Eurofish Magazine 2 2012 by Eurofish

www.euroﬁshmagazine.com

ISSN 1868-5943

April 2 / 2012 C 44346

Latvia Processors grumble at high raw material prices Eurofish Member Countries at the European Seafood Exposition Ecofishman discusses draft of new fisheries management system EcoFishMan

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

In this issue

Latvian ﬁshers reap the gains from a smaller ﬂeet North Atlantic Seafood Forum – The seventh edition of this event once again provided participants with a wealth of information on the themes that are traditionally addressed at the conference, salmon, whitefish, pelagics, and finance. Among the messages were that salmon production in 2012 is going to rise with increases forecast for all the main salmon producing countries; the pelagic sector needs to emulate the salmon industry and start adding more value to pelagic products; while whitefish production increased in 2011, but the growth came from capture rather than aquaculture in contrast to the period from 2001 to 2008 where the main growth came from aquaculture. Novel this year was the session co-organised with the FAO that focused on Africa and the opportunities it represented, while other firsts were the sustainability and communications seminar and the pre-conference biomarine and innovation session. Read the review of the conference on page 20

Aquainnova – The final thematic workshop under the Aquainnova project was held in Bordeaux and addressed the future of shellfish aquaculture in Europe. It followed three other workshops on freshwater, marine coldwater, and Mediterranean aquaculture in Warsaw, Oslo, and Madrid respectively. The series of workshops has sought to obtain stakeholders views, which will be used to develop vision documents and strategic research agendas, which can be used to develop a European policy for the aquaculture sector. The results from all the workshops will be integrated into a single set of recommendations, and EATIP (European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform), the coordinator of the Aquainnova project, will design a roadmap showing how these recommendations can be implemented. Read more on the Bordeaux workshop on page 31

Latvia – It is good times for the fishing industry in Latvia. The national herring quota in the Gulf of Riga has fallen 16 while the quota for sprat has dropped 22. The reduction in quotas has led to prices for the fishermen that are up to 80 higher than a year ago as their customers compete to get the raw material they need. The Baltic Sea fleet has also been reduced to the point where practically no further reductions are needed, which has resulted in a degree of consolidation and specialisation within the fleet, and greater profitability. The fishermen’s producer organisations are also implementing plans that will increase the value of their catch. Investments in processing facilities allow the fish to be landed, graded, and frozen. In some cases the producer organisation is moving into even greater value addition such as filleting and freezing. Squeezed by the lack of local raw material the processing industry has to resort to imports. However, manufacturers of the famous Riga Sprats are concerned at the lack of fresh fish for their production. Read more from page 37

Ice for freshness – The use of ice in the fish industry is widespread thanks to its efficiency, versatility, and low price. Ice not only cools the fish rapidly and maintains the low temperature, but the melt water bathes the fish keeping it moist and removing pathogens from the fish skin, thereby retarding degradation. Ice is flexible and comes in various forms including as a slurry, flakes, chips, chunks, and blocks. Each form has its own individual properties which are useful in different circumstances. Ice can be made both from fresh and saltwater, but since it is usually used to cool foodstuffs, the water, the ice-making machinery, and the containers used to transport the ice are all subject to the same stringent hygiene controls and procedures as the other raw materials and equipment in the factory. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on page 55

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

Table of News 6 International News

Events 14 Eurofish Member Countries at the ESE/SPE From raw fish to ready meals 14 Croatia, Hall 9 Stand 4039 Sea trout from the Adriatic among new products from Croatia 16 Latvia, Hall P Stand 4419 Tempting EU consumers with smoked sprats in cans and jars 17 Lithuania, Hall P Stand 4527 Lithuanian companies have their own pavilion for the first time 18 Denmark, Hall 4 Stands 5915, 6015, 6011 High quality innovative solutions for the fish and seafood industry 18 Estonia, Hall 5 Stand 329 Customers for valuable freshwater species sought 19 Turkey, Hall 11 Stands 2100, 2101, 2201 Farmed and wild seafood from the Land of Four Seas 19 Poland Polish companies exhibiting individually 20 North Atlantic Seafood Forum 2012 European consumption of fresh salmon forecast to increase 26 FAO Sub-Committee on Fish Trade takes place in India Certification and aquaculture take centre stage at FAO meeting on trade 28 Fish international 2012: Good feedback from exhibitors “Can’t we do this every week?”

Project 31 Aquainnova shellfish aquaculture workshop in Bordeaux Shellfish farmers prioritise environmental compatibility and product safety 32 ComFish project kicks-off Learning whether scientific results are properly communicated 34 FAO regional workshop in Bodrum EU regulations and their impact on Turkish seafood exports 36 First annual EcoFishMan meeting Prototype of new fisheries management system concentrates on ends not means Cover image courtesy Gamma-A.

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

Fleet capacity in the Latvian Baltic Sea fleet is now commensurate with the resource.

Contents Latvia 37 The fisheries sector in Latvia Repeated Baltic Sea quota reductions have hobbled the processing sector 44 The state hatchery Tome Developing a centre of excellence in aquaculture 46 Kursa would like to modernise its fleet Higher raw material prices compensate partly for smaller sprat quotas 49 For Sillakas the environment is as important as the product Striking the right balance between quality and volumes 51 The state hatchery Karli-Brasla Restocking the River Gauja Basin 53 Elanders recovers slowly from the crisis Adapting to low demand and high raw material prices has been difficult

Processing 55 Reliable, versatile and inexpensive Ice is the universal coolant in the fish industry

Technology

Worldwide Fish News

58 Seac AB to display new equipment at SPE Brussels A machine that delivers both nobbed fish, and fillets

Belgium

pages

10, 11

China

page

Denmark

pages

Estonia

page

Germany

page

Iceland

page

Italy

page

Russia

page

Turkey

page

UAE

page

pages

10, 11

USA

pages

8, 13

60 Depron reduces its carbon footprint Biodegradable packaging for the food industry

8 8, 12

Fish Info Network News 61 Projects 61 News 61 Publications

Guest Pages 64 Implementing an ecosystem approach to manage human activities Science can promote sustainable use of resources

Service 63 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Turkey: Diverse programme of workshops at Future Fish Eurasia Future Fish Eurasia, the fair for fisheries, freshwater and marine aquaculture, processing, import export, and equipment will open its doors between 7 and 9 June in Izmir this year. Over 200 exhibitors from 28 countries will be spread over 11,000 sq. m of space at the Izmir International Trade Centre.

This year the event will include several workshops and meetings of particular relevance to Mediterranean fisheries and aquaculture. The Intranemma project, an EU funded effort, will hold a meeting at the event. The project seeks to identify training needs among employees in the Mediterranean

marine aquaculture sector, an industry that provides jobs to 12,000 people in three countries, Spain, Turkey, and Greece, and that produces 230,000 tonnes of seabass and seabream worth EUR880m. After identifying the vocational skills that are needed the project will develop and

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

implement a pilot programme to improve worker skills in order to sustain this important industry in the Mediterranean. The project will significantly increase multinational cooperation between training professionals and the labour market and will aim to create specialised manpower, as well as to ensure that trainees can rapidly become productive members of a workforce. The fair will also see a workshop co-organised by the University of New Hampshire and Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University on the use of copper alloy nets in aquaculture, which is expected to generate a lot of interest. Experimental cages using these nets have been established in Canakkale to study their ability to withstand rough weather conditions and fouling. And finally Ege University will organise a workshop on scientific and technological developments in aquaculture.

Future Fish Eurasia in Izmir, 7-9 June, represents the fisheries, freshwater and marine aquaculture, processing, import export, and equipment sectors. International workshops on vocational skills and technology in the marine aquaculture sector are also planned. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Iceland: Ocean cluster responsible for a quarter of Icelandic GDP The ocean cluster in Iceland comprises the companies related to the fisheries industry, both those directly involved in fishing as well as those involved in associated businesses. In a recent paper, Thor Sigfusson, Director of the Icelandic Ocean Cluster, and Ragnar Arnason, Professor at the University of Iceland, seek to estimate the economic importance of this cluster. The authors conclude that the export turnover of companies that have sprung up as the result of the existence of a basic fishing industry, which is fishing and processing,

in Iceland amounted to ISK42bn (EUR260m). This they attribute to companies in the fields of transport, technology, marine biotech, aquaculture, sales, and marketing, research, and end product processing. The latter are firms that process enzymes, fish skin or fish oil from raw material created by the fish processing industry. In addition, there are companies that have developed expertise and knowhow through their work with the Icelandic fishing industry and now offer a range of goods and services to overseas customers.

The authors contend that these ancillary industries that started out by piggybacking on the base fishing and fish processing industry now, in their own right, contribute almost as much to Icelandic GDP as the base industry does. In their view the total contribution to GDP by the ocean cluster can be estimated at 26. They admit however that there is a degree of uncertainty regarding this figure, but suggest that there is a greater likelihood of underestimation than overestimation. The report shows how a dynamic base industry can provide the seed

which multiplies into a diverse range of industries and enterprises that can in time overtake the parent industry and even lead to the formation of new base industries. For this to happen however it is important that authorities nurture the cluster and create the conditions in which it can grow and prosper, for example, by formulating a comprehensive public policy, something that the authors feel is lacking in Iceland. With the right policies the authors see the ocean cluster as a force that will benefit the Icelandic economy in the long term.

Estonia: Fish is far more than just a natural resource based on fish as a natural resource whereas the integral development of the sector from fishing to promoting the consumption of fish as a healthy food product has been neglected. The whole chain is closely connected and requires planning, quick decisions, and the clear identification of responsibility in specific situations.

Valdur Noormagi, Chairman of the Estonian Association of Fishery.

Despite the difficult economic conditions in the fisheries world in 2011 the Estonian fisheries sector has managed to hold its own and promote the sustainable development of fishing industry within Estonia’s economy. The key to surviving the crisis, says Valdur Noormagi, Chairman of the Estonian Association of Fishery, was the focus

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on export markets and on maximum added value. This means ensuring the fish reaches the processing facilities quickly and in excellent condition. Estonia is among the elite of the European fish industry and is trying to reinforce its position. Fisheries policy in Europe, feels Mr Noormagi, has only been

Referring to the negotiations over fishing opportunities in the Baltic Sea for 2012, held in Luxembourg, Mr Noormagi says they concluded with a situation where five out of the eight countries situated by the Baltic Sea did not accept the quota cut-backs proposed by the EU president and fisheries commissioner, which significantly exceeded the cut-backs recommended by scientists. Constant changes in the fishery-related legislation have led to a lack of economic stability in the fisheries sector.

The value chain “from fish as raw material to fish as food” calls for accurate administration and shortcomings in this area reduce the incomes of fishermen and facilitate the development of a black market in the sector. “As the head of the Estonian Association of Fishery, I dare to claim that years from now the European fisheries sector will be more integrated than ever before,” predicts Mr Noormagi. Now, the interests of the people related to fishery in the countries of the European Union are divided. He thinks that countries will cooperate more in the implementation of an integrated fisheries policy than they have been so far, and the role of the European Union as a leader and opinion-maker in fisheries will strengthen. “The key to our success lies in unity, ambitious soloists will not survive,” he says.

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Denmark: Fisheries agreements to encompass sustainability, human rights European Union fisheries ministers have agreed on guidelines that take sustainability and human rights into account when negotiating fisheries agreements with third countries. Commenting the achievement Mette Gjerskov, the Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, who was chairing the Council meeting, said it was very positive that the Council had agreed on strengthening the transparency of the economically, environmentally and social consequences of the agreements. The decision was welcomed by the WWF, an environmental NGO, which commented that it was the first time that the need for sustainable fishing not just in EU waters, but also overseas was properly acknowledged. However, the organisation expressed concern that subsidies for EU fleets to fish in other countries were being allowed to continue.

It felt fleet owners themselves should pay for the right to fish and the EU should invest instead in capacity building in those countries to help them sustainably manage their fisheries. At the meeting fisheries ministers also plugged a loophole in the current legislation on shark finning which had made enforcement of the ban on finning difficult. Shark finning is the cruel and inhumane practise of slicing the fins of the often live shark and returning the body to the water to die a protracted and painful death. While legislation banned the practice it proved difficult to police as a loophole allowed sharks to be finned on board with the fins delivered in one port and the bodies in another. Now the Council has agreed to ban the excision of shark fins on board, a decision that has to be negotiated with the European Parliament.

USA: Chilean salmon processor certiﬁed to BAP standards The Global Aquaculture Alliance has announced that Comsur Ltd, the salmon processing facility of Trusal SA in Puerto Montt, Chile has been certified to the Best Aquaculture Practices standards. The standards have been developed and are continuously refined by the Global Aquaculture Alliance and require biodiversity protection, effluent limits, worker safety and strict controls on chemical use. The processing plant standards also reinforce existing HACCP plans and require traceability. The 8

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

certification process includes site inspections and in-depth audits by third-party certification bodies. The Comsur plant has a daily production capacity of 120 tonnes and employs 850 personnel during the peak season. It is designed to receive, process and store product in a continuous operation to deliver a high quality product to the market. The certification enables the plant to supply customers who require BAP certified products and also commits the company to looking for ways to improve its operations.

UAE: Culimer opens green processing facility and storage for super-frozen products Culimer, the Dutch seafood supplier, has taken a decision to expand its operations in the Middle East and has built a stateof-the-art processing facility as well as a cold storage for super frozen products (-65 degrees) in Dubai. According to the company, the processing facility will be one of the greenest in the region in terms of water and energy consumption. Some 70 of the water used in the plant will be recycled thanks to a specially designed biofilter and solar energy will be used to heat the water so virtually no external power will be used for this process. The processing plant will also be equipped with modern blast freezers and

packaging machinery. The plant has been certified to the American FDA standard and is expected to receive an ISO22000 certification shortly. Applications for EU and Russian approvals are also pending. The company has also built the first 150 metric tons -65 degrees cold store in the Middle East, from which sashimi grade super frozen tuna will be delivered to retailers and highend restaurants in the region. “The unique combination of the processing plant and super frozen cold store allows us to supply any kind of fresh tuna product to our retail partners and top chefs,” says Jeroen Tollenaar, managing director of the company.

China: Frozen Food Asia to launch in Hong Kong in September 2012 Diversified Business Communications, organisers of the Asian Seafood Exposition in Hong Kong, are launching Frozen Food Asia, an event that seeks to capitalise on the growing importance of the frozen food market in Asia in general and in mainland China and Hong Kong in particular. The new event will run in parallel to Asian Seafood Exposition, 11 to 13 September 2013, giving visitors and exhibitors yet another reason to participate. Datamonitor figures from 2009 show that the Chinese market for frozen food is expected to increase to USD16.2bn in 2012 while annual growth rates in Hong Kong are almost 4. As standards of living increase people typically have less time to spend on preparing meals and frozen ready made food offers many a convenient

alternative. Frozen ready meals including pizza make up almost 40 of the market while frozen meat and seafood are each another quarter. As the first event of its kind devoted exclusively to the frozen food market Frozen Food Asia will attract buyers and sellers from top supermarkets/ hypermarkets, high volume catering, restaurants, independent retailers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, airliners and cruise lines. Diversified is behind the world’s biggest seafood show, the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels, but also serves other industry sectors such as health care, food service, natural and organic, commercial marine, and business management providing information, publishing and face to face events. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Germany: Range of Multivac equipment to feature at Seafood Processing Europe

The R 175 CD gently encloses the product – fish, fish portion, or other seafood – in a special skin film and seals it to the full surface of the lower web retaining the shape and structure of even delicate items.

