Eurofish Magazine 1 2022

2022

TO

Smárinn Kópavogur Iceland

ISSN 1868-5943

February 1/2022 C 44346

February 1 / 2022

8 2022 10

www.eurofishmagazine.com

13 th

& Awards

IN PERSON l ONLINE

The largest commercial fishing exhibition in the North Eurofish Magazine

The Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition covers every aspect of the commercial fishing industry from locating, catching, processing and packaging, right through to the marketing and distribution of the end product

We thank all our exhibitors for their continued support and look forward to welcoming them at the show

Denmark Exploring ways to exploit waste from recirculation systems

#2022Icefish

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EUROFISH International Organisation

For more information about exhibiting, visiting or sponsoring, contact the events team.

Visit: Icefish.is Contact: +44 1329 825335 or email: info@icefish.is

Eurofish FAO joint webinar on geographical indications Carrier media for efficient biofilter performance Guest pages: David Bassett, General Secretary, EATiP

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In this issue

Making a resource out of waste Recirculating aquaculture systems have been around for a while, often used for the production of high value freshwater species such as eel or pike perch. Marine species like turbot are also bred with this technology. Juvenile seabass, seabream, and salmon are reared in recirculation facilities before they are introduced into the sea. Farming companies are now growing juvenile fish to larger and larger sizes prior to putting them in sea cages. As a logical extension of this development some operators will eliminate the stage of on-growing in the sea altogether and grow fish to market size in closed recirculation systems. The equipment has become increasingly sophisticated and capable of hosting fully grown fish in large volumes to reduce the cost of production per kilo of fish. Recirculation aquaculture has evolved significantly over the years but is still expensive to install and run. Researchers at DTU Aqua and other institutions are working on a number of projects that seek better ways to exploit the waste generated. reduce costs, and make this form of production even more environmentally friendly. Read more on page 29 Climate change affects the aquaculture sector. Extreme weather events, droughts, flooding, higher water temperatures, and warmer winters are some of the natural phenomena increasingly seen over the last years and which could be attributed to climate change. Conversely, however, aquaculture is also one of the activities that provokes climate change. By releasing emissions, aquaculture contributes to the greenhouse gases that are among the sinners behind global warming. Aquaculture’s emissions stem primarily from the extruded fish feeds that are used for carnivorous fish, and from the post harvest transport of fish which includes flying the product to distant markets. Apart from that, aquaculture can also affect the environment in ways that could have an impact on climate. The waste from fish on-growing in sea cages can accumulate on the seabed damaging benthic communities. This could include seagrass beds which are known to sequester carbon dioxide. Fish farming can mitigate its contribution to global warming by, for example, siting cages more carefully, swishing to renewable fuel sources, and reducing the emissions associated with feed production and transport. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on page 22 The appropriate siting of cages is the subject of guidelines issued by the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) which define how marine areas can be identified and allocated for aquaculture. The guidelines call for discussions with stakeholders as one of the ways of addressing people’s misgivings about aquaculture facilities. Fears that aquaculture may drive tourists away from coastal towns and villages can be addressed by showing how aquaculture could act as a magnet for tourists with the proper marketing, for example, by offering tourists the opportunity to dive in the vicinity of a farm to see the marine wildlife that may be attracted by the structures placed in the water or by the uneaten feed. The identification of marine zones was based on environmental and oceanographic data contained in GIS tools that allowed data on ferry routes, military installations, protected areas etc. to be superimposed on maps thus indicating the suitability of the area for an aquaculture farm. Read more on page 39 The call to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases at a faster rate are getting louder not just from NGOs and consumers, but also from within different industry sectors. In Denmark the fishing industry is responsible for a very small fraction of Denmark’s total emissions, but it too is gearing up to reduce even that. Since the main source of emissions is the fuel that powers fishing vessels. Decreasing this consumption is a good way to start. A seminar held at the DanFish fair in October brought together speakers representing a range of stakeholders—industry, ministry, and consultants to discuss possible ways of cutting fishing vessels’ emissions. Among the solutions considered were the use of renewables-based electricity in ports, switching to biofuels or other fuel types such as methanol, as well as battery-powered vessels. Two producer organisations present at the meeting representing the pelagic and demersal fleets launched a contest for the design of a vessel that could run on batteries. Difficult though it may be, the industry is determined to contribute to Denmark’s commitment to reduce emission levels by 70 compared to 1990. Read more on page 41

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Table of FI

News

NO

6 International News

Events

EE

DK

14 DanFish International, 13-15 October 2021, Aalborg Useful discussion on industry issues

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IR2021 15 Eurofish FAO webinar, 3 November The benefits of Geographical Indications for value-chain sustainability UK

17 Adapting and mitigating in the face of a changing climate Climate change versus the seafood industry

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20 Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia, 8-10 September 2021, St. Petersburg A welcome return to conducting business in person

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BE LU FR

Aquaculture

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22 The role of aquaculture in climate change Feed and transport are the biggest sources of CO2 emissions

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26 The substrate for microorganisms in a biofilter determine the latter’s efficiency High water quality in recirculating aquaculture systems

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Denmark 29 Researchers study a range of applications for effluents from recirculation aquaculture Searching for holistic solutions to waste

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32 Modular farm management software combines data from fish farmers with that from feed vendors A Danish solution for digitalising aquaculture farms

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33 Drum filters are an important component in recirculation aquaculture systems Corrosion-free filters for use in marine RAS

DZ

35 New rapid measure for microbial water quality Early warning systems for recirculation aquaculture 37 A fish shop does its bit to secure stocks for future generations Prioritising fish from sustainable sources

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TN LY Credit for main cover photo: Danish Salmon

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Contents Italy 39 Italy’s ISPRA publishes guidelines to identify marine zones for aquaculture Allocation of zones should help boost farmed production

RU

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

by Hayden120 and NuclearVacuum

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TM Czech Republic 43 Climate change affects pond aquaculture in the Czech Republic too AZ Warming weather can have long term effects

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41 The fishing sector has a role in Denmark’s ambitious plans to reduce GHGs Sustainable fuels are critical to a greener fishing fleet

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Guest Pages: David Bassett 45 EATiP uses its multi-stakeholder membership to drive innovation in European aquaculture collaboration to realise aquaculture’s IQ Wide-ranging potential

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Worldwide Fish News

49 Diary Dates

Belgium

page IL JO

Denmark

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Italy

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Latvia

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Norway

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Spain

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USA

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50 Imprint, List of Advertisers

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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.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Italy: FEAP holds face to face annual general meeting after two years

Participants at the general assembly of the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers discussed, among other issues, the strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture issued by the European Commission. FEAP also used the occasion to sign an agreement with IUCN to collaborate on activities of common interest.

The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers, an umbrella organisation for 24 national fish farming associations from 23 European countries, held its annual general meeting in Rome at the beginning of December. The meeting, the first in-person event organised by the federation in almost two years, was a hybrid affair with some participants attending remotely. Ms Lara BaraziGeroulanou, FEAP President, and Mr Riccardo Rigillo, General Director for Fisheries and Aquaculture of Italy’s Ministry for Agriculture, Food, and Forestry

Policies opened the meeting highlighting the importance of aquaculture for the European Green Deal, food security, and for its contribution to the UN sustainable development goals.

Their opening speeches were followed by a discussion among FIAP members about aquaculture-related issues being dealt with by the European Commission such as the strategic guidelines for a more sustainable and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021 to 2030, the EMFAF National Operational Programmes, and the Sustainable Food Systems initiative.

A new commission will join FEAP’s existing six on environment, communication, fish health and welfare, salmon and large trout, freshwater species, Mediterranean and sturgeon. The new commission will work on issues related to the farming of bluefin tuna, including its sustainability, innovation, and best practices for its cultivation. The meeting also saw FEAP and IUCN sign a memorandum of understanding to help identify and implement projects and activities jointly. A further agreement was made with the

European Salmon Smokers Association to share best practices and to discuss technical issues on food safety, quality, and public image. Among the speakers at the meeting was David Bassett, General Secretary of the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATiP), who delivered a presentation on the activities of the platform and on the close collaboration between the two organisations.

FEAP’s next general assembly meeting will be held in Budapest in May 2022.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Latvia: Canned fish producer Karavela plans to significantly increase export in 2022 development of new products, resulting in the vegan canned fish products under the FISH PEAS brand.

In 2022, the company plans to increase sales on the Italian and French markets, as well as significantly strengthen its position in the US and Australian markets. The global food market is expected to change globally in 2022 with the new level of food prices forcing producers to think about how to adapt to these new conditions, says Mr Bite. The company uses mainly mackerel, herring, sprat, tuna, salmon, and mussels for its products, which are mainly exported to countries such as Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.

Karavela

Notwithstanding the challenges of 2021, preliminary figures suggest that Latvian canned fish producer Karavela, one of the largest exporters of canned fish in Europe, closed the year successfully. The company exported more than 73 million cans of fish to 45 countries around the world.

The share of exports of the company’s products last year was 94.

In 2020, the company’s management decided to invest 16 million euros to strengthen the company’s competitiveness and promote the development of future projects until 2023. In the last two years, we have invested heavily in research and development of new products, says Andris Bite, the long-term manager and coowner of Karavela. Last year, investments were made in the

One of the products in Karavela’s new line of vegan canned fish items, a series created in response to increasing interest in vegetarian and vegan food.

Italy: At-home consumption of fish and seafood in 2020 booms at the cost of Horeca EUMOFA has released the 2021 Edition of “The EU Fish Market,” a report on developments in 2020 compared with 2019. Among the trends noted is the increase in household consumption of fish and seafood products as indicated by the 17 spike in household expenditure on seafood. This can be attributed to the shutdown of the Horeca sector due to the pandemic which led to an increase in at-home consumption. Households in the largest consuming countries increased their spend on fresh fish by 7 in value and 4 in volume in 2020. The impact of the pandemic on the Horeca sector is also reflected in the trade balance. Less fish was imported so the EU’s trade deficit in 2020 dropped by 10 or EUR2bn in particular because imports of high value fish, the species and cuts typically consumed in the Horeca sector, reduced. The value of exports dropped as well but by less (4) than the value of imports, in particular because of lower cod exports to

China and the UK. Consumption of fish and seafood in 2019 at just under 24 kg/capita was about the same as in 2018. A decline in catches, especially of herring, was responsible for a decline in supply of 206 thousand tonnes compared with 2018, despite an increase in production from Larger volumes of aquaculture and in imports. Imports of salmon into the EU exceeded 1m tonnes for the first time as Norwegian exporters focused their efforts on the EU as pandemic induced constraints prevented air shipments to overseas markets. Seabass and seabream production in the EU decreased slightly in 2020 but is expected to recover in 2021. The EU was not alone however, across the world production of these two species fell by 4. In Turkey the drop in production of seabass boosted import prices in the EU by 20 in 2021.

This and other information about seafood price and volume

THE EU FISH MARKET 2021 EDITION

HIGHLIGHTS THE EU IN THE WORLD MARKET SUPPLY CONSUMPTION IMPORT – EXPORT LANDINGS IN THE EU AQUACULTURE

THE EU FISH MARKET Maritime affairs and fisheries

EUMOFA has released its yearly publication, the EU Fish Market, describing the fisheries and aquaculture industry and giving insights to trade and consumer trends.

movements over the course of 2020, as well as analyses of the trends are available in the report

which is available in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian at www.eumofa.eu.

EUROFISH

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Spain: Making Mediterranean aquaculture more sustainable

Tanks full of sea bass at IRTA’s premises in Sant Carles de la Ràpita in Catalonia

IRTA, a research institute devoted to R+D+I in a variety of agri-food areas, together with IAMZ-CIHEAM, the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza, coordinate the MedAID project, an effort dedicated to making Mediterranean aquaculture more sustainable and competitive. The research scope is very broad and includes a study of the productive, environmental, economic and social obstacles throughout the aquaculture value chain, focusing on sea bass and gilt-head bream, the two most widely produced species.

Zootechnical improvements in the feeding and rearing cycle of sea bass and gilt-head bream

have been the focus of a great deal of the research effort. Different larval rearing conditions have been tested, as have more sustainable and functional diets that improve performance and make the fish more resilient to pathological and environmental challenges. In addition, one of the most promising avenues is genetic improvement. MedAID, together with the Performfish project, has developed a chip for genomically analysing gilt-head bream and sea bass (MedFish SNP). It can be applied to genetically characterise farmed and wild populations, a very useful information tool for establishing breeding management programmes. The

technology has also made it possible to study the heritability of certain traits related to fish quality, such as the proportion of lipids in the muscles. Another area of investigation has been animal health.

As aquaculture has shifted towards more intensive systems, the animals are more susceptible to infectious diseases. MedAID therefore carried out a risk assessment of the most important pathogens in the Mediterranean, including NNV (nervous necrosis virus), for which a new vaccine has been tested with very encouraging results. Progress has also been made towards

more coordinated management of epidemiological knowledge and strategies, and a more systematic evaluation of biosecurity measures. In addition, the project has developed a series of practical guides and methods to counter popular misconceptions and deliberate misinformation about the sector. Last October, MedAID concluded with an event in Madeira, where the toolbox, a digital repository of all the new knowledge obtained, was presented to scientists, producers, and stakeholders. The MedAID project involved 34 partners and was funded by the European Union’s Horizon2020 programme to the tune of 7 million euros.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]

Denmark Fishermen PO

Denmark: Costs of Brexit mounting for Danish fishers

The costs of Brexit include smaller quotas from Norway of species important to Danish fishers, for which they should be compensated, says Sven Erik Andersen, chairman of the Danish Fishermen PO.

The EU, Britain, and Norway have reached an agreement on quotas in 2022 for shared stocks.

The agreement gives Danish fishers vital access to the North Sea and Skagerrak as of 1 January, reports the Danish paper, Fiskeri Tidende. However, the access has come at a price, and one that is indisputably high, says Sven Erik Andersen, chairman of the Danish Fishermen PO. An indirect consequence of Brexit is that quotas in Norwegian waters have been reduced. We stand to lose a quarter of our quotas for species that are important for Danish fishers like anglerfish and hake, a loss that will affect fishers as well as harbours in west and north Jutland. He is categorical in demanding that fishers should be compensated for all the losses

they have suffered directly or indirectly because of Brexit.

Only then can they continue to contribute to the wellbeing of Danish harbours and coastal communities and continue their efforts towards more sustainable fisheries. The negative consequences of the agreement arise because when Britain was part of the EU, the union couild offer more quotas to Norway when negotiating fishing rights. With Brexit, however, the EU has to give up some of its quotas to Britain and has less to offer Norway. In turn, Norway offers less to the EU. The agreements that have been reached are a trilateral deal between the EU, Britain, and Norway and a bilateral agreement between Norway and the EU.

Spain: Valencia university researchers show farmed fish is not susceptible to the parasite, anisakis Researchers at the University of Valencia have studied the susceptibility of farmed fish to the nematode parasite anisakis and have concluded that farmed fish are not normally vulnerable to infection and that it is difficult for the parasite to reach farm sites, reports The Fish Site. The feed given to farmed fish does not contain the parasite so the industry is generally considered free of this pest. In a project, ANITEST, researchers from the Marine Zoology group of the Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutive Biology (ICBiBE) of the University of Valencia, assessed

the suceptibility of farmed fish when exposed to the parasite.

They found that infection rates are very limited as the parasite is destroyed in the processes involved in ingesting and digesting the feed. While only 10 of the parasite managed to infect the fish, many of these revealed noticeable external and internal damage that would have decreased their infective capacity.

The team noted that the parasite attached itself only to the surface of the viscera of the fish and never to the muscle, which is important as the muscle is the tissue of importance to the consumer.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Belgium: Council agreement on fishing opportunities in the Mediterranean reduces effort EU fishing fleets targeting demersal stocks in the Mediterranean have had their fishing days in 2022 reduced by 6 against the 7.5 proposed by the European Commission. The reduction is in line with the EU’s legal obligation to attain the maximum sustainable yield for these species by 2025 and will apply to trawlers, while for longliners the maximum fishing effort will be based on the number of fishing days between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2017. The deal was struck at the annual December meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council which sets out catch limits for over 200 commercial fish stocks.

Ministers also agreed to introduce maximum catch limits for stocks of blue and red shrimp and

giant red shrimp. The Council’s decision is based on a proposal drawn up by the European Commission, taking into account the best available scientific advice, the aims of the common fisheries policy (CFP) and the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) set for each species. The regulation also introduces new measures for the management of the small pelagic species and demersal stocks in the Adriatic, adopted by the GFCM in 2021. For small pelagics, thee will be a reduction of catches of 5 for anchovy and 8 for sardines for 2022 and a fishing capacity ceiling. For the Adriatic demersal stocks, effort levels face a further reduction of 7 for demersal trawlers and 3 reduction for beam trawlers.

The reduction in fishing effort in the Mediterranean is calculated to achieve maximum sustainable yield by 2025, a legal obligation for the EU.

