs to expand its frozen storage. New vacuum packaging machinery has been bought and there are plans also to move more into buying from other bulk producers rather than relying exclusively on raw material suppliers. The factory premises are leased and there is a constraint on space so any expansions have to be carefully planned taking into account the limited area. Mr Thomsen is optimistic about the future as he feels the company has some clear advantages in terms of location and that it has built up a good and reliable team of people. He is convinced that these factors together with the new strategy which is being followed of focusing on greater value addition rather than volumes will bring returns for the company well into the future.

Irbe

Herring fillets and rollmops for the EU market The company Irbe was established in 1995 by the brothers Ansis and Lauris Jirgens. Ansis had already started in the fish business five years earlier, trading fish between Latvia, Russia, and Estonia, a business that convinced him of the importance of being the producer of the raw material.

he first production was from a traditional coastal static fishing gear that is fixed in very shallow waters 3-5 m in depth. This gear is used to fish in the spring months April, May and part of June when the fish, mainly herring, come close to the coat and get caught in the gear. Each day and sometimes twice a day the brothers would go out and empty the nets. The fish however needed to be sold immediately and buyers would sometimes exploit this situation to drive the price down or also pay the agreed price very late. There are some processors says Lauris Jirgens, who pay well and there are no problems with them but there are others who feel that the fisher should not be paid; he can wait for 3 to 12 months or not be paid at all. In the meanwhile Irbe had invested in the first vessel to fish in the Baltic Sea starting with a quota of 70 tonnes. Today the company has seven ves-

Ansis and Lauris Jirgens, owners of the fishing and processing company Irbe.

sels fishing a total quota of 4,500 tonnes and is the biggest company in the Riga Bay, where its fishing activities are concentrated.

EU funding allows expansion into processing Already in 2004 the brothers realized that if they were not to remain at the mercy of the processors they would have to build their own facility to process the fish. In 2004 when Latvia acceded to the European Union it opened up access to EU funding possibilities. As Ansis Jirgens says, “all that we have done is thanks to European support. To do this by ourselves would have been impossible; everything in the factory, in general, is paid half by Europe and half by the bank.” Now with its own processing facility Irbe is more or less independent of the local processors. Our discussions with them have become much shorter, says Lauris Jirgens. If you want the fish pay us the money - no money, no fish, it is very simple.

Fariga Seafood Fariga Seafood Rupnicu iela 4 Olanie LV-2114, Latvia Phone: +371 6706 9844 Fax: +371 6706 9843 jenssofus@fariga.lv www.fariga.lv Production manager: Jens Sofus Thomsen Products: Retail portions of skinless, boneless cod and saithe Markets: France and Germany Volumes: 4,000 tonnes of final product Employees: 95 Turnover: EUR3 million www.eurofishmagazine.com

On board the vessel the fish is stored in plastic tubs which are removed with a crane and forklifted to the factory a few meters away.

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Irbe itself has started buying fish from other fishermen particularly in the winter season when the quality peaks. From November to March the company purchases sprats and herring for its customers in Russia and Belarus, though this year the economic crisis has reduced demand from these countries and the financial crisis has made it difficult for buyers to get the necessary credits to pay for the shipments. We used to take payment up front says Lauris Jirgens, but now we have to send the goods first and hope the payment comes later. So far it has not been a problem but we also take the necessary precautions.

sold frozen, though a small quantity is sold fresh on the local market. The rollmops are created for buyers in Finland and Estonia who require that the rollmop is placed on a special tray sealed in plastic and frozen. The tray is ideal for a company that wants to add a sauce or a marinade to the fish, says Lauris. The plastic film can be easily removed, the other ingredients added to the frozen fish, and the tray can be resealed. The Finnish-made tray is so versatile that it can go in the oven (up to 120 degrees) creating a warm meal in a few minutes.

Raw materials of the highest quality

Biggest quota holders in the Gulf of Riga The quota of 4,500 tonnes is mainly for herring (80%) while the rest is sprat. In the main Baltic Sea basin the main quota is for sprats while herring is a bycatch; in the Riga Bay the main quota is for herring with sprats a bycatch. While the sprats quota in the Baltic Sea has been falling the herring quota in the Riga Bay has stayed more or less stable. However fishing can be a difficult and expensive business and the incentives offered for scrapping vessels sometimes make it more attractive to exit the fishery. In Roja the number of vessels has declined from 35 to just 10 or 12. For Irbe this has been an opportunity to buy more quotas and Lauris Jirgens acknowledges that catches are getting better as the number of vessels fishing in the Bay has decreased. But catching the fish is only part of it, he says, it then has to be sold and we have to realize the proceeds. The two brothers know most of the processors in Belarus, Russia and the Ukraine and are constantly in touch with them offering them fish and negotiating prices and terms. There is always a mix in the catches so the first step when the fish comes in to the processing factory is to grade it by size. This results in four groups of fish ranging from the largest size of herring which is used for the production of butterfly fillets and rollmops to the smallest fish which tends to be a mix of herring and sprat. Most of the fish is block frozen, but the company has hit upon a product which has proved very popular in supermarkets in Latvia and Lithuania. This is whole frozen fish stored in one kg plastic bags; last year the volumes supplied were 50 tonnes which went up to 200 tonnes this year. The butterfly fillets are mainly 38 Eurofish Magazine 3â&#x20AC;&#x2030;/â&#x20AC;&#x2030;2010

The processing factory is located in the port at Roja, a few metres away from the dock where the boats land the fish. On board the vessels the fish is stored in large plastic tubs and covered in ice to preserve it. The tubs are only filled to two thirds to prevent the fish at the bottom from being crushed Within minutes of arriving at the the dock the fish is removed from the boats and taken to be processed. The careful treatment on board and the rapid transfer from vessel to factory ensures the final product is of the highest quality. In addition to the grading machine, the factory is equipped with a filleting machine from VMK which heads, guts and fillets the fish, and two nobbing machines which remove head, tail, belly and clean the fish. In addition there are two freezing tunnels with a nominal capacity of 80 tonnes in a 24 hour cycle. In the near future the storage capacity is to be expanded to accommodate the increased catches. And Irbe is also considering a move into products with greater value addition such as marinates and other culinary products.

Irbe Ostas Street 3 Roja, Talsu district LV-3264 Latvia Owners: Ansis and Lauris Jirgens Activity: Fish catching and processing Vessels: Seven fishing in the Gulf of Riga Quotas: 4,500 tonnes of which 3,700 tonnes herring and the rest sprats Products: Block frozen fish, butterfly fillets, rollmops, whole frozen IQF fish Employees: 80-90 Turnover: EUR3 million

SIA Sabiedriba IMS

Introducing the west to canned smoked sprats in oil Smoked Sprats in oil are synonymous with Riga Sprats in Oil, a product that is well known in the three Baltic states as well as in Russia and the former countries of the Soviet Union. Traditionally, canning factories in Latvia have smoked and canned Baltic Sea sprats giving the product a unique flavour that is still highly demanded by consumers in the neighbouring countries.

abiedriba IMS is one of the bigger Latvian producers of canned seafood, of which canned sprats make up about more than half the total production. The rest comprises products based on Baltic herring, and sardines, herring, sardinella, and mackerel from the Atlantic. The Atlantic fish is frozen, while that caught in the Baltic is fresh, in particular the sprats. At the factory two production lines are running. On one Atlantic fish is being cut into steaks preparatory to being canned while on another a batch of the famed sprats is being readied for production. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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The company has 247 employees on the factory floor producing a range of canned products.

and taste of the product smoked this way. The fully automatic smoking chamber was installed in January this year and apart from Western Europe, the production goes to the United States.

Riga Sprats in Oil meet specific criteria

Riga sprats are always produced from fresh sprats The fish comes in fresh from vessels fishing in the Baltic Sea and is processed immediately. About 20 fish are threaded onto a wire which is then suspended from a frame that slides into a trolley. Each frame has about 20 fish-bearing wires and there are about 10 frames in a trolley. A fully-loaded trolley carries about 600 kg of fish. The whole trolley is conveyed into the smoking chamber where it takes about 1,5 hours to smoke it to the correct degree. For our present customers, who know the smoked sprats, we smoke it the way we have done traditionally, using alder chips, explains Vjacheslav Kochetkov, the managing director. After that the fish acquires a golden colour and a distinct smoked flavour earning it the appellation “Gold of the Baltics.” But the company has also started producing this for the western European market where the product has no history. For this reason we have adapted the product to the tastes prevailing there, says Mr Kochetkov. The company invested in a new German smoking chamber purely to be able to supply the West European (Germany, Austria, France) market with a product that would appeal there. This is a fish smoked using beech chips, which give the delicate colour www.eurofishmagazine.com

For the Riga Sprats in Oil the smoking, though vital, is only part of the manufacturing process. After the fish have been smoked they are removed from the wire and certain fish are selected based on their size and their undamaged appearance. These are then carefully arranged in a can so that the fish nest into each other giving them a particularly attractive appearance when the can is opened. It is important that the fish are not damaged nor are too big nor too small for them to qualify for the appellation Riga Sprats in Oil, says Mr Kochetkov. The cans are then filled with oil, sealed, and sterilised in an autoclave which kills any microorganisms and gives the product a shelf life of 24 months. Following this they are washed to remove any debris from the manufacturing process on the surface of the can and the date of production, expiry, and the factory number are stamped onto the lid. An etiquette is added with the name of the product and other obligatory information in different languages and finally the cans are packaged.

Manufacturer of private label brands Most of the cans are ring-pull but not all, as it depends on the customer. We produce some private label products adds Vjacheslav Kochetkov and then the customer decides the kind of can, the label, and the packaging. We are flexible producing a wide range of cans including round, oval, and figure cans (HANSA, Club), in different heights. The quality of the production is also strictly controlled. Sabiedriba IMS has a fully equipped laboratory and laboratory technicians take hourly samples at every stage of the production proc

ess, starting with the raw material, and submit them to biological, bacteriological, and chemical analyses. These tests also ensure that the processing operations are carried out in accordance with the prescribed regulations and achieve the desired result. Even benzopyrene levels are tested though this is done at an external accredited laboratory.

Looking to markets in the west The financial and economic crisis has had a significant impact on the company. In 2009 production fell by 20%. Now however with investments in a new smoking chamber and a new autoclave the company is hoping to be able to penetrate western markets with its products. We feel there is scope to export to the west as in some respects it will be easier as we are all part of the EU, notes Vjacheslav Kochetkov who in addition is looking to present the canned Baltic sprats in oil which are a relatively unknown product. As part of its strategy to export to the west the company is participating trade fairs including the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels and SIAL in Paris. Ultimately it is hoping to export half its production to the west and half to the east.

Sabiedriba Ims Sabiedriba Ims 22, Antonijas Str., 1, Riga LV-1010 Latvia Tel.: +371 67336054 Fax: +371 67336024 kvs@ims.lv www.pure-sea.com Managing director: Vjacheslav Kochetkov Products: Canned Baltic and Atlantic fish including sprats, herring, sardines, sardinella, and mackerel in different sauces; Riga Sprats in Oil Volumes of cans produced: 18 million cans per year Markets: Russia, Germany Greece, other Western European countries, USA, Mongolia, Hungary, Romania, Czech, Slovakia. Employees: 247 Certificates: IFS (International Food Standard), FDA, RosTest, UkrTest Turnover: EUR5 million Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

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high quality product and away from unhealthy caviar that is full of preservatives and other dangerous chemicals. It is a hard thing to do due to a whole generation that had been consuming caviar which is far from the original. Apart from Russia the caviar is also being sold in the Ukraine, the UK, a few countries in continental Europe and attempts are being made to enter the US and Japanese markets.

Completely natural product

Mottra

Caviar sales hit by the crisis The financial and economic crises have had a severe impact on sales of luxury goods as consumers cut back their spending on niceto-have products to concentrate on needto-have basics. For MOTTRA, a producer of caviar located in Riga, the crisis has been particularly harsh.

here was a huge market segment of middle class who were buying caviar across the whole world, but since the crisis that market has decreased dramatically says Dmitrijs Tracuks, project manager at MOTTRA. There are two categories of buyers, those who are buying for consumption and those buying it as a gift, and the biggest fall in demand has been in the last category. The whole market for genuine caviar has felt the rough edge of the crises, so for MOTTRA as for other producers attracting new clients the last year has proved to be an uphill struggle.

Special marketing techniques needed Marketing caviar is unlike marketing other products. It cannot simply be advertised on the radio or television, but needs more exclusive channels to reach the right audience. In the UK 40 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

The caviar is a completely natural product with a shelf life of 10 months without any additives apart from salt.

for example marketing efforts have included serving the product at an exclusive event to create awareness among the potential customers, as well as selling it through upmarket department stores. In France the caviar was served at an event for wealthy Russians who had come there to ski. The company is also trying to tie up with a partner in the Middle East to market the product to wealthy individuals in that region. Russia too says Mr Tracuks is an interesting country because even after the crises there are still a number of people with a lot of money. However selling caviar in Russia is completely different from selling it in Europe. The reason he feels is because Russia has a tradition of caviar manufacture and consumption which influences the way Russian consumers regard caviar. According to Mr Tracuks Russians only appreciate caviar sold in cans, they look only at the product, not the producer, and all the products look almost identical. MOTTRA already sells some caviar in Moscow and is now trying to introduce it to some of the retail chains. The company will be present at Russian trade fairs this year where it will endeavour to widen its customer base. One of the problems the company faces in Russia is the availability of very cheap caviar in Russa which is very difficult to compete with despite the superiority of the quality of the MOTTRA product. However, Mr Tracuks is working to convert customers in Russia to a

Production of black caviar at MOTTRA currently stands at about 3 tonne a year though with the help of EU funding the company is hoping to expand this later this year. The sturgeon is raised in concrete tanks that are stored indoors starting in smaller ones of 5 cubic metres and then transferring to larger tanks. The company has an integrated production cycle raising the fish from the egg stage to a mature adult without the use of growth hormones. We pride ourselves on being ethical producers, says Mr Tracuks, this means we do not slaughter the fish to extract the caviar but massage it out, the feed is only from reputable suppliers, we do not artificially hasten the maturity of the fish. The water in the system is extracted from the ground 150-200 m deep and is therefore free of pathogens. As the system uses recirculation it is completely isolated from the external environment reducing the risk of disease. The idea, says Dmitrijs Tracuks, is to produce a completely natural product. Even so the caviar has a shelf life of 10 months at -2 to -4 °C.

MOTTRA SIA MOTTRA SIA Laminas, Kekavas pag., Kekavas nov., LV-2111 Latvia Tel.: +371 2 9192300 Fax: +371 6 6002710 info@mottra.lv www.mottra.lv Project manager: Dmitrijs Tracuks Activity: Production of black caviar and fresh sturgeon meat (for the local market) Markets: Russia, Ukraine, UK, other EU countries Volumes: 1 tonne of caviar per year Product form: 28 g, 56 g, 90 g glass jars www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESE REVIEW

Anduronda - Growth even in times of crisis Gert-Jan Wemmers and Walter Elias. Anduronda grows constantly and has been able to gain new customers.

ince its foundation in the year 1974 the Cologne company Anduronda has developed into one of Germany’s leading seafood importers. Director of buying and exports Walter Elias said at the company’s exhibition stand that the global financial crisis had not had any effect on the company’s growth. Anduronda continues to grow and in the meantime registers sales of over 100 m EUR. The company had been able to gain new customers and they were buying more. Andu-

ronda probably also benefits from adjustments in the supplier market during the last few months because some regional wholesalers had given up. Particularly in these difficult economic times it is possible for a company like Anduronda which supplies the full range of frozen fish, shellfish and crustacean products to demonstrate its strengths. The production catalogue comprises more than 600 marine products in various packag-

ing units, all of which the company imports itself into Germany. In the countries of origin Anduronda cooperates only with long-standing reliable business partners. The products in stock in the company’s cold storage depot on average amount to 1,200 t with a total value of 16 m EUR. The purchase quantities are such that Anduronda can always deliver the most popular products but that the products do not remain in the coldstore for longer than four to five weeks. Within Germany orders should be placed 2 days prior to the desired delivery date, in the Benelux states 3 days and in other European countries 4 days earlier. Such short delivery times for such a wide product range are only possible because Anduronda mainly delivers the orders with its own vehicles. Anduronda’s refrigerated trucks are on the road every day on fixed routes throughout Germany and Europe.

Over the past few months Anduronda has registered particularly strong growth in Italy, Turkey and Egypt. The customers located in these countries do not only order inexpensive mass products but also shrimps and other seafood products which Anduronda delivers in mixed containers as required. Anduronda is known to have started printing the packaging for its own brands ‘Andu’ and ’Frocean’ in several languages already a number of years ago. Anduronda has been present at ESE right from the start and the company mainly uses the trade fair to meet long-standing customers, discuss product ranges, and gain new customers. According to Elias in Brussels they had the chance to meet a lot of old and new customers in a relatively short time without having to travel far.

Aquaculture Stewardship Council - ASC label due in mid-2011

he Aquaculture Stewardship Council, founded by WWF and the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative, took part in the Brussels seafood fair for the first time. ASC’s objective is to develop general standards for responsible aquaculture and to implement them in practice. The standards are being developed in an open, comprehensive discussion process in which more than 2,000 people are involved: fish farmers, seafood processors, retailers and wholesalers, scientists, government authorities and NGO representatives. The label is to strengthen consumer trust in aquaculture and promote international trade with aquaculture products. Aquaculture is growing and developing at tremendous speed

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throughout the world. About half of all the seafood products we consume today already come from aquaculture. And the further production grows the stronger will be its impact on the environment and on society. There is considerable potential for conflict here and it is backfiring on aquaculture itself and increasingly influencing its further development. It will only find acceptance if it is carried out in a responsible, perceptive way. To this respect the ASC standards are also an attempt to bring together the economic aspirations of aquaculture and the ideas and demands of society, but also of other players within the seafood industry. ASC labels will initially be introduced for 12 species groups that were selected

Dr Philip Smith (r.), the former MD of Marine Harvest, the world’s biggest salmon producer, has been CEO at ASC since September 2009. according to their significance for the environment and society, their market value and their position within international trade. As with MSC, certification will be carried out by independent third institutes. The first pilot projects for tilapia

and pangasius are already being prepared. The standards are robust and are based on concrete, measurable, scientifically based – and thus understandable – parameters. The label should be ready for use by the middle of next year.