Containers and pallets

display, the T-300 with a speed of 20 trays a minute and the semiautomatic T-250 which handles 16-20 trays a minute. Both machines can seal plastic, board or aluminium trays and can be used for air packs, packs with inert gas and vacuum packs. Large volume processors or contract packers will be interested in the C 450 double chamber machine which allows for efficient handling of pouches thanks to two chambers and four sealing bars. While one chamber is working the other can be refilled with pouches and individual settings can be saved to ensure reliable results time and again. The Multivac stand is at Hall 4 6051.

Multivac, the multinational manufacturer of packaging equipment, will have several machines on display at its stand at Seafood Processing Europe. One of these will be the thermoforming packaging machine, R 175 CD, for “Darfresh” vacuum skin packages. The machine encloses the product – fish, fish portion, or other seafood – in a special skin film without tension and seals it to the full surface of the lower web retaining the shape and structure of the delicate item. Intended for entry level thermoform packaging, the machine is particularly suited to small and medium-sized batches. Two traysealing models will also be on

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]

The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department at FAO has published an aquaculture photo library (www.fao.org/fishery/ photolibrary/home/en/) where photographs taken by FAO aquaculture officers and consultants working in the field are stored. The images depict global aquaculture practices and have been made freely available to the public. All the images have keywords and there are several options to search the database including free text, photographer, year, keyword, and country. Thumbnails of the images

can be quickly viewed and high resolution versions can be downloaded. The database will continuously be revised and updated through inputs provided by the users. This online photo library is especially addressed to extension services, aquaculture research centres and educational institutes that can use the photo library to learn more on aquaculture. All photos may be freely used, however users are expected to credit each photo with the text “FAO Aquaculture Photo Library/ Photographer”.

FAO Aquaculture Photo Library/ F. Cardia

Italy: FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture makes its photographs freely available

High-resolution images from the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department at the FAO are now freely available to the public at www.fao.org/fishery/photolibrary/home/en/.

Belgium: Labelling of ﬁsheries products should be more consumer friendly Struan Stevenson, Member of the European Parliament and ViceChair of the Fisheries Committee has put forth his suggestions in the draft report on the Common Market Organisation (CMO), one of the three legislative proposals in the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. In his report Mr Stevenson acknowledges that Producer Organisations (PO) have been effective at ensuring realistic prices for the fish landed by their members, but feels that they should play a more

meaningful role in the day to day management of fisheries under a more regionalised system. He calls for clear criteria on the minimum number of members in a PO and on the conditions to be fulfilled for formal recognition to ensure they have the size to be relevant on the market. He also supports the creation of transnational POs as it will make companies more internationally competitive. Mr Stevenson also proposes that transferable fishing concessions should be

voluntary rather than mandatory and that Member States should have the right to decide whether such rights are tradable at all. The future CMO should contribute to the development of the aquaculture sector with measures to help promotion and communication actions at national and international levels. Mr Stevenson sees the use of modern technology as a way of providing POs with comprehensive information on what is being

fished and where and how much fish can be expected to be landed in which ports, at which times. Labelling needs to become more consumer friendly with landing dates, and easily recognised fishing zones rather than the FAO designations (eg. FAO 34 or FAO 27). And consumers need to know if a product has been frozen and defrosted. He also cautions that a level playing field is necessary between imports and fish and seafood produced within the EU.

UK: Three Scottish shellfish fisheries obtain MSC certification The Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation (SSMO) has announced that three of its most important shellfish fisheries, king scallop, blue crab, and velvet crab, have been certified to the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standard for sustainable fisheries. There are now eight Scottish fisheries that are

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

MSC-certified while a further six are in the process of full assessment; in total they represent more than 50 of the value of Scottish landings. The assessment was coordinated by SSMO in partnership with the NAFC Marine Centre, part of Scotland’s University of Highlands and Islands (UHI) and was carried

out by independent certifier Food Certification International over a period of 15 months. According to Jennifer Mouat from SSMO the partnership with the NAFC Marine Centre enabled the collection of a comprehensive data set on the main species within Shetland’s waters, which meant that the three species could be

assessed together. The certification process takes into account the stock, the environment, and the interactions between them and the communities that exploit them. This, says Dr Martin Robinson, Head of Marine Science and Technology at the NAFC Marine Centre, gives a more holistic approach to management.

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Belgium: WWF pushes for successful CFP reform The WWF is demanding ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy that will deliver sustainable fisheries with higher profits and better jobs. In a recent paper, Sorting Myth from Fact: the truth about Europe’s Common Fisheries Policy (http:// www.wwf.eu/fisheries/?203690/ Sorting-Myth-from-Fact), the NGO draws attention to some misconceptions about European fisheries and attempts to set the record straight. According to the report, these commonly-held beliefs about EU fisheries policy have no basis in reality and stand in the way of successful reform. The situation for many European fisheries has reached the stage where only far-reaching reform will offer them a chance to recover. And because this is a once-in-a-decade opportunity, getting it right is all the more important.

Among the misconceptions the report refers to are that the desperate status of European fisheries is exaggerated, that reform will cost jobs, and that transferable fishing concessions will privatise fisheries. In a point by point rebuttal the report draws on data from the European Commission to show how over 40 of EU fish stocks for which there is data are being fished outside safe biological limits, and how 55 of fish stocks are data deficient. The level of catches from the North Sea, once one of the most productive fishing areas in the world, has slumped 57 from 3.5m tonnes in 1995 to 1.5m tonnes in 2007. The organisation therefore strongly supports the Commission’s proposal for multi-annual management plans for all stocks by 2015.

points out that the existing CFP’s failure to manage stocks sustainably costs the EU at least 100,000 jobs and if overfishing continues increasing numbers of jobs will disappear. Already, the catch segment has lost 31 of its workforce since 2002. If Maximum Sustainable Yields are reached by 2015, the Commission expects employment in the catching sector to start increasing already in 2017. The WWF report points out that with transferable fishing concessions (TFC) fishers are given a user right, while the state continues to own the fishery and can lay down conditions and restrictions. TFC’s are a kind of rights-based

management (RBM), different examples of which can be found across Europe. The WWF supports the introduction of RBM systems, that use TFC’s as well as other methods, and that are adapted to the individual fishery to reduce over-capacity and achieve sustainable outcomes. The report concludes with the results of an independent study commissioned by the WWF which show that an overwhelming majority of consumers are interested in the sustainability of fish stocks and would support a reform of the CFP to ensure that all European fish products are from sustainable sources.

Referring to a study by the New Economics Foundation the WWF

UK: Large new processing facility for Scottish Shellﬁsh Marketing Group The Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group is an important producer of farmed oysters and mussels in the UK sourcing the raw material from member farms on the west coast of Scotland and the Shetland Islands. As its customer base has grown significantly over the last few years particularly in the retail and food service sectors, the Group has invested in moving its processing facility to a new location a short distance away from the existing site. The new plant will have an area of 3,000 sq. m twice the size of the current

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facility and is currently being upgraded to ready it for shellfish processing. The renovation work is expected to be completed by the summer of 2012 when all processing operations will move to the new plant. The old plant has been the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group’s production facility since 1992 and with the move Managing Director Stephen Cameron expects to be able to expand the product portfolio and possibly increase the workforce from its current strength of 83 employees at some stage in the future.

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Russia: Increase in period of allocation of ﬁshing quotas mooted The third National Congress of the Fisheries Industry in Moscow in February was addressed by Andrey Krainy, Head of the Federal Agency for Fisheries and First Deputy Prime Minister Victor Zubkov who is responsible for fisheries in the federal government. Mr Zubkov said that the assignment of quotas would not change after 2018, when the ten-year period of fishing quotas now in force ends and suggested that proposals to increase the period of quota allocation from 10 to 20 years were being considered. This indirectly confirmed that there were no plans to re-allocate quotas as part of the programme to expand and modernise the fishing fleet. Despite this, the representative from Kamchatka, Sergey Timoshenko underlined the necessity to declare a moratorium on changing the fishery law on issues relating to quota assignment. This would reassure quota owners and facilitate the long-term planning of their business. Delegates to the Congress included representatives from the marine and inland fishery, science and education, aquaculture, fish

At the third National Congress of the Fisheries Industry in Moscow First Deputy Prime Minister Victor Zubkov suggested that the 10-year allocation of fishing quotas may be replaced by a 20-year allocation.

processors, retailers and wholesalers, the transport industry, shipbuilders, trade unions, as well as fisheries administrators. Although the justifications varied, a common thread running through virtually all the speeches

was the suggestion to replace the Federal Agency of Fisheries with a full scale federal ministry of fisheries. This was incorporated in the draft resolution from the Congress which also included articles on the 20-year allocation of quotas, exemption of VAT on imported

fishing vessels, measures to stimulate the construction of fishing vessels in Russia, and the development of a national system of traceability for fish and seafood. The next national congress will be held three years hence in 2015.

Denmark: Traceability system at new facility helps prevent IUU ﬁshing

Ivan Espersen, Chairman of Skagerak Pelagic and CEO of Skagerak Group. 12

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One of Europe’s largest companies in the pelagic sector, Skagerak Pelagic, has completed its move to a new factory in Skagen after a year of rebuilding and installing new equipment. Among the reasons for the move was the ability to deliver fish waste quickly and easily to the fishmeal manufacturer, FF Skagen. This is important says Ivan Espersen, Chairman of the Board, as 50 of the fish that

comes into the factory leaves as fish waste. The new factory consolidates production from the company’s facilities in Skagen and Hirtshals under one roof and will be able to document sustainability from catch to consumer. It is vital that the new structure also helps to prevent unreported fishing, says Iver Espersen, traceability from catch to consumer are

keywords in this regard and we are very aware that this is one of the requirements for our production. The new factory will have 100 employees and turnover for 2012 is budgeted at EUR80m. Skagerak Pelagic has a range of five product categories fresh, frozen and marinated products, matjes herring and herring roe which are exported to several companies in Europe and the Far East. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] USA: GAA counters scientist’s calculation of shrimp farming’s carbon footprint The Global Aquaculture Alliance (GAA) has reacted strongly to the figures on the carbon footprint of shrimp farming in a presentation by a scientist at the 2012 meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. According to GAA President George Chamberlain, the presentation by J. Boone Kauffman, an ecologist at Oregon State University, arrived at carbon footprint values “that are not applicable to the vast majority of shrimp aquaculture practiced today.” In his briefing paper Kauffman said that 50 to 60 percent of shrimp farms

are constructed in former mangrove areas, have annual productivity of just 50 to 500 kilograms per hectare and are abandoned in just three to nine years. Based on these assumptions he concluded that a 100 g production of edible shrimp had a footprint of 198 kg of carbon. “Only about 3 percent of the current global farmed shrimp production is raised under the conditions on which Kauffman based his calculations,” said Chamberlain citing research by aquaculture scientist Claud

Boyd and Jason Clay of the WWF that estimated that less than 10 percent of historic mangrove loss resulted from shrimp farm construction. The practice of converting mangrove areas to shrimp ponds essentially stopped almost two decades ago due to strong regulatory and industry pressure. The main causes of mangrove loss are agriculture, salt evaporation ponds, mining and infrastructure development. Although common in the 1980s, low-density culture methods as described by Kauffman are currently confined to

limited areas of Bangladesh, Indonesia and southern Vietnam, and now represent only a few percent of the total global shrimp harvest. It is inaccurate to assume that shrimp ponds have a lifespan of three to nine years, said Dan Lee, GAA Best Aquaculture Practices standards coordinator. Mangrove ponds in Ecuador and Honduras are still in operation after 40 years, and traditional “tambak” ponds have produced fish and shrimp in Indonesia for hundreds of years.

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[ EVENTS — ESE/SPE PREVIEW ] Eurofish Member Countries at the ESE/SPE

From raw ﬁsh to ready meals

he European Seafood Exposition (ESE), the biggest international event dedicated to the seafood trade, will run 24-26 April at the Brussels Expo exhibition halls. This year the ESE and Seafood Processing Europe (SPE), the event co-located with the ESE that represents the equipment manufacturers, will gather 1,600 exhibitors from over 70 countries. The success of the ESE feeds on the increasing popularity of seafood, the world’s most traded commodity, global

consumption of which has doubled since 1973 and is predicted to grow a further 15 by 2015, according to the FAO. Nine of the twelve member countries (Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Spain, and Turkey) of the Eurofish International Organisation, the publisher of the Eurofish Magazine, will be present at the ESE with pavilions. The other three countries Albania, Poland, and Romania, will be represented by

individual companies. This year for the first time the Lithuanian Association of Aquaculture and Producers of Fish Products will bring the Lithuanian companies under one roof. Apart from Croatia, Turkey, and Norway, which are not part of the European Union, the other countries with pavilions benefit from the European Fisheries Fund, which subsidises participation at these events. Visitors to the pavilions can expect to get an

impression of some of the typical products from that country and will also have the opportunity to taste samples. While all the companies are looking to expand their markets, many are also seeking opportunities to produce under contract and will be promoting their processing facilities, well-trained staff, and good logistics. Read more about Eurofish member countries’ participation at the ESE/SPE on the following pages.

Croatia, Hall 9 Stand 4039

Sea trout from the Adriatic among new products from Croatia

he Croatian seafood industry includes companies that work with small peagics, such as anchovies, sardines, mackerel, sprats, and horse mackerel, as well as others that farm seabass and seabream. At the European Seafood Exposition Croatia will have a national pavilion hosting eight companies, two fewer than last year. Among the products that will be on display are marinated products, smoked fish, fresh seabass and bream, salted anchovies fillets, canned fish and frozen sardines and anchovies. These are the traditional Croatian products, says Zoran Radan, from the Croatian Chamber of Economy, who is managing the pavilion. Salted anchovies in oil in particular are a Croatian speciality. Producers insist that anchovies from the Adriatic are like no other. Many companies produce for well known Spanish and Italian manufacturers who

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

repackage the product in glass jars that can range from 90 g to 700 g or in cans for the retail and wholesale sector. The fillets may be plain or wrapped around an olive or a piece of cheese. This year Croatian companies will be hoping to attract potential customers to a series of new products based on sea trout from the Adriatic. The sea trout is prepared in several different ways including, smoked fillet skinned or skin on, preserved fish in its own juice, fillets in oil, and crumbed with vegetables. It is, of course, also available as whole fresh fish, fresh fillets, and frozen fillets. Croatian companies will be looking for new markets as well as opportunities to produce under private label. Visitors will have a chance to sample these products at the pavilion, whenever they drop by.