J.P. Klausen & Co.A/S

Phone:+45 6222 2843

Norway: Winter fisheries need seasonal workers The shortage of workers in many European countries is being exacerbated by omicroninduced restrictions on travel that prevent workers from entering the countries where they are needed. In Norway, companies involved in winter fisheries fear a repeat of 2021 when a lack of workers caused a crisis in the industry, reports the High North News. To prevent the same situation from arising again, Seafood Norway has been in dialogue with county governments in Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark to explain the importance of seasonal labour for the industry and to emphasise that companies can prevent outbreaks of infection.

In fact, infections in the companies were limited last season

(which starts around Christmas), says Stine Akselsen, Director of Industry and Trade at Seafood Norway, as no company could afford an outbreak.

She refers to the excellent job that fish landing plants did to monitor infections and step in quickly and effectively when necessary. One year on a lot more is known about the infection and how to handle it with restrictions, social regulations, isolation, and lockdowns. In addition, people are now vaccinated. Ms Akselsen thinks that a good testing regime at the border and the use of vaccine passports and testing at workplaces will ensure the safety of staff and enable the winter fishing season to proceed with the help of seasonal workers.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]

NOAA Photo Library

USA: Seaweed processing in Southeast Alaska boosted by USDA support

Support from the USDA will contribute to the construction of a processing plant for kelp and other marine species on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska. Shown, kelp growing off the coast in the area.

The US Department of Agriculture has announced a USD500,000 investment in the Southeast Conference, a regional economic development organisation that promotes strong economies, healthy communities, and a quality environment in Southeast Alaska.

The investment is to assist the organisation create a blueprint for a processing facility for mariculture (seaweed and other marine products) on Prince of Wale Island, where mariculture is an important and growing source of income and jobs.

The facility is expected to save on costs and create new market opportunities for farmers in the region. The proposed maritime processing centre will support aquatic farming of kelp, seaweed, and shellfish. Co-op members will be able to handle, store, freeze, pack, process, label

and load their harvest safely and cost-effectively. The Alaska seaweed industry is modest but has plenty of potential, according to a report by the McKinley Research Group. Most of the seaweed is sold to food markets though demand is limited outside traditional Asian food markets, where low-cost imports dominate. Natural food channels aimed at wealthier consumers interested in health benefits and sustainability are a potential market. There is also high interest in seaweed’s role in solutions to global issues including carbon sequestration, bioplastics, alternative proteins, and potential use in packaging and as a source of energy. The USDA investment will enable farmers to explore these ways of exploiting seaweed and thereby support economic growth and community wellbeing in the region.

Salmco’s founder passes away It is with the greatest regret that we announce that Johann Glösmann passed away on 16 January 2022 following a long battle with illness. Mr Glösmann, who would have been 72 years old this year, is survived by his wife Svetlana, her daughter, and their two sons.

Johann Glösmann founded Salmco Technik GmbH in Hamburg, his hometown, in 1984. More than 1,000 salmon slicing machines have been manufactured there and sold in over 70 countries around the world. Educated as a mechanical engineer with a specialisation in production technology, Mr Glösmann always had an open ear for his customers’ problems and devised new approaches to challenges—he was known for his innovative spirit. We will greatly miss his competence and professionalism, his big heart, his joy for life, and his passion for everything he did.

Johann Glösmann will find his final resting place very close to Salmco’s new production facilities in Hamburg-Norderstedt. The company will continue there under the management of Svetlana Glösmann with the closely-knit and proven team, and together, despite our grief, we look optimistically into the future.

The Salmco Technik team

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]

Carsoe, a designer and manufacturer of stainless-steel food processing equipment for companies around the world has secured an order to equip four vessels owned by the Russian Fishery Company with advanced processing plants.

The order follows on from an earlier contract to deliver seven fully equipped onboard fish processing plants to the Russian Fishery Company. The contracts stem from a Russian government programme launched three years ago to modernize and the fishing fleet. The first seven plants were for modern super trawlers designed to process surimi. The two orders combined are worth some DKK1.3bn and highlight the important role Carsoe plays in the modernization of the Russian

fishing fleet and in its ability to use Danish technology and knowhow to design solutions that give fishing vessels around the world a competitive edge. They will secure work for the company’s 350 employees within Denmark and outside. The contracts were in fact secured in close collaboration with the company’s office in Seattle. The super trawlers are 108 m long and equipped with processing, packaging, and freezing facilities and will host a crew of 150. Catches can be up to 60,000 tonnes of fish annually and the equipment allows them to be processed, packaged, and frozen on board, so they are ready to be delivered to customers when the vessels arrive in port.

Russian Fishery Company

Denmark: Big repeat order for processing equipment manufacturer

The Russian Fishery Company (RFC) has ordered a total of 11 processing plants from Carsoe, a Danish manufacturer of food processing equipment. The plants will be installed aboard RFC fishing vessels.

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[ EVENTS ] DanFish International, 13-15 October 2021, Aalborg

Useful discussion on industry issues The 27th edition of DanFish International was held as usual at the Aalborg Kongres and Kultur Center as an in-person event.

DanFish has grown to become one of the world’s largest international fairs for fisheries equipment and services.

F

rom Denmark alone there were more than 150 companies from within the fishing industry at the fair, while in total 26 countries were represented by more than 300 exhibitors, who presented every conceivable kind of equipment for use by the fishing industry. This included nets, trawl, ropes, wires, engines, marine electronics, navigation and communication equipment, conveyors, life-saving equipment, and much, much more. Shipyards were also present offering either to build new or refurbish existing vessels of many different kinds.

In addition, some harbours also exhibited to inform existing and potential customers about the facilities and services they could offer. With day-to-day updated information about the COVID19 situation, exhibitors could present their products to the more than 10,000 visitors present over the three days.

possible, for example, through the use of recycled materials. Demand for space at the fair meant that the organisers had to expand the area available for exhibitors.

The solution was a mobile hall which enabled Aalborg Kongres and Kultur Center to offer a total stand area of approx. 9,000 sqm which was completely sold out.

For each of the three days of the fair a newspaper informed visitors and exhibitors about that day’s programme—the presentations, panel discussions, happenings at the stands, new product launches, and other activities, such as the

conference on climate change and the Danish fisheries sector, and a workshop on onboard monitoring of fishing.

Industry acclaims return to normalcy The fair was officially opened by MEP Søren Gade who was elected to the European Parliament in 2019 and has been vice-chairman of the European Parliament Committee of Fisheries ever since. Mr Gade, since Brexit came into effect, has made headlines as he has campaigned for compensation from

the EUR5 billion Brexit Adjustment Reserve to fishermen who have suffered economically because of the Brexit deal. The doubt and uncertainty created by the pandemic led to the decision to hold DanFish as a physical event being taken only in March 2021. Despite this, the panel discussions, hosted debates, and other initiatives were well organised and offered unique insights into the issues discussed.

Among the feathers in the organiser’s cap is that the Aalborg Kongres and Kultur Center is now Denmark’s first-ever sustainability certified venue.

Floor space completely sold out Despite the changing times in the fishing industry with lower quotas, higher expenses, staff shortages, and increased regulation, exhibitors presented several novel and innovative products and solutions.

Many of these were designed to increase the sustainability of fishing operations by leaving as small an environmental footprint as 14

DanFish has become an important event for companies and other organisations involved in the global fishing sector.

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[ EVENTS ] Eurofish FAO webinar, 3 November 2021

The benefits of Geographical Indications for value-chain sustainability The joint FAO Eurofish online seminar on Geographic Indications and their potential to contribute to the sustainability of seafood value chains served a two-fold objective: to give a global overview of seafood Geographical Indications (GIs) and, by examining case studies from Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, to identify their potential to improve the sustainability of seafood value chains. The event drew 70 participants from 32 countries, who shared the insights offered by ten experts.

Geographical Indication is a legal attribute applied to a food or nonfood product with specific characteristics or qualities resulting from its geographic origin. A GI label on a product allows for differentiation based on unique local features, history or distinctive characteristics linked to natural and human factors, such as sea or inland water bodies, climate, local know-how, and traditions. Currently, about two-thirds of all registered GIs around the world are for food products, and six percent

of all food-product GIs are for seafood (about 250 seafood GIs in all).

By creating niche products out of more generic seafood, GI protection for many seafood products has helped business operations and sustainable development.

Product name protection can be used for marketing purposes GIs, also known as Protected Geographical Indications under EU, US, and many other jurisdictions’

law, are recognized internationally as a type of intellectual property right, and they therefore offer both a helpful marketing tool and protection of the product name. This collective marketing tool (available to all qualified producers in a specific region) can enhance the provision of public goods such as food heritage, landscapes, and traditional knowledge. GI products promote the role of producers in the value chain and can play a significant role in the sustainable

development of local communities. Their territorial focus can also be effective, indirectly, in driving collective efforts towards the achievement of the UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) such as rural development.

In the world of agribusiness, the seafood industry is a relative newcomer to the use of GIs. While Champagne as a GI is both old and internationally famous, the Bay of Mont Saint Michel mussel (for example), which also has a GI, is

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[ EVENTS ] other aspects of cultural identity.

With the premium prices that are typical of GI products, local revenues grow. French oyster lovers pay higher prices for Marennes-Oléron oyster knowing it is local and their purchases help the residents of that French community.

Among the benefits of protection are higher prices

Szilvásváradi pisztráng, brown trout produced in the Hungarian region of Szilvásvárad qualifies for the coveted EU PGI status.

not (yet). Seafood producers face challenges achieving GI qualification, including retooling production methods if the GI product must be processed in a specific way, and financially enduring what may be an extended period toward consumer acceptance of even slightly different seafoods. In the virtual seminar, experts on seafood GIs and audience participants discussed six case studies of current GI seafood products in detail.

(Arbroath smokies are only from haddock). GIs help the reputation of a product or location in what FAO terms typicity. The names of Arbroath smokies and Phu Quoc fish sauce, for example, are protected by the trademark function of a GI. Miyagi salmon--Japan’s first seafood GI--promotes the Prefecture as well as the product.

Oysters from Marennes-Oléron or the Casamance mangrove increase awareness of those habitats.

Product recognition Therefore, a vital characteristic and regional pride are of these GIs is their contribution common outcomes of GIs to sustainability at both the proThe case studies examined in the seminar included Miyagi salmon (Japan), Phu Quoc fish sauce (Vietnam), Arbroath smokies (haddock, Scotland), Marennes-Oléron oyster (France), Casamance mangrove oyster (Senegal), and Chilean rock lobster (Chile). A requirement common to all these different GIs is geographic location: all producers must be operating in the location, such as Miyagi Prefecture, the Casamance River estuary, etc. Other requirements differ across GIs, such as the production method (Phu Quoc fish sauce is a specific recipe, stored in barrels of braided rattan), and species 16

ducer and rural economy levels.

At the producer level, a GI allows for greater consistency and control over its operations. With their GI certification producers of Phu Quoc fish sauce set their own product standards so that consumers in Asia, Europe, and elsewhere know what they are getting. GIs make it easier to break into new markets: foreign supermarket chains that previously believed they already stock enough lobster or smoked fish have often taken a second look at Chilean rock lobster or haddock from Arbroath smokies. From the perspective of rural development, GIs can promote sustainability by maintain traditional production methods and

Participants in the FAO/Eurofish seminar learned that GIs have several identifiable positive effects on seafood producers, including higher prices and production volumes, greater market access and competitiveness, and improved business resilience. While higher prices are usually bad news for consumers and therefore for sellers who risk losing sales, this is not always so with GIs. A price premium resulting from GI status of a product helps seafood producers that often are small enterprises with a need for madeto-order marketing assistance.

Consumers will pay a higher price for a GI seafood to ensure they are getting the desired product (with the extra information about product origin and other facts that a GI stamp provides). According to the FAO, the price premium for a

GI food product is in most cases between 20 and 50% With a higher price and better industry coordination, production volumes for seafood products are often also higher with GIs. Producers of a GI seafood can set themselves apart from the sea of competitors producing nearly identical products, much as, for example, Miyagi salmon in Japan has accomplished in domestic and foreign markets for salmon. An increase in market access for GI seafood products (number of destinations as well as overall export volume) comes from establishing new niche markets and expanding the share of existing markets. Product differentiation and niche market creation help make GI seafood producers more resilient to market fluctuations, sudden price volatility, and other problems with “generic” or commodity-like products.

Finally, participants in the seminar learned that the benefits of GIs for value-chain sustainability come from concerted action by producers themselves in collectively applying to their national or EU government for GI certification.

Aleksandra Petersen, Eurofish, aleksandra.petersen@eurofish.dk

Gaining EU PGI certification is desirable but difficult. Altogether less than a thousand agricultural products have been granted PGI certification of which over four fifths are from the EU.

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[ EVENTS ] Adapting and mitigating in the face of a changing climate

Climate change versus the seafood industry Iceland Responsible Fisheries

Fishery and aquaculture stakeholders and scientists from the Nordic countries met in December in Elsinore, Denmark, to address the challenges posed by climate change at a workshop organised jointly by the Nordic Marine Think Tank and ICES, with support from the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The energy used by the Icelandic processing industry has declined 85% since the 80s and will soon be entirely from renewable resources.

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he workshop reviewed recent research and initiatives concerning the challenges of climate change for fisheries and aquaculture, and attempted to synthesise expertise, practical experiences, and lessons learned. The longer aim was to launch the Nordic Climate Change Forum for Fisheries and Aquaculture to provide a platform for the Nordic fisheries and

aquaculture sectors to exchange knowledge, ideas, and practices.

The workshop was chaired by Árni M. Mathiesen, former fishery minister of Iceland.

The world’s oceans are at grave risk and so are the world’s capture fisheries and aquaculture. The workshop considered climate change as two sides of the same coin: How can the fishing and aquaculture

industries adapt to the sometimescatastrophic shifts caused by climate change, and how can these industries mitigate their own contribution to the mechanisms that are causing the climate to change?

Simply put then, the solutions to the challenges posed by climate change are to adapt by adjusting to current and future effects of climate change and mitigate by minimising the sectors’ carbon

footprints by reducing the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), thus reducing the impacts of climate change.

Climate change versus the ocean Workshop presenters described various ways that progress has been made by the fishery and aquaculture sectors in reducing

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[ EVENTS ] their carbon footprints, but less has been accomplished in adapting to the changing conditions that are already being felt. The dangers posed by climate change to fisheries and aquaculture are well known. Changes include warming of the atmosphere and the oceans, changes in rainfall patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events. The oceans are becoming increasingly saline and acidic, affecting the physiology and behaviour of many aquatic species and altering productivity, habitats, and migration patterns.

Sea level rise and stronger storms threaten coastal communities and ecosystems and will have a severe effect on both onshore and offshore aquaculture facilities. The world’s coral reefs are threatened with destruction.

Some inland lakes and water bodies are drying up, and destructive flooding occurs regularly around the world.

Fisheries use large amounts of fuel, which can constitute up to 60 per cent of fishing costs in some fisheries at today’s high prices. In commercial fisheries, most of the fuel is used in vessel propulsion, but fuel is also used for activities such as onboard processing, refrigeration, and freezing. After a catch has been landed, processing, transport, and distribution add to the carbon footprint. Still, capture fisheries—and aquaculture—create smaller carbon footprints than most other means of producing animal protein. For aquaculture, energy consumption is also a concern, but nearly all of aquaculture’s carbon footprint comes from the production and transport of fishmeal. European aquaculture depends on imported feed or imported raw materials to produce feed, for example, from marine and terrestrial systems such as fishmeal, fish oil, and soy, particularly 18

for carnivorous species such as salmon. Substituting plant for marine ingredients just shifts the impact from sea to land.

Putting fishmeal on a diet To make the sector more sustainable, the use of marine ingredients must be reduced and replaced. Byproducts such as fish heads, frames, trimmings, skin, and organs should be utilised as ingredients. Local production using local ingredients would eliminate GHGs caused by transport. The industry is coming closer to producing a fully sustainable fish feed, but a complete solution is unlikely in the near term.

Sustainable fish feed ingredients will probably supplement conventional feed ingredients for the next decade until production can be scaled. Keynote speaker Max Nielsen, Department of Food and Resource Economics, Copenhagen University, stated that aquaculture is the fastest growing animalfeed producing sector worldwide, and restated that the production of feed is responsible for most of aquaculture’s CO2 emissions, both fish- and plant-based ingredients.

Although the feed conversion ratio can be reduced, decreases in CO2 will depend on lowering the dependence on foreign-sourced feed ingredients. Further, because recirculation is increasingly being used, developing sources of inexpensive green energy will be crucial. He also advocated taxes, tradable permits, and other incentives to reduce GHGs. The most successful solutions will be most costeffective.

Vidar Gundersen, the director of global sustainability for the BioMar Group, said that, in 1990, approximately 80 per cent of feed was made of marine ingredients, with some vegetable ingredients and wheat used as a binder.