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

ESE REVIEW

Bischofberger - Swiss seafood quality standards

he Zurich-based company Bischofberger has had a sales office in Germany for about one year. They offer a worldwide procurement network with selected producers. More than 65 years of experience in buying, selling and distribution of foods have

made Bischofberger one of the leading Swiss companies in this segment. The company’s portfolio extends far beyond production control, quality assurance and logistics. Bischofberger employees are to be

found on site in the countries of origin and are thus familiar with the markets there. This enables them to find the products their customers are looking for in accordance with given price and quality requirements. They locate suitable producers and can provide market and product information. They audit the producers and maintain contacts to them. If desired, customers can receive background information on products as well as current market reports. Employees from Bischofberger do not only monitor production, adherence to specifications and packaging but also organise the necessary lab

controls and look after transport of the products to the customers. This includes customs formalities, veterinary clearance and punctual delivery of the products to their destination. At ESE Bischofberger presented a small cross-section from its delivery programme of frozen seafood products – and these stood out for their extremely high quality. The range includes red mullet fillets, red snapper and also pangasius loins from aquaculture companies that produce in accordance with AquaGAP standards.

Marcus Leidiger manages the Bischofberger sales office in Cologne. The Swiss family business has tremendous know-how in the food segment and focuses on flexible, modular services.

Caviale - Sturgeon caviar from Italian aquaculture

aviale is one of two operative companies in the Venatus Holding. Whilst Caviale’s core business is sturgeon farming and caviar production, the second company, Otto Maier, focuses on fish processing. In Brussels Caviale presented three different qualities of caviar based on two sturgeon hybrids. The premium product is Perluga Black Label, a caviar with an intense nutty note and a grain measuring 2.7 to 3 mm. It is produced from a cross between Danube (A. gueldenstaedtii) and Siberian sturgeon (A. baerii), which is also called GUBA. In aquaculture the fishes are ready to produce caviar at an age of 9 to 12 years and a weight of 15 to 25 kg. Crossing Adriatic sturgeon (A. naccarii) with Siberian sturgeon (A. baerii) supplies a caviar whose colour ranges from pale green, through

anthracite to deep black and whose grains measure 2.5 to 2.8 mm. This sturgeon hybrid is ready for caviar removal at an age of 8 to 10 years. Caviale produces two types of caviar from this roe: Perluga Blue Label with a mild nutty note and Caviar Caviale, a pasteurized caviar quality with a mild aromatic flavour.

bel product. The large female stock of about 600 t would seem to ensure long-term caviar production. Caviale markets its caviar world-

wide, supplying to different buyer groups from retailers to high-end customers.

Dr Carlo Dalla Rosa, Director of sturgeon production, Jean-Luc Oosting and Sigurd Späth. All of Caviale’s three caviar types are mildly salted and thus have Malossol quality.

Company representative Sigurd Späth said at the Brussels fair stand that the sturgeon are farmed in Lombardy in outdoor facilities that are supplied constantly with fresh water from a neighbouring river and additional springs. The sturgeon mature under natural temperature and light conditions which leads to a caviar quality which is equal to that of wild caviar. In the caviar season from November to mid-April (the period during which the caviar is removed) Caviale produces about 10 tonnes of caviar; 1.3 t of this total is the premium Perluga Black La-

42 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

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ESE REVIEW

Clean Green Pallet Company - Metal pallets: light, stackable and stable Clean Green manager Steve Moore. If customers require, the metal pallets can be fitted with RFID chips for full traceability. bility and dimensions are equal or even superior to the well-known wooden pallets. Company manager Steve Moore pointed out that the metal pallets were not only stable and light but also more hygienic than conventional wooden pallets. They can be cleaned and sterilized easily

Pallet type

he British Clean Green Pallet Company presented four light pallets made of 6 mm steel wire that in their sta-

and due to their solid zinc coating are protected against corrosion for up to ten years (other surface coatings are available on request). The metal pallets are also extremely space-saving because they can be stacked inside one another. Their space requirements amount to only one fifth of that necessary for the same number of wooden pallets. This also reduces transport and storage costs. Compared to wooden

Dimensions

pallets they also have a longer life, do not burn or splinter and are not attacked by wood pests. Steve Moore also pointed out that the metal pallets contributed towards climate protection. Their carbon footprint is 71% lower than that of wooden pallets and they are fully recyclable. They don’t absorb or retain moisture and cool very quickly in frozen storage.

Load capacity

static

dynamic

Weight (kg)

Rackapal Standard

1200 x 1000 mm

4500 kg

2000 kg

18.0

Nestapal Standard

1200 x 1000 mm

3500 kg

1500 kg

11.6

Nestapal Euro

1200 x 800 mm

3500 kg

1500 kg

9.0

Nestapal

1200 x 800 mm

1500 kg

750 kg

6.5

Lightweight

Ugurlu Balik - Looking for customers in Russia and Asia

he Turkish company Ugurlu Balik is an integrated producer of sea bream, seabass, meagre, and sharp snout sea bream. Currently the domestic market is absorbing the larger part of the production, but Ismail Aksoy, the marketing and sales director, hopes to increase export sales to 50% of the production from the current 40%. The main exported product is seabass which is exported both frozen as fillets and chilled as whole gutted fish. As an integrated company with its own hatcheries, on-growing farms, processing plant, and feed manufacturer the company monitors each stage of the production process www.eurofishmagazine.com

to ensure the quality of the final product. The processing plant has BRC and IFS certificates and the company is in the process of having its farms certified to the Eurepgap standard. After a brief lull induced by the economic crisis the company has started on a plan to expand capacity, the product range, and sales. However the idea is not to go all out for an increase but to do it step by step. We have the capacity to increase production two or three times says Mr Aksoy, but expanding too fast tends to compromise quality and we are careful not to risk that. New products under consideration include butterfly fillets, as well as a line of ready to cook and

Mr Ismail Aksoy, the marketing and sales director of Ugurlu Balik. The company is expanding capacity slowly so as not to compromise quality. ready to eat items. These will first be launched on the domestic market before being released in Europe. At the European Seafood Exposition Mr Aksoy is hoping to make contacts with

potential partners in Russia and from Asian countries where he feels there is the greatest potential for growth.label should be ready for use by the middle of next year.

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ESE REVIEW

Kroma - Filleting machine for mackerel, trout, seabass and sea bream

he Danish equipment manufacturer Kroma came to the European Seafood Exposition with its Filetmaster 180. The machine works with mackerel, trout, sea bream and seabass offering high speeds and good recovery rates. The machine can handle up to 180 fish per minute and works with fish from 150 to 600 g. Another version can process fish from 600 g up to 1.5 kilos. One of the big advantages of the machine is the ease with which it can be adjusted to handle different sizes. The removal of four easily accessible screws and the replacement of

one part with another can be done in a matter of 10 minutes. The machines transmission is with timing belts so that it will continue working even if one fish is fed incorrectly. The incorrectly placed fish will not get stuck but will come out of the machine and the next fish will be processed appropriately. The machine is capable of producing both single fillets and butterfly fillets

by mounting or removing a set of knives. The Filetmaster is equipped to vacuum away the intestines immediately after the belly is slit to prevent any contamination of the fillets. The kidney cord is removed by a rotating brush. The Filetmaster is already in use at a smokehouse in the Netherlands that uses it for mackerel and at a trout procThe Filetmaster from Kroma offers both single fillets and essor in Scotland. butterfly fillets with a simple adjustment.

SeaStar - Software to reduce search times for pelagic fishing vessels

he SeaStar Fisheries Information Service gives skippers of pelagic fishing vessels a wealth of information about temperature, plankton, and salinity, allowing them

to head directly for the most potentially rewarding fishing grounds. Data from its own as well as other satellite imaging systems are processed by company staff to produce compre-

The SeaStar Fisheries Information Service from GeoEye uses satellite imagery to provide skippers with updated information about plankton, temperatures, currents and salinity. hensive oceanographic and meteoro- distance from the shore, and the kind logical information that is relayed to of gear it uses. SeaStar is a division of the vessel. The data can help skippers GeoEye, a company that provides of longliner, purse seiners, trawlers as satellite and aerial imagery from its well as other vessels targeting pelagics, own satellites and aircraft as well as to reduce search times and optimise from those belonging to a network of fleet operating costs. Michelle Wells, partners. Apart from the SeaStar Fisha SeaStar Sales Associate, says that the eries Information Service, GeoEye software is free, but there is a monthly also offers asset tracking solution that subscription fee that can vary depend- monitor the position of fishing nets or ing on where the vessel is fishing, the vessels.

Conex Trade - High quality anchovies and sardines from the Adriatic

onex is a Croatian company that started trading fresh fish before working with tuna. Last year it opened a new factory producing salted and marinated anchovies, and headed and cleaned sardines. As part of its line of business in tuna the company invested in two new vessels which are now being used to feed the new factory with sardine and anchovy as the tuna quotas have fallen. Apart from the two new vessels Conex has three older vessels and agreements with a further 15-20 boats to ensure the supply of the raw material to the factory. About

30% of the total raw material supply is from their vessels. The products include salted anchovies, marinated anchovies, and frozen headed-andcleaned sardines. In addition the company freezes anchovies, as well as salts sardines and anchovy fillets. All the fish comes from the Adriatic Sea. The company is currently producing in bulk, but in the near future Boris Radica, the sales director, says they will also start producing salted fillets and marinates in retail sizes of 300 and 500 g. The factory is one of the only ones in the region that uses a brine freezing technology whereby

44 Eurofish Magazine 3â&#x20AC;&#x2030;/â&#x20AC;&#x2030;2010

Conex Trade specialises in the production of salted, marinated, and frozen anchovies and sardines from the Adriatic Sea for the Spanish market. the fish is placed in the marinate and then it is frozen down to minus 25 degrees. This removes any risk of parasites and extends the shelf life of the

product to 12-18 months. Most of the production is sold to buyers in Spain, who are familiar with the frozen marinated product. www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESE REVIEW

Karavela - IFS certified factory looking to produce under private label

he Latvian company Karavela has existed in one form or another for more than 120 years. Today it has been privatised and taken over by a former employee Andris Bite, and his partner Janis Endele. The company is currently the second largest cannery in Latvia in terms of turnover and exports 98% of the production to over thirty countries worldwide. The bulk of the canned production comprises pelagic species, herring, sprats, mackerel, sar-

dines, sardinella, while the rest is made up of salmon, cod, tilapia, and a little tuna. In addition to the canned products the company has just restarted the production of preserves, smoked, and culinary items based on salmon, salmon trout, and herring amongst other species. The production plant has received the IFS certification and the company is looking for opportunities to produce under private label. Our brand, Kaija, is well known in our traditional markets in

The company Karavela has invested significantly in the design and packaging for its line of canned products. Russia and in the former Soviet republics, says Mr Bite, but we realise

building it up in markets in Western Europe will be a challenge.

Riba Mljet - Organically grown seabass, sea bream and meagre

iba Mljet, a Croatian company with American and Dutch investors, is the first farm in the area to produce organically farmed fish. The farm has been certified by the German certifier Naturland and produces seabass, sea bream and meagre. Paul Clements Sparreboom, a Dutch investor in the company, came in to the picture when production was 13 tonnes a year. Today six years later production has increased to 150 tonnes and is set to grow to 200 tonnes. We believe we have found a good niche, says Mr Sparreboom, for a small company. The organic fish is

Ana Milina, general manager of the Croatian fish farm Riba Mljet, is pleased that the farm has finally got a license to export to the EU.anchovies and sardines from the Adriatic Sea for the Spanish market.

of very high quality and commands good prices although, he adds, there

is also a lot of bureaucracy and administration. The company has recently got the export certificate that enables it to export to the EU and is now exploring markets there. One of the problems has been that Riba Mljet cannot yet process the fish, gutting, freezing or filleting which is

how most customers seem to want the product. The further away from the coast you go the less people want to look at a fish head, observes Mr Sparreboom. The company has therefore been in touch with firms that provide this service and expects soon to have an agreement in hand. At the European Seafood Exposition Mr Sparreboom was also hoping to follow up on contacts developed at the BioFach, a fair dedicated to organically produced goods, where he had been in touch with potential partners from Germany, Austria, and Italy.

The Organic Smokehouse - Smoked carp is nominated for the Prix d’Elite

A Smoked salmon is among the core products of The Organic Smokehouse which has just added hot smoked carp to its range www.eurofishmagazine.com

Welsh smokehouse has started to smoke organic carp farmed in Devon in England. Michael Leviseur, director and head smoker, is very pleased with the product which he says is a very delicately flavoured fish, whose flesh comes cleanly off the bones. The smoked carp is a completely new product that was launched at the European Seafood Exposition and according to Mr Leviseur has generated substantial interest among potential customers, including a restaurant chain in France. The product was also a finalist in the Seafood Prix

d’Elite competition held at the show. Production could reach 0.5 tonnes a week and Mr Leviseur is hoping that the smoked carp will resonate with the kosher market. He is also looking at Eastern Europe and the east coast of the United States as areas of potential interest. The Organic Smokehouse is a purely organic production smokehouse, possibly the only one in the UK, and the carp is just the most recent addition to its range. Smoked Irish salmon, and smoked dairy products are among the items that the company specialises in.

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

ESE REVIEW

Heiploeg - Health and Nutrition award at ESE goes to a North Sea shrimp stock

eidema & van der Ploeg North Sea Shrimp Stock was a winner in the special award category for health and nutrition at the European Seafood Exposition this year. The Heiploeg Group’s North Sea shrimp was launched two years ago. The shellfish are landed in the Netherlands and machine peeled immediately. Now, however, inspired by an old domestic tradition of making the shrimp heads and the tails into a

stock, the company has also doing exactly the same thing except on a larger scale. Bart Vermeersch, the new product development manager at the Heiploeg Group explains how the heads and the tails are cooked together with some vegetables and the clear liquid then poured into jars that are sterilised to give the stock a shelf life of 18 months. Apart from the shrimp heads and tails and the vegetables, no other ingredients are added to

the stock. The stock it is intended for use as a base for other preparations such as soups or sauces to give them the flavour of the North Sea shrimp. Currently only available in retail jars the company is also considering packaging it in 2 kg or 4 kg bags for the industry. The Heiploeg Group’s new stock will give the flavour of North Sea shrimp to the preparation to which it is added.

Koral - Labour-intensive production is our strength Helidon Rruga, the managing director of Fish Koral, brought several new products to display at the European Seafood Exposition

elidon Rruga, the managing director of Fish Koral is satisfied with his attendance at the European Seafood Exposition. It is important to be present at this event because it creates awareness of the company and the products I have to offer, he says, and even if it does not translate into contracts immediately there may come a time in the future when it will pay off. Fish Koral is exhibiting at the ESE as part of the Swiss Import Promotion Programme (SIPPO) that supports exporters from certain countries, Albania being one of them. Mr Rruga has brought several new frozen prod-

ucts that are on display including a squid with breadcrumbs, olive oil, and spices that can be prepared in the oven or on the grill, frozen squid tubes, a kebab of squid, shrimp, and squash arranged on a skewer, and a squid wrapped round a shrimp. All the products require significant manual labour to make which is where Mr Rruga has an advantage. If they can be processed with a machine, then we are no longer competitive, he says. The fair has resulted in an interesting Spanish enquiry that will be followed up by a visit to the Fish Koral factory in the following weeks.

J.C. David - Smoking the traditional way for a unique taste

nother nominee for the Seafood Prix d’Elite was a product from the French smokehouse J.C. David. Slices of smoked Scottish salmon are combined with blinis (small pancakes) and fresh cheese to create a take-away pack with a net weight of 180 g and a shelf life of 18 days when refrigerated at 0-2 degrees. The pack includes a serviette and a knife to facilitate serving. J.C. David is a smokehouse that specialises in smoking the traditional way using sawdust, wood-

shavings, and logs of oak in ovens that date back to the beginning of the last century. The smoking is done at low temperatures for 24 to 48 hours to allow the smoke to fully impregnate the flesh with its flavour. The main species that are smoked are herring sourced from the coast of Boulogne in the French northwest where the company is based. Another more lightly smoked herring product is based on Norwegian herring. In addition the company also smokes haddock and Scottish salmon from Loch Duart. Over the last few years the company

46 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Hervé Diers, the managing director of J.C. David, displays the Scottish salmon take-away product that was a nominee at the Prix d’Elite

has expanded its range to include ready meals including fish soups,

sauces, delicatessen items and marinated fish. www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESE REVIEW

Ocean Delices - Ready-to-cook items in aluminium trays Alain Ducamp has just recently launched a new line of sushi trays with 12 and 14 and soon 40 pieces.

cean Delices has recently expanded its production site with a new 4,000 square meter area which is in the process of being certified to the

BRC and IFS standards. The new unit has 40 employees increasing to 80 in the busy Christmas period. For the European Seafood Exposition the company brought

its new range of ready-to-cook products in aluminium trays that include a typical Alsace product with a fish sausage, a cassolette de la mer, that combines fish with vegetables and a sauce, as well as a collection of brochettes, pieces of fish such as cod and salmon on a skewer interspersed with apricots, to cater to customers who appreciate the combination of sweet with savoury. These products have a seven day shelf life and need to be just popped into the microwave or an oven for a few minutes before being eaten.

Ten months ago a new division Traiteur Cote Mer with the brand sushi story begun operations. As the name suggests the new company produces sushi, which is done in collaboration with a Japanese developer in London who has experience in this field. At the moment the products include a tray of 14 and another of 12 pieces, while another tray with 40 pieces is in the pipeline. The main markets for the products are supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, and caterers.

Friedrichs Feinfisch - King salmon in cedarwood

riedrichs, the ”First Hanseatic Fine Fish Manufacturer“ and recently a twofold test winner for its smoked salmon and organic salmon in a test conducted by the independent consumer magazine ‘Stiftung Warentest’ (test 1/2010), had some very appealing smoked products at its stand in Brussels. The King Salmon in Cedarwood for which Friedrichs uses king salmon from Alaska that are caught by an MSC certified troll fishery is worth particular mention. High-quality raw materials, careful processing and a sophisticated packaging design make this smoked product into a special innovation on the refrigerated shelves and one that will attract the customer’s attention. King salmon is the rarest and most sought-after Pacific salmon species. It usually accounts for less than 2% of the total catch. After filleting by hand the fillets are brushed with maple syrup, rolled into a leaf of cedarwood and then gently smoked for 12 hours. During www.eurofishmagazine.com

the subsequent resting/ maturing phase the samon fillet develops the typical cedarwood note and a tender consistency. The elaborate packaging underlines the exquisite character of this high-quality smoked product. The new Lime Salmon for which Friedrichs allows fillets of select Norwegian salmon to mature in a lime marinade with fine herbs is a creation that suits the season. The Asparagus Salmon that is smoked over alderwood is already a tradition in the range of seasonally smoked products. The resulting strong spicy flavour harmonizes perfectly with the mild aroma of the asparagus and constitutes a very appetizing alternative to ham. Friedrichs has given the packaging a relaunch and it now features the brand’s new design. The modernized logo, attractive landscape motifs, and reworked quality seal are to generate additional buying impulses which are being reinforced by a delightful

The attractively presented King Salmon in Cedarwood is immediately striking, and every pack of Asparagus Salmon comes with a free test pack of Lime Salmon. on-pack promotion: Friedrichs is giving away a free test slice of Lime Salmon with every pack of Asparagus Salmon. Friederich’s commitment to sustainable fishing, protection of resources and the marine ecosystem is known to be a core element of the company’s philosophy. Although they have had to face unsuspected administrative difficulties meaning that the project is

going to take longer than expected Friedrichs is upholding its commitments in Kamtchatka. There are large wild salmon stocks in the pristine, almost undamaged natural environment of this region but the WWF estimates that half of them are caught illegally. That is why Friedrichs continues to support WWF in its efforts to improve the situation there.

