Eurofish magazine 1 2016

www.euroďŹ shmagazine.com

ISSN 1868-5943

February 1 / 2016 C 44346

February 1 / 2016 Eurofish Magazine

Aquaculture in the EU Strategic plans seek ambitious outcomes EUROFISH International Organisation

NASF: Special session on prawn, lobster and crab Species: Plaice stocks rebound Guest Pages: Stefano Cataudella, an expert on the Mediterranean Sea FISH INFONetwork

is a member of the FISH INFO network 01_Cover 4p.indd 1

EUROFISH Copenhagen

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C 44346

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Eurofish Member Countries at the European Seafood Exposition Ecofishman discusses draft of new fisheries management system EcoFishMan

Interview with Anne Christine Brusendorff, ICES General Secretary is a member of the FISH INFO network

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In this issue

Aquaculture could be a driver for growth and development The National Strategic Aquaculture Plans describe how the individual EU Member States intend to develop their aquaculture industries over the seven years to 2020 and are a prerequisite to obtaining funding from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund. The plans of the four Eurofish member countries, Croatia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania, featured in this edition of the Eurofish Magazine, show some of the characteristics of the aquaculture sector in the Baltic and the Balkans, and the ambitions that the different stakeholders, industry, administration, NGOs, researchers, have for the field. Across the four countries there is widespread interest in policies and initiatives that will contribute to the growth of the sector as its potential as a source of healthful products, economic and social benefits in remote areas, and export earnings is increasingly recognised. Read more on page 24 The loss of Crimea had a substantial impact on Ukraine’s capture fisheries production, which fell three fifths from one year to the next. The country is however richly endowed with water resources, both freshwater and marine, and is determined to increase the output of the fisheries and aquaculture sector. There are several challenges that will need to be overcome if the sector is to become as productive and useful to the economy as desired. These include reversing the decade-long lack of investment, improving the monitoring and control of the sector, building an effective system for the collection of accurate data, cracking down on the black economy, modernising the fleet, and reducing the bureaucracy. The new team that now leads the State Agency for Fisheries has already taken the first steps by simplifying licensing procedures.

Read more on page 34 Their versatility and low cost have made them ubiquitous, but there is a darker side to plastics. Unless properly disposed of they are virtually indestructible. Researchers are now gradually discovering the extent to which plastics are polluting the world’s oceans. Most of this is washed into the sea from rivers; plastic in deeper waters or buried in the seabed constitutes a potentially greater threat. The lack of knowledge about many aspects of the pollution by plastics is also a problem. Unless the extent can be reliably quantified solving the problem or preventing it from arising in the first place is that much more difficult.

While the prevalence of plastics in the sea poses a challenge, perhaps a more sinister threat comes from their ability to attract dangerous chemicals to themselves such as dioxins or furans, when the extent of their presence in the food chain is unclear. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on page 38 Fishmeal and fish oil are important ingredients in fish feed. Over the years they have been increasing in price, which is why the aquaculture industry has been actively looking for other ingredients with which fishmeal and fish oil can be replaced. Plant-based components have become a common substitute, but the search for more effective materials continues. Among the candidates are insects and their larvae, which are being used to varying degrees as ingredients in fish feed in different parts of the world. Insects offer the advantage that they are easy and relatively cheap to cultivate, but they do not offer the same nutritional profile as fishmeal and fish oil. Some insects are vectors for disease and so need to be processed very carefully to exclude any risks to the health and safety of the fish and of consumers. Another issue may be consumer acceptance of fish bred on insects. Insect-based diets are certainly an alternative, but more research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn. Read more on page 42 Packaging is critical for most food products and in particular for seafood, a delicate and perishable product when fresh. Packaging has multiple roles to play from protecting the product and preserving its quality to saving space during transport to appearing attractive to customers. The materials that are used in packaging also vary widely with metal, glass, and plastic being the most commonly used. Packaging has made enormous progress over the years becoming increasing sophisticated and versatile, but perhaps the most iconic of fish packaging is also the simplest – freshly fried fish and chips wrapped inside yesterday’s newspaper. Read more on page 46 XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

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Table of News FI

6 International News

NO

Events

EE

21 North Atlantic Seafood Forum, 1-3 March 2016, Bergen Exploiting the ocean’s resources – sustainably

L

SE

LT

DK RU

IR

Aquaculture

UK

24 Croatia’s National Strategic Aquaculture Plan Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of aquaculture

PL

NL

DE

BE CZ

LU 28 Investments in technology, knowledge transfer will help Romania meet its goals A few steps to greater competitiveness

FR

SL AU

CH

SI

30 The aquaculture sector in Lithuania Increase in production from closed circulation systems 32 Poland seeks to maintain its position as a leading farmed fish producer in Europe Benefits of locally-farmed fish need to be promoted

IT

HU HR BA

RS ME

PT

FY

ES

AL

Ukraine 34 The fisheries sector in Ukraine Reforms to increase production, streamline administration 36 Fish farming in Ukraine Aquaculture production poised to take off

MT MA

DZ

TN LY

Environment 38 Last stop: the sea Microplastics – a long underestimated problem

Research

(CC BY-SA 3.0) Map based on https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Location_European_nation_states.svg

by Hayden120 and NuclearVacuum

42 The use of insects as an ingredient in fish feed A possible way out of the fishmeal trap

Cover picture courtesy Cromaris, Croatia Correction: The cover of the December 2015 edition of Eurofish Magazine featured the Baltic Marine Group’s fish farm in Comana, Romania.

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Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

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Contents Processing 46 Efficient, safe, and longer shelf life High technology for fish packaging

EE

Species

RU

LV

50 European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) Successful transition to a sustainable fishery

KZ

LT U

BY

UA TM

MD

AM

RS

IR

BG

E

TR

FYROM

Fish Infonetwork News 59 News

IQ

AL

54 Low tuna catches worldwide have led to global price increases despite moderate demand Spain, Italy imported more cooked loins than a year ago 57 The international market for shrimp Weak prices persist in 2015 but import demand remains disappointing

AZ

GE

RO

Trade And Markets

EL SY CY

Guest Pages: Professor Stefano Cataudella

LB

Worldwide Fish News IL

JO

SA

Belgium

pages

8, 15, 18, 19

ChinaEG

page

Denmark

pages

Greece

page

12

Italy

page

13

Lithuania

page

12

Norway

pages

Saudi Arabia

page

Spain

pages

Turkey

page

16

UK

page

20

USA

pages

20

61 Fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean Research, cooperation, and training, are the best ways to ensure the sector’s future

Service

6, 8, 17 65 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers

7, 8, 13, 16 20 10, 11, 13

18, 20

Scan the QR code to access the Eurofish Magazine website (www.eurofishmagazine. com), where you can also sign up to receive the Eurofish Magazine newsletter.

Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Denmark: EuroďŹ sh has its work cut out for it in 2016 The Eurofish Governing Council meeting, the annual event to review the organisation’s activities in the past 12 months and approve the programme of work and budget for the coming year, concluded at the end of January. The Governing Council is made up of Eurofish member countries’ (Albania, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Turkey) representatives, who are typically from their respective ministries of agriculture, rural affairs or environment.

This year also saw observers from the embassies of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Russia, Slovenia, and Ukraine, while Georgia sent, in addition, a two-person delegation from the Ministry of Agriculture in Tbilisi. The FAO, as a close partner and in fact the body responsible for establishing Eurofish’s predecessor organisation, was also represented, along with the FAO Subregional Office for Central Asia. The meeting this year was chaired by Ms Lauresha Grezda, Director of Fisheries in the Albanian Ministry for Agriculture, Rural Administration and Water Development.

Presentations on trade, consumption, and FAO’s Blue Growth Initiative Each year the meeting includes presentations that elaborate on a topic of common interest. In 2016 the first of these was about seafood consumption patterns in the EU, the world’s biggest seafood market with a consumption of nearly 13m tonnes a year. More than half of this is imported chiefly in the form of frozen or prepared products. Europeans have a fondness for wild (as opposed to farmed) seafood – three out of four products consumed in the EU come from capture fisheries. Consumption

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Member country representatives and observers at the Eurofish Governing Council session in Copenhagen in January 2016.

varies widely across the EU from 5 kg per capita in land-locked Hungary and Slovakia to 55 kg per capita in Spain and Portugal.

Even within a country consumption varies greatly, inhabitants of the islands and coastal counties in Croatia and Estonia consume more seafood than their fellows living further inland. Household expenditure on seafood in the EU is EUR55bn per year, of which 72 can be attributed to five countries, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Seafood preferences vary across Europe depending on the species available, the preparation forms and products, and the sales channels. Fish is bought fresh and frozen from fishmongers and supermarkets, processed products include salted, marinated, smoked, canned, and dried products.

Bivalves, crustaceans, and cephalopods are more widely consumed in the southern parts of the continent, while cyprinids are popular in the east and the north. Fish and seafood are among the most highly traded commodities in the world and in many European countries

it is possible to find mackerel, herring, salmon, cod, and tuna products sourced from within Europe and without. Imports from outside the EU are in fact a huge and growing trade. Since 2009 the value of imports has increased steadily to reach EUR21bn in 2014. Crustaceans and salmonids dominate EU imports followed by groundfish and tuna. Consumer research suggests that consumers are getting more aware of the benefits of eating seafood and of the correlation between a healthy diet and quality of life, however economic and social conditions also play a role in determining how much seafood consumers eat.

Seafood is, however, not just about consumption; fisheries and aquaculture make a socioeconomic contribution across the globe estimated at USD1trn, providing 58m direct jobs and livelihoods for 10-12 of the global population. Jaqueline Alder from the FAO pointed out in her presentation that the importance of these two sectors makes it imperative that

they are managed sustainably so that they can continue to grow and thrive. The FAO’s Blue Growth Initiative is intended to assist countries as they make the shift to sustainable growth and development of economic activities in the oceans and other aquatic bodies, reducing as far as possible negative environmental impacts and the unsustainable use of resources, while maximising economic and social benefits. The Blue Growth agenda is to be implemented across all the activities that make up the fisheries sector: aquaculture, capture fisheries, trade and markets, and ecosystem services. The latter includes mechanisms to protect or rehabilitate vulnerable habitats. Presenting the Blue Growth Initiative and the role of the Fish Info Network, Ms Alder said that the organisations that make up the network, of which Eurofish is one, would contribute to capacity building, knowledge sharing, innovation, and communication, creating the conditions necessary to ultimately build empowered and resilient communities.

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Norway: Aquaculture without antibiotics All livestock production is affected by infectious diseases caused by microorganisms, such as viruses, bacteria and parasites. The Norwegian Veterinary Institute has therefore reported that vaccination and other biosecurity measures have nearly eliminated the need for antibacterial treatment of Norwegian farmed fish. Due to the negligible consumption of antibacterials in Norwegian aquaculture, the risk of development of bacterial resistance, and thus transmission of such resistance to humans via fish meat, is considered to be nonexistent.

In order to minimize losses, as well as for animal welfare, it is very important that infections are controlled. Marine salmon farming in Norway is an example of an animal production system in which biosecurity measures, such as vaccination, have almost totally replaced antibacterial treatment.

In 2014, Norwegian salmonid production exceeded 1.3 million tonnes, with Atlantic salmon being the most important species and rainbow trout accounting for approximately 5 of production volume. The same year, total sales of antibacterial agents for use in farmed fish were 523kg active substance, corresponding to 0.39mg/kg produced salmonids. This is approximately one-tenth of the antibacterial consumption per kg of meat from farm animals in Norway, which is also very low, among the lowest consumption of all European countries. The treatment with pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics against bacterial infections, is inevitable in large scale husbandry, both terrestrial and aquatic.

Treatment with antibacterials, in humans and in animals, is the major risk factor for the development of resistant bacteria. In the case of food producing animals, antibiotic resistant bacteria and resistance genes can be transferred to humans through food products. Consumption of antibacterials should be as low as possible without compromising animal welfare, which emphasizes the importance of other prophylactic methods to control disease.

There is still significant health problems for the Norwegian salmon industry. The virus infection pancreas disease (PD) is more easily spread than infectious salmon anaemia (ISA).

The regulations applied have not been sufficient to stop the spread of the disease; the first cases of PD were described during the 1980s, rising to a maximum of 142 outbreaks in 2014. The greatest quantities of pharmaceuticals prescribed today in the salmon industry are for the control of salmon lice. Long term exposure to various drugs is now causing an increasing resistance problem. However, in contrast to antibiotic resistance, resistance in salmon lice to chemotherapeutics does not pose any direct threat to human health. The situation regarding PD and salmon lice calls for implementation of more powerful biosecurity measures.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Belgium: Black Sea ďŹ shing opportunities proposed for 2016 The European Commission has submitted a proposal for fishing opportunities for the Black Sea in 2016. It is based on the reformed Common Fisheries Policy and the advice received from the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF). Bulgaria and Romania are concerned by the proposals as the Commission has suggested maintaining the EU autonomous quota for sprat

at 11,475 tonnes, of which Bulgaria will get 70 and Romania 30. For turbot and dogfish, a zero quota is proposed.  STECF has highlighted that the situation for both turbot and dogfish has been deteriorating progressively in the last years and that urgent action is required for both stocks.

STECF has recommended zero catches for the fourth consecutive year for turbot. In previous years Romania and Bulgaria have

proposed to increase the controls on catches of turbot to reduce illegal and unreported fishing.

Nevertheless, the effort made by both countries has not been sufficient to address the severity of the situation and status of the stock. With respect to dogfish, STECF has recommended zero catches for the third consecutive year due to the fact that the stock continues to face drastic depletion. The Commission has also

taken into consideration the fact that the two EU countries account for almost 50 of the catches, and also the fact that elasmobranch species (such as sharks, rays and skates) which include dogfish are important for preserving the overall balance of the marine ecosystem. The proposed measure is also consistent with that adopted for dogfish stocks in the Atlantic for five consecutive years.

Danish ďŹ sh auctions had a formidable 2015 The Danish fish auctions should be very satisfied with their performance in 2015. The auctions showed a 21 percent increase in turnover compared to 2014 totalling DKK1.4 billion (EUR190 million). The main reasons for this positive development is an

increase in both quantities sold and favourable prices throughout 2015. “We have had a lot of fish, but prices have, despite this, been good. It has gone beyond all expectations,â€? says Jes Holm Sørensen, auctioneer at Hanstholm Fish. Hanstholm is

Denmark’s leading fish auction and reached a turnover of DKK670 million in 2015, an increase of almost 30 percent compared with the previous year. A similar scenario is visible at other important auctions like Thyborøn, Hvide Sande, Thorsminde, Hirtshals,

and Skagen. Traditional species like cod, plaice, and Norwegian lobster make up the bulk of the sales, but other species, like hake, are also showing growth. Following last year’s results and new increases in quotas, 2016 is being viewed with optimism.

Norway exported cod, saithe, haddock, and other whitefish worth NOK 13 billion (~ EUR 1.4 billion) in 2015, an 8 increase from 2014, and an all-time high in terms of export value. “The year 2015 was a record one for the cod sector, which after several years of low prices is now being rewarded with good prices for most products. Lower quotas, late spawning of cod, a good market for fresh fish, combined with live storage and a favourable exchange rate have all led to good prices and a record year for the cod industry,â€? says Ove Johansen, Analyst with the Norwegian Seafood Council.

Clipfish exports set an all time high in 2015, up 9 compared to 2014, while volumes were down by 11. Portugal is the most important

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clipfish market with a 34 market share. “These are tough economic times in Portugal, so these numbers show how robust this market is. The Portuguese buy so much fish that they are now among the ten biggest export markets for Norwegian seafood. What is unique about this market is that it is dominated by wild fish,â€? says Christian B. Nordahl from the Norwegian Seafood Council. Portugal is also the main market (64) for Norwegian salted fish exports, which grew 24 in 2015. Contrary to all other types of whitefish products the volume of frozen items decreased 19. This is due to China in particular reducing its purchase of frozen products. In 2014, China purchased about half of all frozen whole whitefish. In 2015, the share has decreased to 36 per cent.

Norwegian Seafood Council/Tom Haga

A new record year for Norwegian clipďŹ sh exports

Clipfish exports set a new record in 2015. Portugal was the most important destination for this type of salted and dried cod.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Spain: Maternal ďŹ sh consumption during pregnancy boosts child intelligence

It turns out that the children of women who consumed more fish during pregnancy had higher cognitive test scores, especially at age five, and showed fewer autistic traits. The women in the study consumed about 500 g of fish per week on average, but for every 10 g increase in consumption, their children had small corresponding increases in cognitive test scores until around 600 g /week. The study also found that consumption of fish in the first 3 months of pregnancy showed the greatest effect on cognitive development in the children. “Seafood is known to be an important source of essential nutrients, like Omega-3 fatty acids, for brain development and function,� lead researcher Dr. Jordi Julvez says. General guidelines advise pregnant women not to eat large fatty fish, as it accumulates mercury

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JackF/Fotolia

Scientists from the Centre for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL) in Barcelona, Spain followed almost 2,000 pregnant mothers’ fish eating habits and found that when pregnant women ate a few extra servings of fish per week, their children were more likely to have higher scores on cognitive function tests. The researchers surveyed the pregnant women’s weekly consumption of large fatty fish, smaller fatty fish, and less fatty fish and had their blood tested for vitamins and exposure to mercury and other pollutants. These results were followed up with cognitive function tests of the children at 14 months and again when the children were 5 years old.

Consumption of fish in the first three months of pregnancy has the greatest effect on a child’s cognitive development, a study has found.

and other heavy metals, along with contaminants such as pesticides. However, this study

has not found adverse effects from a high intake of fish, even in large fish. “We believe that

the positive effects of eating fish outweighs the negative effect of mercury,� he adds.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Spain: Offshore Mariculture Conference offers comprehensive programme The 2016 edition of the Offshore Mariculture Conference will be held in Barcelona, Spain on 6-8 April. Organised by Mercator Media this biannual event brings together fish farmers, hatchery managers, and representatives from fisheries and aquaculture administrations, associations, and feed companies, as well as equipment and service suppliers.

Aquaculture production whether on land or in coastal areas will increasingly need to be transferred offshore to avoid conflicts with other users of land and coastal areas, the FAO has said, as well as to access clean water. A growing global population will put greater

pressure on resources such as land and water as well as expand demand for farmed fish and seafood. Mariculture and particularly offshore mariculture is one of the ways of sustainably meeting this demand at the same time offering coastal communities economic opportunities. However, offshore mariculture, which refers to the practice of farming at exposed sites in the open sea, is in its infancy. The technology needed is expensive and still evolving, costs are higher, and suitable sites have generally not been identified. The conference, which is to be chaired

by Alessandro Lovatelli of the FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture

Resources Use and Conservation Division, will address many of these issues. Keynote speakers include Ernesto Penas Lado from DG Mare (Policy development and coordination) and Michael Rubino from NOAA Fisheries (Office of Aquaculture). Among the sessions is one on emerging technologies where speakers will discuss innovations in farm platforms that will focus on the challenges, benefits

as well as the sustainability of farming technologies. Another will look at diseases and their prevention and control, while yet another will explore business management models and tools. The conference will offer ample opportunities for attendees to network and after two days of presentations and discussions the event will culminate in a tour of a processing plant on 8 April.

Visit us at Seafood Expo North America (Boston), 6-8 March 2016, Booth 1375 and at Seafood Processing Global (Brussels), 26-28 April 2016, Hall 4-6155 XXX FVSPl TINBHB[JOF DPN

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Greece: Researchers help seabass, seabream adapt better to farming

Fishboost, a research project, is using selective breeding to better adapt farmed seabass and seabream to life in cages. The cages shown belong to Kilic Holding.

Researchers from Greece and Finland are collaborating to help gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) better adapt to farming conditions. These two species dominate the production of farmed fish in the Mediterranean.

In Greece the aquaculture industry is relatively new – the two species

have only been farmed since the 1980s. Efforts to selectively breed the two have not yet been sufficient. Fishboost is a major research project, whose goal is to improve the competitiveness of European aquaculture. The research project aims to ensure that in the near future, consumers on Mediterranean shores will eat better quality

fish produced through selective breeding. The project’s two Greek partners, the Andromeda Group and the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, are engaged in research cooperation with the Natural Resources Institute Finland. The selection programme improves the species’ ability to adapt to fish farming conditions. This means

improved disease resistance and better feed efficiency which in turn, will benefit consumers. “For a biologist, improved efficiency means harnessing the genetic potential of the fish to reach their full size.

The better the fish are able to process their feed, the less feed goes to waste. This reduces its environmental load,� Mr Tzokas explains.

Lithuania: Plan to improve ďŹ sheries control An audit of the Lithuanian fisheries control system uncovered inefficiencies in the collection, validation and cross-checking of catch data which could render the calculation of quota uptake unreliable. The European &VSPl TI .BHB[JOF

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Commission has therefore adopted an action plan with Lithuania to improve the system.

Action plans are a cooperative way to enforce the Common Fisheries Policy and are considered effective, obtaining good results

in a very short time. The action plan is designed jointly with the national authorities, and will help to ensure that Lithuania equips itself with the proper administrative set up, IT systems and human resources. By bolstering

fisheries control, the plan will benefit sustainability and the fishermen themselves – respecting quotas and following the principles of the Common Fisheries Policy creates a level playing field and lets fish stocks recover.

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16

EUROPE Barcelona, Spain, 6-8 April 2016

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Programme confirmed – book now and save 20% Join the European and international fish farming community at the 6th Offshore Mariculture Conference for two days of high calibre presentations, plus a technical visit on day three.

Keynote addresses from: Michael Rubino, Director, NOAA Fisheries Service and Ernesto Penas Lado, Director DG for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission Chaired by: Alessandro Lovatelli, Aquaculture Officer for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) – the two day programme will cover a range of topics including the following sessions: ●

Large-scale offshore seaweed farming: a missing link in the food & feed chain?

Frank Neumann, Kaia Kjolbø Rød, Diogo Raposo, Jon Funderud; Seaweed Energy Solutions (SES)

●

Southeast Asia – preparing for investment in offshore cage production Lukas Manomaitis, Technical Consultant, U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), USSEC Aquaculture Program

●

Aquaculture production optimization through enhanced data analytics Victor Prieto Duval, Marine Biologist, MSC Aquaculture, aquaManager Consultant, Integrated Information Systems

The full programme, sponsorship opportunities, registering as a delegate or signing up for our newsletter can be found on our website. Alternatively please call the Events Team on +44 1329 825335 or email conferences@offshoremariculture.com Sponsored by:

www.offshoremariculture.com Organiser:

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Media sponsors:

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Italy: First Italian ďŹ shery enters Marine Spain: New study says ďŹ sh have Stewardship Council assessment emotions too For the first time an Italian anchovy and sardine fishery in the Mediterranean has applied for assessment to the Marine Stewardship Council’s global standard for sustainable fishing. The Consorzio Mare Adriatico (Chioggia) fishery catches anchovy and sardine in the Northern Adriatic using pelagic medium-water pair trawls. The fishermen of Consorzio Mare Adriatico have a long history of fishing in the Adriatic. The fleet consists of eight vessels, which in 2014 caught about 2,000 tonnes of anchovies and 3,500 tonnes of sardine. Anchovy and sardine are symbolic fish species in Italy. Most of the fish from the Consorzio Mare Adriatico is sold in Italy and Europe.

The MSC standard is very important because it is widely recognized as the world’s most credible and robust assessment

for the sustainability of wild fisheries. For the Consorzio Mare Adriatico it will mean that the products will be eligible to carry the internationally recognized blue MSC label. This label will provide consumers with an easy way to choose fish that can be traced back to a certified sustainable source. In this way through their purchases, consumers can contribute to the health of the oceans. “We welcome this decision to enter MSC assessment. This is an important milestone for the MSC and for fishing in the Mediterranean. The assessment will determine whether the fishery is taking the necessary steps to protect the ocean environment and secure seafood supplies for the future� says Francesca Oppia, MSC Program Director for Italy.

