Eurofish Magazine 2 2011

www.euroďŹ shmagazine.com

ISSN 1868-5943

April 2 / 2011 C 44346

M.V. Wool AS, Estonia New processing facility inaugurated in December 2010 Estonia: Modern production plants for block-frozen small pelagics Fraud: Ensuring the safety of international payments Pathogen Combat: Reducing food-borne diseases in Europe FISH INFO network

Seafood Exposition Visit us at the European Hall 5 / Booth 639 03. - 05. May 2011,

Brussels

In this issue

New facilities to process Estonian Baltic herring and sprat for export markets Estonia – Mr Helir-Valdor Seeder, Minister of Agriculture, is committed to sustainability in the fisheries sector using a combination of policy, monitoring and transparency. He would also like to see producers receiving a greater share of the value in the production chain. In a wide-ranging interview Mr Seeder also addressed some of the problems caused by the financial and economic crisis which has resulted in lower investment in the sector, and the reduction in the trawler fleet from 100 to 40 vessels in six years. Read more on page 27

Producer Organisations in Estonia now cover 95 of the Estonian Baltic herring quota and 85 of the sprat quota. Around 95 of the companies fishing with trawlers are members of one of the three Estonian PO’s. The consolidation into PO’s has created a unified voice for the companies and given them more clout on the market as they can offer larger volumes of raw materials than they could as individual suppliers. PO’s have also invested in facilities for the production of block frozen and marinated products and member companies bring their catches to the new facilities to be processed.

Although the raw material is from different sources, it is all treated the same way giving large volumes of a product of uniform quality. Read more on page 29

EU import regulations – Food and agricultural products worth EUR155bn were imported into the EU in 2008. The presence of food products imported from third countries is taken for granted by many consumers, but in fact exporters and importers have to minutely study a large body of highly complex EU legislation before food items can be imported and displayed on retail shelves. The main consideration behind these rules and regulations is consumer protection and to ensure that imported food is produced to the same standards that EU citizens expect of their domestic industries. But other considerations such as sustainability or, as in the case of seafood, to combat illegal fishing, are also being added to the legislation. Some of the most important directives are discussed in Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on page 57

PAYMENT GUARANTEE ABC BANK LTD. Address of the Bank Principal: Beneficiary: Guarantee No:

DEF Imports Ltd (Buyer) GHI Exports Ltd (Seller) 0987654321

Dear Sirs, You concluded a contract No. 123456/789 with DEF Imports Ltd. dated 10/03/2000 for the supply of XXXX product at a price of 200.000 USD. At the request of DEF Imports Ltd. we hereby irrevocably undertake to pay you on first demand, irrespective of the validity and the legal effects of the above mentioned contract and waiving all rights of objection and defence arising from said contract, any amount up to 200.000 USD (Two Hundred Thousand US Dollars) upon receipt of your written request for payment and your written confirmation that: a) you have delivered the merchandise to DEF Imports Ltd. in conformity with the contract and that b) you have not received payment on the due date for the sum claimed under this Guarantee.

The total amount of this Guarantee will be reduced by any payment effected thereunder.

For the purpose of identification, your request for payment and your confirmation thereunder have to be presented through the intermediary of a first rate bank confirming that the signatures thereon are legally binding upon you.

Your claim is also acceptable if transmitted to us in full by duly encoded SWIFT through a first rate bank confirming that your original claim has been sent to us by registered mail and that the signatures thereon are legally binding upon you. Your claim will be considered as having been made once we are in possession of your written request for payment or the duly encoded SWIFT to this effect.

Our present guarantee is valid until 00/00/2000 and expires in full and automatically if your claim has not been made on or before that date.

The Guarantee is personal to the Beneficiary and is not assignable.

All banking charges outside ZZZZ are for the Beneficiary’s account.

This guarantee is governed by ZZZZ law, place of jurisdiction is ZZZZ. Yours faithfully,

Fraud in the seafood sector – Fish and seafood are the most highly internationally traded food commodities with an estimated export value in 2010 of USD100bn. Crucial for international trade is the ability for the parties to a transaction to transfer payments rapidly and reliably between each other.

While this is not generally a problem if the two parties know and trust each other, what happens if they are transacting for the first time? In such cases it would be wise to build certain safeguards into the transaction to reduce the risk of losing all or part of the payment or receiving goods of poorer quality than agreed, or not receiving the goods at all. In this next instalment of his column on fraud in the seafood sector, Alex Sergeev looks at some of the tools that can be used to minimise these risks when making payments. Read more on page 53

ABC Bank Ltd. Date/Stamp/Signature

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

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Table of Contents News 5 International News

Netherlands 42 Europe’s seafood hub 43 W. van der Zwan & Zn., 122 years old and going strong Specialists in high quality frozen pelagic fish

Events 13 Eurofish Member Countries at the ESE/SPE Products from the simple to the sophisticated 17 North Atlantic Seafood Forum 2011 The world’s largest seafood business event lives up to its reputation

Project 20 PathogenCombat: Reducing food-borne diseases in Europe Results will now be put into practice

45 Frank’s Smoke House, a smokehouse in the heart of Amsterdam Hand-crafted smoked fish for the discerning buyer 47 Kloosterboer offers a complete package of logistical services Warehousing, forwarding, stevedoring and customs clearance 49 Sealane Coldstorage, 24/7 service provider New terminal in Eemshaven

Aquaculture 51 Aquainnova Workshop, Warsaw, 15-16 June 2011 The future of European freshwater aquaculture – your chance to have a say!

Fraud Cover Story

53 Fraud in the seafood trade Ensuring safety of payments

23 M.V.Wool’s new factory was inaugurated in December The most modern salmon processing facility in Estonia

Trade and Markets 57 Complex set of rules for exports to the EU Product quality, consumer protection and combating IUU

Estonia 27 Interview with Mr Helir-Valdor Seeder, Minister of Agriculture, Estonia Transparency in fisheries is critical for sustainable use of fish resources 29 The Estonian small pelagic fisheriess Competition gives way to collaboration with benefits for all 35 Saare Fishexport exports 90% of its production Interest in more Baltic herring and sprat quota 37 Maseko is introducing a line of Dingley cans Looking for Western European markets for canned sprats 39 Japs processes perch and pike perch High value freshwater fish for international markets

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2011

Fish Infonetwork 61 Events

Guest Pages 63 Egil Ove Sundheim, Norwegian Seafood Export Council Variety, quality, and taste contribute to the success of Norwegian seafood

Service 65 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Turkey: Women undeterred by the world’s toughest job From Mugla on the western coast of Turkey some 50 women sail out every morning into the Aegean Sea to earn a livelihood at what has sometimes been described as the most difficult job in the world, reports the Anatolia News Agency. Most of the women go out with their husbands, some however go out on their own. Semiha Basak, a 43-year-old mother of two, has been fishing alone since

her husband died 10 years ago. She fished with him for 10 years and has managed to continue without him.

Earnings are meagre, but there is no other source of income. Yüksel Bas,ak who fishes with her husband says that women help cast, collect, and clean the nets. A hardworking fisher can earn TRY1500 (EUR673) a month, but fishing restrictions and the high price of fuel is posing difficulties to people in the sector.

Brussels: More flexible management of fishing effort under Baltic cod plan discussed at workshop The European Commission hosted a workshop in February to discuss the possibility of managing fishing effort under the Baltic cod

management plan more flexibly, reports the Fisheries Secretariat.

Representatives from EU Member States surrounding the Baltic

(except Finland), the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), and the Baltic Sea RAC attended the meeting. The problems reported

by Member States at the meeting included Danish and Swedish small scale fishers being unable to catch their quota as they exhaust their days at sea. Danish and Swedish representatives supported by the German industry expressed the fear that the small scale fishery would not survive unless some measure were taken.

Since larger vessels had more than enough days to catch their quotas Denmark suggested transferring days at sea from one vessel segment to the other, something that is not possible under existing legislation. Latvia reported that the inability to fish its quota was an issue for the whole fleet and not just a particular segment, a

problem that Estonia also shared.

The Commission felt that a transfer of days at sea from one fleet segment to another would lead to an increase in the effective fishing effort, however the Danish industry backed by the STECF argued that the mesh size used by the fisheries experiencing the problem was so large that increasing the number of days would have little impact on the cod stock.

The Danish industry also pointed out that fishers under the current regime had less incentive to move to new fishing grounds if they encountered large numbers of juvenile cod, which would ultimately lead to more discards.

The Swedish representative also remarked that if the TAC was set to keep fishing mortality at or below target, an increase in fishing effort was unlikely to increase the mortality.

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Denmark: Support for ban on discards in reformed CFP Discarding fish either because it is the wrong size or the wrong species is a widespread problem estimated by the FAO in 2004 to amount to 8 of global catches or 7.3 million tonnes. In Europe the problem has reached alarming dimensions. Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said in

a speech on 1 March that in the whitefish fishery up to half of the catch is thrown overboard and in the flatfish fishery it could amount to even 70 of the catch being discarded. In Denmark, Henrik Hoegh, Minister for Food Agriculture and Fisheries, has pointed out that in the North Sea up to 50 of the cod caught is discarded. This is

Greece: First meeting of the Intranemma project in Athens Intranemma, “Innovation Transfer Network for Mediterranean Mariculture,” is a two-year project within the EU lifelong learning programme that seeks to identify and prioritise the professional qualifications required for Mediterranean aquaculture and use this information to design training programs for fish farming companies in the region. The initial partner meeting took place in Athens on 8-9 March 2011. The project consortium comprises Apromar (Spain), the Aquaculture Association of Mugla (Turkey), the Federation of Greek Maricultures, and AquaTT (Ireland), while the project coordinator is Aquark

from Greece. By linking producer associations from Greece (FGM), Spain (Apromar) and Turkey (MFFA) the project ensures that it is of relevance to the industry and that the results will meet the sector’s requirements. The participation of AquaTT, who have experience from similar efforts in the past, will provide a common methodology for the development of innovative training courses based on specific competencies and focused on sectoral needs.

Moreover, benefits are expected in the transfer of knowledge between countries that will ultimately improve the quality of products from the aquaculture sector.

a colossal waste of resources and is damaging for the stock, for fishers, and ultimately for consumers. For Denmark a ban on discards in the reformed CFP has been an absolute priority and would go hand in hand with a gradual switch to catch quotas from landing quotas. Under a system of catch quotas all the fish caught by the fisher is counted

against his quota. By introducing a ban on discards and switching to catch quotas fishers will have an incentive to deploy more selective gear. Denmark’s desire to ban discards looks as if it will be fulfilled as the Commission now envisages a ban on discards as part of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Spain: New uses for aquaculture by-products in cosmetics, agriculture, and nutrition The aquaculture industry in Andalusia in southern Spain generates an estimated 1,374 tonnes of by-products that are unfit for human consumption. Ctaqua, the Andalusian Aquaculture Technology Centre, has for the past year been working on a project that seeks to add value to these byproducts. In addition the Centre is working to transfer this knowhow to the farmers so that the waste material can be treated on site, providing the farming companies an additional source of income. Using the by-products the Centre has developed a com-

post which has been tested by various partner organisations for its use as fertilizer for strawberries. Another product is 90 pure DHA, one of the health giving components of fish oil, that was produced from the guts of sea bass and sea bream. Ctaqua has in addition been working together with the National Association of Canned Fish and Mollusc Manufacturers to produce fish oil rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The work on adding value to waste has been funded by the Department of Innovation, Science and Business of Andalucía.

Norway: Easter sales of cod to Portugal take off The Norwegian Seafood Export Council reports a massive increase of more than 75 in sales of cod to Portugal compared to February 2010. “Huge demand has been reported for cod for salting and drying in Portugal. Both salted and fresh cod form the raw material for the Portuguese clipfish industry,” explains market analyst Ove Johansen, at the NSEC. Whole salted cod increased in value by 63, from NOK93.6m to NOK153m (EUR19.4m). Portugal 6

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

is responsible for most of the growth in salted cod exports.

Clipfish exports from Norway have also been impressive with a value of NOK 454 million in February, representing an increase of 42, or NOK 135.2 million, compared with February 2010. A total of 12,200 tonnes of clipfish were exported in February, 3,550 tonnes more than in 2010. Clipfish from cod increased in value by NOK 63.2 to a total of NOK 222 million, while clipfish from saithe increased by

Cod exports increased 14% to NOK1.18bn (EUR150m) in February 2011 compared to February 2010.

NOK 56.8 million to NOK 185.5 million. Brazil was the largest recipient of clipfish in February, purchasing 6,969 tonnes of clipfish worth NOK

272.7 million. This amounted to an increase on the same month last year of more than 85 in value terms and 95 in volume. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]

Your ultimate link to

superior pelagic products

From the North Atlantic: herring, mackerel, horse mackerel, blue whiting, silver smelt, sardine From West African waters: sardinella, sardine, spanish mackerel, horse mackerel, african mix

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www.wvanderzwan.nl Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Brussels: Marel species sessions add fresh flavour to Brussels show Visitors to Marel Stand 6227 in Hall 4 at this year‘s Seafood Processing Europe show in Brussels will have a unique opportunity to combine business and pleasure with some solid information, as the company stages a daily roadshow hosted by a team of Marel specialists dealing with process-

ing equipment and solutions for a different type of fish every day.

Entitled Species Sessions, the interactive forums will include live demonstrations and presentations centred on fish ranging from pangasius to salmon, as well as the opportunity for one-on-one

discussions with the company’s leading professionals in their field. The Species Sessions at the Marel stand are scheduled as follows: Tue 3 May, 10:00 – Pangasius processing Wed 4 May, 10:00 – Tilapia processing

Wed 4 May, 16:00 – Whitefish processing Thu 5 May, 10:00 – Salmon processing For more information contact Stella Björg Kristinsdóttir at stella.kristinsdottir@marel.com

Germany: Baader salmon solutions win praise from satisfied customers Baader, a German manufacturer of machinery for the food processing industry, provides the industry safe and hygienic automated solution that take over the drudgery of repetitive tasks.

The company also develops software that enhances productivity

by supplying the operator with real time results for key variables.

For a company real time feedback from the processing line is invaluable as it enables instant adjustments that can have a positive influence on productivity. As Marnix Perquy, General Manager

of the Scottish Salmon Company, says, “the Baader IT Solution allows us to monitor every stage of the production process and gives us real time information for each stage including full traceability and reports for management which give the manager the possibility to make necessary real time adjustments to optimize efficiency and throughput.”

Baader’s machinery is designed not only to be smart, but also to be as user friendly as possible. At Marine Harvest, where a salmon processing line based on the Baader 581 filleting machine is being evaluated, Bjarne Møller, Production Manager Filleting Department, says, “the filleting ma-

chine is revolutionary due to its performance and the outstanding open design. It is easy to clean and maintain and the quality of the fillet is very good. We were so impressed by the efficiency and product quality that we have decided to implement four of the salmon lines in our new filleting plant.”

The Baader stand (4 5943) at the SPE in Brussels will display the core of the new salmon processing solution with a live demonstration four times a day. Visitors will also be able to see in action the management software that monitors and optimises the production performance of the whole line.

Germany: Multivac celebrates a half century The packaging company Multivac celebrates its 50th birthday this year. Founded in 1961 by Sepp Haggenmüller in Böhen in the Allgäu, Germany, the company today employs 3,000 people around the world, and has become synonymous with thermoforming packaging machines.

In the 90s the company added tray sealers to the packaging line enabling pre-fabricated trays and tubs to be sealed. It also added a labelling and coding unit to the 8

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

line, another step on its path to become a supplier of complete packaging solutions. Today the company also offers handling solutions for loading and unloading as well as the separation of packets; and quality inspection systems for detecting quality faults and foreign objects in the packs.

Multivac also developed groundbreaking solutions for complete line control and for fully documenting the packaging procedure. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Croatia: Regional FAO project to upgrade aquaculture industry kicks off The long-awaited project started with an inception workshop, hosted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development of Croatia. Government representatives from Albania, Croatia and Turkey together with FAO and Eurofish met in Zagreb on 3-4 March, to discuss and agree an action plan for the implementation of this USD 435,000 FAO-TCP project. The project is designed to help the urgent needs of these countries to adapt their aquaculture industry to the requirements of the EU market. It will also assist in the development of safe and competitive products. The first stage of the project will involve the assessment of national requirements. National consultants in consultation with other stakeholders (FAO, Governments, industry, etc.) will analyse and

assess the four countries’ food chain and the market requirements for aquaculture products.

Based on the consultants’ findings, six national workshops will be organised to address specific requirements (e.g. training and capacity building in bivalve safety monitoring, implementation of traceability, product innovation, packaging, labelling, branding). In addition, there will be HACCP audits of selected companies and in-country training in academic institutions. Finally, one regional workshop will take place where experiences will be shared and sustainability strategies developed.

New Cabinplant invention: Integration of grading, nobbing and packing in one operation

Eurofish Magazine will be publishing regular updates from this project. For more information contact: anca.sfetcovici@eurofish.dk

On exhibit: ~ Screwfeeding multihead weigher; type 40-14 ~ Multi batcher ~ Pick, process and place robot line

Mario Rogoši , Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, Croatia; Éva Kovács, FAO Sub-regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary; Vlasta Frani evi , Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development, Croatia; Anca Sfetcovici, Eurofish; Aina Afanasjeva, Eurofish; Mimoza Cobani, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Water Administration, Albania; Hayri Deniz, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Turkey; Jorgeir Toppe, FAO-FIPM; Iddya Karunasagar, FAO-FIPM. www.eurofishmagazine.com

Cabinplant can help you get the highest possible yield from valuable seafood. Our processing lines are designed for gentle handling and efficient work flow. Our specialised equipment and technical know-how are the keys to lower operating costs, higher productivity and very competitive products.

Meet us at: Seafood Processing Europe, Brussels, 3-5 May 2011, Hall 4, stand no. 5915 and Interpack, Düsseldorf, 12-18 May 2011, Hall 5, stand no. A04

www.cabinplant.com Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Iceland: A new approach to fishery management in the EU EcoFishMan, a new EU FP7 RTD project, plays an important role in the development of a holistic fisheries management system, which takes into account all aspects of sustainability. The vision of the EcoFishMan project is to contribute to a fundamental new approach to fisheries management in Europe that will find acceptance among stakeholders, within governance, industry and consumers, and thus have a significant impact on the future fishery policy.

The EcoFishMan project aims at developing a management approach that will contribute to solving the problems inherent in the current EU fisheries management system. It does that by addressing some of the structural problems

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

Participants at the EcoFishMan kick-off meeting at the Matis premises in Reykjavik. EcoFishMan is a new EU FP7 RTD project that will contribute to the development of a holistic fisheries management system, which takes into account all aspects of sustainability.

of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) as pointed out in the Green Paper. These are: the weakness of policy objectives, the short-sighted decision making system and the absence of responsibility for industry and stakeholder groups.

This does not mean that the two remaining problems with the CFP (fleet overcapacity, low degree of compliance) will remain unaffected by the model proposed.

In the new system, fishers will be given more responsibility for managing and reporting their own activities, and the responsibility for detailed allocation and control of individual quotas and compliance will be moved to a lower level. This will ensure a higher degree of local ownership to the fish and to the data, and the transparency, both of decisions and of transgressions, will increase. Nevertheless, the focus of this project will remain primarily on the system of decision making and the division of responsibilities among policy makers, managers, industry and other stakeholders.

The outcome of this project will be a fisheries management system, developed in collaboration with the important stakeholders in fisheries. The design of the system will take into account ecological, economic and social factors.

It will be based on the requirements of the stakeholders themselves and will utilise modern technology to access data on surveillance, assessment of stocks, economic and sociological aspects. This will enhance implementation of the system and improve cooperation and mutual understanding between policy makers and stakeholders.

The €3.8 million project has been funded under the EU FP7 (EU seventh framework programme) and has a duration of three years. The kick-off meeting was in Reykjavik, Iceland on 8th March 2011. The EcoFishMan consortium consists of the following 13 members: Matis (IS), Eurofish (DK), CETMAR (ES), The Bitland Enterprise (FO), University of Iceland, National Research Council / Institute of Marine Sciences (IT), Nofima Marin (NO), University of Tromsø (NO), Centro de Ciências do Mar (PT), IPIMAR (PT), MAPIX Technologies Ltd (UK), Marine Scotland Science (UK), Seafish (UK).

For further information please contact: Dr. Anna Kristín Daníelsdóttir: anna.k.danielsdottir@matis.is or Dr. Sveinn Margeirsson: sveinnm@matis.is www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Germany: Maja offers three degrees of skinning for salmon ďŹ llets it is possible to skin two different types of fish or perform two styles of skinning on the same species all on one machine. It is available in four specifications: silver skinning, patented deepskinning and with or without automatic cutting command and

is therefore a suitable solution for any type of fish and for any level of quality desired. Depending on the type of fish fillets, the DFS 4365 is able to skin approximately 1.5 tonnes per hour of, for example, salmon, salmon trout or similar fish

Depending on the type of ďŹ sh ďŹ llets, the DFS 4365 is able to skin approximately 1.5 tonnes per hour of salmon, salmon trout or similar ďŹ sh.

The skinning of sensitive fish fillets can become expensive when fish processing companies do not use suitable technology. If the skin is removed together with too much meat, the loss is considerable. For example, if 500 kg of salmon fillets must be skinned daily, and the lean meat yield can be increased by 3, the benefit per year could be EUR20,000 or more! Maja fish skinning equipment offer three different types of skinning, especially for salmon and other similar fish species: silver skinning removes the silver skin leaving the brown fat layer resulting in high yield but not a premium product; full deep skinning removes both skin and brown fat giving a high-value product, but one where the loss of precious meat is increased; finally there is the Maja patented deep skinning process where only parts of the brown fat layer, (the width can be adjusted according to the processors demand), are removed together with the skin.

Lean meat on the right and left side of the fillet remain intact. This method produces an upscale product and provides increases in yield of up to 3 when compared to conventional systems.

The skinning machine DFS 4635 is a dual lane machine on which

www.eurofishmagazine.com

AQUA NOR

2011

International Exhibition "VHVTU t 5SPOEIFJN t /PSXBZ

MEET THE FUTURE! Follow the latest development of aquaculture research, technology, feed, fish health, education, financing, environmental protection etc.

Visitors from more than 50 nations will be present.

International conferences and seminars in connection with Aqua Nor will focus on research and challenges of the aquaculture industry.

Exhibitor, visitor or conference participant?

For more information: www.nor-fishing.no

AQUA NOR – the most important international venue for the aquaculture industry.

AQUANOR FORUM 17th -18th AUGUST 2011 TRONDHEIM NORWAY

Organiser: The Nor-Fishing Foundation Klostergata 90, NO-7030 Trondheim, Tel +47 73 56 86 40, Fax +47 73 56 86 41, mailbox@nor-ďŹ shing.no

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Italy: Increase in visitors, foreign participation, contribute to success of Sapore 2011 With a 5 increase in the number of visitors and a 16 increase in foreign participation, the data from Sapore 2011 pointed to a highly successful event. The number of business meetings recorded were three times higher than in 2010 and organisers were justifiably satisfied with the exposition, which brings together all the players in the eating-out business whether they deal in fresh and frozen food, olive oils, pasta, or alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Part of Sapore is dedicated to seafood and here the figures for 2010 are mixed. After a long phase of stagnation, the consumption of seafood products has picked up again in Italy. In particular, in the first half of the year there was a growth of 5 in fish consumption compared to the first six months of 2009.