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

ESE REVIEW

Erich Geiger Fischhandel & Produktion - Consistent renewal of packaging concept

eafood specialist Geiger from Meersburg by Lake Constance has further diversified and renewed its packaging concept for fresh product presentation in selfservice stores. Both MAP and skin packed products are now available in cardboard slide-on packs. The horizontal “euro hole” in the packaging header enables space-saving hanging presentation in refrigerated retail environments. The concept provides for the products’ arriving at the store “refreshed”. They are delivered frozen and then defrosted for sale as required. As from this point in time they have a shelf-life of 10 days at a temperature of 2°C.

Geiger’s core product range comprises fillet products in batters and different crumb coatings, exactly portioned and marinated fillets, plus pre-cooked, pre-fried and prebaked convenience products. A range of fresh and frozen fish convenience products for the grocery and catering sectors rounds off their product offer. During recent weeks seven new products were launched onto the market. One of Geiger’s specialities is products from sustainable fishing and organic aquaculture. Products based on sustainably produced, certified raw materials (especially MSC, Naturland, Global

G.A.P.) currently account for one fifth of the product range. Some products had been developed as a result of customer wishes or cooperation, said company manager Erich Geiger. The company was at the service of its customers and it

was their wishes which decided how the products should be packed and presented. Not everything was possible with every product but together the company and its customers could find a solution to every problem.

Geiger’s new packaging concept with hanging presentation in the store is space-saving and its attractive appearance is an incentive for impulse purchases.

Hosan - Crispy snacks from nori algae

he South Korean company Hosan produces a wide range of typical Asian foods, many of which are said to have health-giving effects or increase well-being. Aloe vera drinks, for example, allegedly not only improve the skin, aid digestion and stimulate metabolism but also act against a lot of pathogens. Or the traditional Korean health teas that are prepared with honey, quince, aloe, ginger and Asian mushrooms. The product range also includes various noodle dishes that are available fresh, as instant products, canned or frozen.

One of Hosan’s products from the seafood segment is pure oyster meat that is called “marine ginseng “ in Korea because it is said to have similar health effects as ginseng. The oyster meat is available IQF, block frozen,

Peh In Son, President Global Business Development. The crisp snacks made from nori algae are suitable for both children and adults. dried or alternatively smoked or cooked in brine and canned.

48 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

algae which are eaten in Asia as healthy, low-calorie snacks – rather like crisps here. Nori algae (laver) contain a lot of vitamins and minerals and have a detoxicating effect because they bind heavy metals and other harmful substances and thus “purify” the body. From this seaweed Hosan produces roast leaves for sushi, maki, California rolls, and strips for binding nigiri. Beer Mate and Taekwon Boy which Korean consumers like to enjoy with beer or tea are, on the other hand, pure snack products. The snacks are sugar-free, low-calorie and produced with 100% olive oil. As Hosan-CEO Song Lee said at the exhibition stand even children of a young age nibble these kinds of healthy snacks in Korea.

At the centre of Hosan’s exhibition presentation, however, were special products made from nori www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESE REVIEW

Kaj Olesen - Conveyor belt weigher for wet and dry products

he Danish processing machine manufacturer Kaj Olesen presented a new belt weigher, the KOVA 1000, at SPE. It is suitable for a weight range of just a few grams to 50 kg, i.e. for both small fillets and full transport boxes. Due to the system’s encapsulated construction it is suited not only to weighing dry products but also wet products. The weighing process lasts only a few seconds enabling up to 20 weighings per minute. The integrated computer unit displays the results of the individual weighings and subsequently adds them together to produce total weight. At the press of a button the number of weighings, in-

dividual weights and total weight are printed out. Managing Director Kim Olesen pointed out that the KOVA 1000 can easily be integrated into processing lines. With the KOVA 1000 Kaj Olesen complete their extensive product range which comprises pin bone removers in various different performance categories, conveyor systems, vacuum systems for sucking away pinbones, slicers, trimming lines, tail cutters, fillet cutters and the dark meat remover KOB 400 which automatically removes the superficial dark meat parts from the fillet centre. The automatic fillet turner FV 100 is practical and time-saving. This

Company manager Kim Olesen and his son Rene Olesen. With the KOVA 1000 fish fillets, for example, can be weighed and individual weighings added to produce total weight. machine turns the fish or fillets in the line so that they are fed into

the next machine as required either head or tail first.

Gebr. Kraan Palingrokerij - Hot smoked pangasius fillets

utch smokehouse Gebr. Kraan is a family business now in its fourth generation that has been smoking fish since 1890. Originally located in Leimuiden by Brasemermeer it has been in Urk since 2001. The company’s traditional product is smoked eel that is offered in several variants from whole eel and fillets to smoked fillets pieces for salads. The company also produces premium-quality smoked salmon and trout. It supplies to

supermarket chains, wholesalers, caterers and retailers in Europe. In Brussels the company presented a new product this year: hot smoked pangasius fillets. Basically this fish was smoked in a similar way to eel, explained company manager Bart Kraan at the fair stand, but because pangasius contained much less fat they had modified the technology to prevent the fillets from drying out. He didn’t want to disclose any details

of the smoking process, however. The question as to whether the fillets went into the smoker with the skin on or off also remained unanswered. Kraan would only say that the products are hand salted. Gebr. Kraan buy their raw materials directly from Vietnam where they are farmed according to “Blue Planet” standards. The fishes are prepared for smoking there and delivered frozen to Europe. The smoked pangasius fillet is already

on sale in the Netherlands and is being well received by customers. The standard product is fillet slices in 100 g or 125 g MAP trays. Kraan also supplies other product forms if customers require (not sliced whole fillets). These are packed in MAP or under vacuum. Smoked pangasius has a shelf-life of three weeks if stored at a temperature of 7°C. Bart Kraan named the price at between salmon and trout: “Cheaper than smoked salmon, more expensive than trout.”

Stay aﬂoat with better information

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Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

ESE REVIEW

Marine Farms - Cobia – a new fish species from aquaculture Because cobia reaches a size of 5 to 7 kg within a year it is possible to cut big attractive fillets from it. close-up and taste it, too. A chef from Oslo Institute of Gastronomy prepared cobia in different ways.

arine Farms, founded in 1972 and listed on the Oslo stock exchange since 2006, produces salmon, sea bream and sea bass plus, for several years now, also cobia (Rachycentron canadum) in aquaculture. The group’s cobia farms are located in Belize and Vietnam and have a total capacity of 6,000 t of which cur-

rently about 1,000 t are used. Cobia has been popular in Asia and North America for a long time and is used there, among other things, for sushi and sashimi. In Europe, however, it is almost unknown. Marine Farms thus used the Brussels trade fair to make the species slightly better known here. At their stand, visitors could see the fish and its fillets

The firm white meat of the cobia has a mild flavour and can be prepared in a variety of ways, e.g. frying, baking, grilling, steaming or poaching. It is also very suited to freezing with notably hardly any loss of flavour. Fat content is 15%; cobia contains 2.2 g Omega 3 fatty acids per 100 g fillet which is unusually high for a tropical fish species. Cobia grows three times faster than salmon and takes only 12 to 18 months to develop from the egg to a size of 5 to 7 kg. Farming takes place in net cages in the sea with stock densities of below 10 kg of fish per

cubic metre. The composition of cobia feed is more or less the same as that of salmon feed apart from the fact that the fat content is lower. It contains no GMO components or ingredients from land-living animals. Cobia farming does not use any antibiotics. The fishes are harvested throughout the year so that there is constant availability. Aquaculture is in the meantime the main source for cobia. Because there is no regular fishery for this species they are only landed individually as by-catch. Cobia is available as fillet (without skin) in sashimi grade quality (680950 g) or as long loin (280-300 g, 300-320 g, >320 g). Both product forms are vacuum packed.

McAirlaid’s - Absorbent pads release CO2

cAirlaid’s is specialized in the development and production of moisture absorbent pads such as those used in case-ready products or in airfreight transport boxes. In MAP trays with fresh fish the pads absorb tissue fluid and thus prevent the fish from “swimming in its own juice” with the resulting unpleasant appearance. Apart from that they are hygienic because they slow down microbial growth. The pads consist mainly of absorbent fibrous materials, cellulose and polymers which do not release the absorbed fluids even under pressure. Depending on the application and product McAirlaid’s offers suitable pads with different absorbent capacities in all colours and sizes. In addition to a large number of

form, pre-cut formats or continuous sheeting on a pallet.

If the pad is dipped into liquid, carbon dioxide is released. This can be seen clearly in the tautness of the plastic bag due to the gas filling. standard products the company can also deliver customised

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At SPE the company presented the new CO2 pad in XT-C Technology which is based on an extremely absorbent SuperCore web that consists of purely natural materials without any synthetic components. Upon contact with the fluid the fluid absorbent components in the pad release carbon dioxide. In sealed MAP packs, for example, this mixes with the protective atmosphere and ensures that the product in the pack looks attractive for longer. The duration and intensity of CO2 emission can be individually set. The drier the product and the less moisture it gives off to the pad the longer the release of CO2.

tailor-made solutions. The pads are available pre-formed in roll www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESE REVIEW

Multivac - Clever packaging of seafood products

ultivac, one of the leading manufacturers of packaging machines for foods and industrial and sterile medical products exhibited at the trade fair in Brussels a representative crosssection of their product range of tray sealers, vacuum packaging machines, labellers and automatic packaging solutions. The thermoform packaging machine R 175 CD which was developed for vacuum skin packaging with the Darfresh system met with great interest, for example. With this hightech packaging, specially formulated top and bottom webs fit around the product like a second skin to give the customer an honest view of the product, enabling recognition of its quality and freshness within the pack. As the shrink web wraps itself firmly around the product it fixes it on the tray so that it cannot slip out of place. This makes

it possible to arrange the products in a decorative, optically appealing way that can stimulate sales. Tray depth is adjustable between 0 and 50 mm depending on the forming tools and the products can exceed the upper edge of the tray by 45 mm. The crystal clear upper web fits closely but gently around the product without distorting its shape. The lower and upper webs are then sealed together right up to the product’s edges. This total surface sealing prevents the product from releasing juice and it maintains its attractive appearance in both horizontal and hanging positions. In spite of the extensive sealing the pack is easy to open using the integrated easy-peel corner. Vacuum skin packs with the Darfresh system are suitable for fresh, smoked and frozen products. The high vacuum produced during sealing ensures a long shelf-life and protects frozen

Bernard Leveau, Global Fish Product Manager at Multivac. With its hygienic design, stainless steel construction, high productivity, and innovative features, the T800 represents a new generation of traysealers. products from freezer burn. The upper and lower webs are taken directly from the reel. One of the advantages of this packaging is the fact that the web can be coloured, printed, stamped and differently labelled.

For companies with smaller and middle-sized production volumes Multivac displayed the Thermoformer R 105 and the Traysealer T250 which as a semi-automatic system enables not only standard trays but also individual tray formats.

SIPPO - Support for companies from Albania, India and Indonesia

Constantin Kostyal, Project Manager Food Programme, Cynthia Wiesner, Project Assistent, and Dr. Wolfgang Oldorf, Senior Consultant

IPPO, the Swiss Import Promotion Programme, has for years now supported small and medium-sized enterprises from selected countries in their efforts to gain access to the markets in Switzerland and Europe. Small companies from developing countries, in particular, often find it difficult to understand the detailed rules that apply on the European market and to cope with

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the complicated requirements. At the same time the SIPPO projects give European importers the chance to find new suppliers and discover interesting products. SIPPO thus takes on the role of an intermediary who offers help and brings potential trading partners together. This is an intelligent form of development aid because the funds are not distributed indiscriminately but specifically

in relation to individual projects that can be clearly evaluated. For this year’s ESE, SIPPO had chosen companies from Albania, India and Indonesia that had advanced hugely in their development through SIPPO’s support and were now in a position to offer promising products in consistent quality. One such is Mare Adriatic, a processing company from the north of Albania that was only founded in 2001 and today employs 120 people. Mare Adriatic processes anchovies and sardines landed by the company’s own fishing vessel. Right from the start the company endeavoured to improve product quality to fulfil EU standards… with noticeable success: the anchovy fillets in oil that they presented at the Brussels fair met maximum requirements in both appearance and flavour.

Lucky Samudra Pratama is an Indonesian seafood company whose trade fair presentation focused on Pompano (Trachinotus blochii), which is produced in offshore aquaculture. The company offers this fish species – which is one of the most promising new candidates of global aquaculture – in sashimi quality. Every fish is individually vacuum packed and undergoes cryogenic freezing at -95°C. This leads to a product quality that is after defrosting just as good as prior to freezing. The company uses for its pompano production the possibilities and experiences it has had with other fishes for Lucky Samudra Pratama is not only an aquaculture producer but also processes various seafood species such as red snapper, barramundi, golden trevally, tuna, and frog legs.

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

ESE REVIEW

Topcryo - Label for optical temperature control Jean-Noël Rebora. 17 prizes have already been awarded to Cryolog’s internationally patented technology and their concept.

aintenance of the cold chain is one of the central factors for the quality of fresh foods. Strictly speaking, it is not enough to just test the temperature of incoming products because this says nothing about the temperatures to which they were subject up to that point in time. The Topcryo label is a reliable means for controlling such risks. With the

help of a simple colour code it indicates whether the cold chain was correctly maintained. In the event that set temperature and duration parameters are exceeded the colour changes from green to red. The Topcryo label is a Time Temperature Indicator (TTI). The active elements of this “intelligent” label are food grade

micro-organisms that react biologically to fluctuations in temperature. In contrast to a thermometer which only measures temperature at a certain point in time the label takes into account all temperatures and duration of fluctuations to which a food is subject within the cold chain. Topcryo labels are available in 24 variants specially prepared for 4°, 8° and 10°C and with time gradation from 12 to 192 hours. The user can thus select a label for every product in accordance with the required time and temperature parameters. The labels are delivered frozen so that they remain inactive and can then be stuck directly onto the packaging (film wrapped tray, carton, rack, pallet, etc.). They are activated through defrosting when they

are attached to the product. The self-adhesive labels are packed on reels with 50 to 1,000 labels and can be attached manually, semi-automatically or automatically with a conventional label dispenser. In spite of convincing benefits and an acceptable price the intelligent temperature control labels are not used as widely as would be desired within the fish industry. One possible reason might be that they do not only indicate temperature fluctuations of incoming raw materials but would also enable similar controls of one’s own products.

Viciunai - Sushimi – Sushi-style whitefish snack

urimi producer and fish processor Viciunai have new product ideas to show at nearly every trade fair, and this year in Brussels they presented Sushimi: a fresh sushi-style surimi product. Rob Schreur, Director Sales & Marketing, hopes the company will be able to gain new customer groups with this product. In contrast to “genuine” sushi which is known to be based on raw seafood sushimi undergoes thermal processing, is quasi a cooked fish product. In other words, Viciunai is offering consumers who don’t fancy raw fish a culinary alternative in sushi look.

Sushimi is made from highquality, MSC-certified Alaska pollock surimi. The 240 g box with a window contains 10 sushimi pieces, four of them filled with salmon and ginger, three with egg (“sweet omelette”) and three with wasabi. The boxes also contain a suitable portion of soy sauce and a pair of chopsticks. The product’s shelf-life is given as 60 days from production date. A product price could not be named for sushimi so far but we were told that it would be more attractively priced than genuine sushi.

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Viciunai hopes to gain new customer groups with sushimi, a fresh sushistyle surimi product with oriental fillings. www.eurofishmagazine.com

ALIMENTARIA

Cuca

Production of organic canned products set to increase EUR40 million and produces 70 million cans a year. Its products are present in many middle and up-scale supermarket chains on the domestic market.

Cuco is betting on the organic segment with a new line of canned bio-products in extra-virgin olive oil.

cockles, squids, octopus, mussels and many more. It offers different levels of products at competitive prices, especially for premium quality, and also supplies gourmet shops. The company has an annual turnover of

Cuca was among the first canneries in Spain to be certified by the regulatory board for organic products. It has now introduced a new line of bio-products in extra virgin organic olive oil. Products with the green label are a bit more expensive as the certification is costly and price for organic oil is higher than for ordinary oil. However the customers get value for money, as these products have a more intense taste and flavour. At the moment the volumes of products with the green label are not high, but they will be increasing.

The company exports its products to USA, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Australia, Japan , UK, Poland and Finland. Later this year the plan is to start business in Serbia, and for the future the company is looking for opportunities to enter Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France. Marcos Duran, the export manager, says “We are looking for the new customers and that’s why we came to Alimentaria Barcelona. We had good meetings, as the most important thing is to maintain your network, identify your potential customers and find good contacts who will in the future become your long-term partners. We have all that our customers need – tradition, quality and a wide range of products. We are the brand that everyone can trust.”

Pescamar

Expanding sales of canned products around the world

pain has a long tradition of canned fish consumption and Cuca is one of the leaders of the country’s canned seafood sector with a wide range of products – sardines, tuna, anchovies, razor-shells, clams, cockles, squids, octopus, mussels and many more. It offers different levels of products at competitive prices, especially for premium quality, and also supplies gourmet shops. The company has an annual turnover of EUR40 million and produces 70 million cans a year. Its products are present in many middle and up-scale supermarket chains on the domestic market. Cuca was among the first canneries in Spain to be certified by the regulatory board for organic products. It has now introduced a new line of

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bio-products in extra virgin organic olive oil. Products with the green label are a bit more expensive as the certification is costly and price for organic oil is higher than for ordinary oil. However the customers get value for money, as these products have a more intense taste and flavour. At the moment the volumes of products with the green label are not high, but they will be increasing. The company exports its products to USA, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Australia, Japan , UK, Poland and Finland. Later this year the plan is to start business in Serbia, and for the future the company is looking for opportunities to enter Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France.