Researchers from the University of Barcelona in Spain and Universities of Stirling and Bristol in the UK have for the first time observed an increase in body temperature of two to four degrees in zebrafish, when they were subjected to stressful situations. In their paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Biological Sciences, the team describes how the fish reacted, and why they believe it should be added to the list of organisms labelled sentient beings. This phenomenon is called “emotional fever� because it is related to the emotions that animals feel in the face of an external stimulus, which been linked, controversially, with their consciousness. Until now, emotional fever had been observed in mammals, birds and certain reptiles, but never in fish, which is why fish have been regarded

as animals without emotions or consciousness.

Researchers placed 72 zebrafish in a net in water that was 1 degree centigrade colder than it normally would be for them. They also had a control group that was left alone with no changes in their environment. All of the fish were then transferred to a tank that had sections heated to different levels, which the fish could access freely if they wished. The team noted that those fish that had been stressed spent more time in the sections that were slightly warmer than normal, than the control fish did.

Doing so caused the body temperature of the fish to rise from 2 to 4 C°, which the team claims showed the fish experienced elevated body temperatures in response to stress, demonstrating emotional fever, and therefore they should qualify as sentient beings.

Norway: Grant for salmon research in Arctic region

Sardines from the Adriatic. The fish are sold in Italy or to other European markets.

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The Research Council of Norway has awarded NOK 3 million to research the effects on health feed for salmon farmed in Arctic region. Salmon farming in the Finnmark region in the very north of Norway has had slightly weaker commercial results than fish farming further south. This is due to the longer production period, fish health challenges that are unique to the region, and greater variation in products quality. The Arctic Salmon Research Centre (ASRC) is interested in finding out what lies behind these challenges, by studying the significance of

feed customized for fish farming conditions in Finnmark. Ragnar Heggebø, a researcher at EWOS Innovation and the project leader says that the project will study health feed and its effects on fish health, performance and filet quality on salmon farmed in Finnmark. The first project started up in mid-November, and is focusing on optimizing growth and feed utilization. The fish from this study are currently being prepared and analyzed. Another project is related to optimizing the omega-3 content in the fish and in the fourth, quality and pigmentation will be studied.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Belgium: EUMOFA relaunched in 24 languages EUMOFA, the European market observatory for fisheries and aquaculture products, is a market intelligence service of the European Union on fishery and aquaculture. The service provides data and analyses on the EU market to increase market transparency and efficiency and to support business decisions and policy making.

The data is gathered from official sources in each of the European Union countries (plus Norway and Iceland) and aligned to a common standard to ensure that it is comparable. Currently the data is harmonised into 97 main commercial species and 12 commodity groups.

In addition to making the raw data available, EUMOFA provides predigested analysis in the form of

monthly and annual reports. The Monthly Highlights report facts and EU market trends broken down by supply chain stages, while an annual structure analysis “The EU fish market�, provides a comprehensive view of the fisheries and aquaculture industries in the EU in comparison with other food industries.

To facilitate its use the website (eumofa.eu) has now been relaunched in all the 24 EU languages. Users can download data on production and trade using a variety of filters to customise the query to their own specifications. EUMOFA is a useful tool for policy-makers, researchers, NGO’s, private industry and others interested in data on European fisheries and aquaculture.

Fisheries and aquaculture data on the EUMOFA website can now be downloaded in all 24 EU languages.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Turkey: Future Fish Eurasia combines with aquaculture conference Future Fish Eurasia will be organised by Eurasia Trade Fairs and Marevent at the Izmir International Fair Centre between 2 and 4 June 2016. The event will be held in conjunction with Middle East and Central Asia Aquaculture, an aquaculture conference.

Future Fish Eurasia 2016 will be organised in a hall of 10,000 sq. m, where over 300 local and international companies will display their products and services.

These will include fish farmers and processors as well as manufacturers of aquaculture and fish processing equipment. Middle East and Central Asia Aquaculture will bring together over 350 aquaculture industry experts and academics from around the world and offer a state-of-the-art platform to interact, debate, and exchange views on recent developments in the field, policy matters, projects, and research. Fish producers, suppliers to the industry, and investors are expected to attend this unique forum. They can expect a world class programme covering a wide range of topics including biotics and bioflocs, aquaponics,

Future Fish Eurasia will be held this year in Izmir together with the conference, Middle East and Central Asia Aquaculture.

aquaculture investments in the Middle East and Central Asia, sustainable aquaculture, production systems, offshore

aquaculture, IMTA, education, and technology transfer. All sessions will be in English with simultaneous translation from

English to Turkish. Should you wish to give a presentation at the event, please write to info@ marevent.com.

Norway: Seafood exports touch new heights Seafood exported from Norway was worth NOK 74.5 billion in 2015, which was 8 or NOK 5.8 billion more than the record year 2014. For the first time seafood exports to the EU reached NOK 50 billion after a growth of 17 in 2015. The EU absorbed 67 of Norwegian seafood exports, and is the most important market for the Norwegian seafood industry. Another important characteristic is that more than

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60 is fresh products and this share is increasing. In 2015, Norway exported seafood to 143 countries. Of these, Poland is the largest individual market worth NOK 6.9 billion in 2015. Poland is a steadily more important consumer market, but a substantial share of the exports to Poland are processed and then distributed to the European market.

Denmark is also an important market for Norwegian seafood.

Norwegian exports to Denmark were NOK 6.4 billion in 2015, an increase of 27 from the year before making Denmark, Norway’s largest growth market in 2015. Codfish also increased by 8 and had a worth of NOK 13 billion in 2015. In line with reduced quotas, the export volume of codfish decreased by 13. “In a year with trade restrictions in several markets and an import embargo in Russia, the result was

better than expected. A weak Norwegian krone, combined with good demand for fresh products in particular, contributed to a new export record for Norwegian seafood�, says Terje E. Martinussen, managing director of the Norwegian Seafood Council. Norway exported salmon and trout worth NOK 50 billion in 2015. This is a record export value and an increase of more than 8 compared to 2014.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Denmark: Students use new method to quantify microplastic pollution in the sea Denmark across the Atlantic to the Sargasso Sea and back again.

This enabled researchers from the Danish technical university, DTU Aqua, to determine the volume of plastics in the sea. Torkel Gissel Nielsen, a professor at the university and co-author of two articles on the research, says, “this is the first time that the nearly invisible microplastics have been quantified so comprehensively. We found microplastics everywhere along the almost 10.000 km long route.

Microplastics were found in all samples—from 13 to 501 pieces per cubic metre of water, i.e. up to one particle for every two litres of water. And the majority was the smallest plastic particles and fibres� explains Kristina Enders. “There are fundamental differences between how small and large microplastics are distributed in the sea. Our calculations show that the smaller the microplastics, the more they are distributed—also down through the water, so that the larger

pieces are on the surface and the smaller pieces are found at greater depths.� In general, there is a need to develop appropriate methods, also when it comes to assessing what are, in fact, plastics in the samples collected. In this connection, the group tested the common method of counting the pieces of plastics under a microscope to subsequently verify, using Raman spectroscopy in collaboration with DTU Nanotech, whether it in reality was plastics that had been found.

Robin Lenz/DTU Aqua

NOAA's Marine Debris Program

Studies have estimated that each year between 4 and 12 million tonnes of plastics end up in the sea, and this is expected to double over the next ten years. Two Danish students have now developed a method to measure the microplastics that other methods overlook. The two students Robin Lenz and Kristina Enders used a filtration system mounted on the stern tube water intake of the Danish marine research vessel Dana to collect microplastics on a route from northern

Magnified bits of microplastic found by Danish researchers as they sailed from northern Denmark to the Sargasso Sea.

When exposed to light, plastics break down into small pieces through a process known as photo-degradation. The volume of these small bits of plastic, known as microplastics, present in the sea and their impact on the marine environment is being studied by researchers around the world.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] USA: Boston show set for another record breaking year

Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America are must-attend events for anyone interested in the North American market.

Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America will be held 6-8 March 2016 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Centre. The event, North America’s biggest seafood show, promises visitors and exhibitors extensive business and networking opportunities and the latest information on industry trends.

Organised by Diversified Communications, the fair, now in its

36th year, attracts thousands of seafood buyers and suppliers from around the world to meet face-toface and do business. The expo is an important global gathering of seafood professionals looking to expand their business in the North American market. The last edition was a record-breaker with more than 20,680 seafood professionals attending the exposition. The event featured over 1,200 exhibitors

offering a variety of fresh, frozen and value-added seafood, processing and packaging equipment and services. Over the three days seafood buyers from restaurants, supermarkets, catering firms, seafood markets, hotels, airlines and cruise lines as well as importers, wholesalers and distributors were all represented. The 2016 edition will include a comprehensive conference program where more

than 20 educational sessions will be presented by top seafood industry experts and provide attendees with highly useful information for their business. Special events will also take place on the exhibit floor such as the new product showcase, seafood excellence awards ceremony, a new featured products showcase and the 10th annual oyster shucking competition.

Belgium: EU adopts investment packages for Italian and Romanian ďŹ sheries, aquaculture sectors.

The European Commission (EC) has adopted an important investment package for the maritime, fisheries and aquaculture sectors of Italy and Romania. &VSPl TI .BHB[JOF

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Italy will receive EUR 978 million and Romania EUR 224 million, for the 2014-2020 period.

Included in the Italian package is EUR 537 million from the

European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), while Romania will receive EUR 168 million from the fund. The Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs

and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella referring to the plan for Italy said, that investment under the programme would go to Italian fisheries, aquaculture and maritime XXX FVSPl TINBHB[JOF DPN

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] projects that are both environmentally sustainable and economically sound allowing Italian fishermen and fish farmers to face the future with confidence

and allow Italian fishing and coastal communities to thrive. As regards Romania’s programme, he pointed out that the investment package would ensure that

money went to projects with a clear sustainability dimension, economically, environmentally and socially. Romanian fishermen and fish farmers as well as

Romanian coastal communities at large stand to benefit from greater security and more opportunities for jobs and sustainable growth, he said.

Belgium: EU develops new tool to map ďŹ shing activities in Europe A new tool has been developed by the European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC), which will provide detailed maps of high intensity fisheries areas in 20142015 in Europe. This has been possible due to the tracking data of fishing vessels, which provide information about the fishing habits of coastal communities, for example, the areas where they were fishing more frequently.

This information is crucial to tailor policy and management

strategies to boost Blue Growth, the EU strategy for a more profitable and sustainable exploration of marine and maritime resources.

Until recently these analyses have been based on highly aggregated figures from administrative sources such as the logbooks and Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) which were used to control fishing. With the new GIS tool tracking data from the Automatic Identification System (AIS) is used to analyse the relations between

fishing communities and fishing areas across the EU and with a high level of geographic detail.

For policy makers, scientists, and others the new tool is also very important, because the detailed data on fishing activity can be used for fisheries management and fisheries research, both from an environmental and a socio-economic perspective. By knowing where fishing activities are more intensive, it is possible for example to assess the impacts

from trawling on the seabed floor and derive the indicators on fishing pressure envisaged by the Maritime Strategy Framework Directive. The information also allows an understanding of which coastal communities would be most affected in economic and employment terms if restrictive measures on fishing activities are set in a specific area.

The new tool can be found here: https:// bluehub.jrc.ec.europa. eu/mspPublic/

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] UK: Award to Scottish project on farming and using wrasse A Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC) project has won the Innovative Collaboration Award at the Scottish Enterprise Life Science Awards 2016.

SAIC brings together industry and research to solve industrydefined problems within Scottish aquaculture. The award-winning

project is developing the sustainable farming and use of wrasse, a “cleaner-fish� that is used in salmon cages to feed on salmon lice, a significant irritant for the industry. SAIC had funded the project to the tune of GBP830,000 (EUR1.1m) topping up the GBP3m the project had

received from industry and academic sources.

The project is led by Professor HervĂŠ Migaud from the Institute of Aquaculture at the University of Stirling and includes Marine Harvest Scotland, Scottish Sea Farms, and feed manufacturer

BioMar. While winning the award is an honour in itself, the achievements from the project may result in increased productivity on Scottish salmon farms and a reduction in the use of medicaments to control sea lice giving substantial benefits to the Scottish salmon industry and to Scotland.

USA: Seafood may reduce the brain damage caused by Alzheimer’s dementia in some The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has published a paper from an ongoing study of memory and aging by scientists from the Rush University Medical Centre in Chicago that reveals information about the consumption of seafood and its impact on brain mercury levels and dementia. Dr Martha Clare Morris, the lead author of the study says that there were

concerns about whether mercury in seafood was impairing people’s health. The scientists enrolled older people living in public housing and retirement communities in an ongoing study of memory and aging. The participants, who had normal memory function when they entered the study, were asked to keep track of their diet.

About 290 brains from 544 participants were autopsied. The study

allowed the scientists to relate seafood consumption in the later stages of life with brain changes associated with dementia. They found that seafood consumption at least once a week decreased the occurrence of the physiological changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s dementia. However, these results were only seen in subjects carrying the apolipoprotein E (APOE ¥4)

allele, a genotype that puts one at increased risk of developing dementia. The researchers also found that the increased seafood consumption seemed to increase levels of mercury, but that the mercury did not appear to have an impact on brain health. Also, consuming seafood only decreased changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s dementia and not with other kinds of dementia.

China: Red tides disrupt mariculture production in Hong Kong Fish farmers in Hong Kong are reeling from a rise in red tides that have destroyed huge quantities of fish. The algae involved are the toxic Karenia papilionacea or Karenia mikimotoi. Since late December 36 tonnes of fish are estimated to have been killed. The

algae give the water a red, pink, or brown tinge and deplete the oxygen content of the water thereby suffocating the fish. The leader of a local fishermen’s association estimates the extent of the damage at more than HK$100m (EUR11.5m) in the space of a month, and

reckons that fish farms will have to shut down. Red tides are influenced by the water temperature and the presence of nutrients and some experts feel that the algae may have been transferred by marine vessels from further north or that pollution in the river may

have a role to play. The Environmental Protection Department will continue to monitor the river for planktonic algae while the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said it would step up real-time monitoring of water quality at all 26 fish culture zones.

Saudi Arabia: Plans to increases aquaculture output 24 fold over 15 years The aquaculture industry in Saudi Arabia has ambitious plans to expand production from 25,000 tonnes in 2013 (FAO) to 600,000 tonnes by 2030. The Saudi Aquaculture Society (SAS), the principal representative body for all aquaculture establishments in Saudi Arabia, would not only like to see a quantum leap in production, but also that fish farming in the

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country expands in a sustainable and responsible way. Accordingly, SAS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) which effectively makes the GAA’s Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) the default standard for all Saudi Arabian aquaculture facilities. It will mean that all existing Saudi Arabia processing plants,

farms, hatcheries and feed mills will be required to attain BAP certification by the end of 2016, and BAP certification will be a condition of licensing new aquaculture facilities by the Aquaculture Department of the Ministry of Agriculture for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (ADMA). In the MoU, ADMA agreed to provide direction, support and resources

to aquaculture facilities pursuing BAP certification, while SAS agreed to act as a coordinator and liaison between the BAP program, ADMA and Saudi Arabia aquaculture facilities. In turn, GAA agreed to provide technical support to SAS and its existing and future members as Saudi Arabia aquaculture facilities pursue BAP certification.

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[ EVENTS ] North Atlantic Seafood Forum, 1-3 March 2016, Bergen

Exploiting the ocean’s resources – sustainably The North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) is Europe’s leading seafood-sector meeting, attracting hundreds of industry leaders from around the world. Organized in Bergen, Norway, on March 1-3, 2016, the forum is expecting a record turn-out of more than 700 delegates representing 350 companies from over 35 countries.

L

ed by managing director Jorgen Lund, the 11th NASF has joined with a number of partners in creating this year’s forum, including the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

NASF has established through the Ministry a cooperation with the UN International Development Organization (UNIDO) to facilitate the attendance by a large developing countries seeking partnerships and inward investments into their seafood sector. Seafood is one of the world’s most traded food commodities, says Jørgen Lund, with a value estimated by the World Bank, FAO, and WHO at USD125bn. It is extremely important in several respects, commercially, as a source of livelihoods, and from the point of view of food security, particularly in developing countries. UNIDO’s interest in NASF 2016 is to encourage the industrial development of the seafood industry in these countries, primarily in Asia.

International array of partners Other partners this year include the International Cold Water Prawn Forum, the Marine Stewardship Council, the Norwegian Centres of Expertise programme of the Norwegian government, FAO, and the Bergen municipality.

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As in the past, the chair of the plenary session is Guus Pastoor, president of the AIPCECEP (European Fish Processors Association-European Federation of National Organisations of Importers and Exporters of Fish). Also, attendees will hear EU Fisheries Commissioner Karmenu Vella (via video link) and Iceland Fisheries Minister Sigudur Ingi Johannson. The newly appointed Minister of Fisheries in Norway, Per Sandberg, has been invited to give the opening speech. Other key note speakers include UNIDO Director General Li Yong and FAO Assistant Director General Arni Mathiesen, among other top policy officials.

Fish) by building their skills and knowledge for a better understanding of the global marketplace. Interaction at the workshop among these potential leaders and between them and today’s industry chiefs is intended to encourage cooperation and innovative solutions

to sustainable production and other challenges the industry faces regionally and worldwide.

The third workshop on Day Zero jointly produced by FAO and the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, will include sessions on management of large marine

Need to prepare for generational change Day Zero of NASF 2016 features three workshops. Two of these are produced jointly by NASF and the Bergen-based Seafood Innovation Cluster. The cluster represents 70 (mainly salmon) firms and focuses on supplying healthful and sustainable seafood to the world’s consumers.

The two workshops are on the lice problem that affects many fish farming operations around the world, and on encouraging the next generation of seafood industry leaders (Young

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NASF/Ronny Rosenberg

NASF/Ronny Rosenberg

[ EVENTS ]

Guus Pastoor, President of AIPCE-CEP and chair of the plenary session.

Arni Mathiesen, FAO Assistant Director General, was one of the keynote speakers at the North Atlantic Seafood Summit in 2015.

ecosystems, and the effect of continued global warming.

The second afternoon seminar focuses on sustainability and communications. It is now widely known that many consumers want to know whether the seafood they seek comes from sustainable fisheries. Improved communication about sustainability has become a key part of growing the seafood market in Europe and elsewhere. Producers, distributors and retailers can all join with institutes and other organizations that “certify� sustainable fisheries, to educate consumers, not only about the

Trends in the European retail sector Day One of NASF 2016 is the official opening of the event, with keynote speeches addressing global policy and trade and the outlook for the decades ahead.

Following this, a panel of key marketing experts will examine the European retail sector.

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data companies, and they will discuss current trends and future growth (or not) for this key part of Europe’s seafood trade.

In the afternoon two seminars will be held concurrently. No European seafood forum would be complete without a seminar devoted exclusively to salmon, and NASF 2016 has its usual valuable contribution, with an array of senior officials from the world’s largest salmon producing and trading companies and related firms in feed supply, finance, and others.

human health benefits of seafood, but the environmental benefits of sustainable production.

Improved communication skills are vital in achieving this goal.

Sessions on whitefish to address supply issues The final day of this three-day forum consists of a keynote address by the Fisheries Minister of Iceland, two fisheries summits, a corporate finance seminar, and a side event focusing on the outlook for key parts of the shellfish sector.

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[ EVENTS ] International Cold Water Prawn Forum side event

Expanding the market for lobster, cold water prawns, crabs There will be an extensive side event on the ďŹ nal day of NASF 2016, a 3-session seminar on business opportunities for snow crab, lobster and prawns in the global seafood trade. This seminar is hosted by the International Cold Water Prawn Forum (ICWPF) with GEMBA Seafood Consulting A/S as organizer. Session 1 of this seminar, “Supply and production of shellďŹ sh and changes in the foodservice sector,â€? examines the general outlook for crabs, lobsters, and prawns and at developments in the UK market for these valuable species. Session 2, “Opportunities for the shellďŹ sh business,â€? peers into the future for these shellďŹ sh products in retail markets and the food service sector. Parts of this session will also focus on the U.S. market for these shellďŹ sh products. The third session, “Expanding the shellďŹ sh business,â€? is also forward-looking, addressing the expanding possibilities for these shellďŹ sh and how marketers might meet consumer demand. Topics include new industries and markets for king and snow crabs, the importance of freshness and taste in marketing cold water prawns, and the utilization of crabs, lobster, and prawns in the U.S. market.

Following the keynote speech, the first industry summit concerns the global whitefish trade.

Many challenges face this sector, such as supply issues related to farming and depleted wild resources, and market disruptions caused by trade restrictions in traditionally important markets, and other factors. NASF has assembled a host of industry leaders and a panel of market experts, to share their insights into these and other challenges.

Topical areas include the supply outlook for North Atlantic whitefish, U.S. Alaska pollock, Russian pollock and cod and markets, the UK supply and market outlook, and the outlook for pangasius supply and markets.

El NiĂąo and its impact on pelagic fisheries A second summit on the pelagic industry will examine the global and regional outlook for supplies and markets for this huge global sector. Particular attention will XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

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The International Cold Water Prawn Forum organises a side event for delegates interested in North Atlantic shellfish supply chains, products, and markets.

be paid to fish meal and oil supplies and markets, and the fisheries that make these products possible. Experts will look at markets in Asia, Russia, Africa and elsewhere, and the supply crises in the industry created by the El Nino phenomenon.

J.P. Klausen & Co.A/S

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During Day Two there will be a day-long corporate finance seminar organized by a major Scandinavian securities firm and involving top officials from a wide array of European seafood companies. This program is targeted at investors, fund managers, seafood executives, and others benefiting from topical presentations followed by a Q&A session and one-on-one meetings on finance issues concerning the seafood industry.

Your one stop supplier for: All kinds of Hoki products ‡ NZ Monkfish fillets ‡ NZ Dory fillets ‡ Patagonian Toothfish ‡ Once frozen Alaskan Pollock and once frozen Pacific Cod. Please also do not hesitate to ask for specialties like: NZ Ling fillets ‡ Blue Mackerel ‡ Savorin ‡ Silver and Blue Warehous ‡ Brotola ‡ Alfonsino ‡ Arrow Squid ‡ Southern Blue Whiting.

NEW: Herring ‡ Mackerel ‡ Saithe ‡ Silver Smelt ‡ Hake Capensis fillets

In all, this year’s North Atlantic Seafood Forum has every expectation of breaking records in attendance as well as in the breadth of valuable insights and information available to all.

Please visit us at our stand at the upcoming SEG in Brussels 26-28 April; Hall 5- 213.

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[ AQUACULTURE ] Croatia's National Strategic Aquaculture Plan

Identifying the strengths and weaknesses of aquaculture Among the objectives of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund are support for the development of sustainable aquaculture.

Each EU member draws up a strategic plan for aquaculture for the period 2014 to 2020, which documents its vision and priorities for the sector. Implementation of the policies that lead to the achievement of this vision is supported by the EMFF. Several of the EuroďŹ sh member countries that are also members of the EU have drawn up these strategic plans for the aquaculture sector. These plans reect the very different aquaculture industries and priorities in the countries.