For more information about companies or products contact: Mr Zoran Radan Croatian Chamber of Economy Roosevelton TRG 2 HR 10000 Zagreb Croatia Tel.: +385 1 4561620 Fax: +385 1 45 61545 zradan@hgk.hr. www.hgk.hr www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ EVENTS — ESE/SPE PREVIEW ] Karavela is certiﬁed to the MSC Chain of Custody standard

Latvia, Hall P Stand 4419

Tempting EU consumers with smoked sprats in cans and jars

Karavela is one of the leading fish processing factories in the Baltic States, with a brand name “Kaija” – a flying seagull – that is one of the oldest and best known trademarks in the Baltic States and the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States CIS. The company specialises in fish products made from Atlantic fish such as sardines, salmon, and herring

which are canned fish and filleted, and also produces the famous canned Riga Sprats. Karavela employs 200 people and is certified to export its products to the EU member states as well as to Russia. Earlier this year it was certified to the Marine Stewardship Council’s Chain of Custody standard by Bureau Veritas. Today it exports its products to more than 20 markets.

Gamma-A makes its own cans for use in the production

atvia is famous for its production of smoked sprats in oil, better know as Riga sprats. The designation “Riga Sprats,” however, is patented and may only be used by the members of the Riga Sprats Association which currently comprises eight companies. Four of these, Gamma-A, Karavela, IMS, and BrƯvais Vilnis, will participate at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels this year under the banner of the Union of Latvian Fish Processing Industry. They will be joined by a fifth company ZilƗ Laguna. Riga Sprats are produced under stringent quality standards following a traditional recipe that calls for smoke from alder wood, no chemical ingredients, and adherence to a series of technical standards. The result is a can that, when opened, elegantly displays the sprats which also have a distinct taste. Today glass jars 16

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

are increasingly replacing the traditional can as consumers can see how carefully the sprats are arranged within the jar, which adds to the product’s appeal and prevents counterfeiting.

The fish processing company Gamma-A was established in 1995 and is located in the Freeport of Riga. Gamma-A specialises in sterilized canned fish with a variety of flavours. The company has a long tradition in the production of canned items which it has been exporting to Russia and other countries for many years. Only high-quality freshly chilled and frozen fish is used as raw material in the

production. The canned fish are based on fish from the Baltic Sea, sprats, Baltic herring, and smelt, cod, and plaice, as well as from the Atlantic, mackerels, sardines, herring, and sardinella. Many years’ experience and constant monitoring of the production process by specialists ensure the superior quality of the product. Gamma-A produces up to thirty million canned fish units per year.

An exclusive range of canned products from Brivais Vilnis

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 Fax: +371 674 96401 didzis.smits@cannedfish.lv www.cannedfish.lv

Brivais Vilnis is one of the biggest companies in the Baltic in the sphere of fish processing. The 63-year old company sells its products on the domestic market and also exports to more than 30 countries. The raw material that the company uses is fish from the Baltic Sea – sprats and Baltic herring, as well as fish from the Atlantic – mackerel, herring, sardines, sardinella. In Salacgriva, where the company is located, it has its own pier for unloading fishing vessels. The processing factory includes sorting and freezing equipment as

well as cold store facilities. The company makes more than 70 types of canned products – in oil, in brine with oil added, and in tomato sauce or other sauces. Traditional products include Riga Sprats in oil, sprats in oil, and large sprats in oil. Quality is the most important criterion for the production and as a result the prices are higher than comparable products from other producers. Products from Brivais Vilnis have earned awards in international annual food exhibitions including World Food and ProdExpo. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS — ESE/SPE PREVIEW ] Zila Laguna produces ﬁsh and seafood, but also Mediterranean style dips Zila Laguna has one of the most modern processing facilities in Latvia, where it produces a range of fish and seafood items under the brands Latis and Mr Fish. The company differs from others at the pavilion in that the bulk of its production is based on fish from the Atlantic, herring, mackerel, shrimp and salmon. Baltic sprats are also used in the production, but they are cured in spices rather than smoked and packaged in hard plastic containers or thermoformed trays. The company also produces Mediterranean style

dips using chickpeas and sesame paste as well as eggplant under the Hum-Hum brand. These have proved to be a popular addition to the otherwise all-fish assortment. The processing facility has its own on-site laboratory which monitors the raw materials, the production, and the final products, ensuring that all operations are in accordance with EU regulations. The facility is certified to export to the EU as well as the US. Several products have been certified Kosher which enables them to be exported to Israel as well. In addition, to

offering its partners a wide range of high-quality products; rigid quality control; and tailor-made

solutions; Zila Laguna also has its own logistics and total traceability from raw material to final product.

Sabiedriba IMS offers cans in all sizes The company Sabiedriba IMS is situated in Mersrags a fishers’ village 95 km from Riga. It is one of the most up-to-date fish processing factories in the country. Over 30 years of operations, the company has established its own solid traditions of good quality. Sabiedriba IMS can process up to 20 tons of smoked fish over the course of 24 hours and produces two million cans of fish every month. The main product is sprats,

while other products are based on fish caught in the Atlantic Ocean – mackerel, sardines, herring, and sardinella. The company’s sprats have two flavours from using two different types of wood during the smoking process – alder and beech. New recipes are created using flavoured oils and various sauces. The main target markets are Russia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, Germany, the Baltic States, and USA.

Lithuania, Hall P Stand 4527

Lithuanian companies have their own pavilion for the first time The National Association of Aquaculture and Producers of Fish Products will bring a delegation of Lithuanian companies to the European Seafood Exposition under one roof. This is the first time that Lithuanian companies will have their own pavilion. In the past they have participated as individual companies and have been scattered across the halls, although some like Viciunai and Salas Zivis maintain a high profile at the ESE.

he pavilion will have nine participating companies G. Kanaseviciaus IƲ Dese, Frigolita, ICECO, Lignesa, Norvelita, Plunges saltis, Saldoga, Salas Zivis, and Viciunai ir partneriai. Many of these are processing companies and will bring samples of their products to the stand. Iceco for example will bring samples of hot smoked salmon, cold smoked salmon, hot smoked herring, and marinated herring, which visitors to the stand will be encouraged to taste. Plunges saltis offers fish filleting and product packaging services from its processing facility that is certified to export to Russia and the US. The plant also has a Marine Stewardship Council chain of custody certification and so can www.eurofishmagazine.com

handle fish from MSC-certified fisheries. Finally it is also certified to the International Featured Standard (formerly International Food Standard) which ensures the production of high quality and safe goods. Of the other companies Norvelita is a high quality manufacturer of a range of processed fish products using herring, mackerel, salmon, and other species. Salmon is particularly important for the company which three years ago opened a dedicated facility to process the fish. Frigolita offers coldstore warehousing, customs and logistic services for goods intended for the EU and other export markets. Lignesa, Saldoga, and Salas Zivis, process fish and seafood for

the domestic and export markets, while Viciunai is a multinational group of companies with production facilities in several European countries and well known brands. The Viciunai Group will also be in Hall 6 Stand 935.

For more information about the companies and their products contact: Vytautas Andriuskevicius Orinta Bucaite Tel.: +370 5 216 16 26 akvavyt@takas.lt

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ EVENTS — ESE/SPE PREVIEW ] Denmark, Hall 4 Stands 5915, 6015, 6011

High quality innovative solutions for the ﬁsh and seafood industry

enmark has a large pavilion each year at Seafood Processing Europe, the equipment manufacturers section at the European Seafood Exposition and 2012 will be no exception. Some 15 companies from the Danish Fishing Equipment Group, part of the Danish Export Association, will participate in a joint stand exhibiting their products and services. Denmark has a long tradition of delivering products, services and knowhow to the global fishing industry. These products are the outcome of substantial investments in research and development and close collaboration with companies that are involved

in fishing, fish farming or fish processing leading to innovative high quality, yet competitively-priced solutions. Among the companies present at the stand are the can manufacturers Glud & Marstrand; the worldwide shipping company, Blue Water Shipping; Dybvad Stålindustri, the freezer experts; Runi, who manufacture screw compactors; netting and equipment supplier Hvalpsund Net, NTF-Aalborg, manufacturers of process and hygiene equipment; the processing equipment suppliers Cabin Plant and several others.

Denmark will be well represented at the European Seafood Exposition. In addition to the joint stand in Hall 4 (Seafood Processing Europe) for the equipment manufacturers, there will be a large stand in Hall 5 (341, 144, 429) for the Danish seafood processing industry and yet another site in

the Patio (4709, 4601) where Food from Denmark, an organisation that markets Danish food internationally, will be located. For more information about the Danish fishing equipment group contact Business Sector Manager Michael Hansen on +45 2634 0610.

Estonia, Hall 5 Stand 329

Customers for valuable freshwater species sought

stonia punches above its weight in the European fisheries industry, says Valdur Noormagi, Chairman of the Estonian Association of Fishery. We are one of the most important producers of shrimp in Europe and demand for Estonian freshwater fish such as pike, pike-perch, and bass is high on our markets in the European Union and North America. Russia and other countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States such as Ukraine and Belarus are important customers of Estonian canned fish. Buyers from these countries are also very interested in block-frozen Baltic herring and sprats as well as marinated

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

products that are manufactured by the three Estonian Producer Organisations. Estonian companies at the ESE will represent processors of Baltic herring and sprat, but also manufacturers of products using high value freshwater species such as pike, pike-perch, perch and smelt. Processors of Atlantic fish including herring, mackerel, as well as farmed salmon will also be present at the stand. Companies will be on the look out for new customers for their products and opportunities to contract process for customers interested in high quality products that can be tailored to meet every requirement and delivered reliably to any destination.

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

[ EVENTS — ESE/SPE PREVIEW ] Turkey, Hall 11 Stands 2100, 2101, 2201

Farmed and wild seafood from the Land of Four Seas

he aquaculture industry in Turkey comprises the culture of both marine and freshwater species. Seabass, seabream, and rainbow trout are the most widely cultivated species accounting for 98 of the total farmed production. The first two are farmed in marine cages, while trout is reared inland in freshwater. The fish is widely sold on the domestic market; seabass and seabream are popular along the coasts, and trout is commonly consumed in the interior. Producers are also exporting the fish to markets in the EU in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

Seabass and seabream are exported in a variety of forms, fresh on ice, frozen, vacuum packaged, while trout is also exported as smoked fillets. Turkey also grows and exports bluefin tuna to Japan. There is also a wild fishery in Turkey targeting finfish, shellfish and cephalopods. In 2011 the value of seafood exports amounted to USD500m, and Turkey plans to increase that five times by 2023, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish Republic. Turkish processors are also experimenting with adding more value

to their products such as by selling fresh or frozen fillets and even by adding other ingredients to create a ready to cook product or a frozen meal. These are mainly intended for overseas markets as Turkish consumers largely prefer whole fish, though this too is changing as the economy expands, standards of living increase, and Turks find themselves with less time to spend in the kitchen. Fourteen companies will participate in the Turkish pavilion at the European Seafood Exposition bringing a range of products to display and to taste. A kitchen will

also offer visitors samples of fish prepared in typically Turkish style. For more information about companies and their products at the Turkish pavilion contact: Mr. Ahmet Sagun President Istanbul Fishery and Animal Products’ Exporters’ Association Tel.: +90 216 561 2020 sagun@sagun.com Selcuk Sagban Director Istanbul Exporters’ Associations Tel.: +90 212 454 0731 ssagban@iib.org.tr

Poland

Polish companies exhibiting individually

here is no Polish pavilion at the European Seafood Exposition, but several Polish companies will be exhibiting in different halls.

Abramczyk Company, 7-1420 The family-owned Abramczyk Company has been involved in the seafood trade since 1989, buying, processing and selling a variety of seafood on the local market as well as abroad. Processing capacity is 50 tonnes a day and the company has a coldstore capacity of 1,400 tonnes. Raw materials for the production come from all around the world, from Europe, North and South America, as well as Asia. The range of products includes both fillets and steaks of whitefish (Alaska pollock, hake, cod, hoki www.eurofishmagazine.com

and pike perch), as well as, wild salmon, yellowfin sole, halibut, and pangasius. Shrimps, clams, mussels and squid rings also form part of the assortment. Abramczyk’s customers are primarily the European retail chains Jeronimo Martins Dystribution, Makro Cash and Carry, Tesco, Intermarche, Auchan, and Carrefour.

and BRC standards. With its own fleet of modern refrigerated vehicles the company distributes its products in Poland and in Europe to the wholesale and retail sectors as well as to hotels, restaurants and catering facilities. The range of products exceeds 200 in total and covers whitefish, pelagics, flatfish, freshwater, and farmed species.

Nord Capital, P-4435 Rex-Pol, 4-6306 Nord Capital is a processor of fish and seafood specialising in breaded products. The company also imports and distributes frozen seafood under the brands, NC Seafood, Family Fish, and NC Seafood Travel the World. Since 2003 the company’s processing facility has been certified to the ISO9001 quality management system and in 2008 it was certified to the IFS

As an equipment manufacturer Rex-Pol will be exhibiting at Seafood Processing Europe in Hall 4. The company designs and manufactures equipment for the food industry. Several machines are intended for the fish processing sector including smokehouses, chambers for cooling, for curing and maturing, and for defrosting,

smoke generators, thermal afterburners, and ice machines. Common to the machines is that they are made from high grade materials to withstand the most punishing use and they conform to international requirements for machinery used to process food. They are also flexible in the source of energy and can run equally capably on steam, electricity, oil or gas. Rex-Pol can also customise the individual machine for the client to meet his specific requirements and for sales and after sales service the company has a network of agents around the world. Other Polish companies to exhibit are: J.P. Klausen & Co Poland 5-241 Limito P-4427 Pescanova Polska 5-229 Sona 9-4032 Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ EVENTS — NASF REVIEW ] North Atlantic Seafood Forum 2012

European consumption of fresh salmon forecast to increase With six unqualified successes behind one, retaining the momentum for the seventh consecutive year can prove difficult. But the organisers of the North Atlantic Seafood Forum not only pulled it off, but even managed to add a major new dimension to the event. The conference, which was held 6-8 March in the Norwegian capital, collaborated with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) to bring a top flight delegation from Africa to participate in the meeting. In addition, the nearly five hundred delegates from 30 countries could participate in the first NASF biomarine innovation seminar, the first MSC sustainability and communication seminar, and the Pareto seafood finance and investor seminar, which attracted CEO’s from the largest seafood companies in Norway and overseas.