But domestic production in Italy is still falling and there was an increase in imports and an even greater gap in the trade balance. In fact, imports increased considerably, as far as both quantity (7.6) and value (7) were concerned. In the first part of 2010 the amount of fish caught by the Italian fleet was 46,431 tonnes with a value of EUR235.77m. Prices of anchovies, crayfish, sardines and squilla mantis shrimps fell by about 10, and clams by 4. Against this hake, cuttlefish, and whitebait recorded increases in prices. Anchovies at 11,403 tonnes and clams at 4,288 tones were the most fished species in Q1 2010 followed by hake (2,821) tonnes and white crayfish (2,643 tonnes). Italian fishers had not only to contend with a fall in prices but also some increased costs. Above all, in the first half of

Italy: FAO Committee on Fisheries reports progress in implementation of Code of Conduct Concluding its week-long session on 4 February the FAO Committee on Fisheries reported that countries were making progress implementing the 15-year-old Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, but added that more needed to be done. The Committee, the only global intergovernmental forum to examine and address major challenges facing fisheries and aquaculture, said that the Code’s principles must be more widely included in national policy, legislation and implementation. It encouraged a broader application of the ecosystem approach to fisheries and aquaculture, requesting that FAO provide countries with technical 12

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

assistance, especially for the problems confronting the world’s small-scale fisheries, including inland fisheries. The Committee also gave its support to a global database of fishing vessels, a tool that would assist in the fight against IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) fishing, which is a major global threat to the sustainability of fisheries particularly in developing countries.

Regarding the aquaculture sector the meeting acknowledged its importance for food security and for the benefits it brings in terms of social and economic well being, but cautioned that it needed to be managed better to ensure sustainable growth.

2010, the cost of fuel went up by 22 compared to the same period in 2009. On the other hand, the cost of labour fell 11.

Med RAC, the regional advisory council for the Mediterranean, used Sapore 2011 as a backdrop for one of their own meetings.

MedRAC brings together the stakeholders in Mediterranean fisheries and contributes to fisheries management issues in the

Mediterranean. Italian fisheries organisations Assoittica, Lega Pesca, and API, among others, partnered with Rimini Fiera, the organisers of Sapore, in the organisation of a fisheries conference. Rimini Fiera Business Unit manager Patrizia Cecchi said that the synergy effects from combining different events under one roof were significant and that this format would continue at the next event in February 2012.

Sapore 2011, the event for the eating-out trade occupied 10 halls at Rimini Fiera, in Rimini, Italy with an overall area of 60,000 sq. meters.

Danish saithe fishery wins MSC certification The North Sea and Skagerrak saithe (Pollachius virens) fishery managed by the Danish Fishermen’s Producer Organisation (DFPO) has been certified to the Marine Stewardship Council standard as sustainable. The fishery comprises about 150 vessels using seines, static nets and demersal trawls that harvest about 7,000 tonnes of saithe, for markets in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Spain, with a small proportion for domestic consumption in Denmark. The fishery is subject to the 2004 EU-Norway agreement and

is managed according to the EUNorway harvest control rule which was renewed in December 2008.

Sea and landings inspections are carried out by EU national enforcement agencies and the Norwegian coastguard service.

The certification shows that the fishery is well-managed, targeting healthy stocks and with limited impact on the environment. Further improvements are necessary for the fishery to maintain the certification including additional documentation of the impact of the fishery on habitats. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS ] Products from the simple to the sophisticated

Eurofish Member Countries at the ESE/SPE

A

lbania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Turkey are the thirteen members of Eurofish International Organisa-

tion, the publisher of the Eurofish Magazine. Eurofish member countries will be strongly represented at the European Seafood Exposition and Seafood Processing Europe where eight nations

(Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Spain, and Turkey) will have country pavilions, and companies from the other five will exhibit individually. In addition, visitors from all these countries will also be present at the event.

While Croatia, Norway, and Turkey are not members of the EU the remaining countries are part of the Union and benefit from the European Fisheries Fund which

cofinances participation at such events. The country pavilions will feature a wide variety of products from the simple to the highly refined illustrating the diversity of the European fisheries sector.

This year Eurofish Magazine highlight the Eurofish member country stands with a description of some of the products that are on offer and the contact details of a person to be contacted in case of questions.

Denmark

Danish Fishing Equipment Group bigger than ever at Seafood Processing Europe

M

ore than 16 companies are gathered at the Danish Fishing Equipment Group’s pavilion which provides a one-stop-solution for renovation projects as well as new factories with new machinery. The Danish fishing equipment industry has a long history in production flow – from fishing vessel to fresh, frozen, ready-to-load-on-truck products.

Danish companies invest considerable amounts of money every year in research and development for the fishing industry.

An increasing number of worldwide financial and environmental

The Danish Fishing Equipment Group’s pavilion represents a one-stop-solution for renovation projects or new factory buildings. www.eurofishmagazine.com

Top Danish chef Mads Refslund promotes New Nordic Gastronomy at ESE

problems have called for new costsaving equipment in recent years, and as competition becomes stronger, higher standards and approvals are demanded for fishing equipment and technology.

Danish factories are equipped with the most modern production machinery and employ effective quality control methods.

The Danish Fishing Equipment Group represents leading Danish companies of all sizes within the fisheries and processing industry and works as a link between Danish subcontractors and foreign buyers. The group was founded in 1976 and consists of about 70 members, making it the largest network of its kind in Scandinavia.

Its members specialize in modern machinery, equipment and products for the international fishing industry.

Meet the Danes at stand 4-6015 or contact Business Sector Manager Michael Hansen on +45 2634 0610.

Mads Refslund, a pioneer of the Nordic Gastronomy movement, will present his creations at a Brussels kitchen during the ESE/SPE .

The Danish top chef Mads Refslund, has made a name for himself, not only as one of the young and ambitious chefs who pioneered the revolutionary New Nordic Gastronomy movement, but also as a dedicated fishcook celebrating the cold seas of Scandinavia. The Food Organisation of Denmark is proud to bring one of the most creative chefs to Brussels during the European Seafood Exposition, to give an impression of how Nordic gastronomy is developing sensations with fish and shellfish.

New Nordic Gastronomy is about working with the freshest local products, so that they barely need cooking. Fresh fish and shellfish from the icy Scandinavian waters demand great care in their preparation to get the most out of their delicate flavours. Mads Refslund was part of the team that started Noma in Copenhagen, recently crowned the San Pellegrino “World’s Best Restaurant,” and later started the MR restaurant getting his Michelin star as a pure fish and vegetable chef.

Mads Refslund’s participation at the European Seafood Exposition 2011 could also be your opportunity to experience a new take on seafood in modern gastronomy. You can meet Mads Refslund and Kasper Kurdahl, Belgian star chef, and watch them prepare your meal at the open kitchen MMMMH! (www.mmmmh.be) on 3 and 4 May. For more information visit www.thefoodproject.dk or contact Kasper Fogh Hansen, +45 33862350, kasper@thefoodproject.dk Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2011

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[ EVENTS ] Croatia

Drop by to sample Croatian specialities

T

he Croatian pavilion at the ESE this year will host 10 companies, a slight increase over 2010. Croatian exporters will display a range of canned sardines; fresh, smoked, and marinated seabass and seabream; and salted and marinated anchovies, says Zoran Radan, the advisor at the Croatian Chamber of Economy, who is responsible for the pavilion.

Salted anchovies in oil are a Croatian speciality and companies will exhibit the fish packaged in glass jars in sizes from 90 g to 700 g, where the fillet is either stretched out flat or rolled up

to add to the product’s appeal.

The same product is also available in cans both for the retail and wholesale sector. Companies specialising in the supply of fresh and chilled sardines and anchovies will also be present.

Croatian companies also produce frozen small pelagics, such as anchovies, sardines, mackerel, sprats, and horse mackerel. The smaller fish are available IQ frozen or block-frozen either whole or headed and gutted. One of the companies that will be present at the pavilion produces organically farmed seabass, seabream,

and meagre which is being exported to markets in the EU. The production has been certified by Naturland from Germany.

Seabass and seabream is not only sold fresh but also provides the raw material for marinated products. The fish is filleted, skinned, boned and finally marinated For more information about companies or products contact: Mr. Zoran Radan Croatian Chamber of Economy Roosevelton TRG 2

lightly before being packaged in oil.

Croatian companies will be looking for new markets as well as opportunities to produce under private label. Visitors will have a chance to taste these products at the pavilion at 7-1649.

HR 10000 Zagreb Croatia Tel.: +385 1 4561620 Fax: +385 1 45 61545 zradan@hgk.hr www.hgk.hr

Estonia

Perch and pikeperch producers at the Estonian Association of Fishery pavilion

T

he Estonian Association of Fishery has been a regular feature at the European Seafood Exposition for the last eleven years. Estonian fisheries and processing companies will present a range of products made from Baltic herring and sprats; Atlantic herring, mackerel, cod, and other species; from freshwater species such as perch, pikeperch, and smelt; as well as from farmed salmon and salmon trout. Most Estonian producers of Baltic herring and sprat are members of one of three Producer Organisations. The POs have made use of financing from the European Fisheries Fund to establish processing facilities for the production of block-frozen sprat and herring, and marinated products. Most of the frozen sprat 14

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

and herring is sold to customers on traditional markets in the east – Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, but representatives from the POs will also be looking for customers in Western Europe.

Other Estonian companies will be looking for opportunities to use their production facilities for contract processing, for example, of salmon and salmon trout.

The fish can be processed, packaged, and delivered to the specific requirements of the customer.

The canning sector in Estonia has seen significant consolidation and today there are only two companies left that produce canned fish, says Valdur Noormagi, Chairman of the Estonian Association of Fishery. Markets again are traditionally

in the east, but the canneries are looking to exploit their high quality products, flexibility, and reliability to win customers in the west.

Freshwater fish producers on the other hand have no problems selling their perch and pikeperch to customers in the west, where these species are much in demand. Several producers of these valuable products will be present at the Association’s pavilion.

The Estonian Association of Fishery pavilion is located at 5-329.

Valdur Noormagi, Chairman of the Estonian Association of Fishery.

For more information about the companies and their products contact: Mr. Valdur Noormagi Estonian Association of Fishery Tel.: +372 6549301 valdurnoor magi@solo.ee; kalaliit@online.ee www.kalaliit.ee www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS ] Italy

Italy imports roughly four times as much seafood as it produces

T

he Uniprom pavilion at the ESE will host 30-35 companies representing all the activities in the Italian seafood sector, fish farming, fishing, processing, and trading with many of the companies displaying seafood including shellfish, farmed seabass and seabream, and artisanal products. Consumption of seafood in Italy in the first half of 2010 increased by 5 compared to the same period the year before, according to data from Irepa, the Italian Institute for Economic Research in Fisheries and Aquaculture. The increase in consump-

tion comes after a long period of stagnation and is a welcome development. Italy’s production of wild seafood has been fluctuating around 250 thousand tonnes a year since 2004. In the first six months of 2010 catches amounted to around 113 thousand tonnes compared with 119 thousand tonnes over the same period the year before.

Imports of seafood to Italy have increased hugely according to the FAO, from 827 thousand tonnes in 2000 to almost 1m tonnes in 2007.

The demand for imported seafood has created a range of small, medium and large companies spe-

Latvia

The Uniprom pavilion will again feature the Terrazza Italia, arguably the best kitchen at the ESE, and supplied with seafood by the Italian companies that participate in the stand.

cialising in different segments of the market and importing fish from all around the world.

The Uniprom pavilion will occupy stands 11-2611, 11-2421, 11-2321, and 11-2221.

The Uniprom pavilion will again this year organise the Terrazza Italia, where one can find what is arguably the best food at the European Seafood Exposition. The Terrazza does not restrict itself to seafood, but all the seafood served is sourced from the companies that are participating in the pavilion.

For more information about the companies and their products contact: Ms Hania Biedzinska Consorzio Uniprom Tel.: +39 06 47824746 direttore@uniprom.it www.uniprom.it

Sophisticated contract processing for the retail sector The Latvian Fish Processor’s Union joint pavilion will feature tasting session for Riga sprats and Atlantic fish prepared in a variety of ways.

T

he Latvian pavilion at the European Seafood Exposition is managed by the Latvian Fish Processor’s Union, which has 10 members. Members of the Union will not only be exhibiting under the same roof, but will also visit the Exposition and use the pavilion as a base to conduct meetings.

Latvian canned smoked sprats and particularly the trademark Riga Sprats are well known in markets in the east, such as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

The challenge at Brussels is to introduce to a wider number of consumers this specific and traditional

www.eurofishmagazine.com

Latvian product made from small pelagic species from the Baltic Sea, says Didzis Smits, President of the Union. Although Latvian sprats are already exported to Germany and the UK, the product is relatively unknown in big fish eating nations, such as France, Spain, and Portugal.

In addition to sprats, the Latvians will also be displaying canned products manufactured from Atlantic fish, such as herring, mackerel, and sardinella, and will be looking for opportunities to manufacture private label products for retailers and producers. We have the necessary expertise, our factories meet all EU standards, we are within the EU,

and close to markets both in the EU and in the east, says Mr Smits.

Traditionally sprats are packed by hand in tins, but at the ESE this year Latvian companies will also display sprats packaged in glass jars. Now the customer can actually see the product before he buys it, explains Didzis Smits, and, in addition, because the screw-top lid on a jar can be replaced, the contents do not all have to be consumed once the jar is opened, which is not the case with cans. The glass jars are 20-30 more expensive as it takes longer to fill them, but despite this they are proving popular on traditional markets in the east.

The Latvian pavilion will feature a chef who will prepare delicacies using sprats and Atlantic fish and there will be several tasting sessions during the course of the day.

From our participation at the ESE

last year we noticed that having a chef tends to pull people in to the stand, says Mr Smits. We have also tried to set up meetings already before we arrive to make the most efficient use of the time we are here.

The Latvian Fish Processor’s Union joint pavilion is co-financed by the European Fisheries Fund. It is located at P-4419.

For information about the companies and their products contact: Mr. Didzis Smits Canned Fish LV Atlantijas iela 5 LV 1015 Riga Latvia Tel.: +371 2636 4252 didzis.smits@cannedfish.lv www.cannedfish.lv Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2011

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[ EVENTS ] Norway

A wide range of companies and products represented

T

he Norwegians this year will have an 1,100 sq. m pavilion at the European Seafood Exposition with about 50 companies of which some 30 will be exhibiting. Most of those present will be producers and exporters – farming companies, fishing companies, or processors. The Norwegian Seafood Export Council which is responsible for the generic marketing of Norwegian seafood will organise a Master Conference on Monday, 2 May, at a hotel in Brussels, before the ESE actually opens to the public. This will be one of several Norwegian events held in connection with the seafood show.

At the pavilion itself not all the companies will have brought product samples to display, but company guests can sample Norwegian seafood at the pavilion

kitchen, which the participating firms will supply with the raw material. Among the participating companies is Innovation Norway, the organisation that is responsible for boosting innovation in Norway, as well as supporting newly established SME’s by arranging finance, helping them build networks, and linking them to knowhow. Innovation Norway has offices in more than 30 countries worldwide that provide information about Norway to potential investors. Innovation Norway is also responsible for the organisation of the pavilion.

Norway is a major exporter of high quality fish and seafood both wild and farmed and companies trading in all the major project categories will be present at the common stand. These include klipfish (salted and dried fish), salted fish, and stockfish (dried fish), which

The 1,110 sq. m Norwegian pavilion will host about 50 companies at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels.

are major exports particularly to Portugal and Brazil. The raw materials for these products are whitefish like cod, ling, saithe, and tusk.

These and other species such as haddock, halibut, catfish, and redfish are also exported fresh and frozen. Exporters of shellfish, pelagics, and of course farmed salmon and salmon trout, will also be among the companies that are represented at the pavilion. Visitors to the Norwegian stand will also be able to discuss potential opportunities with service-companies.

These are not traditional producers themselves, but will organise the production, delivery, and branding, of any kind of seafood for a client.

The variety of products is matched by the range of companies that are

present at the stand – from the huge multinationals to the small familyowned businesses. The ESE is the most important seafood show in the world and attendees tend to be decision-makers making it all the more important for all seafood companies interested in the European market to participate.

The Norwegian pavilion will occupy 5-213, 5-513, 5-413, 5-313, 5-4409, and 5-4509.

For more information about the Norwegian stand or the participating companies, contact: Toril Justad Innovation Norway Tel: +47 22002668 +47 91683147 (Mob.) toril.justad@innovationnorway.no

Turkey

Seeking to expand markets for in different ways at the value-added trout products prepared pavilion kitchen. Bluefin tuna for

companies will also demonstrate products such as marinated fish and shellfish that are packaged in large tubs and buckets.

the Japanese market, small pelagics including anchovy and sardines, inkfish, bluefish, and cuttlefish are some of the other products that Turkish companies will exhibit.

Turkish smoked trout made from small freshwater trout as well as large rainbow trout is exported to several countries in Europe, says Selcuk Sagban, Director of the Istanbul Exporters’ Association, and in 2010 exports of smoked trout amounted to some USD30m. Turkish producers will be looking to expand their market in Europe and other regions by combining high quality with competitive prices.

For the food service sector Turkish

The Turkish pavilion is at 11-2101 and 11-2201.

The Turkish pavilion will have 15-20 companies exhibiting a range of fresh, marinated, or otherwise processed, fish and shellfish products.

V

ast banners announcing Turkish seafood will point visitors to the Turkish pavilion organised by the Istanbul Exporters’ Association will host between 15 and 20 companies including processors, farmers and fishing firms. Turkey has a huge

16

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

farmed seabass, seabream, and trout production and both whole fish as well as products using these species will be on display. Visitors to the stand will have the opportunity to experience traditional Turkish hospitality and taste some of these fish species that will be

For more information about companies and their products at the Turkish pavilion contact: Selcuk Sagban Director Istanbul Exporters’ Associations Tel.: +90 212 454 0731 ssagban@iib.org.tr or Mr. Ahmet Sagun President Istanbul Animal and Fishery Products’ Exporters’ Association Tel.: +90 216 561 2020 sagun@sagun.com www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS ] North Atlantic Seafood Forum 2011

The world’s largest seafood business event lives up to its reputation The largest seafood business conference in the world, the 6th North Atlantic Seafood Forum was held in Oslo on March 1-3 this year under a rather special atmosphere. The Norwegian capital was hosting the Nordic world ski championship in Holmencollen and the city was packed with press, athletes and spectators that week. However, despite the general excitement, 470 top-level executives in the cold-water seafood business from 29 countries managed to get through to Oslo and attend the conference, where their efforts were well rewarded.

Organized in cooperation with Pareto Securities, MARELIFE ASSOCIATION, and the Norwegian Seafood Export Council and under the leadership of JÕrgen Lund, Director, NASF is known as a premium meeting place for the seafood industry.

This year one+two-day conference was divided into the following sessions: sustainable business development and innovation within the North Atlantic fisheries, fish farming and seafood markets; global salmon supply; NASF 2nd retail seminar; whitefish summit; and the 3rd NASF pelagic industry summit. In addition, there was a pre-conference seminar on scientific issues related to marine industries; and two seafood finance seminars featuring all the big Norwegian names on the second day running parallel to the sessions.

Strategic perspective on Atlantic fisheries and sustainability Under the chairmanship of Guus Pastoor, President of the AIPCE, the first session on sustainable www.eurofishmagazine.com

business development and innovation within the North Atlantic fisheries, fish farming and seafood markets was opened

by Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, the Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs in Norway. In her speech she underlined that sustainability was the cornerstone of Norwegian fishery management and that further growth was only possible if everybody had the knowledge to ensure sustainable development.

“Seafood nations have a common interest in increased cooperation in order to promote the competitive and sustainable development of the industry, and we see positive results of fighting IUU fishing through successful cooperation with some countries,” said the Minister.

Tore Nepstad from the Institute of Marine Research drew the audience’ attention to inaccurate information from the mass media and different interpretations of FAO/ SOFIA reports on sustainability and the global status of fish stocks.

He regretted that disinformation continues even against sustainably managed fisheries and said that the picture is not ‘black or white”

At the North Atlantic Seafood Forum this year a scientific session on the first day was followed by two days discussing commercial themes. The event brought together 470 participants from 29 countries.

as it can be highlighted by massmedia. “Sustainable management works by definition. Several major stocks are rebuilt and harvested sustainably, although we have still many stocks to be rebuilt, so the right sources of information like ICES, NEAFC or other marine research institutions are needed to correct imprecise messages about fisheries,” concluded Mr. Nepstad.

An optimistic future for salmon supply with further market segmentation The second session of the conference was dedicated to the global salmon supply, trends and prices.

Since the year 2010 will be remembered as the year with very high prices and demand increasing all over the world, the main question was if the salmon market would maintain the strong global market demand in the upcoming years and what the price level would be.

Ole-Eirik Lerøy, the Chairman of Marine Harvest, stressed that the salmon industry becomes increasingly important in the view of global population growth, increasing need for proteins, and high demand for seafood. He noted a very strong development in private labels in Europe which will continue to increase. Representing the largest salmon farm in the world, Marine Harvest is focusing a lot on product convenience which is an inspiring task since no seafood product in the world is more diversified than salmon.

Regarding markets, the company focuses on areas with most population growth, in particular, China and generally Asia. The Russian market is a very noticeable example for Marine Harvest.

“We expect Russia to become our largest market in the world,” said Leroy. “If anybody had mentioned this to us some nine years ago, we would be very sceptical. There was no fresh salmon in Russia at all at Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2011

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[ EVENTS ]

Guus Pastoor, AIPCE.

Lisbeth Berg-Hansen, Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs.

that time, and today it is our largest and fastest growing market.”

Europe, USA, Japan and Russia were the main market for Norwegian salmon mentioned by Lars Liabø, Kontali Analyse. However, Russia was mentioned as the only market increasing imports of Atlantic salmon in 2009-2010 (by 26.7). Poland became the second biggest market for Norwegian salmon in terms of countries with huge processing industries reexporting salmon, as opposed to Russia where salmon is consumed within the country. Lars Liabø presented short-term and long-term estimates for 2011 and 2020 which showed that with an annual growth of 5, the harvested supply of Atlantic salmon for 2020 was anticipated to be 2.3 million tonnes. Of this Norway is supposed to harvest 1.4 million tonnes, Chile around 500 thousand tonnes, and UK, Canada, US, Ireland, Faroe Islands and Australia around 400 thousand tonnes. Calculations for 2011 were estimated at 1.55 million tonnes of which Norway is responsible for 976 thousand tonnes, Chile for 185 thousand tonnes, UK for 148 thousand tonnes, North America for 133 thousand tonnes, Faroe Islands for 54 thousand tonnes and the rest for 53 thousand tonnes.