Pescamar is hoping to export its canned products to Poland, Serbia, Germany and Japan.

Marcos Duran, the export manager, says “We are looking for the new customers and that’s why we came to Alimentaria Barcelona. We had good meetings, as the most important thing is to maintain your network, identify your potential cus

tomers and find good contacts who will in the future become your longterm partners. We have all that our customers need – tradition, quality and a wide range of products. We are the brand that everyone can trust.”

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

ALIMENTARIA

Siro & Xavi SL

Salted and marinated anchovies for retail and food service white colour, while the anchovas are brown – fresh fish are headed and gutted, put in barrels and then salted: the blood and salt work together turning the flesh brown. Salting can take from six months to a year and a half depending on the season. For marinating it takes from a few days to a month.

Siro and Xavier Codina have established their own firm that concentrates on the production of salted and marinated anchovies.

he Codina brothers, Siro and Xavier, founded the company “Siro and Xavi” in 1997 for the exclusive production of marinated and salted anchovies. “In English one says ‘salted anchovy’ and ‘marinated anchovy’ – it is simple. In

Spanish ‘anchova’ stands for salted and ‘boqueron’ for the marinated ones. Not many people in Spain know that both are the same fish”, says Siro. The confusion arises because the boquerones are marinated in vinegar and therefore have a

“We source our fish from around the Mediterranean – the best quality anchovies you can find in the market – from different parts of Spain, France, Italy and Croatia using our network of agents”, says Xavier. Anchovies are used in tapas, salads, on a piece of bread, with tomatoes, in pizzas – when both salted and marinated anchovies are used in a pizza, it is called a “matrimony” as the colours of the fish differ. Most of the products are sold in plastic con-

tainers sealed with transparent film, so the customers can see what the fish looks like. The processing facility is located on 3,000 square metres and equipped with the newest technologies. The number of employees differs from 25 to 45 people depending on the season, while 10 people work in the office. Annual volumes are 400 tonnes with a turnover of EUR3 million. The products are sold to big retail chains, to bars, restaurants and hotels. The company is exporting to France, Germany, Japan and USA. The brothers Codina say, “To ensure the high quality of our products we spend most of our time at the factory and don’t have much time to see our customers and suppliers; Alimentaria gives us an opportunity to meet them.”

Dituri

For all shellfish needs on the Italian market

he Dituri family has been in the fish trade business for generations. Currently it is the third and fourth generations that are running the show from their office near Bari on the south eastern coast of Italy. There are two companies in the group; Mitos is managed by Giovanni Dituri, while Dituri is run by his son Nicola Dituri. The companies specialise in the production and sale of shellfish on the Italian market. The range of products is wide and includes various kinds of shellfish such as mussels, cockles, scallops, razor shells sourced from the Mediterranean, but also oysters, scallops, and razor shells from the Atlantic. The location close to Bari means that the group can

avail of the facilities afforded by an international airport to source and distribute product. All the products are sourced from reliable suppliers and are distributed fresh without being processed in any way. Decades of experience in the business means that the family has a long history with the producers and knows the quality of their products and the reliability of supply. Transactions with customers are based on pre-sales over the telephones which are then followed by purchase from the supplier and delivery, to avoid the risk of building up a stock of products with a short shelf life. Customers include wholesalers, fishmongers, retailers and restaurants from around Italy.

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Dituri supplies a range of fresh shellfish products to the Italian market.

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ITALY

Deton Italia

Fresh fish from around the world for the Italian market With consumption of fish and seafood at 24.7 kg per capita (2005) Italy is above the average of the EU-27. To feed this level of consumption Italy has to import significant volumes of seafood, in fact, in 2008 Italy was the third largest importer of seafood in the European Union both in terms of tonnage (890,000 tonnes) and value (EUR3.6bn).

he demand for imported seafood has created a range of small, medium and large companies specialising in different segments of the market. Deton Italia srl, the Italian branch of the French parent company Deton sarl, is based in Milan and focuses on rapid deliveries of fresh seafood to customers all over Italy. The company buys high quality fish and shellfish from the most distant corners of the globe and flies it in to Europe for just in time deliveries to supermarkets, wholesalers, restaurants, caterers among other customers.

Expansion in range of products Two years ago when I joined the firm the challenge was to give the best and most reliable information to our customers regarding the species, products, their availability, and price, says Dr Giovanni Defendenti, the manager. Today Deton Italia shifts 8-12 tonnes of product twice a week supplying the major cities and town all over Italy. The range of products has been expanded and now includes fish and shellfish that can be obtained from other EU countries such as France and the UK, but also from the US, Canada, Chile, as well as Australia, Malaysia, www.eurofishmagazine.com

quirements. Deton Italias’s slogan “No order too small, no client too big”accurately reflects this ability to cater to customers at both ends of the scale. In practical terms this means that a customer can order anything from 100 boxes of the same product to 2 boxes of four different products. Our service allows small and medium clients also to order material in the volumes and quality they need, says Dr Defendenti, we offer a one-stop shop solution. By ordering through us customers can fulfill all their requirements without having to deal with several different suppliers. This formula seems to be working, in 2009 the orders increased by 10% despite the economic crisis, partly thanks to the fact that the seafood sector in Italy was less affected by the crisis than other sectors of industry.

Smoothly integrated logistics

Dr Giovanni Defendenti, manager at Deton Italia, a company that specialises in supplying fresh imported seafood to the Italian market.

Deton Italia Company Fact File Deton Italia Via G Belinzhaghi 15 20159 Milano Italy Tel.: +39 026 6825373 Fax: +39 026 9900285 g.defendenti@detonitalia.it Manager: Dr Giovanni Defendenti Activity: Import and distribution of fresh seafood

the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and different countries in Africa. The company offers a service that

Sources: North and South America, Asia, Australia, Africa Products: Whitefish, flatfish, swordfish, tuna, shellfish, cephalopods Volumes: 20 tonnes a week Packaging: On ice, vacuum packed Markets: Main cities and towns in Italy Employees: 8 Turnover: EUR12m

is not restricted to large customers placing big orders, but also small and medium distributors who have smaller and more specialised re

The seafood imported from other European countries typically arrives by truck, while from other countries it is flown in. Freshness is crucial because these are high value products intended for discerning customers. From Sri Lanka for example yellowfin tuna is imported. The fish is graded as soon as the boats come in, it is cut up, vacuum packed for a shelf life of 14 days, boxed and flown out. If the boat arrives in the factory Thursday morning, by Friday morning it is in Paris or Milan. The same rapid handling is the case with imports from Canada and the US. Within 48 hours the fish moves from the port of catch to the final destination. The pattern is similar with fish arriving for example at French ports. At 03.00 or 04.00 in the morning agents are bidding at auctions in Brittany, the fish is selected, packed, iced, placed on a truck and leaves for Milan. If it leaves at noon on a Friday it is in Milan on Saturday and can be delivered to the customer that

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

ITALY

Delivering fresh seafood from around the world calls for a tight and smoothly running distribution chain.

evening. This kind of just-in-time service requires a very tight and smooth logistics operation. The company uses transport firms that specialise in the delivery of perishables. When the fish arrive at the transporters platform, a hub from where the goods are routed to their final destinations, a Deton

Italia employee embedded in the platform first checks the deliveries to ensure that they are the right ones and that the quality meets the specifications. He will then divide the goods according to the volumes ordered and the destinations, after which the trucks will be loaded again. The integrity of the cold chain is maintained by

the transporter who ensures that the temperature in the trucks and the warehouse is always between 0 and 3 degrees centigrade. The whole operation has to work smoothly because there is no margin for error, says Dr Defendenti, profit margins are very slim and depend very much on the quality of our service. Even though the company is a service organisation, it is not an agent, but an actual buyer, that purchases all the seafood it sells and organises the logistics. The seafood purchased is almost all based on orders the company has in hand, though sometimes an additional 10-20% of certain items is purchased in order to supply customers who have not managed to place their orders on time. But typically at the end of a two day cycle there is no stock left.

Considering an expansion into Europe Fresh seafood is the main area of business with volumes in the region of 20 tonnes a week or 1,000

tonnes a year. Other marginal areas of activity include vaccum packed vegetables and frozen seafood. With only eight employees the pace of work at Deton Italia is necessarily hectic. For Dr Defendenti it is exciting work that puts him in constant touch with suppliers from all over the world so that at times he barely has time to breathe. Better information will perhaps reduce some of the pressure so a new information technology system is being developed within the company that will give the real time status of orders, showing where they are in the supply chain. Deton Italia will continue to focus on supplying its customers with a wide range of high quality seafood in volumes that are tailored to both large and small customers. Rapid response times and prompt delivery are already the hallmarks of its service in Italy and now the company is considering how to emulate this in other parts of Europe.

Adler

Fighting to continue artisanal production of sprats The northern Adriatic Sea is home to the sprat, Sprattus sprattus, better known as Clupea papalina. In Italy and particularly in the local regions the fish is regarded as different from sprats caught in other European waters in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the Atlantic Ocean. It is more than local pride that lies behind this assertion as the inflow of fresh water from rivers makes the water in the basin less salty and in addition the fish are caught at relatively shallow depths where the water is also warmer. But it is perhaps the way the fish are processed that characterises them most.

eventy years ago it the saraghina as it is known locally was considered a trash fish that was thrown away when it appeared in catches. A company

Adler realised that this fish could actually be used if a way was found to preserve it properly. The issue was not only to find a way to preserve the fish but also to

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present it differently from traditionally preserved small pelagic fish. Adler developed a preservation method that involved arranging the fish in a wooden bar-

rel to create a “raggio di sole” a ray of sun light. Since its development this method of preservation has evolved with time, but is still firmly rooted in tradition. The www.eurofishmagazine.com

ITALY

Andrea Donati, the owner of Adler. The preserved sprats are healthy to eat and their production is sustainable.

After being salted for three weeks the sprats are arranged by hand in the barrel in the form of a sun bean “raggio di sole.”

vessels catching the fish use traditional handmade fishing gear that has little impact on the environment and the fish are caught between April and July when they have reached the optimal stage of development. Fishing trips are made daily, the boats go out and return the same day and the fish is brought to the factory and immediately salted in tubs.

degrees this gives the fish a shelf life of 18 months. Once the barrel is opened however the shelf life drops to about 8 months at 0-5 degrees. This artisanal production is endorsed with the label Prodotto Certificato dell’Alto Adriatico (PCAA), (Certified Upper Adriatic Product). The label has been developed by a consortium of companies and local authorities in Italy as well as Croatia and Slovenia that participated in the Adrifish project. The label signifies that the product has been sustainably manufactured without having a detrimental effect on the environment at any stage in the production process. The label also implies that the product is

Special salt used in the preservation process Adler is based in the region Emilia-Romagna which is also where the city Cervia is located. Cervia is famous for its salt which is produced by allowing water from the Adriatic Sea to flow into large basins from where it evaporates naturally. The residue is a raw sea salt that is not artificially purified or dried and so retains its natural humidity. Its chemical composition makes it less salty than typical salts and it is used in the manufacture of cheese and preserved meats – as well as the Adler saraghina. The fish is salted for two to three weeks during which time it loses some of its moisture through osmosis. From the tubs the fish is removed www.eurofishmagazine.com

and arranged in the barrels in the characteristic design that resembles a sun beam. Originally the barrels were old wine barrels, but today they are specially made for the product. To achieve this sun beam effect the fish all have to be the same size and each fish is positioned by hand in the barrel. Once the barrel is filled it is covered with a lid and subject to a gentle pressure to further express some of the water from the fish.

Certificate of quality, sustainability The fish are stored in the barrel for a minimum of half a year. At a temperature of between 0 and 5

Adler Company Fact File Adler Strada Statale Adriatica 2180 47042 Cesenatico (FC) Italy Tel.: +39 0547 80068 Fax: +39 0547 82534 adler@adlerit.com www.adlerit.com

Owner: Andrea Donati Production: Hand-made preserved sprats in barrels Raw material: Sprats from the northern Adriatic Sea Volumes: 50-60 tonnes Employees: 10

registered in a traceability system that allows the fish to be traced back to the fishing vessel that caught it. Food products under the label are also specific to the cultural traditions of the region and consistent with the Mediterranean diet. In addition the label serves as a guarantee of hygiene and quality highlights the seasonality of the production. Andrea Donati, the man behind the company, has received several awards for this eye-catching product, which he says has also been served to the English queen. Apart from looking good, he emphasises the taste and the health benefits that accrue from consuming the product. The fish is a valuable source of healthy fats as well as proteins and minerals and it is highly versatile in its use. On its website the company has a number of suggestions as to how the fish can be prepared. Current production amounts to about 60 tonnes a year, but maintaining this level is proving difficult as the company cannot find the people to work with the fish – from 50 people in the past the company today has only 10.

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Oysters are consumed lightly cooked or raw

biotoxins produced by microscopic algae. Consumption of shellfish containing certain levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxin can produce severe illness and even death. The purpose of this program is to enhance the shellfish analysis by providing early warning of potentially toxic blooms.

Namibia

Implementation of shellfish sanitation program in Namibia The Namibian shellfish industry is export oriented and has great potential for growth. However, compliance with import regulations is essential for the companies to ensure sustainable development. It is necessary to have adequate monitoring and management controls for all shellfish growing areas in Namibia. The shellfish sanitation program will ensure that the production of farmed shellfish meets all relevant quality assurance requirements in line with food safety standards. The main objective of this program is to promote and improve the sanitation of shellfish in the industry through producer certification.

he national shellfish sanitation program (NSSP) is a cooperative program between government, the industry and the European Union (EU) as donor, to develop a united strategy to ensure that an EU-accredited Namibian program for shellfish sanitation comes into effect. The shellfish industry cooperates by obtaining shellfish from safe sources, set up plants that meet sanitary standards, maintain sanitary operating

conditions, place tags or labels with the proper certificate number on each package and keep a record that shows origin and nature of shellfish. Several countries around the world, including Ireland, New Zealand, and the US adopted and implemented such programs, which may be used as models for the proposed program for the Benguela region.

58 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

The need for a sanitation programme

The shellfish sanitation program protects the health of consumers by regulating the processing and distribution of molluscan shellfish. Protection is achieved as a result of sanitary surveys of shellfish growing areas to determine their suitability as shellfish sources for human consumption. Besides protecting the public from shellfish borne faecal pathogens, another major aspect of the shellfish program involves monitoring for naturally occurring marine

Another element of the sanitation program involves maintaining cooperation between the government, import countries and the industry on all matters related to shellfish safety and public health protection.

The benefits for Namibia The shellfish sanitation program aims for international recognition once implemented. The program will help the Namibian government and shellfish producing companies in providing guarantees that the risk of poisoning and diseases through the consumption of molluscan shellfish is properly managed and/or minimized at all times. The program will also promote a standard quality image for Namibian exports of aquaculture products as a first step leading to a “Namibian brand”. Advantages are multifold for shellfish producing companies, as they may benefit from a wider market for export of their products. High standards for water quality are required in areas where www.eurofishmagazine.com

Africa shellfish are cultured and harvested. Although the Benguela current is considered to be relatively clean, routine monitoring of shellfish growing and processing areas must be included in the program to provide assurance to consumers. Monitoring programs to track low oxygen concentrations and occurrence of sulphur eruptions from the seabed and harmful algal blooms should also be set in place.

Shellfish Molluscan bivalves like oysters are filter feeders. Due to filter feeding, a high concentration of bacteria, viruses and other potentially dangerous biological contaminants may be present in the animals and constitute a serious hazard for the consumers. There is strong evidence that shellfish can concentrate pollutants such as heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and other toxins when they are subject to discharges from industrial areas. Biotoxins such as harmful algal blooms, which are filtered from their growing water, can be present in the shellfish. Paradoxically the more serious risks are often perceived by consumers as being less serious, while the lower risks are often perceived as being more dangerous. The risk of food poisoning is considered high in shellfish as they are consumed raw or lightly cooked. Thus, the only way to ensure that the shellfish do not have concentrations of pathogens is through the implementation of a sanitation program.

Shellfish sanitation programmes in the

Benguela current large marine ecosystem (BCLME) countries Shellfish culture is currently the main aquaculture activity in South Africa and Namibia, and experimental work in Angola has shown that conditions are favourable for mussel and oyster culture. The growth of mariculture in the BCLME bordering countries is currently constrained, as the import regulations of shellfish

Shellfish harvesting in Angola is limited to either subsistence harvesting or processing for local markets, and the government has not yet initiated any process to establish a shellfish sanitation program.

Shellfish sanitation in Namibia In the past there was limited knowledge or lack of technical capacity for shellfish sanitation in either Namibia or Angola.

The primary objective of the program is to protect the public from the consumption of contaminated shellfish by controlling the commercial production and harvesting of all shellfish within Namibia. It will also include the evaluation of all environmental factors, including actual and potential pollution sources that have a bearing on the water quality in a shellfish growing area.

Actual Risk

Risk

Perceived Risk

High

Microbiological contamination

Low

It is a requirement of the Aquaculture Act that all water quality monitoring system be established and maintained to provide timely information to licencees, of the occurrence or imminent occurrence of any pollution or natural phenomenon such as harmful algal blooms, which may have a harmful or detrimental effect on the aquatic environment or any aquaculture product (Aquaculture Act No.18, 2002).

High

The Ministry of Trade and Industry, which is Namibia’s Competent Authority for exports, has purchased laboratory equipment worth over N$800,000, to establish a laboratory that will undertake tests on shellfish products in Walvis Bay.

How “Experts” and consumers rate risks

Packaging failure Distribution failure Pesticide residues

Biotechnology Food additives Low

Food irradiation

Source: www.globefish.org/files

to the European Union (EU), and the USA require that the producer countries implement approved shellfish sanitation programs. There is a well-established laboratory facility in South Africa, which enables shellfish farmers to regularly test their products for contamination. No such facility exists in Namibia, however. As a result, Namibian farmers experience high costs because they have to send their samples to South African or other foreign laboratories for testing.

The situation is gradually changing in Namibia, where there has been significant progress in phytoplankton monitoring, microbiological sampling and analysis, and purchasing of laboratory infrastructure is in the process. In view of consumer health aspects related to the farming of bivalve shellfish, the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources is in the process of establishing the National Shellfish Sanitation Program with support from the BCLME and the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources is already testing seawater and phytoplankton, which is an integral part of the national shellfish sanitation program. This process will help the industry to be certified as meeting international seafood safety norms, thus enabling the expansion of the industry in the long term.