The North Atlantic Seafood Forum 2012 attracted some 500 delegates from thirty countries. Several came from Africa as part of a collaboration with the FAO Aquaculture and Fisheries Department.

upervised by Jorgen Lund, the conference managing director, NASF is organised in cooperation with Pareto Securities, FAO and MAreLife along with the Norwegian Seafood Council and other partners. The three-day conference included

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

several parallel sessions and seminars rounded off with a string of social arrangement and has been described by participants as “the best networking event in the industry, bar none” due to its unique scope and the seniority of attendees.

Responsible management is key to increasing supply of capture fisheries The first day of the conference was opened by Guus Pastor, the President of the EU Fish

Processors and Trade Association AIPCE/CEP. He brought to the attention of the audience the changes in the business culture that the fisheries industry has introduced recently including the use of best practices and the endeavour to achieve the right www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS — NASF REVIEW ] balance to guarantee the availability of fish for future generations. This careful balance of responsible management together with a constantly growing worldwide need for fish products was the focus of several speakers in the opening and the policy sessions. Lisbeth Bjerg-Hansen, the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, stressed that the world needs more seafood considering the expected increase of population from 7 billion in 2011 to 9 billion in 2050. This can be achieved by three principal rules of responsible management: improved regulations, measures against IUU fisheries, and more scientific knowledge. In the policy session, Stefaan Depypere, Director of International Affairs and Markets, DG Mare, presented the European Common Fisheries Policy Reform 2012. Sustainability, jobs in fisheries and aquaculture, satisfaction of consumer needs and expectations at the market, better governance though rationalization, smarter financing and external dimension are the key elements of the current reform. Mogens

www.eurofishmagazine.com

Schou, Special Advisor to the Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, stressed the importance of certain elements in the EU Fisheries Policy. Article 15 stating “All catches shall be brought and retained on board the fishing vessels and recorded and landed” and “Member States shall ensure that vessels are equipped to ensure full documentation of all fishing activities for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the obligation to land all catches” was brought to the attention of the audience as one of the most important as it will replace the incentive to discard with the incentive to fish selectively. Mr Schou suggested that the industry could contribute to solving the discard problem by only buying fish from fisheries where all catches were accounted for, and by implementing a sales system where all fish are traced and documented to ensure this. In the session, Industry captains View from the bridge, Austevoll Seafood, High Liners Food, and Paine and Partners, presented their visions and outlook for the salmon and pelagic sectors. Helge

Møgster from the Norwegian Austevoll Seafood said that the salmon industry would continue to grow with more value-added seafood in Norway. “The pelagic sector has to look at what the salmon indusSupervised by Jorgen Lund, the conference managing director, NASF is organised in cooperation with Pareto Securities, FAO and MAreLife along with the Norwegian Seafood Council and other partners. The three-day conference included several parallel sessions and seminars rounded off with a string of social arrangement and has been described by participants as “the best networking event in the industry, bar none” due to its unique scope and the seniority of attendees.

Responsible management is key to increasing supply of capture fisheries The first day of the conference was opened by Guus Pastor, the President of the EU Fish Processors and Trade Association AIPCE/ CEP. He brought to the attention of the audience the changes in the business culture that the fisheries

Jørgen J. Lund, managing director North Atlantic Seafood Forum, and the organiser of the conference.

industry has introduced recently including the use of best practices and the endeavour to achieve the right balance to guarantee the availability of fish for future generations. This careful balance of responsible management together with a constantly growing worldwide need for fish products was the focus of several speakers in the opening and the policy sessions. Lisbeth Bjerg-Hansen, the Norwegian Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, stressed that the world needs more seafood considering the expected increase of population from 7 billion in

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ EVENTS — NASF REVIEW ]

Oystein Lie, Marelife, was responsible for the biomarine innovation seminar.

The conference programme included the first NASF biomarine innovation seminar, the first MSC sustainability and communication seminar, and the Pareto seafood finance and investor seminar, which attracted CEO’s from the largest seafood companies in Norway and overseas.

2011 to 9 billion in 2050. This can be achieved by three principal rules of responsible management: improved regulations, measures against IUU fisheries, and more scientific knowledge.

Please visit us: SPE-Brussels, 24-26 April 2012, Hall 4, Stand 6201 22

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

In the policy session, Stefaan Depypere, Director of International Affairs and Markets, DG Mare, presented the European Common Fisheries Policy Reform 2012. Sustainability, jobs in fisheries and aquaculture, satisfaction of consumer needs and expectations at the market, better governance though rationalization, smarter financing and external dimension are the key elements of the current reform. Mogens Schou, Special Advisor to the Danish Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Fisheries, stressed the importance of certain elements in the EU Fisheries Policy. Article 15 stating “All catches shall be brought and retained on board the fishing vessels and recorded and landed” and “Member States shall ensure that vessels are equipped to ensure full documentation of

all fishing activities for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the obligation to land all catches” was brought to the attention of the audience as one of the most important as it will replace the incentive to discard with the incentive to fish selectively. Mr Schou suggested that the industry could contribute to solving the discard problem by only buying fish from fisheries where all catches were accounted for, and by implementing a sales system where all fish are traced and documented to ensure this. In the session, Industry captains – View from the bridge, Austevoll Seafood, High Liners Food, and Paine and Partners, presented their visions and outlook for the salmon and pelagic sectors. Helge Møgster from the Norwegian Austevoll Seafood said that the salmon industry would continue to grow with more valueadded seafood in Norway. “The pelagic sector has to look at what the salmon industry has done, since it cannot continue to be a raw material supplier. But the big challenge is the North Atlantic due to the unwillingness of participants to reach agreements”, he added. Henry Demone from High Liners Foods described the trends in fish consumption on the American market and a very www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS — NASF REVIEW ] important tendency of industry consolidation. Although per capita consumption of fish and seafood in the US is relatively low at 7 kg per year, while per capita consumption of beef amounts to 28 kg per year, the US annual per capita consumer spending for fish and seafood is USD 261, which equals spending for beef (USD 262). At the same time, 80 of all fish and seafood products in the USA is imported. When it comes to environmental costs per protein type including water, fertilizers, pesticides, antibiotics and soil loss, fish production shows the lowest figures compared with the production of beef, chicken, pork or dairy. Dexter Paine, Pain and Partners, presented his view on attractive investment opportunities across the seafood value chain. For example, capture fishing companies should be operating in well-managed and rationalized fisheries, while processing, informatics, marketing and distribution firms have to aim at value-added products in a special market niche. Companies in aquaculture, health, genetics and biosecurity, feed and ingredients, and production should have best-in-class farming operations in wellregulated regions and new species with strong performance and attractive markets. Selecting the right source of capital for the companies is extremely important because the right capital structure can mitigate risk, withstand volatility and support growth through challenges. The capital markets are a new industry participant, and capital structure flexibility also creates opportunities to aquire competitors during difficult periods and take advantages of unique opportunities to expand. www.eurofishmagazine.com

Global supply of salmon to increase “Salmon is currently well positioned to compete as the center of the plate item both within the seafood category and against other proteins” was one of the main conclusions at the salmon session. Chaired by Jan Trollvik from the Norwegian Seafood Council, the seminar on the global salmon outlook provided answers to some of the most burning questions for the seafood industry about the total estimated harvest for the present year and the tendencies on different markets. Lars Liabø, Kontali Analyse, presented the estimated quantities for market supply for 2012 with a total increase of 15 for Norway, Chile, UK, Canada, Ireland, Faroe and others and a total increase of 16 for the EU, USA, Russia, Japan and others compared to the estimates of 2011. “In the first two months of 2012 there were 67,000 tonnes extra of salmon supply compared to the same period of 2011, which corresponded to an additional 3.2 million salmon meals per day. The outlook for 2012 is still quite optimistic and even brighter compared with previous periods”, was the conclusion from Kontali. The analysis of the Chilean salmon industry confirmed that the situation was not an easy one for Chile, but showed that trend there was also broadly positive. In the past year, the industry experienced a rapid recovery from the ISA virus crisis, and has overcome the difficulties of the earlier period. The ISA virus crisis showed that the main problems for the industry were the short-term focus of many producers not taking into account sanitary risks

and governmental institutions that were not sufficiently prepared to oversee the sector. In terms of harvest estimated, fish transferred in 2011 will allow an extra 200,000 tonnes of mostly Atlantic salmon to be harvested in 2012, while the forecast harvest for 2013 is approximately 480,000 tonnes. Jose Luis del Rio, the chairman of Friosur, said that in general it would be a tough year for salmon farming due to low prices and high production costs. “We foresee a consolidation of the industry in Chile starting this year. Sustainable growth of the Chilean industry relies on many factors including strong cooperation between salmon producing countries. Norway and Chile need to continue working closely together for the development of the global salmon market,” he concluded.

Lower prices, higher consumption of fresh salmon in Europe Lerøy CEO, Henning Beltestad, confirmed growing salmon consumption worldwide. The total worldwide supply in 2012 is estimated at 1,867 million tonnes, which is a 15 increase from 2011. Norway expects over one million tonnes, which is a 9.9 growth from 2011. Concerning rising markets, he mentioned Russia with an increase of 50, Japan with a growth of 67 and the EU with an increase of 7. Egil Sundheim, Director of Market Information at the Norwegian Seafood Council pointed out the changes in consumer demand and salmon prices. At present, overall consumer confidence is down, and particularly the EU shows the lowest confidence since 2009. For

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ EVENTS — NASF REVIEW ] example, several years ago the French market was characterized by peaked prices, reduced number of salmon buyers and declining average weight of purchase. In 2011, the average weight oif purchase stabilized and there were more loyal French salmon consumers, while the major shift went to cheaper salmon in the last quarter of 2011. In general, the consumer situation in Europe is characterized by lower prices for fresh salmon and it’s increasing consumption at household level. An example of price tendencies from the French market was a good illustration for understanding the competition of salmon against other species. In the 4th quarter of 2011, fresh salmon was priced EUR 4 less than other species at EUR 10 per kg, while the average

total price for fresh fish species was EUR 12.74 per kg. In 2010, the salmon price was EUR 11.97 while the average total was EUR 12.85. As a result, low salmon prices are both attracting new consumers and driving existing consumers to buy more salmon. For frozen and smoked products, the price decline has not yet been visible at the household level.

Opportunities waiting to be seized in parts of Africa The second day of the NASF started with the FAO seminar, a new first at the conference. The event brought to the conference top policy makers from Angola, Ghana, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, and South Africa who presented the status of fisheries and aquaculture in their countries and plans and strategies for the sector’s development. The Minister of Fisheries of the Republic of Mozambique, Victor Manuel Borges, outlined the possibilities for aquaculture in Mozambique, pointing out that it was a new activity with a very promising future. The country has excellent marine and freshwater environments and has shown political stability and economic growth over the last decade. Aquaculture is an official priority in terms of future fisheries sector development. Lahsen Ababouch, Director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture department, FAO, gave an outlook for the development fisheries and aquaculture in Africa. At present, the catch of African countries accounts for 9 of the total catch worldwide and African aquaculture makes up 2 of world aquaculture. Over the next 20-30 years Africa is expected to be the fastest growing region in the world economically.

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

Pelagic industry needs to develop value-added products While the salmon market shows increasing consumption and favorable prices, the pelagic sector is experiencing different trends and challenges. The pelagic industry session started with the outlook for pelagic supply and demand made by Kristin Lien from Norwegian Seafood Council. The most topical question was about current high prices for all the products including frozen whole herring, frozen herring fillets and frozen whole mackerel. Over the last two years Norwegian export prices for frozen herring fillets have doubled exceeding 15 NOK/kg. Frozen whole herring prices reaching 8 NOK/kg in 2012 from nearly 4 NOK/kg in 2010. Due to the indication of prices for 2011 and the first two months of 2012, the main challenges for the pelagic sector are: 1) quotas, which will not increase, 2) prices, which will probably stay on the same level as today since quotas will not be enlarged, 3) markets, which need to have consumers willing to pay prices coming for these products and 4) the development of attractive value-added pelagic products. The current difficulties in the pelagic sector have been observed on the Eastern European markets, which have traditionally been the largest markets for Norwegian herring and mackerel. Christen Mordal, CA Mordal Consulting, made an overview of markets for pelagic products in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the Baltic countries and their respective challenges. Whereas the Baltic countries do not consume a big part of the Norwegian pelagic species, they form an important corridor for Norwegian fish by processing and re-exporting it to the Eastern European market. Between 65 and

70 of these volumes goes then to Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus. During the last year, all these markets experienced a drop in pelagic imports. Russian imports of herring decreased by 56,000 tones reaching 196,000 tones. While both the national catch and export of herring increased, the total net supply of herring in Russia in 2011 is 92,000 tones less than in 2011 or nearly 465,000 tones. The distribution route for Russian caught Pacific herring is interesting, Mr Mordal observed. From Russia, it was sent to China (134,000 tonnes) and then it was further re-exported to Nigeria (74,000 tones) which is currently the main market for Norwegian whole frozen herring.

Rising prices of pelagics pressures Eastern European consumers The Ukrainian market also showed a drop in pelagic imports, although for different reasons than those in Russia. Whereas the Russian market is focused on import substitution, the Ukraine is facing problems harmonising administrative mechanisms and with executing the new tasks of its authorities such as the determination of reference prices, market control, licensing of imported fish products, regulation of imported marine resources and other issues. In general, Eastern European markets are not experiencing a real shift in pelagic consumption; however rising prices have put consumers under pressure. There are good long term perspectives for the pelagic sector in Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine, nevertheless, trade policies and non-tariff barriers are still a major challenge. Francois Kuttel, Oceana Group, gave in-depth analysis of the pelagic supply and markets in www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS — NASF REVIEW ] Southern Africa. Labelled the “hopeless continent” by The Economist in 2000, African economies have grown faster than East Asia in 8 of the 10 years in the period 20002010, although from a much lower base. With significantly reduced rates of inflation, foreign debt and budget deficits, regional growth for Africa is projected at 5.75 in 2012. As the largest fishing company in Africa and one providing approximate 4 million meal servings in Africa each day, the Oceana Group is confident in the continued development of the continent, whose population is projected to double to 2 billion by 2050.

Analyse, presented the global supply development for the major groundfish species and the outlook for whitefish species in aquaculture. He noted that the whitefish supply for 2011 was positive with a growth of 5 compared to 2010, however, volume growth was coming from fisheries and not aquaculture, while in the period 2001-2008 the main growth had been attributed to aquaculture. The outlook for 2012 sees a continued increase in the groundfish supply, both Atlantic and Pacific, although the increase foreseen for the Pacific supply is noticeably lower than in 2011.