O

Crna Mlaka

ver the next few issues Eurofish will report on the plans its member countries have for their aquaculture industries over the coming five years, what are the priorities and how they will be funded and implemented. Fish and shellfish farming is highly diverse across the EU and some of this diversity is reflected in the Eurofish members’ aquaculture sectors too. But there are several common concerns as well, including the recognition that aquaculture is important for jobs and the production of healthful seafood, and that it still has a long way to go to reach its potential. This issue features the aquaculture plans from Croatia, Romania, Lithuania and Poland.

Pond fish farming is primarily used to produce carp though often in polyculture with other species.

The European aquaculture sector has been stagnating for years even as fish farming in other parts of the world has burgeoned. The reasons for the lack of growth in Europe are varied, but include a lack of aquaculture sites, restrictive legislation, administrative burdens, conflicts with other users of coasts and inland water bodies, a lack of competitiveness, and a playing field that is not uniform. However, the European aquaculture industry also has significant strengths, including very high quality of its products 24 &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

06_AQUACULTURE (AQ).indd 24

and a strong research base. The industry is also an important employer in remote coastal and inland areas where it may provide the only source of jobs.

Altogether, some 85,000 people are employed by the European aquaculture sector mainly in the 14,000 companies that constitute the industry, nine tenths of which have under ten employees. Aquaculture has thus a significant role to play in social and economic terms, but is also a contributor to food security.

Bringing growth to European aquaculture Today, average annual per capita consumption of seafood in the EU is 23 kg of which about a quarter comes from aquaculture.

The supply of farmed fish is split between domestic production, which accounts for 43, while the balance is sourced from outside the EU. The most imported species are salmon from Norway, shrimp from Asia and Latin America, and the whitefish

species, pangasius and tilapia also from Asia. Almost all the domestic production of farmed seafood is consumed within the EU. Production from aquaculture is important because of Europe’s largely stagnant capture fisheries output. If seafood consumption is to grow in Europe it will only come through increased farmed production. The benefits of seafood consumption are now fairly widely established. Apart from providing healthy proteins, minerals, and vitamins, seafood XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

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[ AQUACULTURE ] is a source of omega-3 fats that are associated with reduced risk of coronary disease. Farmed seafood also has environmental benefits as life cycle analyses show that the production of a kilo of fish protein consumes fewer inputs than does the production of a kilo of terrestrially farmed protein. Boosting the aquaculture sector in Europe has multiple advantages and the hope is that the national aquaculture strategies with the help of funding from the EMFF will reinvigorate the European aquaculture sector.

Croatia has a diverse aquaculture sector In Croatia the Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for the national strategic plan for aquaculture.

The strategy is expected to result in an almost four-fold increase in farmed fish production to 45,000 tonnes from about 12,000 tonnes in 2013. To achieve this, however, the national strategy shows that the sector’s strengths need to be built on while several hurdles will have to be overcome. Croatian aquaculture comprises marine and freshwater farming and includes both finfish and shellfish production.

In total farmed seafood, according to the FAO, amounted to some 12,000 tonnes in 2013, a modest increase over the previous year, but the lowest figure since 2008.

The decline can be mainly attributed to falls in tuna and in rainbow trout production, but a change in the statistical method may have affected the production figures for warm water species, which also experienced a decline in 2013 compared to the previous two years. Marine finfish production contributes the most to the total farmed fish production in Croatia followed by freshwater fish. The main marine farmed finfish species are seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and seabream (Sparus aurata). Of the two, seabream has shown the most growth since 2008 increasing from 1,800 tonnes to almost 3,000 tonnes in 2013.

Seabass production has hovered around 2,700 tonnes over the same period. The farming cycle for both species is fully closed, meaning they are produced from eggs which are collected from broodstock in hatcheries. In addition, Croatia also has a significant capture based aquaculture of bluefin tuna (Tunnus thynnus).

Tuna production declined 50ď&#x2122;&#x201A; to 915 tonnes between 2008 and 2013 due to quota decreases. The remaining farmed finfish production is made up of very small volumes (< 50 tonnes) each of meagre (Argyrosomus regius) and common dentex (Dentex dentex). Farmed shellfish includes Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galoprovincialis), volumes of which approximated

Aquaculture production in Croatia (tonnes) 2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Gilthead seabream

2,200

2,400

1,719

2,173

2,978

European seabass

2,800

2,800

2,775

2,453

2,826

Common carp

2058

1,816

2,891

2,484

2,100

Mediterranean mussel

2,000

2,000

400

437

1,950

Atlantic blueďŹ n tuna

2,100

1,680

1,610

1,125

915

Rainbow trout

1,982

2,482

2,481

1000

345

Bighead carp

492

309

522

296

303

Grass carp(=White amur)

196

231

158

202

209

Silver carp

133

73

95

88

127

Other

268

200

195

183

266

Total

14,229 13,991 12,846 10,441 12,019 Source: FAO

2,000 tonnes in 2013, and a small volume of European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis).

Seabass and seabream juveniles have to be imported Seabass and seabream eggs and juveniles are produced in landbased hatcheries, which produce some 20m juveniles each year.

Since this only covers half the requirement of the farmers, the rest is imported from hatcheries in France and Italy. Modernising existing hatchery facilities or building new ones to increase the domestic production of juveniles is required to reduce the risk of disease transfer and increase the production of these two species.

Feed for the juveniles and for the fish intended for the market also has to be imported as overall production has not reached the volumes that could justify the investment in a fishmeal plant.

The grow out phase for these two species takes place in sea cages from where they are harvested, brought to processing facilities, and finally shipped to the EU (primarily Italy) or to domestic markets. However, the lack of good coastal facilities also hinders the further development of the sector.

Tuna ranching is also carried out in sea cages. Young 8-10 kg tuna are caught and placed in special pens which are then towed (very slowly) to the holding cages.

The fish are transferred to these

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[ AQUACULTURE ] the risk of resistance to medication developing among pathogens. The solution would be to increase the number of drugs that can be prescribed combined with educational campaigns on the responsible use of medication. Since imported eggs and fry are a potential source of disease and since they account for half the Croatian production of seabass and seabream it is important to have a well-functioning veterinary service with close cooperation with the sector.

With regard to shellfish Croatia already monitors the production and the water in which it is farmed, in line with European legislation controlling for pathogens, biotoxins, heavy metals, dangerous plankton in the water, pollutants etc.

Carp and trout dominate freshwater production Croatiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s geography is favourable for the cultivation of fish in ponds in the interior as well as in cages on the coast. Here, seabass and seabream are being cultivated in the Adriatic.

cages where they are fed until they reach the desired size and weight, typically 30 kg and above.

The tuna are harvested almost entirely for the Japanese market.

Japanese buyers often supervise the harvesting and then have the fish loaded on to their vessels where they are superfrozen to -60 degrees and sailed to Japan. The importance of tuna ranching has driven a significant research effort to close the tuna breeding cycle.

If successful this would reduce farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dependence on fluctuating annual quotas and allow them to better utilise the production capacity of their farms.

Spatial planning prevents conflicts between users Shellfish farming in Croatia is based on the collection of spat &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

06_AQUACULTURE (AQ).indd 26

from the wild. Increasing production would depend on establishing hatcheries with the requisite technology for the production of larvae and spat of oyster and other commercially interesting species. In addition to increasing production it is also necessary to add greater value to the shellfish production and to develop marketing strategies that highlight the origin of the product.

Among the marine farms are two pilot plants for the production of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) at sea. Efforts are ongoing to close the farming cycle, starting from eggs and producing a market size fish. If successful, farms are planned in three additional locations. Croatia has identified several zones, where fish farming can be carried out without coming into conflict with other users of the coast. This

spatial planning enables various economic activities to be carried out along the coast contributing to the overall economic development of the coastal region. While these measures go some way to furthering the development of the mariculture sector, what is lacking is producer organisations that can regulate the market and prices, as well as communication channels that can inform the public about marine farmed seafood improving the perception among consumers and their acceptance of these products.

Another issue altogether is one of disease among farmed fish and shellfish. Only a limited number of medicines are registered by the authorities which limits the number of treatment alternatives and increases dependence on a relatively modest number of drugs, which in turn increases

Freshwater farming in Croatia comprises primarily common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and rainbow trout. While production of carp has remained largely stable the last six years at just over 2,000 tonnes that of rainbow trout has plunged in the last couple of years from 2,500 tonnes to 345.

The notable drop in the production of rainbow trout can partly be attributed to unfavourable climatic conditions the previous two years, but also due to a new system of data collection, which only includes figures for the fish that is placed on the market. The old system also took into account the young fish that was used to stock ponds in the following season. Carp is typically farmed in large earthen ponds in monoculture or polyculture with other species, commonly grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella), bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), wels XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

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Crna Mlaka

[ AQUACULTURE ] Herzegovina, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro as Croatian products became subject to duties imposed by these countries.

Issues that affect the sector as a whole

Ponds used for the extensive cultivation of fish also attract predators. Farmers may be able to diversify into nature tourism and bird watching to partly offset their losses.

catfish (Silurus glanis), zander (Stizostedion lucioperca), pike (Esox lucius), and tench (Tinca tinca). The fish are fed with cereals (wheat, corn, rye, barley), which supplement the naturally occurring fodder in the ponds, the growth of which is augmented by fertilising the ponds before the fish are introduced.

The farming cycle for carp is usually three years long. Trout is most often farmed in concrete raceways in hilly or mountainous regions, where water is taken either from the ground or from a river, and is at a suitable temperature for the fish. The fish are fed exclusively on a diet of extruded pellets.

Carp ponds are also often sites of great environmental value due to the diversity of flora and fauna that exists in and around these water bodies. Many migratory species of birds are also attracted to the ponds. The presence of all this wildlife presents both an opportunity and a threat XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

06_AQUACULTURE (AQ).indd 27

to fish farmers. By diversifying activities into, for example, bird watching, nature tourism, photo safaris, and educational activities, farmers could create new revenue streams. On the other hand, many of the birds and animals are attracted to the ponds for a reason â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the prospect of an easy meal. For many farmers predation is a major challenge particularly as some of the worst offenders are protected species, like cormorants. Increasing the production of farmed freshwater fish will to an extent depend on the development of effective mechanisms that both protect the predators and the environment yet allow the economically viable production of fish. Freshwater aquaculture production will also benefit from the implementation of a legal framework that simplifies administrative procedures and regulates issues related to the use of river water in times of drought. Other factors such as the lack of producer organisations, dissemination channels, as

well as issues related to medication are common to the mariculture sector. The dependence on imports of feed, and equipment as well as the lack of processing facilities and competition from imported products are all issues that hinder the development of the trout farming sector.

Croatian aquaculture products are sold on the domestic market as well as exported. About half the production of seabass and seabream is exported, primarily to Italy, while the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire production of fattened tuna is sent to exclusively to Japan.

Shellfish exports to the EU have been permitted since Croatiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accession in 2013. Production from the freshwater aquaculture sector on the other hand is sold primarily (85ď&#x2122;&#x201A;) on the domestic market, the remainder is exported to Germany, Italy, Hungary and other EU countries. With accession to the EU Croatia lost access to its traditional markets in Bosnia and

The lack of organised breeding activities is an obstacle for the aquaculture industry in general, whether for marine fish, freshwater species, or shellfish.

Hatcheries and selective breeding programmes used to be financed by the state, but today they are only carried out sporadically as private initiatives in some hatcheries and farms. As a result young fish are not produced in the numbers required by the industry and the balance has to be imported.

Another issue common to the whole sector is the lack of reliable data. There is an urgent need to invest in data collection systems that can collect, analyse and disseminate data from the different players in the sector. This data should also encompass consumers and their fish consumption preferences and habits. Per capita consumption in Croatia of fish and seafood is 8-9 kg a year and increasing this will call for targeted campaigns to promote locally-farmed fish. The more data there exists about consumers and their tastes the more effective such campaigns will be. In addition to such campaigns producers need to organise themselves into producer organisations, develop and promote common standards, and create marketing channels and work closely with other stakeholders including the administration to increase the awareness and availability of farmed fish and seafood on the market. Taken together these measures should contribute to a gradual increase in production from the farming sector. &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

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[ AQUACULTURE ] Investments in technology, knowledge transfer will help Romania meet its goals

A few steps to greater competitiveness In Romania ďŹ sh farming is exclusively freshwater and can be divided into the intensive farming of salmonids, and the semiintensive or extensive farming of cyprinids. As in Croatia the production of cyprinids is in earthen ponds which are well integrated into the natural landscape and play an important role in maintaining wetlands, regulating water overďŹ&#x201A;ows from river systems, and providing a habitat for numerous species of wild birds, animals, and plants.

M

any of these areas are in fact part of Natura 2000 sites which confirms that the traditional pond farming of cyprinids is compatible with the principles of Natura 2000.

In Romania too farms on Natura 2000 sites are attempting to diversify their activities by offering bird and animal watching tours, boating, angling, and accommodation for tourists interested in nature. Aquaculture production in 2010 tumbled (by 32ď&#x2122;&#x201A;) to just under 9,000 tonnes compared to the year before as a result of the economic crisis. Since then output has increased slowly to just over 10,000 tonnes in 2013. Of this 87ď&#x2122;&#x201A; was cyprinids (common carp, crucian carp, silver carp, grass carp), while the rest was other species, mainly trout. Of the total farmed fish produced in 2013, 3,000 tonnes were farmed in the Danube Delta, which has a number of producers and the largest surface area (52,000 ha) being used for the production of farmed fish. Approximately 100,000 ha of surface are devoted to aquaculture in Romania. European and Asian carps form the overwhelming bulk of the production accounting for over 85ď&#x2122;&#x201A; in four of the last six years, while trout amounted to about 10ď&#x2122;&#x201A;.

About 9,200 ha spread over three farms is used to produce a small quantity of fish organically.

28 &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

06_AQUACULTURE (AQ).indd 28

The number of companies farming fish has also fluctuated violently over the last few years.

The majority of the companies are small family businesses with less than five employees. Of the companies involved in farmed fish production a minority is purely nurseries, some are hatcheries and nurseries, while most are purely on-growing farms.

Potential to increase production of farmed fish exists Romania has considerable potential to expand the production of farmed fish. The country is estimated to have some 500,000 ha of surface permanently or temporarily covered in water, in addition, there are 66,000 km of rivers, 98,000 km of reservoirs, and a 25,000 sq. km exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The geographic terrain is varied with mountainous regions suitable for the cultivation of salmonids, and lowlands appropriate for the pond farming of carp.

Recirculation systems offer the possibility of cultivating different species of fish in fresh or saltwater. However, at the same time it is necessary that land development measures (the building of dykes, weirs, channels, ditches etc.) take into account the hydrological and biological impact and that

Fish cages to be used for the production of rainbow trout in a damlake.

A recirculation system used for the production of turbot. The aquaculture sector has a mix of production systems for intensive and extensive fish cultivation.

environment impact assessments are carried out before launching building works to ensure that the development is sustainable (economically, environmentally, and socially) in the long term. One of the issues facing some fish farmers is the lack of clarity for various

reasons regarding ownership of the land on which the fish are being grown. This results in a reluctance to invest in the farm, which results in lower yields and decreased productivity. These administrative and legislative issues will need to be addressed XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

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[ AQUACULTURE ] owned or belong to local councils or municipalities. The forestry department owned farms also produce some 3m smolts for restocking purposes.

Several areas where improvements are possible A SWOT analysis of areas suitable for aquaculture concludes that there is a need to encourage new investments for setting up new farms or modernising existing ones together with support for technological development, innovation and knowledge transfer.

This in turn should enhance the competitiveness of the sector.

Fish farming should be environmentally friendly and should promote the welfare of the fish as well as maintain biodiversity. At all levels in the sector there is scope to improve conditions to increase the production. For example simpler and more transparent administration, greater use of information technology, an improved system of taxes, and coordinated spatial planning will all contribute to an increase in aquaculture production in Romania.

Lakes created by the construction of a dam are used to generate electricity, provide water for drinking and irrigation, as well as to farm fish.

if aquaculture production is to increase.

Farming in the Danube Delta has its own peculiarities In the Danube Delta there are also other challenges. The delta is characterised by extensive aquaculture in ponds that host carps and other species giving a mix similar to that found in natural water. Farms suffer from the lack of fertiliser that ensures the healthy growth of pond vegetation, and ponds often fail to meet minimum hydrobiological and hydrological requirements. As a result the level of the water in the ponds is sometimes too low and the ponds are often invaded by weeds and algae which contribute to reducing the volume of fish that can be farmed. Farming here is usually extensive with no additional feed in the form of cereals provided to the fish.

Natural and artificial lakes are also used for the cultivation XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

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of fish. The artificial lakes are usually formed by the construction of dams, which are built to provide hydropower, but also function as a flood control measure, and supply municipalities with drinking water and/or crop farmers with irrigation. Of the 3,400 lakes in Romania about

250 are used for the production of fish. The production is generally extensive with yields ranging from 300 to 1,200 kg per ha.

About 166 trout farms produced some 1,100 tonnes of trout in 2013.

Of these, 70 farms are owned by the national forestry department, while the rest are either privately

Aquaculture production in Romania (tonnes) Species

2008*

2009^

2010^

2011^

2012^

2013^

Common carp

3,977

4,142

2,888

2,652

3,266

3,395

Crucian carp

1,462

1,623

934

1,048

868

1,004

Silver carp

2,959

2,971

2,016

1,323

2,087

2,031

Bighead carp

2,228

2,352

1,020

1,289

2,110

2,110

Grass carp

426

283

84

62

182

190

Pike-perch

49

45

57

42

56

43

Pike

14

22

31

34

31

28

Perch

1

6

6

4

7

2

Trout

1,037

1,238

1,400

1,710

1,074

1,106

Sturgeon

0

0

39

19

11

16

Other species

379

449

506

169

305

206

Mussels, oysters

0

0

0

1

9

16

Totals

12,532

13,131

8,981

8,353

10,006

10,147 Source: *FAO, ^ANPA.

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[ AQUACULTURE ] The aquaculture sector in Lithuania

Increase in production from closed circulation systems Lithuaniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ shery and aquaculture sector makes up less than 0.5% of its GDP, but the sector will see steady growth in coming years. Pond ďŹ sh farming is the predominant form of aquaculture, but the increasing implementation of closed aquaculture systems (CAS), as well growing numbers of small and medium enterprises, will help create jobs, especially in the rural areas.

T

he consumption of fish and fishery products, 17,2 kg/ person/year, is growing, but it is still below the EU average.

Consumption as well as local production will therefore be increasingly promoted. Companies active in the aquaculture sector belong to the small and medium enterprises (SME) category, ordinarily employing up to 50 people; only two companies have more than 50 employees. Companies using CAS are mostly very small, with up to 10 employees. In 2014, 23 companies were engaged in pond farming, 14 companies were using CAS, and two companies were growing fish in cages.

Pond farmers are starting to diversify production Pond aquaculture, where common carp farming predominates, is the most widespread form of aquaculture in Lithuania. In 2013, aquaculture ponds covered 9,372 ha (about 52ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of this area has been certified for organic production). Ponds are used almost entirely for common and bighead carp production, which amounts to about 95ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the total pond production, but species such as pike, tench, sturgeon, and others are also cultivated.

About 60ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the farmed fish is sold on the domestic market, and the remainder is exported &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

06_AQUACULTURE (AQ).indd 30

to Ireland, Latvia, Sweden, and Estonia.

Aquaculture ponds supply nearly all (97.6ď&#x2122;&#x201A;) of the aquaculture sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production. In 2013, aquaculture ponds produced and marketed about 4,110 tonnes of fish. In 2013, the value of production from ponds was about EUR 10 million, approximately 96.4ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the value of the production by the entire sector. Lithuaniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environmental conditions dictate that three years are needed to produce carp to a marketable size. Trout and whitefish are farmed in cold water systems.

Pond aquaculture will continue to develop by tapping unexploited production potential and through product diversification by increasing the production of valuable fish species. The development of new fish ponds is unlikely because existing ponds have not yet reached the limits of productivity (1,500 kg/ha in stocking ponds), and some ponds are abandoned.

Organic aquaculture products cannot claim a premium on the market In 2013, the volume of organic aquaculture production from aquaculture ponds was about 1,405 tonnes, accounting for about 33ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of all aquaculture

Closed circulation systems are increasing in number in Lithuania.

They use less water and it is easier to control all the parameters, temperature, oxygen, etc. precisely. The system pictured is at the Zaimena hatchery, where fish are bred for restocking.

production; its value was about EUR 3 million, or about 30ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the total value of aquaculture production. In the period

FREE UPDATED GUIDE TO RECIRCULATION AQUACULTURE

2010â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2013, the volume of organic production increased by 49ď&#x2122;&#x201A;, and its value increased by 63ď&#x2122;&#x201A;.

The existing marketing system

A Guide to

Recirculation Aquaculture An introduction to the new environmentally friendly and highly SURGXFWLYH FORVHG Âż VK IDUPLQJ V\VWHPV Author: Jacob Bregnballe

2015

editio

n

Available for download at

Ä&#x17E;ĆľĆ&#x152;ŽĎĆ?Ĺ&#x161;Í&#x2DC;Ä&#x161;ĹŹ XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

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[ AQUACULTURE ] 4500

2010

2011

2012

2013

Common carp

3,222

2,936

3,061

3,257

3,751

Sturgeons nei

9

17

52

55

116

Rainbow trout

...

0

0

115

115

Other

191

236

167

155

229

Total

3,422

3,191

3,280

3,582

4,211

... Data not available

4000

10000000

3500 Tonnes of fish sold

2009

12000000

3000

8000000

2500

6000000

2000 1500

4000000

1000

Source: FAO

2000000

500 0

and insufficient demand for organic produce do not allow it to be marketed at prices higher than conventional produce.

Increasing interest in closed system aquaculture Closed system aquaculture supplied about 99 tonnes of fish, although this is an 11-fold increase since 2010. In 2013, the value of marketed aquaculture production from CAS totalled around EUR 0.36 million. CAS have a total capacity of 2,102 cubic metres. So far, CAS have been a novelty in the Lithuanian aquaculture sector. Only in recent years has the implementation become more widespread.

Compared with pond aquaculture, it is much simpler to start CAS aquaculture production because it requires less water and a smaller land area.

This segment developed slowly on its own. Only after the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) began supporting CAS schemes was an increase in the number of companies implementing CAS noted. At the beginning of 2014, 20 companies received support for the introduction of CAS, and the support for technical development totalled around EUR 6 million. Clearer performance

XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

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indicators of the companies can only be expected in two to three years. Stable results will most likely be available in five to seven years, when the companies will have acquired some experience in fish farming and marketing. Currently, the main species raised in CAS are trout, eel, and African sharptooth catfish. The latter was the most popular type of fish to be farmed in closed circulation systems in 2012 and 2013.

Carp, sturgeon, trout are main farmed species In 2013, common carp accounted for about 89ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the total volume of aquaculture production and around 80ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of its total value. Other major fish species marketed in 2013 included sturgeon (about 2.8ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the volume and 7ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the production value of the entire sector) and trout (about 2.7ď&#x2122;&#x201A; and 3.9ď&#x2122;&#x201A;, respectively). In the period 2010â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2013, sales of sturgeon and trout have seen the greatest increases. Both the volume of sturgeon sold, and its value increased about 7-fold, whereas the increases for trout were 3-fold (both volume and value).

In the period 2010â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2013, exports of aquaculture production fell both in terms of volume and

2005

2010 Tonnes of fish sold

value. Lithuanian produce was largely exported to neighbouring countries: Latvia (approximately 33ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of total production in 2013) and Poland (about 62ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of production in 2013). In the same period, exports of organic aquaculture products rose by about 58ď&#x2122;&#x201A;, to 401 tonnes. In 2013 exports of common carp accounted for 92ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the volume and 78ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the value of aquaculture production.