Today, marine ingredients make up approximately 20 per cent, but only 10 per cent of that comes from the Nordics. So, the salmon that is farmed in the Nordics is not really from the Nordics, because we—and the fish—are what we eat. We will have to double, triple, or even quadruple the production of seafood, and that will require a parallel increase in the amount of raw materials. Producers must be given incentives to produce more raw materials for Nordic fish feed.

Reducing the carbon footprint also means lowering our dependence on tropical, specifically South American, soil. Summing up, he said we will see the use of more byproducts, more ingredients from single cell technologies, and more ingredients from lower trophic levels. Still, most of the diet will be plant based.

Aquaculture contributes to emissions in different ways Other contributions by aquaculture to GHG emissions and environmental degradation include changes in land use and deliberate deforestation to produce soybeans or palm oil for feed; spilled feed and faeces, which may contain nitrogen and phosphorus and can pollute the surrounding water; fish escapes and high concentrations of parasites (sea lice, for example) that damage both the local environment and wild fish stocks. An increasing population is putting pressure on capture fisheries and aquaculture to produce. By 2050, the global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion, up from 7 billion today. To feed the growing population, 70 per cent more protein will be needed. Climate change makes it inconceivable that this expansion can take place on land alone.

Nutrition from the sea is clearly the wave of the future. Protein from fish and other seafood, whether

from capture fisheries or aquaculture, is a very efficient way of delivering animal protein, fats, and Omega-3 fatty acids, all of which are vital nutrients.

According to the FAO, global consumption of fish has increased by 122 per cent since 1990, and aquaculture now accounts for more than 50 per cent of that. Nevertheless, in 2017, fish accounted for only about 17 per cent of total animal protein and 7 per cent of all proteins consumed globally.

However, as demand grows and capture fisheries approach or exceed their sustainability limit, that will change. By 2050, aquaculture will double its production and become the prime source of seafood. Several of the workshop’s participants delivered this simple message: To reduce the rise in GHGs caused by food production, farm more seafood. It is the most responsible way to produce animal protein.

Uncertainty about climate change’s consequences Keynote speaker Professor Michaela Aschan, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, pointed out that Norwegian salmon aquaculture, which takes place along the entire Norwegian coastline, is exposed to a range of different climate stressors, including temperature, heatwaves, sea level rise, storms, deoxygenation, ocean acidification, and runoff. Unlike fisheries where the fish can move in response to changing conditions, fish in aquaculture are held in a specific location and farming is influenced by site-specific conditions. Climate change stressors have different effects depending on where production takes place, and solutions must be found for each site individually. For example, an increase in temperature in

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[ EVENTS ]

To the previous list of negative impacts on aquaculture, Professor Aschan added impacts on growth rates (fish grow faster and mature earlier in warmer water), yields, the growing season, and increased mortality, as well as an increase in the number of escapes, predation, and harmful algal and jellyfish blooms, among many others. As for fisheries, she noted that climate change is pushing fish northwards at the cost of Arctic species, and the consequences to the ecosystems cannot yet be fully modelled.

Environmental management will have to integrate multiple tools and objectives to contend with unforeseen circumstances. She urged participants to develop climate adaptation plans for their businesses, municipalities, and countries.

Shifting gears to reduce the carbon footprint Keynote speaker Sara Hornborg, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, reiterated that the use of fuel for boat propulsion dominates the carbon footprint of capture fisheries, and fuel use varies considerably depending on the fishery. Fishing depleted stocks requires more fuel per kilo of landed fish than fishing abundant stocks, because low abundance forces fishers to search longer and use heavier gear to catch fish. Larger catches and greater abundance lead to less emissions per unit of output. She noted that GHGs can be reduced significantly by switching from fuel-intensive techniques, such as dredging, bottom trawling, and beam trawling, to alternative techniques such as creel or trap fishing, Danish seine, and gillnet.

Danmarks Fiskeriforening PO

the north will have an effect different to the effect it generates in the south. Likewise, stressors may affect a sheltered site in a fjord differently to an exposed or openocean site.

Emissions from the fishing industry are dominated by the fuel used for the propulsion of fishing vessels.

Environmental pressures common to both capture fisheries and aquaculture include energy consumption, the release of GHGs and other toxic emissions, plastic pollution, disturbance of the seabed, and invasive species.

Reduce GHG through suitable incentives and disincentives Max Nielsen focused on mitigation from an economic point of view. He noted that mitigation is a massive task with enormous costs. The role of economics will be to determine how to act in the least expensive, most cost-effective way. He noted that economists consider GHG emissions an externality, an element that is outside the market mechanism.

He advocated giving financial incentives and disincentives to reduce GHGs—in other words, let the polluters pay. For fisheries, many of the reductions in CO2 were market-based management reforms made in the interest of increasing efficiency, not specifically to reduce GHGs. More changes will be needed, such as increasing fuel efficiency and finding a balance between net and trawling capture solutions.

Many initiatives, such as low-carbon propulsion, are instigated in the shipping sector, which fisheries can apply to mitigate their own impact on the climate.

and equipment. With the implementation of the quota system in the 1980s, overfishing decreased and stocks recovered, requiring less effort to catch more fish.

In her presentation, Hildur Hauksdóttir, sustainability officer at Fisheries Iceland, explained that Iceland’s fishing industry has been and remains a main pillar of nationally prosperity and an important part of the culture, leading to a diversity of opinions about how such an important industry and the use of its natural resources should be regulated. In the 1980s, Icelandic fisheries faced two problems: overfishing and economic inefficiency, but these problems have been largely overcome. Iceland’s fishing industry forecasts that, by 2030, it will achieve a 50 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, based on 2005 levels, and that it will be independent of fossil fuels by 2040. Total oil consumption in fisheries has decreased 48 per cent from 1990 levels. In 1980, 90 to 100 workers were required to harvest 2400 tonnes of fish, but in 2016, it took eight workers to harvest 3200 tonnes. She credits the success to good fishery management, consolidation in the capture fishery industry, and investment in new vessels

Adding value is preferable to increasing catch volume Energy consumed by Iceland’s fish processing plants has decreased 85 per cent since the 1980s. Soon, plants will be powered almost exclusively by renewable electricity. And when vessels are in port, they will also use renewable electricity. It is necessary, she said, to create an incentive for companies to innovate and utilise resources more efficiently. Rather than trying to increase catch, companies must find solutions to create added value and get the most value out of each fish, with no waste. She noted the emergence of many new markets for products from the sea including medical products, food supplements, beauty products, and many more.

William Anthony PowerPoint presentations from the workshop are available on the Nordic Marine Think Tank website: https://www.nmtt.org/.

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[ EVENTS ] Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia, 8-10 September 2021, St. Petersburg

A welcome return to conducting business in person Russia’s leading fishery event, the Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia, was held physically in September 2021, the first major international event to return to the conventional face to face format. For three days Saint Petersburg was the point of attraction for Russian and foreign fishery, processing, shipbuilding, and aquaculture companies. As in the past, the event comprised an exhibition and a forum.

Seafood Expo Russia 2021 was the first major international trade fair to be held the conventional way since the pandemic erupted.

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he past two years were challenging for the whole business community and the fishery industry was no exception.

In Russia, government support for the industry helped not only to mitigate the shocks of the pandemic but also contributed to modernise the sector. Thus, renewal and increasing exports became the top priority for the industry.

Business forum discusses solutions to pressing issues facing the industry For the successful achievement of these goals, the industry needs to solve several issues. The most relevant ones are shipbuilding and design, deep processing, and aquaculture. All of these

were covered by the business programme of the forum. Spread over three days and 24 sessions, speakers and delegates discussed key industry issues: catch and processing, design and construction of the fishing fleet, logistics, including organization of a continuous cold chain, aquaculture, fostering a new generation of Russian fish consumers, entering

new markets, developing international cooperation, human resources, and scientific support for the industry.

Practical solutions for these issues were presented at the exhibition

by Russian and foreign companies. Compared to 2019, the exhibition area has increased by 40% to 18,000 square meters, and the

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[ EVENTS ] experience gained in visa support for our foreign exhibitors and forum participants allows us to make big plans for Seafood Expo Russia 2022. We expect the number of visitors and companies from abroad to increase, especially in the equipment section.

The Russian fishery industry faces the challenge of further modernization of fleet and diversification of exports. To achieve this successfully and effectively, Russia is interested in the experience of foreign partners. This is one of the reasons why the organizers of Seafood Expo Russia 2022 plan to create favourable conditions for the participation of foreign companies engaged in shipbuilding and ship repair, equipment production, aquaculture, among other sectors.

Fifth anniversary in 2022 will be celebrated with an even bigger event For purveyors of fishing and shipping equipment the event is particularly useful as Russia seeks to further modernise its fleets.

number of exhibitors reached 410 companies. Their geographical scope also expanded, with companies from 25 countries and 40 Russian regions presenting their products and services. In total, more than 7,000 participants from 78 Russian regions and 55 countries visited the event. Seafood Expo Russia 2021 differed from previous years’ events not only in terms of size and audience reach but also thanks to new conceptional ideas. Aquaculture became a separate sector of the exhibition, following its growing role around the world and in Russia, and the increase in production of farmed fish and seafood.

Also, Retail Centre, the platform for negotiations between suppliers and retail chains, became almost twice as big, hosting over

750 rounds of talks between 60 suppliers and the management of 32 retail chains.

Foreign business, NGOs, and governments well represented at the event Challenges for the industry and prospects for its further development in a global context topped the agenda for the Forum’s plenary session “Impact of the Pandemic: New Challenges for the Fisheries Industry”. Among participants and speakers at the Forum’s plenary session were minister of Faroe Islands, Jacob Vestergaard; minister of Iceland, Kristjan Thor Juliusson; and Development Director of the Marine Stewardship Council, Camiel Derichs. Representatives

of high-level foreign delegations, FAO and others international fishery organizations and associations also participated in other business programme events. On the side-lines of the forum and exhibition, the head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries Ilya Shestakov, held talks with the leaders of delegations from Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Turkey, and Bulgaria, and Mozambique. At the meeting with the latter, it was decided to draw up a Memorandum of Understanding on developing cooperation in fisheries.

This year we managed to organize an internationally significant event despite the pandemic restrictions, commented Ivan Fetisov, CEO of Expo Solutions Group, the event operator. The

Next year Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia will celebrate its fifth anniversary. It will be held in St. Petersburg on 21-23 September 2022 and will occupy two pavilions. The organizers also expect to revive projects that were cancelled due to the epidemiological situation last year: the fish food court and the chefs master classes area. Following the 2021 Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia, the Russian fishery industry will present itself at Seafood Expo Global on 26-28 April 2022 in Barcelona. The joint national stand of Russia will occupy 1,100 square meters and will host more than 30 exhibitors who will present their products and services.

For more information contact: Expo Solutions Group Tel.: +7 499 9224417, +7 495 2150675 info@rusfishexpo.com https://seafoodexporussia.com

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[ AQUACULTURE ] The role of aquaculture in climate change

Feed and transport are the biggest sources of CO2 emissions Climate change is also affecting many aquaculture operations worldwide. Weather disasters such as storms, heavy rain or rising temperatures are causing enormous damage in many locations. Conversely, however, the question arises as to whether aquaculture may be one of the drivers of climate change and whether and to what extent it is also responsible for rising temperatures. And, if this is the case, how this effect can be reduced.

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he latest SOFIA report from the FAO confirms that aquaculture production is now producing more fish and seafood than global wild fisheries. The sector is gaining in importance worldwide, because it is essential to humanity’s food security and is also more sustainable than other areas of food production. Food and climate change are inherently linked. All the food that we produce also influences the climate. Overall, food accounts for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. However, not all food has the same climate consequences. Animal products such as meat, cheese and other dairy products, for example, are associated with significantly higher emissions than plant-based products. Fish and seafood come out the best among animal products. Fish proteins have a significantly smaller CO2 footprint than terrestrial protein sources. In this respect, fish and seafood can be an important component of a climatefriendly diet. However, this information has not reached all consumers who are increasingly considering such criteria when making decisions about their diet.

When it comes to reducing its negative influence on global climate change, aquaculture is actually quite well positioned. However, it is also under pressure, since no other 22

Higher temperatures and lack of water due to drought are already creating significant problems for carp cultivators in some regions.

area of the food industry is growing as rapidly. In 2018, worldwide aquaculture production (including aquatic plants) was at 114.5 million tonnes, with an estimated first sale value of 250 billion US dollars.

According to the FAO, 20.5 million people were employed in the aquaculture sector. Given its huge economic significance, it is not surprising that numerous developing and industrialised nations are pushing for even stronger growth in aquaculture. Often, however, efforts to promote greater sustainability and

environmental friendliness lag far behind. Of course, smart investors nowadays routinely claim that sustainability aspects are taken into account in their projects, but this does not necessarily mean much in practice. Sustainability is a relatively non-specific, if not vague, term that leaves a great deal of room for interpretation in the public sphere.

There are objective indicators by means of which sustainability can be measured according to the three key areas of environmental, economic and social aspects, but the

environment is usually the focus in this context. Interest is therefore primarily focused on water and energy consumption, waste generation and recycling rates, and, of course, greenhouse gas emissions, i.e. the carbon footprint.

Aquaculture is simultaneously the victim and the offender On the one hand, the global aquaculture industry is itself being severely affected by the climate

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[ AQUACULTURE ] than for products produced by agriculture such as chicken, pork or beef. This has been shown by a number of carbon footprint studies. Their results may vary depending on measurement methods and the scope of data collected, but as regards their core findings there is no longer any doubt: fish always comes out on top. One study by the Global Salmon Initiative and the BC Salmon Farmers Association, for example, gives the CO2 emissions per tonne of edible protein as 9.8 tonnes for salmonids, 42.3 tonnes for chicken, 56.7 tonnes for pork and 337.2 tonnes for beef.

Metzler Asset Management (2020), on the other hand, has salmon at 7.9 kg CO2 eq/kg salmon meat. For chicken this figure was 6.2 kg, for pork 12.2 kg and for beef 39.0 kg.

D’Orbcastel et al. 2009 and Blonk et al. 2008 (The Protein Puzzle) For farmed salmon, feed accounts for almost two-thirds of the total CO2 emissions from farming, which amount to approximately 2.6 kg CO2eq per kg of edible product.

crisis. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and farms are being placed under increasing stresses that are having physiological effects on fish, shellfish and crustaceans, negatively affecting their growth and health. Susceptibility to diseases and infections is increasing. Toxic algal blooms endanger fish stocks in net pens, the acidification of the oceans makes it more difficult for shellfish to form their shells, and higher temperatures and drought cause problems regionally. As in almost all industries, there are no absolute winners or losers in aquaculture. Even within one country, there can be differences due to varying conditions between individual locations. Climate models indicate that regions in which almost 90 percent of global aquaculture takes place, including countries such as China, Bangladesh and Indonesia, will probably be most affected by climate change. Unless strenuous

efforts are made to combat this, declines in fish stocks alone could be of an order of 30 percent by midcentury. This would not only narrow the range of available desired species for cultivation, it would also have a strong negative impact on the lives of the Indo-Pacific population, which relies more on aquaculture for subsistence than other regions of the world.

On the other hand, aquaculture could also be part of the solution to some climate problems. Although many people have decided to give up eating animal protein, meat will probably remain an important component of our diets. In this case, surely the attitude should be promoted that if you want to eat animal protein, then it should be from fish and seafood if possible! It does not make much difference whether it comes from fishing or aquaculture, since the CO2 emissions from both are usually significantly less

even claim that the production of one kilogram of farmed salmon only generates only 2 kg of CO2eq emissions.

Salmon is frequently used as the model for calculations Critics frequently complain that such studies are almost always carried out on salmonids, particularly salmon, which can have an especially small carbon footprint, high level of feed efficiency and protein retention. The main motivation for selecting salmon, however, is its huge commercial significance and the fact that this species of fish is principally produced in countries that are focused on sustainability anyway and therefore have the data required for the calculation of CO2

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[ AQUACULTURE ] balance sheets. However, since farmed salmon, as a carnivorous fish species, is more likely to be classified at the upper end of the overall spectrum as regards its carbon footprint when compared to other fish, it can be very suitable for use as a “typical fish model”.

With regard to the already low CO2 emissions associated with fish production in aquaculture, the question arises as to what additional possibilities there are to reduce the carbon footprint even further.

Detailed analyses show that feed, transport and refrigeration are the biggest sources of CO2 emissions in aquaculture. Feed has a particularly negative effect in comparison.