Running parallel to the Pelagic Session, the Global White Fish Summit is traditionally one of the main draws of the conference. Ragnar Nystøyl, Kontali

The first NASF MSC sustainability and communications seminar was a great success hosting 14 speakers from the Marine Stewardship Council, International Council for

the Exploration of the Sea, Norwegian Fishing Vessel Owners Organisation, WWF International, several private companies, and the financial and retail sectors. Kerstin Jurges from Edeka, the German retail group, told the audience that Edeka had chosen sustainability as an integral part of its strategic management. Describing their sustainability guidelines for fish and seafood she confirmed that starting from 2012, Edeka was commited to sell fish and seafood products exclusively from sustainable sources. “Sustainability is a continuous process, so we expect a continuous development of the MSC standards and procedures”, she added. The North Atlantic Seafood Forum delivered the goods again this year. The comprehensive

programme covered all aspects of the seafood sector and left the roughly 500 participants with plenty to think about on their journeys back home. The collaboration with the FAO exposed delegates to the opportunities represented by Africa, a region set to become the world’s fastest growing in a few years. Marine bioscience and sustainability, the other new elements at the conference, are showing an importance that will only increase in the years to come. However, the forwardlooking programme is only one of the reasons to attend the NASF each year, the level of speakers and the opportunities to network are no less attractive. The event in 2013 is eagerly anticipated. Katia Tribilustova, katia.tribilustova@eurofish.dk

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ EVENTS — COFI ] FAO Sub-Committee on Fish Trade takes place in India

Certiﬁcation and aquaculture take centre stage at FAO meeting on trade The thirteenth session of the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade of the Committee on Fisheries was held in Hyderabad, India, from 20 to 24 February 2012. This sub-committee serves as a multilateral framework for consultations on international trade in ﬁshery products.

he growing emphasis on fish trade in the international arena and in national policies has facilitated the FAO’s work on highlighting the importance of trade and markets and the many benefits derived from them. The broad range of trade-related activities carried out by the Fisheries and Aquaculture Department was presented to the Sub-Committee.

FAO’s work highlights the importance of trade and markets At the meeting many members welcomed FAO’s capacity building activities for developing countries, in particular in relation to market access and value addition. However, delegates stressed the need to give higher priority to the small-scale sector, both in production and aquaculture, as well as to the impact of trade developments on this sector in the FAO’s future work. They also underlined the need to inform consumers on food safety and nutrition issues associated with fish and fishery products. The meeting also highlighted the role of GLOBEFISH in providing analysis and information on trends in international fish markets. Participants were highly interested in the modeling of future demand and supply for fish and fishery products as part of the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 26

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

From left, Audun Lem, FAO; Iddya Karunasagar, FAO; Dag Erling Stai, Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs; William Emerson, FAO; Lahsen Ababouch, FAO.

for 2011-2020. They also welcomed the improved integration of fisheries within the broader context of food production, trade, consumption and nutrition. The role of the FISH INFO Network in regional capacity building, which provides a complementary platform for FAO to interact with various stakeholders, was considered a useful tool. Certification and related traceability schemes are increasing in importance and the challenges these could present to smallscale producers were underlined at the meeting. Despite

the large share of exports represented by developing countries there was an increased number of requests for capacity building and technical assistance to implement such measures. An introduction to eco-labeling to ensure sustainably managed fisheries was heavily discussed and also criticized. Yet Iceland’s eco-labeling scheme was greeted with interest among the participants. The scheme is intended to give Icelandic exports new credibility as it will inform consumer that the product has been caught under a responsible fisheries management regime.

Trade in aquaculture products needs greater study Production and trade in fisheries depends increasingly on aquaculture and many delegates expressed a desire to see the FAO focus more on fish farming, integrating it more closely with trade. FAO will conduct value-chain studies on aquaculture in selected African countries, that will identify existing or potential constraints in the value-chain of fish production and trade that affect the competitiveness of aquaculture products produced in the region. FAO also contributes to the General www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS — COFI ] Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean to develop strategies for marketing and promoting Mediterranean aquaculture. During the discussions some countries’ representatives referred to the complexity of international value-chains and the importance of a more equitable distribution of benefits among value-chain stakeholders. Delegates provided valuable national experience on how producers had integrated further into the value-chain, leading to improved handling, higher quality and better returns for their products. They also said that collecting adequate data on prices and costs along the value-chain was a challenge. Several delegates shared their experience with regard to national and regional initiatives to improve collection and dissemination of data.

Strengthening FAO’s role in the field The recent decentralisation of the FAO structure has strengthened the network of regional and subregional fisheries officers. Setting regional priorities could prove to be important for regional cooperation and project implementation, at the same time facilitating the effective use of scarce resources. During the session FAO was requested by its members to carry out a number of studies. These include studies on the impact of regional trade agreements on the small-scale sector and rural communities, including their social dimensions; regional trade developments, and opportunities offered by geographical indications. Developments in farming

of white-leg shrimp and related marketing issues, ornamental fish trade, fisheries services, financial instruments in fish trade including food commodity futures, and regional trade in low-value species were also among topics requested for future studies. Given China’s prominent role in fish production and trade, the future impact on world markets from changes in China’s demand, supply and consumption patterns will be a part of the FAO’s activities in the region. The majority of FAO’s projects are carried out through the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) and also projects funded by the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), for which the Sub-Committee on Fish Trade has been designated as the International Commodity Body to

endorse the proposed projects. Projects which benefit developing countries in promoting fish production, national and international marketing of fish products, fisheries cooperatives, incomes and quality of life, and increased role of women’s were well received by country’s representatives. Having common fisheries concerns African, Central American and the Pacific region countries expressed their interest in future regional projects which could act as an instrument for integration within the region. The session was attended by representatives of 40 member countries of the FAO and 8 observer organizations. Dag Erling Stai, Deputy Director General of the Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs was elected Chairperson of the session.

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ EVENTS — FISH INTERNATIONAL REVIEW ] Fish international 2012: Good feedback from exhibitors

“Can’t we do this every week?”

Messe Bremen / Jan Rathke

Satisfied customers, new contacts, some good business; the balance drawn at the end of the 13th fish international in Bremen was positive. From 12 to 14 February some 260 exhibitors from 23 countries presented visitors with a broad range of products and services from segments including fish production and processing, fresh fish and delicatessen, as well as research and development. About 8,200 visitors from the fish industry, retail and catering sectors made use of the opportunity to gather information, network, and confer with colleagues.

Exhibitors expressed their satisfaction with fish international 2012 in Bremen with a number already saying they would return when the show opened its doors again in 2014.

“E

xhibitor response was again very positive – that motivates us for next time”, said Hans Peter Schneider, the Managing Director of Bremen Fair. He had heard more than once, for example, that there had been less visitors “just looking” and instead more key decision-makers.

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

The 14th fish international takes place in February 2014 – and Fair Organiser Sabine Wedell believes visitors will meet a number of this year’s exhibitors there again, for her team had heard several favourable comments. “Can’t we do this every week?”, asked Dr Ulrich Kronert,

Manager of Aquaculture Fischtechnik GmbH in Nienburg, who was delighted that he had set up such a big exhibition stand. “A trade fair is great when you say in the evening, ‘what, six o’clock already?’ And that’s exactly how it was here”, he said visibly pleased.

In an area of over 300 square metres the Nienburg company together with its partners had presented a wide range of equipment for fish farming, including recirculation systems. fish international had made aquaculture one of its major focus points in 2012 and for the www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS — FISH INTERNATIONAL REVIEW ] Equipment manufacturers display latest equipment

process has begun for redfish, saithe, and haddock.

Iceland Responsible Fisheries, the new logo firstly confirms the origins of the catch, and secondly, following a certification process, the sustainable management of the fishery.

first time presented fish farming technology too.

Surge of interest in aquaculture certification Another major topic at Germany’s only trade fair for fish and seafood was the certification of fish farming facilities. In the run-up to the show there had been expectations that the first tilapia bearing the label of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) would be presented. This did not actually happen, but industry, trade and consumers will probably not have long to wait before they can purchase fish that fulfil the ASC standards. Chris Ninnes, the ASC’s Chief Executive Officer, said at fish international that he thought that after the formal programme start in February it would not take long until the first products were placed onto the market: “A number of farmers have been preparing for certification for quite some time.” It was expected that consumers in the Netherlands, where the ASC has its headquarters, would be the first to be able to buy products with the ASC label in their stores, followed by German customers. A lot of retailers were www.eurofishmagazine.com

eagerly awaiting this moment. “The ASC standards are the most robust that exist for fish farming – they were developed by a multi-stakeholder initiative comprising a total of about 2,000 representatives”, said Mr Ninnes. “I am convinced that the catalogue of criteria that resulted from their deliberations will assert itself and advance the change to sustainable aquaculture.”

The fish producers at the fair had a lot to discuss on the topic of certification – and to ensure a platform for this exchange there were professional fora organised on the one hand by the Icelandics and on the other by the well-known German trade magazine “Lebensmittel Zeitung”. Another forum which was organised by Baader – Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH + Co. KG dealt with technology and perspectives for aquaculture. Up until now the company had mainly supplied foreign customers, but had recently installed processing equipment at a farming facility in Mecklenburg that had specialised in the production of African catfish in a recirculation system.

Other big manufacturers used the fair to present their latest developments. Among them were for example Marel Food Systems GmbH & Co. KG, a provider of equipment, systems and services for the food industry. The Osnabrück company displayed a slicer which it claimed had a capacity of up to 125 slices per minute and could cut salmon fillets or similar products exactly to a pre-set weight. With the help of laser recognition the machine is said to offer maximum precision. Stefan Ostendorf, responsible for sales to the German fish and delicatessen industry, said of the fair: “Our impression so far is very positive. Customer

Representatives of the business to business standard Global G.A.P. were also at fish international to talk to visitors. And organisations specialised in wild fish and organic labels such as the MSC, Friend of the Sea, and Naturland were present too. Representatives from “Iceland Responsible Fisheries” confirmed that they were pursuing a different path, as are Alaska, Canada and Ireland. The new logo firstly confirms the origins of the catches, and secondly – following a certification process – the sustainable management of the fishery. The label is based on criteria laid down by the Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO and the International Organisation for Standardisation ISO. After cod, the certification

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ EVENTS — FISH INTERNATIONAL REVIEW ] response has been good and customer quality much better than expected. If you asked me now, I’d say we’ll be coming back in two years.” A lot of delicatessen producers and retailers also expressed their satisfaction. “We have had some very good discussions here. I hadn’t really expected the Bremen fair to be so well attended”, said Sven Fries from the Sales Department of Gottfried Friedrichs KG, a Hamburg company that had just received an award for their product Glacier Bay Wild Salmon, which consumers had rated Fish Product of the Year 2012. The trade association “Der Fischfachhandel” within the Association of the German Food Retail Trade had together with partners again organised the

Special Show of the Fish Retail Trade. Thanks to sophisticated counter concepts from the workshop of the Bremerhaven shop fitter Erich Schich retailers were able to get an impressive picture of the latest products in an appealing setting. “I got the contacts I was looking for”, commented Renate Meiche, Category Manageress Fish Sales at EDEKA Minden-Hannover. And like many others Ralf Forner, Manager of TransGourmet Seafood GmbH, felt there were a lot of decision-makers from the grocery sector present, which had led to some very productive discussions. The Bremerhaven company had set up the biggest single stand at the fair and were almost overwhelmed by the number of visitors who wanted to taste products from their range of more than 1,500 products, some of which were

brand new. TransGourmet also used fish international to present their new premium fresh fish line “Black Label” to a professional audience for the first time.

Gourmet cooks inspire restaurant and catering sector What can be conjured up from the various delicatessen products? Together with the German gourmet magazine Port Culinaire, the Bremen trade fair for the first time offered a Seafood Masterclass with four top chefs, among them Thomas Bühner from Osnabrück, who was recently awarded his third Michelin star to become one of only nine three-star chefs in Germany. His audience was fascinated as they watched how under the motto “It doesn’t

always have to be turbot” Bühner’s team sometimes even used tweezers to create miniature works of art in wonderful colour combinations on the plates. The Seafood Masterclass addresses cooks from the restaurant and catering sectors as the Bremen trade fair wants to offer something attractive to all the different branches of the value addition chain during the threeday event. But, above all the fair considers itself the meeting place for the industry. The relaxed gettogether on the first day of the fair has a long tradition and for many exhibitors is an important item on the fish international agenda. For the first time, and in response to numerous requests, it took place directly in the exhibition halls. “A good decision”, said Sabine Wedell, “we’ll do it like that in future, too!”

Exhibitors at ﬁsh international 2012, Bremen

Salmco offers a broad spectrum of slicers. Customers can choose from a total of 13 the model that suits them best. A lot of machines are also modified to meet customer requirements. Salmco is extremely satisfied with the course of the fair. The number of concrete enquiries was higher than ever before and over 50 contacts were made with companies from the fish industry ranging from family and small-sized businesses to large-scale enterprises.

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

The machine manufacturer Steen, Kalmthout/ Belgium is specialised in processing machinery for the seafood industry. Their production programme includes boning, skinning and peeling machines. The company offers processing solutions for companies of all sizes. In Bremen visitors were mainly interested in the ST111, the smallest skinning machine in the range. The machine’s dimensions and capacity also make it suitable for fish retailers.

www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ PROJECT ] Aquainnova shellfish aquaculture workshop in Bordeaux

Shellfish farmers prioritise environmental compatibility and product safety “The Future of European Shellfish Aquaculture” held in Bordeaux on 15-16 February was the last in the series of thematic Aquainnova workshops. It targeted shellfish farmers and aquaculture associations, government representatives, research institutions, research funding agencies and other stakeholders in the sector.

rganised with the help of a professional facilitator, the event gave participants an opportunity to express their views over a day and a half of intense work, where the emphasis was on discussion and consensus building. Over 50 participants from nine EU countries including a large delegation from the French shellfish industry provided their inputs towards the development of a Vision for European Aquaculture in 2030, in support of the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA). The outputs of the stakeholders’ consultation will be used by the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (EATIP) to help it respond to the challenges facing European aquaculture. The French shellfish farmers clearly showed their interest in the debate. Some common points with other aquaculture groups were identified, but some specific particularities of the sector were also pointed out. I found this exercise very interesting and I look forward to the outcomes of the workshop, said Dr René Robert, project manger at IFREMER (French Research Institute of Exploration of the Sea), www.eurofishmagazine.com

adding that he was more confident in the future of the sector because researchers and other stakeholders had succeeded in exchanging views positively.

Environmental sustainability and continued safety Participants reported that European shellfish aquaculture production is set to double over the next 20 years. Total European production mirrors the trend seen in global aquaculture of increasing production driven by population growth, and rising demand and output from developed and developing countries, including currently unexploited areas e.g. North Africa. The extended open session highlighted outstanding issues facing the sector and identified the top three priorities as: integration with the environment; environmental sustainability through application of new technologies and knowledge; and ensuring the continued safety of all products. Building on the outputs of the dialogue the representative from the Danish Shellfish Centre submitted an interesting idea. This was to include an additional thematic

At the final Aquainnova thematic workshop, the future of European shellfish aquaculture, participants ranked environmental sustainability and continued product safety as top priorities among the issues facing the sector.

area “Goods and services provided to the ecosystem” which would use aquaculture to provide goods and services to coastal ecosystems throughout Europe and thereby contribute to achieving environmental goals. By doing so, aquaculture activities can create new types of industry in close collaboration with environmental management. “The debates were very interesting, especially for us Italians, who, unfortunately, are reluctant to attend such meetings and to share the experiences of other countries.