Recently, sturgeon exports have increased significantly; the amount increased 19-fold, and value increased approximately 24-fold. Accordingly, in 2013, the exports of sturgeon constituted almost a fifth of the overall exports value. Eel is also in demand on foreign markets: In 2013, eel exports reached about 1.2ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the value of total aquaculture exports.

That year, around 90ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of sturgeon and about 60ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of eel produced in Lithuania were exported. Recent yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; production and financial results of Lithuanian pond aquaculture show that the operations have been profitable, and that they have been successful in expanding the volume of production. Over a period of nine years, fish production more than doubled and the revenue grew even faster.

Revenue, euro

Aquaculture production in Lithuania (tonnes)

2013

0

Revenue, euro

Strategies to strengthen production, increase competitiveness The Lithuanian Aquaculture Sector Development Plan for 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201C;20 establishes the aquaculture sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals, strategies, and tasks to ensure its planned development.

The first operational strategy is to use and strengthen existing production and expand the variety of products by implementing environmentally friendly technologies. This will include developing the potential of aquaculture companies, and upgrading the technical infrastructure of aquaculture undertakings. It will support new, specialised as well as existing companies, prioritising the farming of rainbow trout and sturgeon.

The second operational strategy is to increase the competitiveness of the aquaculture sector by developing and implementing technologies that result in products that are in highest demand on the market, and by stimulating exports. Finally, the third operational strategy is to create services necessary for the aquaculture sector and improving and sharing knowledge and practices.

William Anthony

&VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

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[ AQUACULTURE ] Poland seeks to maintain its position as a leading farmed ďŹ sh producer in Europe

BeneďŹ ts of locally-farmed ďŹ sh need to be promoted Poland has many advantages in both extensive and intensive aquaculture. The country has the largest area of carp ponds and the greatest carp production potential in Europe; its ďŹ sh-processing industry is one of the most developed and it has a well-developed education system for aquaculture and ďŹ sheries.

I

ronically average annual fish consumption in Poland is among the lowest in Europe.

In 2014, it was 12.3 kg per capita, almost 50ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the average per capita fish consumption in the EU, according to the Polish Sea Fisheries Institute. In 2014, consumption was 1.1ď&#x2122;&#x201A; higher than in 2013, mainly the result of higher consumption of imported fish (pollock, salmon, and cod). The annual average consumption of carp, the leading aquacultural product, was 0.55 kg per person in 2014. Consumption of rainbow trout, another popular domestic species, was 0.52 kg per capita in 2014, says the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Food.

Promotional campaigns targeting Polish consumers have been developed to support carp and trout sales.

Based on current consumption, Polandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s demand for fish and other aquatic organisms ranges between 451 and 570 thousand tonnes. In the past ten years, domestic supply has not exceeded 270 thousand tonnes, indicating there is scope to increase production.

Fisheries, which are limited by quotas on target species, supply only 200 thousand tonnes annually, and aquaculture supplies only 30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;36 thousand tonnes, offering an opportunity for growth.

The lack of raw material hampers Polandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fish processing industry, 32 &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

06_AQUACULTURE (AQ).indd 32

one of the most developed in Europe with an estimated capacity of at least 1 million tonnes, making it dependent on imports.

Fish farming has a 900-year-old history The Polish aquaculture sector, has a long history in the country, having begun around the 12th century. It is carried out exclusively in land-based freshwater farms using traditional earth ponds in 2- or 3-year cycles, a system that is limited to a few Central and Eastern European countries.

Aquaculture is part of the inland fishery sector and consists exclusively of the rearing and culture of freshwater fish, primarily carp (300 farms) and trout (160 farms).

In addition to aquacultural activities, inland fisheries include commercial lake and river fisheries, as well as recreational angling in inland waters. In addition to the production of fish for consumption, Polish aquaculture produces stocking material for the various water bodies.

In 2014, total national aquaculture production reached 38,000 tonnes, an 8ď&#x2122;&#x201A; increase over 2013.

The largest category is carp production, which in 2014 amounted to 19,000 tonnes, more than 50ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of total aquaculture output in 2014. The total registered area of carp farms in the country is

Recirculation systems are an intensive method of production. The Polish aquaculture strategy seeks to increase the supply from these systems to the fresh fish market and to the processing industry.

approximately 70,000 hectares, the largest in Europe.

Rainbow trout is the second most important species in Polish aquaculture, with an output of 15,000 tonnes in 2014. Trout farming started to be developed at the end of 1990s, and production has stagnated in recent years. Trout production is carried out in intensive fish production facilities, located mostly on the Baltic Sea coast, and in the Carpathian foothills in the south.

Poland has started developing more intensive land-based aquaculture, and several investors have launched new businesses in the field of controlled breeding of marine or freshwater fish in indoor recirculation systems (trout, sturgeon, salmon, tilapia, and barramundi). The European Maritime and Fisheries Fund allocated EUR 531 million to Poland in the period 2014-2020, some of which will support these activities.

Most aquaculture products are sold on the domestic market. The principal fish for export is rainbow trout: 17â&#x20AC;&#x201C;24ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of domestic production is exported, primarily to Germany. Nearly all of the trout exported is processed. Recently,

Major ambitions for the aquaculture sector Polandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s overall objective for its aquaculture sector between 2014 and 2020 is to occupy a leading position in the EU in terms of fish XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

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[ AQUACULTURE ] from inland aquaculture, using both extensive and intensive methods of cultivation. The three objectives of extensive aquaculture are, maintaining the existing production area of ponds and their sustainability; increasing the profitability of pond farms; strengthening and popularising the environmentally and socially sustainable methods of carp cultivation. Extensive aquaculture production can be increased by properly designed public aid and the development of additional species. Avenues for further development include recreational fishing, agro-tourism, and the provision of specialised services, e.g. advisory services for fish farmers.

The objectives of intensive aquaculture are to increase the share of products from Polish intensive aquaculture in the growing domestic fresh fish market to at least 35ď&#x2122;&#x201A;; and to double the supply of these products to the processing industry. Intensive aquaculture has great potential for development, based on existing facilities and the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s openness to change. Progress will require new technologies, solutions, and species, as well as private investment and co-financing provided by European and national financing instruments. It offers a great chance for Poland to expand this part of the sector and become Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading aquaculture producer.

New species to play an important role in development plans for sector Species with important market potential will become more significant, including eel, perchpike, catfish, and burbot, and various non-indigenous species that can be farmed in the XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

06_AQUACULTURE (AQ).indd 33

Aquaculture production in Poland (tonnes) 2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Common carp

18,133

15,400

14,430

17,700

18,760

Rainbow trout

14,872

12,940

11,200

10,900

11,554

Freshwater ďŹ shes nei

860

162

1,000

620

1,880

Cyprinids nei

386

500

950

810

800

Sturgeons nei

148

170

241

334

440

Silver carp

...

...

...

400

365

Grass carp (=White amur)

419

579

522

419

350

Wels (=Som) catďŹ sh

214

200

220

220

300

North African catďŹ sh

1,100

650

124

302

203

Tench

205

...

200

200

200

Nile tilapia

...

...

...

200

200

Northern pike

166

150

150

150

150

Euro-American crayďŹ shes nei

6

6

6

6

6

Total

36,509

30,757

29,043

32,261

35,208 Source: FAO

Poland aims to occupy a leading position in the EU in terms of aquaculture production by 2020 using both intensive and extensive methods of cultivation.

controlled environment of ponds or in basins as part of closed circulation systems, such as tilapia, African catfish, and sturgeon.

Aquaponic systems will also come into play. Focus will be put on aquaculture of marine species and euryhalines (fish tolerating a range of salinities) of high market value (e.g. turbot, salmonids,

sturgeon, and eel) in facilities located inland using seawater or naturally salty geothermal water.

Moving away from land, the potential of sea farming near offshore wind turbines will be investigated. The development of the aquaculture sector will also be supported by promoting the consumption of farmed fish and by

diversifying the activities of small farming companies. In addition the sector will benefit greatly from closer cooperation with research bodies, educational institutions and the administration to meet the demands from the Polish and foreign markets.

William Anthony &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

12/02/16 5:59 PM

UKRAINE

The fisheries sector in Ukraine

Reforms to increase production, streamline administration The loss of Crimea had a substantial impact on the fisheries sector in the Ukraine. According to the State Agency for Fisheries catches plummeted by 60% from 225 thousand tonnes in 2013 (including Crimea) to 91 thousand tonnes in 2014 (without Crimea). But Ukraine has significant natural resources even without Crimea. These include inland waters (rivers, lakes, ponds, reservoirs) amounting to 1.3m ha, as well as marine waters in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Altogether, Ukrainian waters, both fresh and marine, have an area of 10.4m ha.

H

owever, this potential is woefully underutilised.

Two decades of inadequate investment in the sector, whether in research, restocking, or even proper maintenance of its water bodies, has eroded production. The lack of proper fisheries monitoring and a modern catch assessment system as well as an obsolete fleet and vast bureaucracy have further undermined the sector. The inadequate controls at all levels have spawned a black market for fish and seafood that is reckoned to be almost half the size of the official market.

This in turn prevents the collection of reliable information about catches and the state of fish stocks.

Steep decline in production since independence While in 1991 Ukrainian fish supplied 95 of the domestic market, by 2014 that proportion had fallen to 18. In terms of consumption, while each Ukrainian consumes 11.1 kg of fish per year only 1.5 kg of this is fish of Ukrainian origin.

Ukrainian marine catches are dominated by goby (42 of the total in 2015) followed by Azov sprat (20) and southern sprat (5), while goldfish, bream and roach are the most commonly caught fresh water species. In the 34

Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

07_UKRAINE.indd 34

The most far reaching changes in the administration of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Ukraine will reduce bureaucracy and ultimately result in higher yields.

first 11 months of 2015 production from the fisheries sector increased by 15 over the same period previous year to 57 thousand tonnes. Of this marine catches from the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov were 30 thousand tonnes, an increase of almost 50 over last year. Inland water production, both capture and aquaculture, was 27 thousand tonnes to which farmed fish contributed 15 thousand tonnes.

The decline in domestic fish production has made Ukraine

dependent on imports. Over the last two decades fish and seafood have been imported mainly from Norway but also from Estonia, Iceland, and Spain, but in 2013-14 the fall in the value of the currency made imports very expensive and consumption of imported fish declined steeply. Customs statistics show that imports of frozen fish dropped from 330 thousand tonnes in 2013 to 165 thousand tonnes in the first 11 months of 2015, while imports of frozen seafood fell from 23 thousand tonnes

to about nine thousand tonnes over the same period. Consumers also switched from more expensive salmon, trout and tuna to cheaper hake, Alaska pollock and capelin. Farmed salmon fillets, for example, cost UAH290 against UAH45-60 for pangasius per kilo wholesale; in supermarkets the price is 10-20 higher. The depreciation of the Ukrainian hryvnya has led to an overall increase in prices of 52 since the start of 2015. Canned fish prices, which increased 78, and live fish, which www.eurofishmagazine.com

12/02/16 6:00 PM

UKRAINE

went up 54, were the products showing the greatest increase, but the prices of a wide range of product types – live fish, frozen fish, frozen fillets, seafood – and products – salted sprats, smoked mackerel, herring – went up by between 30 and 80. The increase in prices has already affected the chilled products segment, where imports decreased by approximately 60.

Some stores, mostly small ones, have refused to sell chilled trout, salmon, seabass and seabream because of a sharp slump in demand. Besides, chilled fish can be stored for a shorter period compared to frozen products.

An opportunity for domestic producers Demand for the most common imported fish species, herring and mackerel, has remained more or less stable. Although not as cheap as local products these pelagic species are not as expensive as certain other imported fish, herring in a supermarket, for example, costs UAH47-79 per kilo.

Ukrainian processors use these species for salting and smoking.

Locally farmed and fished species are very cheap compared with imports. Chilled bream, goldfish, silver carp, goby, and frozen Azov sprat retail at UAH18-32 per kilo, while pike, pike-perch, and live carp cost UAH50-70 per kilo.

In comparison, a kilo of frozen Atlantic salmon costs UAH180190 per kilo. This difference in prices suggests there may be an opportunity to boost the sales of locally produced fish and seafood, if production will allow it. So far, domestic production has not been able to meet the needs of the Ukrainian market, but the signs are promising. Catches in 2015 of all the main species, both marine and freshwater, have exhibited considerable increases over 2014.

The State Agency for Fisheries www.eurofishmagazine.com

07_UKRAINE.indd 35

New legislation enables for the first time entrepreneurs to lease part of a body of water like a reservoir or a lake.

is confident that the amount of domestically-sourced fish on the market can be increased by 40-50. However, achieving this will call for a restructuring of the sector, the fish industry legislation will have to be simplified with a much smaller role played by the state, and the industry made more attractive for investment.

Greater efforts also need to be made to develop mariculture and aquaculture as these two sectors will also contribute to an increase in domestic production.

New team brings in sweeping changes At the end of 2014 a new minister for agriculture and fisheries, Alexey Pavlenko, was appointed and in May 2015 the State Agency for Fisheries got a new leader, Yarema Kovaliv. Among the first initiatives was the publication of a paper on reforming the fisheries sector. The paper focused on four areas, fisheries monitoring and protection, legislation, investment and aquaculture, and transparency. Since the release of the paper several new rules have been passed that simplify

administrative procedures for companies and at the same time reduce opportunities for graft.

Deregulation of the commercial fishery may seem a strange solution compared to the Europe-wide trend towards strengthening fishery regulations. However, the task in Ukraine is to bring the market out of the shadows and to fight poaching. The state decided to simplify the commercial fishery legislation because the industry had been overregulated. In addition, in September 2015 the Ukrainian cabinet passed a resolution that, for the first time, allows entrepreneurs to lease part of a body of water like a reservoir or the sea.

Before a fishing company could start working, it had to get five permits, the process would often drag on, and the company started a fishing season belatedly or without the necessary document, which would lead to problems with inspection authorities.

Furthermore, the complexity of the bureaucracy was a recipe for sleaze. Under such conditions it was simpler and more profitable to be a poacher with no need for permits nor to pay taxes. By simplifying the licensing system and

prolonging the validity of permits the State Agency for Fisheries encourages legal fishing by eliminating the advantages of poaching. The new system uses both carrots and sticks. A newly established fish patrol will help in the fight against illegal fishing. The agency is also working with the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries to implement a system of electronic catch reporting that will further reduce poaching.

And penalties for poaching have become much more severe and in some cases (such as electric fishing) will be considered criminal rather than civil offences.

Legislative simplification, fish patrols, a unified fisheries register, and fish stocking are just some of the actions being taken by the state to clean up and revitalize the fisheries sector. Another measure will see the creation of a financing instrument that will allow the fishing fleet to be modernized.

Taken together the efforts by the new team should, over time, bring about the desired results, but it will call for perseverance and the will to fight the entrenched interests that benefit from the status quo.

Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

35

12/02/16 6:00 PM

UKRAINE

Fish farming in Ukraine

Aquaculture production poised to take off Ukraine has 1.5m ha of water surface that can be used for fish farming. This includes freshwater reservoirs, lakes, and ponds as well as estuaries called limans in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. The aquaculture sector in the country farms fish in different ways, in ponds, cages, and in recirculation systems.

O

ne of the fastest growing fields is that of trout farming, which is concentrated in the Carpathian mountains in western Ukraine. Here the availability of adequate volumes of high quality water has attracted entrepreneurs to establish trout cultivation facilities. The government is interested in encouraging this development and since January 2016 has abolished customs duties on fish feed, bringing down its cost considerably.

released 1.4m juveniles into the Black Sea. Sturgeons are not the only fish that are restocked. Both state-owned and private companies breed a variety of fish species for release into natural waters.

In 2015 a total of 10.7m juveniles of sterlet, pike, pikeperch, silver carp, grass carp and common carp were released.

Selection used to create special strains of carp Most farmed fish is produced in traditional fish ponds, where herbivorous fish, common carp, silver carp, bighead carp, and grass carp are the main species. About 25,000 tonnes of fish was farmed in these ponds of which carps constituted

90, while other species such as pike, pikeperch, tench, and paddlefish made up less than 1.

Carp farmers were supported by the state-owned research facilities that selected and developed strains of carp such as the Ukrainian mirror carp and the Ukrainian scaled carp. These strains had a number of desirable traits

Sturgeon bred for meat and caviar Sturgeon farming is another growing area. Different species of sturgeon, Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii), beluga sturgeon (Huso huso), bester (Huso huso x Acipenser ruthenus), and sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), are cultivated in recirculating aquaculture systems, cages, reservoirs, and ponds. The ten sturgeon farming companies in Ukraine had a combined output of 165 tonnes of meat in 2014 and many of them are also producing caviar. Sturgeons are also being bred in state facilities, but these fish are produced for restocking purposes. In 2015 one of the state breeding facilities, the GU Production and experimental Dnepr sturgeon breeding facility, 36

Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

07_UKRAINE.indd 36

Carp is the main species to be farmed in Ukraine accounting for around 85% of the total farmed production. www.eurofishmagazine.com

12/02/16 6:00 PM

Odessa Sturgeon

UKRAINE

Aquaculture production in Ukraine (tonnes) Common carp GoldďŹ sh Silver carp

2010

2011

2012

2013

20,000

20,000

20,000

20,000

904

1,170

1,175

995 978

1,441

1,737

1,618

So-iuy mullet

165

401

534

905

Freshwater bream

118

96

87

127

Mediterranean mussel

79

63

117

70

Pike-perch

83

86

66

43

European perch

121

47

82

21

Other

55

53

41

37

Total

22,965

23,653

23,720

23,175 Source: FAO

Sturgeons are bred for their meat, and caviar, but also for restocking purposes.

including rapid growth, robustness, resistance to disease, a meaty body, and few scales.

according to the FAO, has remained stable at around 24,000 tonnes, a figure the government would like to increase. The

depreciation of the currency over the last few years has made imports of fish very much more expensive, which presents an opportunity to market locally-produced fish and fish products. Recently a number of legislative initiatives have been taken that should improve the climate for investment in the aquaculture sector, and clarify companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; relationship with the state. Regulations that have been approved cover organic production, the creation of a register of water bodies used for fisheries

or aquaculture, and the leasing of parts of water bodies for the production of fish or shellfish.

The latter opens up the possibility of farming Black Sea flounder, Black Sea turbot, Pacific mullet and indigenous mullet species, oysters and mussels in the Black Sea. Although many of these species have not been produced commercially, research institutes have studied the techniques and have developed technologies to culture microalgae, shellfish, and fish.

Some fish, such as the silver carp, are sought after by the market, but are also very useful in keeping phytoplankton levels manageable in large water bodies.

The reservoirs of the Dnepr need to be stocked with silver carp as the indigenous fish do not feed on phytoplankton and its unrestricted growth will affect the water quality, and thereby affect the fish and other organisms in the reservoir. As a result of their diet mature silver carp have a fatty acid profile similar to mackerel making it a particularly healthful fish to eat.

Research institutes play an important role In the six years since 2008 aquaculture production in Ukraine, www.eurofishmagazine.com

07_UKRAINE.indd 37

This locally produced caviar is popular among certain sections of Ukrainian society because of its high quality and, compared with imported caviar, low price.

Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

37

12/02/16 6:01 PM

[ ENVIRONMENT ] Last stop: the sea

Microplastics – a long underestimated problem Plastics – versatile and virtually indestructible – are today ubiquitous and an indispensable part of our lives. At first they were seen as a sign of progress but in the meantime they are cause for growing concern because once they are in circulation they often last for hundreds of years and pollute the environment. A lot of plastic waste ends up in the world’s oceans. A global problem involving risks that are difficult to assess. There is an urgent need for research and action.

P

lastics are a gift for designers and developers.

Whether hard or soft and pliable, in flashy colours or transparent like glass, there is a suitable material for every conceivable purpose. Their universal versatility has made synthetic materials, and particularly plastic, our constant companions in individual, domestic and professional life environments. We find them everywhere and are so familiar with them that we hardly perceive their synthetic nature. Plastic materials enrich our lives because their properties are increasingly tailored to fit their particular intended applications. When the first nylon shirts came onto the market it turned out that wearers had to put up with sweating if they wanted to be seen in the trendy new garments. In the meantime, however, functional clothing made of synthetic materials is breathable and better suited to sporting activities than natural materials. From designer furniture made of polyurethane to textiles with elastane or fleece, from plastic canisters, polystyrene boxes and shrink film to yogurt tubs, the volume and number of plastic products is rising continually. Between 1950 and 2014 worldwide production of plastic products rose from 1.5 million tonnes to over 311 million tonnes.

38

Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

08_ENVIRONMENT.indd 38

Whether products are cheap and disposable or long-lasting and more resistant, all plastic items ultimately end up in the bin and that is, at the latest, when the problems begin. Carefully separated and collected or negligently thrown away, lost overboard from a ship, forgotten on the beach or disposed of illegally, the fate of plastic waste can be very different. Even in environmentally conscious Europe one third of all plastic waste is not recycled but rots in landfills or is strewn openly in the countryside so that, picked up by the wind, washed away by rain, carried away in rivers, it finally ends up in the sea.

Only a small part of the plastic found in the sea comes from ships, oil platforms or beaches. By far more plastic waste – according to expert opinion about 80 – is washed into the sea from inland via rivers. It is estimated that this volume amounts to at least 10 million tonnes per year, but the actual quantities are probably much greater. Extrapolations are mainly based on the presence of large plastic objects (macroplastics) that float on the surface and are easily visible. But plastic bags, bottles and packaging, polystyrene or foam building blocks are only part of the plastic waste found in the oceans. The problems caused by plastic waste that

Disposable plastic bottles take about 450 years to fully decompose.

The problem of plastic waste will occupy our great grandchildren and their grandchildren.

we can’t see because it is hidden in deeper water layers or lies on the seabed are equally or perhaps even more severe.

For example, lost fishing gear made of synthetic fibres, mostly fixed nets or trawls, constitutes a lethal trap for fishes and other creatures since they continue to “fish” as ownerless ghost nets. In Europe alone about 25,000 nets with a total length amounting to 1,250 km are said to be lost every year. The synthetic material of which the net fibres are made takes nearly 600 to 650 years before it is largely decomposed.

Plastic waste in the sea is thus not just an aesthetic problem. It

also has economic and ecological consequences. Even greater are the uncertainties arising from “microplastics”. At present no one can even roughly guess what volumes of microplastic are to be found drifting in the sea or how high their overall share of plastic waste is. Up to now it has not even been possible to come to an internationally accepted agreement on what size ranges we mean when we talk about microplastic. In the relevant technical literature scientists generally currently include particles measuring between one micrometre, i.e. 0.001 mm, and 5 mm. Anything smaller than that is classed as nanoplastic, anything larger www.eurofishmagazine.com

12/02/16 6:52 PM

[ ENVIRONMENT ]

Lost or carelessly left behind: Plastic waste pollutes our beaches worldwide, leads to high cleaning costs and is a huge environmental problem.

than 5 mm is assigned to the category macroplastics. Microplastic was only “discovered” a few years ago and our knowledge in this field is still only meagre. But the more researchers learn about the tiny, sometimes microscopically small, plastic particles and fibres the greater their concern.

Microplastics are to be found almost everywhere in the environment, on the ground, in the water and partly even in the air, and in frighteningly large quantities. In the Danube, for example, more of these tiny plastic particles were found than fish larvae in 2010 and 2012. A lot of the particles are of about the same size as microalgae or zooplankton organisms, with the result that there is a danger that they will be absorbed by fish larvae or filtrating creatures like mussels and small crustaceans, will be enriched as they pass through the food chain, and in the end land on our plates again.

That is why it is not surprising that microplastics, in particular, www.eurofishmagazine.com

08_ENVIRONMENT.indd 39

have in a very short time been given high priority as an object of intensive research.