For Norwegian farmed salmon, it accounts for almost two thirds of total CO2 emissions (approx. 2.6 kg CO2eq/kg edible product), as long as the cultivated fish are only marketed within Europe. If the fresh fish are exported to Asia by air however, the emissions increase to around 11 kg CO2eq per kilogram of edible product, which accounts for about 80 percent of the overall balance sheet. Usually, however, feed is the fundamental problem in aquaculture and the greatest driver of CO2 emissions. The needs-based procurement of suitable feed, access to proteins, minerals and omega-3 fatty acids has become one of the greatest challenges for the future of the aquaculture industry. The fishmeal supply is limited and has been declining for years. Fishmeal is particularly good for the cultivation of many fish and shrimp species in aquaculture operations. Not just nutritionally but from a climate perspective as well. Fishing for the smallest pelagic species such as anchovies, herring or sardines, which occupy a low trophic level at the bottom of marine food chains, in fact, has an extremely low CO2 footprint at only 1 kg CO2eq/kg catch weight.

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Increased focus on more climate-friendly farming methods Feed manufacturers are increasingly turning to plant-based agricultural resources such as soya or corn as alternatives to scarce and expensive fishmeal. These now make up around 70% of the contents of salmon feed, for example.

The use of these substances, however, requires significant technical expertise and a lot of fundamental research in order to fully cater to the nutritional requirements of the fish across all stages of life. It also changes the carbon footprint. Generally, plant-based products do have relatively low CO2 emissions, but raw materials for feed such as soya are frequently imported from distant regions of the world, which increases emission levels.

And because plant material is often intensively industrially preprocessed so that it can be digested by carnivorous fish, this increases the CO2 footprint even more. The development of processes for the manufacturing of innovative and sustainable raw materials is in full swing, since the future of aquaculture to a large extent depends on it. Algae cultures stand out as a possible solution. Some algae oil products, with their high omega-3 content, are already partly replacing the fish oil in fish feed.

Some areas of aquaculture are undergoing transformation under the pressure of increasing conflicts of use. Farms are being relocated from coastal locations further out into the open sea (offshore) or on land, production is increasingly taking place in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and attempts are being made to combine the production of fish with the cultivation of organisms of lower trophic levels in IMTA farms (Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture). Each of these processes has

its own advantages and disadvantages and is also associated with changing climate effects. IMTA farms look particularly good in this regard, because they are environmentally friendly and fight climate change by integrating multiple levels of the food chain together.

Seaweed and shellfish cultures located directly next to net pens with fish bind some of the locally produced CO2, which in turn alleviates acidification and stabilises the pH value. As limited as these effects may be, they contribute to further reducing the emission of greenhouse gases. The situation is probably different for the large offshore salmon farming projects, since these are likely associated with a significant increase in CO2 emissions. From a purely technical perspective, gigantic systems such as Open Ocean, Smart Fish Farm, Spider Cage or the 400 m long Jostein and the 170 m long and 64 m wide trimaran Ocean Ark, which drift on the seas in the form of ships may be impressive, but from a climate perspective their manufacture and operation is more of a step backwards. Even if these farms are mostly wind-powered systems and they have other systems for energy generation, the large distances to be covered in order to supply the fish and the operating personnel lead to increased CO2 emissions.

Land-based aquaculture often creates new problems It is debated whether relocating aquaculture systems on land can be a solution to climate problems.

RAS systems are one of the biggest CO2 emitters in the aquaculture sector due to their high energy requirements. The decision of the Canadian government to convert the salmon farms of British Columbia from open sea systems to land-based production by 2025 could prove to be a climate

policy boomerang. Several studies have shown that the cultivation of fish on land significantly accelerates climate change due to the increased requirements for water, land and energy. Estimates predict that the complete relocation of current worldwide salmon production of 2 million tonnes to land-based farms would cause almost 530 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Salmon farming on land would require the same amount of energy per year required to supply a city of 1.2 million people with power, and the associated higher CO2 emissions.

The farming of salmon on land costs 12 times more than production at sea, as shown by studies.

Then there is the additional need for suitable areas of land, for which there are already many potential users. The current salmon production of Canada alone would require 159 square kilometres of land in order to be able to keep the fish at acceptable densities in land-based systems. Christopher Costello, the lead author of the study “The Future of Food from the Sea”, therefore emphasises that the ocean has a lot of untapped potential to feed the world in the coming decades.

These enormous resources can be exploited with a reduced environmental footprint compared to many other food sources. Tim Kennedy, President of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance, also commented in an interview with the platform SeaWest News that the greatest opportunities for CO2 reduction in global food production lie in the sustainable expansion of marine aquaculture. In order to fully exploit these reserves, however, more intelligent management of wild fisheries and the sustainable development of aquaculture is required. If we get it right, the oceans could supply six times more food in the future than they do today and marine ecosystems could also

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[ AQUACULTURE ] be restored. An important step in this direction could be the elimination of state subsidies for aquaculture operations with unacceptably high CO2 footprint, all the more so as public acceptance of such companies is dwindling.

Inform consumers more extensively regarding climate consequences Although the aquaculture production of EU states does not play a major role from a global perspective, the relationships between fishing, aquaculture and climate change (80% of fish available in EU countries comes from fishing and 20% from aquaculture) are also the focus of attention here. In the EUfinanced project CERES (Climate change and European aquatic RESources), researchers are investigating the effects of climate

change on aquaculture and vice versa, how fish farming affects the climate. The results are intended to help the fishing industry and politicians to make decisions on which fish, shellfish and seaweed species can be best produced in which regions using which methods. In the short, medium and long term, this can contribute to more effectively promoting the hopedfor blue growth in aquaculture and fishing in various regions of the EU, without neglecting the climate consequences. It is not only investors and entrepreneurs in aquaculture who will be called upon to implement such plans; governments and authorities must also make decisions quickly and flexibly. Site permits and lease agreements for aquaculture must be more strongly linked to climate aspects than previously. Who would voluntarily plan, design or approve a pond system in

a region that will be plagued with drought in ten or twenty years? In the near future, some already existing operations in less suitable areas of the sea may need to be moved if the conditions at their current location continue to change to their detriment due to climate change.

If people want to continue consuming animal protein in the future, they should focus more on climate-friendly alternatives such as fish and seafood. After all, responsible and sustainable aquaculture not only contributes to feeding the world, it also makes an important contribution to fighting climate change thanks to its relatively low CO2 emissions. Scientists have calculated that global aquaculture could contribute to almost two percent of the reduction in emissions required to meet the 1.5°C by 2050 target. And there

is more: if the increasing protein needs of the growing global population were met not by agriculture but exclusively by aquaculture by 2050, this would save almost 750 million hectares of arable and pasture land. This corresponds to twice the area of India! The opportunity and potential is there, but it is consumers who will ultimately decide whether this chance will actually be taken. However, this will not be easy for them, since food supply chains in our globalised world are currently very complex, meaning that the consequences of their purchasing decisions are rarely clear to see. An ethically desirable choice, that protects the climate as well as ecosystems and biodiversity while complying with economic and social requirements, requires comprehensive knowledge and will probably not be easy to make. mk

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[ AQUACULTURE ] The substrate for microorganisms in a biofilter determine the latter's efficiency

High water quality in recirculating aquaculture systems The biofilter is justifiably considered the heart of a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). It is here that toxic compounds generated by the fish’s metabolism are rendered harmless by bacteria that colonise the surface of small elements maintained in the biofilter.

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lthough the “water” in a fish farm is a complex ecological system, the water quality can be checked by means of some parameters which play a crucial role. The critical parameters are the temperature, pH value, alkalinity, suspended solids and the dissolved concentrations of oxygen, ammonium, nitrite, and CO2. If the fresh water exchange is reduced, then the nitrate concentration might also reach critical levels which make it necessary to consider a reduction down to approx. 20 – 50 mg NO3-N/l. Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for all living organisms. In aquaculture, nitrogen is a waste component, which is generated by the metabolism of the fish. There are different sources of nitrogen: ammonium, urea, uric acid and amino acids which are excreted by the fish, as well as organic residues of dead organisms, uneaten fish feed, faeces, or gaseous nitrogen from the atmosphere.

Ammonium is generated as the main end-product of protein metabolism and is excreted by the fish via their gills mainly as nonionized ammonium. Ammonium, nitrite and nitrate are well soluble in water. Ammonium exists in two forms: non-ionized as NH3 and ionized as NH4+. The relative concentration of both forms of the ammonium depends primarily on the pH value, temperature 26

The Mutag MBC30 with biomass in a koi carp pond.

and salt content. The sum of both parameters (NH4+ + NH3) is called Total Ammonia Nitrogen (TAN).

In chemistry, it is common to

express inorganic nitrogen components in terms of the nitrogen which they contain: NH4+-N (ionized ammonium nitrogen),

NH3-N (non-ionized ammonium nitrogen), NO2-N (nitrite nitrogen), and NO3-N (nitrate nitrogen). This facilitates calculation

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[ AQUACULTURE ] of the Total Ammonia Nitrogen (TAN = NH4+-N + NH3-N) and an easier conversion between different stages of the nitrification process.

Addition of fish feed leads to the production of ammonia As an end-product of their proteinmetabolism, the fish excrete via their gills mainly fish-toxic ammonia (NH3) which is present in the water as dissolved ammonium (NH4). Apart from this, a minor part of the nitrogen, particularly as urea, is excreted into the water via the kidneys. In continuous-flowsystems, the fish tank water is massively diluted due to the high fresh water feed. Due to this, the NH3/ NH4 concentration is kept at a level

which is tolerable to the fish. This is however not possible in (partially) closed recirculating aquaculture systems due to the low fresh water quantity added to the system. Here, the ammonium in the recirculated water is oxidized by means of a special treatment stage: the biofilter. The application of a biofilter for the ammonium oxidation, in combination with the recirculation of the water back to the inlet of the fish tank, is the most essential attribute of (partially) closed recirculating systems.

The level of the NH3 concentration in the water is determined by the dissociation equilibrium between NH4 and NH3. At a rising pH value and increasing temperature, the percentage of the fish-toxic ammonia NH3 will rise. The NH3-N limit

The large and porous surface of the chips offers an excellent substrate for microorganisms to proliferate on.

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[ AQUACULTURE ]

A biofilter on a trout farm using the Mutag BioChip.

values of the optimal range at a longer working period are 0.008 mg NH3-N per liter (0.01 mg/l NH3) for trout and pikeperch, as well as 0.016 – 0.05 mg NH3-N per liter (0.02 – 0.06 mg/l NH3) for carp, eel, catfish and tilapia. Moreover, in closed recirculating systems the concentrations of the intermediate and the end-product of the ammonium removal – nitrite and nitrate – are of significance. Within the scope of the accompanying water-chemical processes, also the pH value and the alkalinity (acid binding capacity) of the water play an essential role. For a range of fastidious fish species such as trout, sturgeon and pikeperch, it turns out that it is necessary to keep the NO3-N concentration below approx. 20 – 50 mg/l (approx. 90 – 220 mg/l NO3). Different species may also tolerate higher nitrate concentrations in some circumstances (approx. ≥ 300 mg/l NO3).

The alkalinity should be at least at 1 mmol/l and the ph-value of the water between 6.5 – 7.5.

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Specialised bacteria perform a vital role in the biofilter Only by re-using the fish tank water after its mechanical treatment and subsequent ammonium oxidation (biological treatment), it is possible to apply a fresh water feed which is lower than in the most intensely operated form of continuous-flowsystems. In addition to the components required for growing the fish, as well as to the plant components and the carbon dioxide degassing unit, a closed recirculating system hence includes a mechanical treatment and a biofilter for the NH4-N oxidation. As process for the removal of the ammonium, nearly all commercially used recirculating systems are using the bacterial nitrification process. Here, the oxidation of the ammonium over the intermediate step nitrite (NO2) to the less fish-toxic nitrate (NO3) is performed by specialized bacteria species (Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter).

Mutag BioChip 30™ as a high-performance carrier for RAS applications Essential for the performance of the RAS is the choice of the carrier media on which the organisms for the biological treatment are supposed to grow in the MBBR tank (biofilter). During the past years, the Mutag BioChip 30™ with its extremely large and porous surface area—a product of Multi Umwelttechnologie AG—has prevailed in aquaculture on a worldwide basis. Several renowned suppliers of fish farming plants use the benefits of the Mutag BioChip 30™ for their systems which they sell to the aquaculture industry. Apart from the high process reliability, further benefits are that the removal capacity is significantly higher than with other carriers, while the reactors (biofilters) are significantly smaller.

Also, the mixing energy requirement is lower; the latter is reduced

particularly in relation to the tank footprint.

In the aquaculture sector, the standardized biological process combinations in the water treatment process comprise aerobic MBBR tanks for the removal of ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and COD (chemical oxygen demand) as well as MBBR denitrification tanks for the farther-reaching elimination of nitrate (NO3).

Besides the carrier media, Multi Umwelttechnologie AG offers also the design and engineering of the carrier media retention system, and provides process-related recommendations, support on commissioning, as well as customer service during operation.

Any existing tanks can easily and quickly be optimized using the Mutag MBBR Technology™.

René Trübenbach, Simon Jedrusiak, Multi Umwelttechnologie AG, www.mutag.de, info@mutag.de

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Researchers study a range of applications for effluents from recirculation aquaculture

Searching for holistic solutions to waste Recirculation systems to grow finfish have been built or are under development around the world. Sparing with water, full control, and the ability to locate them close to markets are among the factors influencing this trend. The capacity to collect and treat the waste to reduce its impact on the environment is another plus point.

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ver the last two decades global aquaculture production has tripled to 85m tonnes of aquatic animals and 35m tonnes of plants, according to the FAO. This growth, the fastest among all sources of animal protein for food purposes, can be attributed to the use of better feeds, intensification of production, improved farm management, and greater attention to biosecurity. Finfish production amounted to 56m tonnes in 2019 of which close to 50m tonnes was produced in freshwater and the balance in marine water. Inland aquaculture dominates in Asia and Africa while in the Americas and Europe 50% and 79%, respectively, of the finfish produced is in marine areas.

In 2019, marine and coastal farmed fish production at almost 8m tonnes contributed 14% to global finfish production.

Nearly a third of this production was Atlantic salmon. This species is typically raised in cages which have been getting bigger and more robust over the years allowing them to be deployed offshore away from heavily used coastal areas. However, the costs of deploying cages offshore are high which may have contributed to the slow growth of production from these systems. In the long term, however, some authors

feel that as an increasing number of people enters the middle class, they will be able to afford more expensive offshore-reared salmon. While this form of farming currently dominates Atlantic salmon production, in several countries in Europe as well as in other parts of the world salmon farmers and investors are taking an increasing interest in landbased farming using recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS).

Recirculation systems offer several benefits As the name suggests these systems clean and recirculate the water the fish grow in and thereby use much less water than conventional farms. However, the extent of water conservation varies; some systems are fully closed while others recycle the water to different degrees. Jacob Bregnballe, an expert on recirculation systems at the AKVA Group and author of A guide to recirculation aquaculture, calculates that a traditional flow through system uses about 100 times more water than the average recirculation system for every kilo of fish produced.

RAS has been around for a while, but its popularity is increasing as regulations governing the allocation of sites along the coast and inland, as well as those governing the environment, become

Recirculation aquaculture systems are becoming more widespread as the advantages become increasingly apparent and solutions to the challenges are found.

more stringent. RAS also offer the advantage of complete control over the production, can reduce or eliminate the risk of escapes, and the fish are less exposed to pathogens thanks to closer monitoring (and smaller volumes) of intake water. Another major factor is that they can be established close to profitable markets. In recirculation systems waste from the fish production is collected and converted into fertiliser or biogas. Wastewater can also be used in aquaponic systems to fertilise the growth of plants or, in integrated multitrophic aquaculture, to provide nourishment to, for example, bivalves or macroalgae. Aquaponics using wastewater from freshwater aquaculture

is a commercial activity in some countries and there are also plants that thrive in effluents from marine water recirculation installations. This ability to effectively collect, treat, and use the effluents from an RAS system is what makes this production form more sustainable than many other fish breeding systems.

Denmark a leading innovator in recirculation systems and ancillary equipment In Denmark, a semi-intensive RAS called the Model Trout Farm has been used since the early 2000s to reduce the impact of fish production on the environment. Rainbow urofish Magazine 1 / 2022

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trout is the species cultivated in these systems. The Model Trout Farm is one in a series of innovations seen in the Danish aquaculture industry, which can claim an 800-year-old history, according to Christian Skov and his co-authors in an article1 in the journal Fisheries. The first trout pond was created at the end of the 19th century and in the 1980s water began to be treated and extruded feeds were introduced. Today Denmark is a leading nation in the design and development of RAS as well as in the production of the feeds and equipment that optimise the growth of fish in recirculation.

This expertise comes from an industry that increasingly supplies producers across the world as RAS systems increase in popularity. In northern Europe and Chile they are used, among other applications, for the production of Atlantic salmon smolts. With RAS the smolts show improved growth and reduced vulnerability to sea lice infestation, when they are introduced into sea cages for on growing. Seabass and seabream follow the same script. The juveniles are produced in RAS and then put in sea cages to grow them to market size. Several marine, brackish water, and freshwater species including yellowtail kingfish, African catfish, barramundi, grouper, tilapia, rainbow trout, pike perch, sturgeon, and eel are raised to market size in RA systems.

the marine environment. Carlos Octavio Letelier-Gordo, a researcher at DTU AQUA, explains that sea cages are open systems.