The workshop has allowed me to have a more complete picture regarding the issues of shellfish farming in Europe, including those not directly related to the Italian shellfish industry. I believe that such initiatives should be repeated, even in other projects, involving, if possible, a greater number of breeders and suppliers of technologies, given that there are not many opportunities for comparison between the various people who are involved in shellfish production” said Dr Giuseppe Prioli, M.A.R.E. (Scientific Research and

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

[ PROJECT ] Technical Assistance for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Environment).

From social acceptance to social demand Among the conclusions from the meeting were that shellfish aquaculture will not only be socially acceptable, but socially demanded. Future generations will see the need for natural, sustainable and safe shellfish products. Some new species may be farmed based on an increase in hatchery-produced spat as well as diversification, not only in species, but also in activities and related skills. Future farmed animals will need to strike a balance

to suit both market demand and the environment. Genetically modified or sterile animals will not be major traits in the future in the shellfish sector. Technology and systems will trend towards integrated multifunctional farms, of which some will be in deeper water. More knowledge on species interactions (ecological) and technological developments (harvesting, logistics) would support this.

A useful and enjoyable workshop “This was a salutary experience to show shellfish aquaculture that it has to see itself as part of

aquaculture as a whole when thinking of European Union representation. There still remain the unique attributes of shellfish aquaculture and I welcomed the opportunity to argue for a higher priority to be given to the ecosystem services shellfish aquaculture can provide for the environment. I would also like to say that the delicious hospitality provided in Bordeaux made a useful workshop into something altogether much more enjoyable” thinks Dr Janet H Brown, editor, The Grower, newsletter for the Association of Scottish Shellfish Growers. The Vision and SRIA will be finalised during a meeting in Dublin

on 20th – 22nd March, where the facilitators and chairs of each Thematic Area will review and integrate the combined results from the regional workshops on Cold Water Marine, Freshwater, Mediterranean and Shellfish Aquaculture. Once the priorities are in place EATIP will design a plan of action or roadmap, to illustrate how to achieve the goals as identified in the Vision document and ensure that any future research leads to real innovation in the field. For more information please contact secretariat@eatip.eu, or Anca Sfetcovici, anca.sfetcovici@eurofish.dk

ComFish project kicks-off

Learning whether scientiﬁc results are properly communicated During a meeting organised at the beginning of February in Munich by the Institute for Communication and Media Research, Ludwig Maximilians University, the project coordinator, ComFish ofﬁcially took off.

omFish is the acronym for “Strengthening the impact of fisheries related research through dissemination, communication and technology transfer”, a 1.1 million € EU-FP7 funded project (DG Research & Innovation) which will last 36 months. The aim of the project is to identify important fisheries topics with long term impacts, and ascertain whether scientific results have been properly communicated to fisheries stakeholders. If yes, why and how was this done? If not, then the question must be answered which communication needs must be addressed. What 32

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

are the related challenges, needed actions and possible solutions? One key aspect is to show how research can address and explain fisheries related challenges.

Five stakeholder events to identify regional priorities ComFish will identify regional priority issues and address associated communication impasses at five Regional Participatory Stakeholder Events (RPSEs). The key stakeholders are: environmentalists, media, policy/decision makers, education. Next, ComFish will use the

Participants at the ComFish kick-off meeting, from left to right, Miguel Bernal, Spanish Institute of Oceanography; Heidi Bohle, Visions Unlimited Medien, Germany; Alex Olsen, BSRAC, Denmark; Anca Sfetcovici, Eurofish, Denmark; Jesper Kobberø, ASECO, Denmark; Charlotte Jagot, European Commission; Ireneusz Wójcik, National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Poland; Vesselina Mihneva, Institute of Fishing Resources, Bulgaria; Paul Pechan, Institute for Communication and Media Research, Ludwig Maximilians University, Germany; Giovanni Salerno, IREPA, Italy; Carlos Aldereguia, LDRAC, Spain; Knut Korsbrekke, Institute of Marine Research, Norway; Gert de Vries, ProBio, The Netherlands. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ PROJECT ] outcome of the RPSE to prepare Information Packages that include audio-visual materials, and communicate the identified priority issues to a wider circle of stakeholders as well as to EU citizens. Finally, ComFish will organise a Partnering Event (PE) to facilitate network building amongst stakeholders, to jointly address and overcome communication impasses and to stimulate collaborations. ComFish has nine partners: four are communication specialists and five are institutions engaged in marine research and policy advice. The latter will play a major role in pre-defining issues to be discussed at the RPSEs. These partners are: National Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Gdynia, Poland;Â Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway; Institute for Economic Research in Fisheries and

www.eurofishmagazine.com

Aquaculture (IREPA), Salerno, Italy; Spanish Institute of Oceanography, Madrid; The Institute of Fishing Resources, Varna, Bulgaria. The next steps in the project will concentrate on the discussions about the content of the RPSEs that will take place in Norway, Poland, Spain, Italy and Bulgaria, (representing the North, Baltic, Atlantic, Mediterranean and the Black seas). The participatory events will be organised over a period of ten months, starting in September 2012. These will be 1Â˝ day workshops with the objective to identify challenges and solutions for topics and their communication. Each project partner, representing the above geographic region, will be responsible for the organisation of the participatory event, which is expected to be attended by 40 key stakeholders representing

scientists from different disciplines (e.g. marine, social-economics), fishermen associations, industry, consumers, environmentalists, press and media, policy/decision makers.

Advisory board for expert advice In addition to the project partners, the kick-off meeting was attended by representatives of Baltic Sea Regional Advisory Council (BSRAC); Long Distance Fleet Regional Advisory Council (LDRAC) and Alliance for Social and Ecological Consumer Organisations (ASECO) of Denmark. The importance of RACs (Regional Advisory Councils) as members of the Advisory Board was highlighted, as well as the importance of other stakeholders.

ComFish project utilises an Advisory Board which consists of individuals with specific expertise and network contacts that will be available for consultation on communication, dissemination and education activities. They include content experts, publicity and dissemination experts, representatives of key stakeholder organisations, science communicators and educational organisations who cover the full spectrum of required expertise for ComFish. If you are interested in this project, want to find out more or want to get involved, please visit www.comfish.eu, or contact Dr. Paul Pechan, project coordinator, paul.pechan@ifkw.lmu.de, or Anca Sfetcovici, anca.sfetcovici@eurofish.dk

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

[ PROJECT ] FAO regional workshop in Bodrum

EU regulations and their impact on Turkish seafood exports The Turkish aquaculture industry, both marine and freshwater, has experienced impressive growth in the past decade. Over a 10-year period from 2001 to 2010 the production of farmed ﬁsh in Turkey has grown from 67,244 tonnes to 167,141 tonnes, an increase of almost 150%. Today, Turkey occupies a leading position in the European aquaculture sector being Europe’s largest producer of trout and the second largest producer of seabass and seabream. However, although farmed ﬁsh production has grown rapidly, the national seafood processing industry is still not fully formed. New product variants, improved packaging, product differentiation and the adaption of quality management systems are some of the ways in which the Turkish industry can add value to production.

he four-day national workshop “Food chain and certification of fisheries and aquaculture sector in Turkey” was organized on February 13-16 in Bodrum to provide the Turkish seafood industry sector with the latest information on the implementation of EU standards in traceability, aquaculture certification, general requirements for export and other topics. The workshop was organized by the FAO, EUROFISH and the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock of Turkey and it was conducted under the FAO

Regional Technical Programme “Sustainable development of aquaculture sector from a postharvest perspective with focus on quality, traceability and safety”.

Comprehensive programme covering national and international topics The event created a high level of interest among Turkish participants attracting 59 representatives to the workshop. The participants were from the headquarters of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and

The first two days of the workshop covered various topics related to Turkish standards as well as to European regulations.

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

Livestock (MoFAL) in Ankara, its provincial directorates in Mugla, Izmir, Aydin, Antalya and Denizli, the Central Union of Fish Producers, Mugla Fish Farmers Association, Izmir Fish Producer Union, Turkish Seafood Promotion, Mug˘la University, Istanbul University, M. Kemal University, and many private companies. The first two days of the workshop covered various topics related to Turkish standards as well as European regulations. National topics included an overview of the current status of the seafood trade in Turkey, current practices and implementation of traceability in Turkey, the fish processing sector and EU requirements for prerequisite programmes, regulatory and non-regulatory certification requirements in Turkey and local seafood retail sales and distribution. The international section consisted of general requirements for export of fish and fishery products to the EU, updates on the status of aquaculture and farmed fish products in the EU market, current practices and implementation of traceability in the EU, aquaculture certification, auditing and verification of HACCP implementation, and

The Kiliç processing plant where freshly harvested fish is entering the processing operation.

new recirculation aquaculture techniques. On the third and fourth days of the workshop there were practical visits to six companies: Skretting Feed Producing Factory, Marenostro Fish Processing, Fjord Marine Packing House, Nordzee Fish Processing and Packing House, GümüS¸dog˘a Fish Farming, and Kiliç Holding. Katia Tribilustova, katia.tribilustova@eurofish.dk www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ PROJECT ] First annual EcoFishMan meeting

Prototype of new fisheries management system concentrates on ends not means A draft prototype of a new EU fisheries management system was presented at the first annual EcoFishMan meeting in Faro, Portugal on 1 March 2012. The new management system is labelled “Responsive Fisheries Management System” (RFMS) and is an adaptive management system that is result-based and ecosystem-based. The RFMS attempts to reduce micro-management by involving stakeholders and can include elements of rights-based management and co-management.

he purpose of the three year EU research project “EcoFishMan”, is to propose a new EU fisheries management system based on four case studies. This prototype will be evaluated and improved during the four case studies.

Fishers and others provide their inputs into the new system This first prototype of RFMS has taken longer to develop than expected, but now the basis is ready together with the definition of the terms used to describe the new system – the EcoFishMan glossary. A key feature of RFMS is that fishermen and other potential resource users are involved in, and have influence on, the creation of the new management system as well as its implementation. The system will be based on a management plan. The management plan is formally proposed by the resource user (e.g. an organised group of fishermen) but needs to be approved by the authorities. In practise, the management plan will work as a contract between the fishermen and the authorities. The contract specifies which goals are to be achieved, how they will be 36

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

achieved, and how it will be documented that they are achieved. In return for the responsibility to fulfil these requirements, the resource users will be given flexibility to manage in the way they think is appropriate. In contrast to the existing management system, which tends to involve a long list of specific regulations, the resource user is free to design a simple and efficient system – as long as it is demonstrated that the results (biological, economic and social sustainability) are achieved. The focus here is on achieving results, not on regulating the process. The focus on results instead of process comes from what is called Results Based Management (RBM). RBM has been used to reform several agencies such as the United Nations, the OECD and the World Bank. The experience from these examples is that RBM can lead to more efficient management, but also that it takes a long time and considerable resources to make the new system work.

System will draw on international experiences with RBM Regarding fisheries management a number of quite successful

Kåre Nielsen from Tromsø University presents the prototype of the new management system in Portugal.

experiences with RBM have been reported, for instance in New Zealand. These experiences will be taken into consideration when the first prototype of the RFMS system is used to develop a management plan for the Icelandic case study. In turn, the experiences from making this management plan will be used when designing management plans for the other case studies. These cases are the North Sea demersal fisheries, a Portuguese crustacean bottom trawl fishery, and, finally, a Mediterranean bottom trawl fishery. The development of the RFMS model will also draw on

inputs from stakeholders’ ideas and attitudes. Feedback from stakeholders on the development of the RFMS model is facilitated though regularly held meetings with a stakeholder group that follows the project closely. The project is supported by the EU FP7 programme. The project will conclude with a conference to be held in Rome in March 2014. For more information please visit the project homepage: www.ecofishman.com. Marco Frederiksen, marco.frederiksen@eurofish.dk www.eurofishmagazine.com

LATVIA

The ﬁsheries sector in Latvia

Repeated Baltic Sea quota reductions have hobbled the processing sector The fisheries sector in Latvia is a traditional occupation based on old customs and long term experience. However, after joining the EU, this sector has had serious challenges and problems to solve. The legislative changes for conducting fishing activities, as well as the fish stock situation followed by rapid reductions in quotas of valuable fish species in the Baltic Sea have seriously affected the sector. The last few years have been a challenge for the Latvian fisheries industry due to the impact of the global economic crisis, as well as its influence on the nation’s main markets.

n addition, the limited availability of fishing resources is responsible for the lack of raw material for the processing industry. However, the industry has overcome the problem by finding alternate solutions. In 2009 fisheries share of Latvia’s gross domestic product (GDP) decreased to 0.6, but already in 2010 it went up to 0.7, the figure that it was in 2008. Also, the volume of exports increased in 2010 compared to 2009, as foreign markets picked up after the crisis. However, in the total export figures the proportion of fisheries decreased, as exports from other industries increased even more. Fisheries share of total exports was 2.

Fishing sector comprises three main segments At the beginning of 2012 Latvia’s fishing fleet consisted of more than 730 fishing vessels. Based on their size and on where the fishing is conducted, these vessels are divided into three main segments. These are the coastal fleet, the Baltic Sea offshore vessels, and the high seas fleet.

Coastal fisheries use mainly passive gear There were 649 fishing vessels in 2011 in Latvia’s fishing fleet authorized to fish in the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea and the

Gulf of Riga. The total engine power of the coastal fishing fleet is 5002 kW. The gross tonnage of this segment is 832 GT. Most of them have an overall length of not more than 5 m and operate without an engine. It is mainly passive fishing gears, different seines and pots, which are used in the coastal fisheries. Catches in the coastal fisheries depend on the total quota allocated to Latvia. These fisheries are also a part of the traditional coastal landscape. Although with some changes nowadays, this landscape still works as a tourist attraction. Some coastal fishermen are working hard to diversify their activities, by including tourism (angling in the

sea; participation in fishing, fish catch culinary etc.), agricultural activities, services etc. Some of the coastal fishermen are also involved in fish processing, but mainly for the domestic market.