Quality assurance and safety issues currently in place The HACCP principles are in the

Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2010

Africa process of being implemented in all existing shellfish companies in Namibia. Immediately after harvesting, the oysters are washed free of sediment using either directly pumped seawater or seawater transported to the site. Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources scientists have been monitoring shellfish for three years, and no biotoxins, which are high risk to shellfish consumers, have been detected. However, present regulations on biotoxins are insufficient and new legislation is urgently needed. Furthermore, there is a real need for guidance on meeting international requirements with regard to production, handling, distribution and marketing of live bivalve molluscs. Currently, shellfish sampling for biotoxins is done fortnightly and samples are sent on the same day to Cape Town, South Africa, for testing, to the only accredited laboratory in the region, operated by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

continuous basis by SABS. The water samples are analyzed ac-

samples are taken from nine active mariculture farms in Walvis

Market benefits

Oyster harvested from ponds being sorted

cording to SABS methodology. Samples are also tested for coliform bacteria. Seawater samples are collected from Lüderitz where abalones are cultured. The Marine Aquaculture Section of the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources carries out phytoplankton analysis at the National Marine Information

Bay, Swakopmund and Lüderitz (one sample per farm fortnightly) as well as at five different wild-mussel localities along the coast. Phytoplankton samples are analyzed to species level at NatMirc. The prescribed protocols for extraction and analysis of tests are stringent. Additional facili-

The demand for oysters on the world markets is on the increase and prospects for further development of the industry in Namibia are real. The Namibian oysters compare very favourably with those produced anywhere else. In 2007, with the approval of the Singapore certification authority (the Agrifood and Veterinary Authority of Singapore), Namibia started to export frozen oysters to Singapore. With the emergence of China as a potential market, an aggressive marketing strategy has been developed to penetrate this promising market. Other markets, such as South Korea, could also be explored. At present Namibia is not able to export oysters to the EU or the USA. Import regulations in both of these markets require accreditation of both the shellfish sanitation program and the individual producing company. With the introduction of the programme the market potential for Namibian of oysters, which is already showing some growth, will increase, giving Namibia the chance to break away from selling to a single market in South Africa.

The turn-around time for analysis from CSIR is 5-9 working days. This makes the biotoxins measurements unsatisfactory from a regulatory standpoint, because the time is far too long. If a toxic product is identified, it will already be well into the distribution chain by the time the analysis is completed and the results become available. The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) laboratory in Walvis Bay analyzes the microbiological aspects. Samples are currently being analyzed for bacterial contaminants whilst the water quality monitoring is done every second week on a

future to enable proper testing of biotoxins in Namibia.

The potential to create more employment, promote the seafood sector as a strong contributor to Namibia’s GDP, increase the standard of living of workers of the industry and alleviate poverty is achievable. Laboratories carry out all technical duties to guarantee compliance with import regulations

and Research Centre (NatMirc), Swakopmund. Phytoplankton

60 Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2010

ties, equipment and capacity building is required in the near

Marchella Somaes

Projects

PathogenCombat: Reducing food-borne diseases in Europe

New protective and probiotic cultures for elimination of pathogens, including viruses in the food chain

Every day innumerable bacteria and viruses, among them pathogens, enter our digestive systems along with the food we eat. Viewed superficially, our digestive system seems to be an ideal place of entry for these unwelcome guests because its task is to enable the passage of nutrients and other vital substances from the intestine into the body cells and bloodstream. And with an area of about 300 square metres, the surface of the mucus membrane in the human intestine is nearly as big as a tennis court. Despite this, our bodies have some protection against pathogens because the immune system and other defence mechanisms in the intestine form a complex bulwark against such attacks.

n the past, the intestine was only seen as a “mechanical barrier” to pathogen entry. Today, however, we know that it plays a very active role in shaping the immune response to ward off pathogens. The surface of the intestinal wall consists of highly specialised cells which control selected and directional transport of substrates while maintaining a barrier to pathogens. In addition to the strong physical epithelial barrier, the intestine has chemical antibacterial mechanisms for controlling the growth of potential pathogens. Intestinal commensal microorganisms are believed to be the third and indispensable player for normal intestinal balance. They interact with the epithelial cell barrier and the mucosal immune system and can be modulated by probiotics to increase their potential for preventing and alleviating intestinal pathogen-induced diseases. The term probiotic (Greek “for life’’) describes a variety of live microorganisms which when www.eurofishmagazine.com

Industrial reactors for production of the PathogenCombat protective and probiotic strains

administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host. As a part of the gut microflora, probiotic bacteria, are reported to promote host defense and to modulate the immune system. They are also known to reduce the possibility of enteric infection by pathogens via the production of antimicrobial products and competition with pathogens for binding sites or nutrients. Probiotics affect the host by improving the intestinal microbial balance, thus inhibiting patho-

gens and toxin-producing bacteria. Specific beneficial health effects of probiotics have been investigated and documented, including alleviation of chronic inflammatory intestinal disorders, prevention and treatment of pathogen-induced diarrhoea and urogenital infections. Recent research is also providing preliminary data on the anticancer effects of probiotics.

PathogenCombat extends our knowledge

Even though the efficacious and supportive effects of probiotic bacteria have been confirmed by numerous scientific and clinical studies, we still know too little about these beneficial microorganisms and lack detailed knowledge on how they work. This is the reason why several research teams within PathogenCombat Workpackage 10, co-ordinated by Professor Effie Tsakalidou of the Agricultural University of Athens, further investigated some of these key issues. Their work specifically focused on identifying lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria which were able to inhibit pathogens commonly found in the food chain. Strains which demonstrated this potential could then be incorporated into the development of strategies to prevent or reduce foodborne pathogenic microorganisms throughout the food chain. The European research project PathogenCombat united the specialist competencies of scientists and industry representa-

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Projects tives from 16 European countries and Australia. Researchers from 24 universities, institutes and other research facilities, 3 industrial partners and 17 small and medium-sized enterprises worked together in partnership beyond their national borders to investigate solve complex questions. This collaboration proved very positive for Workpackage 10, since many of the participating research institutions possess a wide range of strains with antimicrobial activity against bacteria and viruses, and these could be tested for their antagonistic activity against food pathogens. Those strains which displayed particularly effective antimicrobial activity were examined more closely with respect to parameters related to their survival in the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. low pH and presence of bile salts), their colonisation in the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. adhesion) and their tolerance towards stress conditions prevalent in food processing (e.g. heat treatment, low pH, low water activity and nutrient starvation). Promising strains were further examined using relevant molecular biology and genetic techniques, and a kinetic analysis of the growth of strains and production of their antimicrobial compounds was conducted. As a result of the research in Workpackage 10, twenty-three protective and probiotic strains have been identified which demonstrate in-vitro antimicrobial activity against the food-borne pathogens Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni and/or Penicillium nordicum. No protective and probiotic strains have been identified which demonstrated in-vitro antimicrobial activity against pathogenic Escherichia coli.

Probiotics control pathogenic bacteria and viruses Nearly all research was conducted with the help of new functional cell models developed by the team of Prof.dr. Avrelija Cencic at the University of Maribor, and, therefore, without the use of animal experiments. Cultures with pig intestinal epithelial cells were particularly suitable as they come closest to the human intestinal epithelium in terms of genome, organ development, anatomy, physiology and metabolism of the intestinal tract, disease progression and intestine-microbe interactions. For example, one study examined the protective role of probiotic Lactobacillus bacteria on different strains of Campylobacter jejuni, one of the leading causes of intestinal diseases in humans and animals. Campylobacter which is most often associated with the consumption of poultry, raw milk, and untreated water, in general is susceptible to environmental conditions such as starvation, temperature, and oxidative stress. Some strains, however, have developed mechanisms for responding to these conditions. Thermotolerant campylobacters are one of the most frequent causes of acute human bacterial enteritis worldwide. The scientists were thus particularly interested in understanding of how pathogens manage to trick the defence mechanisms in the intestinal cells so they cannot invade the epithelium. This is a complex process since the development of a disease is preceded by bacterial adherence to host cells, epithelial cell invasion, secretion of virulence proteins and bacterial translocation through the intestinal epithelium. Understanding

62 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Quality Control analyst verifies the cell count and purity of the PathogenCombat protective and probiotic strains produced at industrial scale

was obtained by use of the functional cell models. However, probiotics do not only act against pathogenic bacteria but can also control the effect of certain viruses. The PathogenCombat researchers examined, for example, the potential antiviral activity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) against transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV) and rotavirus. These viruses are often the causative agent of diarrhoeal disease in farm animals such as lambs, calves and pigs. Rotavirus is the leading cause of diarrhea in young children, accounting for more than 500,000 deaths each year in children under the age of five.

Prior to PathogenCombat, probiotic-virus-host interactions had not been examined in such great detail. Coordinated by Prof.dr.Avrelija Cencic, the team of researchers in Workpackage 9 demonstrated that probiotic and other lactic bacteria exhibit an antiviral activity in a cell culture model. Possible mechanisms of antiviral activity include: hindering the adsorption and cell internalisation of the virus due to the direct trapping of the virus by the bacteria, “crosstalk” with the cells in establishing the antiviral by-production of metabolites with a direct antiviral effect www.eurofishmagazine.com

Projects The team also studied the interactions of probiotic bacteria with macrophages, which can lead to an increased antiviral response against certain viruses. Macrophages are an important cellular component of the immune system and are normally rapidly activated at the site of virus infection. They can participate in the antiviral response by killing infected cells, by producing antiviral components such as nitric oxide and by producing substances that enable the adaptive immune response to recognize infected cells and perform antiviral effector functions. This study was the first aimed at investigating the interactions between macrophages, pathogens and potentially protective probiotic cultures in early immune system defenses against viral infections in cell cultures of pig macrophages. Another defence mechanism is linked to maintenance of the transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). If TER is maintained, tight junctions establish a polarity of the epithelial cell layer by forming a seal between adjacent epithelial cells, thereby separating the luminal compartment from the basolateral surface. Treatment with probiotic bacteria may prevent or reverse increased permeability of the epithelium and thereby act antagonistically towards pathogens.

Probiotics for use in functional foods and animal feeds Due to their numerous positive effects, probiotics are being used more and more in the food industry, particularly to give products additional beneficial properties. A wide variety of bacterial species may be www.eurofishmagazine.com

Additional product development trials were successfully conducted with industrial cultures of the protective and probiotic strains Lactobacillus plantarum PCS 20 and Lactobacillus plantarum PCA 236. Pilot batches of probiotic yogurt were produced at laboratory scale and the viability of both strains in the laboratory prototypes was demonstrated for the shelf life of the yogurt products. R&D scientist develops a molecular method (Real Time PCR) to confirm the absence of pathogens and other microbiological contaminants in the PathogenCombat protective and probiotic cultures

considered potential probiotics, but commercially used strains for food products should be well characterised and possess several desirable criteria, including: safety (lack of pathogenicity and toxicity), tolerance to harsh conditions along the digestive tract, adhesion to mucosal surface and scientifically validated and documented health effects. The dairy industry, which adds probiotics to some of its fermented milk products, for example, is a forerunner in the development of functional food. Other food producers have also recognised the value of these useful bacteria so we sometimes encounter them in other foods such as mayonnaise, edible spreads, meat, etc. The utilisation of protective and probiotic cultures may be a useful and effective strategy to prevent or reduce the incidence of food-borne pathogens in the food chain, thus improving food product safety and enhancing consumer health. More specifically, these beneficial bacteria can be used as protective cultures which reduce or

control the growth of pathogens in the farm environment and the final food product or as probiotic cultures which confer a beneficial effect upon the host, either a farm animal through probiotic feed or the final consumer through a functional food. Within Workpackage 13, coordinated by Professor Bruno Biavati of the University of Bologna, three protective and probiotic strains (Bifidobacterium longum PCB 133, Lactobacillus plantarum PCS 20, and Lactobacillus plantarum PCA 236) which demonstrated in-vitro activity against Campylobacter jejuni were investigated for potential use in the development of a probiotic sheep milk yogurt in collaboration with a dairy food-producing partner within the project. Although prototypes of the probiotic yogurt with Bifidobacterium longum PCB 133 were successfully produced at laboratory scale, the stability of the strain in the final product was not acceptable. This may be related to the strainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sensitivity to pH as identified in Workpackage 10.

The semi-industrial feasibility of the probiotic yogurt production process by co-growth of the protective and probiotic PCA 236 strain with two different commercial starter cultures was also confirmed. Analysis of prototypes produced at semiindustrial scale demonstrated very good stability of the strain L. plantarum PCA 236 in the sheep milk yogurt after 40 days in refrigerated conditions.

Animal feed constitutes another rewarding field of application for probiotics. Animal enteric pathogens are a direct source for food contamination and recent outbreaks of food-borne diseases highlight the need for reducing bacterial pathogens in foods of animal origin. The EU ban of antibiotics as growth promoters (AGPs) in 2006 has been a challenge for animal nutrition, increasing the need to find alternative methods to control and prevent pathogenic bacterial colonisation. Probiotic animal feed supplementation is a viable alternative to antibiotics, as reported for several monogastric or ruminant farm animals. It may benefit the animal host directly, by prevent-

Eurofish Magazine 3â&#x20AC;&#x2030;/â&#x20AC;&#x2030;2010

Projects ing the infection and combating the causative agent of the intestinal disorder, or indirectly, by balancing the disrupted equilibrium of the enteric flora and augmenting the host’s immune responses. The potential of the protective and probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum PCA 236 was also evaluated for use as a probiotic feed supplement in lactating dairy goats of the Damascus breed. This strain was isolated from cheese and demonstrated in-vitro activity against Penicillium nordicum and Campylobacter jejuni. The strain was also effective against Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), an animal and potential human pathogen which is resistant to antibiotics and pasteurisation and can contaminate milk. In the 5-week field study, the ability of the PCA 236 strain to survive transit through the animal gastrointestinal tract and to modulate the composition of select constituents of the gut microbiota was assessed. Specifically, the population levels of aerobes, coliforms, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Streptococcus, Enterococcus, anaerobes, Clostridium and Bacteroides were determined in the animal faeces. In addition, the effects of the PCA 236 strain on the immune and antioxidant status of the animals as well as on the composition of milk fatty acids were determined. Results of this study demonstrated positive results in terms of survival of the industrial produced strain through the animal gastrointestinal tract as PCA 236 was recovered in the faeces of all animals in the probiotic treatment group. Compared to the

control group, a beneficial modulation of the goat faecal bacterial population was also noted in the probiotic group, with a statistically significant increase in beneficial bacteria (lactic acid bacteria) coupled with a statistically significant decrease in potential harmful bacteria populations (clostridia). Differences were also observed in the composition of milk produced by the goats in each group. A significantly higher content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic, a-linoleic and rumenic acids) was noted in the milk of the probiotic group with respect to that of the control group. No significant differences in the antioxidant capacity or concentrations of immunoglobulins IgA, IgM and IgG in goat plasma were noted between the two groups. In summary, the protective and probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum PCA 236, administered at a dose of 12 log CFU/day, has demonstrated an interesting

probiotic potential in terms of beneficially modulating the faecal microbiota and the milk fatty acid composition of goats. In another study, the potential of two protective and probiotic strains which demonstrated invitro activity against Campylobacter jejuni, Bifidobacterium longum PCB 133 and Lactobacillus plantarum PCS 20, were evaluated as potential probiotic feed supplements for broiler chickens. The ability of the strains to colonise the gastrointestinal tract and their effect on the Campylobacter jejuni population in the chickens was assessed by molecular analyses with real time PCR. The strains PCB 133 and PCS 20 were administered separately to healthy chickens by oral gavages for 15 consecutive days and the health status of the animals was monitored throughout the trial. No signs of diarrhoea were evidenced in the treatment groups and growth and feed intake of the probiotic treatment groups

Goat Macrophage cell line, isolated by limiting dilution technique from dissected goat ileum. GOMA cells are used to build goat intestinal functional cell models in combination with intestinal epithelial cells. The animal intestinal model is used for isolation of probiotic strains, study of zoonotic bacteria and viruses. Phase contrast, magnification 100 ×.

64 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

were comparable to that of the control group. The results indicate that L. plantarum PCS 20 was not present at a detectable concentration in the animal faeces, whereas the population of B. longum PCB 133 significantly increased after two weeks of daily administration and was still high after a wash-out period of 6 days. During the same period, the population of Campylobacter jejuni in faeces was significantly reduced (p < 0.05) in the group of chickens administered the B. longum PCB 133 strain. Bifidobacterium longum PCB 133, which possesses interesting probiotic properties and considerable anti-Campylobacter activity both in vitro and in vivo, is an excellent candidate for use as additives to poultry feed in order to reduce food-borne campylobacteriosis in humans. Additional testing is currently in progress to evaluate the potential use of the PCB 133 strain as a probiotic feed supplement in turkeys and as a protective culture in fresh poultry meat products. For the future, the most important target within probiotic and prebiotic research will be demonstration of health-promoting benefits supported by knowledge of the mechanistic actions. Genomic-based knowledge on the composition and functions of the gut microbiota as well as its deviations will advance the selection of new and specific probiotics. Potential combinations of suitable probiotics and prebiotics may prove to be the next step in reducing the risk of intestinal diseases as well as correcting specific microbial deviations. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ Fisheries ]

research

Stripping of ovulated eggs for caviar production Because the technique is based on ovulated eggs (here stripping of the ripe eggs) the sturgeon can be used several times for caviar production. How often they can be used is limited by the maximum handling size of the animals.