Seafood Export Council.

Accounting for 40 of the world population (2.8 billion people) and 25 of the land area, Brazil, Russia, India and China will drive 49 of the GDP growth in the world. A breakthrough in these countries is incredibly important for the potential of the salmon industry because of economic growth and increase in consumer purchasing power, increase in the middle class, and modern retailing and distribution.

Whereas, for example, Russia is a large and well-established market for Norwegian salmon, India is at the entry phase of market penetration. The future is quite exciting taking into account that salmon is a most adaptive seafood product and the potential of salmon supply to BRIC countries is calculated at 425 thousand tonnes by 2020 if the development continues as is foreseen.

Consumers in the UK are more cost conscious

Chris Britton, CEO of Findus, urged producers to watch out because salmon lost 900 thousand consumers in the UK in the year 2009 to 2010 due to high pricing. Consumers are shifting to other proteins, especially to chicken and ready meals. Jonathan Banks from The future of salmon markets in Jonathan Bank Assocaites Limited BRIC countries was explained by pointed out the tendency among Egil Ove Sundheim, Norwegian UK consumers to save by switching 18

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

to cheaper grocery brands. However, consumer spending in tougher times has not changed UK consumers view on sustainability.

Brand equity, integrity, quality, value for money and values are the main concepts for consumers in the UK at the moment. Chris Brown, ASDA Stores, added that the UK consumer market is characterized by the lack of confidence in the economy which has generated overly considered shopping which going is to stay – customers won’t waste money on meat and fish.

Consumers are more than ever are looking for value for money and they may switch from fresh to frozen in tough economic times.

According to research by Kantar WorldPanel in the UK, “lost salmon shoppers are spending £4.4 million less on total chilled seafood”.

However, different visions are seen on the German market. As Juergen Pauly, Globus Warenhause, explained, the German consumer is not driven by price and promotion when buying fresh fish. Price is important but it is not the most influential factor for German consumers when buying fish and seafood. It is a matter of trust because consumers want first of all safety when they are buying fish. It is also a planned action, whereas promotion strengthens awareness of the variety of fish and seafood. At present, Germany is the biggest market for MSC products in the world.

Awareness of eco and sustainability labels is growing although it is not influencing buying decisions at the same level.

Benoit Denni, Scapmaree (Leclerc Group) stressed a different vision for promotions and the importance of the mailing in the French market. For example, the volumes increase by 10 times when the product is in the promotional mailing. Agreeing with his colleagues from international retail chains, he

added that too many labels create confusion and destroy the label itself.

The retail sector in France was not overly optimistic about the future because average prices for fresh fish increased for many species, said Johan Kvalheim, NSEC. He mentioned that 57 of French respondents answered that they focused most on price when buying food products, which gives solid signals regarding price on the French market. Challenges can be overcome by differentiating product by origin, providing product variations, educating consumer, offering stable supplies, and planned campaigns.

Farmed cod supplies to decline for the immediate future Ragnar Nystoel, Kontali Analyse, made an overview of current state and future prospects for commercially important whitefish species. Whereas supply situation for Atlantic and Pacific whitefish is good, farmed whitefish showed a decline for the first time in years.

Farmed cod will not be the species feeding European markets in the nearest years. Cod farming in Norway reached a peak harvest of around 20,000 tonnes in 2010, and only 15-16 thousand tonnes are expected in 2011 because of the decrease in stocking of juveniles.

Decline is also expected to continue after 2011. Negative tendencies are also indicated for feed sales of seabass and seabream. Import of frozen pangasius and tilapia fillets is still growing in the EU, however this growth is stagnating.

The outlook for 2011 shows a combined supply change of +4 but with different composition. Tilapia, Alaska pollock and cod enjoy a recovery, there is a strong decline of pangasius. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS ] Participants highlighted two main drivers of future growth of the producing companies: innovation and development concepts. Innovation was especially attributed to the positioning of products and packaging characteristics which should be focused on consumer needs and preferences. Special attention was also paid to longterm relationships with clients and effective marketing communication as the strategic aspects for fish producers. “Everything centers on understanding consumer better. Consumer attitude and meal usage is a key in determining what consumers will pay for. Focus on increasing consumption, however, consumption will increase through communication and not through “investing in price,” said Stephen Taylor, Findus Group.

Making an overview about the German market, Alexander Wever, AWF Consulting, presented an interesting idea on what fish producers could learn from the poultry industry. Providing a sample calculation on the number of fish fillets needed in Aldi retail outlets, he explained that quantities of fish and seafood required by retail in Germany can be produced only with quasi industrial methods which are nearly unknown in the European aquaculture sector. But those methods are well known and established in poultry farming.

Indoor recirculation aquaculture will be able to supply the strong demand for seafood of the right quality and price.

Russian plans for its own pelagic fish may hurt Norwegian exports Ten top-executives held their presentations during the 3rd NASF Pelagic Industry Summit. The export of herring and other pelagic species has given the pelagic industry an extended role in the www.eurofishmagazine.com

Best quality at all times.

3 a.m.

Jørgen J Lund, Oslo Teknopol, Conference Director.

Øystein Lie, MareLife, Executive Manager.

world’s supply of food. Increasing demand for direct human consumption of small pelagics has resulted in less raw material for the fishmeal and oil industry.

repositioning of products will be needed.

Russia is the largest market for Norwegian herring and capelin with an overall market capacity of 400 million tonnes. Julia Anthonisen, CEO of Athena Seafood and representative of the Russian Fish Union, explained Russian pelagic import demand perspectives. Herring accounts for 14 of the frozen fish market in Russia with over 550,000 tonnes, whereas the general frozen fish market is over 200 million tonnes.

With annual consumption of 4.1 kg per capita, herring is one of the most favorite species in Russia, especially in the salted fish segment. General fish consumption in Russia is increasing from 17 kg per capita in 2009 to 18.9 kg per capita in 2010. Imports of Norwegian whole herring, herring fillets, and whole mackerel to Russia decreased in 2010 compared to 2009 because of competition from other pelagic exporting countries.

In addition by 2020 Russia plans to increase its catch of low-profit species to 700 thousand tonnes and catches in foreign zones to one million tonnes. The general conclusion was that if prices continue to rise, it will be difficult to compete with UK, Iceland and Ireland, so active campaigns and

There is also a possibility that the price level is too high for the Japanese market. The Norwegian Seafood Export Council presented the outlook for pelagic demands and imports in Japan which is the world’s largest consumer of mackerel. Mackerel is a product for an everyday meal and Japanese customers are dependant on imports.

Following the depreciation of the economy and decreased well being, changing consumer attitudes and behavior were presented in a one-year study on shopping habits. Cuts in spending, more frequent selection of lower priced goods, and the comparison of prices in different shops, characterized the attitude of most Japanese consumers.

The wealth of information from the conference, the quality of the presentations and the speakers, the balance between science and commerce, and the ample networking opportunities, explain the success of this event. The new organisation behind the conference has clearly got the ingredients right and the formula will be repeated with a novel twist at the next North Atlantic Seafood Forum on 6-8 March 2012.

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[ PROJECT ]

PathogenCombat: Reducing food-borne diseases in Europe

The PathogenCombat team at the final project meeting in Copenhagen

Results will now be put into practice “Control and prevention of emerging and future pathogens at cellular and molecular level throughout the food chain” – that was the full title of the EU project PathogenCombat that was carried out in the period from April 2005 to October 2010 with a total budget of 14.4 million EUR. The 40 participating partners from research and industry wanted to contribute towards reducing the occurrence of food-borne diseases in Europe. This was a very ambitious aim but the project was able to achieve it in full, says Prof. Mogens Jakobsen, the Danish scientist who co-ordinated PathogenCombat with the project manager Dr. Vicki Lei. Question: With the exception of a few reports and publications the project has now been completed. So it’s now time to draw an objective balance. How important was PathogenCombat and what role will the project’s findings play for Europe in future?

Answer: When we began the complex research project almost six years ago our objective was to make an important contribution towards reducing the high number of food-borne diseases in Europe. This was a very ambitious goal which cannot, of course, be achieved solely by a five-year research project, but it nevertheless constituted a clear benchmark against which we can measure the success of our work. PathogenCombat has been one of the most prominent 20

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

FP6 projects in food safety. There will still be some time before the findings, as well as the newly developed methods and technologies are fully implemented in the food industry and can contribute towards improving the situation. However there is no doubt to me and the rest of the PathogenCombat consortium that the project has met its objective.

Question: That almost sounds as if the project’s five-year duration was too short?

Answer: No, the time was sufficient although a lot of us already regret that the successful co-operation in the project groups is now over. What effect PathogenCombat will ultimately have, does however not depend solely on the length of the

project, but above all on how successfully the results can be put into practice. The dissemination of the results is just as important as the scientific work itself. The results have to be used by industry and the regulatory bodies, as well as developed further by scientists. PathogenCombat was also a source of inspiration that should lead to further collaboration initiatives in this field. Several spin-off projects have already materialised.

Question: The main aim of the project was to reduce foodborne diseases. How is that to be achieved?

Prof. Mogens Jakobsen, Coordinator of PathogenCombat, has many years of experience in the management of international research projects and is a specialist within the area of food microbiology and food safety.

Answer: Our core concern throughout this extensive research project was to come to a better understanding of how pathogens act in the food chain, how www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ PROJECT ] they spread, and how they can be combated more successfully than up to now. Our research approach went far beyond old ideas of simply counting the pathogens and then drawing conclusions about the risk they posed solely on the basis of their number.

Question: So the assumption that more bacteria automatically means a higher risk is no longer true?

Answer: That can be the case but it doesn’t have to be because other factors are equally important. In the meantime we know that the mere number of pathogens, i.e. of bacteria or viruses is not an adequate reflection of the

risk they pose. In the project we also investigated the question as to which factors are responsible for a pathogen actually developing “pathogenic qualities”, i.e. becoming virulent. This new approach that moves away from the mere number of pathogens towards their behaviour is one of the fundamental results of the project. An approach supported by rapid, more sensitive and meaningful analytical methods also developed in PathogenCombat.

Question: Apart from understanding and monitoring of “microbial behaviour” can you mention other novel thoughts pursued in PathogenCombat?

Answer: I shall mention two.

First “human behaviour” is as important as “microbial behaviour” and needs to be effectively addressed in food safety management systems throughout the entire food chain. Next and equally important is that the present gap between food technology, hygienic design and food safety has to be closed. The project indicated that over 80 of the CE-marked food process equipment did not comply with the hygiene provisions of the Machinery Directive. Moreover, it is questionable if regulators, veterinarians, private auditors and machine suppliers have the necessary insight in hygienic design.

Project manager Dr. Vicki Lei.

Question: As common practice in EU projects, some SMEs participated in the work. How important were these partners and what role did they play?

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

21

[ PROJECT ] Answer: The participation of partners from industry gave strength to the project and broadened the spectrum of its potential. This applies both to the biotechnological SMEs which provided new tools for analyses and tests and to the food producing SMEs. They, too, were extremely important because with their help we were able to test certain results immediately in

practical working environments and thereby take into account the whole food chain during the tests. The co-operation between scientists and industry representatives is incidentally seen by both parties as very useful and helpful.

Question: Are any of the results of PathogenCombat already being used in practice?

Answer: Yes, some of them are actually already being used, for example, new molecular analysis techniques that enable faster, more exact and cost effective monitoring of pathogens at critical points in the food chain. Another example is the diagnostic instruments and tools with which SMEs can evaluate and improve their food safety management systems via

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the internet (www.pathogencombat.com.). This possibility was already used by nearly 150 companies.

Question: So your final conclusion after completion of the project is basically positive?

Answer: Absolutely – after five years of hard work, we are happy and proud to say that we have met our goals and fulfilled the set tasks. PathogenCombat has demonstrated how to reduce the incidence of food borne disease of microbial origin. Further, during the project period of PathogenCombat we have produced over 200 scientific publications, more than 150 lectures were given; we were represented at over 20 trade fairs and exhibitions, and have carried out more than 50 seminars and workshops on specific problem areas. Apart from that, scientists from 18 European countries were involved and for a good 40 young people the project was their start into a hopefully successful career because the results formed the basis for their BSc, MSc or PhD theses. All this strengthens my firm belief that PathogenCombat was a success. Technically the project has provided a background for a change to be introduced from food safety initiatives being largely retrospective to become preventive and predictive with less emphasis on end product testing and more emphasis on critical control points in the food chain. A change talked about for a long time but not implemented although more cost effective and a condition for safe food. mk

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

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COVER STORY

COVER STORY M.V.Wool’s new factory was inaugurated in December

Mr Meelis Vetevool (left), Purchasing Manager, and Mr Mati Vetevool, Managing Director of M.V. Wool.

The most modern salmon processing facility in Estonia The fish processing company M.V.Wool inaugurated a new building complex close to Tallin in December last year. At the new 4,500 sq. m plant red fish, that is salmon and salmon trout, is produced for the European market, and the complex includes processing facilities, cold stores, as well as a shop that supplies local consumers with the entire range of the company’s fresh, smoked, and marinated products.

M

ati Vetevool the owner and managing director of M.V. Wool worked as an electrical engineer leading a small team of people back in the days when Estonia was part of the Soviet Union. With the collapse of the political system that gave Estonia its freedom at the end of the eighties, Mr Vetevool decided to set up a fish processing factory to supply the domestic market.

The factory was established from scratch and was not a Soviet style cooperative operation that was taken over, as was the case with other processing factories all over the former Soviet Union. Estonia had a fish processing industry during Soviet times which manufactured products not just for the domestic market but for the entire Soviet Union. As markets were

www.eurofishmagazine.com

often a considerable distance from Estonia the industry concentrated on products with a long shelf life such as canned, frozen, and preserved fish.

Value-added products increase in popularity in Estonia The Estonian market has gradually changed character over the years since independence. According to an OECD report domestic consumers in Estonia have less interest in canned fish and are now looking at more value-added products. These are often based on imported raw material, salmon, pelagic fish, whitefish, and shellfish. Until the financial and economic crisis in 2008 living standards were rising steadily making

these products more affordable and Estonia’s accession to the EU in 2004 may also have added to the popularity of these products.

The original M.V.Wool production plant started with the production of fresh, smoked, and salted salmon and salmon trout fillets and marinated eel. The

smoked salmon and salmon trout was also being exported and by 2005 demand for these fish was exceeding what the company could supply. Supermarkets and wholesalers in Western Europe were interested in volumes that were far greater than the company could deliver at the time. We did not have filleting systems or slicing

The salmon is headed, tailed, washed and then filleted by machine.

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

23

COVER STORY

The filleting machine cuts the salmon neatly into two fillets and discards the central bone.

The salmon fillet is trimmed resulting in a product that is ready to be salted.

systems, says Meelis Vetevool, the Purchasing Manager and son of the owner Mati Vetevool, and were in no position to fulfil such big orders. This sparked the idea of a new processing plant dedicated to the production of salmon and salmon trout in various forms. The paperwork, the design of the new factory, finding the land, and putting the finance into place took 18 months to complete. The total investment was EUR5.5m of which EUR1m was support from the EU for the purchase of machinery.

The construction was completed at the end of August 2010 and the factory was officially inaugurated in December. The new facility has an area of 4,500 sq. m and includes processing areas, cold stores, and

of marinated (grav) salmon.

Currently the cold smoked production is working at 45 of its capacity, while production of the other two lines is less. There is a lot of interest in the factory says Meelis Vetevool. Almost every day there are delegations who come to see the facility. Most of them are from Europe, but I have also received visitors from Japan, North Africa, and the Middle East.

The interest however has not yet resulted in signed contracts. One of the main reasons for this is the uncertainty on the salmon market.

Both buyers and suppliers of Norwegian salmon are biding their time, hoping that prices will move favourably. Naturally farmers are hoping for further increases,

a shop for the sale of all the full range of the company’s products.

All the products based on fish other than salmon and salmon trout, that is cod, hake, mackerel, herring, eel etc. are manufactured at the original premises. Current production at the new factory is mainly (80) sold on the export market.

Delegations from abroad visit facility The new plant has a capacity of about 4,000 tonnes of finished goods a year. This includes 1,000 tonnes of cold smoked salmon, 2,000 tonnes of fresh salmon fillets, 1,000 tonnes of hot smoked salmon, and a smaller quantity

After smoking the fillets are left on racks to dry.

24

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

while the retailers and importers are praying for the opposite, that prices will fall. In the meantime Meelis Vetevool is buying all his supplies of salmon on the spot market. He does not think prices will fall this side of summer but is hoping that at least by the end of summer or the beginning of autumn prices will start to decline.

BRC/IFS certification on the cards The factory has gradually been ramping up capacity, adding employees to fulfil existing orders.

Last year we hired 38 people and this year another 30 leading to a total of 140 employees in the company, says Mr Vetevool.

The final product is a retail pack of cold-smoked sliced salmon destined for the EU. www.eurofishmagazine.com

COVER STORY

The shop at the factory premises has exceeded expectations. Although we are located some distance from Tallinn, says Meelis Metevool, we find that customers are prepared to drive out here to buy fish. The reason could be the variety of products that is on offer.

They range from fresh fish to marinated products and salads in glass jars, a large variety of hot smoked fish both marine and freshwater in vacuum packaging and otherwise, cold smoked and marinated salmon, marinated herring in different sauces, fish in aspic, several products in retail-sized plastic tubs, and large dishes with seafood salads. The products are all manufactured by the company at one www.eurofishmagazine.com

or the other of its plants. Within Estonia the brand is well known as products bearing the M.V. Wool label are carried by all the major supermarkets, consumers may therefore welcome an opportunity to select from the entire range of products under one roof. On western markets all the company’s products are sold under private label and follow the specifications provided by the client.

The trays are placed in a neutral plastic wrapping and then vacuum sealed.

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A further 5-6 people are expected to join in the course of the next weeks which would then give a full shift. The factory is HACCP certified and after it has been running for six months the company will also apply for a BRC (British Retail Consortium) or IFS (International Food Standard) certification. The entire factory is temperature controlled. At the filleting line the salmon is headed and tailed and then washed before being machine filleted followed by manual trimming. The fish is dry salted and then smoked in a smoking chamber imported from Germany. Currently there are two units each with a capacity of 1,400 kg a day, that are in operation. And there is a slot where a third unit can be introduced if necessary.

The smoking chambers are used for both hot and cold smoking.

The cold smoked fillets are sliced by machine and the slices are then packaged manually into retail packs. Depending on the customer’s requirements the cold smoked product is sometimes frozen.

This increases the shelf life from two months to twelve. The salmon is also available at the retail outlet at the factory.

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

25

COVER STORY

At the new factory most of the operations are automated. The cost of the machinery was supported by funding from the EU.

Delicatessen units within supermarket chain in Estonia Production at the first factory that is now producing exclusively for the Estonian market has also increased. Moving the production of salmon and salmon trout to the new facility increased the space at the original plant. In addition to mackerel, herring, cod, the plant is producing lamprey, eel, white fish, hot and cold smoked hake, hot smoked red fish and hot and cold smoked halibut, halibut pieces and slices, and has a capacity of 1,000 tonnes. Most of the raw material comes from Norway and Argentina, as well as Spain. Sales on the local market cover the whole spectrum of the distribution

chain, wholesalers, retail chains, and fishmongers. The company also has an agreement with a chain of supermarkets under which it stocks a fish delicatessen unit within the supermarket that is looked after by one of the company’s own employees. There are now 35 of these delicatessen units across Estonia. Distribution of the products in Estonia is through a fleet of the company’s own refrigerated vehicles which provide a twice-aweek service to all the Estonian cities; Tallinn, as the capital and the country’s biggest city, merits three visits a week.

Sales have been growing steadily each year except during the crisis when growth more or less stagnated, but provisional figures for

Each smoking chamber has a capacity of 1,400 kg a day. The room was designed to allow a third chamber to be introduced if necessary.

2011 suggest that the company has left the crisis year behind. Growth in January was 20 higher than January 2010 and February will be even better, says Meelis Vetevool. The company has also been taking precautions with regards to its customers, selecting only those it feels confident with. This careful approach has kept bad debts to a minimum. We are also very strict about payment, we insist on the timely settlement of dues and we do not hesitate to stop supplies if invoices are outstanding, says Mr Vetevool. As of the beginning of 2011 payments are all in euro

26

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

The M.V. Wool factory is currently the newest and the biggest processing facility in Estonia and once it is running to capacity the company looks set to become an important producer of smoked salmon and salmon trout in Europe.

M.V. Wool AS Angreja tee 32, Huuru, Saue Vald EE 76911 Harjumaa Estonia Tel.: +372 6224435 Fax: +372 6224431 info@mvwool.ee www.mvwool.ee

The shop at the factory premises sells a variety of products, including glass jars with marinated fish and fish salads.

which makes it easier to compare prices and also saves on conversion costs. We trade with several other euro-zone countries like Italy, Finland and Spain and having the same currency is a definite advantage, feels Mr Vetevool.

Owner: Mr. Mati Vetevool Purchasing manager: Mr. Meelis Vetevool Activity: Production of smoked salmon and salmon trout for the international and domestic markets;

Marinated eel, mackerel, herring, lamprey, hot and cold smoked halibut, halibut pieces and slices, hot and cold smoked hake, cod, redfish etc for the domestic market.

Markets: EU Facility: 4,500 sq m processing facility opened in December 2010; an older facility with a capacity of 1,000 tonnes Brand: M.V. Wool in Estonia Volumes: Capacity at the new facility 4,000 tonnes Employees: 140

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ESTONIA

Interview with Mr Helir-Valdor Seeder, Minister of Agriculture, Estonia

Transparency in fisheries is critical for sustainable use of fish resources The Common Fisheries Policy is in the process of being revised and Estonia has some clear ideas about the direction it would prefer the review to take. Producer Organisations in the Estonian fishing sector have all launched processing facilities within months of each other, and today the nation’s trawler fleet has some 40 active vessels compared to 100 just seven years ago. The country has just joined the OECD and on 1 January this year the euro replaced the kroon as the national currency. Clearly, there have been significant changes both within the fisheries sector as well as around it. With this backdrop Eurofish spoke with Mr Helir-Valdor Seeder, the Minister of Agriculture, to get his views on the future of Estonian fisheries.

EUROFISH: The reform of the CFP is currently being finalised.

What aspects of the reformed CFP are priorities for Estonia?

Helir-Valdor Seeder: The number one priority for us is the sustainable use of fish resources and to avoid over-fishing. Our second priority is the stability of fisheries policy and the quota distribution.

We support the preservation of the quota distribution policy as it is between member states so that it is stable, but the member states should have the right to distribute

the quota within the country as they see fit and to organise the market. Within Estonia in addition to trawl fishing and deep sea fishing, we have coastal fishing which is important and also professional fishing in inland water bodies. And so the individual catching quotas should not be connected to the fleets or the vessels, but to the fishermen himself.