Baltic Sea offshore fleet sees major reduction in size As shown in the figures, the fishing fleet that operates beyond the coastal area is the second largest one in Latvia. However, the number of vessels in this segment has decreased over the last few years because of the scrapping programme. In 2011 this segment consisted of 74 vessels. The main reason behind

Atunes del Maresme, S.L. (Tunamar) a Spanish company based in Cadiz, Spain and part of ƚŚĞ d K 'ƌŽƵƉͲ ƵŐƵƐƚ dƂƉĨĞƌ Θ Ž͘ ;'D , Θ Ž͘Ϳ ŝƐ ƌĞĐƌƵŝƟŶŐ ϭ ^ĂůĞƐ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ ƚŽ ŚĂŶĚůĞ ƚŚĞ 'ĞƌŵĂŶͬ ƵƐƚƌŝĂͬWŽůĂŶĚ ĂƌĞĂ ĨƌŽŵ ŽƵƌ ŵĂŝŶ ,ĂŵďƵƌŐ ŽĸĐĞ͘ dŚĞ ^ĂůĞƐ DĂŶĂŐĞƌ ǁŝůů ƌĞƉŽƌƚ ĚŝƌĞĐƚůǇ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ 'ĞŶĞƌĂů DĂŶĂŐĞƌ͘ ^ƵĐĐĞƐƐĨƵů ,Ğͬ^ŚĞ ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞ ǁŝůů ŵĞĞƚ ƚŚĞ ĨŽůůŽǁŝŶŐ ƌĞƋƵŝƌĞŵĞŶƚƐ͗ ͻ &ůƵĞŶƚ ŝŶ 'ĞƌŵĂŶ ĂŶĚ ŶŐůŝƐŚ͕ ƉƌŽĮĐŝĞŶĐǇ ŝŶ ĂŶǇ ŽƚŚĞƌ ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞƐ ǁŝůů ďĞ Ă ƉůƵƐ͘ ͻ WƌĞǀŝŽƵƐ ĞǆƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƚƵŶĂ ŝŶĚƵƐƚƌǇ Žƌ ǁŽƌŬŝŶŐ ǁŝƚŚ ƌĞƚĂŝů ƐĞĂĨŽŽĚ ĂĐĐŽƵŶƚƐ ŶŽƚ ŽďůŝŐĂƚŽƌǇ ďƵƚ ĐĞƌƚĂŝŶůǇ ŚĞůƉĨƵů͘ ͻ ^ŽůŝĚ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƟŽŶ ĂŶĚ ŶĞŐŽƟĂƟŽŶ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ ͻ Ŷ ĂďŝůŝƚǇ ƚŽ ƌĞŵĂŝŶ ƐĞůĨͲŵŽƟǀĂƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ǁŽƌŬ ŝŶĚĞƉĞŶĚĞŶƚůǇ ƚŽǁĂƌĚ ĨƵůĮůůŝŶŐ ǁŚŽůĞƐĂůĞ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƚĂŝů ƐĂůĞƐ ŽďũĞĐƟǀĞƐ ƐĞƚ ďǇ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵƉĂŶǇ͘ WůĞĂƐĞ ƐĞŶĚ ǇŽƵƌ ĐŽǀĞƌ ůĞƩĞƌ ĂŶĚ ƌĞƐƵŵĞ ďĞĨŽƌĞ Ɖƌŝů ϯϬth to: Jurgen Smet, jsmet@tunamar.eu www.eurofishmagazine.com

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

LATVIA

Fishing ﬂeet development by operation area Overall vessel length/ Area of operation

01.01.2009

01.01.2010

01.01.2011

01.01.2012

<12m / Baltic coastal fisheries

708

687

683

648

12-40m/ Baltic Sea offshore fisheries

123

>40m/ high seas

Total

841

794

786

731

Catches in the coastal ﬁsheries Species

Catches (tonnes) 2009

2010

2011

Herring

2050,4

1954,4

2949

Sprat

1,3

0,6

0.9

Cod

76,2

95,0

77.6

Flounder

211,8

211

152.8

Total (together with other non-regulated species)

2644

2532.6

3402.8

Catches in the Baltic Sea offshore ﬁsheries Species

Catches (tonnes) 2009

2010

2011

Sprat

49548,6

45850,5

33067.9

Herring

19506,3

19418,4

19811.9

Cod

4534,6

5064,6

4861.7

Flounder

306,1

70,2

166

Total (together with other non-regulated species)

75820

71529

59365

Catches in inland ﬁsheries Year

2009

2010

2011

Catch (tonnes)

327

330

288

The Latvian aquaculture sector Most significant fish species for breeding 2010

Common carp – 438

(Tonnes per year)

European catfish – 27 Pike – 18 Tench – 11 Trout – 11 Sturgeon – 11

The main methods of aquaculture in 2010

Ponds – 801

(Number of units)

Basins – 1240 Recirculation systems – 10

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

the decline in fleet capacity was the reduction of the catch quotas. There was substantial aid from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) to compensate fishing vessels for their permanent withdrawal from fishing operations. This aid was widely used in the period 2007-2012. According to the data, the sum available from EFF for this measure was LVL17,102,256 (EUR24.53m) under which 137 projects were fully paid by 31.01.2012. The balancing of the fleet capacity was made according to the National Plan for Adjustment of the Fishing Fleet Capacity. By permanently removing vessels from fishing operations some negative impacts were reduced – the oldest fishing vessels which were obsolete were scrapped, so their negative impact on the environment was also limited; the productivity of each vessel increased to 16025 LVL per fisherman in 2010 (as compared to 10193 LVL in 2009). The main fishing gears that are used in the Baltic Sea fisheries are bottom set gill nets and trawls. The main species targeted by the Baltic Sea fleet of the quota-managed fish are cod, herring and sprat, while the main non quota species that are targeted are plaice and flounder. The quotas have typically been exploited by over 95, so every quota reduction has negatively affected the fleet. On the other hand the reduction in quotas has pushed up prices by 80,

says Inarijs Voits, President of Latvia’s Fishermen Association, and Chairman of the board of the National Fisheries Producer Organisation. At the beginning of 2011 prices for herring were LVL120 (EUR172) per tonne while one year later they are LVL220. Baltic sprat and herring is in demand abroad as well as at home where processors use it as the raw material to make the well known canned Riga sprats in oil. The number of vessels in the fleet will be reduced further this year, says Mr Voits, by four vessels bringing the fleet to 70 vessels. Once we reach that I feel there is no need for further decommissioning as the size of the fleet will be commensurate with the fishing stock. However, he feels that EU funding should be available to modernise vessels as the Latvian fleet despite the scrapping still has an average age of 26 years. New engines for example would use less fuel and make the fleet greener which is one of the pillars of the reformed CFP, says Mr Voits.

Transferable quotas have led to greater specialisation in the fleet Latvia has had a system of transferable quotas for about two years. This has led to some consolidation among the vessel owning companies as well as to greater specialisation, according www.eurofishmagazine.com

LATVIA

to Mr Voits. Companies that are good at catching small pelagics now concentrate on that, while others that are better at catching cod focus there. Producer organisations are increasingly adding value to the catch. As Chairman of the board of the National Fisheries Producer Organisation Mr Voits has overseen investments in fish grading and fish freezing at fisheries centres in Liepaja, Ventspils, Roja and Skulte, among others. Block frozen fish that is first graded commands a higher price on Latviaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s main markets in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. The ability to freeze the fish and keep it in storage is useful to regulate the amount of fish on the market and thereby the price, says Mr Voits. When

there is too much fish we can take it off the market and when there is too little we can release it. At its centre in Liepaja the Producer Organisation plans also to invest in filleting machines to further increase the value of the catch, while in Ventspils it has bought insulated tubs, plastic boxes and pallets for fishermen. Ventspils and Liepaja are the two biggest ports in terms of landings with around 30,000 and 20,000 tonnes annually. These investments are paid for partly by the PO and supported by the EFF, and partly by the fishers themselves. For the fishers to start investing in processing equipment makes sense, but also opens up for the possibility of conflicts between fishers and processors at some point.

Mr Voits feel that processors may invest in fishing companies or that processors and fishers may identify common activities or may jointly invest in third companies to cope with the changing situation. Catches in the Baltic Sea offshore fisheries constitute 38ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the total Latvian catches. The biggest problem in the Baltic Sea is the rapid decrease of herring and sprat quotas, which is partly caused by an increase in the predator species, cod. At the EU level Latvia has repeatedly stressed that when setting fishing opportunities, it is important to take into account multispecies relations. Increasing cod stocks strongly affects pelagic fish species and reduces

or makes it impossible to achieve one of the biggest goals of the new Common Fisheries Policy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; MSY (Maximum Sustainable Yield). Although the increase in the cod stock is good news, the rapid decrease of sprat and herring causes problems not only to fishermen, but also to the fish processing industry, that is highly dependent on the Baltic Sea raw material. Taking into account the current situation at the EU level, where the healthy state of fish stocks is prioritised against the socio-economic aspects, and where an individual approach at the regional level (like the Baltic Sea) is not employed, Latvia only hopes that the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) will help to solve such situations.

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

LATVIA

necessary before the Regulation can be formally approved. The main problem for Latvia, regarding this plan is that Latvia cannot agree that artificial reproduction outside wild salmon rivers should be stopped. The biggest part of the artificial reproduction goes to reduce the damage to fish resources and river ecosystems caused by hydropower stations (for example – in the Daugava River).

The Baltic Sea offshore fleet has been reduced substantially with financial help from the European Fisheries Fund.

Greater regionalisation is one of the elements of the reform of the CFP and Normunds Riekstins, Director of Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture is a keen proponent. We would like to be able to initiate regional proposals, develop a consensus among the countries here, and send it to the Commission for rapid approval, he says. We also want to be more closely involved in developing and shaping the legislation that comes out of Brussels that affects us. Regionalisation should mean that we are involved in legislative proposals from the very initial stages, rather than that we are expected to comment proposals where the broad strategy has already been decided.

High seas fleet targets mainly redfish, shrimp, and pelagics The fishing fleet that operates in the high seas is not very big – just 9 vessels (as of 01.01.2012). The areas of its fishing operations 40

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

are the waters of the North-West Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) where three vessels operate. The main part of the high seas fleet (seven vessels) operates in Mauritania’s and the Kingdom of Morocco’s Exclusive Economic Zones on the basis of EU partnership agreements. In this segment of the fleet the pelagic trawl is the standard fishing gear. Redfish and shrimp are the main targeted fish species caught in NAFO and NEAFC areas. Mackerel, sardine and sardinella are the main targeted species obtained in Mauritania’s and Morocco’s waters. In 2011 the catch amounted to 91,747 tonnes and was about 59 of the total catches of Latvia. At the end of last year the situation for the fleet’s operations in the waters of Mauritania and Morocco due to political decisions became very complicated. Protocols applicable until recently were suspended.

Also, the proposed amount for future fishing of certain species was significantly reduced. Now fishing opportunities in Mauritania have opened again, so Latvia’s fishing fleet is using them. The high seas fleet is highly dependent on these agreements says Mr Riekstins as the vessels cannot afford not to fish. If the quotas fall or agreements are not renewed it could mean that owners either enter into private contracts with the respective authorities in third countries or that the vessels register under the flag of another country that has agreements or fishing possibilities. Either way it is a less satisfactory solution.

Artificial reproduction compensates hydropower damage In connection with the EU long term management plan for Baltic Salmon Latvia thinks that further substantial discussion with Member States, sector representatives and other stake holders is

In the aquaculture sector there are 49 economically active enterprises (including state fish hatcheries) employing more than 300 people. In general the sector is mainly focused on carp breeding, but also negligible amounts of trout, sturgeon and pike are produced for the local market. At the moment there are some gradual changes going on in the sector, reorienting from carp to other species (i.e. trout, African catfish).

Production from inland waters declines Inland fishing activities have been decreasing over the last years. This is related to the prohibition of fishing activities with traps and nets in many lakes and rivers. The number of fishers is also limited by the number of fishing gears allowed for use in the respective water bodies. In places where the fishery is allowed this sector has been strengthened by the implementation of restocking plans. One important reason for the reduced popularity of inland fishing could also be the small and undeveloped market for inland fish and low demand from processors for this raw material in contrast to marine fish. The total fish production from inland fisheries and aquaculture constitutes about 0.18  of Latvia’s total fish catch. www.eurofishmagazine.com

LATVIA

The figures show a very slow catch increase in 2010 that decreased rapidly again in 2011. Breams, pikes and river-lampreys are the most popular fishes harvested in inland fisheries. Of course, with the development of aquaculture there is still a possibility for improvements in the supply of freshwater fish, even if inland fisheries decrease in the future.

Most fish processing enterprises are located along the coastline. The most important towns for fish processing are Liepaja, Ventspils, Roja, Engure as well as Tukums and Carnikava. Small fish processing enterprises are also found near many other fishermen settlements where smoked and salted fish is produced in small quantities.

During the last years changes in the number of processing companies have not been significant despite the economic crisis. From 109 companies in 2006 the number decreased by 10-15ď&#x2122;&#x201A; in 2007-2009. But the number started to rise again in 2010 and now constitutes 106 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; almost the level of 2006 (data as of 01.01.2011). Large processing companies are

export oriented and produce mainly canned fish products, while smaller ones tend to produce a wide range of products for the competitive domestic market. The main products manufactured by Latvian fishing companies are frozen fish (frozen Baltic sprats constitute approximately 20ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the total volume of fish production), salted and smoked fish,

Angling is a popular sport Angling competes strongly with inland fisheries. This activity is mostly linked with the development of ecotourism in Latvia. Angling in Latvia is organized in two ways. There is a licensed angling for which the angler buys an additional license and then fishes in a certain water body. There are also general angling cards that provide access to angling in all public and private lakes and rivers. Both these permits need to be purchased before start of the angling. The license fees are used for restocking and conservation of fish resources via the Latvian Fish Fund. A new approach that is getting more popular is angling in the sea coastal area from a boat. There are no reliable data collected on general angling catches (data are collected only for licensed angling, which does not give a full picture), but it constitutes about 1,600 tons. The most popular species caught are roach, perch, pike and bream.

Number of fish processors seems stable Fish processing industry in Latvia is well developed and production of canned fish in the territory of Latvia dates back to the end of the 19th century. In 2010 there were 106 fish processing companies in Latvia employing more than five thousand people. www.eurofishmagazine.com

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

LATVIA

tively influences the availability of raw material for local processors. Latvia faces the challenge of how to motivate the producers to make high value products in the country locally, not to export the useful raw material abroad.

Normunds Riekstins, Director of Fisheries in the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture.

Didzis Smits, President of the Union of Latvian Fish Processing Industries.

unsterilized preserves and ready to serve food, as well as sterilised canned fish.

other markets outside Europe as well. Currently the Latvian fishery production is exported to about 50 countries. Thanks to the European Fisheries Fund, several fish processing companies have modernised and obtained new processing equipment to diversify the range of products, improve quality of the production and increase productivity.