There is no control over environmental conditions meaning that the presence of toxins in the water due, for example, to an oil spill or an algal bloom will affect the fish in the cage. At the same time there is no control over the effluent discharge from the fish. Waste in the form of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and organic matter derived from the excretions of the fish and uneaten feed is released into the sea promoting eutrophication—already an issue in the Baltic Sea. N and P are nutrients that promote the growth of organisms such as microalgae which block sunlight from reaching plants and decreases the oxygen content of the water creating hypoxic zones that can harm or kill fish. When the microalgae die, they decompose using oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide in the process.

This acidifies the water which also has negative effects on marine organisms. The increase in water temperatures because of global warming adds to the problem as it accelerates the formation of microalgal blooms. Sea cages should therefore only be installed in areas with adequate carrying capacity including currents sufficient to disperse nutrients and organic matter stemming from the cages. Otherwise, as is seen in some parts of the world, organic matter accumulates beneath the cages and destroys the seabed.

Effluents from sea cages cannot be controlled and can affect the marine environment Even before the announcement In 2019 the Danish Ministry of Environment prohibited the expansion of farms raising trout in the sea citing protection of 1

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the industry in Denmark had shown an interest in farming fish including marine fish on land and a couple of big projects had been launched to farm salmon. This

Systems to grow fish in recirculating water are expensive and complex and therefore best suited to high value species, such as eel.

high value species can offset the significant investment required to produce on land. High capital and production costs are not the only drawbacks that affect RAS; they have a relatively high carbon footprint due to the use of extruded feeds and to high energy consumption—if the energy is from non-sustainable sources. Moreover, they are more susceptible to the accumulation of gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide, of which the latter is particularly toxic for the fish.

Efforts seek to valorise the effluents Compared to production in sea cages, however, RAS allow the capture and treatment of waste matter, and researchers at DTU AQUA are working on developing cost effective solutions for effluents that are simple to implement. Complex or expensive solutions find no favour with producers as they want to invest their efforts in the fish rather than in the waste they produce. Research has shown the potential of using organic waste to produce biogas or to breed insects such as black soldier fly. The wastewater and

the nutrients can be used as a fertiliser for the production of vegetables or herbs in a greenhouse, a combination called aquaponics (These results came from a Danida-funded project, Sustainable value chains; aquaponics in Colombia). This may be a more suitable use of the effluent if the system is a small one with modest production quantities. For large system producing 1,000 tonnes or more of fish, treating and supplying the waste matter to a biogas plant may be a more suitable option. Solutions also depend on the degree to which the effluent is concentrated. Some RAS may use more water than others resulting in a more diluted effluent, while in others it may be more concentrated. The solution depends on the kind of system that is generating the waste.

Concentrating waste can create an exploitable resource The effluents produced from an RAS should ideally be concentrated to reduce the volume that needs to be transported. If the dry matter content could be increased moving the material

Skov, C., Berg, S., Eigaard, O.R., Jessen, T.K. and Skov, P.V. (2020), Danish Fisheries and Aquaculture: Past, Present, and Future. Fisheries, 45: 33-41. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsh.10330 Global Conference on Aquaculture 2020 – Thematic Review Aquaculture Systems www.eurofishmagazine.com

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around within national borders or internationally would become significantly cheaper. At DTU Aqua another project (Innovative technologies for end-of-pipe treatment (INNO-TEK), funded

by Fiskeristyrelsen) is looking at concentrating the dry matter to 20-60% from the 1-5% of the raw sludge. This would convert the sludge into a small cake that could be used as fertiliser. Effluents from marine farms are normally too saline to use in biogas plants as the salt inhibits the process, but by drying the organic matter this effect is reduced2. Concentration creates opportunities to valorise the effluents in different ways while making it easier to transport.

Denitrification, the process of removing nitrate, becomes necessary if it accumulates in the system to reach levels that affect the fish. Moreover, it responds to the requirement of environmental agencies to avoid eutrophication by reducing N discharge. Denitrification is a bacterial process that depends on a carbon source.

One of the ideas being studied by Dr Letelier-Gordo and his colleagues is to treat and then use the fish sludge (which contains organic matter) as the source of carbon. This would, in theory, offer a holistic solution—allowing the producer to treat the nitrate, get rid of the sludge, and save on the expense of another source of carbon. Another DTU AQUA project is investigating the potential to remove nitrates from the water using wood chips3. The process releases nitrogen as gas into the atmosphere. The system 2

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is robust, but removal efficiency per cubic metre of reactor is low.

For a small production facility where the volume of nitrate is modest such a system would work, but in a facility generating a large volume of nitrate a suitable reactor would require the use of a lot of space—which the producer would probably prefer to use for fish production. Here the removal of nitrates would require some other solution.

Well-designed systems reduce the risk of off flavours One of the issues facing fish raised in RA systems is the presence of off flavours in the flesh usually caused by two compounds, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, which are produced by certain bacteria associated with organic matter, according to a paper4 by John Davidson and colleagues. During the recycling process organic matter tends to accumulate providing a favourable environment to the bacteria which release these compounds into the water. The fish absorb them through the gills, from where they are transported to the fish tissue attracted by the fat accumulated there. Eliminating these undesirable flavours is most often by depuration, where the fish are placed in clean flowing water for a period to allow the compounds to leave the fish due to the concentration gradient.

The fish are not fed for this period and lose fat as a result which also reduces the concentration of these unwanted compounds. However, having to use water to depurate

Some species take better to being farmed in high density than others.

African catfish is one example and production has been increasing in several European countries as a result.

the fish runs counter to one of the purposes of recirculation which is to save water.

Preventing the build-up of organic matter would eventually inhibit the formation of geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol. Ozone and skimmers could help on this and a project (Aquaculture On-Line: Real-time mass spectrometric measurements in recirculating aquaculture systems) is being implemented with DTU Aqua and other partners to study this. For particulate organic waste products, the most common way is with a drum filter which consists of a rotating drum fitted with a mesh of 40 to 100 microns. However, some particles may be small enough to go through the mesh.

The design of the RAS is also important to prevent the build-up of organic matter. Good design will minimise blind spots and corners where organic matter can accumulate. This is important not only to inhibit the generation of off flavour-producing compounds but also because bacterial activity

increases oxygen demand leading to higher costs. Perhaps the most important reason to prevent the accumulation of organic matter is that the activity of bacteria can, particularly in saltwater systems, lead to the production of hydrogen sulphide, a gas that is highly toxic for fish. A project funded by the Norwegian research council (Prevalence and consequences of hydrogen sulphide in landbased Atlantic salmon production (H2Salar)) with NOFIMA and DTU Aqua is currently investigating this.

Getting rid of the organic matter is thus a combination of methods— filters, good design, and protocols for the effective cleaning of the different parts of the system.

The research carried out at DTU AQUA will surely contribute to maintaining Denmark’s leading position in the field of recirculation aquaculture. The development of practical and holistic solutions for effluents is likely to boost the popularity of this form of fish cultivation both within the country and beyond.

Saline fish wastewater in biogas plants - Biomethanation toxicity and safe use Carlos O. Letelier-Gordo, Enrico Mancini, Per Bovbjerg Pedersen, Irini Angelidaki, Ioannis A. Fotidis* https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/publications/saline-fish-wastewater-in-biogas-plants-biomethanation-toxicity-a Mathis Von Ahnen. https://orbit.dtu.dk/en/projects/end-of-pipe-treatment-at-trout-farms-eop-39429 John Davidson, Casey Grimm, Steven Summerfelt, Gregory Fischer, Christopher Good, Depuration system flushing rate affects geosmin removal from market-size Atlantic salmon Salmo salar, Aquacultural Engineering, Volume 90, 2020, 102104, ISSN 0144-8609, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaeng.2020.102104. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0144860920300868) urofish Magazine 1 / 2022

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Modular farm management software combines data from fish farmers with that from feed vendors

A Danish solution for digitalising aquaculture farms Digitalization is and will continue to be the key driver for the development of the aquaculture sector. As the demands for recirculation of resources, animal welfare, traceability, and environmental protection increase, data becomes paramount to meet these demands.

The more data, the better the predictions and the more effective the optimization. Digitalization takes fish farming from being experience-based to becoming knowledge-based—or data-driven.

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longside every other equipment manufacturer in the sector, Oxyguard began to develop its digital solution around 2010. While the focus among equipment suppliers was generally on distinct solutions such as biomass estimations, water quality, lice count, or feed, the company believed that digitalization should be included in both individual farm management as well as the value chain in general. It should make life easier for the fish farmers and centralize work instead of being a new addon for the production. With this in mind, it was decided to develop the prototype for the digitalization platform together with both the feed companies and the primary producers themselves. In 2017, a consortium including BioMar, Aller-Aqua, and the majority of the Danish fish farms was established.

Over the next four years, the very first version of Cobália was developed by the software team.

Working on solutions jointly with primary producers brings new insights At OxyGuard the primary goal is to “pave the way” for fish farmers.

With “pave the way” the company specifically aims to develop solutions that give success to the fish 32

farmers. The more successful they are, the better we have done our part of the job, says Mette Frandsen, Communications Advisor at OxyGuard. This vision greatly affects the day-to-day work at OxyGuard, including the development of our digital tool, Cobália.

To be able to fulfil the need of the fish farmers we need to develop new solutions in an ever changing market, need to foresee the development to gain market shares, and to produce high-quality products to keep our customers loyal. The company therefore has an extensive R&D department and a third of all employees work with research and development.

A strong group of market analysts continuously engages in the political and administrative parts of the sector. And, the majority of the company’s solutions are developed in close collaboration with the primary producers.

Working with primary producers while making Cobália brought insights the development team could not imagine. This ranged from small changes in the digital presentation of data to more in-depth changes in the functionality of the program. These changes were included continuously along the way meeting the specific needs of the many different farm types included at the

company’s test facilities. The feed companies supplied knowledge on feed formulae, growth rates, and optimization. OxyGuard’s market analyst suggested add-ons and features needed for future use such as the inclusion of modules for handling environmental certification (GLOBAL.G.A.P., ASC, and the like), traceability features, and much more. New partnerships have been built along the way increasing the chance for developing an all-inclusive solution in the long run. This collaborative effort also changed the outcome. The drawing board version presented in the company’s press release in 2019 and the current version of Cobália are not quite the same. Initially, the thought was that the AI modules for complex decision-making would be the most central part of Cobália.

It turns out that, while still important, other things need to be in place before the AI and machine learning attributes make sense.

So, the focus shifted towards farm management and stock safety.

Cobália today—a modular growing tool that can encompass… everything Today Cobália is first and foremost a sophisticated system to manage complex farms. With

The fish farm management software, Cobália, can be accessed on computers, mobiles, and tablets and will give a real time picture of conditions on the farm.

Cobália, farmers get a full digital farm they can access from laptops, mobile phones, or tablets.

The dashboard can be customized to meet the needs of the individual farm. It gives a complete overview of the farm, the tanks, the oxygen, CO2, and water levels, and everything else that needs to be monitored and fed to the system. It includes alarms and set points making it possible to get an instant message if, for example, the oxygen reading drops in a tank. The next level is access to production data on growth, biomass estimations, deaths, and much more. All data is converted into graphs giving a comprehensive overview of the production. Growth estimations

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for the different production units based on feed formulas from the feeding companies and actual growth in the specific units give real data enabling optimization of grading events and forecast of total output. Cobália can also auto-generate reports needed for administration or to meet official reporting requirements.

A “to do” list is also being implemented, where the system keeps track of all tasks in the production and makes sure that if an employee is on sick leave, all the tasks assigned to the person will be redistributed. Important tasks can be assigned with alarms, making sure nothing is left to chance.

Cobália is modular and new modules are being added continuously. It is not a static solution, but a growing modular tool able to change, add on, and meet the very precise needs of the individual farms. The modules currently being developed will enable Cobália to collect and generate the data needed to get an environmental certification.

Who owns the farmers’ data?

Cobália collects extensive amounts of data across all the farms connected worldwide. Central to the company, and in contrast to the majority of digital solution available on the market, is data ownership. The production data is of great value to everyone, as data is needed

to develop a usable AI or machine learning solution with good market potential. Without further ado, the company decided the farmers should own their data. This means that all the data fish farmers have in Cobália belong to them. They cannot be accessed by anyone without permission. No one can draw benefits from the data without agreement from the farmers. This is a way of keeping fish farmers in the decision-making loops in the sector. And, as it turns out, the farmers are more than willing to share data if the purpose is clear and the benefits accrue to them.

All this data enables the important forthcoming modules for Cobália—AI and machine learning. These algorithms can greatly

optimize the entire production in ways we cannot even imagine.

Using big data we can get datadriven knowledge on the best way to feed, the optimal levels of light, oxygen, temperature, essentially on every parameter for the individual production units. It will change the way fish are cultivated in the same way farming equipment changed agriculture.

Further modules are on the drawing board for Cobália and the hope is that even more farmers will join the platform making it the strongest tool in the sector—and giving fish farmers a comprehensive, data-driven, and constantly updated application to help them manage their production.

Drum filters are an important component in recirculation aquaculture systems

Corrosion-free filters for use in marine RAS The company CM Aqua manufactures equipment for the freshwater and marine aquaculture industry including drum filters and protein skimmers.

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lobal production from aquaculture has increased steadily over the last decades, a trend that is set to continue as societies become more prosperous and more urbanised.

A part of this production comes from recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), a term that covers installations reusing varying amounts of water.

Marine RAS are becoming more widespread Traditionally used in the production of freshwater species

including pikeperch, eel, sturgeon, African catfish, and tilapia, RAS have now also been adapted to produce marine species, such as salmon, barramundi, shrimp, and yellowtail kingfish. These species are selected, among other factors, for their high market value which can offset the costs of production generated by these sophisticated and expensive intensive production systems. Systems that recirculate water to a lesser extent than in an intensive RAS are used to produce less valuable species such as portion sized rainbow trout. Denmark has been a pioneer in developing this form of production.

Highly or moderately intensive production notwithstanding, all these systems offer some special challenges to farmers due to the intensity of production. The water must be oxygenated adequately, and maintain a stable pH, temperature, and salinity (in marine RAS) if the fish are to grow and thrive. Harmful by-products from the fish production must be removed constantly or neutralized. While some of the technology used to carry out these operations are very sophisticated, others are relatively simple but no less critical. Among the latter is the mechanical filter that removes

particulate matter from the water.

These particles stem primarily from fish faeces and any uneaten feed and constitute the organic waste products. They serve as a substrate for heterotrophic bacteria (that use organic nutrients for growth), which, if allowed to multiply, can result in increased oxygen consumption, poor biofilter performance, and greater turbidity of the water, report Carlos A. Espinal and Daniel Matuli *.

The removal of these particles is typically done by a rotating drum filter equipped with a mesh. The pores in the mesh usually measure between 40 and 100 microns. urofish Magazine 1 / 2022

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The mechanical filter is the first stage of filtration after the water leaves the fish tanks and is critical to reducing the organic load on the biofilter. Placing the filter just after the fish tanks also ensures that the faecal particles remain large enough to be caught by the drum filter.

Drum filters to suit any requirement and budget A Danish company, CM Aqua, that specialises in filtration and disinfection of water in aquaculture systems has supplied drum filters to companies in different parts of the world including those operating marine RAS. In some of these installations production volumes are particularly large and the filters have to be capable of filtering several cubic metres of water in each recirculation cycle.

Drum filters work on a relatively straightforward principle. Water enters the drum and exits through a mesh which holds back the particles. The filtration rate is determined by the size of the pores in the mesh. Kurt Carlsen, the CEO, compares drum filtration to the coffee filter in a French press, except that in a drum filter the water passes through the mesh with just the force of gravity. This gentle treatment at almost no force, ensure that also very fragile particles are removed and not pressed through the net. As the pores in the mesh clog up the drum rotates to expose a fresh section of mesh to the water. By removing these particles these filters make the water in the system less turbid and improve the functioning of the biofilter. The company has over 30 years of experience designing and building these filters and offers a range of versions in different sizes that can remove particles from 10 to 500 microns. The company’s new model X HEX filters are 34

particularly suited to saltwater systems as they are fabricated with minimal metal parts—just a couple of screws and the shaft, which can all be upgraded to noncorrosive titanium at not too high an expense.

The drum filter is a piece of equipment that essentially runs by itself with minimum maintenance. The X model of the HEX filter, the most recent variant, is furnished with ceramic bearings that can last for 20 years, and a very robust drive mechanism, all water lubricated.

Versions of the filters have been designed for use at sea, such as on well boats, testifying to their solid construction. As the water is filtered through the mesh, the organic matter removed accumulates on the inner side of the mesh which is cleaned by water sprayed on to the outside through nozzles.