Caviar from ovulated sturgeon eggs

A new technique that could revolutionise the caviar market Traditionally, genuine caviar is produced from unripe, unovulated sturgeon eggs. Unfortunately, the sturgeon can only be used once for this because they have to be killed in order to remove the eggs. Now, a German scientist has developed a method with which caviar can be produced from ovulated eggs which can simply be stripped off. The sturgeons survive this procedure and can be used several times over. If customers accept this caviar it could mean quite a shake-up for the market… “The technique has been perfected and sufficiently tested and is ready for its practical application”, Professor Angela Köhler from Bremerhaven Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research assured us. The sturgeon caviar produced using this new technique convinced even indulged taste buds: this had been demonstrated by the positive response of star cooks and caviar traders at tastings. If it turns out that gourmets and caviar consumers throughout the world are of the same opinion then Köhler, a cell biologist and toxicologist, will have achieved a momentous coup. For years, scientists all over the world have been looking for www.eurofishmagazine.com

ways of producing high-quality caviar without having to kill the sturgeon. So far there has been no

breakthrough, however, because none of the techniques that were developed proved to be convinc-

Professor Dr Angela Köhler, the scientist at the head of the Department of Marine Biotechnologies at the Alfred Wegener Institute and the Biodiagnostics Section at Imare (Institute for Marine Resources).

ing in every way: the resulting caviar was too hard, too soft, or even mushy, or too many of the eggs burst. The appearance and flavour of the caviar always differed in some way from its usual sensory appearance. And that meant that, for most experts, it was clear that it was not possible to produce utilizable caviar from ovulated eggs. The technique developed by the Bremerhaven professor has apparently overcome these inadequacies. “Our caviar is so close to the original product that it will probably be hard for most people to distinguish the treated from the traditionally produced caviar.” Angela Köhler was inspired to start work on her experiments by a sturgeon congress in Iran in 2005. During the course of the event there was to be a demonstration using a female sturgeon to show to participants how the roe is removed for the production of caviar. The demonstration proved to be a failure: the eggs were too ripe and so were discarded. This outraged Professor Köhler who can still speak very indignantly about it today: “Imagine simply throwing away 15 kilograms of sturgeon roe just because it’s too ripe.” This experience awakened in Angela Köhler the ambition to find a sensible solution to the problem. She began looking more closely at the structure and processes involved

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Fisheries ] [ research

in the maturing and ovulation of sturgeon eggs and she sought answers to the question as to how ovulated eggs differed from unovulated eggs and what could be done so that both would produce equally good caviar. The problems with ovulated eggs are mainly caused by the outer membrane of the egg, its “skin” so to speak. Upon contact with water this outer membrane changes into a sticky film which makes sure that the eggs, which are still soft, will stick together. Then, if salt is added, they burst and form a smeary mass which is in no way reminiscent of caviar. In contrast, the outer membranes of unripe unovulated eggs are stable enough to survive the method used for caviar production unharmed. They can cope with the mechanical strain caused by pushing them through a sieve and even with the osmotic stress caused by salting, without bursting. The objective of Professor Köhler’s research was thus to find ways of making the eggs’ outer membranes harder and more resilient without changing the egg itself too much.

Already during rinsing after treatment it is clearly visible that ovulated caviar stands out for its bulging clean grain.

Process chain during membrane hardening unravelled In nature the egg is in a largely dormant state until it is awakened by the penetration of an external messenger, the sperm, during insemination. This occurrence is thus the starting signal that in a fraction of a second triggers a chain of subsequent enzymatic reactions. At every

Untreated ovulated caviar clumps together strongly and the addition of salt leads to a lot of the eggs bursting which can be seen in the collection of liquid at the lower edge of the picture. 66 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

point along the chain cues are released which trigger the next process. The whole chain resembles a row of vertical dominoes in which the toppling over of one domino causes all subsequent dominos to fall. At the end of the chain of reactions in the sturgeon egg is the hardening of the egg’s outer membrane which then becomes impenetrable for further sperms. The hard membrane is a protection mechanism

which makes the egg impervious with the aim of avoiding multiple fertilization which would be fatal for the embryo. As during most biological processes enzymes play a key role during the hardening of the egg membrane, too. In this case it is the enzyme ovoperoxidase. This is already present in the egg at the time of ovulation and is stored in innumerable microscopically tiny bubbles directly beneath the membrane. As soon as the necessary biochemical signal within the chain is released all the bubbles burst simultaneously and release their contents. The ovoperoxidase has an immediate effect on the membrane and ensures that the protein strands contained within it form a network, thereby hardening the membrane. Although the whole chain of reactions, from the penetration of the sperm to the hardening of the membrane, takes place in several steps the whole process lasts only a matter of seconds. For Angela Köhler, this process chain offered several useful starting points for solving the problem. The use of sperm as the starting trigger for the chain of reactions leading

Using the Köhler technique the egg membrane is hardened and the caviar grains stabilised. The product got good ratings in tests and is said to be comparable with traditional caviar. www.eurofishmagazine.com

Fisheries ] [ research

This electron microscopic picture (magnified 100 x) shows an unovulated egg like those used for conventional caviar. On the surface a net of follicle cells and blood vessels is recognizable via which the egg is fed in the ovary. This net is preserved despite rubbing through the sieve and washing. Köhler believes that this contributes towards the stability of the unripe egg during salting. Inset, a 400 x magnification.

Ovulated egg that was treated using the Köhler technique. Because these eggs were already discharged from the follicle their surface is completely free of foreign cells and their components and consists only of the hardened membrane of the egg. Inset, a 400 x magnification.

to the final hardening of the membrane was ruled out from the start because to produce good caviar the egg must not be fertilised. But what would be the case if one did without this and instead started at the level of signalling molecules – i.e. to continue the example of dominoes if one did not begin by knocking over the first domino but instead knocked over the second or fourth domino? That should, after all, cause the last domino to fall over, too, which would be the hardening of the egg membrane. And with this idea Professor Köhler was on the right track: if she succeeded in finding the right signalling molecule it should be possible to harden the egg membrane without the starting signal of the penetrating sperm. And that would mean that one of the key prerequisites for producing caviar from ovulated eggs would be fulfilled.

ist in the egg cells and trigger the hardening of the membrane. In addition to hydrogen peroxide H2O2 which takes effect already in very small quantities there are calcium ions which are produced during the technique from a calcium chloride solution CaCl2. Used on their own, each of the two substances can trigger the hardening of the egg membranes but the effect is greater if they are used together. The desired hardening effect is also achieved if the substances act upon the egg from the outside.

salted. The degree of hardness of the eggs depends both on the substance used and on the duration of treatment, which also gives rise to additional possibilities. “We can achieve a degree of hardness for the caviar that is in line with the customer’s individual wishes by modifying the treatment accordingly”, emphasizes Angela Köhler. “Soft or preferably a bit harder – both are possible with this technique.” It would be conceivable, for example, to offer the caviar in three different hardness grades.

In practice the treatment of the eggs is as follows: sturgeons that are ready for spawning are immobilized by laying them on their backs so that the ovulated eggs can be stripped. Directly afterwards, the eggs are placed for a maximum of 20 minutes into a solution containing an optimal concentration of one of the substances and this triggers hardening. Subsequently the hardened eggs can, as is usually the case during caviar production, immediately be rinsed, dried and

The Köhler technique offers numerous benefits. Proteins and fats in the egg are not denaturalised as was the case using earlier treatment methods, and the caviar maintains its natural appearance and its typical flavour. Another advantage is that the treatment of the eggs is not too complicated, lasting hardly 15 minutes as a rule and is very inexpensive because the required substances, H2O2 and CaCl2 do not cost much. A significant advantage is also to be seen in the fact that it

Although the basic direction of the research was clear it took three years until the technique had been fully developed and was ready to www.eurofishmagazine.com

be put into practice. The signalling molecules take effect in scarcely conceivable concentrations and often for only a few milliseconds. Angela Köhler did not only have to find out what the substances were but also when, how, and in what concentrations they worked within the process chain. With the help of cell-biological and electron microscopic experiments and biochemical and microbiological analyses basic connections were revealed and the technique further optimised. It stands out for its simplicity and closeness to nature because, ultimately, the treatment of the ovulated eggs which triggers the hardening of the egg membrane mirrors exactly the natural processes.

Technique is based on purely natural processes It is easily forgotten how much work there is in the technique because today it seems to be relatively simple. Professor Köhler did not only find one signalling molecule: she found two signalling molecules which ex-

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Fisheries ] [ research

is possible to influence the hardness of the caviar which enables tailor-made products for different occasions, for example caviar for gourmets or party catering. The durability of the treated caviar exceeded six months, said Angela Köhler; this had been demonstrated in shelf-life tests.

Technique patented or patent pending in numerous states The biggest advance, however, is that the female sturgeons no longer have to be slaughtered. Because the ovulated eggs can be stripped off the fishes they can be used in several subsequent production cycles. Three- or perhaps fourfold stripping seems feasible as long as the size of the fishes allows problem-free handling. So caviar lovers would no longer need to be burdened by the though that a sturgeon had given its life for this culinary pleasure. Although sturgeon farming already now takes away the threat of extermination of the endangered wild sturgeon stocks even with the traditional method of caviar production the Köhler technique offers much more tempting possibilities beyond that. Up to now it was difficult for a lot of farmed caviar producers to operate profitably because the fishes take several years to reach maturity for the first time. That does not only cost time but also a lot of energy and expensive feed. And then, once they were mature and their eggs ripened the fishes had to be slaughtered and the whole cycle had to be started again. Anyone who wanted to produce caviar regularly thus had to keep huge numbers of sturgeon of different year classes which made correspondingly large and expensive fish farms necessary. The new technique might enable a more favourable cost-benefit ratio for farmed caviar production. There is still no proof of whether

everything will work out in practice as well as intended or that the ovulated hardened caviar will really come up to the traditional product. But the Köhler technique is a chance that seems very tempting, and that is something which the researcher herself has realised, too, of course. With Köhler as the originator the AWI Bremerhaven has had the technique protected by patents – and not only in Germany and the EU but also in the international arena in all the important sturgeon and caviar countries: Iran

Institute and Professor Köhler are thus both equally interested in proving the invention’s beneficial effect in practice. Already next year a recirculation facility for 100 to 140 tonnes of sturgeon (standing stock) is to be built. Thanks to the new technique this capacity is enough to produce about 7 tonnes of caviar per year. The methods which have been used so far would hardly produce half that amount. “There is already a suitable site available and the project is now inviting tenders. At the moment we are busy putting

Ovulated caviar after treatment with the Köhler technique. The fine marbled appearance of the egg surface is something many gourmets appreciate.

and the USA, Canada, Israel, the former CIS states and China, to name but a few.

Sturgeon farm to be built in Bremerhaven Caviar producers are showing great interest in the promising new technique and the first of them are already applying for licences. But that alone is not enough for the professor who wants to enter the business herself, too. It doesn’t happen all that often that pure research – as in this case – leads so directly to economically exploitable results. The Alfred Wegener

68 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

together a competent team for the building phase and the facility’s operation. But it will not be a pure production site because it is to be used for research and development, too.” Apart from that, the licence holders are to be trained there and made familiar with the technique of egg hardening. The total investment of several million euros is being borne by a group of Bremerhaven investors and banks, among them Professor Köhler. “We also hope that we will be able to gain financial support from the State of Bremen and the EU, 25 to 40% would be possible in

this location.” The overall management of the project is in the hands of Angela Köhler as the principal shareholder together with an acknowledged sturgeon expert. “If everything goes according to plan building should start this year so that in autumn the first sturgeon can move in to the facility.” Apart from the tanks for farming the sturgeon, there will also be a section for reproducing the fishes and a department for caviar production and fish processing. In order to be able to produce profitably as quickly as possible the Bremerhaven plant is to be put into operation in stages. The question remains open at first as to whether the caviar market will accept the new, so far unknown product, however. It is thus convenient that CITES Germany (CITES – Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) which is responsible for the implementation of the Washington Convention on species protection also offers some additional promotional arguments. In its two-year report 2007/8, CITES recommends the technique as a suitable way to unburden the threatened stocks of wild sturgeon. Professor Köhler will not be giving up her work at Alfred Wegener Institute, however. It would be important, for example, to develop a simple method with which it would be possible to determine the fishes’ sex as early as possible. “We also know too little about how the fishes’ feed and their farming conditions could improve the flavour of caviar and sturgeon flesh. It would also make sense to start looking for possible usages for the so far unused slaughter waste such as the cartelage skeleton.” So the committed scientist does not seem to lack research topics that could also be of interest to industry. mk www.eurofishmagazine.com

COD ] [ cod

MHC’s spawning stock mainly comes from Sognefjord. On average the 8 to 9 year-old fishes now weigh about 20 kg, the largest of them as much as 30 kg. 40 to 100 fishes live in each of the tanks.

Cod from Norwegian aquaculture – Part 3

Broodstock and hatching Supplying cod farms with fry was for a long time seen as one of the major bottlenecks in the farming of this species. Although this problem has still not been completely solved, the situation today is much less critical. The building of new hatcheries has increased capacities, and obtaining spawn and hatching the eggs are now almost routine procedures. The aim now is to enhance the quality and performance of cod juveniles through selective breeding.

s long as there is no regular supply of fry to cod farms aquaculture cannot be pursued profitably. Up to just a few years ago this simple statement summed up one of the main problems of cod farming. The industry was basically in a position to obtain spawn, hatch the eggs and grow the larvae to fry size but the quantities produced were by no means sufficient to meet the needs of an emerging industry. And this was particularly true because a lot of the fingerlings were of very poor quality with aboveaverage malformations and deformations. Too little was known about the factors that influenced the development of the embryos in the egg or about what was important in feeding regimes. In the meantime developments have rocketed in these areas, too. The

www.eurofishmagazine.com

supply of cod fry has stabilised and the quality of the fishes is much improved. This is partly a result of increased specialisation because, as in the salmon

farming sector, hatcheries today employ highly qualified experts to take care of the parent fish, the spawning process and hatching.

During mating and spawning the male moves beneath the female on its back.

There were 17 hatcheries in Norway in mid-2008. Some of them hatched cod only, others various species including cod. The total capacity of these hatcheries can only be estimated. Insiders assume a total quantity of about 100 million fingerlings. At present the hatcheries are only actually using a small percentage of their capacities. Jørgen Borthen from Norsk Sjømatsenter believes that in 2007 about 14 million fry were raised in Norway. Nearly all the hatcheries have to face the problem that it is difficult to estimate the concrete needs of the farming industry. Companies that simply hatch as many fishes as they can, run the risk of not being able to sell them later on. That is why independent hatcheries really only produce to order. Hatcheries that belong to companies like Codfarmers or Spon Fish, on the other hand, can work more on a more continuous basis. Big aquaculture companies like these that produce several hundred or even thousand tonnes of cod either have shares in a hatchery or invest in their own hatching facility right from the start. This is worthwhile for both parties: there are no worries at the hatchery that the fish may not be sold and the farms always get as many fry as they need for their production. The integration of a hatchery in the company structure also has the advantage that it is possible to have more effective control of the quality and price of the fry. A 70 to 100g cod juvenile

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

COD ] [ cod

currently costs about 1.40 to 1.60 EUR. In general, however, it is assumed that this price will soon fall given continuous production and better capacity usage at the hatcheries.

Special care of parent fish Although some hatcheries already use hatched cod from aquaculture as parent fishes most spawners still come from wild stocks. A lot of them are mature fishes from local fjord populations of coastal cod that are often mated with skrei, the Arctic cod from the Barents Sea. According to experts such crosses are not unusual in natural environments. This is partly due to the fact that cod is a migratory fish whose eggs and larvae often drift over long distances. The share of wild fishes in reproduction is expected to fall in the coming years, however, because parent fish from aquaculture offer a number of convincing benefits. Closed reproduction cycles in aquaculture reduce the risk of wild spawners possibly introducing diseases to the stocks from outside. Apart from that, breeding programmes have led to a clear improvement

Stock densities in the spawner groups are between 5 and a maximum of 20 kg/m³. One to three males are mated with one female. Spawning takes place directly in the tanks.

of numerous important performance parameters of the fishes. Most hatcheries keep their spawners in spacious circular onshore tanks throughout the year so that they have them constantly under control. This also makes feeding and health monitoring easier, and they can be better prepared for the spawning act. Some companies, however, keep their parent fishes in net cages in the sea for most of the year and do not take them onshore until a few weeks before spawning. Stock

Some hatcheries simply hang the net sieves into the fish tank and let the surface water flow through them to collect the cod spawn. 70 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

densities in the circular tanks are relatively low at between 5 and a maximum 20 kg/m³ because on average the spawners weigh more than 10 kg, some of them as much as 30 kg. As a rule every parent fish is allowed about two to six cubic metres of water. The sex ratio of cod in the tanks during spawning varies from one to three males to one female. A critical point during this phase is feeding. In order to be able to produce healthy, strong juveniles

the parent fish need well-balanced, high-quality feed particularly during the maturing phase. In the past they were for this reason fed on fish, mainly herring and capelin. Today, however, extruded dry feed like that used in aquaculture facilities is preferred. For technical reasons, however, industrially produced pellets are rarely larger than 20 mm which is not very attractive for a 20 kg cod. The feed producer Nutreco found a solution to this problem: They mix conventional pellets with a liquid-binding agent to produce a lumpy mash which when filled into forms sets to form flexible blocks. Using this process it is possible to produce feed chunks for nearly all large fishes from adult cod to halibut. Experts in Canada came up with a different idea: fishmeal, fish oil and other feed ingredients are mixed to form a mash which is then filled into a digestible collagen skin using a sausage filling machine. About one month prior to the onset of reproduction activities the cod spawners stop eating. For the employees in the hatcheries the fishes’ reduced appetite is a clear sign that spawning is soon to take place.

The maturing process is specifically manipulated using light and temperature so that fresh spawn is available throughout the year. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ COD ] The cod eggs are disinfected and afterwards placed into special incubator tanks with conical bottoms which usually have capacities of 70 to 150 litres.