Actual hazard potential still largely unknown Microplastic particles come from two sources. On the one hand they are produced intentionally by industry, for example in the production of paints and varnishes or cosmetics such as shower gel or peeling products. Such deliberately produced particles are called “primary” microplastics.

Whilst estimates of the quantity of primary microplastics are still relatively reliable it is practically impossible to estimate the volume of the secondary microplastics. For those tiny particles arise by chance and inevitably due to mechanical abrasion, wear or aging processes such as the disintegration of larger plastic parts.

During washing of synthetic fibre textiles, for example, large quantities of fluff are rubbed off, synthetic ropes rub against the vessel

walls, forgotten plastic packages are ground down by beach sand.

These particles come into being constantly and virtually everywhere in unknown quantities. At some point the plastics have been rubbed down into such fine particles that they are no longer visible to the naked eye. This does not, however, solve the problems that they pose. Indeed, in the opinion of lot of scientists the opposite is sooner the case: the smaller the particles the greater the difficulties become and the more urgently questions arise.

The fact that during the production of plastics great attention was paid to durability but hardly a thought given to what would happen after use is now taking revenge. The plastic boom began just few decades ago. A lot of materials endure in the environment for hundreds of years and are constantly and increasingly fragmented. Perhaps we are just at the beginning of a problem that presents all the characteristics of a time bomb.

Added to this is the fact that in the meantime there is a large number of different plastics with very different properties and durability. They do not only contain different additives such as softening agents, stabilisers, biocides or flame retardants but can also adsorb or absorb certain chemicals, i.e. accumulate them on their surfaces or even ingest them. For example POP (“Persistent Organic Pollutants”) such as PCB, toxaphene, dieldrin or DDT. A German study revealed that about half of the polymer particles over 0.5 mm in size in the East Atlantic and the Baltic consist of polyurethane (PUR).

Polyethylene (PE) accounted for a share of 29, polypropylene (PP) for 17. This was an interesting finding for although PUR is used for foam in matrasses and upholstered furniture, as paint for ships and for shoe soles it is not nearly as prevalent as other plastics. Ultimately, however, it confirms just how little we currently know about microplastics.

It is still virtually unknown how long microparticles drift in the sea, how fast they spread, where they accumulate, and what quantity of microplastics gets into the food chains. That alone makes it very difficult to realistically estimate the risks that microplastics entail. And this already considerable problem is exacerbated by the fact that there are no validated analytical methods or standards that might demonstrate possible dangers or toxicological effects with any certainty. There are no comparative data, and a monitoring programme has yet to be set up. Given this situation it is not surprising that the topic “microplastics” is currently enjoying special priority in the European research landscape.

The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

39

12/02/16 6:03 PM

[ ENVIRONMENT ] participating also aims at drawing more public attention to marine pollution.

In some countries environmental awareness is not very developed. Waste is simply disposed of in the countryside and carried away with the next flood.

Germany is of the opinion that microplastic particles in cosmetic products do not constitute a health risk for humans. At the same time, however, the experts admit that the data on particle sizes, chemical compositions and concentration of microplastics in foods are currently not sufficient to be able to rule out these health risks with certainty. They have requested that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) prepare an opinion on the fundamental significance of microand nano- sized plastic particles in foods. The BfR has modern precise analysis methods whose complicated names already give an idea of the required technical effort. The Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) is a kind of fingerprint method that provides a characteristic IR spectrum for every plastic, including its additives such as stabilisers or softening agents in different mixture ratios. Equally powerful is the pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (Py-GCMS). This instrument burns the samples at temperatures of over 500°C and analyses the resulting volatile compounds. With these sensitive devices BfR scientists are 40

Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

08_ENVIRONMENT.indd 40

currently examining microplastic particles and their degradation under relevant environmental conditions.

Research projects to bring more light into the dark The number of projects that deal with microplastics has increased throughout Europe.

The Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde, for example, has since April 2014 coordinated the research project MikrOMIK in which 11 partners from three countries are involved. It is investigating the concentration, distribution and transport behaviour, the microbial colonization and the risk potential of microplastic particles in the Baltic. Parallel to this the Federal Environmental Agency in the Jade Bight (North Sea) and Wismar Bay (Baltic) is having various year classes of herring and flatfish examined for microplastic particles in their gastrointestinal tract and body tissue. The focus here is not only on the chemical composition of the particles but also on the possible

accumulation of pollutants and hormonally active substances in the fatty tissue. These results would probably allow conclusions to be drawn on the transport of microplastics within the food chain and consequences for human beings. Perhaps the project will even provide clues for identifying indicator species that might be suitable for regular microplastic monitoring.

The best way to limit the increasing amounts of plastic in the environment is, of course, to as far as possible do without products made of this material altogether.

With the aim of offering consumers more guidance with regard to avoidance of waste with microplastic potential two NGOs in The Netherlands have developed the smartphone app “Beat the Micro Bead” which is available in German, English, French and Dutch.

Apparently the user just has to scan the barcode of the product and will immediately be shown whether it contains microplastic. The EU project MARLISCO (Marine Litter in European Seas – Social Awareness and Co-Responsibility) in which 19 partners from 15 countries are

Strictly speaking it’s not quite true that we don’t know about the occurrence of microplastic in seas and rivers or about its effects on the environment. In fact a large number of studies have been carried out in some regions of the world and they offer a wealth of information on the pollution of the soil, air and water. However, these studies were mostly conducted using different methods and on different particle sizes which makes direct comparison of the results almost impossible.

They can hardly be generalised because huge differences exist between different marine regions.

It is, however, today already quite clear that plastic particles occur in considerably higher concentrations close to the coast, near big cities and in inland waters such as marine bays and estuaries than in the open sea.

A major study on this issue has just been published in Denmark.

It summarizes the current state of knowledge for the region.

(Microplastics – Occurrence, effects and sources of releases to the environment in Denmark, Environmental project No. 1793, 2015, The Danish Environmental Protection Agency). It includes among other things a literature review of previous studies on the impact and biological effects of microplastic on organisms at all levels of the food chain. Although the quantities examined vary depending on the marine region and organism species such particles can be detected in almost every sample.

They are particularly frequent in mussels and other creatures that filter their food non-selectively from the water, but also in particle eaters that live on the seabed. www.eurofishmagazine.com

12/02/16 6:03 PM

[ ENVIRONMENT ]

Even the compact carpet of floating plants (water hyacinth) on the Mekong cannot fully hide the large quantities of plastic waste in the river.

Microplastics are also picked up by sea birds and fishes, partly directly, partly also with their feed. The particles are found fairly regularly in the intestines of herring, cod and whiting. The studies carried out so far allow the assumption that nearly all marine creatures swallow microplastics, particularly if they are of about the same size as their typical food particles, i.e. microalgae or zooplankton. Researchers are of different opinions, however, with regard to whether the microplastic particles are actually reabsorbed by the body and enter the tissue or whether they remain in the intestines and are excreted.

This can also cause severe damages, however, for example internal injuries or blockages in the digestive tract, particularly in the case of small fish larvae. It is also not clear what effect the additives contained in microplastics, i.e. softening agents and the like, have on fishes. Where these substances are concerned the risk that they enter the body through the intestinal wall is particularly great because they are present in molecular form. www.eurofishmagazine.com

08_ENVIRONMENT.indd 41

Avoidance of plastic that are difficult to calculate – waste is the most possibly also for us humans. effective control measure One thing it seems we can be relatively sure about is that microplastics can cause inflammation of certain tissues in bivalves. With regard to fishes there are signs of increased “stress” for the liver, disturbances in the endocrine system, possibly even development of tumours. However, the scientists themselves limit the predictive value of such findings very strongly. A lot of the findings came from the laboratory under considerably higher concentrations of pollutants than those commonly found in the environment. Apart from that, no one knows exactly whether the chosen model organisms really are typical or meaningful for other species. The direct transfer of laboratory findings to the practical conditions in the open sea are therefore difficult. It is certain however that the increasing volume of microplastics will not have positive effects on the species community in the sea but will involve risks and health hazards

Even without being fully aware or being able to quantify these risks right down to the smallest detail it is already clear that we must act and take countermeasures quickly. The use of disposable plastic products must be reduced, the recycling quota increased, and the degradability of the materials used improved. Today’s waste water treatment plants are only to a limited extent able to separate and retain microplastic particles.

Admittedly, a good 99 of microplastics over 0.3 mm ends up in sewage sludge but this is often used as fertilizer in agriculture so that the particles will later enter the natural cycles and waters. But it is largely unclear what happens to the small particles measuring about 20 micrometres (which account for a considerable share of textile fibres in waste water) in the sewage treatment plants.

Many of them are presumably too light to settle in the available time and could emerge from the installations directly into the outlet channel.

The magnitude of the problems resulting from plastic waste in the sea were underestimated for a long time, perhaps also because only part of the waste drifts on the surface and is thus visible.

Experts estimate that more than two thirds of the plastic waste in the sea sinks to the seabed relatively quickly and the remaining third drifts on the surface. About half of this “flotsam” is washed directly back to the coasts and the other half drifts slowly in the direction of the open sea and remains there until the material gradually decomposes under the influence of wave motion, salt water and UV radiation from sunlight. But this can take time. Even thin sweet wrappers take two decades to disintegrate completely. Disposable plastic bottles constitute a greater problem: their degradation process takes about 450 years. The plastic waste that we produce today will occupy our great grandchildren and their grandchildren. That alone explains why the amount of plastic waste must be reduced.

Appealing to people’s environmental awareness might sometimes seem rather helpless, but that would be the quickest way to limit the problem. Every year 100 billion plastic bags are produced worldwide, 90 of them are lightweight disposable bags for loose products at the retailers that are thrown away after being used only once. Packaging accounts for 60 of plastic waste in EU countries. What is needed are more intelligent packaging solutions in order to curb the waste that ultimately pollutes the environment. Paper instead of plastic, multiple-use packaging, or carrier bags that have to be paid for instead of being handed out free.

The responsibility lies primarily with the retailer and the producer, but in the end also with us, the consumers.

MK Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

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[ RESEARCH ] The use of insects as an ingredient in fish feed

A possible way out of the fishmeal trap Interest in insects as a substitute for fishmeal and vegetable matter in fish feed is growing. While they offer a number of advantages compared to conventional raw materials used in fish feed, there are also certain risks that need to be considered. More research is needed for better understanding of the potential and pitfalls of insect-based diets.

Aquaculture expands despite stable fishmeal production At a global level much of the farmed seafood production is comprised of low value species like carps, which in 2008 accounted for 38 of the global farmed seafood production, a percentage which is not anticipated to change significantly in 2030. Production of high value species like salmon, shrimp, eel, 42

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sturgeon, seabass and seabream was 14 of the total in 2008 and is expected to reach 16 in 2030.

Many high value farmed species are fed on feeds whose basic ingredients are fishmeal and fish oil. These two components are derived mainly, though not exclusively, from certain fisheries mainly of pelagic species, captures of which have been broadly stable over the last several years.

About a third of the production is derived from recycled raw materials, by-products like heads, guts, bones, tails etc. left over from processing operations. Global fishmeal production has been relatively constant for the last years at about 5m tonnes. This is used in the production of feeds for the pork and poultry industries as well as for the aquaculture sector, but the proportion used for fish feeds amounts to 60-70 of annual fishmeal and 80-90 of fish oil production. According to Andrew Jackson, Technical Director of the Marine Ingredients Organisation, the volume of fishmeal going to the aquaculture industry has remained between 3 and 3.5m tonnes for the last decade. How then has the global aquaculture sector managed to expand production year after year?

Several factors have contributed.

Chief among them is perhaps

the decrease in the proportion of fishmeal and fish oil feed that is used in feed, as prices of these two ingredients have risen. Fish from stocks used for reduction to

fishmeal and fish oil is also used for direct human consumption, bait for other commercial and recreational fisheries, as well as feed for tuna reared in ranching Emilie Devic

C

onsumption of fish and seafood is increasing across the world today buoyed by population growth, increasing prosperity, greater awareness of the health benefits that derive from eating seafood, and growing urbanisation. A World Bank report from 2013 that models the evolution of production and consumption of fish to 2030 using different scenarios anticipates that total fish production will grow from 142m tonnes in 2008 to 187m tonnes in 2030 under the most plausible scenario. Of this total capture fish production is anticipated to increase from 90m tonnes in 2011 to 93m tonnes in 2030, while farmed fish output is reckoned to expand from 64m to 94m tonnes. In other words, aquaculture is projected to generate half of total fish production in 2030 and over three fifths of food fish production.

The larvae of the black soldier fly seem to be particularly virtuous.

Apart from being used to partly replace fishmeal and fish oil in feeds, while growing they reduce the population of house flies, decrease the smell of the manure they are raised on, and lower the number of harmful bacteria in the manure, as well as the concentrations of nutrients and metals.

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[ RESEARCH ] Main chemical constituents in insect meals vis-à-vis fishmeal and soymeal Constituents Black Housefly soldier fly maggot larvae meal

Mealwom Locust meal

House cricket

Mormon cricket

Silkworm pupae meal

Silkworm pupae meal (defatted)

Fishmeal Soymeal

Crude protein

42.1 (56.9)*

50.4 (62.1)

52.8 (82.6)

57.3 (62.6)

63.3 (76.5)

59.8 (69.0)

60.7 (81.7)

75.6

70.6

51.8

Lipids

26

18.9

36.1

8.5

17.3

13.3

25.7

4.7

9.9

2

Calcium

7.56

0.47

0.27

0.13

1.01

0.2

0.38

0.4

4.34

0.39

Phosphorus

0.9

1.6

0.78

0.11

0.79

1.04

0.6

0.87

2.79

0.69

Ca:P ratio

8.4

0.29

0.35

1.18

1.28

0.19

0.63

0.46

1.56

0.57

Adapted from Makkar et al., 2014; *Values in parentheses are calculated values of the defatted meals © Tran, Heuzé, and Makkar; Animal Frontiers, Apr. 2015, Vol. 5, No. 2

operations. These stocks are fully utilised so demand for fishmeal and fish oil has tended to translate into higher prices. Between 2002 and 2013 the price of fishmeal and fish oil has tripled forcing feed manufacturers to look for cheaper substitutes.

Increasingly these two ingredients are being substituted with cheaper sources of protein and fats, of both animal and plant origin. However, the use of crops as ingredients in feeds has sparked a vociferous debate.

Globally, the farming of food for human consumption is heavily influenced by the use of land and water resources for livestock production. In a research article in the Journal of Insects for Food and Feed, a team of researchers led by colleagues from the Food and Environment Research agency in the UK note that three quarters of the world’s agriculture area is used for the production, either directly or indirectly, of livestock. Based on volumes, crops that are used as feed amount to almost a quarter of global crop production.

In addition, the production of a kilo of animal protein consumes 5-20 times the amount of water needed to produce a kilo of plant protein, however if the water needed for forage and grain production is included then 100 times the water is needed. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Plant matter is not an ideal substitute for fish content in feeds The use of plant matter in feeds is thus socially and environmentally questionable. In addition, as scientists from the Association Française de Zootechnie in Paris, and the FAO report in an article in Animal Frontiers, proteins and fats derived from plants suffer from issues such as palatability, high levels of fibre and non-starch polysaccharides, and low concentrations of certain kinds of amino acids. Researchers looking for more sustainable ways of feeding livestock including farmed fish are considering the potential of insects, a natural source of nutrition for many fish species, types of poultry, and pork. Insects have many other advantages too. They grow rapidly, reproduce easily, and can be reared on bio-wastes, on average a kilo insect biomass can be produced from two kilos of feed biomass. Nutritionally too meals from different species of insect and larvae have been found to be comparable with soya meal and fishmeal. Crude protein, a measurement of protein content, in insect meals varies from 42 to 63, a value similar to soya meal (52) though slightly less than fishmeal (71). Lipid concentrations vary greatly both between and within species depending not

only on the diet, but also the stage of development. Compared with fishmeal (10) and soya meal (2) the lipid content of insect meals varies from 9 for adult locusts to 36 for meal worm.

The fatty acid profiles of insect meal however vary from those of fishmeal in one significant way – the concentrations of omega-3s.

The low levels of omega-3 fatty acids in insect meals makes them unsuitable for feeds for marine fish, which require these substances, but only have a limited ability to synthesise them. However the lipid levels and fatty acid profiles in insects can be manipulated by changing the diet.

Feeding black soldier fly larvae on a 1:1 blend of bovine manure and fish waste rather than pure manure increased the level of lipids as well as of omega-3 fatty acids. Another possibility is to use aquatic insects which have a higher concentration of omega-3 fatty acids than terrestrial insects. Fatty acid profiles in some insects are similar to those in plant-derived oils such as soya and sunflower in that there is a preponderance of linoleic acid (an omega-6) compared with _-linolenic acid (an omega-3).

Salmonids can synthesise the omega-3s EPA and DHA from _-linolenic acid, but it is more efficient for them to get EPA and DHA in the diet.

Compared with plants, insect meal contains little carbohydrates, usually less than 20 and most of it in the form of chitin, a component of the exoskeleton.

Although the ability of fish to digest chitin is a matter of discussion, some benefits of chitin in the diet of fish have been reported.

However, it is generally agreed that chitin is one of the factors that limit the use of insects in fish feed.

In terms of the amino acids found in insect meals researchers have found that insect meals based on silkworm larvae or on flies have a better amino acid profile than soya meal. In meals from other insects, however, some amino acids are under-represented and synthetic versions may have to be added to improve the nutritional profile. The presence of minerals like calcium and phosphorus also varies from insect species to species and these components may have to be supplemented artificially.

Insects could partially replace fishmeal and fish oil In addition to its sustainability however any substitute for fishmeal and fish oil will need to satisfy various requirements if it is to be successful, for example, ready availability, reasonable price, ease of storage, transport, Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

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Emilie Devic

[ RESEARCH ]

The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) is one of a number of insect species that are considered to have potential as an ingredient in fish feed.

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soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae. The results suggested that the larvae may be a suitable partial replacement for fishmeal and fish oil in diets for rainbow trout particularly if enriched with omega-3 fatty acids.

Fish in many countries is fed on insects The United States is far from the only country in the world where the idea of using insects as a substitute for fishmeal and fish oil has taken hold. In Uganda insects are one of a variety of ingredients that include vegetable matter, kitchen and industrial waste that are used to feed fish. The FAO reports that some farmers obtain termites to feed the fish in certain months of the year. However rearing them is not recommended as they are difficult to cultivate and also release high quantities of methane, a greenhouse gas. In Southeast Asia fluorescent lamps are hung above fish ponds to attract insects which then fall into the water and are consumed by the fish. Experiments have also been conducted with the larva of the common housefly (Musca domestica) in Africa and South Korea.

Maggot meal is a potential substitute for fishmeal, but because the housefly is a known vector for certain diseases, maggots must

Georg Melzer-Venturi

and formulation into feed, appropriate nutritional profile and digestibility. Additionally, feeds based on ingredients other than fishmeal and fish oil need to foster the health and welfare of the fish, ensure economically viable growth rates, and production of these components should not cause negative externalities.

Finally, they may not have any adverse impact on human health, and they should be acceptable to consumers. Research into the potential of insects as a replacement for fishmeal and fish oil goes back several years. Trials in the US include some conducted in the mid-2000s at the University of Mississippi on insect-based feeds for striped bass. These established that the experimental feeds resembled conventional feeds in their appearance, were acceptable to the fish, and that the fish were no different in appearance, texture, or flavour from fish raised on conventional feeds. At Idaho State University scientists led by Sophie St-Hilaire tried rainbow trout feeds based on black

Black soldier fly larvae have a number of useful characteristics.

Research has shown how in pig or poultry manure black soldier flies reduced the population of common houseflies by between 94 and 100ď&#x2122;&#x201A;. Raised on bovine or pig manure the larvae significantly decreased concentrations of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus, and in the case of pig manure, also that of a number of other metals significantly diminishing the potential of the manure to pollute. The larvae also aerate the manure speeding up the drying process and rendering it less evil smelling. The residual proteins and other nutrients in the manure are converted inside the larvae into valuable biomass.

Harvested and processed the larvae are both more valuable and easier and cheaper to transport than the manure. The larvae have also been implicated in changing the bacterial composition of the manure, reducing the number of harmful bacteria such as E. coli, and in hen manure, Salmonella enterica.

Different life stages of insects are being considered for their potential as partial or complete substitutes for fishmeal and fish oil. Insects are relatively easy to grow with a low environmental impact and may offer a nutritionally better alternative to the vegetable substitutes that are currently being used in fishmeal. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Saidou Nacambo

[ RESEARCH ]

Domestic fly (Musca domestica) maggots can be made into a meal that could substitute fishmeal. However, because flies are often vectors for disease the maggots need to be carefully processed to eliminate any risks to the fish and to consumers.

be carefully processed to prevent any health risk to livestock or humans. In India research into the potential of grasshoppers as fish fodder has revealed that meal made from two species (Oxya fuscovittata and O. hyla hyla) could partially replace fishmeal in the feed of certain fish species without affecting the growth parameters.

In Norway researchers at the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) are looking at the potential of feeding salmon with insects. ErikJan Lock, a NIFES scientist, told a conference â&#x20AC;&#x153;Insects to Feed the Worldâ&#x20AC;? in Wageningen last year that insect protein could replace up to 100 percent of the fish protein in the salmon diet without compromising the growth of the www.eurofishmagazine.com

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fish or the taste of its flesh, however he added that more research was needed to build up the necessary knowledge. NIFES has launched a project, AquaFly, that will study the potential of insects as a safe, healthy, and sustainable alternative or supplement to existing ingredients in fish feed.

Because insects grow on a variety of substrates including manure and because they can carry and spread disease, using insects as a feed ingredient has implications for health and safety both for livestock eating the feed and for humans consuming the livestock.

EU legislation will need revision Currently EU legislation restricts the use of insect protein to be fed to any farmed animals, as there

are various risks associated with insects as well as the farming environment. In a report released in October 2015 the European Food Safety Authority assessed the risks of using insects as food and feed and concluded that the substrate used to rear the insects and the farming environment strongly influenced the occurrence of hazards on insects.

The report identifies the various threats classifying them into biological, chemical, allergenic, processing, and environmental hazards. In general the occurrence of microbiological hazards in non-processed insects is expected to be lower or equal to the occurrence in other protein sources of animal origin.

However, for certain substrates (manure, sewage, sludge from animals/humans), as well as for the occurrence of prions, the risks would need to be specifically evaluated. With regard to allergens the lack of scientific literature on allergic reactions caused by the consumption of insect protein by farm animals or pets makes it difficult to draw up a risk profile. The report recommends that animals given feed derived from insects be monitored to gain a better understanding of potential allergens. Chemical hazards in non-processed insects depend on a number of factors: the type of chemical, the extent of contamination in the substrate, the degree of accumulation in the insect, the insect species, and its life stage. These factors need to be studied more closely before firm conclusions can be drawn regarding the risks posed to humans or farmed animals. Processing treatment involving heating or freeze drying may reduce the microbiological hazards, but has little impact on chemical contaminants. In fact, some forms of processing, for example

fractionation, may increase the concentration of contaminants in certain fractions, and thereby the risk. In terms of risks to the environment, farmed production of insects is not expected to be more hazardous than the production of other creatures. However, each production system will need to adopt its own environmental impact mitigation strategy that takes into account factors like waste management, and energy and water use. In general however the report points out a number of areas where data is either deficient or non-existent and where more research is necessary to generate a more accurate picture of the risks involved in using insects as a source of food or feed.