The action of this spray dislodges the particles and directs them to the sludge tray from where they are removed. Over time these nozzles can get clogged. If several are clogged at the same time it reduces the efficiency of the filter and the nozzles will need to be cleaned.

The other maintenance task is to remove the organic material that tends to grow in all parts of a RAS if left unchecked. This is easily done on the drum filters by opening the lid and spraying the mesh with a high-pressure hose as the drum rotates. Both these forms of maintenance can be carried out without stopping the filter, so they have no impact on the production.

Polymers have advantages over steel The components of the drum filter are typically fashioned from high density polyethylene and polypropylene. Some of the models have drums made of steel. This is a sturdier material than any polymer, but apart from being

The HEX model X drum filter (pictured) will be installed at two marine recirculation aquaculture systems producing salmon in Denmark.

susceptible to corrosion, steel has the drawback that it gets slightly distorted when welding. The mesh panels therefore need to be strapped on and rubber seals have to be used to take this warping into account. The solution is less than ideal, because the seals can spring a leak, which will not be immediately apparent, but will make the filtration less efficient.

Drums made of polyethylene are free of this distortion and the mesh panels can just be snapped firmly into place. It is important that the mesh is held very securely in position as it will erode rapidly if it moves as the drum rotates.

The company handles the design and development of the equipment and sales from its offices in Copenhagen, while the manufacturing and distribution is done in Germany near Düsseldorf at an establishment that has many years

of experience working with different kinds of polymers. The quality of the products is correspondingly high, says Mr Carlsen. Apart from drum filters protein skimmers are also manufactured at the site in Germany. These use foam to remove proteins and tiny particles that pass through the mesh of the drum filter. The addition of a little ozone to the foam improves the efficiency of the skimmer by breaking down complex molecules which facilitates their removal and results in clearer water. Fish approaching market size are more sensitive to murky water and if the murkiness can be reduced it is an improvement in fish welfare. In addition, clear water better allows the photoperiod manipulation of the fish to prevent early maturation. Though not a critical piece of equipment the use of protein skimmers on land-based marine farms is only likely to increase.

CM Aqua Farum Gydevej 64 3520 Farum, Denmark +45 2117 5600 info@cmaqua.dk www.cmaqua.dk

Products: Drum filters, protein skimmers, oxygen generator, belt filter Industries: Aquaculture, water treatment Markets: Global

Founders: Henrik Mortensen, Kurt Carlsen

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DENMARK

New rapid measure for microbial water quality

Early warning systems for recirculation aquaculture BactiQuant online and BactiQuant mobile are instruments that can be used to perform rapid and robust measurements to detect and quantify the total content of bacteria in water samples from recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and hatcheries.

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AS harbour opportunistic bacteria that under the right circumstances can multiply rapidly to the detriment of fish health. The company BactiQuant is a spin off from a research project at Copenhagen University, which investigated the possibility of developing better methods to quantify fungal contamination in the indoor environment. Later, efforts went into detecting bacteria in water, an area with many potential applications in water utilities and industries - ranging from ultra-pure water to wastewater. About a decade ago, in collaboration with DTU Aqua, the company began to investigate an application in RAS.

Results appear much faster than with conventional testing systems To fish farmers BactiQuant offers a technology that detects bacterial levels in water-samples in a matter of minutes rather than the 3-5 days it takes using traditional methods. This rapid response is extremely useful, says Janne Pedersen, the head of business development, as a serious bacterial infection can wipe out the entire stock in the three days that it takes to get the result from a sample tested using the traditional platecount. The technology offers a form of insurance that helps

identify unusual spikes in bacterial levels by providing a warning before the situation becomes critical. We offer a “first line of defence”, a first step in establishing whether everything is normal or not, says Ms Pedersen, and the device is a process tool that many large-scale RAS facilities around the world have come to appreciate for troubleshooting and as a routine process monitoring tool.

The company’s technology and products are trademarked and patented. The equipment can be used in freshwater and in saline water and today the company is working with several major RAS operators in Denmark and abroad. The technology has received international recognition, among others, approval from the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency, the Seal of Excellence from the European Union, and has been used by companies as an essential part of the verification procedure of their ISO 22000 HACCP Hygiene Management System. Christina Katsaiti, a sales engineer, explains that it works by detecting a naturally occurring enzymatic activity

in bacteria which can be used as a proxy for the number of total bacteria. We use the term Enzyme Targeted Analysis (ETA) for our technological platform, she says.

After the sample is collected it is filtered and an enzyme substrate is added to the filter, which is used as the reaction vehicle. When the enzyme substrate comes in contact with the bacterial enzyme it degrades and releases fluorescent molecules, the fluorescence of which can be measured using a fluorometer. The reading on the fluorometer is used to calculate an enzyme activity, which is directly proportional to the bacterial content of the sample.

ute to the enzyme activity, as the enzyme targeted is harboured in a wide range of bacteria, including gram positive and gram negative bacteria, as well as bacteria representing all the major taxonomic groups described. Another advantage is that the technology is able to detect both free-living, and particle associated bacteria, which constitute a very significant proportion of the bacterial population in RAS. In contrast, the traditional plate count method is only able to quantify free living/ planktonic bacteria. Thus, BactiQuant’s assessment provides a more relevant evaluation of the bacterial levels to which fish are exposed in RAS.

Specificity and accuracy are critical Large RAS facilities are highly The test gives accurate results because the targeted enzyme is highly specific for bacteria. The major advantage of this method is that there is no need to culture the bacteria, which is time consuming. Instead, the results appear instantly. In addition, there are no extraction procedures, and the measurements are robust. A broad range of bacteria contrib-

complex and correspondingly expensive to build and operate.

Ensuring optimal performance is essential to maintain a highly efficient production system, and to maintain a profitable business case. This tool contributes to maintaining a stable production environment which is critical for the fish welfare, keeping mortality low and ensuring a high-quality product. Currently there are two urofish Magazine 1 / 2022

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BactiQuant

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The BactiQuant online detects bacterial levels in water samples in a matter of minutes and can thus warn the operator of a RAS before the situation escalates.

types of instruments: a handheld version (BactiQuant mobile), which operators can use for flexible grab sampling. The handheld equipment facilitates rapid troubleshooting in different parts of the recirculation circuit enabling rapid detection of water quality deviations. The baseline itself is established by regular sampling and routine analysis. Samples can be taken from the whole water chain, including fish tanks and critical control points such as before and after water treatments and raw water inlets. The results are displayed within as little as 36

10 minutes and the instrument is robust and easy to use.

The second option is a stationary instrument (BactiQuant online), that is essentially an automated version of the handheld appliance. It is fixed at certain critical control points in the circuit where measurements are taken daily.

The online version automatically grabs a sample, analyses it, and in the case of abnormal deviations sends an alarm to the operator.

The system can be configured to communicate via GSM or the local Scada system.

The versatility of the technology, providing both handheld and on-line technology, facilitates an unprecedented

capability to react swiftly reducing mortality rates and increasing fish welfare and product quality.

BactiQuant A/S Blokken 75 DK-3460 Birkeroed, Denmark Tel.: +45 6988 4000 info@bactiquant.com Head of business development: Janne Pedersen

Sales engineer: Christina Katsaiti Products: Instruments for the rapid detection of bacteria Application: Recirculating aquaculture systems Species: Finfish, crustaceans Water types: Freshwater, saline water, brackish water Markets: Global

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A fish shop does its bit to secure stocks for future generations

Prioritising fish from sustainable sources At Yasser Hamid Massoun and Baha Lafta Maki’s shop in Copenhagen, Den Grønne Kutter, the focus is on catches from local smallscale fishers—a policy borne of the conviction that they need to contribute to the environment.

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ell before daylight the buyers head for the ports to meet the vessels as they return from their fishing trips. Most of the fish is sourced from the local fishermen, while the rest is obtained from the auctions in other parts of the country. Once the supplies arrive in the shop, the fish is cleaned, made into fillets and portions, and arranged attractively in the display counter, before the doors are opened to the first customers. This is Den Grønne Kutter, a shop in the arcade Torvehallerne, one of the more upmarket shopping areas in central Copenhagen. Here, some 60 shops, most of them selling food in one form or another, pursue their trade. Meat, fruit and vegetables, wine, olive oil, and coffee are just some of the products available—and seafood.

No less than four of the shops deal in fish and seafood.

Fresh fish with a small carbon footprint Den Grønne Kutter is run by two friends, Yasser Hamid Massoun and Baha Lafta Maki, who specialise in sustainably caught fish. A large proportion of the fish they sell comes from local artisanal fishers, guaranteeing that it is fresh and with a smaller carbon footprint than if It were sourced from further afield. The agreements between Den Grønne

Kutter and its suppliers date to the time Yasser worked for the fishing company that owned the shop. When the fishing company was bought up by a Swedish capital fund in 2019, he was allowed to take over the shop. Today nine tenths of the fish sold by Den Grønne Kutter comes from Danish waters, the last 10% is mainly salmon from the Faroe Islands and tuna which comes from Asia. But even this Yasser hopes to replace with more sustainable alternatives. This may be difficult with the tuna, but he is aware that a couple of companies are starting to produce salmon on land in Denmark, and if the quality is good he reckons he will try it out. Customers tend to favour the products they are familiar with and the shop sells a lot of fish that has traditionally featured on Danish tables including codfish and flatfish, all of which is locally sourced.

Selling locally-caught fish as far as possible is the objective, says Yasser, for several reasons. The fish is obtained directly from the boats which land daily, so the product cannot be fresher. In contrast, fish from abroad often spends one to two weeks in transit and has a shorter shelf life.

In addition, in keeping with the focus on sustainability he considers the gear used to catch the fish. This is easy to verify with

Baha Lafta Maki jointly owns Den Grønne Kutter with his partner Yasser Hamid Massoun. Octopus is among the molluscs, finfish, and shrimps, that are sold at the shop.

the local fishers who supply him, who all use the official Danish brand for sustainably caught fish, NaturSkånsom (roughly naturefriendly), which guarantees that the fish is from healthy stocks and caught with low-impact gear. But when the fish is caught abroad, where there is no direct contact with the fishers, it is difficult to know. With Danish suppliers we know the provenance of the fish, how, when, and where it has been caught, and how it has been handled on board, which is not the

case when the fish comes from far away and is sold through the big auctions here in Denmark.

As far as possible the fish sold at the shop is caught with hooks and lines or with gillnets as these have a low impact on the environment.

By the same token fish caught by bottom trawlers is by and large avoided, as are species that are considered threatened, eel, for example. We must focus on sustainability if we want to preserve our stocks and our fisheries for coming generations, says Yasser. urofish Magazine 1 / 2022

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DENMARK Using social media to spread the word He is convinced that this focus on sustainability resonates with his customers. Located in the middle of Copenhagen in an expensive marketplace implies that many customers are young, well-educated with good jobs, aware of the benefits of fish consumption, and concerned about the environment.

Many of them buy fish on a regular basis and follow the shop on social media. Den Grønne Kutter promotes its message on platforms like Instagram, posting pictures or videos each time the fish is collected from the fisher or showing how the fish is caught. The communication provides consumers with useful information but also implies that buying this fish is a way of supporting the small Danish fishing vessels. In addition, the staff working at the shop are trained to answer questions about the fish, where it comes from, how it is caught, and how to prepare it at home. But ultimately the shop is a commercial establishment that must cover its costs and make a profit if it is to thrive. The rent at Torvehallerne is substantial and there are several employees whose salaries must be paid each month.

These imperatives make it impossible for the shop to focus as completely on sustainability as Yasser would like. Line-caught tuna from Asia is a popular product that is difficult to replace and so is farmed seabass from the Mediterranean. In 2021 a handful of permits were issued to Danish recreational fishers to catch bluefin tuna in Danish waters in Skagerrak and Kattegat for 14 days in September.

The permits were subject to several conditions and currently there is no prospect of a commercial fishery for this species. In the case of seabass, local catches are insignificant and are therefore not a viable alternative.

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Much of the raw material is sourced from small-scale local fishermen to ensure that it is as sustainable as possible.

Developing a strategy for on-site using the raw materials For now, Yasser and Baha are internet sales that have come in that day. The concentrating on sourcing an The pandemic and the accompanying restrictions that have been switched on and off a few times over the past couple of years led to a slight drop in customer numbers. The team is therefore exploring ways of reaching more customers by establishing a sales channel over the internet. The idea is that orders placed online will be picked up by one of the big delivery services and brought to the customer.

However, rules with regard to handling, processing, and packaging the fish must be complied with to rule out any transmission of the coronavirus. Establishing a system with all the protocols in place takes time and Den Grønne Fiskekutter is not quite ready with its solution.

It does offer a to-go service which has proved popular especially in summer when customers can munch the freshly made nosh outside in the sun. The snacks, typically fish and chips, squid rings, or other fast food, are prepared

shop has also participated in summer street food festivals in outlying towns where a couple of chefs prepared salads, fish and shellfish, including oysters, for tourists and residents. This kind of event markets the name of the shop and the values it stands for creating recognition that is sure to prove useful when the internet sales concept is implemented.

even higher share of the fish they sell from Denmark or, if that is not possible, then from Scandinavia.

We want to avoid fish that must be flown in or transported over land for hours before it reaches us, says Yasser, we all need to do our bit for the environment if we want to continue catching, selling, and eating fish for a long time to come.

Den Grønne Kutter Torvehallerne Frederiksborggade 21 1360 Copenhagen K Denmark + 45 3050 4006 dgkutter@gmail.com Owners: Yasser Hamid Massoun, Baha Lafta Maki Products: Chilled fish Species: Codfish (cod, haddock, saithe, pollock etc.), hake,

flatfish (turbot, brill, plaice, flounder, Dover sole, lemon sole, witch, etc.), salmon, tuna Product forms: Whole gutted, fillets, portions Source: Danish coastal fishermen fishing selectively; salmon and tuna from the Faroe Islands and Asia respectively Employees: 15

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Italy’s ISPRA publishes guidelines to identify marine zones for aquaculture

Allocation of zones should help boost farmed production The European aquaculture sector can contribute to the objectives of the European Green Deal, a strategy for growth based on principles of sustainability. Italy is taking steps that will ultimately make the sector more competitive, productive, and climate neutral.

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roduction from the aquaculture sector in Italy has been largely stable in the six years to 2019. Data from FAO shows that production hovered around 146,000 tonnes for four of the six years. However, in 2017 production touched an eightyear high of 157,000 tonnes. The bivalves, Mediterranean mussels and Japanese carpet shell, accounted for almost two thirds of the production in 2019, according to FAO estimates. The remainder included mainly rainbow trout, seabass, seabream, and sturgeon.

Production volumes of some ten other species was between 100 and 700 tonnes each, and the also data includes insignificant volumes of a further 20 species.

European aquaculture lags that in other parts of the world The situation in Italy broadly reflects the European aquaculture sector. One in four of every seafood product consumed in Europe comes from aquaculture.

However, most seafood consumption is covered by imports, making up around 60% of the total supply.

Only 10% of EU seafood consumption comes from EU aquaculture, which suggests a significant potential for growth. However, this has not been realised—yet.

EU aquaculture production has

only increased by 6% since 2007, reaching 1.4m tonnes in sales volume and USD5.5bn in value in 2019. The EU’s contribution to world aquaculture production represented barely over 1% of global production in 2019 (FAO 2021).

Of the reasons for the generally stagnant aquaculture production in Italy, one of the most important is the complexity of the licensing procedure for aquaculture operations and the large number of rules and regulations that must be adhered to, says Francesco Cardia of ISPRA, the Institute for Environmental Protection and Research.

Italy lacks a single regulation for the aquaculture sector, so applying for a license involves approaching multiple authorities. Another limiting factor is the lack of designated zones for aquaculture. This is not because the areas, where aquaculture operations are possible, do not exist, but because they have not yet been designated as such.

The EU’s strategic guidelines for the European aquaculture emphasise the importance of access to space and water for fish and shellfish farmers to operate, as well as of the need for a transparent and efficient administrative framework for sustainable development. Italy is gradually moving in this direction. The process of setting up a framework for Maritime

Spatial Planning according to the EU Directive 2014/89 is ongoing and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has been identified as the competent authority. This plan will consider the needs of different sectors of the blue economy including wind parks, tourism, ferry and transportation, ports, as well as aquaculture.

A new tool for the allocation of zones for aquaculture At ISPRA, Mr Cardia and the aquaculture staff have published a technical guide to define how marine areas can be identified and allocated for aquaculture.

This is a tool that defines the process for the allocation of zones for aquaculture (AZAs) and the criteria for identifying the best farming sites within the AZAs and it also provides recommendations for managing, and monitoring AZAs and aquaculture practices. The guidelines ensure that biodiversity and marine ecosystems are safeguarded when allocating the zones. With the help of the guidelines, aquaculture activities are integrated into marine spatial plans according to the FAO’s ecosystem approach to aquaculture and the potential impacts of these activities can be modelled and forecast. Formulating the guidelines involved

consultations with many different partners—at the national level with the competent regional directorates and ministries, producer associations, aquaculture operators, the scientific community, and environmental bodies, and at the regional level with the FAO-GFCM. During the early stages of identification of marine zones for aquaculture, the guidelines call for consultations with stakeholders.