High fertility and natural spawning In contrast to salmon where the parent fishes are stripped of their eggs and sperm, cod spawns in a completely natural way. Cod are sometimes stripped, too, but this method is mostly only used for breeding purposes to ensure that particular fishes are crossed with one another. During normal fry production the spawners remain in their tank and can mate freely. Whereas female salmon are killed to remove their eggs cod females are often used several times over for reproduction. Cod is a batch spawner, i.e. it lays its eggs in batches over a period of five to eight weeks about every three days. Each of these batches contains several hundred thousand eggs that are immediately fertilised by the

males. The mating and spawning act usually takes place at night. The male pushes itself beneath the female on its back so that both fishes float with their bellies against each other. The fishes “train” this behaviour several times during the day whereby the initiative usually comes from the male. By simulating the mating act, which is also

called coaching, the partners stimulate and synchronise their readiness to spawn. Light and water temperature play an important role in the reproduction process of cod. As the water becomes cooler and the days shorter towards the end of the summer the maturing process of the sexual or-

gans begins. When this situation is reversed in spring, and the water becomes warmer and the days longer the fishes begin to spawn. These factors are used in hatcheries to prolong or delay the spawning process. With the help of light and temperature certain parent fish groups are manipulated so that they are ready to spawn at com-

State and commercial breeding programmes

Enhancement of specific performance parameters of cod Breeding programmes are used to try and improve some of the economically significant performance parameters and features of cod. Of key interest here are faster growth, better feed utilisation, higher resistance to disease and greater slaughter yield. Marine Breed pursues a commercial breeding programme. The best-known breeding project in Norway, however, is the Nasjonale Torskeavlsprogrammet of the National Cod Breeding Center, behind which is mainly Nofima marin, a newly founded group which bundles the research activities of Akvaforsk, Fiskeriforskning, Matforsk and Norkonserv in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture. The state cod breeding programme began in 2003. At that time its aim was to build up about 200 71 www.eurofishmagazine.com Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

families each with 200 individuals in order to evaluate the performance of individual fishes and to be able to cross their siblings specifically in the family breeding programme. In the year 2008 this goal was practically reached with 191 families. The first parent fishes were both skrei and coastal cod from fjords in Finnmark and Møre and Rømsdal. In 2006 offspring of the F1-generation could be used for the first time as spawners. They are mostly mated in a ratio of one female to one male or occasionally two males will be crossed with one female. For breeding purposes, the eggs and sperm are stripped from the fishes, dry mixed and insemination is triggered afterwards by adding water. To save time first time spawners are used for breeding although the young of second and third time spawners

have slightly better survival rates. Prior to every mating, tests are carried out using individual electronic tags to ascertain whether the fishes in question should be allowed to be crossed with one another at all because too close siblings are ruled out (Every family is initially kept in separate tanks. When the fishes have reached a weight of 15 to 20 grams electronically readable tags are placed in the abdominal cavity. All the data of every individual fish are stored in a computer which can then provide the information necessary to determine whether two fishes should be allowed to mate or not). In order to be able to assess the performance of the families under different environmental conditions the fishes are divided into eight groups each Eurofish www.eurofishmagazine.com Magazine 3 / 2010 71

COD ] [ cod

pletely different times: the cod are “led to believe” that winter starts later. In the Marine Harvest Cod hatchery the spawners are divided into four groups, for example. Each of the groups is kept under specific light and temperature conditions so that they spawn at different times: in February, May, August and November. By shifting spawning times the hatcheries can work to capacity throughout the year enabling more continuous supply of fry to the farms.

Collection of pelagic eggs in a mesh bag During the spawning act both partners simply eject their eggs and sperm into the water where insemination and fertilisation then take place. The fertilised eggs float on the surface of the tank and can easily be caught using a narrow-mesh bag attached to a surface overflow. Some hatcheries simply hang the mesh bags into the fish tanks and allow the surface water to pass through them; others prefer to use collection facilities outside the

tank. Both techniques have advantages and disadvantages. It is decisive however that the eggs are not damaged by the force of the water when the net lands on the surface and it is important that they have sufficient oxygen. Over the course of a spawning night considerable quantities of eggs will be produced. One litre of cod spawn contains about 500,000 eggs, about one hundred times more than salmon. As a rule the spawn is removed from the collecting containers every morning, disinfected and transferred to special incubator tanks. These are cylindrical tanks with a capacity of 70 to 150 litres, usually with a conical bottom. This makes it easier to remove any eggs that have died. The aeration facility which supplies the spawn with oxygen and keeps the water in constant motion only has to be switched off. Then the dead eggs sink to the bottom and can be removed from the system by briefly opening a sliding door. The water exchange rate in the incubator tanks is not particularly high. Depending on

the size of the tank and the quantity of eggs (large incubator tanks can hold more than 5 million eggs) about 0.3 to 2 litres per minute are exchanged.

Raceway technology preferred It is interesting that although some of the more recent Norwegian hatcheries were conceived and constructed as enclosed recirculation systems they have in the meantime given up this principle. Both Marine Harvest Cod, which is presumably the biggest cod hatchery in Norway, and the facilities of the National Cod Breeding Programme near Tromsø, which formerly belonged to Troms Marin Yngel are today operated solely as raceways. When building its nurseries Codfarmers allows for later conversion to recirculation technology but prefers the raceway system. Because the facilities are all located directly next to the sea and can thus rely on water of excellent quality operators believe that raceways offer decisive advan-

with 25 fishes which can then be reproduced in several locations. Through their electronic tags the fishes can be identified clearly later on. The performance enhancements that have been achieved so far in farmed cod are very impressive… particularly with regard to growth which can be increased by 11 to 15% from one generation to the next. Demand on the part of the aquaculture industry is high. The Cod Breeding Centre mainly sells fertilised eggs that are exceedingly popular due to their outstanding quality. One litre of eggs costs around 18,000 NOK (about 2,250 EUR) during regular spawning time; egg batches from later “light manipulated” spawning can cost as much as 25,000 NOK (about 3,125 EUR). Dr Atle Mortensen, the head of the breeding programme, estimates that already 20% of the cod eggs that are hatched in Norwegian hatcheries come from breeding programmes. 72 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

Once the fishes have reached a weight of 15 to 20 grams an electronically readable tag is implanted in their abdominal cavities.

tages compared to recirculation technology: Recirculation systems were too expensive to run, too work-intensive and too susceptible to faults. Apart from that there was the risk that a disease could spread with the water cycle from one tank through the whole facility. It was better, cheaper and safer to pump the required water from the neighbouring sea. The mentioned facilities have pipe systems that reach 150 to 200 m into the sea at a depth of 80 to 120 m. The pump depths ensure that the water arrives in the hatchery at almost the same temperature throughout the year. Prior to usage the water is filtered (to 5 micrometer) and sterilised with UV light. During incubation the eggs are usually kept in the dark. Egg development takes about 110 day degrees so that at a temperature of 6 to 8°C the yolk sac larvae hatch after two to three weeks. The eggs are usually disinfected again shortly before hatching and afterwards transferred to the larvae tanks in which on-growing will take place later on.

A significant breakthrough came in the year 2007 with the development of a new method with which the quality of the offspring could already be assessed during the egg phase. Prior to this it was only possible much later on in the fish. Now the eggs are placed under a microscope about 24 hours after fertilisation and on the basis of the regularity of cell division it is possible to see whether further incubation of the spawn will be worthwhile. If the percentage of deficient eggs is too high the batch is thrown away immediately. This saves time, unnecessary effort and is thought to further increase the efficiency of the breeding programme. According to information from Dr Mortensen for the approximately 200 families in the breeding programme about 500 matings are carried out of which only the best eggs are chosen using the new method, however, and the rest are thrown away. mk www.eurofishmagazine.com

Trade and markets

[ Fisheries ] Main distribution regions and the most important fishing regions for spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias).

the results. The outcome of the investigation the acknowledged shark researcher already cautiously points to the fact that the spiny dogfish is not only one of the most abundant shark species, but also one of the most strongly threatened worldwide. Their total numbers had shrunk alarmingly throughout the world during the last two decades, undoubtedly as a result of overfishing.

Slow farewell to a versatile species

Is trade with dogfish products still justifiable? Schillerlocken (curled strips of smoked spiny dogfish) used to be an ever-present delicacy in the counters of German fishmongers, and their presence was taken for granted. Because the dogfish stock in the North East Atlantic is overfished, however, an increasing number of grocery chains no longer lists the products of this presumably endangered species. Now the fishermen on the east coast of North America are complaining. There are still plenty of spiny dogfish there but hardly anybody wants them. What is to be done? Should dogfish products be taken out of the product range or can they remain there?

In May 2009 Fish Information & Services (FIS) reported that US-American east coast fishermen were complaining about hefty increases in spiny dogfish stocks. The stock biomass of this shark species which is considered to be threatened in our region had risen to 4 billion lbs, about 1.8 million tonnes. Although Dr Steven E. Campana from the Canadian Shark Research Laboratory at Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth (Nova Scotia) agrees with the essence of this announcement he gives a more differentiatwww.eurofishmagazine.com

ed picture. Basically, spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias), also called piked dogfish or spurdog, is probably the most abundant shark species there is. Based on rough estimations there could be nearly one billion of the species swimming throughout its distribution area which includes all of the world’s oceans. Dr Campana cannot say with sufficient certainty how big the spiny dogfish population off the east coast of North America actually is until September, however, when the results of the latest stock assessment are due. In January

2010, Campana and his team had for the first time carried out a stock estimation in this marine region in co-operation with their colleagues from the USA. This step was long overdue since all the spiny dogfish schools that are to be found off the Atlantic coast of Canada and the USA belong to a connected population. This means that it does not make sense for each party to undertake its own assessment. The data still haven’t been fully evaluated, however, and Campana does not want to make any statements until both parties have approved

It would be wrong to be deceived by the seemingly relatively large number of dogfish that have been left swimming in the seas because this viviparous shark species was not very productive which made it particularly susceptible to overfishing. In the North Atlantic (NA) spiny dogfish females do not reach sexual maturity until they are 15 or 16 years old, and in the North East Pacific (NOP) they have their first young at an age of 23 to 32 years. At this point in time they are already 82 cm (NA) or 94 cm (NOP) long. The males develop somewhat faster: in the North Atlantic they already reach sexual maturity after 10 years when they measure 64 cm or in the North East Pacific after 14 years at 70 cm. The females carry their young for 18 to 22 months so that these dogfishes can only reproduce every two years. The first litter usually produces only two to three young fishes, measuring 18 to 20 cm. The bigger and older the females become the more numerous and larger are their offspring which increases their chance of survival considerably. It is not exactly known up to what age spiny dogfish can have young (presumably up to 25 years in the Atlantic and about 40 years in the Pacific)

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

and markets [ trade [ Fisheries ] ]

but up to 15 shark babies measuring 30 cm have been found in the bellies of older females. The facts that spiny dogfish take a long time to reach maturity and have a low reproduction rate are exacerbated by the species’ extremely slow growth. Analyses of the growth zones on the spines in front of the dorsal fins have revealed that these fishes grow a maximum of 3.5 cm per year. And occasionally growth will only amount to 1.5 cm, as examination of tagged individuals has shown. To make up, spiny dogfish live to a very old age. In the Atlantic 35 years for males and 50 years for females are no rarity. And in the Pacific they are said to be able to live to an age of 80 or even 100 years. These conditions could hardly be less favourable for a targeted fishery since the dogfish stocks take a long time to offset any losses.

Europe is the main market for spiny dogfish products Even if the populations in the Atlantic were left fully undisturbed without any fishing activity the number of individuals in the stock would increase by only 4 to 7% per year. If the fishery removes one tenth of the stock, for example, it will take 1.5 to 2.5 years to make up for the losses. Added to this is the fact that spiny dogfishes form large shoals of fishes of the same size and same sex. This increases the risk that the reproduction potential of the population will be selectively reduced since the fishery mainly targets large females, i.e. the very fish that are so valuable for stock maintenance. As a result of strong fishing activity the share of females in the stock in a lot of areas is only one third, and even only one fifth in the North Atlantic. Up to now, only a few of the numerous spiny dogfish popula-

ments. This has been without noticeable success so far, however, because the records on international trade with spiny dogfish products are often incomplete. Only a few states, among them the USA, Canada, Norway, Chile, Argentina and New Zealand document spiny dogfish trade in accordance with the common standards. Other countries such as Turkey which is said to catch 85% of the spiny dogfish in the Black Sea, submit incomplete reports or none at all. Development of spiny dogfish catches in the main fishing regions since 1950 spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias). Source: Figis, FAO

tions that there are in the world are monitored on a regular basis and only a few of the fisheries are carefully managed. Our knowledge of stock dynamics, boundaries and size is just as fragmentary as our knowledge of the biology of this small shark. Not all the methods in the repertoire of biological tests used in the fisheries sector can be applied to assess spiny dogfish so that when estimating the stock it is necessary to rely on evaluations of Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE),

development of landed volume, and specific tagging experiments. Spiny dogfish are often not sufficiently distinguished from other small sharks in the catch, particularly if they are caught as bycatch. This means that only vague assumptions are possible on how many dogfish are actually caught beyond the approved quota for any individual region. The FAO already complained in 2007 about the poor documentation of landings, and demanded improve-

The acknowledged shark researcher Dr Steven E. Campana from Bedford Institute of Oceanography is responsible among other things for stock assessment of commercially used shark species off Canada’s east coast.

74 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

In contrast to a lot of fish species spiny dogfish is not marketed as fillet. The belly flaps and fins are removed, the body is skinned and the fish is then traded as ‘white loin’ or ‘back’. There are eager markets for each of these products. The belly flaps are particularly popular in Germany where they are smoked and put on the market as ‘schillerlocken’. Frozen fins are mainly exported to Asia where they finish up in Japanese or Chinese restaurants. Backs, interleaved or frozen in blocks mainly go to the UK where they are used for fish and chips, or to other countries in continental Europe. In Germany they are also known by the misleading name ‘Seeaal’ (sea eel). Even the dried cartilaginous skeletons of spiny dogfish are used in the nutraceutical industry for the production of foods with pharmacological effects. Europe is by far the most important market for spiny dogfish. In the 1960s and 70s when a dozen European countries, led by Norway and Ireland, fished dogfish shoals in the North East Atlantic, the annual catches regularly amounted to around 40,000 t, sometimes even reaching nearly 50,000 t. If the catch volumes taken from the North East Atlantic between 1950 and 2006 are added up and comwww.eurofishmagazine.com

[ Fisheries ]

pared to other marine regions it soon becomes clear that during this period of time more than 85% of worldwide spiny dogfish catches came from the North East Atlantic. For a fish with such a low reproductive capacity this was ruthless exploitation that could not be without consequences for the stock: spiny dogfish is today considered to be totally overfished in the North East Atlantic. The biomass of the stock is said to have shrunk to less than 5% of its original level. The IUCN rates “North East Atlantic spiny dogfish” as “threatened by extinction” in its Red List of endangered species. Viewed in this light the management and protection measures that have been introduced by European states seem rather half-hearted. Binding fishing quotas (TACs) were already introduced for spiny dogfish in EU waters in 1999 but up to 2007 they only applied to the ICES regions IIa and IV. Up to 2005 the fishing quota was also set so high that the actual landings were well below the named figure meaning that the fishery was in no way restricted. Even the 2009 quota still permitted a catch of 316 t of dogfish in the ICES regions IIa nd IV. The TAC for region IIIa which corresponds more or less to Skagerrak and Kattegat was set at 104t, and a further 1,002 t were permitted in the regions I, V-VIII, XII und XIV. As a more effective means of protecting the www.eurofishmagazine.com

Photo: Dr Steven Campana, Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Canada.

Open abdomen of a pregnant female dogfish. On the right several eggs in the ovaries, on the left three embryos in the uterus (the orange-yellow formations are the yolk sacs).

big females which are so valuable for reproduction, the maximum size of the landed fishes was also limited to 100 cm. Only in 2010 did the European Commission decide to set the TAC at 0 t, i.e. to close the spiny dogfish fishery completely. Late – but hopefully not too late. These measures have hardly diminished Europeans’ appetite for schillerlocken and other dogfish specialities. At the beginning of this decade European countries were still consuming 20,000 t of spiny dogfish per year, with half of this quantity coming from their own fishery, the other half from imports. Since then, although demand has fallen because a lot of consumers are worried by reports of overfishing of sharks and hold back from buying the species, it still fluctuates at around 3,000 to 4,000 t per year. This demand is almost solely satisfied by imports. Nearly 70% of the imported dogfish that we eat today in Europe come from the USA and Canada. Both countries catch dogfish both in the North East Pacific and in the North West Atlantic. A hundred years ago spiny dogfishes

were considered a nuisance by North American fishermen: they caused damages to the nets and thus unnecessary work and the fishermen had no further use for them. Buyers could sometimes be found for the livers which were rich in fat. This was used to make lamp oil and lubricants for machines. Shark liver was at that time also of some significance as a raw material for vitamins.

North American stocks in considerably better condition It was not until the early 1960s when the Europeans were already catching about 40,000 t per year that spiny dogfish became more interesting for Canadian and USAmerican fishermen, too. Up to the end of the 80s the catch volume remained relatively modest at around 2,000 to 3,000 t. When a small dogfish industry developed in Canada as from 1995 the catches gradually rose, however, reaching a stable level of just under 10,000 t after the start of the new millennium. This fishery is divided up almost equally between the Atlantic and the Pacific.

When targeted specifically dogfish are mainly caught using longlines and hand lines which are baited with herring or squid. Occasionally, gill nets and trawls are also used. The fishery begins at the end of spring when the shoals move northwards along the coasts on their migration and usually ends at the beginning of autumn. As the catches in the North East Atlantic diminished the Europeans began looking for alternative sources in other parts of the world. This generated export opportunities for the Canadian fishermen whose interest in spiny dogfish rose accordingly. A fishing quota of 2,500 t was thus set for Atlantic Canada for the first time in 2002 – this was linked to a stipulation that the fishery contributed to collecting basic scientific data. A year later the quota rose briefly to 3,200 t but was reduced again to 2,500 t in 2004. This TAC has remained the same to this day but has never been fully utilized since 2004. In the year 2009 Canadian Atlantic fishermen only caught 140 t because the Europeans were buying less and less dogfish. Parallel to the fishery the spiny dog-

Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

and markets [ trade [ Fisheries ] ]

fish stock has been subject to intensive scientific investigation for years. The results of the Canadian spiny dogfish research programme have revealed that the biomass of this species adds up to at least 300,000 t in the Canadian waters of the North West Atlantic. Although this seems a lot compared to the fishing quota of 2,500 t, shark researcher Steven E. Campana points out that the TAC is currently not deduced on a scientific basis but is set arbitrarily. Only when the results of the assessment carried out together with the USA are available would it be possible to say whether this quota is really within safe limits. His cautious approach is understandable since although Canada and the USA fish the same spiny dogfish stock they do so with very different strategies. Whilst the Canadians catch both dogfish sexes the US fishermen mainly target the big females that are particularly valuable for the survival of the population. (schillerlocken are allegedly only made from the belly flaps of female fishes). No one knows how the stock will be able to cope in the long run with a fishery that targets only the females; and the effects of spiny dogfish by-catches in other fisheries in the area are also unclear, particularly since experiments carried out recently with tagged dogfishes suggest that there is not such an intensive exchange between the populations off Canada and the USA as previously assumed. Only 10 to 20% of the spiny dogfish migrate north from US waters. In the project ‘Ocean Tracking Network’ (OTN) researchers now want to find out whether the fishes migrate back and forth regularly or whether migration is only in one direction. There are already signs that the specific targeting of females could lead to problems. During the last

investigation in 2009 the Northeast Fisheries Science Center could not discover any indications of overfishing but pointed out that relatively few fishes were found measuring over 100 cm and under 70 cm. The absence of larger mother fishes and their young is already clearly noticeable for the stock is currently dominated by dogfishes measuring between 75 and 95 cm. The scientists thus expect to see a tendency for the population to diminish slightly up to 2017. That is probably also why the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) reduced the fishing quota for 2010/11 to 15 m lbs (about 6,800 t) and demanded that spiny dogfish by-catches be reduced. There is a good chance of this because every second dogfish that is caught in a trawl survives being thrown back into the sea. With gill nets the survival rate is between 30 and 55%.