Despite the lack of data the potential of insects as a source of food and feed has generated a lot of interest in the private sector. In Europe, an industry body, the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) was established in 2013 in Brussels to represent insect breeders. Tarique Arsiwalla, the vice president, suggests that breeding insects to be used as feed for fish and other meat livestock represents a solution to the dual challenges of producing increasing volumes of high grade protein and using the growing tonnage of organic waste, a by-product of a swelling population and an expanding global economy. Among the goals of the IPIFF is support for research and development, which as the EFSA report also points out, is sorely needed. While some researchers have found that feeding fish on insects has no impact on its taste, the task may be to persuade consumers of the benefits of eating protein that has been raised on insects.

BT Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

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[ PROCESSING ] Efficient, safe, and longer shelf life

High technology for fish packaging Fish and seafood have a high nutritional value but are at the same time sensitive, perishable foods. Packaging protects the products from harm and contributes towards reducing losses during transport, storage or at the retailer’s. The functions that packaging has to fulfil are accordingly diverse. And requirements are constantly growing, for the materials used to produce it are today expected to be as sustainable and recyclable as possible.

I

n the past fishmongers wrapped fish in newspaper before handing it over the counter to the customer but today it is sealed in high tech non-drip, odour proof, insulated packaging. Without these useful packaging options for purposeand product-specific wrapping of packed goods “normal” commercial life would simply no longer be conceivable. What is true for products in general applies to fish and seafood in particular. Packaging maintains product quality, offers protection, and facilitates movement of goods and handling. Because there is a different packaging solution for almost every need and application, fish products are often repacked several times on their journey from source to the finished product. Producers and exporters tend to prefer bulk packaging from shatterpack to interleaved that is robust enough to withstand the demands of global seafood trade and at the same time guarantee that the products arrive at the customer’s undamaged and in optimal quality. Although the requirements of product packaging in wholesaling and retailing are basically similar further functions are necessary at the retailer’s. There, packaging has to appeal to the final customer, it should offer specific information, and also serve as a buying incentive.

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The wide range of packaging solutions for the retail trade is quite overwhelming, particularly in the self-service section. Vacuum packs or MAP, skin packs or sealed plastic trays, traditional folding cartons and tins – not every packaging is right for every product. Fresh fish is packed differently from frozen fish, and the packaging for smoked products or ready-to-cook convenience differs from that used for marinades. Some products are not only packed once but several times, for example MAP smoked salmon which is additionally placed into a cardboard slipcase.

A lot of packaging today is elaborately designed, colourfully decorated and equipped with windows for viewing the contents, and other clever details.

Sometimes it is even possible to gain the impression that the producer has put more effort into the packaging than the actual product. Customer response to all this effort is not always good: consumers react with increasing annoyance, and for many of them packaging is a necessary evil that can necessitate complicated disposal once it has fulfilled its task of carrying the product the short journey to the domestic kitchen.

And their annoyance is even greater if the packaging makes access to the product difficult, i.e. when the ring-pull, zipper closure, easy-peel or other “easy opening” solutions that packaging technologists thought up don’t work as intended. Who, in such situations has not asked themselves whether all this effort is really needed, whether less might not sometimes be better?

But what is the right measure, how much packaging do we really need in self-service trade in its current form? And what alternatives would the producers have?

Whether for frozen or cook-in-the-bag products there is a suitable plastic film for nearly every application.

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[ PROCESSING ] Primary, secondary and tertiary packaging functions In fact, where some products are concerned companies have different packaging options to choose from. However, the desire for less packaging waste is only one of numerous decision criteria. It must also be considered that the packaging has to meet very high requirements with regard to food safety, moisture stability and hygiene. Apart from that, packaging is exposed to various mechanical stresses, for example during stacking in the warehouse, during transport, and at the retailer’s, for some customers like to touch and press products when considering whether to buy them. In spite of this, the packaging should not in any way suffer from this treatment since it has to be presented in the supermarket in such a way that will be a buying incentive.

Packaging has so many functions that they are often grouped for clarity into three categories.

The primary functions are geared towards the technical requirements of packaging, for example protection of the contents against external influences during transport, handling and storage. The material used has to be robust, stable and resistant, it should protect the product as far as possible from fluctuating temperatures, moisture and dirt. This function category also includes protection against loss and damages.

The secondary functions of packaging are to serve the retail sector as they include the communication aspects. Packaging should promote sales and make the buying process as rational as possible. Appearance, feel, smell, even the acoustics of the package should appeal to the senses of the consumer, arouse emotions and stimulate them to buy. Printed www.eurofishmagazine.com

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information on the labels informs shoppers about the ingredients, shelf life, intended usage, correct preparation and particular properties of the product. Product-specific EAN codes enable fast recognition by the scanner at the cash desk. The guarantee function if for consumer protection and product liability. It enables specific product recalls or the acceptance of returned goods by the retailer as long as the freshness seal is still intact. Tertiary functions of packaging comprise its possible additional uses. For example, cartons can be printed with figures to cut out, cups and buckets can be used as storage boxes or toys once they have fulfilled their main purpose, or they can be recycled.

Glass, tin or plastic The packaging classic is the tin can, timeless since its development 200 years ago and it has lost none of its popularity. Cans are robust, protect the contents very effectively and convince users through their long shelf life. Nutritional value, flavour and aroma are optimally preserved. No special temperatures are necessary during storage. These are advantages that pay off for producers, retailers and consumers alike. Canned fish plays a significant role in the global seafood market. One just has to think of canned tuna from Asia that is traded in Europe and North America. Fruit and vegetables account for the major share of canned products; more than one quarter of all canned foods (26) contain fish or other seafood. High-quality products are often preserved in screw top jars that allow a view of the products they contain. Although glass is chemically inert, tasteless and fully approved for food and can in addition also be recycled easily glass jars only account for a small proportion of fish preserves. One

Glass jars or thin sheet metal cans are among the oldest packaging materials for fish and seafood.

explanation for this is probably that glass jars often have to be filled by hand so that the contents are visually appealing. This considerable effort leads to additional costs that raise the price of the mass product.

Instead of glass, producers of preserved products mostly resort to tinplate or aluminium sheet, the “tin” that is known worldwide as the typical canned fish. Metal packaging is also 100 recyclable without quality losses and can thus be re-used after appropriate treatment. Europe-wide, however, only just under two thirds of such cans are recycled at present – estimates speak of slightly more than 60 recycling. And cans rarely consist of pure metal, for on the inside they are today usually coated with plastic based on polyesters, epoxy resins or organosols.

This ultra-thin coating prevents direct contact of the contents with the metal of the can which could

lead to undesired chemical reactions and alter the taste. Such plastic coatings are criticised by consumer organisations because they can give off substances such as bisphenol A to the contents of the can. Although the quantities released are extremely low it is warned that these substances can act like hormones and are said to be harmful especially to small children. In January 2015 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) therefore published a report on possible health risks arising from bisphenol A. According to this report the substance does not pose a risk to human health in the concentrations concerned.

In spite of such concerns the use of plastics in the canning sector is increasing. There are already cans in which the can body is made of metal and the lid of plastic. To close the can securely the materials are connected using an Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

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[ PROCESSING ] elaborate folding technique. The plastic lids are relatively lightweight and usually transparent which reduces the weight of the fish preserve and allows a view of the contents. Some of these products are even suited to preparation in the microwave because the plastic lid allows electromagnetic radiation to pass through. Another variant are plastic lids made of PE (polyethylene) which are additionally slipped over the standard sealed can. This means that the can be reclosed after the standard ring-pull or easy peel lid has been removed. In the meantime there are even containers that are completely made of plastic, something which was long thought to be technically impossible, for cans are subjected to temperatures of at least 75°C during pasteurisation or, in the case of fully preserved products, temperatures of above 120°C during sterilisation. This places extremely high requirements on the plastic material used which also has to have good barrier properties against oxygen and other gases. Not just for a few days but over the product’s full lifetime.

The immense progress in polymer chemistry and the development of coextruded multilayer plastic film have now made such containers possible, however. In spite of this, products in plastic boxes are likely to remain the exception in the foreseeable future.

Inexpensive and resilient, temperature and moisture stable In many areas, however, plastics are indispensable and are considered a universal and cost-effective packaging material. Plastic film, bags and pouches, crates, tubs, buckets and barrels, canisters and pails – plastic packaging can be tailored to use for almost any purpose. Thermoplastics are moisture stable and light-weight and at the 48

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same time mechanically resilient and relatively break-proof. They can be thermally formed, coloured as one wishes, and printed on.

Some plastic materials are suited to deep freezing, others can even endure oven heat. This versatility opens up ever new application fields in the packaging industry.

Flexible plastic film, for example, is available in different hardnesses and thicknesses. It can be used for wrapping fish, for interleaving packed products, or for plastic bags, carrier bags or sacks.

Temperature stable film that can withstand up to 200°C are used to produce cooking bags that are suited to the preparation of foods in the oven, in the microwave or in “sous-vide” techniques. Some of them are equipped with several chambers to enable the separate heating of fish, sauces and other side-dishes. This kind of film mostly allows the passage of any resulting water vapour to enable excess pressure to escape.

Cardboard packaging can be coated with a thin film to render it impervious to liquids and to hold in flavour and aroma. Since the development of modern coextruded film which as a rule consists of three to nine laminar layers the application range of “plastic film” has expanded significantly.

It is often specifically tailored to its intended use. Hot soups and dried fish, fresh or frozen products, delicatessen salads, seafood mixes and ready meals, almost anything will keep well and maintain its quality in packs made of coextruded film.

Stand-up pouches, MAP-sealed trays, vacuum and skin packs Applications for plastic film are to be found practically everywhere.

Self-adhesive household film protects food in the fridge, cartons on pallets are wrapped and secured

The success of fresh and smoked fish products in the self-service retail sector was not possible until packaging in modified atmosphere (MAP) was developed.

by film, shrink film bundles product batches in the warehouse, barrier film seals MAP trays of fresh fish at the retailer’s. Some plastic packaging such as tubs, trays or blister packs are already delivered ready formed and can thus be filled immediately. This type of packaging includes stand-up pouches, flexible bags with a firm base that are in the meantime replacing traditional cans for some seafood products. In contrast to tin cans the stand-up pouches are often equipped with devices that allow the bag to be closed again (e.g. reclosable zippers, retortable press to close). Other packaging varieties are thermoformed in the required size immediately before filling. An example of this method is sealed trays in which fish is packed under protective atmosphere (MAP).

MAP usually requires two different films: a relatively rigid lower film that can be thermoformed into a tray, and a flexible film lid which closes the tray and maintains the quality and freshness of the fish under modified atmosphere. Both materials – the upper and lower film – must have high barrier

properties and be reliably combinable with one another. There is also peelable film that sticks on uncoated aluminium and so can be used for materials other than thermoforming grade bottom films.

The main advantages of deep drawing during the packaging process include the fact that producers can react quickly to current market trends that frequently demand new packaging solutions.

By exchanging the forming tools they can vary the shape and size of the trays, for example, or include several chambers or portion packs.

Intelligent MAP trays are also fitted with absorbent pads that soak up any liquid from the fish fillet and at the same time release CO2 that inhibits the development of harmful bacteria and prevents enzymatic spoilage processes. This can often extend the shelf life of the products by several days.

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[ PROCESSING ] should remain in the sealed tray, in the case of vacuum packed products the air should in contrast be fully evacuated as far as possible and kept out until the pack is opened. A special form of vacuum packaging are the skin packs where the upper film wraps itself around the product like a second skin.

Skin packs constitute high technology in the packaging sector.

Sometimes the shrink process of the high-tech lid film is additionally supported by a vacuum but mostly it is already enough to soften it through the effect of heat. In what almost seems like a magical process the film then wraps itself around the product like a second skin. This takes place so gently and carefully that the soft product is neither squeezed nor constricted.

To perfect the protection of the product the film is joined over a large area to the cardboard on which the product was arranged.

In the past it was often difficult to free the skin film from the cardboard and the contents again when opening but in the meantime this problem has been solved

and today’s improved film can be peeled off easily. Like almost all packaging, skin packs also serve as protection and enable a longer shelf life of the packed products.

Apart from that, they maintain moisture within the product and enable a visually appealing presentation at the retailer’s.

Sustainability is gaining importance in the packaging sector

The upper film of the skin pack wraps itself snugly around the product, fixes it on the base, and prevents leakage of liquid.

The technical, aesthetic and economic requirements of packaging are today already very high but now sustainability has become an important issue, too. Since more and more seafood companies have committed themselves to sustainable usage of resources the topic has moved more strongly into public awareness. Sustainability seals such as Aquaculture Stewardship Council and Marine Stewardship Council communicate a producer’s values and philosophy and have become an important marketing tool. Viewed holistically it is

not only the products that should be considered, however, for the packaging is equally important.

But how does one determine the sustainability of packaging?

Particularly since it is not only a question of the material used but also of its design, the colours used for printing, the transport paths and methods, the weight and also its recyclability. The problem is extremely complex and so it is difficult or even impossible to find a simple answer. A cardboard carton made of recycled cellulose that is flown from the other end of the earth to Europe can be less

Vacuum packaging prevents fat oxidation and the development of aerobic, i.e. O2-dependent pathogens, through air removal. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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sustainable than a light-weight plastic packaging that has a big CO2 footprint during its production from crude oil but which will be used again several times.

When assessing the sustainability of packaging similar rules apply as to the fish products themselves.

From their origin to the final product their path has to be fully traceable. Although such lifecycle considerations are controversial among experts this is at present presumably the simplest way to determine the ecological footprint of packaging within a reasonable time. Direct comparison of materials is difficult, for their resource and energy consumption varies depending on the application.

Cardboard can be more expensive than plastic, the production of tin sheet costs even more but is very economical in the overall balance because it can be recycled and once in the can hardly anything spoils. Some plastics can also be down cycled and re-used. In the eco-balance glass is more advantageous than plastic but only if the transport distances are less than 50 km. No packaging material is per se “good” or “bad” or superior to another. And this also applies to packaging materials made of paper, which are allegedly particularly ecological. But they are often coated with a plastic film as a moisture protection, as in the “coffee to go” mugs.

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[ SPECIES ] European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa)

Successful transition to a sustainable fishery Plaice is one of the commercially most important target species that are fished in the North Atlantic. What makes this flatfish equally significant for both fishermen and fish lovers is not only its excellent meat quality but also the available biomass. Following the low in the 1990s plaice stocks have in the meantime recovered significantly. Nearly 150,000 tonnes are currently caught per year under the ongoing management plan.

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Björn Marnau

F

latfish like plaice are the most extreme example of lateralization in vertebrates.

Organs, body functions and behaviours shift to one side of the body, and no other vertebrate is so asymmetrically built and flattened. And yet after they hatch, flatfish larvae look just the same as “normal” fish. They are symmetrical in build, and float upright in the water with their back facing upwards. With the onset of metamorphosis farreaching changes begin, however, which characterize the shape of the future flatfish. The symmetry of the head, gills, mouth and nose region is increasingly lost. One eye moves over the edge of the forehead to the other side of the body.

With just a few exceptions the left eye usually moves over to the right side and so plaice are assigned to the group of right eyed flatfish.

The arrangement of both eyes on one side of the body and the 90° turn of the fish – flatfishes do not lie on their bellies but on one side of their bodies – necessitate radical amendments to the construction plan of “normal” fishes. Parts of the skull have to be redesigned, optic nerves shifted, and the fish’s sense of balance “reprogrammed”.

At the same time the visual perception upon which the brain models a three-dimensional image of the environment changes. Apart from that, flatfishes swim lying on their

The minimum size for plaice in most central European countries is between 25 and 27 cm.

sides which requires a special coordination of the fins. And even that works: plaice are relatively good swimmers. With undulating movements of their fin edges they move elegantly through the water. Linnaeus could hardly have chosen a more suitable name for the species: The translation of Pleuronectes is “swimming on the side” (Greek pleura – side, ne-ktos – swimming.)

Biologists were for a long time puzzled about why millions of years ago plaice gave up the body plan that proved useful and successful for other fishes. The evolutive development of flatfish was difficult to verify as long as no fossils were found that could confirm the development process. Flatfish evolution remained a mystery, particularly since Darwin’s principle of natural selection was a

contradiction to every attempt at an explanation. For the principle of natural selection means that deviations from the speciestypical norm that arise constantly through mutation are rigorously selected out when put to the test of nature if they do not offer any benefits. It is hardly conceivable that the selection process would not have identified and eradicated such severe abnormalities as the www.eurofishmagazine.com

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Dietmar Lill

[ SPECIES ]

Plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) is mainly found in the North Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat and the Western Baltic.

At a length of nearly 47 cm this plaice is of a size that fishermen rarely find in their nets today.

shirting of an eye. In the 1930s the evolutionary biologist Richard Goldschmidt tried to explain the evolution of flatfish through “macromutations”. His theory was that in the course of evolution dramatic genetic changes could sometimes suddenly occur that in some species led to development leaps and changed an organism’s build from scratch, making them “hopeful monsters” – like flatfish.

Although evolutionary biologists were never really happy with Goldschmidt’s macromutations they couldn’t offer a more plausible explanation either.

small fishes such as gobies, smelts, young herring and cod. Their staple diet is molluscs, primarily thin shelled species such as cockles and clams, young scallops and razor shells, blue mussels, and soft clams. Plaice grind the shells down with their pharyngeal teeth and the powerful pharynx muscles.

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Spawning normally takes place

Plaice stocks are at temperatures of 5 to 7°C. Plaice susceptible to overfishing eggs need a salinity of at least 12 to Plaice prefer cool, saline waters.

Their lower tolerance limit is around 5 parts per thousand. They are gregarious bottom dwellers and are relatively faithful to their habitat, which is preferably at water depths of between 10 and 50 metres on a seabed with sand or broken shells. During the day the fish usually burrow into the sediment but at night they are active and swim up to 30 km a day in their search for food. Plaice use the water currents in order to save energy.

At low tide they allow themselves to be carried by the current into deeper waters and then later on the tide carries them back to more shallow zones near the shore. This energy-saving technique is called selective tidal stream transport.

The feed spectrum of plaice is broad. They eat anything they can overpower and that fits in their mouths: in particular polychaetes, brittle stars and shrimps but also

15 parts per thousand for the eggs to float pelagically in the water. In the relatively low-salt Baltic, plaice can thus only spawn in the western regions or at great water depths of around 60 m. In the North Sea the spawning grounds are usually at depths of between 20 and 40 m.

The best known spawning grounds include the deep channel off the Dutch-Belgian coast, the eastern channel, parts of Heligoland Bight

and the central southern North Sea, but also England’s east coast between Aberdeen and Montrose, in the Firth of Forth, off Flamborough Head and north of Fraserborough, or off the Norwegian coast and off southern Iceland. Plaice lay their eggs in small portions at intervals of 3 to 5 days for the duration of about a month (portion spawners).

Depending on water temperature the yolk sac larvae hatch two to three weeks later. After completion of metamorphosis the young plaice measure about 12-14 mm in length and begin their demersal existence. In their second year of life the fishes are about 15 cm long and migrate to deeper waters. Lack of food, bad weather and the massive development of jellyfish can harm young plaice.

The North Sea is the main area of distribution and also the major Dietmar Lill

It was not until Matt Friedman, a British palaeobiologist, scoured the fish fossil collections of several European museums a few years ago that more light was brought into the darkness. He for the first time found fossil remains of symmetrical fish during the transition to asymmetrical flatfishes.

Scientists had been searching for these since Darwin. In computed tomography images it was recognizable that in these fossils one eye had shifted in the direction of the vertex (crown of the head).

With that Friedman had provided definitive proof that the asymmetry of the flatfish is not caused by macromutation but developed in a gradual evolutionary process.

An approximate impression of the course of this change in shape that

took place during evolution over millions of years is today conveyed by the early development phase of flatfish in which this remarkable chapter of evolution is run quasi in fast motion. Depending on water temperature the spectacular reorganisation of the symmetrical yolk sac larvae to the asymmetrical flatfish takes barely two months.

The plaice stocks in the North Sea and Irish Sea that account for three quarters of the total European catch of this flatfish species are at present within safe biological limits.

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[ SPECIES ] Development in catches of European plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) in tonnes 250000

200000

150000

100000

50000

2010

2005

2000

1995

1990

1985

1980

1975

1970

1965

1960

1955

1950

0

Source: FAO

fishing ground for the plaice fishery. The species is susceptible to overfishing and the stocks react sensitively to changes in environmental conditions or strong pressure from fishing. Special protective measures, fixing of minimum landing sizes and closed seasons were introduced in an attempt to maintain the stocks at a sustainable level. Such measures alone are rarely sufficient, however, to avert overfishing. As from the early 1970s the biomass of the plaice spawning stocks was greatly decimated by intensive fishing until in the 1990s an all-time low was reached. In 1989 a â&#x20AC;&#x153;plaice boxâ&#x20AC;? (a defined closed area to protect fish stocks) was set up in the North Sea. The 40,000 square kilometre region in the Wadden Sea off the Danish, German and Dutch coasts was to offer more effective protection of undersize plaice juveniles.

The region was closed for plaice fishing with beam trawlers over 52

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300 horsepower (221 kW), at first only temporarily but then, as from 1995, all the year round.

Rigorous implementation of EU management plan a success Opinions vary on whether the plaice box has fulfilled its objective. Fisheries scientists assure us that without it the plaice stock would today be smaller. In contrast to this view, a lot of fishermen see the box as an example of failed regional development policy at a high cost for minor benefits. Important goals, particularly the reduction of plaice juvenile discards and an increase of plaice revenue were not achieved at first. In spite of this, the EU Commission decided to hold on to the protection zone until scientific research could deliver a more exact assessment of the situation.

And until then, the restrictions in

this region will continue to apply.

It is controversial what part the plaice box plays in the recovery process of the plaice stocks.

In contrast, there are no doubts about the value of the EU longterm management plan. Part of this plan has meant that plaice and sole have since 2008 been managed on the basis of maximum sustainable yield (MSY) and that has paid off! After the low in the 1990s the number of spawners has risen continually. Plaice stocks in the North Sea and the Irish Sea which account for three quarters of the total European plaice catch are within safe biological limits. According to ICES, the number of plaice at reproductive age (spawning stock biomass) in the North Sea was 670,000 t in 2014, the highest value since 1957 and more than twice as high as the long-term average! It is expected that in 2015 spawning stock biomass will exceed 700,000 t.

This positive development has also been helped by the fact that the responsible politicians have recently based their TAC decisions strictly on scientific recommendations. The plaice stock in the Central North Sea is currently at a record level, and stock biomass is likely to increase further in the medium term although the fishing quotas were raised several times by about 15 per cent. Plaice is the most important flatfish for European fisheries and is a major source of income for cutter fishermen in the North Sea and the Baltic. According to FAO statistics, total landed volume amounted to 108,774 t in 2013.

Due to the positive stock development it was possible to raise the TAC for 2015 to 152,075 t. The Dutch fishing sector, in particular, benefits from this because it is geared very strongly to plaice and landed 33,748 t in 2013, followed by Denmark with 21,893 t and UK with 21,226 t.

New fishing gear supports sustainability and protects the environment Numerous different kinds of fishing gear are used for plaice fishing, both traditional ones like gillnets and traps and new types, too, that enable a more gentle fishing process. In the North Sea, where plaice are mostly fished together with sole, beam trawls continue to play an important role. This fishing gear accounts for about 80ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of Dutch flatfish landings. Environmentalists criticise beam trawling because the tickler chains beneath the beam that hold the net on the bottom and startle the flatfish and drive them out of the seabed are allegedly harmful to both the seabed and the animals that live there. The fishermen have reacted to this criticism and taken measures to better protect the seabed ecosystems and undersized juvenile plaice. A lot of fishermen now use nets with larger www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ SPECIES ] mesh sizes than required by law and more and more fishing gears are equipped with escape panels, sorting, selection or guide grids that enable small fish to escape. In cooperation with fishing technologists some traditional fishing methods have been modified or completely new concepts developed and tried out that are gentler, more environmentally friendly, more energy-saving and more sustainable. For example, the Danish seine has been further developed to enable its use in deeper waters. In contrast to the shallow water method, fly shooting, also called Icelandic seining, uses a kind of harpoon to shoot the line away.