These are the peculiarities within the country that we would like to preserve and develop. The last thing to mention would be traceability and transparency, so that it

Mr Helir-Valdor Seeder, Minister of Agriculture, speaking at the inauguration of the processing facilities of the Estonian Fishing Association PO.

is possible to see who catches how much. Estonia is probably the only member state that has made it legally binding to publish the amounts that people have caught under legislation we passed last year.

EF: How does the government encourage the sustainability of stocks and catches. Is certification a way to go forward?

HVS: Sustainability can be ensured by regulating catches and avoiding over-fishing. To do that

there has to be regular scientific monitoring carried out by reliable and objective experts so that we have a credible picture of the resources. Legislation to prevent over-fishing has to be based on this knowledge. Certification is a possibility, but it can only supplement the core which lies in legislation and official policy. And of course transparency and monitoring are also important.

EF: The European Fisheries Fund (EFF) is a key tool in delivering Common Fisheries Policy objectives. What are the measures that Estonia would like to change and those it wants to retain for the future financial instrument (2014-2020) in the fisheries sector.

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ESTONIA

HVS: We would like to see producers become a bigger part of the value chain; currently the fishers get a disproportionately small part of the value of the fish. Therefore joint investments in the processing of fish are important for us. It has been implemented today and it has justified itself and we want to see it continue in the next period. Local and coastal fisheries employ a lot of people in Estonia.

To preserve the economic and cultural aspects of these fisheries, the measures for local fisheries areas are also something we would like to continue in the next period. The third thing that is important for us are market organisation measures. We catch a lot more fish than we consume, so it is important that the fish is marketed both in the EU and to third countries. And especially when marketing to third countries we need assistance to open up possibilities, and to organise communications through exhibitions, and advertising.

These next things are perhaps a little less important, but still worthy of mention. They relate to the modernisation of fishing equipment and vessels. We need seal proof equipment, because seals in the Baltic Sea cause a lot of harm to equipment. And we need to invest in increasing the efficiency of our vessels.

EF: The plan for the fisheries sector is that the gross tonnage of the fleet decreases by 5 from the 2006 level in 2010 and by 10 in 2015.

Have these targets been achieved/ on track? How is the fleet expected to evolve in the coming years?

HVS: In Estonia we have ITQs (Individual Transferable Quotas), which are linked to the fishermen not the vessel. The fishers are very interested in rationalising the fleet and catching with as small a 28

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

number of vessels as possible. In 2004 we had 100 trawlers and in 2010 we had 42 active vessels which caught the same amount, but they were not bigger, just used more effectively. This development is positive and our future direction will be to increase the efficiency and environmental friendliness of vessels, not to decrease the number because we are more or less at the optimum level. But they need to be refurbished with more fuel efficient engines, and modern catching equipment.

EF: How has the Estonian fisheries sector been affected by the financial and economic crises and what steps has the government taken to mitigate their impact on the industry?

HVS: One important effect has been that a lot of important and necessary investments have either been cancelled or postponed and this has consequences both for agriculture and fisheries.

In order to redress this we have created resources at the Rural Development Foundation for co-financing which are more easily accessed than funds from credit institutions.

EF: What role is foreseen for the aquaculture industry in Estonia.

What policies are being implemented to promote and expand this sector. Are there moves to use environmentally friendly methods (such as recirculation systems) for the production of farmed fish.

HVS: Aquaculture is important and in our development plan for the sector we foresee that the volume of farmed fish will increase significantly. We support the use of effective, new and environmentally friendly methods, such as recirculation. This is significant because the temperature of the water on the farm is

then maintained at a certain level.

Last summer we noted that the water temperature on farms with flow through systems became too high, which was detrimental to the fish, so we are very interested in these new technologies.

EF: What are the government’s priorities in the fields of research, development and innovation in the fisheries and aquaculture sector?

HVS: Firstly, the monitoring of fish stocks, their status and development. Then fish products and their quality - monitoring, analysis and development. These are the two main areas - scientific research and applied research regarding food products. For example, at the Food and Fermentation Centre, which is supported by the state, scientists and producers are currently working together on improving the taste of Estonian farmed fish.

EF: What efforts are being made to increase fish consumption in Estonia and to get segments that typically eat less fish (such as young people) to consume more?

HVS: We cooperate with producers and we have an agreement with them whereby we introduce and advertise fish products and their benefits under a plan called Fish Does You Good. The problem in Estonia is that even though we produce more than we consume, fresh fish is not widely available.

We have a small population that is distributed throughout the country. Transporting small amounts of fish hundreds of kilometers to small markets in the middle of the country is not feasible for the producers, so fish is consumed mainly in the big cities and along the coast.

The Fish Thursday that we used to have in the Soviet era in schools

does not exist any longer. Fish is served, but not very often and in schools fish and milk are not very popular among the pupils.

The school decides how much fish they offer and whether to offer it at all. The rule is that the menu has to be balanced and this is monitored but there is no obligation to serve fish and it is up to the local governments to decide. This summer a study will be completed focusing on how to increase the consumption of fish among younger people and students and what measures should be implemented to increase the consumption.

EF: Estonia formally joined the OECD at the end of last year.

What impact, if at all, is this expected to have on the fisheries sector?

HVS: A 2009 report on the fish market organisation by the OECD gave a generally good assessment, but noted that fisheries organisation activities that are divided between the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture was not very rational.

We have also discussed this here and intend to combine all organisational activities under the Ministry of Agriculture except monitoring which will stay with the Ministry of Environment.

The OECD has said that this could be a possible solution and we hope to implement it in the future. We feel that organisation and monitoring should be separate so that organisation does not end up monitoring itself.

For example while professional fishing is administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, the recreational fishery is the domain of the Ministy of Environment. This may lead to different and possibly conflicting policies for a common resource which would be counter-productive. www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESTONIA

The Estonian small pelagic fisheries

Competition gives way to collaboration with benefits for all The Estonian fisheries for Baltic sprat and herring are the most important of the country’s fisheries both in terms of earnings as well as employment. Catches go mainly to export markets in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhastan as block frozen fish, but markets in Western Europe are also being explored. Estonian fishermen are organised into Producer Organisations that are responsible for the processing, sales and marketing of the fish. They can also set minimum prices below which the fish can not be sold, and administer the system of intervention mechanisms, that are triggered when prices fall below the minimum.

W

ith the collapse of the Soviet Union and consequent Estonian independence anything that smacked of collectivism was regarded by Estonians with deep mistrust. Juhani Papp, Head of the Bureau of Fisheries Development in the Estonian Ministry of Agriculture recalls how during the Soviet time it was mandatory to have colle-ctive farms and everybody was forced to work together. After independence, he says, probably as a reaction to our immediate history, everybody considered

themselves their own boss and wanted their own business, their own factory, their own fishing port. Getting people to cooperate was very difficult – everyone thought we were trying to reintroduce Sovietism.

Rebuilding the herring and sprat fishery This was not the case of course but it was necessary to rebuild the Estonian Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) and sprat (Sprattus sprattus balticus)

fisheries. Fishing for both species is managed through national quotas. The herring quota is divided into the Baltic Sea herring and the fish from the Gulf of Riga, and the Baltic Sea quota is further subdivided into the opean sea fishery by trawlers and the coastal fishery, which is about one-third of the total. The sprat biomass has been favourably influenced by the decline of the cod stock in the Baltic in the 90s as sprat is preyed on by cod. However, improvements in the cod stock since then have increased the pressure on the

Juhani Papp, Head of the Bureau of Fisheries Development, feels that immediately after Estonian independence any suggestion to work together was regarded with mistrust, but the Producer Organisations are now an accepted form of cooperation.

sprat stock and there has been a decline in the sprat biomass compared to the long term average.

This trend is expected to continue with further improvements in the cod stock.

The three Estonian POs have established processing facilities for their members initially for the production of block frozen pelagics and marinated fish. Here the freezing equpment at the Estonian Trawling Association. www.eurofishmagazine.com

According to a recent report by the OECD on the market organisation for fisheries in Estonia (Case study on new Market Organisation of Baltic Herring and Sprat in Estonia, 2010), among the main problems facing the Estonian fisheries sector were the Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

29

ESTONIA

and demand. Most fishers had no storage facilities and to a certain extent were at the mercy of buyers who had cold stores. But the equation has changed with the formation of the POs. The greater exchange of information between the members means that all the members are aware of what conditions are being offered by the buyers.

Hannes Ulmas, Head of the Bureau of Market Organisation, says that an effective ITQ system needs good control procedures.

lack of joint activities between the players, poor usage of quality standards, and the lack of valueadded products. The Estonian Fisheries Strategy 2007-2013 sought to reduce the difference between earnings at the retail level and for the fishermen by increasing cooperation between the different parts of the supply chain. Producer Organisations (POs) are groups of producers that cooperate to make the most of their resources from an economic but also an environmental point of view. They work to streamline the market avoiding scarcities and gluts and also anticipate market demands in terms of quality, quantity and regularity of supply. The Strategy outlined the aims of the three producer organisations that were set up at the end of 2005. These were established to “improve the conditions of sale of their members’ products with measures that favour production planning and adjusting it to demand in terms of quantity and quality, improve the concentration of supply, stabilise prices and promote fishing methods that support sustainable fishing.”

Until then fishers had sold their catch directly to first buyers or the fish processing industry and were highly dependent on the prevailing conditions of supply 30

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

Three Producer Organisations formed The three producer organisations that were established were the Estonian Trawling Association with 5 members who land their fish mainly at the the port of Paldiski in the north; the Estonian Commercial Fishermen’s Association that is based at Haapsalu on the west coast and which has 5 members mainly from the western islands Saaremaa and Hiiumaa; and finally the Estonian Fishing Association PO based in Audru with 6 members.

What distinguishes the latter from the two former POs is that amongst its members is a representative from the coastal fishery who represents some 200 coastal fishermen. The coastal fishery uses mainly passive gear, nets that are fixed in the water and emptied each day, but also traps and longlines. Several species are targeted by the coastal fishermen including Baltic herring, perch, smelt, flounder, and roach. Catch volumes of Baltic herring are much higher than the volumes of the other species. Hannes Ulmas, Head of the Bureau of Market Regulation and Trade in the Department of Fisheries Economics at the Ministry of Agriculture, explains that along the northern coastline the water becomes deep very quickly and the fish do not come to spawn, however in the Gulf of Riga conditions are ideal as the water is

Table 1: Trawl catches in the Baltic Sea (tonnes) Fish species

2008

2009

2010

Total fish

70912.20

69519.61

68329.26

Sprat

48581.69

47298.35

47861.52

Baltic herring

21262.04

21402.60

19625.11

970.10

816.80

792.37

98.37

1.86

50.26

Cod Other

Table 2: Coastal catches in the Baltic Sea (tonnes) Fish species

2008

2009

2010

Total fish

12643.47

14028.63

11242.89

703.25

809.50

878.76

Eel

5.08

4.32

3.45

Eelpout

0.17

0.12

0.81

Trout

11.09

13.89

12.21

Pike

15.79

13.35

22.77

Sprat

0.23

0.11

0.15

64.02

66.70

73.36

7.22

4.50

3.58

276.53

287.58

269.77

1.26

1.35

1.30

Perch

Pike-perch Bream Flounder Burbot Salmon

5.59

5.39

3.80

51.07

58.22

66.48

10576.95

11761.89

9236.65

Whitefish

29.85

22.65

15.54

Lamprey

0.02

0.15

0.57

649.38

769.63

417.31

2.40

3.90

3.69

White bream/roach Baltic herring

Smelt Cod Vimba bream Other fish

32.15

23.11

29.82

211.42

182.27

202.86

shallow and the bottom sandy.

For the last 10 years one third of the Estonian national quota for Baltic herring has been allocated to the Gulf of Riga. This has been further subdivided into two thirds for the trawler fleet and one third for the coastal fishers. There are however restriction on the presence of trawlers in the Gulf of Riga. During the spawning season they may not fish there as the volumes they catch are so large that it may have an impact on future generations of the stock.

Also during the spawning period

the texture of the fish is not as strong and the quality of the fish suffers when it is caught by trawl, but the coastal fishery handles the fish more gently and so the quality is unaffected.

ITQs call for good monitoring systems Trawling companies have ITQs (Individually Transferable Quotas), while the coastal fishery is managed in terms of the number of nets. According to Mr Ulmas managing a fishery with ITQs www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESTONIA

Table 3: Fish catches in inland waters (tonnes) Fish species

2008

2009

2010

Total fish

2735.56

2815.28

2768.71

Perch

756.81

816.76

1217.42

Eel

24.48

16.37

14.25

Pike

89.73

101.69

84.65

Pike-perch

665.78

721.86

534.12

Bream

764.97

775.77

573.99

Burbot White bream/roach Peipsi whitefish

32.60

29.45

28.65

249.88

209.30

217.87

1.10

2.83

0.52

Lamprey

66.70

58.99

40.42

Other fish

83.52

82.26

56.84

calls for a robust control system.

As trawlers are bigger vessels with VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) on board and catching large

volumes they are relatively easy to monitor. The coastal fishery on the other hand with its smaller vessels without VMS, and the

ability to land at minor ports and evade inspections, is more difficult to control. By allocating a number of nets the fisher has less incentive to under report his catch as he is entitled to harvest all the fish he can in his nets. The number of nets allocated to each individual is based on the historical catch expressed as a percentage of the total number of nets. Thus if the scientists allow 80 nets in an area where a fisher historically has had 10 of the catch, he would be entitled to 8 nets. Fishing rights (the number of nets) in the coastal fishery are further allocated by county. A fisherman who belongs to Narva county cannot lay his nets in the Gulf of Riga. Currently there is a discussion between the coastal fishers and the administration to adjust the way the

Baltic herring quota is allocated.

At the moment when the quota is filled the fishery is closed. The problem is that in the north of the country the quantities of herring are much smaller so fishers in the north are at a disadvantage compared to fishers in the Gulf of Riga where the volumes of herring are much larger. As fishers in the Gulf can catch more fish than those in the north before the fishery closes a proposal has been mooted that will divide the quota so that 70 can be caught after the “olympic” principle where as much as possible is caught in as limited a time frame as possible, while the remaining 30 is divided proportionately between the counties. In the spring if the quota is exhausted in the Gulf of Riga the fishery can still continue in the north.

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

31

ESTONIA

Fishing quotas in Baltic Sea Species

Unit

2008

2009

2010

2011

Baltic herring

tonnes

33,816

32,247

31,007

19,407

beyond Gulf of Liivi

17,148

16,134

14,198

10,942

within Gulf of Liivi

16,668

16,113

16,809

8,465

Sprat

tonnes

52,060

45,813

43,522

33,076

Cod

tonnes

1,054

1,156

1,319

1,492

186

158

171

182

Western stock Eastern stock

868

998

1,148

1,310

9,255

8,104

7,778

6,848

beyond Gulf of Finland

7,674

6,523

6,197

5,267

within Gulf of Finland

1,581

1,581

1,581

1,581

Salmon

[1]

pieces1

Piece– 1 ton is equal to 200 pieces

Flexible licensing system for trawlers The ITQ system allocates quota not to the vessel but to the company and it is up to the company to decide how many vessels should fish the quota. At the start of each year the share of the quota and the volume of fish that makes up each share is publically announced and at the end of the year the actual catches of each company are also made public. Estonia is probably the only member state where this transparency is legally binding, thanks to legislation introduced by the Minister, Mr Helir-Valdor Seeder, who feels that this will contribute to sustainable fisheries. The company pays a fee of 1-2 of the value of the share based on the average price the previous year. The company is then given a license which states the name of the vessel(s) that will be fishing the quota. However, the system is flexible and if the company wants to add, remove or substitute vessels, it can do so if the authorities are informed in advance.

Many companies have both active and inactive vessels registered with the authorities. A company cannot just buy another vessel and add it to the register, it would have 32

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

to buy an inactive vessel and then replace it with another. Adding new vessels to the register is not possible as EU rules prevent the addition of capacity – although since Estonia uses ITQs to manage the trawler fishery, the number of vessels in the registry or their gross tonnage is not really relevant.

Catching plan seeks to stabilise prices Each year the PO draws up an operational programme, which is binding on all its members.

The plan shows how catches will be spread over the fishing season and includes a marketing strategy. Members of the PO that do not follow the plan can face sanctions. The programme includes any information about the PO and the PO’s activities for that year; the number of vessels, quotas, how much the vessels will catch, where the product will be sold, the species that will be targeted. The most important part of the programme is the catching plan. According to Kristi Ilves, Chief Specialist of the Market Regulation and Trade Bureau in the Department of Fisheries Economics at the Ministry of Agriculture, the aim with the programme is to stabilise the price level over the year and the

members of the PO cooperate by staggering their catches through the month to maintain the price level. The POs are financially compensated by the European Commission for drawing up the operational programme. For the Ministry the information in the operational programme is very valuable as it gives a complete overview of the activities of the POs which in this case cover 95 of the trawling sector.

Friendly competition between the three POs This near-total participation by the trawling fleet in the Producer Organisations suggests that the advantages of membership of a PO clearly outweigh the disadvantages. Firstly, it is only by belonging to a PO that producers have access to the EU’s price support schemes. Support is triggered when the price of the fish falls below the minimum price that is set by the Commission. This mechanism guarantees producers a minimum revenue and serves to smoothen out the worst flucuations in prices. If the fish is withdrawn from the market and used for charitable purposes, the production of feed, or for purposes other than human consumption, producers are enti-

For Kristi Ilves, Chief Specialist of the Market Regulation and Trade Bureau, the operational programmes drawn up by the POs are very valuable for the administration as it gives a complete overview of the activities of the POs.

tled to a withdrawal price from the EU which is administered by the PO. If on the other hand the fish is temporarily placed in storage and then later returned to the market the producer is entitled to carry-over aid. POs can opt either for the withdrawal programme or the carry-over scheme. Now that the POs have invested in processing facilities the advantages are even more apparent. This introduces vertical integration into the production, where the producers are no longer competing against each other. Producers have the benefits of economies of scale.

If several producers send their fish to the same plant all the fish is processed the same way giving large volumes of a uniform product which is an advantage when marketing the fish. The PO’s processing plant often has facilities such as sorting and grading equipment which the individual producer may not have, so the quality of the product processed by the PO will be better than that processed at a producer’s plant.

PO’s also take over the sales and marketing of the fish so that the producers can concentrate on catching or on other activities. www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESTONIA

Toomas Kewai, Deputy Secretary for Rural Development and Fisheries Policy, is of the opinion that competition between the POs exist, but it is friendly competition, as it is in nobody’s interest to let prices fall.

A PO also may have more credibility than a single producer because it represents large volumes of fish and has more bargaining power. By bringing several producers together a PO replaces the competition between the producers, where each was willing to reduce prices in order to win market share, with a common interest. Although there are three Estonian POs that are competing with each other in reality it is in nobody’s interest to let prices fall, says Toomas Kewai, Deputy Secretary for Rural Development and Fisheries Policy in the Ministry of Agriculture, and for three organisations to come to an understanding is easier than for twenty companies. So, the competition between the POs exists but it is friendly.

Estonian Commercial Fishermen’s Association

New pelagic processing facility to start production in December

Ms Aldona Baum, Executive Director of the Estonian Commercial Fishermen’s Association. The new processing factory will start production at the end of 2011.

The Estonian Commercial Fishermen’s Association is based in Haapsalu on the west coast close to the island of Hiiumaa. Three of the founding members of the Association were based here, www.eurofishmagazine.com

says Ms Aldona Baum, Executive Director, which was partly why the Association was also created here. Besides, Haapsalu has a long maritime tradition and during the Soviet era hosted a big facility that produced canned fish that was sent to Russia. The Association has five members and also has a newly built processing facility that is expected to start production at the end of 2011. It is waiting for a weighing and packaging line to be installed without which production cannot start. We decided to invest in equipment that is not fully automated as we have found that completely automatic machinery, although very sophisticated, has a tendency to malfunction more often and then we are often forced to wait while it is being repaired, says Ms Baum.

Besides in terms of the labour saved there is not much difference

between the fully automatic and the semi-automatic machines, but the fully automatic equipment is considerably more expensive than the other.

The plan is to start with the production of frozen sprats and herring and then move on to fish in a spicy marinade. The processing factory was funded with support from the European Fisheries Fund to the tune of about 50 of a total investment of EUR4m. A quarter of the EFF support came from national funds. Ms Baum is quite categorical about the advantages of the new facility. In the past the fishers did not have access to storage space which was particularly important in the spring when the volumes of fish caught could be huge; now this problem has been remedied. Before the factory was built the lack of storage space meant that the fisher was forced to sell the fish or risk it becoming unuseable, while now if the price is not right he can wait till it improves. The factory has a number of chambers in which to store the fish, so that the storage capacity can be adjusted to the volume of fish there is to store. When production starts the factory will have a freezing capacity of 200 tonnes a day and a total storage capacity of 3,000 tonnes.

For the time being the members of the PO are sending their fish to be processed by Morübel, the biggest member, while the new factory waits to start production. The Association has a fishing harbour close by, which is the base for the members’ vessels, and associated with the harbour is a workshop where vessels can be repaired. We had originally wanted to build the processing unit in the harbour so that the boats could unload the fish directly there, but we were not granted permission, says Ms Baum. Then the authorities changed their mind and approved the application, but by then it was too late because work had already started at the current site. The harbour will be freely available for use by the coastal fishermen, but the PO has currently no plans to use the fish caught by the coastal fleet. The catches are small along this section of the coast, says Ms Baum, and the species are differentperch, pike perch and pike.

For more information contact: Aldona Baum Executive Director Estonian Commercial Fishermen’s Association Tel.: +372 5160061 kutselisedkalurid@hot.ee

Estonian Fishing Association PO

High quality frozen Baltic sprats and herring The Estonian Fishing Association PO is the biggest of the three Estonian producer organisations. Of its 6 members one is a representative from the coastal fishing fleet, representing over 200 coastal fishers from the local Pärnu area. Together the members have about 50 of the Estonian quota for sprat

and herring as well as a further approximately 8,000 tonnes of coastal herring, says Mart Undrest, the Managing Director.

The EFAPO inaugurated its new processing and freezing facility in February this year, a big plant with a processing capacity of 200 tonnes a day and a storage of 3,000 tonnes.

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

33

ESTONIA

Mart Undrest, Managing Director of the Estonian Fishing Association PO, at the inauguration of the processing and freezing facility in February 2011.

While Baltic sprat and herring will be the main species to be processed certainly in the beginning, Mr Undrest is also considering other species that are targeted by the coastal fishermen in the PO. These include pike perch, perch, pike and smelt, high value species which can be frozen and offered to markets in Western Europe.

But that is something that we are considering for the future, he says, perhaps next spring. Right now we need to concentrate on some trial production runs for herring and sprats to make sure everything is working as it should so that we can start production by the middle of April.

The total investment in the plant amounted to some EUR6m, about half of which was funded by the European Fisheries Fund and from national sources. The plant will start with two shifts of eight people each and later in the year will also have a packing line that will employ three to four people.