By directly addressing people’s reservations about aquaculture, this consultation process should go some way towards improving the industry’s reputation.

Many understand aquaculture not as a source of healthful and tasty protein with a low carbon impact, but as an activity that pollutes and degrades the environment. In addition, aquaculture competes with other activities for space. In Italy, tourism is a hugely important economic activity and operators are against the presence of farming sites in areas where they suppose aquaculture can negatively impact tourism.

Local authorities too tend to feel that aquaculture activity works against tourism. However, with proper marketing and sciencebased communication, aquaculture can actually support tourism, says Mr Cardia. Linking it to diving, or visits to a farm, or the

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Mussel and fish farms in the area of the Gaeta Gulf in Lazio, one of the regions that has initiated a project to identify a zone allocated to aquaculture.

source of fresh, locally produced fish and seafood are among the ways in which this can be done.

Development of a GIS based webApp for aquaculture The identification of marine zones suitable for aquaculture is based on environmental and oceanographic characteristics of coastal marine areas using GIS tools. A large number of GIS data useful for MSP (marine spatial planning) applied to aquaculture, for example on ferry routes, military zones, protected areas, sensitive habitats, vessel density, bathymetry, etc. have been stored in a database and are the basis of an online GIS web app, namely @AquaGIS, that will be soon released on ISPRA’s national environmental information system (SINAnet).

These layers of information can 40

be superimposed on maps to give a picture of the suitability of an area for aquaculture or for the site of a marine farm. The system also provides a number of suitability maps, eg. the marine areas with suitable depth ranges for mussel and fish farming. Regional authorities and the municipalities responsible for licensing can use this tool for a preliminary screening of the most suitable areas where new licenses could be allocated and, for this purpose, datasets can be made available for more detailed studies.

However, there are still hurdles.

For example, while the licensing authority may be the local municipality (it could also be the regional authority), in some municipalities the competencies needed to assess an application for a license may not be available.

This could delay the processing

of the application especially as the licensing authority is responsible for contacting the agencies responsible for environment, archaeology, coast guard, navy, etc. that are also affected by the allocation of the zone or the farming site. Without suitably qualified people these other steps in the process also get held up.

Projects to identify zones have already been initiated in some regions The technical guide released by ISPRA is already used as a reference by several administrations for planning marine aquaculture and the web app @AquaGIS will go online shortly, so now the regions can implement projects to identify areas that could be suitable zones for aquaculture with the help of funding from the new EMFAF which still has

among its primary objectives the allocation of spaces to aquaculture. Currently four out of the 15 Italian coastal regions are working on this. In the remainder, the regional government’s interest in aquaculture will determine whether projects are initiated there too. The new guidelines should contribute to the expansion of the Italian aquaculture sector, but other factors including the simplification of rules and regulations, the interest of regional governments and municipalities, and the availability of funding to help grease the wheels will all play a role.

The guidelines (currently only in Italian) are available here https:// www.isprambiente.gov.it/en/ publications/technical-documents/ allocated-zones-for-aquacultureazas-technical-guide?set_ language=en

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[ FISHERIES ] The fishing sector has a role in Denmark’s ambitious plans to reduce GHGs

Sustainable fuels are critical to a greener fishing fleet The need to keep global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees to safeguard a liveable climate is putting pressure on countries to achieve the necessary reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. A joint Danish Fishermen Producer Organisation (DFPO) Danish Pelagic Producer Organisation (DPPO) workshop at DanFish showed how the fishing sector is looking to contribute to this target in innovative ways that will also improve the industry’s competitiveness.

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enmark has committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 70% (compared with 1990) by 2030, a goal which will only be reached with the active participation of Danish industry.

The government has therefore constituted 13 partnerships, each representing a sector of the industry, that bring together the different payers in that sector. All the industries connected to the sea—including shipping, offshore wind, shipbuilding, harbours, and fisheries—have been combined into the Blue Ocean partnership. With 96,000 employees, 6% of gross value added, and over a quarter (or about EUR35bn) of Danish exports, Blue Ocean is an economic powerhouse. Fisheries make a significant contribution to these numbers The capture, landing, processing, export, and sale on the domestic market contributes some 1.5% of GDP, provides employment to over 16,000 people, and the sector exports fish worth EUR3.5bn.

The idea behind the partnerships is to drive cooperation between the constituent industry sectors to develop initiatives that reduce emissions and thereby strengthen companies’ competitiveness thanks to their green credentials.

Fuel used by fishing vessels is the main source of the sector’s GHGs In the fisheries sector one of the main sources of emissions is the fuel used by fishing vessels. At the DanFish trade show in October, Gemba Seafood, a consulting company, presented the fisheries sector’s plans to reduce its impact on the climate. These include the development of an emissions-free fishing trawler using batteries or a hybrid engine. To encourage this development, the Danish Fishermen Producer Organisation (DFPO) and the Danish Pelagic Producer Organisation (DPPO) are offering a prize for the design of the environmentally friendly fishing vessel of the future. More generally, the fisheries sector would like to see more, both large and small, electric or hybrid powered vessels in the Danish fleet and the possibility of retrofitting vessels with these new types of motors is being explored. Several energy sources are under consideration including hydrogen, batteries, methanol, methane, and biofuels. Another idea is the use by vessels of electricity from renewable sources rather than their own generators when loading or unloading in port. This could lead to a 4.5% reduction in emissions.

Vessels can also reduce their energy consumption with an inspection from an energy consultant. Between 2018 and 2020, 32 inspections of fishing vessels led to a 25% reduction in fuel consumption. However, many of the new solutions being considered, such as batteries, methanol, hydrogen, or natural gas, demand

more space on the vessel as they store much less energy per unit volume than fossil fuels. This has led to calls from parts of the fishing industry for the EU to reconsider the existing fishing capacity regulations. These regulations place a ceiling on each Member State’s fishing capacity. New vessels can only join a national fleet

Ways to make the Danish fishing fleet more sustainable are being explored

Calling fishing vessel designers As part of Danish fisheries’ efforts to reduce their impact on the climate the Danish Fishermen PO and the Danish Pelagic PO are sponsoring a competition to develop the trawler of the future. The vessel must be powered with a carbon neutral source of energy and should be capable of fishing effectively while conforming to Danish capacity regulations. The design should offer a workable solution for the fishery and provide the basis for a prototype vessel. Participants in the contest must present a design or drawings in one of the following three categories: − Trawler for the consumer fishery under 24 m − Trawler for the consumer fishery over 24 m − Trawler for the industrial fishery The prize for the winning design is DKK75,000 (EUR10,000).

Submissions should be sent to mf@pelagisk.dk on or before 31 March 2022. The winner will be selected by a panel of judges comprising representatives from the ship building industry, research, and fisheries organisations, and will be announced in spring 2022.

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[ FISHERIES ] if corresponding capacity is permanently withdrawn. If a vessel converts from diesel to another source of energy, this will mean sacrificing space in the hold to accommodate the new machinery, which is a barrier to implementing these improvements, said Esben Sverdrup-Jensen, director of DPPO. The strategy to change the capacity regulations will include asking the Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, and Danish members of the European parliament to approach the European Commission.

EMFAF support for reducing fishing fleet’s climate impact The Danish government is supporting developments in this field through the European Maritime, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), which is closely focused on sustainable solutions and green development, Marie Louise Flach de Neergaard from the Danish Fisheries Agency, told the audience. Support is available to reduce fishery’s impact on the climate and to make the industry more competitive by implementing new and sustainable solutions. The fund will also support innovations and investments in low-impact fisheries and aquaculture. For a twoyear period, 2021-23, Denmark has earmarked DKK900m in support of the development of climatefriendly technologies for fisheries and of the switch to low-impact gear, among related initiatives.

The government’s ambition is that the country should be a leader in the switch to a more carbon neutral economy. The fishing fleet contributed 0.7% of total Danish emissions, a fraction directly linked to the fleet’s use of diesel, and support is therefore

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available to develop technologies that reduce consumption of these carbon dioxide generating fuels, for example, by switching to hybrid engines, other fuels, or other fishing methods. Coastal and low-impact fishers can avail of support to transition to lowimpact gear and for the energy optimisation of their vessels, for example, by changing engine, gears, or propeller etc. A Norwegian speaker at the meeting demonstrated 11 examples of vessels that were renovated or newbuilds with battery powered or hybrid engines. The latter reduce diesel consumption by up to 50% and operating costs are significantly lower.

Sustainably produced methanol offers a possible solution if supply increases In an intervention from Nordhavn, a company specialised in diesel engines and generators, the focus was on the use of methanol as a fuel to power vessel engines.

Because methanol is liquid at room temperature and pressure it has advantages over liquefied natural gas, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation, a non-profit. The climate friendliness of methanol (or any fuel) depends on the GHG emissions produced over its entire life cycle. Since most methanol is derived from fossil fuels, emissions are about the same as marine gas oil. But emissions from biomethanol derived from biomass feedstocks and from e-methanol derived from renewable electricity and captured carbon dioxide are substantially lower. Methanol engines emit no sulphur oxides, low nitrogen oxides, and almost zero particulate matter. Moreover, methanol is biodegradable. The

problem is that supplies of “green” methanol are limited, making it more expensive than conventional fuels.

The Blue Ocean partnership also includes harbours as they play a vital role in the maritime and fishing economy. The harbour at Skagen, Denmark’s biggest fishing port, has also initiated projects that aim to foster sustainability in terms of infrastructure and future development both at the port and the city of Skagen, which are closely linked. Willy Hansen, the managing director of Skagen Harbour, outlined some of the initiatives.

These include identifying where resources such as water and electricity are used, and introducing ways to reduce this consumption. Trawls and nets deposited at the port are recycled as much as possible, and soon waste will be better sorted to promote recycling, a new and energy efficient harbour building is on the cards, and energy consumption at the fishing terminal will be optimised. Plans are also afoot to reduce emissions from fishing vessels docked at the port to load

and unload their cargos, by supplying them with electricity from renewable sources. Vessels will not have to run their generators thereby reducing emissions and noise levels and improving air quality in the port area.

Skagen Harbour demonstrates its green credentials However, a report on the potential to get vessels to use energy from land concluded that for most large vessels it was cheaper to use their own generators. In addition, the lack of infrastructure in the port and on board the ship was a factor. Skagen Harbour has therefore established a new electricity plant that should make it possible to offer electricity at more or less the same price as diesel. Investments were made in electricity supply panels on the quays, and cables to deliver the power to the vessels. With these projects Skagen Harbour is working towards meeting the objective defined by the association of Danish harbours which is for all Danish harbours to be climate neutral by 2030.

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CZECH REPUBLIC

Climate change affects pond aquaculture in the Czech Republic too

Warming weather can have long term effects Zdeněk Adámek

Production from aquaculture has been expanding although no longer at the double-digit growth rate experienced in the 80s and 90s. Nevertheless, it is still the fastest growing food production sector today, according to the FAO, and accounted for over half the fish produced for human consumption in 2018.

Summer harvesting without pond draining is sometimes necessary to reduce or save the fish stock.

T

he sector is vulnerable, however, to climate change which can influence it directly and indirectly as well as in the short and long term. Extreme events such as floods, harmful algal blooms, unusual heat or cold, diseases, or parasites can all be attributed to changing climate. In the long term, higher water temperatures, inadequate precipitation, reductions in the availability of wild seed, ocean acidification, rising sea levels, and more and larger hypoxic zones are among the climate-related factor

that will affect the aquaculture industry.

Inland farmers in Europe must contend with unusual natural phenomena The impact of climate change on the fisheries and aquaculture sector is already affecting millions around the globe who depend on these activities for food and livelihoods, and is likely to affect even more people in the future. Some areas of the world are more seriously affected

than others, both because the impacts of climate change are more severe and because they host many more people who live in extreme poverty or go hungry every day.

According to FAO, many of these belong to socially and economically vulnerable small-scale fishing and farming communities. But even in areas, such as Europe, that are spared the most severe effects of climate change, fishery and aquaculture activities are being affected.

Some of the changes will also have positive outcomes, but the negative effects will tend to outweigh

the positive ones particularly in poor countries where the ability to adapt is limited. In the freshwater aquaculture sector Asia is judged to be the region most vulnerable to climate change. In Europe too, though, there is an inland aquaculture sector where fish is produced in rivers, lakes, reservoirs, earthen ponds and intensive farming facilities, like trout farms and hatcheries . Over the last years fish farmers in European countries have had to cope with extreme weather events, unprecedented water shortages, and unusually warm water,

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symptoms which may be attributable to climate change.

Pond farms provide valuable ecosystem services Among the biggest European producers of fish in earthen ponds is the Czech Republic, where pond farming goes back to the 15th century. Today there are some 24,000 ponds with an area of about 43,000 ha. While several species are cultivated in the ponds, common carp overwhelmingly dominates the production accounting for 85% of the total production of 20,400 tonnes of fish produced in 2020. In addition to providing fish for human consumption, earthen ponds provide a range of valuable ecosystem services including the conservation of biodiversity. The ponds attract wild flora and fauna that settle in the area or, if they are migratory species, that stop temporarily on the way to their destination. In addition, ponds play an irreplaceable role in water retention, groundwater regulation, flood control, and they process organic matter that enters the ponds from the surroundings. Pond farms place the least nutrient burden on the environment compared to other forms of food production. The environmental friendliness of carp farming does not, however, protect the sector from the putative impact of a changing climate. Over the years, increases in average water temperature in the ponds in summer and more frequent water shortages have been a reality. The consequences of higher temperatures are both malign and benign. Warmer water contains less dissolved oxygen and farmers may have to aerate the water to compensate, which is an additional expense. Warmer water

is also more vulnerable to algal blooms which can be toxic for the fish and, as they decompose, may further deprive the water of oxygen.

Harvesting the stock in these conditions is difficult as the summer is the growing period for the fish and their metabolism is higher which calls for more oxygen at a time when the natural oxygen content of the water is low. If the farmer harvests in summer everything must be done faster than if it is done in autumn when the water Is cooler and the oxygen content higher. This calls for more equipment and more manpower thereby adding to the costs. The farmers harvesting in summer must grasp the time periods, when temperatures are lower or shift the fish seining to very early morning hours though this adds to the complexity of the operation. It even happens that when hydrological conditions (water shortage) along with high temperatures pose a risk of fish death, the pond must be drained, and the stock transferred to another pond that provides an acceptable environment. This is naturally associated with high extra costs and the risk of fish losses.

Warmer weather gives some benefits too On the positive side, warmer water means a longer growing period and a greater increase in weight over the year. At the same time, a shorter winter implies that the fish—which are not fed over the winter—lose less weight than if the winter was long. On the other hand, a long cold winter with temperatures consistently below zero are good for disinfecting the ponds before they are stocked for the next season. In the traditional production cycle for common carp, the fish

Zdeněk Adámek

CZECH REPUBLIC

Carp ponds are an important part of the landscape, hotspots of aquatic biodiversity that represent unique refuges for both plant and animal communities.

are harvested in autumn and transferred to wintering ponds where they spend the winter resting with reduced metabolism, usually at the bottom of the pond. In this period the fish enter a kind of hibernation which allows them to be stocked at higher densities than in the summer. In a cold and icy winter, the surface of the wintering pond freezes over protecting the hibernating fish from predatory birds. If the winter is mild, as has been the case for the last decades, the lack of an ice cover allows predatory birds (cormorants in particular) to attack the pond stock. In addition, the flow of water caused by melting snow or ice forces the fish to move disturbing their state of “hibernation”.

Water shortages are a serious issue with no easy solution While the increase in average water temperatures during the warm months can lead to a longer growing season, a lack of water has no such mitigating features. Warmer and dryer summers and winters prevent rivers from being replenished with water. And rivers are

the main source of water for carp farms. When the water level in rivers runs low, fish farmers cannot draw what they need as the water must be shared with the other users, crop farmers, municipalities, anglers etc. Aquaculturists may not be able to replace pond water lost to evaporation, so the fish have less water and less oxygen with which to grow. Summer is the growing season when the fish are fed and metabolic activity is high for which they need plenty of oxygen. A shortage of water in summer can thus have a direct impact on the wellbeing of the fish. If the water level in a pond gets critically low, the farmer may be forced to move the fish to a larger pond, an operation not without risk when oxygen levels are less than optimal. In other situations, farmers may resort to aerators to oxygenate the water. Another possibility is to switch from growing fish in ponds to growing them in recirculation aquaculture systems, though the economics of growing them in these expensive systems may not be favourable, and carp as a “flag fish” of Czech aquaculture would lose its cachet among consumers as an ecologically produced fish.

Vavrečka Antonín, Chaloupková Petra, Kalous Lukáš. 2019. Differences in Live Fish Marketing of Traditional Pond Aquaculture and Intensive Aquaculture in Czechia. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 67(1): 189 – 196.