The new developments in fishing gear include the pulse trawl in which the heavy chains beneath the net are replaced by thin electrodes which emit slight electric shocks to disturb and stun the fish. Electro beams are lighter than traditional beam trawls, fuel consumption is reduced by 20-40 per cent and fishing causes less damage to the seabed. The catch ability of hydrorigs is based on hydrodynamic effects. The transverse beam at the upper net edge produces a strong pressure wave in front of the net opening during trawling in the water and this startles the fish.

Sumwings or jackwings do without runners completely and float like aeroplane wings above the seabed.

Plaice fishing using a twinrig even fulfils all MSC requirements. Each of these technical alternatives to the beam trawl solves individual parts of the criticised problems but not all of them at once. Compromises in this area are inevitable.

Marketing initiatives to increase demand for plaice Plaice is marketed both fresh and frozen. The centre of European flatfish processing is The Netherlands www.eurofishmagazine.com

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and about one quarter of the Dutch fish and seafood processing companies (over 400 in all) specialises mainly in flatfish. A share of the plaice goes to the retailer’s kitchen-ready and h & g (“head off, gutted” or simply “headed and gutted”). By far the larger share, however, is hand- or machineprocessed to fillets. Filleting is relatively easy because the skeleton structure of plaice has just a few short ribs and pinbones which hardly disturb the required cuts.

The fillets are removed completely from the backbone on both sides of the body in one piece, partly skinned and then traded fresh or frozen. Fresh plaice fillets are part of the traditional standard range of products at service counters in the fish trade in northern and central Europe. Since fresh fillets and also fillets packed in modified atmosphere (MAP) became available in supermarkets and discounters fresh sales have increased further.

Because plaice are relatively flat and the amount of meat on single fillets is accordingly low the fillets of the eye side and the blind side are sometimes placed on top of one another and frozen together. These products, mostly called “double deckers” or “married”, offer numerous possibilities for further processing and value adding. At the retailer’s plaice is often sold breaded or in a batter coating. Double deckers often have cream fillings or similar ingredients between the two fillets. Single fillets can be rolled and then filled, seasoned or combined with a suitable sauce. Such convenience products are suitable either as finger food or as the main components of complete fish dishes. Whether briefly fried or steamed, breaded, rolled and filled with a tasty filling, with or without sauce, plaice is suited to a variety of preparation methods.

They can be grilled and even used

A typical and particularly striking feature of plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) are the round orange-red spots on the eye side. The skin is smooth.

for some Mediterranean meals.

Young plaice are smoked in some regions, a processing method that is particularly popular around the Baltic. Due to the good stock situation and large catches some companies are even using plaice fillets for the production of canned fish products. During food controls plaice products occasionally fail due to high extraneous water content in the fillet which is often the result of an excessive use of polyphosphates. If the use of such additives is not correctly declared it is regarded as attempted fraud.

The water absorption feigns a higher fillet weight and there is a real risk that water is then sold for the price of plaice.

The abundant plaice catches of recent years have led to an oversupply in the market. Particularly in 2013 and 2014 supply was sometimes in excess of demand and there were serious problems selling this high-quality table fish. A lot of fishermen complained about sales problems and falling prices. Whilst in 2008 they could still get an average of 2.15 EUR per kilogram for plaice the price in 2013 was just over one euro. Some landings could not be sold at the fish auctions even for very low prices of below 0.80 EUR/kg and had to be processed to fishmeal. It is thus

hoped that special marketing campaigns will be able to improve the marketing opportunities for plaice products. Initiatives in this direction usually come from the Dutch fish industry which would like to establish the month of September as a second marketing peak (in addition to May). The first promotion test in 2012 under the slogan “Let plaice into your heart” was successful. The following campaign “Schol is smullen” roughly translated “Plaice is a feast” which ran in September 2014 in Germany, too, could offer more potential.

Towards the end of 2015 the mood of many plaice fishermen brightened slightly after a long dry spell.

For the first time in years producer prices were slightly better.

The auction price for the smallest plaice grade was stable for weeks at 1.30 EUR/kg which industry experts put down to the continually good, sometimes even growing demand and declining inventories in the wholesale sector. Despite this, the peak prices of earlier years when plaice fishermen could get over 2 EUR/kg are still a long way off. But recent developments raise hopes that the efforts made for sustainable management of the plaice stocks in the North Sea will at last pay off for the fishermen, too.

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] Low tuna catches worldwide have led to global price increases despite moderate demand

Spain, Italy imported more cooked loins than a year ago During the third quarter of 2015, frozen skipjack prices increased strongly by almost 50%, but started to decline in October. In the first half of 2015, the sashimi tuna market in Japan remained weak. For the first time in history, US imports of air-flown fresh tuna were higher than that of Japan something that could become a common feature in the future as well. For canned tuna, export earnings suffered in Asia and Latin America during the first six months of 2015, as traditional markets in the USA and EU remained lacklustre. Import growth only persisted in the Middle Eastern markets.

Yellowfin tuna frozen at -60 degrees is being up cut up into more manageable chunks in a Spanish factory. The fish is imported from Asia, Africa, or other parts of the world.

F

ishing was average in the Indian Ocean with raw material inventories at local canneries reported to be at healthy levels. Prices increased in Abidjan, which were lagging behind other markets; more 54

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competitive prices of raw material led to higher exports to the European markets. In the Eastern region of the Indian Ocean, lower catches of bait fishery (mackerel) in the Maldives have affected the country’s pole and

line based tuna fishery during the first half of 2015 with reduced landings reported. In Japan, total tuna landings was marginally lower (- 0.6) to total 72 172 tonnes during January-March 2015 compared with the same

period of 2014. However, there was a substantial rise in fresh tuna landings (+64) from coastal waters. During this same time period, frozen tuna landings from the distant water fishery fell by nearly 11 to 56 679 tonnes, www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] primarily due to lower landings of skipjack and albacore tuna.

Lower catches, area closures, reduced effort contribute to rising prices Lower worldwide tuna catches in the main fishing regions led to rising prices in the international market during the third quarter of 2015. Indeed, the delivery price of frozen skipjack from the Western Pacific to Thailand increased from USD 900 per tonne in June to USD 1 450 per tonne in September 2015. This strengthening price trend was bolstered by the World Tuna Purse Seine Organization’s decision to reduce fishing efforts by 35 from 15 May to 31 December 2015 in an effort to stop prices from weakening. In addition, there was a four-month long FAD fishing closure in Western and Central Pacific implemented from July to October 2015. In the Eastern Pacific, landings have decreased due to a general slowdown in fishing and the IATTC ‘veda’ closure that ended on 28 September 2015. Local canneries were holding moderate inventories of raw material. Tuna prices in Ecuador stabilized between USD 1 250-1 400 per tonne as a result of low demand for canned products in the import markets. Canned tuna producers in South America are also uncertain about the potential consequences of the devaluation of various currencies versus the dollar, which makes exports from Ecuador more expensive.

USA imports more fresh tuna than Japan for first time Favourable summer weather helped to bolster strong demand www.eurofishmagazine.com

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The thawed tuna is processed into steaks or loins and packaged for the Spanish market.

for fresh and frozen tuna steaks/ fillets in the US market 2015, particularly at the household level for outdoor cooking. Retail prices of fresh tuna steaks, generally originating from Pacific waters, ranged from USD 10.0016.00 per pound in US supermarkets this summer with demand highest on the west coast. During the first half of 2015, US imports of fresh/chilled tuna were higher than Japan, coming to a total of 11 300 tonnes.

In comparison, Japan imported only 8 401 tonnes of fresh tuna during the same period. However, total US imports of fresh/ chilled tuna were marginally low (-3) during the first six months of 2015 due to reduced catches of yellowfin tuna in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The main suppliers to the US market were Trinidad and Tobago, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Thailand. Notably, US imports of higher value fresh bluefin and bigeye tuna

increased during the first half of 2015, compared with the same period 2014.

in 2014, reflecting the falling demand pattern in the world’s largest sashimi tuna market.

Huge decline in Japanese imports of fresh tuna over six years

Extra-EU imports of fresh tuna during the first half of 2015 declined from 2 056 tonnes in 2014 to 1 099 tonnes in 2015. Among the total, yellowfin was the main species group (1 549 tonnes) largely supplied by the Maldives (65).

Imports of frozen tuna loins/ fillet, however, increased from 7 007 tonnes during the first half of 2014 to 8 397 tonnes during the same time period 2015. The top three suppliers were Viet Nam (2 020 tonnes ), the Republic of Korea (1 855 tonnes) and Ecuador (1 069 tonnes).

Examining half yearly trade trends in the past six years, imports of fresh tuna into Japan have declined by a notable 50.

From 17 000 tonnes during the first half of 2010 to just 8 400 tonnes in the corresponding period 2015. Consumption of fresh tuna is declining both at home and in the restaurant trade in Japan. The market preference for sashimi quality frozen tuna remains stronger than for fresh tuna due to frozen tuna’s longer shelf life. Nonetheless, imports of the preferred bigeye and yellowfin frozen tuna during the first half of 2015 were lower than compared with the same period

Canned tuna import movements mixed in main markets Following a decade-long trend, the top six largest import markets for canned tuna during Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] the first half of 2015 were the USA, Spain, Italy, France, the UK and Egypt. Import trends among these importers were mixed. The USA, Italy and France reported declining imports, whereas imports increased in the other three markets. Total EU imports of prepared tuna (canned tuna and cooked loins) from nonmember countries remained stable during this period. In terms of exports, Thailand, Ecuador, Spain, the Philippines and China were the leading five suppliers of canned/prepared tuna to the international market. Exports declined from all countries except China.

The declining export trend for canned/processed tuna continued in Thailand during the first half of 2015. Export volumes weakened by -8.3 compared with the same period in 2014.

There were reduced exports to the EU, the USA, Japan and Australia. Supplies increased to Egypt and to the Middle Eastern markets of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Qatar as well as to Brazil (+26) and Panama. Thailand’s total export value of canned/ processed tuna during the first half of 2015 declined by 18 to total USD 1 billion compared with USD 1.17 billion during the same period in 2014. The most recent trade data from Ecuador was available only for January to May 2015, and demonstrated a 9 decline in canned and cooked tuna export volumes compared with the same period in 2014 to total 70 808 tonnes.

However, import data from the main markets demonstrated an increase in shipments to the EU (+21) and a 30 rise in deliveries to the USA.

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Thailand, China, the biggest exporters of canned tuna Among the other leading producers and exporters of canned tuna in the first half of 2015, exports from Spain fell by 0.61, by 30 from the Philippines and by 8.5 from Mauritius. China exported more cooked loins and canned tuna during this period with total exports increasing by 5 to 37 261 tonnes compared with January-June 2014. There was a significant 76 rise in cooked loins exports from China to Portugal but exports to Spain fell 55 against the same period 2014.

There were higher exports of canned tuna from China to Russia, Cuba and Chile. Imports of both canned and pouched tuna into the USA were lower in the first half of 2015 indicating a fall in consumer demand. Canned and pouched tuna imports totalled 99 862 tonnes, a drop of 5 compared with the 104 822 tonnes imported during the same period 2014. Thailand remained the top source but with a 13.6 fall in supply, followed by China (+7), Ecuador (+30), Viet Nam (-4) and the Philippines (-4). Compared with the same time period 2014, there was a 20 increase in cooked loin imports from China during the reporting period.

During January-June 2015, extraEU import volumes of canned and processed tuna increased marginally by .06 but in valueterms declined by -18 compared with the same time period in 2015. In terms of the total supply from third countries, imports increased marginally from Ecuador, the top supplier, to total 51 258 tonnes. This increase could be attributed to higher imports of cooked loins by Spain and Italy.

Imports from Thailand declined by 33 to total 24 208 tonnes but increased by 26 from Indonesia ( 12 795 tonnes) and by 17 from Papua New Guinea compared with the same period 2014. There was a 35 rise in exports from Côte d’Ivoire to the EU market during this period.

Imports of cooked loins into the EU fell by 5 in the first half of 2015 compared with the same time period 2014, with cooked loins taking a 29 share of total processed tuna imports into the EU. The shares of skipjack and yellowfin in total cooked loin imports during January-June 2015 were 45 and 17 respectively.

Cooked tuna loins re-processed in Europe Spain, Italy, France and Portugal are the main re-processors of cooked loins in the EU. During January-June, imports increased significantly in the Spanish market (+33) as well as in Italy compared with the same period 2014.

Indonesia emerged as the leading supplier of cooked tuna loins in the Italian market. For canned and pouched tuna, imports into the UK and Germany increased by 8 and 21 respectively. However, for the Netherlands and Belgium, imports declined by 20 for each.

France and Italy imported less during the first half of 2015 with supplies dominated by Spanish products.

In the Asia/Pacific region, Japan and Australia are two important markets for canned tuna. During the first half of 2015, imports into Japan totalled 25 330 tonnes, a 6.8 increase in comparison with the same period 2014, which could be attributed to the cheaper raw material prices. Australian

volume imports were stable at 25 000 tonnes. The markets in Southeast Asia remained weak with lower imports in Malaysia and Singapore. In the Middle East, the volume of canned tuna imports increased into Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and also in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries.

Demand for canned tuna in EU, US unlikely to improve In the short-term, tuna supplies are expected to be low to moderate, although landings in the Western and Central Pacific increased slightly in September while the FAD closure ended on 31 October. To keep tuna prices stable in the global market, the Purse Seiners Association will continue to limit their fishing efforts until the end of 2015. However, Thai canneries currently have sufficient raw material with moderate levels of production. Additionally, since October, tuna packers in Ecuador have been reporting falling demand from Latin American markets.

As a result, price weakening is expected until the end of 2015, particularly for skipjack. Catches around the Eastern Indian Ocean have been low, impacting the pole and line fishery in the Maldives, for which prices will remain stable. Indonesia is expected to export less raw tuna for canning and produce more processed tuna, such as loins for exports. The actual demand for canned tuna in the traditional markets of the US and EU is unlikely to improve much even though current prices of skipjack are showing some weakening trends. Asian producers/exporters will focus more on the Middle East and emerging markets. © FAO Globefish

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] The international market for shrimp

Weak prices persist in 2015 but import demand remains disappointing In the first half of 2015, global production of farmed shrimp was lower than the same time period 2014, particularly with less than expected harvests in Asia. Production in Ecuador was higher during this period, with Viet Nam as their top export market. Shrimp prices plummeted by 15-20% in international trade compared with the first six months of 2014 as a result of the supply and demand disparity in the USA, the EU and Japan. For exports, India, Indonesia and Thailand managed to increase their volumes to the USA, albeit with plummeting export revenues. There were also higher imports to Viet Nam, the Republic of Korea and China during this period.

I

n Asia, the season that usually begins around April/May was very delayed in 2015. The extreme hot weather in India caused a three-month delay in the monsoon, causing non-viral disease in certain areas and affecting overall production volume.

In Andhra Pradesh, the country’s largest vannamei farming area, aquaculture production was 30 lower during the first half of 2015.

Harvests also remained lower than 2014’s in Orissa but increased moderately in Gujarat, Kerala and West Bengal. According to industry sources, total Indian farmed shrimp could be anywhere from 10 to 20 lower in 2015 compared with 2014.

Disease wracks industry in several Asian countries Production in Viet Nam, China and Malaysia has been lower due to disease problems. However, for the first time since 2012, farmed shrimp production in Thailand recovered, reaching nearly 160 000 tonnes during the JanuarySeptember 2015 period. Total Thai production in 2015 is likely to be 250 00 tonnes, an increase of 35 000 tonnes compared with production www.eurofishmagazine.com

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in 2014. Exports have increased accordingly. In China, shrimp disease surfaced frequently taking its toll on shrimp aquaculture in the southern provinces of Hainan and Fujian. As a result production volume was much lower than average.

This coupled with falling market prices forced many farmers to raise alternative aquatic species. During the first six months of 2015 Vietnamese shrimp farmers reduced their stocking density by 30 to combat EMS and falling export prices. The industry association VASEP calculated a 1.6 decline in vannamei production during this period against the same period 2014. Reportedly, large farms were doing well but production declined at the small-scale level. Local raw material shortages resulted in higher imports of shrimp for re-export and export processing, especially from Ecuador.

Farmed shrimp production increased in Ecuador during the first half of 2015 due to early harvesting in May because of the EMS scare. Since July, farmers have opted for lower stocking density to reduce mortality. Beginning in late April, some farmers decided to emergency harvest and as a result, Ecuador’s shrimp

Although a major producer and exporter of shrimp Viet Nam is also a significant importer, absorbing 100,000 tonnes in the first half of 2015.

production in May reached 30 000 tonnes compared with last May’s monthly average of 23 000 tonnes.

The National Fisheries Institute in Ecuador however, denied the presence of EMS in the country.

2015, supplies in Honduras and Nicaragua were being affected by EMS disease. In Mexico, the situation has improved, and farmed shrimp production has increased compared with 2014.

There was a marginal decline in cumulative landings of shrimp (-3.8) in the US Gulf of Mexico during the first six months of 2015 compared with the same time period in 2014. Ex-vessel prices of all medium sized shell-on products weakened significantly.

Exports to major markets, with the exception of the US, decline In general, global demand for shrimp softened during the January–June 2015 period compared with the same time period in 2014. Stronger US dollar and weak export prices supported higher imports into the US market. Yet imports declined in other developed markets, notably in the EU, Switzerland, Japan, Australia and New Zealand compared with the same period 2014. In Russia, the weak rouble and depressed economy sunk imports by a notable 64 during the reporting period.

However, imports into the East Asian markets of China and the Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] Republic of Korea increased for domestic consumption. In the global market, weaker shrimp prices during the first half of 2015 have taken a toll on export revenues in the major producing countries, although quantitatively exports have increased.

Ecuador was the world’s number one shrimp exporter during the January-June period, as exports totalled 167 291 tonnes, demonstrating 15 volume growth compared with the same period 2014.

However, in value terms, exports fell by 13. India held the second position, exporting 12 more than 2014’s volume to total 160 957 tonnes. Exports increased from Thailand by 6 (70 562 tonnes) and also from Indonesia. In Viet Nam, VASEP reported a 17 drop in shrimp’s export value.

During the first half of 2015, import volumes of shrimp into the USA increased by 8 to total 268 600 tonnes compared with 248 300 tonnes in 2014. However, the import value declined by nearly 15 to USD 2.6 billion during this period.

Supplies of shell-on products increased from Ecuador, India and Indonesia. In the semi-processed raw tail-on category, and for valueadded shrimp, Thailand was the top exporter with increased supplies 2015. During the first half of 2015, US imports from Indonesia grew but declined from Viet Nam. Although US imports increased, the market is yet to rebound completely according to industry sources. Distributors are still buying based on what is needed. Overall, inventories remain excessive, with the exception of wild larger sizes.

Stronger dollar increases import volumes to the US

Japanese supermarkets boost shrimp consumption campaigns

The USA is the world’s single largest import market for shrimp.

As such, it influences international shrimp prices significantly.

During the first half of 2015, US importers paid 20 less for shrimp imports compared with 2014, but end consumers in the USA, particularly in the retail market, did not benefit much from this development due to the high priced inventory market. Outdoor dining improved during the summer holiday months (JuneAugust) with greater demand for shrimp benefiting the restaurant trade. Lower import prices also induced higher imports during the first half of 2015, even with more than sufficient stocks in the market. The US shrimp market remains oversupplied because of increased catches of domestic shrimp 2015. Total shrimp supplies (imports plus US domestic landings) were about 8-10 above the 2014 figure.

Even though Japanese shrimp imports have declined significantly over the years, Japan still remains the second largest importer after the USA. In 2015, Japanese shrimp consumption seems to have improved with supermarkets holding more promotional campaigns compared with the last two years.

However, the weak yen could not support higher imports and supplies declined by nearly 8 during the first half of 2015 against the same period 2014. Imports of both raw frozen and value-added shrimp reported declines in the first half of 2015, the former by 9 when compared with the first half of 2014. Summer holiday demand for shrimp in July/August was strong for processed shrimp but retail sales of raw shrimp did not pick up much due to the extremely hot weather. Japanese supermarkets are likely to continue promotional campaigns during their year-end sales as shrimp prices

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remain below levels seen in the past two years.

Shrimp loses its appeal in the EU During the first quarter of 2015, EU total shrimp imports increased marginally, but dipped again in the middle of 2015. In JanuaryJune 2015, both intra- and extraEU imports of shrimp fell below levels at the same period 2014, which marketers say is a result of sufficient stocks in the weak consumer market. Among the top suppliers of tropical shrimp, exports declined from Ecuador (-10) and India (-8) but increased from Viet Nam (+15.5).

Imports of cold-water shrimp increased significantly from Argentina (+27.4) but fell from Iceland. In the individual EU markets, there were higher imports in Spain, France, Sweden, Portugal, Poland and Greece. Outside of the EU, the Swiss and Norwegian markets imported less during JanuaryJune 2015 compared with the same period 2014. Russia imported only 9 500 tonnes of shrimp during this period, a 64 reduction compared with this period in 2014.

Some Asian countries are significant shrimp importers When comparing the first half of 2015 year-on-year, there were mixed import trends in the Asia/ Pacific shrimp market. In the developed markets, Australia and New Zealand imported 25 and 17 less respectively. China’s imports were slightly higher (+5) due to reduced domestic production. Imports into the nonproducing market of the Republic of Korea increased moderately by 10 at 31 000 tonnes; Hong Kong SAR’s imports were stable at 23 000 tonnes. Malaysia imported 8 more as local production

of farmed shrimp suffered due to EMS. According to data from exporting countries, Viet Nam imported more than 100 000 tonnes of shrimp during JanuaryJune 2015, which is 68 higher than compared with 2014’s period. Viet Nam was the number one export market for Ecuador during the first half of 2015, while for India, it was the second largest export market after the USA. The weakening of average import prices in Asia has been lower (5-15) than that in western markets. Indeed, retail prices of shrimp in East Asian markets have remained high since the beginning of 2015. Malaysia is an important market for shrimp in Southeast Asia where retail prices of fresh vannamei were almost 50 higher in August compared with the same month in 2014. More so, the devaluation of the national currency in Malaysia by almost 30 has made imports more expensive from neighbouring countries.

Lower supplies forecast for the end of 2015 In India, vannamei shrimp prices began strengthening in October for some sizes. Large sizes were in short supply. Indian farmers were conservative in pond stocking and the next harvest season was in December, with supplies expected to decline. The seasonal wind down will also reduce production in China and Viet Nam. In Ecuador, lower shrimp volumes were expected from the September harvest, as many farmers have opted for low density stocking. As a result, prices may bottom out in the shortterm. However, the US market is holding significant supply and importers seem to be less aggressive. Lower inventory in Europe may generate limited demand for year-end sales. Even with falling supply, the shrimp market is likely to remain demand driven until the end of 2015. © FAO Globefish www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[

FISH INFONETWORK NEWS

News

Improving the sustainability of small-scale fisheries in North Africa and the Middle East FAO with the assistance of Infosamak and the collaboration of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries of the Sultanate of Oman and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean co-organised a four day regional workshop on achieving sustainable small-scale fisheries, which was held in Muscat, Oman in December 2015. It was attended by 40 participants representing governments, academia, non-governmental organisations, regional and international organisations, and civil society bodies, from 12 countries in the Middle East

and North Africa. The main objective of the workshop was to increase stakeholders’ knowledge concerning the implementation of a set of voluntary guidelines designed to increase the sustainability of small-scale fisheries.