MSC certification in Canada and the USA imminent In both Canada and the USA fishermen were against the attempt to place spiny dogfish on the Annex List II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). This listing would mean a tremendous amount of work to get every single delivery of spiny dogfish approved and would thus make exports to Europe practically almost impossible, feared Steve Barndollar, the President of Seatrade International Inc., one of the three most important spiny dogfish exporters in the USA. The organisation “Fishermen Organized for Responsible Dogfish Management” was founded and engaged a legal office experienced in such matters. They managed to gain the interest of about 20 influential senators from the US Congress for implementing their interests. Their main argument

76 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2010

sounds absolutely plausible: If the Europeans have overfished their spiny dogfish stocks in the North East Atlantic that doesn’t mean by a long way that all the other stocks in the world are in a similarly pitiful condition. The North American spiny dogfish stocks are at any rate not overfished and are used sustainably. That is why there is also no reason to try to limit the export of dogfish products by bureaucratic regulations… particularly since a measure like that would have no influence on European fisheries policy to handle this resource more carefully in the future. For North America’s spiny dogfish industry an 80 to 100 million dollar business is at stake and this business is only worthwhile if all the products arising from it can find buyers: fins in Asia, backs in England, France, Italy and Belgium, and belly flaps in Germany. If only one of these buyers is lost, exporting dogfish could become unprofitable, says Christian Brun, too. He is the Manager of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union in New Brunswick. Over the past two years business had become increasingly difficult because demand for belly flaps by German customers had collapsed by two thirds. That was why they saw themselves forced to throw 50% of the belly flaps away, regrets Louis Juillard, the Export Manager of the US company Marder Trawling. Under pressure from environmental organisations German grocery chains in particular, but also increasingly French ones are demanding that spiny dogfish suppliers should seek MSC certification. That would be the only way to show consumers that the fish comes from sustainably managed, unthreatened stocks. Seatrade International Inc. (Massachusetts), Marder Trawling Inc. (New Bedford) und Zeus Packing

Inc. (Gloucester), the three most important spiny dogfish processors in the USA and in fact competitors thus joined forces and already got the MSC certification process going in spring 2009. The final report of the preliminary examination on 28 September confirmed that the US spiny dogfish fishery in the Atlantic has very good chances of being granted MSC certification. The three companies wanted to wait until March 2010 for full certification in order to await the decision of the CITES conference. The planned MSC certification costs about 90,000 dollars and if spiny dogfish exports are rendered almost impossible by the CITES regulations they could save themselves the expense. The Canadian spiny dogfish fishery in the Atlantic also wants to gain MSC certification. And as in the USA the pre-assessment was positive. Steven E. Campana, the shark researcher from Bedford Institute knows, however, that the commissioned certification agency wants to await the stock assessment which Canada and the USA have carried out for the first time together. If they get a green light the process will begin in autumn. The spiny dogfish fishermen on the Pacific coast of Canada have already advanced further: the hook and line fishery of British Columbia is undergoing MSC certification. On 12 March 2010 MSC announced on its internet site that the certification office Moody Marine had entered the phase of information collection. From 19 to 23 April talks were planned with representatives of the fishery, fishery management and other participants. If nothing untoward comes up certification could probably be awarded at the end of 2010 or in early 2011. mk www.eurofishmagazine.com

Fish Infonetwork News Projects

The WTO and market issues in fisheries and aquaculture A regional workshop with the title “The WTO and Fisheries: An update on WTO and market access issues in fisheries and aquaculture” was co-organized by FAO and EUROFISH on 29-31 March 2010 in Kiev, Ukraine. This workshop hosted 57 participants from Central and Eastern Europe, in particular Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. The host country was widely represented by delegates from the State Committee for Fisheries of Ukraine, the Ministry of Agricultural Policy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Federation

of Fisheries Industry, Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Science, Institute of Fisheries, Kiev Institute for Nuclear Research, Southern Scientific research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography among others as well as many private companies. The speakers were from the FAO, WTO, EUROFISH and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the US. The main topics discussed were the latest developments on the WTO agreements and current negotiations, international trade and emerging market opportunities, sanitary protection and risk analysis for fish trade, fisheries subsidies, certification, labelling and traceability issues.

The VIPs at the opening ceremony of the Philippines workshop (from left): Dr S Subasinghe (at podium), Mr Malcolm Sarmiento, Ms Emiko Purdy and Dr Joebert Toledo.

Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR). Also present were Ms Emiko Purdy, Agricultural Counselor, US Embassy, Philippines; Dr Joebert Toledo, Chief, Aquaculture Department, Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre, Philippines; and Dr S Subasinghe, Director, INFOFISH. The Cambodia workshop was held in Phnom Penh on 19 February 2010. About 50 persons from industry and government departments took part. His Excellency May Samoeun, Advisor, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), was the Guest of Honour. Others present were Mrs Kaing Khim, Deputy Director General, Fisheries Administra-

Delegates at the EUROFISH FAO WTO workshop on market access issues in fisheries and aquaculture in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

Asian organic aquaculture workshops The most recent of the ongoing dissemination workshops organized under the CFC/FAO/ INFOFISH Project on Organic Aquaculture were held in the Philippines and Cambodia. The

Philippines workshop was held in Manila on 29 January 2010 with about 70 persons participating. The Guest of Honour was Mr Malcolm Sarmiento, Director, Department of Agriculture,

tion (FiA), MAFF and Dr S Subasinghe, Director, INFOFISH. The technical session featured presentations by resource persons from Thailand and INFOFISH, namely, Dr Lila Ruangpan, Advisor, Organic Aquaculture Farm and Products Certification Centre (OAPC), Thailand; Mrs Niracha Wongchinda, Director, OAPC, Thailand; and Mrs Fatima Ferdouse and Mr Tarlochan Singh of INFOFISH. A paper on the status of aquaculture in each of these two countries was also included. Dr Nelson Lopez, Chief, Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture Division, BFAR, presentated the Philippines while Mr Haing Leap, Deputy Director, Department of Aquaculture Development, FiA, presented Cambodia.

CFC project on Amazonian aquaculture products activities in Peru, Brazil and Colombia Between January and March there were several activities that took place as part of the CFC project “Enhancing market access of Amazonian aquaculture and fisheries products.” In January there was a mission to Brazil and Colombia to review the progress of the survey on the seafood markets in Rio de

Janeiro and Bogota. In Colombia meetings were held between the INFOPESCA Director Mr Roland Wiefels and the new Fisheries Sub-Director at the INCODER, Mrs Martha Lucía de la Pava and visits were paid to the major seafood wholesale markets and supermarkets in Bogota. In Febru-

ary there were several meetings held in Iquitos, Peru. Mr Nelson Avdalov and Mrs Graciela Pereira from INFOPESCA met with the intern from Spain who will work for the project under a cooperation agreement between INFOPESCA and CETMAR (Technological Center of the Sea). Meetings were also held with the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP), as well as other authorities from the region.

In March preparatory work for the first training courses on quality and marketing of seafood was carried out in Manaus, Brazil. The mission covered fish farmers, federation directors and the Amazon State fisheries authorities. INFOPESCA staff visited fish farmers and processing plants in the towns of Iranduba and Manacapuru to discuss training needs. Roland Wiefels and Nelson Avdalov were in charge of the mission.

The Fish Infonetwork ( FIN ) The FIN consists of 7 independent partner organizations. They cover all aspects of post-harvest fisheries and aquaculture. With more than 50 governments supporting the network, which also has strong links to the private sector, the activities are truly international. The FIN pages, which are a regular feature in the four network magazines – Infofish International, Infopesca Internacional, Eurofish Magazine, and Infosamak Magazine – present the FIN-wide spectrum of activities, showing actions and results. The FIN has more than 80 full-time staff and works with more than one hundred international experts in all fields of fisheries. Through its link from FAO Globefish to the FAO Fisheries Department, it also has access to the latest information and knowledge on fisheries policy and management issues worldwide. FIN executes donor projects, prepares market research for private companies, and organizes training courses on marketing and quality assurance. All seven services offer different possibilities for co-operation with the private sector, institutes, government offices and donors. • Globefish Fishery Industries Division FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla I 00100 Rome, Italy Tel.: (+39) 06 5705 6313/5059 Fax: (+39) 06 5705 5188 globefish@fao.org www.globefish.org Partners: Seafood Services Australia, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada; Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Denmark; European Commission (DG FISH); OFIMER, France; Norwegian Seafood Export Council; Ministero de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, Spain; National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, USA; VASEP, Viet Nam

Mr Fred Chu-Koo from the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute IIAP (left) and Mr José María Peiro, the Spanish intern, who will work for the CFC project under a cooperation agreement betweeen INFOPESCA and CETMAR, the Spanish Marine Technology Centre.

News

Workshop on fish marketing information system in Indonesia A national workshop on the Fish Marketing Information System (FMIS) was held in Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Indonesia on 23 February 2010. The participants, numbering over 70, were mainly fisheries officers from the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries (MMAF), Jakarta and from districts in Aceh, as well as representatives of the Marine and Fisheries Department from ten provinces in Indonesia. The workshop was jointly officiated by the

Food and Agriculture Organisation Representative in Indonesia, Mr. Man Ho So; the Director of International Fish Marketing Development of the MMAF, Mr Saut Hutagalung and the Head of Marine and Fisheries Department of Aceh province, Mr Razali A R. The workshop was organised by the Spanish Government-funded FAO Fish Marketing Information project in Aceh which is scheduled to be completed by July this year.

• Infopesca Casilla de Correo 7086 Julio Herrea y Obes 1296 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay Tel.: (+598) 2 9028701/2 Fax: (+598) 2 9030501 infopesc@adinet.com.uy www.infopesca.org Member Countries: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela • Infofish Menara Olympia, Level 2 8 Jalan Raja Chulan Kuala Lumpur 50200, Malaysia Tel.: (+603) 20783466 Fax: (+603) 2078 6804 infish@po.jaring.my www.infofish.org Member Countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Maldives, Malaysia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand • Infopeche Tour C -19éme étage, Cité Administrative, Abidjan 01, Cote d‘Ivoire Tel.: (+225) 228980 / 215775 Fax: (+225) 218054 infopech@africaonline.co.ci www.globefish.org/index.php?id=1113

Member Countries: Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo • Infosa Southern African suboffice of Infopeche P.O. Box 23523, Kenya House Robert Mugabe Avenue, 4th Floor Windhoek, Namibia Tel: (+264) 61 279430 Fax: (+264) 61 279434 infosadc@mweb.com.na www.infosa.org.na Member Countries: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe • Eurofish H.C. Andersens Boulevard 44 - 46 DK-1553 Copenhagen V, Denmark Tel: (+45) 333 777 55 Fax: (+45) 333 777 56 info@eurofish.dk, www.eurofish.dk Member Countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Romania, Spain, Turkey, • Infoyu Room 203, Bldg 18, Maizidian Street, Chaoyang District Beijing 100026, P.R. China Tel.: (+86) 10 64195140 Fax: (+86) 10 64195141 infoyu@agri.gov.cn www.globefish.org/index.php?id=2074 Member Countries: China • Infosamak 71 Boulevard Rahal Meskini B.P. 16243 Casablanca, Morocco Tel.: (+212) 22540856 Fax: (+212) 22540855 infosamak@onp.co.ma www.infosamak.org Member Countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Yemen

Fish Infonetwork News Publications

The Seafood Market in Greece Consumption in Greece has increased from 16 kg per capita in 1961 to 25 kg in 2005 as people became more aware of the health benefits of eating fish and seafood. The main species consumed are demersal fish and cephalopods. Despite its small contribution to the economy, 0.35% of GDP in 2003, the Greek fisheries sector is important for the domestic economy. The main capture fisheries are for small pelagics, while seabass and sea bream dominate farmed fish production. This volume summarises the seafood market in Greece including the importance of the aquaculture industry as a producer of seabass and sea bream.

Helga Josupeit Importance of APEC in world fisheries and aquaculture Globefish Research Programme Vol. 100, Rome, FAO. 2010 p. 32; EUR35 from www.eurofish.dk

Viet Nam – Seafood from Waterland

Camillo Catarci The Seafood Market in Greece FAO Globefish Research Programme Vol. 98, Rome, FAO. 2010, p. 58; EUR35 from www. eurofish.dk

Importance of APEC in world fisheries and aquaculture The importance of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) region in fisheries and trade has been growing over the past decade. APEC nations are major producers, traders, and consumers of fish and seafood. Total world capture fisheries and aquaculture

economies. These countries are also the source of 50% of EU imports of fish and seafood that the EU gets from non-EU countries, worth USD8.7 billion in 2007.

amounted to 141 million tonnes in 2008 of which APEC economies accounted for 100 million tonnes. As a share of global capture fisheries production APEC is responsible for 65%. Almost the entire increase in world fisheries production originates in APEC

In terms of aquaculture production Viet Nam is number three in the world behind China and India and number six for aquatic product exports. The fisheries sector in the country accounts for 5.8% of GDP, 7.8% of export turnover and 10% of the labour force. Viet Nam dominates the production of pangasius, a freshwater farmed whitefish, which has filled the gap caused by the shortage of whitefish such as cod. However, pangasius retails at the lowest end of the market. In brackish and marine water, shrimp (black tiger and vannamei) are the major species to be farmed. The report describes the principle fishery products and analyses their potential. It examines how Viet Nam can make its industry sustainable and improve the conditions of its fishermen.

Herby Neubacher, Viet Nam – Seafood from Waterland, FAO Globefish Research Programme Vol. 99, Rome, FAO. 2010, p. 124; EUR35 from www. eurofish.dk

Stay aﬂoat with better information

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tions - see website a range of chefs headed by Celebrity Chef D iary Dates Pete Evans of “My Kitchen Rules” and Speakers • Career Expo www.seafoodhea October November mailbox@nor-fishing.no •JuneExcellent opportunity to present to the www.nor-fishing.no June Public 2-4, 2010 about all aspects of our 4-7interaction September October, 2010 International Exhibition Annual Meeting of WEFTA on Cold Chain Logistics with the Ocean Izmir, Turkey Guangzhou, P.R. China Tel.:+902323434000 (Ext:5229) 2827 6766 •Tel.: +852 Competitions including the Australasian ufuk.celik@ege.edu.tr Fax: +852 2827 6870 general@coastal.com.hk Oyster Shucking Competition, the Worldand Hong Kong’s Asiawww.wefta2010.org Pacific www.coastal.com.hk/coldchain Championship of Mudcrab Leg tying Premier Seafood6-10Trade Event 5-7 October 2010 7-9 June, 2010 •AquaVision Gala being November 2010 2010Dinner with 1,000 peopleConxemar International Seafood & Health Vigo, Spain Stavanger, Norway Connecting and distribution buyers with www.seafoodhealt entertained with great and 7-9 September, 2010Seafood and Tel.:+ 34 986 Show 433retail, 351 foodservice,Conference Tel.: +47 51 59 81 00 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION

MELBOURNE CONVENTION EXHIBITION CENTRE AUSTRALIA 6-10 NOVEMBER 2010

Fax: +47 51 55 10 15 post@blueplanet.no www.blueplanet.no 9-12 June 2010 FAO Global Conference on Aquaculture 2010 Bangkok, Thailand Tel.: +39 06 57052428 Fax: +39 06 57053020 Aqua-Conference2010@fao.org www.aqua-conference2010.org 15-17 June, 2010 World Ocean Council – Sustainable Ocean Summit 2010 Belfast, UK Tel.: +1 808 277 9008 info@worldoceancouncil.org www.worldoceancouncil.org 16-18 June, 2010 Offshore Mariculture 2010 Dubrovnik, Croatia Tel.: +44 1622 820622 Fax: +44 1329 825330 iroberts@mercatormedia.com

August 17-20 August, 2010 Nor-Fishing 2010 Trondheim, Norway Tel.: +47 73 56 86 40 Fax: +47 73 56 86 41

Asian Seafood Exposition Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel.: +1 207 842 54 00 Fax: +1 207 842 55 05 www.asianseafoodexpo.com 13-14 September, 2010 International Symposium on Scientific support to Innovation in Fishery Products Vigo, Spain Supported by: Tel.: +34 986469301 Fax: +34 986469269 creboredo@anfaco.es www.anfaco.es 14-17 September, 2010 World Food Moscow 2010 Moscow, Russia Tel.: +44 207 596 5086 Fax: +44 207 596 5113 tony.higginson@ite-exhibitions.com www.world-food.ru

suppliers products, “The packaged Wonders andseafood Opportunities Fax:+ 34 986of 221live, 174fresh, frozen and of the Ocean” Exhibition conxemar@conxemar.com equipment and services from around the world. Melbourne, Australia www.conxemar.com 3 9330 2813 Asian S orTel. : for+61 Exhibiting john.richards@ Co-located Information conferenceplus.com.au 5-8 October, 2010visit www.AsianSeafoodExpo.com www.seafoodhealthconference.com Aquaculture Europe Porto, Portugal Tel.: +32 9 2334912 7–9 Se December Fax: +32 9 2334912 Hong Kong mario.stael@scarlet.be Produced by: Member: Wanch www.easonline.org 10-13 December, 2010 www.A Shanghai Int. Fishery and Seafood Exhibition 2010 7-9 October, 2010 Shanghai, China Polar Fish 2010 Tel: +86-21-34140187 Sisimiut, Greenland Fax: +86-21-37821152 Tel.: +45 99 35 55 55 sifse@sifse.com Fax: +45 99 35 55 33 www.sifse.com ehe@akkc.dk www.polar-fish.net

26-29 October, 2010 Interfish 2010 Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7 495 228 70 74 Fax: +7 495 228 70 72 interfish-expo@yandex.ru www.interfish-expo.ru 16-18 September 2010 Future Fish Eurasia Izmir, Turkey Tal.: +90 212 347 10 54 Fax: +90 212 347 10 53 info@eurasiafairs.com www.eurasiafairs.com

24-29 October, 2010 Mauritius Seafood Conference Port Louis, Mauritius Tel. : +230 208 52 16 Fax : +230 212 18 53 info@mexa.mu

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ESE / SPE: Profusion of products with sustainable labels Italy: Seafood imports from outside the EU increase Latvia: Fishing industry adjusts to smaller Baltic Sea quotas FISH INFO network