Zdeněk Adámek, Marc Mössmer, Melanie Hauber, Current principles and issues affecting organic carp (Cyprinus carpio) pond farming, Aquaculture, Volume 512, 2019, 734261, ISSN 0044-8486, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2019.734261.

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GUEST PAGES

EATiP uses its multi-stakeholder membership to drive innovation in European aquaculture

Wide-ranging collaboration to realise aquaculture’s potential The European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATiP) is one of 39 European Technology Platforms (ETPs), officially recognised by the European Commission as the representative multi-stakeholder platform addressing priorities for research and innovation for a sustainable European aquaculture. David Bassett, General Secretary, offers his thoughts here on the future of the sector and on the issues it faces.

As an organisation dedicated to research and innovation needs within the EU aquaculture sector, the decade-long stagnation in EU farmed seafood production must be deeply frustrating. What, in your opinion, are the top five factors preventing the expansion of the sector and where do the solutions lie? How do you see the future of aquaculture in the EU given its history?

In terms of seeking solutions and innovations to address ongoing industry challenges, I would suggest that the five factors which will facilitate the expansion of the sector will be: - Social licence and general societal awareness of aquaculture.

We still need to promote understanding and awareness of what aquaculture is and where aquatic foods come from, alongside improving transparency, openness of the sector, dialogue between stakeholder groups and the community at large - The industry continues to cite that allocation of licenses and appropriate aquaculture governance models remain a significant operational barrier.

We need more use of evidencebased models as decision making tools for the allocation of the most suitable zones for

aquaculture (within the carrying capacity of the ecosystem, and addressing the animal welfare KPI thresholds) in order to grow and expand.

- Precision farming is set to play a much greater role across our sector, especially through better control and higher efficiency within farming, through data use and intelligent tools for monitoring and operation (with regard to environmental interactions, behaviour etc). This is across the board, for example there is great innovation in observation of interactions and fish behaviour and equally within the spheres of automation, AI, logistics, genetics…

- Maintaining and further researching animal health and welfare needs to sustain the highest standards that are currently operating within European aquaculture.

- The ongoing need for alternative feed ingredients including from sources at a low trophic level that sustain high nutritional values yet are cost-efficient and provide a good food conversion ratio I also think it important to stress the above should not be read as a “ranking”. These five factors are all equally but differently important and require simultaneous

David Bassett, General Secretary, European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATiP)

consideration for the sector to achieve potential.

Looking into the future, the full potential for aquaculture will only be realised with greater collaboration – both between industry,

regulators, academia & research communities and civil society groups, but also between businesses and producers – and this across the value chain. A common understanding and vision needs to be reached and then delivered

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The direction of fish farming in Europe is influenced by EATiP

Strategic research for the aquaculture sector Established in 2007, EATiP includes membership drawn from across the aquaculture industry value chain, alongside universities, research clusters, NGOs, civil society groups and associations and individual associate members. The not-for-profit platform is industry led, privately funded through membership subscriptions, and managed by a small central secretariat. A network of EATiP Mirror Platforms, national or regional multi-stakeholder clusters addressing aquaculture research & innovation needs, help drive forward the actions of the platform in conjunction with an agreed Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) and published recommendations. Communication and dissemination activities are key for EATiP, particularly with regard to participating in EU funded project activities. Including Mirror Platform membership the reach of the EATiP network is in excess of 900 organisations. Further information on EATiP activities and objectives – including the SRIA and services such as the EATiP online thematic forum events and “On the Horizon” project dissemination service is available via www.eatip.eu. If you are interested in supporting the work of EATiP, please contact secretariat@eatip.eu.

through such capacity building measures as to promote a vibrant and attractive sector.

With its ability to produce healthy food with a low carbon footprint and to reduce pressure on wild stocks, aquaculture could make a significant contribution to the EU’s Green Deal, as well as to the UN sustainable development goals. How can this view of the potential of aquaculture be reconciled with the fact that the sector is bound up in red tape and competition from other activities that prevent it from expanding?

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It is of the greatest encouragement to us to see the high level political and policy support that is now being expressed not only in the Green Deal but also in the Farm2Fork Strategy, EU Organic Communication, EU Missions, Horizon Europe, and EU Algae Strategy among other policies, for both aquatic food production and also for how aquaculture can offer solutions to some of the environmental challenges we face – this is a really positive and affirming development. As with everything, education, knowledge and social acceptance will be key in allowing our sector to fulfil

potential. To do so will require demonstrations of best practice in all production systems, showing aquaculture operating within – or improving and restoring – aquatic ecosystems, carrying capacities and biodiversity, best practice in production and providing sustainable, nutritious, high quality, ethically produced food.

aquaculture production in Europe coupled with unhelpful, deliberately misleading or sensational press coverage. Combatting such misinformation or “fake news” is important and something an organisation such as EATiP can support in taking and promoting an open, objective, science-based approach.

Farmed fish is met with scepticism among certain consumer segments, where it is considered to be of inferior quality compared with wild fish. Some also consider farmed fish to be environmentally harmful and unhealthy to boot because of the use of antibiotics or other chemicals. How accurate is this perception and what will it take to turn it around? Does the level of acceptance of cultivated fish vary from one EU country to another? How can deeply ingrained attitudes be changed for the better?

On the specific question of antibiotics, statistics clearly show an almost negligible use of antibiotics in intensive aquaculture, and regulations in Europe are made according to the precautionary approach, being of the highest standard globally. The EU is currently undergoing a review exercise of antimicrobial use in farming in relation to the AMR debate and this extends to aquaculture too. EATiP is currently working with EC colleagues on this very topic. It is to be hoped that as part of the output from this exercise the strong position of aquaculture with regard to very low levels of antibiotic use will be highlighted and promoted.

Education, marketing and promotional campaigns are essential here, all part of growing the social licence of the aquaculture sector. Cultivation of fish has taken place across Europe for centuries. Statistics show the consumption of fish is greatest amongst coastal and Mediterranean member states – perhaps unsurprisingly. However, the principle of farming our food is universally understood – exposure to innovations in aquatic farming systems through good communication and education campaigns, including into diet and food systems, is important.

Misconceptions and inaccurate assumptions about aquaculture production and products continue to be a source of disappointment and frustration to us all. In part, this can be attributed to the relative novelty of large-scale

More broadly, it is fair to say there is very little understanding and appreciation for the full range of ways in which aquaculture is interacting with the environment – often in a positive way!

Again, education into aquatic ecosystems and the creation of an ocean literate society will help.

All human activity has a certain impact, it is crucial to promote activities that occur within the carrying capacity of the ecosystems, and to promote a balanced narrative. I am confident that we are beginning to see evidence of this – for example the trend within the NGO community to identify aquaculture as a solution to aquatic environmental problems, coupled with developments such as a Nature Based Solutions and

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Consumers need to be educated on the positive interactions between aquaculture and the environment. Pond farms provide a number of ecosystem services including the conservation of biodiversity, flood control, and groundwater retention.

the One Health / systems based approach. This shows a greater maturity in understanding the broader issues at stake when considering aquatic environmental interactions.

The ability to control all the parameters in a RAS system has made it the obvious choice for the production of exotic species that require special conditions, African catfish, tilapia, kingfish, or tropical shrimp, for example.

What would it take to get European consumers to eat more African catfish or tilapia, species that are easier to produce than salmon or pike perch?

Consumer habits, purchasing decisions and diet is a complex

subject – and an area where research into diversification and adapting existing consumption patterns is currently being undertaken – including with regard to low trophic and alternative species.

The promotion of increasing the consumption of all aquatic foods as part of a healthy and nutritious diet is important here; explain and educate why consumers should choose fish, shellfish or aquatic plants and the rest will follow.

That said, some key messages can always be reinforced, particularly concerning product quality, price / value for money and the high standards of food safety attached to European farmed fish products.

Innovation extends to cooking and cuisine too – I am always

struck by the explosion in the availability of global cuisine, particularly in our multi-cultural urban centres, over my lifetime and consumption of species such as catfish and tilapia will increase as part of this trend.

Urban aquaculture is developing in some European cities where fish is grown either alone or as part of a system in which crops are cultivated as well (aquaponics). Raising a source of healthful protein close to the consumer is an attractive idea, but do you see it ever becoming anything more than a niche activity?

As a personal observation, I have always found technical visits

to urban aquaponic sites to be among the most enjoyable and interesting, one has such a strong sense of standing next to real innovation in action when standing on-site.

It is important to remember that aquaponics targets and addresses a specific segment of the market.

Yes, it is true to say that there are niche aspects to the products in terms of price and market penetration, but there is much else besides – for example the educational role of aquaponics sites and the focus on the circular economy.

Going forward there is going to be a need for many different food production systems – as we address food security and local food production in Europe.

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Aquaponics will have a growing contribution to make here, alongside traditional aquaculture production systems.

Micro and macroalgae are seen by many as wonder-organisms that are a source of food, valuable micronutrients, feed, fertilisers, fuel and in addition have environmentally friendly properties such as their ability to absorb nutrients and sequester carbon. However, algae production in the EU is only a fraction of what it is in other parts of the world. Does EATIP have a role to play in changing this?

We would certainly like to! Europe has a long tradition in harvesting seaweed and we need to build upon this competence to stimulate farming and develop a strong long-term framework for so doing.

The scope of our platform extends across all sectors and production systems – marine and freshwater, finfish and shellfish, flow through farms, cages and RAS – it is certainly in our strategic plan to engage on issues relating to European algae production. Certain priorities have already been identified – once again through the outputs of one of our online EATiP forum events. At present, we are undertaking a number of actions including engagement with the EC on the development of the EU Algae Strategy, being involved in collaborative actions promoting research on the production / processing of algae for food & feed & micronutrients One key issue is that of economics and the market – i.e. to make algae aquaculture economically viable. This is vital. There is a lot of positive commentary and “noise” surrounding algae aquaculture – and low trophic production in general – but in order for 48

their to be traction and sustainable growth then economic realities must be addressed.

EATIP’s strategic research and innovation agenda highlights several ways to develop European aquaculture sustainably and responsibly. Now, five years after the second edition was released, how do you assess the response to the agenda? How much has been implemented and what is still outstanding? Is a new edition forecast for 2022 and what are the likely changes?

With five years having passed since the publication of our last SRIA it is certainly an issue that our Board will be considering this year.

Practically speaking, the review exercise and consultation process is time and resource heavy, and in order to ensure the degree of legitimacy a Technology Platform SRIA carries this process must engage across all stakeholders engaged in the aquaculture sector.

Our SRIA ensures the buy in and engagement of the platform membership and demonstrates to external organisations the non-partisan, research led nature inherent to any ETP. It makes us more than a simple lobby group – something that is an important strength of the ETP voice. EATiP uses our SRIA to inform on our input to key policies, documents, consultation exercises and communications – for example the EU Strategic Guidelines for a Sustainable Aquaculture to 2030, A Sustainable Blue Economy, the EU Green Deal, Farm to Fork Strategy, Food 2030, Horizon Europe, the European Missions and European Partnerships (in development)… The list goes on!

Using our Mirror Platform Network (MiPs), we received input on the SRIA to issue a set of

further recommendations and priorities in 2019 and we use the SRIA for continuous interaction with EU policy makers and national / regional authorities to promote knowledge based development – including through events such as the EATiP Forum series, projects, MiPs, engagement with the SCAR (Fish) Committee, Aquaculture Advisory Council and in collaboration with associations, other organisations and NGO groups.

The EU contributes to research and development through different programmes (such as Horizon 2020) and funds that encourage collaboration across the EU, between different disciplines, and that foster cooperation between research and the industry. How well has this system functioned over the years and where do you see scope for improvements?

The first thing to say is to congratulate the EU on an enlightened and strategic approach to a competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy; of which the development of European Technology Platforms like EATiP has been part.

That said, there is always the scope for continuing development and improvement, particularly given that circumstances and political priorities change.

There needs to be greater aquaculture sector engagement in the design of new research programme priorities, across the value chain. Political decisions – often reflected in the structural fund programmes, need to be considered through a filter of practical realities, economic impact and efficacy of implementation – and also to consider unforeseen knock-on impacts and implications of such political

decisions.

Incentives at European and national MS levels are needed to enable and de-risk potentially disruptive changes and ensure the investment culture that is required. On a similar theme, SMEs require access to low threshold funds for industryoriented R&D. Improved mechanisms for effective knowledge transfer and successive projects are required to ensure implementation, demonstration and application of research results.

In terms of specific EATiP recommendations: enabling technologies, adapted to sector-specific challenges, have the potential to create high-impact innovations.

More specifically, it is believed that digitalisation, gene editing, novel materials and engineering systems are areas that have the capacity to optimise the sector’s efficiency. Tracking programmes will allow for the measurement of the efficacy and efficiency of projects.

One final, but important, issue is a need to avoid duplication or over complication of the research landscape. We are currently going through a process of development of a number of co-funded European Partnerships that will impact on our sector and this should be considered in relation to current and existing research and innovation networks and programmes. Inherent in the European project is a tension between MS control and centralisation, but it is important for there to be alignment of principles and priorities wherever possible, and for this alignment always to be focused on end users – i.e. in the interests of European citizens and civil society.

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DIARY DATES Restrictions imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic may cause changes. Readers are advised to check the event websites for the latest information.

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The largest commercial fishing exhibition in the North Eurofish Magazine

The Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition covers every aspect of the commercial fishing industry from locating, catching, processing and packaging, right through to the marketing and distribution of the end product

We thank all our exhibitors for their continued support and look forward to welcoming them at the show

Denmark Exploring ways to exploit waste from recirculation systems

#2022Icefish 01_Cover 4p.indd 1 Icefish_Exhibitors_FP_Advert amended.indd 1

EUROFISH International Organisation

For more information about exhibiting, visiting or sponsoring, contact the events team.

Visit: Icefish.is Contact: +44 1329 825335 or email: info@icefish.is

Organiser:

Eurofish FAO joint webinar on geographical indications Carrier media for efficient biofilter performance

Official Logistics Company:

Guest pages: David Bassett, General Secretary, EATiP Official International Magazine:

Official Icelandic Publication:

WORLDFISHING & AQUACULTURE

Published by

SINCE 1952

, a member of the FISH INFO network

EUROFISH INFOYU

INFOSAMAK INFOPÊCHE

INFOFISH

INFOPESCA

/

03/02/22 1:39 PM

07/01/2022 09:10

Eurofish Magazine

13_Imprint + LoA.indd 50

eurofishmagazine.com

eurofish.dk

03/02/22 4:07 PM

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ SUPPLY SOURCES ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Insulated containers

Polystyrene compressors

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A/S The specialist in fishbox compactors and recycling Tel. +45 97371799 runi@runi.dk www.runi.dk

You Can Count On! Pioneers in production of insulated plastic containers

Thermal conditioning

Slicers Pelagic fish processing

Nobbing machines and Auto-packers for sardine and mackerel Vredenburg South Africa Mobile: +27 83 2620362 E-mail: easycancc@gmail.com Website: www.easycan.co.za

with the latest information

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WF_427163_SEG19_InfoFish_QF.indd 1 01_Cover 4p.indd 2

12/3/19 2:39 PM

SALMCO Technik GmbH Robert-Koch-Straße 19

Pick up your copies at SEAFOOD EXPO GLOBAL Barcelona, Spain 26-28 April 2022

D-22851 Hamburg-Norderstedt

Tel.: +49 40 7131472 Fax: +49 40 71370166 info@salmco.com www.salmco.com

08/02/22 4:30 PM

2022

TO

Smárinn Kópavogur Iceland

ISSN 1868-5943

February 1/2022 C 44346

February 1 / 2022

8 2022 10

www.eurofishmagazine.com

13 th

& Awards

IN PERSON l ONLINE

The largest commercial fishing exhibition in the North Eurofish Magazine

The Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition covers every aspect of the commercial fishing industry from locating, catching, processing and packaging, right through to the marketing and distribution of the end product

We thank all our exhibitors for their continued support and look forward to welcoming them at the show

Denmark Exploring ways to exploit waste from recirculation systems

#2022Icefish

Organiser:

Official Logistics Company:

Official International Magazine:

Official Icelandic Publication:

EUROFISH International Organisation

For more information about exhibiting, visiting or sponsoring, contact the events team.

Visit: Icefish.is Contact: +44 1329 825335 or email: info@icefish.is

Eurofish FAO joint webinar on geographical indications Carrier media for efficient biofilter performance Guest pages: David Bassett, General Secretary, EATiP

WORLDFISHING & AQUACULTURE

Published by

SINCE 1952

, a member of the FISH INFO network

EUROFISH INFOYU

INFOSAMAK INFOPÊCHE

INFOFISH

INFOPESCA

/

Icefish_Exhibitors_FP_Advert amended.indd 1 01_Cover 4p.indd 1

07/01/2022 09:10

08/02/22 4:30 PM