Another goal of the meeting was to encourage countries’ commitment, partnership and involvement in the development and implementation of these guidelines in their communities. The workshop was also a valuable opportunity for the participants to share experiences relating to their governance of fisheries.

]

Mr Panariti briefly presented the priorities for the fisheries sector in Albania based on the recently developed national fisheries strategy. The Minister outlined some of the priorities for the sector’s development, both in terms of primary production that is, aquaculture and fisheries, and in terms of creating a value chain.

He stressed that the creation of wholesale markets, fishing ports, and repairing docks was important to drive the further development of the sector. The Minister also stated that a feasibility study of fish resources in Albanian waters was high on his agenda.

The fruitful discussion highlighted the need for enhanced

institutional cooperation to better face current challenges, exploit potential opportunities, and generate benefits for Albania. In this context, Aina Afanasjeva pointed out the need to strengthen the collaboration between Eurofish and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), Albania being a member of both organisations, to assist the national fisheries administration.

The Minister showed a marked interest in the chairmanship of the Eurofish Governing Council, which Albania took over from Poland and expressed his willingness to work together with Eurofish to accomplish some joint activities in the years to come.

The plenary session at a meeting of representatives from 12 Middle Eastern and North African countries to discuss the sustainability of small-scale fisheries.

Albania and Eurofish discuss opportunities for closer collaboration Aina Afanasjeva, Director of Eurofish International Organisation had a meeting with Edmond Panariti, the Albanian Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Administration www.eurofishmagazine.com

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in December 2015 in Tirana.

The meeting was held to identify opportunities for future collaboration as well as to discuss the Albanian chairmanship of the Eurofish Governing Council.

Edmond Panariti, Albanian Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Water Administration met with Aina Afanasjeva, Director of Eurofish, to discuss a role for Eurofish in achieving some of the goals of the Albanian national fisheries strategy.

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[

FISH INFONETWORK NEWS

]

Delegation from Senegal visits Morocco

The Fish Infonetwork ( FIN )

Infosamak organised a study tour for a delegation of administrators and Senegalese traders to the Kingdom of Morocco at the end of November 2015. The visit was organised as part of a Technical Cooperation Project between the EU and Senegal to support the sustainable development of fisheries. The agenda included

The FIN consists of seven 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 three network magazines – Infofish International, 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.

visits to institutions and departments under the Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fishing, the National Board of Fisheries (ONP), cephalopod processing plants as well as to the Specialised Center of Value addition and Technology of Marine Products under the National Institute of Fisheries Research.

The delegation from Senegal meets with staff of the Moroccan National Board of Fisheries as part of the Senagalese’ study tour of the sector.

Reducing post-harvest fish losses in Africa

Dr Pagadi Soro, Quality Assurance Expert, Infopêche

Post-harvest fish losses occur in all fisheries value chains to differing degrees. These losses generally involve a revenue loss and/or a physical loss of the fish. They are a major problems in Africa, where many people experience food insecurity. A revenue loss is when 60

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the producers, fishermen and processors lose incomes, when they must sell their fish at lower prices because of deterioration or damage to the product. Physical losses are caused by the serious deterioration of fish to the point where it can no longer be used. In this case no income is generated.

In December 2015 the Ministry of Livestock Resources and Fisheries of the Ivory Coast together with the FAO organised a workshop in Abidjan, where stakeholders discussed ways to reduce these losses. The workshop was part of a TCP project that aims to substantially reduce post-harvest losses of fish products in particular by training the people handling the fish as well as by building processing ovens to increase the shelf life of the products.

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: European Commission (DG MARE) Brussels, Belgium COGEA, Italy Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), USA Norwegian Seafood Council, Tromsoe, Norway FranceAgriMer - Montreuil-sous-Bois, France Seafish, the Authority, United Kingdom Ministerio de Agricultura, Alimentación y Medio Ambiente, Spain

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, 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, Fiji, India, Iran, Malaysia, Maldives, Pakistan, Papua new Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka and 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.infopeche.ci Member Countries: Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

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, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, 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.infoyu.net 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

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Fisheries and aquaculture in the Mediterranean

Research, cooperation, and training, are the best ways to ensure the sector’s future Stefano Cataudella wears several hats. Currently, he is professor of ecology at the University of Tor Vergata in Rome, bureau chairperson of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), and serves as a board member at a large Italian food packaging company. Over the course of his career he has held innumerable positions at various levels in national and international organisations and has published extensively. Much of his work has been devoted to fisheries and aquaculture issues in the Mediterranean Sea giving him a unique insight into its potential and problems.

The Mediterranean is surrounded by countries at widely varying stages of economic and political development. This in turn leads to very different attitudes and priorities with regard to fisheries and aquaculture policies. How then can these differences be overcome to improve the status of stocks in the Mediterranean, where most, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean, are either fully or over exploited?

The Mediterranean region is one of the most complex regions in the world, where North and South, East and West meet, and are characterized by different kinds of culture and history, abundantly displaying both clearcut convergence and diversity. In this geographic framework, fishing is an ancient activity, and it forms part of the vast culture of seagoing people who were fine sailors, who were familiar with the consumption, economics and flavour of seafood.

Today, Mediterranean fisheries are in difficulty, and a strong pressure is being exerted on resources. Several decades ago, www.eurofishmagazine.com

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only a few countries had large modern fishing fleets that could operate in all areas. Today all countries legitimately carry out fishing activities in their national and international waters. The Mediterranean “is now too small” to satisfy these fishery ambitions and the condition of marine living resources bears witness to this state of affairs. What must be done to avoid tragedy striking these shared assets? After a lifetime spent between the sea and fish farms I still don’t have an answer.

The complexity of the problem has confused me. Thinking positively, as a researcher, I consider that we need clear diagnoses and reliable data, both referring to the southern and the northern coasts. I would hope to be able, at regional level, to draw upon a data collecting system available to all Mediterranean countries, like the one we have in the European Union. Having reliable data concerning the state of fish stocks, or at least the prevailing trends, will facilitate the drafting of management plans embracing the ecological, economic and social aspects, following a logic of true sustainability that is not bandied about as a mere slogan. My words must

Professor Stefano Cataudella, Tor Vergata University; Chairperson, General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean

not be used as an alibi for fishermen although it must also be borne in mind that environmental conditions are deteriorating, that many sensitive habitats are in dire straits and that pollution on the one hand and product contamination on the other give rise to a series of problems that could

even thwart stock replenishing programs, if orientated towards human consumption. In the GFCM–FAO, the regional fisheries organization under the auspices of the FAO for the Mediterranean and Black Seas, the countries in the region are discussing a system of rules to govern fisheries and Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

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aquaculture in order to come up with binding measures based on a reliable and independent technical and scientific foundation that can be shared. I consider multilateral cooperation to be the secret of success for saving biological resources although many hurdles remain to be overcome.

Individual states must relinquish part of their sovereignty, select their working staff on the basis of real competence and guaranteed independence, sidestepping any lobbying practices that could distort reality.

High-level education programs in which young people from the northern and southern regions can share methods and outlooks are required, without having to be top of the class. What is going to be needed is a generation of well-trained controllers graduating from an international training school, and working under the auspices of a United Nations organization. And last but not least, market rules and controls to ensure than IUU fishery is strictly regulated and costs kept at an acceptable level.

In addition, what is going to be needed is a ten-year program, devoid of slogans but containing concrete proposals and obtaining measurable results, which is capable of exploiting all the tools now available to a knowledge and information society. In the absence of renewed collective and regional efforts in the Mediterranean it will be difficult to reverse the alarming present-day trends.

You, together with two colleagues, have recently edited an FAO - GFCM publication on Mediterranean coastal lagoons.

These delicate ecosystems are home to a number of commercial activities including fishing and aquaculture that provide 62

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many people with livelihoods particularly in Albania, Italy, Greece, and Turkey. What measures need to be implemented to ensure both their preservation and the continued access to the resources they harbour?

Since my early years I have dedicated myself to research, sectoral studies and activities linked to lagoon environments, in the Mediterranean and other regions of the world. These environments in which hunting and fishing were carried out have always fascinated me. I endeavoured to understand how these age-old activities enabled these environments to be conserved, for instance by saving them from land reclamation and returning the areas to nature conservation programmes and high level international conventions (Ramsar). I discovered aquaculture when still a child. Artisanal fishermen would catch young fish in the sea with which to enhance capture fisheries and aquaculture in coastal lagoons and I would follow them as they transported and delivered this precious â&#x20AC;&#x153;seedâ&#x20AC;? to the lagoons, which represented for me magic areas between the continent and the sea!

In the present publication, which was born in the framework of a GFCM-FAO project, Lag Med, supported by Italy, we have summed up the results of an Expert Consultation held in Cagliari. Together with a group of specialists from different member countries, we have reviewed the state of Mediterranean coastal lagoons oriented towards environmental, fisheries and aquaculture policies. For instance, the relationship between fishery and aquaculture in extensive systems has preserved many of the environments set up to exploit natural processes, tides, continental inputs, juvenile fish migrations and reproductive and

thermal migrations. This publication offers a service to politicians and administrators of countries that are duty bound to conserve coastal lagoons in view of their environmental importance, their biodiversity and their social role.

The message is clear: aquaculture and responsible fisheries conserve lagoons by stabilizing their morphology, regulating their hydraulic dimension and allowing a series of important ecological services to be continued. There is no doubt that processes of uncontrolled intensification cause oftenirreversible damage and there are many examples of the negative impact of aquaculture in many wetlands in the world. However, eco-sustainable management affording semi-intensive and extensive productions ensures conservation, reduces public costs and produces benefits for the local human populations.

Much remains to be done to protect these sensitive habitats: new alliances with the environmentalist world, a series of thorough studies on how to manage fish production and the conservation of ichthyophagous birds in the same spaces.

The reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) included a ban on discards, which is gradually being implemented. In the Mediterranean discards have been estimated at around 19ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the average annual catch. How do you see a discard ban being implemented in the Mediterranean and will it result in more sustainable fisheries?

There is no doubt that a reduction in discards favours the attainment of sustainable fisheries objectives.

If the reduction of discards entails a true reduction in fish mortality this will be a virtuous effect resulting from capture selectivity, etc.: we

only catch what we can use and exploit. The regulations aimed at controlling discards are based on the view that attaining full knowledge of the impact of capture fishery on stocks allows the real effect of these human activities on biodiversity to be measured. We are still at a preliminary stage which is nevertheless of the essence in attaining concrete objectives, but ascertaining as far as possible the relationship between fisheries and marine communities, of which the populations of fish, shellfish and crustaceans account for a significant proportion of the economy.

I am aware that in many non EU Mediterranean countries serious efforts are being made to reduce and control discards. To be realistic it must be acknowledged that this is not an easy target to reach.

Technological limits still apply, especially with regard to trawling, storage limits, and costs that not all fleets can afford, and markets that can absorb potential discards and treat them as marketable products; suffice it to consider under-size fish that are often present in catches. Nevertheless what is envisaged in the CFP can be considered a pilot scheme also for those who still have no comparable rules. We trust it will be possible to share resources, culture and scientific knowhow with a view to avoiding this harmful and pointless impact on biodiversity.

Packaging for food items in general is becoming increasingly sophisticated, but also with regard to products from the fish and shellfish processing industries. As a board member of a company involved in food packaging what developments do you expect to see over the next couple of years in terms of materials, convenience, versatility, and environmental friendliness in packaging for seafood? www.eurofishmagazine.com

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I have relatively little technical and scientific competence in this area. Nevertheless my proximity in administrative, strategic and communication issues to a world leading group in the field of packaging of many food products leads me to make several considerations related to my fisheries and aquaculture experience.

Packaging can have a central role in policies also governing food of aquatic origin in its conservation, image, relative logistics and recognizability, amongst other things, reducing waste, which represents one of the weak links in the fight against hunger and malnutrition. Of course a distinction must be made between the approach to primary packaging, which regards product life and the various forms of secondary packaging. The latter are of fundamental importance as regards product identity and recognizability. In any case the search for new, possibly biodegradable, materials must continue in order to avoid the disastrous effects on solid urban waste caused by packaging refuse. I note that much attention is being focused on this matter and work is in progress to achieve

sustainable and responsible packaging. Specifically we are witnessing continuous growth in the consumption of packaged food of aquatic origin and packaging and conservation technology aimed at facilitating consumers is being developed. The FAO has stimulated the development of projects (SAVE FOOD) in the agroindustrial field aimed at reducing waste, seeking positive integrated alternatives to the cold chain, also by means of public-private partnerships. This is a good example of a stimulus to re-invent and provide new opportunities for the redistribution of wealth also via packaging to regulate market access.

What are the impacts of climate change on the Mediterranean Sea and how should fishers and fish farmers adapt to these changes so that they can continue their livelihoods? What role do policy makers have to play in mitigating the impacts of climate change and building resilience?

This is a global issue and therefore needs to be tackled and tempered

Mussels being cultivated in Taranto. Climate change, which strongly influences fisheries and aquaculture, need to be tackled at a global level to be effective. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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by global policies. It is already a positive fact that the number of those who deny the impact of human activities on climate has now dwindled. Furthermore, it is also positive that the larger industrial countries are already putting measures in place. The Paris (COP21) results are politically encouraging. Fisheries and aquaculture are activities that are strongly influenced by climate and weather conditions. Activities conducted at sea are not only certainly exposed to growing risks which are reflected in increased production costs and affect the outcome of production cycles.

For questions of scale it is no easy matter to put in place truly effective measures at local level.

In the case of aquaculture it will be necessary to revise insurance instruments, to favor the choice of less risky sites also with the help of spatial planning. I believe that great attention should be focused on the introduction of allochthonous species and of pathologies that with increasing climate temperatures could become more invasive in new latitudes. As far as fisheries are concerned, I consider the issue to be even more complex and the effects increasingly subtle. Climate has an impact on physical oceanographic dynamics on which trophic cycles are dependent. New dynamics are emerging which need to be investigated with a view to obtaining reliable predictive models on which to base future fisheries policy.

Aquaculture production in the EU has stagnated for years, something that policy-makers want to change. Among the problems that producers face is the presence on the market of fish produced outside the EU that is cheaper than locally farmed seafood. Since certain imported products will always

be cheaper than locally produced ones, how can domestic producers compete?

This is a fundamentally important issue, which calls for intelligent market policies, the availability of sensitive instruments, also at the level of international market regulations.

We cannot allow barriers to be set up; we Europeans export a large number of industrial products, construct large works all over the world, export foodstuffs and must consequently be open and able to compete in the global market.

This is where, in my opinion, a debate must be opened â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on the establishment of shared rules, the same hygiene principles, the same workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; rights, the same safeguards for the environment and biodiversity. If a product is cheaper but is produced by someone who respects the rules and principles governing a healthy ethical product it should be permitted to compete successfully also with regard to the price. If the competition is unfair and the rules are not respected we must adopt a critical attitude and slam the door.

Of course, the same rules must apply also to our own producers.

What is thus required is information, certification, controls, traceability, all of which must be effectively applied and not just be theoretical. This will guarantee the protection of our own producers and of all those operating in full respect of the rules and ethical principles. The tools available to the digital society can provide exceptional opportunities for the construction of a virtuous market and allow consumers to take part in the assessment and to reward both price and quality.

Applied research and development related to aquaculture is critical to the future of the Eurofish Magazine 1 / 2016

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sector. However, unless the results of research are efficiently transmitted to the industry, the benefits either fail to be optimised or may even be lost altogether. In your opinion what mechanism or combination of methods can secure the dissemination of research results to those in the field, who can put them to best use?

A clear-cut distinction must be made between research that is self-financed by the industrial/ productive system and publicly funded research, as for example in Europe. Of course, also a logic of integration and public-private co-funding can be important. But while in “private” research the targets are clearly defined and address processes and products identified by decision-makers on the basis of tactical and strategic market-related choices, in the case of public funding the collective and general interest ought to be kept at the centre of attention.

Of course, economic growth and business success in the innovation society are in any case of collective interest. However, industrial and producer lobbies are often formed which drive the public decision made in a direction that does not fully correspond to the general interest, for instance, the possible emergence of new schools of thought or truly innovative ideas. In this sense the identification of the real demand, the close contact between policy makers and real sectors where products are made and sold, could be of great assistance.

It is above all in research and in support of international and multilateral cooperation that we must learn to work more effectively.

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there are also positive outcomes that encourage us to persevere.

Research, as many have said, is an accelerator of development. The processes of preliminary assessment and evaluation of results must be subjected to greater transparency.

When institutions educate students from other parts of the world, the knowledge the students gain could be used to undermine potential competitors in the countries where they were educated. Is this a legitimate grievance? How should an institution fulfil its mission of providing an education, yet take into account the sensitivities of partners, for example, in industry?

Remaining open to cooperation, providing training opportunities and teaching professions remain some of the best investments that can be made regarding the quality of our life in this world. It would be a serious error of judgment if we set out to constrain within a framework of short term returns the investment in the training of young people from other geographic areas. What we need are well-trained people, not only at home for our own enterprises but above all in countries having a low per capita income. In my view this is the only way to achieve that widespread economic growth that will allow the advantages of a global market to emerge, and that will stabilize populations and trigger migratory flows that will benefit all concerned.

More than 30 years ago, I was given the job as part of several FAO projects to teach the fishing of seabream, seabass and mullet fry for the first experiments in the aquaculture of marine species.

At that time, when modern aquaculture still did not exist in the

Mediterranean countries, a man said to me: go and teach them a trade … and they will steal our markets. Then modern aquaculture was born, with its hatcheries, and so on…, thanks to the work of researchers and businessmen, but also to farsighted governments and administrations. That same person, who is now wealthy thanks to aquaculture, said to me: today we have a large market, food production, equipment, drugs, fish products, new markets, export and import, something that is due to the fact that everyone works in aquaculture. If a market is large, so are the spaces, just as competitive opportunities emerge even in the case of apparent limits at the outset.

I consider that young people’s exchange programs – the training of foreign students – has only a limited risk and provides exceptional opportunities for ensuring the availability of well-qualified human resources in a sector on which we depend. The fundamental issue is the quality of the information, the quality of the trainers. If programs and activities are of high quality, the return will be assured, although there may be rare cases of unexpected competition.

Your interests range from the public sphere, where you are involved in research, education, and policy, to the private sector, where you sit on the board of one of Italy’s largest companies.

But where does your passion lie?

Is it in either of these two realms, public or private service, or is there in fact some other subject that really drives you?

I belong to a generation that witnessed the birth of modern aquaculture and I am therefore a pioneer within a large number

of people. Many of my colleagues from several geographic areas, including myself, had the advantage to be able to carry out our research in close contact with the production side, performing our activities in the field, at sea, in lagoons and in rivers. Without losing my passion for fisheries and the sea, which I have had since early childhood – even today my passion lies at sea, on my small fishing boat – I acknowledge that aquaculture brought me to the world of enterprise, and then other opportunities came, opportunities that are part of the random events that occur in the life of each of us.

In my university work I have engaged in basic research, especially on the topic of finfish of commercial interest; in my private activities I pursued more applied and business-related aspects.

However, I have always followed the same methodology – team work, open doors, trying to observe systems from different angles, seeking capable young persons, thinking big although being aware of being small.

There is no doubt that if I were able to go back I would endeavour to do better, perhaps focusing more deeply on certain aspects. I also grew up in a lucky part of the world, the Mediterranean, with its extraordinary mixture of cultures, having the chance to learn useful things from different people. This is why I agreed to make my voluntary contribution when the countries elected me to the Chair of the GFCM, despite the complexity of the issues to be treated.

Now I hope that more young people will be able to enjoy the same opportunities that have been offered to me by this multilateral world that enabled me to travel, to learn, to know and teach. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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DAIRY DATES

1-3 March 2016 North Atlantic Seafood Forum Bergen, Norway Tel.: +47 22 87 87 00 www.nor-seafood.com

6-8 March 2016 Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America Boston, USA Tel.: +1 207 842 5504 Fax: +1 207 842 5505 customerservice@divcom.com www.seafoodexpo.com/north-america

6-7 April 2016 Offshore Mariculture Conference Barcelona, Spain Tel.: +44 1329 825335 csweed@mercatormedia.com www.mercatormedia.com

6-8 April 2016 Seoul Seafood Show Seoul, Korea Tel.: +82 26000 2800 Fax: +82 26000 2805 3s@seoulseafood.com www.seoulseafood.com

26-28 April 2016 Seafood Expo Global / Seafood Processing Global Brussels, Belgium Tel.: +1 207 842 55 04 customerservice@divcom.com www.seafoodexpo.com

6-8 September 2016 Seafood Expo Asia Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel.: +1 207 842 5504 customerservice@divcom.com www.seafoodexpo.com

25-26 May 2016 Aquaculture UK 2016 Aviemore, Scotland, UK Tel.: +44 114 2464799 info@aquacultureuk.com www.aquacultureuk.com

20-23 September 2016 Aquaculture Europe Edinburgh, Scotland mario@marevent.com www.marevent.com

2-4 June 2016 Future Fish Eurasia Izmir, Turkey Tel.: +90 212 347 10 54 Fax: +90 212 347 10 53 info@eurasiafairs.com www.eurasiafairs.com

4-6 October 2016 Conxemar Vigo, Spain Tel.: +34 986 433 351 Fax: +34 986 221 174 conxemar@conxemar.com www.conxemar.com

2-4 June 2016 Middle East Aquaculture Forum 2016 Izmir, Turkey info@meaf.ae www.meaf.ae 13-15 June 2016 AquaVision Stavanger, Norway Tel.: +47 5187 4743 post@blueplanet.no www.aquavision.org 16-19 August 2016 Nor-Fishing Trondheim, Norway Tel.: + 47 73 56 86 40 mailbox@nor-fishing.no www.nor-fishing.no

15-18 November 2016 EuroTier Hanover, Germany Tel.: +49 69 2478 8307 b.schmidt-puckhaber@dlg.org www.eurotier.com/aquaculture.html

7-9 June 2017 POLFISH Gdan´sk, Poland Tel.: +48 58 5549 362 monika.pain@mtgsa.com.pl www.polfishfair.pl

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

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LIST OF ADVERTISERS Imprint Publisher

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C 44346

Salmon slicers

Eurofish Member Countries at the European Seafood Exposition Ecofishman discusses draft of new fisheries management system EcoFishMan

Interview with Anne Christine Brusendorff, ICES General Secretary is a member of the FISH INFO network

SALMON-SLICERS worldwide RUDOLF MAASS + PARTNER GMBH Röntgenstraße 12 21493 Schwarzenbek Tel.: +49 4151 866 955 Fax: +49 4151 867 188 info@maass-slicers.de www.maass-slicers.de

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www.euroďŹ shmagazine.com

ISSN 1868-5943

February 1 / 2016 C 44346

February 1 / 2016 Eurofish Magazine

Aquaculture in the EU Strategic plans seek ambitious outcomes EUROFISH International Organisation

NASF: Special session on prawn, lobster and crab Species: Plaice stocks rebound Guest Pages: Stefano Cataudella, an expert on the Mediterranean Sea FISH INFONetwork

is a member of the FISH INFO network 01_Cover 4p.indd 1

EUROFISH Copenhagen

GLOBEFISH Rome

INFOSAMAK Casablanca

INFOPECHE Abidjan

INFOPESCA

Montevideo

INFOYU Beijing

INFOFISH

Kuala Lumpur

INFOSA

Windhoek

12/02/16 5:53 PM