The plants’s HACCP certification is being completed, says Mr Undrest, and we will also have a traceability system in place so that we comply with all EU requirements.

The PO is also planning to market the fish under its own brand in the near future. Of the 6 shareholder in the PO four of them have existing production facilities. The

oldest of these will be shut down, while the others will be in all likelihood be used for other products.

The main markets for the herring and sprats are the traditional ones in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus, but Mart Undrest has also found customers in Romania, Bulgaria and Poland and we are also looking at Denmark and Germany he says.

For more information contact: Mart Undrest Managing Director Estonian Fishing Association PO Tel.: +372 5023860 undrest@hotmail.com

Estonian Trawling Association

“Krapesk” is a well-known brand in Russia and the Ukraine The Estonian Trawling Association is a producer organisation with a factory that went on stream at the end of August 2010. The Association is based at Paldiski not far from Tallinn at a site that used to host a Soviet submarine base and naval training facility and which now is an industrial estate and port. The PO has five members who fish with small trawlers and represent about 8,000 tonnes of the national quota for Baltic herring and sprat. Each of the members has a share of the quota as this is a prerequsite to be a member of the PO. All the fish that is caught is brought to the factory, as the new facilities guarantee the highest quality product.

With a daily processing capacity of 200 tonnes the factory relies not only on the PO members to supply it with fish, but also buys raw material from the market.

Mauno Leppik, Managing Director of the Association explains how the fish is brought directly 34

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

from the boats on ice in containers to the factory. It is so fresh, he says, that often the fish are still thrashing around in the water.

The PO is in discussion with the authorities about the possibility of extending a quay that will allow the vessels to unload directly at the plant. The fish is often a mix of herring and sprat and is first graded into four categories that also separates the two species, sprat typically being smaller than herring. The graded fish is placed in containers and is then pumped into the freezing equipment, where it is shock frozen in blocks of 15 kg. Each freezer can handle one tonne of the raw material at a time and after the blocks are formed they are conveyed mechanically to the packaging line where they are either loaded directly on to a pallet or are wrapped in special sandwich paper with polypropylene on the inside and paper on the outside. We are the first to be using this wrapping material

Sigmund Kartau, Member of the Board and Mauno Leppik, Managing Director, Estonian Trawling Association.

here in Estonia, says Mr Leppik, and it has proved popular with our customers. The wrapping material is also decorated with the company’s brand Krapesk, which was taken over from one of the founding companies of the Association that owned trawlers and had its own processing plant. We decided to use Krapesk because it already had a well established reputation in our key markets of Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhastan. Block frozen fish is the major product to be produced at the factory, but not the only one. About a third of the fish goes into the production of marinades for customers in the Ukraine and Romania,

and the company also manufactures a small amount of privately labelled products for Vichiunai.

For more information contact: Mauno Leppik Managing Director Estonian Trawling Association Tel.: +372 67 49 260 mauno@traalpyyk.ee or Sigmund Kartau Member of the Board Estonian Trawling Association Tel.: +372 6020832 sigmond@traalpyyk.ee www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESTONIA

Saare Fishexport exports 90% of its production

Interest in more Baltic herring and sprat quota Saare Fishexport, an all-Estonian company with two trawlers catching herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea, was established in 2001.

In 2003 it took over Ösel Fish to work on the domestic market, while the parent company concentrated on exports. In addition to fish from the Baltic Sea the company processes coldwater shrimp (Pandalus borealis ) into cooked shell-on and peeled products in different sizes.

S

aare Fishexport is based on the Estonian island of Saaremaa off the country’s west coast and its vessels are docked at the port of Veere. Although this is February and the best time for fishing Baltic sprat and herring, neither of Arne Salong’s, the Managing Director of Saare Fishexport, vessels are at sea. The Baltic is frozen solid and has been for several days; vessels can neither get in nor out and although an icebreaker has recently broken a path through the ice, Mr Salong will not risk sending his boats out as if the water freezes again they may not be able to return to port.

With all fishing coming to a standstill the fish are having a party, he observes wryly.

Introduction of ITQs triggers investment in more efficient trawlers In fact only one of his trawlers is at its home port, the other was forced to dock at Ventspils in neighbouring Latvia to avoid being stuck at sea. The vessels, the Herry and the Lipton are both relatively new; a consequence of the ITQ system of fisheries management for the trawling fleet. Once the system was established vessel owners invested in newer, slightly bigger, and more www.eurofishmagazine.com

efficient vessels in order to be able to catch their quota more effectively. Saare Fishexport had a couple of old Russian vessels, but then invested in newer boats from Norway. The company has also bought up quotas from other companies that were leaving the business and is interested in acquiring more quotas if the price is right.

Joining a PO gives advantages of scale The port at Veere is only 30 minutes steaming from the fishing grounds, but Saare Fishexport’s boats normally sail for a couple of hours and then return after spending a couple of hours catching. A typical trip takes five to six hours and the vessels target only Baltic herring and sprat. The fish is brought back to the company’s processing facility at Nasva which has two production units, one was built in 2008 with funding from the EU and is used to manufacture the shrimp products, while the other is used for the production of preserves and block frozen sprat and herring. Over the years the company has faced a drop in the volumes of fish that it processes as quotas have declined both for the fish and the shrimp. This is compensated to some extent by

The Lipton is Saare Fishexport’s second vessel. Both vessels trawl for herring and sprats in the Baltic Sea.

an increase in the price, but Mr Salong feels that the way forward is to start adding greater value to the product and so this year the company will start producing IQF Baltic herring and sprat.

The shrimp products in retail packaging have also proved popular and the production volumes are increasing. Here too the falling quotas are pushing the price up, which is making it a more exclusive and high quality product. This year the company will launch a new brand and sales strategy on the domestic market.

The shrimps are sold mainly to the Baltics, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Russia, while the Baltic herring and sprats go to

the Baltics and Bulgaria. Preserves are mainly sold to Ukraine, Belarus, Moldavia, Kazakhstan and Romania. According to Mr Salong it is the price and the taste of the products that primarily determine the markets. Tastes are different in different countries and certain products appeal more in some areas than they do in others.

Big reduction in quotas in 2011 The freezing of the northern part of the Baltic Sea is unusual.

Saaremaa’s ports do not usually freeze in winter. But this year the Bay of Bothnia is also frozen says Mr Salong, keeping Swedish and

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

35

ESTONIA

Arne Salong, Managing Director of Saare Fishexport.

Estonian herring and sprat quotas were drastically reduced in 2011, herring by 37% and sprats by 25%.

Finnish vessels in port. Swedish scientists reported that the last occurrence of this kind of weather condition was in 1986 and Mr Salong himself recalls freezes in 1996 and again in 2003, but they did not last as long. The problem this year is that the freeze has come at a time when the quality of the fish is at its best. Saare Fishexport has caught 15-20 of its quota so far, but the freeze as pushed up the demand for fish and Mr Salong is itching to send his vessels out again. A month ago he says there was no demand and the storehouses were all full, but now they are empty and there is almost no fresh fish. The catch is usually

long as cod quotas stay low there will be less sprat and herring to catch. The quotas for both species have been decreasing since 2008

36

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

spread out over the whole year, though normally about two weeks before the end of the year the company will have exhausted its quota. This year, however, says Mr Salong, we will probably have caught our quotas two months before the end of the year, as both the herring and sprat quotas have been cut so severely, in the case of herring by 37 and for sprat by 25.

Mr Salong has a suspicion that the reduction in the quotas may have been influenced by politics. Cod feeds on sprat and so reducing the quota will presumably leave more sprats in the sea for the cod to feed on. Conversely as

but Mr Salong is hopeful that they will increase again as both fishers and scientists say that the stock is in good shape.

Saare Fishexport, OU Company Fact File Nasva village, Municipality of Kaarma EE 93872 Saaremaa Estonia Tel.: +372 454 5888 Fax: +372 505 4560 info@saarefishexport.ee www.saarefishexport.ee Managing Director: Mr. Arne Salong

Activities: Fishing, processing Species: Baltic herring, sprat, coldwater shrimp Products: Block frozen herring and sprat, marinated products, cooked shell-on and peeled shrimp Markets: Ukraine, Russia, Moldova, Romania, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Latvia, and Bulgaria Turnover: EUR8m Employees: 80

www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESTONIA

Maseko is introducing a line of Dingley cans

Looking for Western European markets for canned sprats The canning company Maseko has a history that goes back to Soviet times. It was established in 1945 and has been producing more or less consistently since then. Today the range of products includes sprats in oil which comprise half the production while the other half is canned ďŹ sh and seafood from the Atlantic.

C

anned fish was popular in Soviet times because it was a convenient way of transporting fish from the coast to the interior of a huge region without fear of the contents going bad or the packaging getting damaged en route. There

were several canning factories operating in the Baltic States using raw materials from the Baltic Sea and sending the finished product all over the Soviet Union. These long established trade links extend to the present day. Much of the canned fish

production in the Baltic goes to markets in Russia, the Ukraine, Kazhakhstan, and Belarus, places that have developed a taste for some of the quite distinct products to come out of the Baltic countries.

Seven million cans produced annually Baltic sprats in oil with their highly smoky flavour is one of the best known. At Maseko, a canning company based in Tallinn, canned sprats accounts for half

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

37

ESTONIA

Russia is still an important market for Maseko, thanks to the company’s historical connections.

the production of 7 million cans a year. We used to produce 24 million cans a week, says Irina Stupakova nostalgically. She is Chairperson of the Works Council at the company and is also involved in sales and marketing.

But this was back in the 90s and before the Russian crisis of 1998, when the company’s biggest market collapsed almost overnight. As a result the company was forced to reduce production and get rid of capacity. Of the seven factories it owned three were sold and even today only three of the remaining four factories are in operation.

But things have started looking up again. The Russian market has gradually recovered and shipments there are increasing.

The company has its own brand but also produces under private label and is now actively looking at the European market as a possibility for expansion.

Last year when we were at the European Seafood Exposition there was a lot of interest in the non-smoked sprats and sardines, says Ms Stupakova. Canned fish in Western Europe is more expensive than it is in Estonia and Ms Stupakova feels that her products’ long shelf life (typically two years), and the lack of any artificial ingredients, such as preservatives, taste enhancers, 38

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

or other additives, should generate interest amongst Western European consumers. Western European consumers do not form a homogenous group, but have widely differing tastes to which Maseko will try to cater. If we can enter into long term contracts with customers in these countries and if we have a delivery schedule we can produce the cans in bulk and ship them out as the supply becomes due, says Ms Stupakova.

Three production facilities The company’s production facilities are in Tallinn, Narva at the eastern end of Estonia on the Russian border, and at Virtsu on the western coast. The Narva factory produces cans using smoked raw material (sprats) and the one in Tallinn from non smoked products. Maseko sources its sprats from local fishermen fishing in the Baltic Sea, who provide fresh fish to the factory. For the other products, which include mackerel, squid, sardinella, and herring, frozen raw material is used. This is imported cheaply from Norway, the Iceland, and Morocco.

To compete with the smoked sprats produced in neighbouring Latvia, that are branded Riga Sprats, Maseko has a product named Revel Sprats, Revel being

the historical name of Tallinn.

Smoked sprats have in the past been associated with benzopyrenes, carcinogenic molecules that develop during the smoking process, but Irina Stupakova says that the products are carefully tested at the company laboratory and never exceed the permissible level of benzopyrenes. In addition to their own monitoring procedures the company also has the local veterinary authority inspecting the factory every quarter and in addition, just recently, a team from the European Commission in Brussels had also conducted a week-long inspection of the factory and verified that all the appropriate procedures were being followed.

New Dingley cans to be introduced soon The company is aware that having a smoothly running factory is not enough. It is important that there is a steady stream of new products coming out of the factory with a matching marketing effort to find customers for these products. The in-house research and development team is looking not only at new recipes but also at new kinds of cans or other receptacles. A new line with Dingley cans is under consideration as Ms Stupakova thinks that this can is popular in Europe.

Ms Irina Stupakova, Chairperson of the Works Council at Maseko, a canning company.

Most recently Maseko has introduced canned nototenia in oil and it is also planning a range of products in round cans and even in glass jars. Plastic containers are not of interest at the moment as they cannot give the long shelf life that characterise all the company’s products.

We are very flexible in our approach, says Ms Stupakova, if a customer would like us to produce a small batch of a new product for him to run a trial, we can do that. We have the right technical people, engineers and food technologists, that we need to handle something like this, our products use high quality raw materials, and we are reliable suppliers which is why we have managed to retain our customers.

Maseko Ltd Company Fact File Vorgu 6 EE 10145 Tallinn Estonia Tel.: +372 6264 450 Fax: +372 6264 460 maseko@hot.ee www.maseko.ee Chairperson of the Works Council: Ms Irina Stupakova

Products: Canned sprats, mackerel, squid, sardinella, and herring Volumes: 7 million cans per year (50% sprats, 50% other seafood) Markets: Ukraine, Russia, Kazhakhstan, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary Canning facilities: Three, one each in Tallin, Virtsu, Narva www.eurofishmagazine.com

ESTONIA

Japs processes perch and pike perch

High value freshwater fish for international markets Perch (Perca fluviatilis ) and pike perch (Sander lucioperca ) are highly sought-after fish among retailers, restaurants and up-market fishmongers in western European countries like Germany, and Switzerland. In Estonia these species are found in various freshwater bodies, in particular in the large Peipsi Lake on the border of Estonia with Russia. The border between the two countries runs right through the middle of the lake which is jointly managed by the authorities in both countries.

J

aps, a processing company that specialises in the production of freshwater species, was established in 1989 although it adopted its present name only a few years later. The company activities include both fishing and processing and while freshwater fish is the main part of the business the company also catches and processes Baltic herring. Perch, pike perch and pike are the main freshwater species with which the company works. Perch is typically caught in the Pärnu Bay, pike in Lake Võrtsjärv and pike perch in Lake Peipsi. The latter falls under the joint administration of Russia and Estonia and commercially significant fisheries there are regulated using TACs. In other freshwater bodies fisheries are regulated with technical measures including closed areas and closed seasons. Helle Nuut, the Sales Manager at Japs, says that the fisheries in Estonia are so heavily regulated with quotas and closed seasons with the result that the company cannot always source all the raw material it needs locally. When there is a shortfall of the fish in Estonia, the alternative is to import from Finland, Russia, and Sweden. www.eurofishmagazine.com

Capacity to handle large volumes Japs has four processing lines, one each for Baltic herring, the production of fish roe, filleting, and freezing. The present factory is from 1998 and all the facilities comply with EU regulations and the specifications laid down by HACCP and other sanitary and quality standards.

During the season the company can process 4-5 tonnes of perch per shift and 20 tonnes of pike perch. The problem, admits Ms Nuut, is that it is difficult to get hold of these volumes of the raw material. Having a facility as big as ours means that we can process a large volume of raw material compared to other operators, who do not have the capacity, says Ms Nuut. We also have all the quality and hygiene standards in place to control that the raw material is of the requisite standard and to ensure a very good final product. Efforts to maintain the quality of the raw material start at the fishing vessel itself. Fishermen supplying Japs are instructed on how to ice and store the fish when it is caught to preserve freshness until it reaches the factory.

At the start these procedures were somewhat arbitrary in their application, but today they are an integral part of the fishing operation.

Local sources of raw material are restricted We have our own fishermen and also source from others, but, says

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

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ESTONIA

Helle Nuut, it is not easy to secure enough raw material to offer people full time work throughout the year. She realises that the protective measures put in place by the government are good for the long term health of the resource, but at the same time feels constrained by the lack of raw material for the factory. In her eyes a possible solution may be if the government were to permit the industry to buy fish from the sports fishermen who catch perch and pike perch in winter. Currently this is forbidden by the government and negotiations to change this do not seem to be progressing. Ms Nuut feels that if in Finland the company can buy from anglers then it should also be possible in Estonia, particularly she reasons, if the company is willing to pay all the taxes associated with

the sale and make the whole transaction completely transparent. As the situation is at the moment we know the fish is entering the market through unscrupulous traders and that makes for an uneven playing field, she claims. Smaller operators have access to fish that we as a big respected player in the industry do not, she continues.

The catching season starts at the end of April and goes on till about the third week in June, and then starts again in September. In Lake Peipsi there is a quota for perch and when this is filled the fishery is closed. The fishery is termed an “Olympic” fishery meaning whoever fishes fastest catches the most. In the Pärnu Bay, where the fish are also targeted, the restriction is on the number of nets a

Japs AS Company Fact File J.W. Jannseni 36 a EE 80041 Pärnu Estonia Tel.: +372 44 59613 Fax: +372 44 59610 japs@japs.ee www.japs.ee

commercial fisher is allowed to put up. The fish is brought to the Japs factory where it is filleted and packed on ice in 1, 3, or 5 kg boxes, which are ready to go up on retail shelves. Another product is the frozen fillets which are produced by freezing the fish at -45°C and then glazing and storing them.

Sales Manager: Ms Helle Nuut Products: Fresh and frozen fillets of freshwater fish Species: Pike perch, perch, pike, Baltic herring Markets: Switzerland, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Finland, US, Canada.

Customers: Retailers, wholesalers, food service

Japs has toyed with the idea of adding salmon and trout products to its assortment, but for the moment since the outlook for freshwater fish is generally positive the company will in all likelihood stick to what it has been doing for the last couple of decades.

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

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ESTONIA

THE LARGEST FISHING EVENT IN THE NORTH Everything for the commercial fishing industry from catching and locating to processing and packaging through to marketing and distribution of the final product Supported by: 8 (% #%+!-$)# )-)1206 .& )1(%0)%1 !-$ '0)#3+230% 8 )-)1206 &.0 .0%)'- &&!)01 8 (% %$%0!2).- .& #%+!-$)# -$3120)%1 8 (% )1(%0)%1 11.#)!2).- .& #%+!-$ 8 (% %$%0!2).- .& #%+!-$)# )1()-' %11%+ 5-%01 8 !2).-!+ 11.#)!2).- .& ,!++ .!2 5-%01 8 %$%0!2).- .& #%+!-$)# )1( 0.#%11)-' +!-21 8 (% #%+!-$)# ()/1 &&)#%01 11.#)!2).8 7 (% #%+!-$)# -).- .& !0)-% -')-%%01 !-$ %2!+ %#(-)#)!-1 8 (% #%+!-$)# %!,%- 1 %$%0!2).8 (% #%+!-$)# %$%0!2).- .& 0!$% 8 %$%0!2).- .& 0!$% !-$ %04)#%1 8 0.,.2% #%+!-$ 8 #%+!-$ 1 5%%*+6 &)1()-' -%51/!/%0 7 )1*)&0%22)0

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NETHERLANDS

Europe's seafood hub In the Netherlands mussels and demersal species are mostly sold fresh through auctions while pelagic fish is sold directly and frozen.

Farmed fish is generally sold directly fresh or even live. Imported fish and seafood is sold both through auctions (mussels) but also directly.

T

here are 12 auctions for demersal fish and mussels. The main auctions are the Urk/ Harlingen auctions, which accounted for over 35 of the total turnover at fish auctions in 2008, followed by Ijmuiden with 14. The Producer Organisation mussel auction in Yerseke is the sole auction for mussels in the Netherlands. All 11 auctions that deal with demersal species are connected electronically through either Pefa (6 auctions) or the Electronic Fish Information Centre Europe (EFICE) (5 auctions).

Auctioned seafood goes directly to the processors Pure wholesalers in the Netherlands do not seem to exist as

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

often processing companies, vessels, and wholesalers seem to have the same owners. Much of the seafood sold at auctions goes straight to the plants to be processed and then exported. The import and export of seafood is an important part of the industry. About 75 of the seafood in the Netherlands is imported, most of which is processed and then exported again, usually to other EU countries. The processing industry in 2007 comprised 124 companies employing 3,120 people full time. Eighty percent of the companies had less than 50 employees suggesting that the industry is not specially consolidated. This has the disadvantage that companies are compet-

ing against each other putting pressure on prices.

Fluctuating supplies and catch restrictions in the North Sea force processors to import The processing sector is also facing problems with fluctuating supplies of raw materials from the North Sea, as well as catch restrictions. Some have therefore switched to importing species, while others are focusing on exports to markets that are more interested in greater added value. The processing industry is based primarily on processing flatfish, herring, shrimps and mussels. About 85 of the

processed flatfish and round fish is exported to Germany, Belgium, France and Spain. The shellfish sector is the second most important sector within the Dutch fishing industry and is mainly focusing on mussels (fresh and preserved) and oysters. Most of the shellfish processing companies are integrated with the supply sector and are concentrated around Yerseke. More than 60 of the shellfish sector’s sales are exported. Belgium and France are the most important export markets for mussel companies.

Other important market segments are the processing of herring for Dutch consumption, the smoking of salmon and eel and the processing of shrimp.

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NETHERLANDS

W. van der Zwan & Zn., 122 years old and going strong

Specialists in high quality frozen pelagic fish The number of Dutch companies targeting pelagic fish has shrunk from some 100 in the early 1900s to three today, one of which is the Hague-based company W. van der Zwan & Zn. The company dates back to the latter half of the 19th century when as a small family company it used to target herring in the North Atlantic. Today, while the company is still family-owned, it can no longer be considered small. The herring boats have been replaced with a fleet of trawlers that fish in the North Sea, off the coast of West Africa, and in the Pacific.

W

van der Zwan & Zn. catches and freezes pelagic fish for markets all over the world. The company has a fleet of five trawlers of which the smallest has a hold capacity of 1,600 tonnes and a freezing capacity of 150 tonnes a day, while the largest can store 6,000 tonnes and freeze 300 tonnes a day. Today the fleet is split between the North Atlantic where three of the vessels are fishing while the remaining two are active off the coast of Mauritania. The company’s history in Mauritania goes back to a private agreement under which the government invited the company, among others, to come and fish in Mauritanian waters. The reason, says Willem van der Zwan, Director of the company, was that the collapse of the Soviet Union had ended Soviet high seas fishing activities. The Soviet fleet that had been operating in Mauritanian waters withdrew leaving an underexploited stock. However, once the European Union entered into a fisheries partnership agreement with Mauritania W. van der Zwan & Zn. joined

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the new regime. The EU’s current fisheries partnership agreement with Mauritania allows vessels from 12 EU member states to catch a variety of fish and seafood in Mauritanian waters until 2012 when it expires unless renewed.

The Alida is 99 m long with a holding capacity of 2,000 tonnes and a freezing capacity of 250 tonnes per day.

Important markets in Africa Fish caught in Mauritanian waters is frozen whole round on board, packed in 20 kg cartons and is then usually trans-shipped to reefer vessels at sea to avoid having to return to port. The reefers bring the product to its final destination often in Africa, which is an important market for the company, and includes Nigeria, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo, and Egypt. In Ghana and Nigeria the company has established its own distribution network with cold stores from where it sells the fish and takes care of all the logistics. The species caught include sardines and sardinella, but also mackerel and horse mackerel depending on the season – sardine is between November and April, sardinella Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2011

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NETHERLANDS

Fish caught in Mauritanian waters is usually trans-shipped to reefer vessels at sea to avoid having to return to port.

The fish is graded, packed in polythene bags and then frozen whole round at minus 24°C in blocks, which are then packed in 20 kg cartons.

from April to August, horse mackerel and mackerel can be caught all the year round. Pelagic fish are migratory and a lot of the fish moves north into Moroccan waters by August followed by the fleet, which then returns at the end of the year, or in January. The EU’s fisheries agreement with Morocco which expires at the end of February 2011 is due to be extended by a year, despite the fact that it is politically controversial. The seasonal nature of the fishery allows the boats to fish all the year round. This suits us as we

we could start. Despite the delay catches have been good and the expectation is that this will continue. These fluctuations do not concern us unduly, he says, but what is more of a problem is that the area has attracted a number of new fishing vessels from the Pacific which are putting pressure on the stock. This is not good for the resource nor for the market.

He is hopeful that these vessels will return to the Pacific when the fishery over there picks up.

aim to keep the vessels at sea for 300 days of the year, says Mr van der Zwan, adding that it can be something of a challenge to keep five vessels at sea for this period.

Stocks in African waters tend to fluctuate more than they do in the North Atlantic, says Mr van der Zwan. In the first half of 2010 for example catches were huge but then they dried up and for a long period there was little fish.

Normally we would start fishing in November, but this time we had to wait until February before

W van der Zwan & Zn. BV Company Fact File Hellingweg 5, POB 82024 NL 2508 EA The Hague, Scheveningen The Netherlands Tel.: +31 70 3545466 Fax: +31 70 3506069 info@wvanderzwan.nl www.wvanderzwan.nl Director: Willem van der Zwan Activity: Fishing company Volumes: 100,000 -150,000 tonnes a year Target species: Pelagic fish, herring, mackerel and horse mackerel in the North Atlantic,

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sardines and sardinella, mackerel and horse mackerel off the coast of Mauritania and Morocco Product: Whole round fish frozen in 20 kg blocks Markets: Russia and the Far East including Japan and China; Nigeria, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo, and Egypt Facilities: Cold stores in Ghana, Nigeria, Scheveningen and Ijmuiden Fleet: Five trawlers with hold capacities from 1,600 to 6,000 tonnes Employees: 300

Quality preserved from catch to final product In the North Atlantic the company’s target species are herring, mackerel and horse mackerel.

Quality is one of the hallmarks of the company’s products, says Mr van der Zwan, and we work to preserve it from the time the fish is caught. The catch is pumped on board and stored in tanks with refrigerated sea water before it is graded, packed in polythene bags and then frozen whole round at minus 24°C in blocks. The blocks are then packed in 20 kg cartons and stored in the refrigerated holds until they arrive at the company’s cold stores in Scheveningen and Ijmuiden. This fish is destined for markets in Russia

and the Far East including Japan and China. The company specialises in freezing whole round and has no immediate plans to add any more value to the product.

We think there are others who can do that more efficiently than we can and we are happy to supply them with the raw material they need, says Mr van der Zwan.

Seeking to increase catch volumes As a well known player in the pelagics industry the company is confident of its markets and its customers, with many of whom it has longstanding agreements. To build on these relationships it is looking to grow in terms of raw materials. We can see the value of the resource and so we seek licenses, quotas, or fishing rights that will allow us to expand our volumes, says Mr van der Zwan.

In this regard he sees opportunities in the Pacific and the company is hopeful of getting access to fishing grounds in the South Pacific, to target the jack mackerel stock. As a family-owned company we want to be able to hand over a thriving business with good future prospects to the next generation when the time comes, he says. www.eurofishmagazine.com

NETHERLANDS

Frank’s Smoke House, a smokehouse in the heart of Amsterdam

Hand-crafted smoked fish for the discerning buyer Frank’s Smoke House is a small business that specializes in high quality smoked fish and meat products and in the distribution of wild Alaska salmon. The business is owned by Frank Heyn, an American who has lived in Europe since 1983. He studied French cooking at the renowned Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris and has been working in the food world ever since.

F

rank’s Smoke House began in 1994 in the shed behind his house in Amsterdam, where he smoked trout and sold it small restaurants. Since then, his offerings have expanded to more than 20 products and range from smoked salmon and tuna to beef jerky and smoked duck. I started the smoke house for two reasons - smoked salmon has always been my favorite food and while working as a chef at restaurants I realized how difficult it was to find top notch smoked fish, says Frank Heyn.

A boutique smokehouse in the centre of Amsterdam In 2000 Mr Heyn moved to his present location in the center of Amsterdam where he runs the smoke house and has a retail shop where people come to taste his smoked fish and see the operation. There are no secrets and Mr Heyn likes to share his story with his customers. The smoking operation can be seen from the shop and fish and meat hang everywhere. In addition to www.eurofishmagazine.com

private individuals, Frank Heyn sells his products to restaurants, hotels, delicatessens and fish shops as well as to wholesalers.

His products are also used by airlines for their business class meals.

There are two cores to the business. The first is the smokehouse while the second is the import and distribution of wild Alaska salmon. When Frank Heyn first started smoking wild salmon he sourced the product from an importer in the Netherlands. As the business grew he switched to importing the fish directly from Alaska, initially to supply his own smoking operation, but then also to distribute to the market. During the Alaska salmon season from late June through early September, Frank’s Smoke House imports fresh sockeye (red), king (chinook), coho (silver), and keta (chum) salmon which he distributes primarily to fish wholesalers all over Europe. During the rest of the year he supplies frozen, and “refreshed” fish – defrosted fish packed on ice. At the smokehouse Mr Heyn smokes only

Frank Heyn is the owner of Frank’s Smoke House, a producer of high quality smoked fish in the centre of Amsterdam.

sockeye and king salmon. These are the fattiest of the wild pacific salmon and therefore lend themselves to smoking more than the other two. The smoked product is very different in look, taste, and texture, from smoked farmed salmon, he explains, and the customer is immediately aware that he is buying something unique.

Our products are not cheap, but

they are so much better than industrially produced food that we don’t have to say much to convince our customers, he adds.

Smoking for gourmets The smokehouse also smokes halibut, tuna, mackerel, herring, and mussels as well as farmed salmon. The smoking process is

e Visit us at th 40 58 4l al H E ES

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2011

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NETHERLANDS

Products from the smokehouse include smoked sockeye, king, halibut, tuna, mackerel, herring, and mussels.

a long drawn out affair that relies on natural conditions and that can take up to a week depending on the weather. Our products are typically drier with a more intense flavour than industrially smoked fish. We only use dry salt to salt the fish, we never inject, and the fish is dried in a room with an open window, so the time it takes to achieve the right degree of dryness depends very much on the natural humidity in the atmosphere. As a result each batch is slightly different from another.

The fish are smoked on hickory, a hard wood native to the United States, that gives a distinct flavour to the product, and which is specially imported for the smokehouse.

almost a personalised range of items. We would like to keep it like this, says Frank Heyn, we do not want to become a bigger, more impersonal service, producing smoked fish in industrial quantities. Where he sees scope to expand is in the distribution of the fresh and frozen Pacific salmon. This is already being distributed within the Netherlands as well as to retailers in Germany, Switzerland and the UK. Mr Heyn has been importing wild salmon from Alaska since 2001. Over the years he has learned that there is a wide range of quality in Alaska salmon. The fisheries he works with take the extra effort to gill bleed the fish and to select only the very best.

Customers sought for fresh pacific salmon

The most critical customers have learned that fresh wild salmon is much tastier and stays fresh longer than the more common frozen fish. By sourcing the fish from several areas, he is able to provide fresh wild salmon two or three times a week during the entire season. Timing is essential to success , so he works with fisheries who are willing to take the extra effort necessary to quickly get the fresh catch on a plane to Amsterdam. A day later the fish is distributed throughout Europe.

Frank’s Smoke House was the first company in the Netherlands to receive MSC certification and works exclusively with products coming from sustainable sources.

This sits well with Mr Heyn’s personal convictions and also fits with the kind of upmarket product that he manufactures.

The smokehouse is a boutique operation with a staff of seven employees producing what is 46

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

The smokehouse is a boutique operation with a staff of seven employees producing what is almost a personalised range of items.

Here wild salmon is being trimmed before entering the smoking process.

The fresh programme includes H&G and fresh cut vacuum packed fillets. I am convinced

that once you taste fresh wild salmon you will never settle for anything else, he says.

Frank’s Smoke House Company Fact File Wittenburgergracht 303 NL 1018 ZL Amsterdam The Netherlands Tel.: +31 20 670 07 74 Fax: +31 20 471 10 40 frank@smokehouse.nl www.smokehouse.nl Owner: Mr Frank Heyn Products: Smoked sockeye, king, halibut, tuna, mackerel, herring,

mussels; fresh and frozen wild Pacific salmon sockeye (red), king (chinook), coho (silver), and keta (chum) Markets: Netherlands, UK, Germany, Switzerland Volumes: Smoked products 1 tonne a week; fresh and frozen wild salmon 3-4 containers a week Employees: 7

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NETHERLANDS

Kloosterboer offers a complete package of logistical services

Warehousing, forwarding, stevedoring and customs clearance An 86-year-old company, Kloosterboer started as a trading house From the cold store at IJmuiden ďŹ sh from Alaska as well as the for fruit and vegetables before investing in cold storage facilities North Atlantic is stored and forwarded to destinations in the Far in the 60s and 70s to hold some of the mountains of butter, meat, East as well as north and west Africa. and other items that were produced in the European Economic Community at that time. world. Making this kind of invest- swick that is intended for custom-

S

ince the seventies Kloosterboer has built cold stores in different locations in the Netherlands and France: in IJmuiden, for the storage of mostly fish; Rotterdam, hosts a very big fully automated warehouse for french fries and also a cold store for juices and concentrates; a small facility in Elst in the eastern part of Holland, again for juices and concentrates; in Vlissingen the cold store is the biggest holding all the different product groups, juice, concentrates, french fries, fish, vegetables, as well as chilled and frozen cargo.

Last year the company inaugurated a new cold store in Harnes near Lille in France. This is a huge completely automated warehouse also dedicated to french fries, which can hold almost 75,000 pallets – in comparison the cold store in Rotterdam holds about 55,000 pallets.

Modern facility at Dutch Harbor, Alaska In 2009 Kloosterboer decided to invest in a cold store facility in www.eurofishmagazine.com

Dutch Harbor, Alaska. This port has attracted the largest volumes of fish and shellfish of any port in the United States for 21 years.

In 2009 landings were 230,000 tonnes (506 million pounds) according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The new Kloosterboer facility at Dutch Harbor was a USD150m investment that included a 1,000 foot quay side and cold storage space for 25,000 tonnes. The company had discussions with major fishing companies to use the facilities and now provides them with a complete package of logistical services. The fish is landed at Dutch Harbour and held in the cold store until it is freighted by big reefer vessels to ports in Europe. Many of the fisheries in the Bering Sea that land at Dutch Harbor are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council and the fish has a big market in Europe, says Evert de Ruig, manager of the IJmuiden facility. It was also because the stocks were sustainably harvested that the company felt that it made sense to invest in this remote corner of the

ment is for the long term and can only be justified if the fishery is well managed and continues to be well managed to ensure future catches as well. If the fishery was threatened that could jeopardise our investment, says Mr de Ruig. Kloosterboer also has cold store facilities in Bayside, New Brunswick which is a hub for the distribution into Canada and the United States. The fish from Dutch Harbor bound for Europe actually travels down the west coast of the United States, through the Panama Canal and up the east coast to unload the product at New Brun-

ers in the US and Canada.

All logistic services under one roof The bulk of the fish from Dutch Harbor that comes for distribution to the company’s facility at IJmuiden is Alaska pollock. This fish is of enormous importance to the processing industry as it forms the basis of fish fingers, fish sticks, fish burgers and other products made by big producers. This ability to store and distribute fish from the fishing grounds in Alaska to the processors in Europe allows us

Kloosterboer IJmuiden BV POB 174 NL 1970 AB IJmuiden The Netherlands Tel.: +31 255 566611 Fax: +31 255 566684 www.kloosterboer.nl Owners: Klaas, Jack, Johan, Alex, Kloosterboer Manager Kloosterboer IJmuiden: Evert de Ruig

Activity: Comprehensive international cold storage and logistical services Cold storage facilities: IJmuiden, Vlissingen, Rotterdam, Elst in the Netherlands; Harnes near Lille in France; Dutch Harbor, Alaska, USA; Bayside, New Brunswick, Canada Other services: Forwarding, stevedoring, customs Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2011

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NETHERLANDS

The fully automated cold store in Harnes near Lille in France is the most recent one to be built by Kloosterboer.

to offer a valuable one-stop shop service to our customers, says Mr De Ruig. This includes the storage, trucking, stevedoring, and all the necessary documention to enable product to cross national borders.

The vessels from the United States tend to be 6,000 to 10,000 tonnes and they arrive once every two to three weeks.

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

The cold store at IJmuiden is conveniently located at the quay side so the fish can be unloaded and stored immediately. In addition to the vessels that arrive with fish from the Bering Sea this facility is also used by the local Dutch pelagic fleet that is fishing in the North Atlantic. Many use IJmuiden as their hub to unload

the fish which Kloosterboer then exports by container to the Far East or North or West Africa.

Freight rates from the Netherlands to the Far East are very competitive so the boats unload here and we can transport the cargo to Rotterdam by barge, explains Mr de Ruig. This keeps some trucks off the roads and is better for the environment. The commitment to more environmentally friendly solutions is apparent also in the new cold store that the company has built in France. This completely automated facility uses very small doors and is designed to use less energy than comparable stores. It is built 50 or 100 m from the processing facility of the client that is producing the french fries and features an automatic electric shuttle that goes back and

forth between processing facility and cold store.

Inhouse design and execution capability Kloosterboer has its own project development unit that designs and builds cold stores looking for energy savings and trying to reduce the carbon footprint by using renewable forms of energy. We think that in the future we will build and operate cold storage spaces or distribution centres dedicated to a specific need or for a specific customer, says Mr de Ruig. This way the customer can concentrate on what he is best at doing, while we focus on managing the distribution and logistics. The days when you could build a cold store and then wait for it to fill up are history.

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NETHERLANDS

Sealane Coldstorage, 24/7 service provider

New terminal in Eemshaven Sealane offers 24/7 logistics services including storage, transhipment, and handling of frozen seafood from its base in Eemshaven in the Netherlands, where the company has a storage capacity of 100,000 cubic m, or enough for 20,000 pallets for both long term and short term storage.

Sealane Coldstorage was established in 1979 as one of the first companies to populate the Eemshaven port. The port itself opened in 1973 following the industrial development in Western Europe in the fifties and sixties. It was originally conceived as an industrial port with oil refineries and a petrochemical industry, but was undermined by the oil crisis and the following recession in the 70s.

In the 90s the port reinvented itself as a hub for logistics and services

focusing on the countries around the North Sea and the Baltic.

Main cargo is fish Sealane started its activities by collecting small volumes of frozen fish from trawlers or transport vessels which were then stored and shipped in bulk to the Far East on big vessels carrying 5,000 tonnes and above. The company gradually became a focal point for landings at Eemshaven of fish

primarily from the North Atlantic, but also from other parts of the world. Fish is the mainstay of the company’s activities accounting for 90 of the volumes, while the remainder is vegetables, meat, and bakery products. Over the last five years a liner service from Norway has evolved to become a major Sealane client. The service is run by Nor Lines and comprises three reefer vessels which call at Eemshaven on a weekly basis with frozen fish from Norway for

distribution into Europe or to the Far East. The cargo is fish, much of it pelagic species like mackerel, herring, and capelin, but also whitefish such as cod and haddock landed by Norwegian or Russian vessels in Norway.

Once the vessels are unloaded Sealane fills them up again with general cargo bound for Norway, such as clothing materials and packaging materials.

Sealane offers a complete package of services that takes care of all the logistics for a company that wants to ship its seafood from one part of the world to another. As an EU border inspection post (BIP) the local veterinary authorities are on site and all cargo flows are under their permanent control. The inspectors role is to check that all products of animal origin conform to regulations and are accompanied by the proper documentation.

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NETHERLANDS

The future of

Freshwater aquaculture a meeting of European Aquaculture stakeholders

The vision for the future of the European freshwater aquaculture and the research and innovation needed to support its key strategies - will be the focus of the first of a series of thematic workshops organised by the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform in the framework of the EU Aquainnova support action.

1st Workshop: Hotel Sofitel, Warsaw, Poland 15-16 June, 2011 Earlybird registration: € 50 After 15 May registration: € 80 To register visit: www.eatip.eu

Contact: European Aquaculture Technology & Innovation Platform (EATIP) Rue de Paris 9, 4020 Liège Belgium Tel.: +32 4 338 2995 Fax: +32 4 337 9846 secretariat@eatip.eu www.eatip.eu

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

Within the rules Sealane can handle the cargo as specified by the client, it can weigh, sort, or polywrap the product. The cargo is stored safely and at the correct temperature and in such a way that it can be retrieved swiftly if necessary.

There are 100,000 cubic m of cold storage space (corresponding to approximately 20,000 pallets) that are electronically maintained at temperatures between minus 30 degrees and plus 14 degrees centigrade. The storage rooms are designed and equipped to optimise storage and have fixed and removable racking.

ily increasing over the years, but in order not to keep all its eggs in one basket, Sealane has also diversified its activities into the handling and stevedoring of general non-food cargo. The company has invested in a new terminal in Eemshaven of about 35,000 sq. m. with its own quay, and is now weighing its options. The terminal was considered for general cargo, but the company could extend its cold storage activities to the new site as well, which would mean additional flexibility and the possibility of using either one quay or the other.

Service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Independent service provider

For outbound cargo Sealane will provide all the necessary transport, and custom documents and health certificates to the importer so that the consignment can be cleared through the local customs authorities. Sealane will take care of the forwarding of cargo through its forwarding department that organises the transport whether by road, rail, air, or water. These services, and above all a mentality that looks for ways to best serve customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, are what make the company stand out.

Eemshaven is developing rapidly, but it is still one of the smaller ports in the Netherlands. It is a feeder port, says Geralt Vels, Managing Director of Sealane, which offers some advantages. Congestion on the roads is far less than at bigger ports like Rotterdam and Hamburg which means that trucks need far less time to arrive and leave the port. There are daily connections by barge to Rotterdam, a trip that takes about 24 hours, and which help keep some of the congestion off the roads. As an independent provider of logistics Sealane is proud of its ability to keep the customer’s interests first and to provide the best solution in terms of logistics and price.

Last year the company handled about 75,000 tonnes of cargo, a volume that has been stead-

Sealane Coldstorage B.V. Company Fact File Eemshornweg 5 NL 9979 XK Eemshaven (Gr.) The Netherlands Tel.: +31 596 633888 Fax: +31 596 633899 info@sealane.nl www.sealane.nl Managing Director: Mr Geralt Vels Activities: Conditioned storage,

transshipment, handling, services Facilities: 100,000 cubic m of coldstorage space (-30 to 14 degrees C) Tonnage handled (2010): 75,000 tonnes Cargo: 90% fish, remainder is meat, vegetables, bakery. Some general cargo Employees: 9

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[ AQUACULTURE ] Aquainnova Workshop, Warsaw, 15-16 June 2011

The future of European freshwater aquaculture – your chance to have a say!

The vision for the future of European freshwater aquaculture – and the research and innovation needed to supports its key strategies - will be the focus of the first of a series of thematic workshops organised by the EU Aquainnova initiative. The workshop will be held in Warsaw, Poland at Sofitel hotel, from June 15-16, 2011.

A

quainnova, financed by the EU FP7 programme, is creating an operational framework for dialogue, based on best governance practises, between the aquaculture industry, the research community and policy makers, focusing on exploiting the potential for

innovation and technological development in the European aquaculture value chain. It actively promotes the exploitation, dissemination and communication of Community aquaculture RTD research actions and results, looking to improve the manner in which the knowledge

generated is efficiently and effectively managed, disseminated and transferred. As such, it directly supports the activities of the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATIP), which was created in 2008 for the purpose of identifying and implementing actions

so as to improve the competitiveness of professional European aquaculture and related industries, specifically through the application of knowledge-based activities. The EATIP is composed of representative companies and organisations that are active within the aquaculture

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

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[ AQUACULTURE ] currently undergoing an internal consultation by EATIP members, will become available on the newly re-developed EATIP website www.eatip.eu , and the next phase of the Aquainnova initiative is to organise a series of consultation workshops so that all stakeholders can contribute to the finalisation of these documents and the prioritisation of research needed to achieve them. The first workshop in Warsaw will include the following sessions:

value chain and research institutes and universities.

Series of workshops to give input to vision documents

Sharing the vision

Over recent months, EATIP has focused on stakeholder development of vision documents and strategic research and innovation agendas for each of the sectoral components of European aquaculture. These documents,

Within the general policy framework “Europe 2020, the Innovation Union,” this opening session will explain the background on Aquainnova and how the

workshop will function - the idea being to provide a broad picture of European policies and the current position of European aquaculture within these. The overall EATIP Vision for European aquaculture developed within Aquainnova will form the basis for discussion on how to fit freshwater aquaculture within these desires.

Consumer and producer issues This session will give the introduction to the key issues considered by the individual ETAIP Thematic Area documents – with specific considerations directed towards freshwater aquaculture. Consumer issues cover needs, regional preference(s), products, certification and standards. Producer issues are varied and cover a range of mainly technical topics, including systems, disease control, predators and other environmental issues. The discussion here will focus on the key issues, the legislative constraints and other influencing factors.

Socio-economic and knowledge issues

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This session will focus on the ‘horizontal’ conditions of development affecting freshwater aquaculture, with a view to how businesses will operate in the future and how knowledge management, transfer of research, training and networking will develop.

Identifying strategic research priorities The key points of the EATIP Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda relative to freshwater aquaculture will be the basis for discussion and debate to prioritise key issues identified

by theme. This will be the main session where stakeholders will work in small thematic groups and define the ranking of research needs. Participants will be able to move from one group to another and representatives of each EATIP Thematic Area will provide background, where required. The outcomes of these discussions will be presented in the last sessions on day 2.

Supporting tools Each research priority has a number of supporting tools that are available to enact it. Discussion on the type of projects, the makeup of potential consortia (e.g. academic research, joint research actions with industry...), current and future funding schemes at EU, national and regional level and the assurance that the results get to the sector will be the key components of this session.

The workshop will conclude with presentations of the key issues from the debates of day 1, followed by the priority listings that need resolution from research and innovation. These will be divided into the appropriate means of action and the associate funding tool(s) and hence provide a roadmap for the development of the sector.

More detailed information including registration details are available at the EATIP web site. So if you are involved in European freshwater aquaculture development, the Warsaw Aquainnova workshop in June is an absolute must.

For more information, please contact: catherine@eatip.eu; francesca@eatip.eu; or anca.sfetcovici@eurofish.dk www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ FRAUD ] Fraud in the seafood trade

Ensuring safety of payments Payment safety is one of the most important issues in international trade and the seafood business is no exception. When concluding a contract both the exporter and importer must be sure that they will not lose either the money or the goods. Risks exist for both parties and we will explain how to minimise them.

A

s in many other industries, seafood companies are working with partial or full prepayments, letters of credit, bank guarantees or deferred payments. Each type of payment has its advantages and disadvantages as well as a certain degree of risk connected to it.

Several options for buyers to choose from Partial or full prepayment is widely used in the seafood trade.

There is no standard percentage of the prepaid amount and the sums depend on the agreement between the seller and the buyer. This payment method gives most security to the seller but the buyer remains unprotected. This is especially the case when the exporter and importer are located on different continents and have no experience of doing business with each other.

The worst scenario is that the fraudulent seller stops answering the buyer’s letters and phone calls and disappears with the prepayment. Another risk is that the seller receives a prepayment but does not ship the goods in time while keeping the money.

In a dynamic seafood market the price for the product can change very quickly and often the buyer will not need the product after a certain time. Quality of the product can be another issue. Often the buyer has to pay for the product before the production starts and at this point he does not www.eurofishmagazine.com

know anything about its quality. Finally, with the prepayment in hand a dishonest supplier receives a certain control over the buyer and may ask for additional sums to cover any possible extra costs or suddenly increase the selling price. As we can see, by transferring prepayment the importer puts his money at risk.

Still prepayment remains one of the most popular payment methods and for buyers from many countries it is the only available payment solution.

Advance Payment Guarantee secures the prepayment The good news is that the importer can protect his money from being kept by a dishonest

supplier or from non-delivery of the product. First of all we recommend buyers to use an Advance Payment Guarantee or Prepayment Return Guarantee (Picture 1). The Guarantee works as follows: Before transferring the money the buyer should ask the seller to provide the Guarantee issued by the seller’s bank. By issuing the Guarantee the seller’s bank agrees to return the full amount of the money transferred by the buyer if the seller does not fulfill his contractual obligations.

This Guarantee offers a certain peace of mind for the importer as he can be sure that the repayment is guaranteed by a bank. It does not cost much to have the Guarantee issued and buyers should be very wary if the seller refuses to provide it.

Here is an example of the use of an Advance Payment Guarantee.

A seafood importer, for example, GHI Imports Ltd, placed an order with an unknown overseas supplier, DEF Exports Ltd. An important point for GHI Imports was that the product had to be in their country some days before the public holidays started so they could promptly sell the fish at a high price. GHI Imports asked the supplier to provide an Advance Payment Guarantee from their bank which was accepted by DEF Exports Ltd. The parties signed the contract, the Guarantee was issued and the prepayment was transferred to the supplier. Unfortunately, the DEF Exports Ltd. did not manage to supply the fish in time. When the last shipment day passed

Fish and seafood are the world’s most highly traded food commodities. For international trade to function smoothly one of the most important issues is payment safety.

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[ FRAUD ] ADVANCE PAYMENT GUARANTEE (PREPAYMENT RETURN GUARANTEE) ABC BANK LTD. Address of the Bank Principal: Beneficiary: Guarantee No:

DEF Exports Ltd (Seller) GHI Imports Ltd (Buyer) 0987654321

Dear Sirs, You concluded a contract No. 12345/678, dated 01/11/2000 with DEF Exports Ltd. for the supply of XXXX product at a total price of 100.000 USD. According to the contract you will make an advance payment of 50.000 USD (50 % of the total price) to DEF Exports Ltd. At the request of DEF Exports Ltd. we hereby irrevocably undertake to refund to you on your first demand, irrespective of the validity and the legal effects of the above mentioned contract and waiving all rights of objection and defence arising from said contract, any amount up to 50.000 USD (Fifty Thousand US Dollars) upon you written request for payment and your written confirmation that DEF Exports Ltd. have failed to deliver the ordered merchandise or not delivered such merchandise as specified in the above mentioned contract.

The total amount of this Guarantee will be reduced by any payment effected thereunder.

For the purpose of identification, your request for payment in writing has to be presented through the intermediary of a first rate bank confirming that the signatures thereon are legally binding upon you.

Your claim is also acceptable if transmitted to us in full by duly encoded SWIFT through a first rate bank confirming that your original claim has been sent to us by registered mail and that the signatures thereon are legally binding upon you. Your claim will be considered as having been made once we are in possession of your written request for payment or the duly encoded SWIFT to this effect.

Our present guarantee is valid until 00/00/2000 and expires in full and automatically if your claim has not been made on or before that date.

This guarantee enters into force only after receipt of the advance payment by DEF Exports Ltd. on their account number xxxxx (Seller’s bank account) in ABC Bank Ltd. The Guarantee is personal to the Beneficiary and is not assignable.

All banking charges outside xxxx are for the Beneficiary’s account.

This guarantee is governed by ZZZZ law, place of jurisdiction is YYYY. Yours faithfully, ABC Bank Ltd. Date/Stamp/Signature

Picture 1: Buyers should use an Advance Payment Guarantee or Prepayment Return Guarantee to protect their money from being kept by a dishonest supplier or from non-delivery of the product.

GHI Imports instructed their bank to contact the seller’s bank and demand the return of the money. That was promptly done and within a week the money was returned.

Buyers should be extremely careful when a foreign supplier asks for the prepayment to be transferred to another beneficiary located in the same or another country. Some suppliers use this method of receiving payments to avoid export duties and other taxes in their home 54

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

country. Importers should know exactly which company will be responsible for the fulfillment of the agreement and if this company is financially strong enough to meet its obligations in the event of a claim.

Letters of credit deal with documents not goods Letter of credit (L/C) is another popular payment method that is usually accepted by both exporters and importers. For the

buyer it provides a security in the sense that the seller will ship the goods within the agreed time and will issue the export documents according to the buyer’s demand. Unfortunately this method of payment is not widely used in certain countries and often it does not offer protection against misuse by the supplier.

First of all, when issuing and accepting letters of credit, the banks deal only with the documents, but not the goods. This gives a dishonest supplier an opportunity to ship a sub-quality product or ship nothing at all. If he issues (or forfeits) the export documents in accordance with the L/C, he has a good chance of being paid by the bank. This is especially the case if the companies have no previous experience of working with each other.

To avoid this situation buyers can include a pre-shipment inspection certificate issued by an independent surveyor in the set of documents needed for presentation to the bank. If both the supplier and importer have good intentions to do business it should be easy for them to agree on a text for the L/C. To be sure that the seller can fulfill his obligations the buyer should perform a due diligence on the supplier and collect as much information about him as possible. The check should be performed before signing any agreement with an unknown company and absolutely before opening an L/C or transferring the prepayment.

A bank guarantee could be another option to pay for the goods. It offers more protection to the buyer but the supplier’s risks are higher. It is similar to a letter of credit, but has an important feature that benefits the buyer: it is possible to insert quality and

quantity conditions into the guarantee, as well as the other terms.

If the seller does not fulfill any of them and the buyer can prove it, the seller will not be paid and the guarantee will become void.

A small prepayment carries risks for the seller Exporters also have to be careful when accepting a payment method as if the payment is not 100 secured the goods may not be paid for at all or paid with a deduction. Full or partial prepayment is the safest way for the exporter to ensure that the goods will be paid for but for a buyer it is the most inconvenient payment method especially if the parties do not know each other.

For sellers this payment method also has its pitfalls. If the transferred prepayment is relatively small there is a chance that in a changed market or financial situation the buyer may prefer to lose his prepayment rather than accept the product, paying the full price and suffering severe financial losses in the future.

Here is one example of how an insufficient prepayment caused serious losses to the seller.

Exporter JKL Trading Ltd. made a contract for delivery of one container of fish products to the buyer, MNO Import-Export Ltd. The buyer was located in a highly attractive and promising market so it was very important for the seller to make the first deal and enter this market.

He had never sold anything to this particular country and did not have any other business partners there. In order to be competitive JKL Trading Ltd. accepted a very low prepayment from the buyer that amounted to approximately 5 of the product’s value.

The remaining sum should have www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ FRAUD ] PAYMENT GUARANTEE ABC BANK LTD. Address of the Bank Principal: Beneficiary: Guarantee No:

DEF Imports Ltd (Buyer) GHI Exports Ltd (Seller) 0987654321

Dear Sirs, You concluded a contract No. 123456/789 with DEF Imports Ltd. dated 10/03/2000 for the supply of XXXX product at a price of 200.000 USD. At the request of DEF Imports Ltd. we hereby irrevocably undertake to pay you on first demand, irrespective of the validity and the legal effects of the above mentioned contract and waiving all rights of objection and defence arising from said contract, any amount up to 200.000 USD (Two Hundred Thousand US Dollars) upon receipt of your written request for payment and your written confirmation that: a) you have delivered the merchandise to DEF Imports Ltd. in conformity with the contract and that b) you have not received payment on the due date for the sum claimed under this Guarantee.

The total amount of this Guarantee will be reduced by any payment effected thereunder.

For the purpose of identification, your request for payment and your confirmation thereunder have to be presented through the intermediary of a first rate bank confirming that the signatures thereon are legally binding upon you.

Your claim is also acceptable if transmitted to us in full by duly encoded SWIFT through a first rate bank confirming that your original claim has been sent to us by registered mail and that the signatures thereon are legally binding upon you. Your claim will be considered as having been made once we are in possession of your written request for payment or the duly encoded SWIFT to this effect.

Our present guarantee is valid until 00/00/2000 and expires in full and automatically if your claim has not been made on or before that date.

The Guarantee is personal to the Beneficiary and is not assignable.

All banking charges outside ZZZZ are for the Beneficiary’s account.

This guarantee is governed by ZZZZ law, place of jurisdiction is ZZZZ. Yours faithfully, ABC Bank Ltd. Date/Stamp/Signature

Picture 2: A bank guarantee offers more protection to the buyer, but the supplier’s risks are higher. It is similar to a letter of credit, but has an important feature that benefits the buyer: it is possible to insert quality and quantity conditions into the guarantee, as well as the other terms.

been transferred by the buyer before the cargo was unloaded at the destination. The exporter and importer were located on different continents and had no previous experience of working with each other.

The seller received the prepayment, ordered the product from the packer and shipped it to the buyer. While the fish was in transit other exporters delivered several large shipments of the same product to the market. The prices www.eurofishmagazine.com

went down and no local traders were willing to place any extra

orders. MNO Import-Export Ltd. understood that they could not sell the product at the price they had planned to receive. After a simple calculation they decided to cancel the contract and leave the prepayment with the seller.

JKL Trading Ltd. had no other contacts to offer the fish, all documents were issued in the name of MNO Import-Export Ltd. and to unload the container from the transport vessel meant demurrage costs that the seller had to suffer. In this situation the seller decided to take the product back, put it into a coldstore and sell it to any other interested company.

Needless to say, the prepayment they had received did not cover the losses and in the end, to avoid extra storage and repacking costs, JKL Trading Ltd had to sell the product at a loss.

To avoid such a situation the exporters should demand a prepayment which will cover at least all the costs connected to the shipment (repacking, demurrage, possible return of the cargo, storage etc.) in case the buyer decides to refuse the cargo. 30-50 prepayment is the most popular option accepted by exporters and importers. Sellers should consider offering their buyers an Advance Payment Guarantee (Picture 1) to give importers extra security and to show that the company can meet its obligations.

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Business activities: Anti-fraud consulting services, international claim exchange, debt recovery and conflict settlement assistance.

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Exporters must stick to the L/C terms when issuing document A letter of credit offers good protection for the exporter and shows that the buyer has funds to pay for the product. When accepting a letter of credit exporters must be sure that they will manage to issue all the documents in strict accordance with the L/C’s terms and stick to the timeframes stated in the L/C. Sellers must carefully review the L/C draft before giving the green light for issuing the originals.

Exporters must avoid L/Cs with built-in discrepancies, as such L/Cs may never be honoured by the bank and the seller will not receive the payment.

Exporters should be very careful when accepting a bank guarantee from the buyers. The most important point to consider is that if the guarantee has certain quality, quantity or other conditions, and if the buyer claims that these conditions were not fulfilled the bank will not pay the seller until the dispute is settled between the parties. It may take time to clarify the situation and by the time the conflict is solved the guarantee may expire and the bank will be free from any obligations.

Independent inspections can reassure buyers To avoid the situation described above we recommend that exporters make an independent inspection of the cargo before shipping, especially when an unknown buyer offers a bank guarantee. The results of the inspection will mean the seller has proof that the quality of the product was in accordance to the contract.

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Sales on open credit can be done only with companies with which the exporter has long lasting relations and if he knows they are financially sound. Many exporters establish a certain credit limit for their customers and these limits are insured with an insurance company. An important point that exporters should remember in case of a quality or quantity dispute is that the seller should be able to prove that the products were shipped in accordance with the agreement, otherwise the insurance might be void.

All exporters are strongly discouraged from selling on open credit to companies they do not know especially if the buyer demands credit from the very first deal.

All companies are welcome to contact us (see details in box on previous page) and receive expert advice regarding payment safety in the seafood trade. Our specialists will be happy to assist you.

All companies mentioned in this article are fictitious.

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]

Complex set of rules for exports to the EU

Product quality, consumer protection and combating IUU Although only 7% of the world’s population live in the EU the 27 member states imported food and agricultural products worth 155 billion EUR in 2008. The EU is the world’s largest seafood import market. Anyone who wants to develop this big, attractive market for their products has to fulfil a considerable number of requirements, rules and regulations. We look at some of the most important here.

W

ith its 27 member states and a population of about half a billion people the European Union covers a large part of the European continent. The EU is the world’s biggest economic power; its gross domestic product (GDP) is growing constantly and, since the accession of new member states in May 2004, is even higher than that of the USA. The standard of living in Europe also rose further during the last decade and is today one of the highest in the world.

Since the 1980s the EU member states have been working hard to reduce the barriers between their national economies and create a common internal market in which goods, people, capital and services can cross national borders unhindered. This has led to a very strong increase in trade between the EU states. Business between EU member states accounts for two thirds of total EU trade. The most important trading partner outside of the EU is the USA, followed by China.

Although differences still exist between the individual countries, on average the EU population enjoys a high buying power.

But EU citizens are discriminating buyers and the demands they place on imported products are www.eurofishmagazine.com

high. Expectations are particularly high, for example, with regard to product quality and production methods which should be as sustainable and environmentally compatible as possible. The level of convenience is just as important as food safety, the type of packaging, or the “purity” of the products, avoidance of unnecessary ingredients and additives.

Anyone who wants to enjoy lasting success with their products on the European market has to know as exactly as possible what the consumers want, and what preferences, expectations and ideals they have. Some of these aspects are also influenced by national and demographic developments, lifestyles and social structures.

The big obstacle to exporting to Europe, however, is the large number of trade rules and regulations that are agreed on by EU institutions and implemented by all member states. Adherence to these rules is essential even if an exporter otherwise upholds all the necessary standards and is in possession of certificates (e.g. IFS, BRC, BAP), and has implemented HACCP and traceability systems.

And there are sometimes also specific requirements for individual products. This means that exporters should always inform

EU buyers such as retail chains and supermarkets may require private certification of their suppliers. A series of certification schemes exist in the aquaculture sector, including, NaturLand and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] themselves very carefully if they are interested in operating on the European market.

Regulations and food standards One of the requirements for importing foods into the EU is that they comply with the valid EU regulations and standards. Some of these requirements are laid down in Directive 2000/13/13/EC with which the legal provisions regarding appearance, labelling and advertising of foods are to be harmonized within the member states. According to these requirements food labels should neither deceive nor misinform the buyer regarding the food’s attributes (nature, composition, volume, durability, origin or provenance, method of production or recovery). It is not permitted to ascribe a product with medical effects that it does not have nor to claim that it has special properties if all comparable foods have the same properties.

The following information has to be declared on the label (with just a few exceptions): – Name under which the product is sold; – List of ingredients; – Quantity of particular ingredients or ingredient classes; – Net quantity or weight (of prepacked foods); – Date of minimum durability or in the case of easily perishable foods the ‘use by’ date; – If necessary, special instructions for storage and usage; – Name or company and address of the producer, the packer or a vendor based in the EU. Foods that have been treated with ionising radiation must be clearly marked as such (“irradiated” or “treated with ionising radiation”).

The obligation to label products 58

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

The information provided by labels must be easy to understand, easily visible, clearly legible and indelible and must appear in the official language(s) of the Member State where the product is marketed.

unambiguously also applies to foods that contain genetically modified ingredients insofar as these are permitted in the EU at all.

Specific requirements for fishery products The European marketing standards encourage EU producers to manufacture products of given quality, in conformity with consumers’ expectations. They replace the various national standards and are regulated by the common organisation of the market system. As part of this system fishery products marketed in the EU, along with the general labelling rules for foodstuffs described above, are also subject to both general labelling rules for fishery products specified in the Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 and specific labelling rules for certain fishery products subject to harmonised marketing standards according to the Regulation (EC) No 2406/96.

In accordance with the Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 and Regulation (EC) No 2065/2001 the following information must be also provided on the label or packaging of fishery products: – Commercial and scientific name of the species. For this purpose, Member States publish a list of the commercial and scientific names accepted on their territory.

– Production method (caught at sea or in freshwater, or from aquaculture) indicated by the harmonised terminology, – Catch area (indicating FAO fishing area in case the fish is caught at sea or reference to the country of origin in case the fish is caught in freshwater or farmed).

This information which tells consumers about where the fish comes from and how it was caught may be also provided on a commercial document accompanying the goods instead of labels.

Furthermore, certain fishery products are subject to the harmonised marketing standards established by the Regulation (EC) No 2406/96. This requires that lots contain products of the same size and uniform freshness.

The freshness and size categories and presentation must be clearly marked on labels affixed to the lot. The standards facilitate setting common prices for each category of products and defining quality levels.

The information provided by labels must be easy to understand, easily visible, clearly legible and indelible and must appear in the official language(s) of the Member State where the product is marketed.

Packaging requirements In recent years, changes in consumer preferences, packaging innovations and the emergence of a common EU market have www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] made it necessary for the EU to review its legislation with the aim of increasing consumer choice, enhancing competition and harmonizing the law. EU directive 2007/45/EC was published on 21 September 2007 removing defined size prescriptions for prepackaged goods and products with the exception of wine and spirits. The regulation revokes these outdated strict nominal quantity rules for packaged goods at EU level. It requires all member states to remove any of these from their national rules. Under these rules manufactures will now have the freedom to choose pack size in line with consumer preferences, packaging design and innovation in line with marketing strategy rather than legislation.

Exporters will now have greater market flexibility and can benefit from the reduced cost of compliance with nationally imposed laws. This deregulation makes it possible to place goods of any nominal quantities onto the EU market.

Packing and waste management In the older EU member states per capita generation of packaging waste is 169 kg per year, in the new member states still only 87 kg per capita but even that is a considerable quantity, given the fact that valuable raw materials such as paper, plastics, glass, and metals have to be used to produce it. Avoidance

and reduction of waste are thus absolutely essential. The original packaging directive 94/62/ EC was amended in December 2001 and fixed higher goals for material utilisation which have had to be met since 31 December 2008. This is to lead to an environmental benefit of around EUR150-200m.

Materials in contact with food stuffs Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 dictates which materials foods are allowed to come into contact with. Its aim is to avoid any contacts that could lead to substances from particular materials being passed on the food, changing their composition, and then,

when eaten, damaging consumer health. The directive lists material groups ranging from adhesives, ceramics, cork and glass to plastics, rubbers and wood.

Food additives regulation Food additives are substances that are added to foods to give them particular properties (e.g. colouring agents, preservatives, gelling and thickening agents, antioxidants, emulsifiers, stabilizers). Directive 89/107/EEC harmonized the regulations on additives that are permitted for use in foods in the member states (see http://es.europa.eu/food).

All additives are to be named on the product label, either

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] by categories (e.g. colurant or preservative) or with the corresponding E-number.

Pesticides and contaminants Pesticide residues in food are regulated by Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. The legislation covers the setting, monitoring and control of pesticide residues in products of plant and animal origin that may arise from their use in plant protection. The maximum levels set are those consistent with good agricultural practice in member states and third countries. The levels are set after an evaluation of any risks to consumers of different age groups and they are only set if they are considered safe. The regulation aims at a high level of protection of human health and the environment. Annexes specify the maximum residue levels and the products to which they apply. The Commission Decision 2005/34/EC sets harmonized standards for the testing of certain residues in products of animal origin imported from third countries by using minimum required performance limits (MRPLs) as action limits.

Tariffs Tariffs are levied on a lot of products that are imported into the EU. The level is set by the EU authorities and then applies within the whole EU region, irrespective of the member state in which the product crosses the EU external border. Not only the product itself but also certain ingredients are subject to tariffs (“compound tariffs“), for example certain milk products or sugar types. Countries that are economically less developed and want to supply to the EU can in certain circumstances enjoy reduced tariff rates or even be exempt. With this 60

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2011

measure the EU wants to make it easier for poorer countries to gain access to the EU market and thereby promote their economic growth. The EU establishes autonomous tariff quotas for certain fish and fish products, for which domestic production is in deficit, at a reduced tariff rate (typically 0, 4 or 6). This system helps to increase the supply of the raw materials for the needs of the EU processing sector. The online customs tariff database, TARIC, is a multilingual database which integrates all measures relating to trade. These are third country duty rates, tariff quotas and preferences, suspensions of duties, anti-dumping measures etc. It does not contain information relating to national levies, such as VAT and excise rates.

Certification The central goal of the EU legislation on food safety is to ensure a high level of protection of human health and consumers’ interests in relation to food. This integrated “farm to fork” approach is now considered a general principle for EU food safety policy. Food law, both at national and at EU level, establishes the rights of consumers to safe food and to accurate and honest information. Among other official control measures to ensure compliance with EU provisions for foodstuffs imported fishery products to the EU must also be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the recognised competent authority of the respective country. This process is called an official health certification.

The manufacturer’s general procedure to monitor food safety of products and processes must include procedures based on HACCP principles. In parallel,

Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 establishes general provisions for traceability applicable from 1 January 2005. Importers are similarly affected as they are required to identify and register from whom the product was exported in the country of origin, to fulfil the requirements for traceability.

Besides these legal requirements demanded by the EU, importers might also be required to have certain additional certificates.

These may concern the geographical origin of the product, confirm its particular quality, or certify its conformity with valid standards.

A peculiarity in the EU region concerning the registration of trademarks is the “community trade mark”. In accordance with regulations No 40/94 and No 2868/95 trade marks for goods and services can be registered as uniform community trade marks for the whole EU region.

EU buyers (retail chains, supermarkets) may require private certification of their suppliers, including in third countries, to ensure that the products they import to the EU are safe and of the required quality. Typically these are private voluntary standards for products and/or processes set by private firms.

MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) and FOS (Friends of the Sea) are the most popular environmental certification schemes, while a series of certification schemes exist in the aquaculture sector, such as NaturLand, and ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council).

Within the overall strategy for combating illegal unreported and unregulated fisheries (IUU) fishing catch certificates have also been demanded from all

exporters who supply to the EU (Regulation (EC) 1005/2008) since 1 January 2010. These certificates must state clearly that the products do not come from IUU fishery. The certificates are issued by the governments of the export countries. Landing or transhipment operations by third country fishing vessels can only be done in designated ports.

The aim of this measure is to ensure that only products that come from properly inspected fishery operations of the flagged state or the exporting state concerned can enter the EU market.

It ensures that all fish on sale in the EU has been caught legally by vessels with the appropriate fishing permits and quotas. In addition there is stronger monitoring of fishing activities at sea, and IUU and infringements against valid fishery law are now more strictly punished than before-both IUU fishing vessels and the states that tolerate illegal fishery are placed on a European black list. If industry participants from the EU carry out illegal fishing anywhere in the world – irrespective of the flag under which the vessel is operating – they are threatened with heavy fines based proportionally on the economic value of the catches in order to rule out possible profits.

The package of measures that is intended to put a stop to IUU fishery is backed worldwide by a broad consensus and this is particularly visible in decisions and rulings of the FAO, the UN General Assembly and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Together with other measures this is a first step towards an integrated marine policy within the EU for sustainable utilization of the oceans. mk www.eurofishmagazine.com

[

FISH INFONETWORK NEWS

Projects

News

Eurofish participates in new EUfunded fisheries management project Eurofish partners with twelve European institutions in a project funded under the EU’s seventh framework programme. The project seeks to develop a new approach to fisheries management that will address the weaknesses in the current EU fisheries management regime. Eurofish is responsible for the dissemination of information generated by the project which it will do through the

]

Eurofish Magazine, the eurofish. dk and the eurofishmagazine. com websites, as well as through a new website that Eurofish has developed specifically for the project, ecofishman.com. Eurofish will also organise a workshop in Copenhagen in September.

The project is led by the Icelandic laboratory Matis which also hosted the kick-off meeting early in March.

Iranian delegation visits Infofish A five-man delegation from the Iranian Fisheries Research Organisation (IFRO), led by its President Abbas Ali Motallebi, visited Infofish on 27 January 2011. The delegation was given a briefing on Infofish and its activities by

Director Dr Muhammad Ayub, after which a wide ranging discussion on matters of mutual interest was held, including potential areas of collaboration between IFRO and Infofish in the future.

The visiting Iranian delegation with Infofish Director Muhammad Ayub (fourth from right) and other Infofish staff.

Infopesca General Assembly and participation at COFI The kick-off meeting for the EcoFishMan project was hosted by the project coordinating institute Matis, in Iceland – which conspicuously lived up to its name.

Mission to Colombia in the framework of the Amazonian Project workshop on flat fishes Between 11 and 13 January, Mr Roland Wiefels, Director of Infopesca, visited Bogotá, Colombia, to receive the printed copies of the survey on the market of seafood in the city of Bogotá. During the visit, Mr Wiefels also met with the new General Manager of the Colombian Institute for Rural Development (INCODER), Mr Juan Manuel Ospina, and his assistant Mr Carlos Eduardo. He also held www.eurofishmagazine.com

a meeting with the Director of Fisheries from the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Carlos Robles. The meetings were held to brief the new staff about developments in the project in the city of Leticia.

Mr Wiefels also held meetings with representatives from supermarket chains and the restaurant sector to discuss their interest in being supplied with fresh Amazonian fish products.

At the 29th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI), Infopesca held its 9th General Assembly. The meeting was attended by representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela, as member countries, and observers from Costa Rica, Ecuador and FAO. At the meeting, the Director of Infopesca, Mr Roland Wiefels, presented a summary of the activities of the Organization.

The efforts developed in the region regarding domestic markets and cooperation between countries were highlighted, and their potential role in reducing hunger and assuring food security. Afterwards, the future activities were presented, and the participants

made a special note of the work on gender issues and the importance of the Network of Women in the Fisheries Sector. Ms Gabriela Pineda, representative from Honduras, was reelected as President of the General Assembly, while Ms Martha Lucia de la Pava from Colombia was named Vice-President. The last point of the agenda of the meeting was the election of the Director of Infopesca; Mr Wiefels was reelected as General Director for the period 2012-2016.

Mr. Roland Wiefels and Ms Graciela Pereira participated at the 29th session of the FAO Committee on Fisheries (COFI). During the meeting several issues were discussed, such as the progress of the implementation of the Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2011

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[ Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries, the status of measures against IUU fishing, as well as several topics related to climate change and its effect on fisheries,

FISH INFONETWORK NEWS

management of resources and conservation and environmental protection. The 30th session of COFI will be held in Rome on 9-13 July 2012.

]

The Fish Infonetwork ( FIN ) The FIN consists of 7 independent partner organizations. They cover all aspects of post-harvest ďŹ sheries and aquaculture. With more than 50 governments supporting the network, which also has strong links to the private sector, the activities are truly international. The FIN pages, which are a regular feature in the four network magazines – InfoďŹ sh International, Infopesca Internacional, EuroďŹ sh Magazine, and Infosamak Magazine – present the FIN-wide spectrum of activities, showing actions and results. The FIN has more than 80 full-time staff and works with more than one hundred inter national experts in all ďŹ elds of ďŹ sheries. Through its link from FAO GlobeďŹ sh to the FAO Fisheries Department, it also has access to the latest information and knowledge on ďŹ sheries policy and management issues worldwide.

FIN executes donor projects, prepares market research for private companies, and organizes training courses on marketing and quality assurance. All seven services offer different possibilities for co-operation with the private sector, institutes, government ofďŹ ces and donors.

Infopesca held its 9th General Assembly parallel to the Committee of Fisheries (COFI) meeting at FAO in Rome in January.

Publications

Growth in production of ornamental ďŹ sh contributes to rural development The ornamental fish sector is a small but vital part of international fish trade. It contributes positively to rural development

The report provides extensive information on import regulations and requirements in major world markets.

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in many developing producing countries, and in the major markets for ornamental fish, the retail value is many times that of its trade value with a positive impact throughout the valuechain. The sector presents numerous challenges to operators, ranging from issues related to animal welfare and health to the protection of endangered species. Demand is linked to the health of the overall economy, adding to the cyclical nature of the industry. The report presents an overview of production, trade and markets for ornamental fish species. It provides extensive information on import regulations and requirements in major world markets. Written by Pierluigi Monticini and published

by FAO Globefish, the report is available at www.eurofish.dk for EUR40.

t (MPCFmTI Fishery Industries Division FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla I 00100 Rome, Italy Tel.: (+39) 06 5705 6313/5059 Fax: (+39) 06 5705 5188 globeďŹ sh@fao.org www.globeďŹ sh.org Partners: Seafood Services Australia, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada; Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Denmark; European Commission (DG FISH); OFIMER, France; Norwegian Seafood Export Council; Ministero de Agricultura, Pesca y AlimentaciĂłn, Spain; National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, USA; VASEP, Viet Nam t *OGPQFTDB Casilla de Correo 7086 Julio Herrea y Obes 1296 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay Tel.: (+598) 2 9028701/2 Fax: (+598) 2 9030501 infopesc@adinet.com.uy www.infopesca.org Member Countries: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela t *OGPmTI Menara Olympia, Level 2 8 Jalan Raja Chulan Kuala Lumpur 50200, Malaysia Tel.: (+603) 20783466 Fax: (+603) 2078 6804 inďŹ sh@po.jaring.my www.infoďŹ sh.org Member Countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Maldives, Malaysia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand t *OGPQFDIF Tour C -19ĂŠme ĂŠtage, CitĂŠ Administrative, Abidjan 01, Cote d‘Ivoire Tel.: (+225) 228980 / 215775 Fax: (+225) 218054 infopech@africaonline.co.ci www.globeďŹ sh.org/index.php?id=1113

.FNCFS $PVOUSJFT Benin, Cameroon, Congo, CĂ´te d’Ivoire, Eritrea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo t *OGPTB Southern African subofďŹ ce of Infopeche P.O. Box 23523, Kenya House Robert Mugabe Avenue, 4th Floor Windhoek, Namibia Tel: (+264) 61 279430 Fax: (+264) 61 279434 infosadc@mweb.com.na www.infosa.org.na Member Countries: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe t &VSPmTI H.C. Andersens Boulevard 44 - 46 DK-1553 Copenhagen V, Denmark Tel: (+45) 333 777 55 Fax: (+45) 333 777 56 info@euroďŹ sh.dk, www.euroďŹ sh.dk Member Countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Romania, Spain, Turkey, t *OGPZV Room 203, Bldg 18, Maizidian Street, Chaoyang District Beijing 100026, P.R. China Tel.: (+86) 10 64195140 Fax: (+86) 10 64195141 infoyu@agri.gov.cn www.globeďŹ sh.org/index.php?id=2074 Member Countries: China t *OGPTBNBL 71 Boulevard Rahal Meskini B.P. 16243 Casablanca, Morocco Tel.: (+212) 22540856 Fax: (+212) 22540855 infosamak@onp.co.ma www.infosamak.org Member Countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Mauritania, Morocco, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, Yemen

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Egil Ove Sundheim, Norwegian Seafood Export Council

Variety, quality, and taste contribute to the success of Norwegian seafood Last year was a particularly good year for Norwegian exports, and EuroďŹ sh sought an explanation for this success from Egil Ove Sundheim, Director of Market Information and Market Access.

EUROFISH: Reaching 53.8 billion NOK in 2010, Norwegian seafood exports set a new record in value terms for the seventh year in a row. What are the main markets for Norwegian seafood?

EF: Eating habits are very different in export markets, for example, in China, Russia or Brazil. In your opinion, what are the common product attributes for this success in such different markets?

is an extensive variety within one product category, for example, we have 100 different salmon products. In general, Norwegian seafood products are very attractive in themselves. By this I mean, top quality, freshness, mild and delicate taste – they simply taste very good. They are very adaptive products; they suit every meal occasion in different cultures. And of course they are very healthy. People are increasingly concerned with healthy diets, and the beneficial impact of fish and seafood on health. Another factor is that customers have good and reliable long-term relationships with Norwegian exporters.

Finally, we contribute to consumer education and knowledge about Norwegian seafood by investing in marketing and this is what we have been doing successfully in many countries.

EOS: Firstly, I have to mention the large variety of Norwegian seafood. It includes our main products such as salmon, trout, herring, mackerel, but are also cod, halibut, capelin, shrimp, and other products. Then there

EF: Exports of Norwegian salmon have never been higher than in 2010. The value of Norwegian salmon exports for the whole 2010 was up by NOK 7.7 billion to NOK 31.4 billion. How do you see the development of the Norwegian

Egil Ove Sundheim: If we talk about markets, Europe is the most important market for Norwegian seafood. If we look at countries, France is currently the largest market, slightly ahead of Russia.

In general, we sell Norwegian seafood to 140 countries and our aim is that consumers can find our products in every corner of both small and big cities.

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Egil Ove Sundheim, Director of Market Information and Market Access, Norwegian Seafood Export Council

salmon market? Will there be any new markets for salmon in the future or will the development continue primarily in the established markets?

EOS: We sell salmon in so many markets so we do not need to increase development in new markets although on the long term it will happen. Since the

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demand for salmon is higher that the supply, the development will continue mostly in existing markets, but we are very eager to see what will happen, for example, in India. Salmon is a very stable commodity and a “trend setting product” thanks to its suitability for many different types of cuisine.

EF: Russia is one of the largest markets for Norwegian seafood.

Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan are other markets in the region which show fast development. How do you see the trends for Norwegian seafood in these countries and generally in Central and Eastern Europe?

EOS: Russia is one of our key markets because we share a border, its large population, similar eating culture, and our longterm business relationships.

We still see good prospects for growth in this country because of expanded infrastructure and delivery of Norwegian seafood products further to the Russian regions. In Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan, we are looking into the possibility of market evaluation in these countries although many things have to be done there in terms of logistical solutions as well as general marketing activities. It also depends on the population and development of infrastructure, but these markets can be on our agenda in the future.

EF: What are the main cultural challenges that you have experienced working in different markets worldwide? For example, different perception of Norwegian fish by consumers, little knowledge on how to prepare fish, etc?

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EOS: If we go beyond political views and trade barriers, it is a well-known fact in some countries that consumers have to be educated on how to eat fish.

They do not know how to prepare it correctly, what to do with bones, etc. Cultural differences can be seen, for example, a large share of consumers love sushi and sashimi, but other consumers always eat processed fish. It can be different perceptions of quality and not all consumers would like to eat raw fish.

EF: The programme “Fiskesprell” introduces Norwegian seafood to kindergartens and schools. It is essential to teach children to eat fish, especially fish which they can make themselves. How do you evaluate the programme in different countries?

EOS: The “Fiskesprell” programme was designed and launched in Norway in 2004 to increase the popularity of fish among children in kindergartens and elementary schools. If you can get children to be interested in fish at an early age and to eat it more frequently, they will live a healthier lifestyle through a healthy diet. Children often do not like fish because they are not used to it. The program was approved by the Norwegian Directorate of Health and it was run at numerous schools and kindergartens in many cities. Various master classes were organized where children prepared fish dishes themselves under the supervision of chiefs and the popularity of this programme in Norway is huge.

“Fiskesprell” was also introduced in Russia a few years ago and the feedback from both children and adults has been very positive.

EF: We have numerous innovative ideas for value-added Norwegian seafood products seen on the product shelves in many countries. In your opinion, do we actually need more innovation or should we probably stay at the reached level for a while?

EOS: Innovation, I have to say, is not always visible. Innovation can be at any stage of product development. It does not only result in new types of packaging or fish cuts, innovation can be achieved through improved logistics and parts of the processing chain.

Regarding product forms, I think for Norway it will be a mixed tendency; as a country-supplier of raw material to some countries where processing will be at the national level, and as a countrysupplier of ready-to-eat products to other countries (for example, raw salmon for sushi, which is cut and delicately packed) . Innovation includes so many different things and the industry will focus on innovation in its development.

By the way, when it comes to innovative ideas for product consumption, I am impressed how salmon is consumed in Russia.

The whole fish is used for meals, including head and tails for making soups, which we do not do in Norway. That gives us something to think about.

EF: How will the development of the Chilean industry continue after the fish health crisis, cuts in production and social issues?

What is the medium-term forecast for the Chilean salmon industry?

EOS: The Chilean industry is getting back in terms of production and I think it is very positive for the image of the whole salmon

industry. We really hope that production will become more predictable because we do not have enough products for all the markets. I think there is a place for all salmon producing countries and it is the consumer who will benefit in the end. The fight is not between the countries or producers of salmon, the main task is to get it on the plate of consumers. We have to “fight” against other proteins.

EF: What is the most exotic way of salmon or herring consumption that you have seen or experienced?

EOS: It is a tough question. How is that Russian product with herring called? “Herring under a fur coat” was probably not the most exotic, but a very good one – it’s one of my favorites. It was an unexpected experience, I must say. Another example is the Dutch way of preparing Matjes herring – it is a real treat.

Or think of capelin for the Japanese market, which is an exotic product for us, but a very popular delicacy in Japan. Coming back to herring, one of the funniest ways of eating herring I can remember was when I was studying in the US. After Christmas I brought back with me from Norway a jar of pickled herring made by my mother. There was a famous American football final, and amid the excitement one of my American mates enjoyed this pickled herring as a snack with his beer watching the game. So drinking beer and eating pickled herring watching the Super Bowl in the American way can be quite exotic for Norwegians.

Katia Tribilustova, Eurofish katia.tribilustova@eurofish.dk

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D I A R Y D AT E S

2 May, 2011 European Tuna Conference 2011 Brussels, Belgium Tel.: +31 162 430520 Fax: +31 162 430525 support@EuropeanTunaConference.com www. EuropeanTunaConference.com

27-29 May, 2011 Ancona International FISHING Fair Ancona, Italy Tel.: +39 0715897216 Fax: +39 0715897213 info@erf.it www.fieradellapesca.it

22-24 September, 2011 Icelandic Fisheries Exhibtion Kópavogur, Iceland Tel.: +354 567 6004 Fax: +354 567 6044 bjarni@icefish.is www.icefish.is

27-30 May, 2011 Slow Fish Genova, Italy Tel.: +39 0 172 419611 Fax: +39 0 172 421293 info@slowfood.it www.slowfish.it

10-14 October, 2011 Agroprodmash Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7 499 795 3735 Fax: +7 495 609 4168 piskareva@expocentr.ru www.agroprodmash-expo.ru

3-5 May, 2011 European Seafood Exposition Brussels, Belgium Tel.: +1 207-842-5500 Fax: +1 207-842-5503 custserv@divcom.com www.euroseafood.com

12-14 October, 2011 DanFish International Aalborg, Denmark Tel.: +45 9935 5542 ed@akkc.dk www.danfish.com 31 May – 2 June, 2011 POLFISH Gdansk, Poland Tel.: + 4858 554 93 62 Fax: + 4858 554 91 17 monika.juszkiewicz@mtgsa.com.pl www.mtgsa.pl

4-5 May, 2011 3rd Algae World Europe Madrid, Spain Tel.: +65 6345 7322 Fax: +65 6345 5928 delaine@cmtsp.com.sg www.cmtevents.com 12-14 May, 2011 Les Rencontres de l’Aquaculture Le Touquet, France Tel.: +33 3 21 85 49 97 Fax: +33 3 21 85 49 97 btroin@lapisciculture.fr www.rencontresaquaculture2011.com 25- 27 May, 2011 Agadir Fish Morocco 2011 Casablanca, Morocco Tel.: +212 5 22 47 06 00 Fax: + 212 5 22 47 06 01 mmakdoud@iecgroup.org 26-29 May, 2011 Interpescas 2011 Aveiro, Portugal Tel.: +351 243 370 174 Fax: +351 243 370 175 geral@exposan.pt

24-25 June, 2011 Scottish Skipper Expo 2011 Aberdeen, Scotland, UK Tel.: +353 74 954 8936 / 954 8935 Fax: + 353 74 9548940 hugh@maramedia.ie www.scottishskipperexpo.net 16-19 August, 2011 Aqua Nor Trondheim, Norway Tel.: +47 73 56 86 40 Fax: +47 73 56 86 41 Mailbox@nor-fishing.no www.nor-fishing.no

18-21 October, 2011 AQUACULTURE EUROPE 2011 Rhodes, Greece Tel.: +32-9-2334912 Fax: +32-9-2334912 mario.stael@scarlet.be www.easonline.org 23-24 May 2012 Aquaculture UK 2012 Aviemore, Scotland, UK Tel.: +44 1862 892188 info@aquacultureuk.com www.aquacultureuk.com 11-13 June, 2012 AquaVision 2012 Stavanger, Norway Tel.: +47 9137 7825 post@blueplanet.no www.aquavision.org

15-16 September, 2011 International Carp Conference 2011 Kazimierz Dolny, Poland Tel.: +48 668 815 097 www.aller-aqua.pl

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Szegedfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 W. van der Zwan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 M.V. Wool AS, Estonia

Wiley. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

New processing facility inaugurated in December 2010 Estonia: Modern production plants for block-frozen small pelagics Fraud: Ensuring the safety of international payments Pathogen Combat: Reducing food-borne diseases in Europe FISH INFO network

Eurofish Magazine

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eurofish.dk

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ SUPPLY SOURCES ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Crustaceans

Insulated Containers

Salmon slicers

Styropor® ( polystyrene ) compressors

Ristic AG Am Espen 15, D-90559 Oberferrieden Tel.: 0 91 83 / 40 90, Fax: 0 91 83 / 4 09 49 Web: www.ristic.com, E-Mail: info@ristic.com

Frozen seafood specialties

Transport SALMON SLICER... worldwide R. MAASS + PARTNER GMBH Röntgenstrasse 12 D-21493 Schwarzenbek Tel.: +49 41 51 / 866 955 Fax: +49 41 51 / 867 188 www.maass-slicers.de

Liquid smoke

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tasty-Smoke GmbH Hövelsstr. 27 48488 Emsbüren Tel.: +49 (0) 591 610 4451 Fax: +49 (0) 591 610 4507 www.liquid-smoke.com

Our Reputation and Experience are Your Guarantee Promens is the world’s leading manufacturer of rotational molded insulated plastic containers and pallets.

Promens is the manufacturer of Sæplast, one of the best-proven brands in the world of food approved multi-purpose containers.

Packaging

For more information see our website:

www.promens.com/saeplast

D-27472 CUXHAVEN Grodener Chaussee 61 Telefon 0 47 21 / 208-0 Telefax 0 47 21 /208-100 FRANKFURT / MAIN-AIRPORT Gebäude 456 A, Raum Nr. 3435 Telefon 0 69 / 69 76 76-30 Telefax 0 69 / 69 76 76-50

Wire ropes SALMCO Technik GmbH Reinskamp 1 D-22117 Hamburg Tel.: +49-40-713 14 72 Fax : +49-40-712 98 70 Internet: www.salmco.de E-Mail: info@salmco.com

Drahtseilwerk GmbH P.O. Box 100325 D-27503 Bremerhaven Ph.: 0471/93189-0, Fax: -39 Trawl-Wires, Atlas Ropes

C 44346 April 2 / 2011 ISSN 1868-5943 ine.com www.eurofishmagaz

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Eckhard Preuß

Aleksandra Petersen

Marderstieg 7, D-21717 Fredenbeck, Germany Tel.: +49 (0) 4149 8020, Fax: +49 (0) 4149 7292 e.preuss@freenet.de

H.C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46, DK-1553 Copenhagen V, Denmark Tel.: +45 333 777 63, Fax: +45 333 777 56 aleksandra.petersen@eurofish.dk

nn at the Handtma POSITION FOOD EX A E S N A E EUROP 5.2011 03. – 05.0 5963 th o o hall 4, b

WHAT YOU SEA IS WHAT YOU GET!

Create and produce new products that are innovative with regard to taste, shape and presentation.

Gain market success by developing value added products made from cut-offs for example.

Handtmann technology opens up quite new perspectives in product diversity and efficiency.

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Live at the European Seafood Exposition.

Handtmann develops highly economical, leading technology solutions and is the experienced specialist for perfect portioning, depositing, forming and co-extruding. Constant quality and a high productivity guarantee a successful sale of traditional and new products.

Seafood and delicatessen salads Fish balls or sticks Fish sausages Fish Carpaccio Pâtés in tins, cans and trays

new Visit our CENTRE NOLOGY H C E T D N A ER g your CUSTOM ch to brin n! in Bibera to fruitio s a e id t c u d ro p e innovativ

Albert Handtmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG Hubertus-Liebrecht-Str. 10-12 D-88400 Biberach/Riss Deutschland Tel.: + 49 (0) 73 51 / 45 - 0 Fax: + 49 (0) 73 51 / 45 - 15 01 info.machines@handtmann.de www.handtmann.de

Salmon tartar without bones Portions for sliced products Dried and smoked fish products Reconstituted filets made from cut-offs