Canned sprats in oil are Latvia’s best known export Latvian fish processing companies in their production mainly use raw material from the Baltic Sea, but to diversify their assortment they offer a range of several processed ocean species, such as herring, mackerel and sardines and to lesser extent, inland fish. Catches from the Latvian vessels in the high seas (Atlantic mackerel, sardines, redfish and shrimp) are frozen on board and mostly exported to the countries that are close to the areas of vessel operation (Mauritania is an important partner). The most famous Latvian fish products are canned smoked sprats in oil. This product forms at least 70 of the total volume of Latvian canned fish. Latvian sprats in oil are widely recognized in the countries of the CIS, but during the last decade significant efforts have been made to introduce this product also to the Western European markets. Although the market share of Western European countries is currently small, it has been rising steadily during the last years and Latvian fish processing companies are expanding in 42

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

Canned fish processors have seen two years with substantial growth. For them the main issue at the moment is the high price of the raw materials. The problem is not only that the quotas have been cut, but also that the weather prevents the boats from going out, says Didzis Smits, President of the Union of Latvian Fish Processing Industries. In addition, the export of frozen sprat also nega-

Members of the Union require some 28,000 tonnes of sprat and if non-members are included the requirement is some 40,000 tonnes. The industry is trying to get around the shortage by importing Baltic sprats from Sweden and the other Baltic States, and buying North Sea sprats from Ireland. The proportion of fresh to frozen fish that we use is usually 70:30, but right now that has been reversed and we are working on bringing it back on track, says Mr Smits. After the boom years of 2006 and 2007 when the industry was producing 400m cans per year production has fallen considerably. Since 2009 production has been increasing and is now at about 250m cans a years. But increasingly Riga sprats are falling into the premium segment of the market and although volumes are lower turnover is higher. Our products will never be as cheap as they were, says Mr Smits, but as producers of a premium item we are better able to cope with highpriced raw materials.

Inarijs Voits, President of the Fishermen’s Association, and Chairman of the board of the National Fisheries Producer Organisation.

CIS countries are the main export market; sales to EU increase slowly Historically, Latvian fishers and fish processing companies produce more than is necessary to supply the local market. Fisheries is an export oriented sector of the economy and this is characterized by permanent positive external trade balance. The external trade balance for fisheries products in 2010 was EUR34.14m. For many decades Latvia has successfully exported fish products and canned fish. Although Latvian fish processing companies export to more than 50 countries, most of the production goes to the markets of the Russian Federation and other markets in the CIS. A newcomer to this list is also Mauritania where 9.6 from total fish production was exported. During 2010 the proportion of canned fish products exported to Russia increased, making Russia one of the most important players with a share of 43 of Latvia’s total canned fish export. Currently the largest Latvian trading partners in export are CIS countries (mainlyRussia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan), and EU countries (Estonia, Germany and Lithuania). Exports to other countries do not exceed 4 of the total export of canned fisheries products. The export of other fish products depends on catches by Latvian fishing vessels from the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The main exported fish products are frozen or chilled fish or frozen fish fillets. These products make up more than 90 of the total fish product export, without canned fish. Currently the main export markets for these products are CIS countries with 45 of the total volume which comprises mainly sprats. www.eurofishmagazine.com

LATVIA

Other destinations are the EU countries to which mostly chilled sprats and cod are exported.

Imports from all over the world While fisheries is considered an export sector, Latvia also imports fish products from more than 30 countries to satisfy the demand of fish processing companies for raw material and to diversify the supply of fish products on the local market. Imports are from countries all over the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the EU states, countries from East Asia, and also Africa. But the main suppliers over the last years have been Lithuania, Norway, Sweden and Estonia. Comparing the first 6 months of 2011 to the same period in 2010 shows a

46ď&#x2122;&#x201A; increase in imports to 24.9 thousand tonnes or LVL36.4m (around EUR 50m). Of this 65ď&#x2122;&#x201A; came from EU states, an increase of 60ď&#x2122;&#x201A;. The biggest increase was in imports from Estonia (2.3 times), followed by Lithuania and Sweden â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at 47ď&#x2122;&#x201A; and 39ď&#x2122;&#x201A; respectively. Of the total volume of imported fish the proportion of raw material for further processing is 70ď&#x2122;&#x201A;. The main raw materials are frozen herring and herring fillets, frozen sardinellas and sardines, salmon fillets, and mackerel. Preserved fish, canned fish and sea food products are also imported. Although these products do not form a big part of the total amount of fish import, they

show a declining tendency. In first 6 months of 2011, as comparing to the same period in 2010 these imports decreased by 5.2ď&#x2122;&#x201A; to 2,300 t. The biggest decrease was in imports from Denmark (32ď&#x2122;&#x201A;), Lithuania (11ď&#x2122;&#x201A;) and Poland (32ď&#x2122;&#x201A;). Canned tuna, crab sticks (surimi), molluscs, shrimps and frozen fillets in bread crumbs are also imported from other countries.

Fish consumption decreased, but industry recovers from crisis Over the last 2 years annual per capita fish product consumption has decreased both in Latviaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cities and the countryside. In 2008 it was 13.1 kg, in 2009 12.4 kg, and in 2010 it fell further to 11.7 kg. The main

cause was the increase in the fish prices and the fall in consumer purchasing power due to the economic crisis and the growing unemployment level. However, it should be recognized that the fisheries industry has recovered from the crisis and in the future can contribute significantly to Latviaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic growth. Latvia is ready to encourage active cooperation in the sector, making more effective use of resources with more added value. Latvia hopes that the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy will result in legislation that will help the fisheries industry to grow and prosper. Ginta Perle-Sile, Santa Jansone, Ludmila Ankvica, Ministry of Agriculture, Latvia.

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

LATVIA

The state hatchery Tome

Developing a centre of excellence in aquaculture The state hatchery at Tome is the biggest of all the Latvian state hatcheries. It is the main centre of hatchery activities with three branches in Karli, Dole, and Pelci. The facility at Karli has its own branch at Brasla. The complex of state hatcheries falls under the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health, and Environment, itself the result of a merger in 2010 between the National Diagnostic Centre and the Latvian Fish Resources Agency.

stablished in the village Kegums in 1929 the Tome hatchery is one of the oldest and biggest hatcheries in Latvia. Today the hatchery releases in Latvia’s inland waters each year 600,000 salmon and sea trout smolts, 150,000 one-summer-old salmon and sea trout, 500,000 pike-perch and European whitefish. In addition, the hatchery maintains a breeding programme for rainbow trout, sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus) and carp juveniles as well as broodstocks of brown trout, and European whitefish, to support the production of juveniles.

Restocking programme benefits commercial and recreational fisheries The different hatcheries within the system serve to restock different rivers in Latvia. The populations of fish in the various rivers are slightly different and therefore each hatchery only repopulates its own river or river basin. The facilities at Tome and Dole restock the River Daugava, while the production from Karli and Brasla is released into the River Gauja Basin. The Pelci hatchery is located on the River Venta and releases its fish there. Since the eggs and fry are reared in the same water in which the smolts will later be released, when the time comes 44

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

for the anadromous fish to return to freshwater to spawn, they recognise and return to the river of their birth. The migratory fishes restocking programme is intended to provide fish for the commercial fishery along Latvia’s Baltic Sea coast as well as for angling in the rivers. Fish from the hatcheries are also released in lakes to support both commercial and recreational fisheries. In addition a limited quantity of the fish that is bred at the hatcheries is sold to commercial fish farms to grow them to market-sized fish for sale. However, this is only a secondary activity for the state hatcheries, which under the fisheries law are responsible for restocking public natural waters. The restocking programme is partly funded by the hydroelectric

power station as compensation for blocking the River Daugava. The payment terms are laid down in the law and include estimations from scientists of how many fish are prevented from swimming the river, and a conversion factor that calculates a value for these fish. The Daugava was dammed 85 years ago, says Ivars Putvikis, the director of Tome, and now there is no natural spawning in the river. All the fish that are caught are from the restocking efforts carried out by the hatchery. In that sense the hatchery plays a vital role for the fisheries, both commercial and recreational, in the river, as without the restocking there would be no fishery. This is one indicator of the success of the restocking programme. The fish are also tracked says Mr Putvikis,

Tome Hatchery Company Fact File Keguma District LV-5020, Latvia Director: Mr Ivars Putvikis Activity: Restocking of the Daugava River Annual production: Baltic salmon (Salmo salar) and sea trout (Salmo trutta) smolts 600,000; one-summer-old salmon and

sea trout 150,000; pike-perch (Sander lucioperca) and European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus) 500,000. In addition, the hatchery maintains broodstocks of brown trout, European whitefish, and sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus) and runs a breeding programme for rainbow trout, and carp juveniles.

half to one percent of the fish that are released have a tag attached. Fishermen who catch a tagged fish are requested to send the tag back to the institute together with information on the place and date of catching, and the size of the fish. Researchers get useful information on the age of the fish when it is caught, as well as the distance covered since it was released. There is also a discussion about the adipose fin clipping of all fish that are released from hatcheries it order to readily distinguish between naturally spawned fish and those that grow up in a hatchery. The adipose fin is a fleshy fin located between the tail fin and the dorsal fin, whose purpose is uncertain. Hatcheries in many parts of the world clip the fin to help identify fish, although some work suggests that this may have an impact on the fish’s ability to swim in turbulent water.

Hatchery releases supplement natural populations In Latvia it is only the River Daugava that is completely dependent on hatchery releases for its fish population, says Normunds Riekstins, director of fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture, in the other rivers the releases supplement the naturally existing populations. However, without the restocking www.eurofishmagazine.com

LATVIA

Kursa would like to modernise its fleet

Higher raw material prices compensate partly for smaller sprat quotas The company Kursa has long history in the Latvian fishing industry. The company was founded in 1946 as a fishing collective in Liepaja. In 1989 as the Soviet Union dissolved and Latvia became an independent nation, the fishing collective was privatised, resulting in a company with a fleet of some 18 vessels at the end of the 90s.

s Latvia entered into agreements with the EU preparatory to joining, the country’s fisheries sector had to adapt to the provisions of the Common Fisheries Policy. Over the years capacity in Kursa fell as the oldest vessels were decommissioned against compensation or were voluntarily removed from the fleet, and by the end of the restructuring the company was left with three active vessels of the type Baltica.

Sprat, herring, and cod are the main species These three vessels, each 25 m in length, form the company’s fleet today and are used to target mainly sprat, but also Baltic herring, cod, and small amounts of turbot, in the Baltic Sea. Since its time as a fishing collective Kursa has leased vast tracts of land on long-term contracts in the port of Liepaja. The land is leased from the government and amounts to some 7.6 ha, but the buildings belong to Kursa and include two quays for the vessels, processing and storage facilities, as well as administrative buildings. 46

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

Drastic changes to the fleet over the last decades

Mr. Igors Markuseviskis, chairman of the board of Kursa, and president of the Latvian Fish Producers Association, a Producer Organisation (PO) in Liepaja.

Igors Markuseviskis wears two hats. On the one hand he is the owner of Kursa and chairman of the board, but he is also president of the Latvian Fish Producers Association, a Producer Organisation (PO) in Liepaja. The PO is not only responsible for carrying out interventions in the market to smoothen the fluctuations in the prices of Baltic herring and sprat, but has also invested in a modern processing facility for the production of block frozen sprat and Baltic herring as well as frozen fillets of cod. With its three vessels Kursa is the largest of the 12 companies that constitute the PO. Today the company catches annually some 1,500 tonnes of sprat, 500 tonnes

of cod, 80 tonnes of herring and small quantities of turbot. This is however just a fraction of the catches in the early days of the company’s existence.

The changes since the early 90s have been radical, says Mr Markuseviskis. Back then there were no restrictions on fishing, the fleet was much larger, fuel was much cheaper, and the cod they now catch in a year, they used to take in a week. Even 2004, when Latvia joined the European Union, cannot compare with 2012, he says. In the last couple of years although the company has only three vessels, declines in the sprat quota have meant that capacity, although commensurate with the raw material available today,

Kursa A/S Company Fact File Zvejnieku Aleja 11 LV 3400 Liepaja Latvia Tel.: +371 63423094 Fax: +371 63423094 Email: kursa@apollo.lv Chairman of the board: Mr. Igors Markuseviskis Activities: Fishing

Vessels: Three Baltic type trawlers, 25 m length, built in the early 1990s Target species: Sprat, Baltic herring, cod Volumes: 1,500 tonnes of sprat, 500 tonnes of cod, 80 tonnes of Baltic herring Products: Block frozen whole graded fish (sprat and Baltic herring), frozen cod fillets www.eurofishmagazine.com

The FAO Code is OUR code.

24/26 April 2012

Sustainability is nothing new in Alaska. In fact, sustainability is so important to the State of Alaska it was written into the State Constitution in 1959, mandating that “fish...be utilized, developed and maintained on the sustained yield principle.” Now, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) is offering a new independent, third-party certification of the management of the major Alaska commercial fisheries which is directly based on the respected United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries (Code) and the FAO Guidelines for the Ecolabeling (Guidelines) of Fish and Fishery Products from Marine Capture Fisheries—both recognized around the globe as the best criteria for responsible fisheries management. Please stop by our booth in Hall 6 (stands 1126 and 1127) to learn more or go to www.alaskaseafood.org/sustainability.

Visit the Alaska companies at the ASMI Pavilion: • Snopac Products Inc. • Pacific Harvest Seafood • Peter Pan Seafoods • Icy Strait Seafoods, Inc. • Icicle Seafoods • Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Inc. • Pacific Seafood Alaska • Double E Foods, LLC.

www.eurofishmagazine.com

• Trident Seafoods Corp. • Alaska Seafood Cooperative • Bornstein Seafoods Inc. • Seafood Producers Cooperative • Pacific Ocean Foods • Blue North Trading Co. • Triad Fisheries LTD. • Dana F. Besecker Co., Inc.

• Palomino Foods • Silver Bay Seafoods • Clipper Seafoods, Ltd. • Glacier Fish Company • Signature Seafoods, Inc. • Alaskan Leader Fisheries

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

LATVIA

The Kurseme PO invested EUR400,000 in fish tubs for the benefit of its members.

Pallets of block frozen sprat wait to be shipped from the Producer Organisation’s warehouse.

may exceed the resource if there are further falls in the quotas. Latvian sprat quotas dropped by 24 in 2011 to just under 40,000 tonnes and then by a further 22 in 2012 to less than 32,200 tonnes. On the other hand quotas move both ways and if they should rise Kursa would like to ensure that it has enough capacity to be able to fully exploit the increased quota. Expanding capacity can either be accomplished by joining with another company or buying a company that has one or more vessels.

fishing gear will reduce fuel consumption and support for the purchase and installation of this equipment would be consistent with the aims of the EMFF, says Mr Markuseviskis.

Ginta Perle-Sile from the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture explains that capacity taken out of the fleet against compensation from the EU’s decommissioning programme can not be returned to the fleet; the capacity reduction is permanent. On the other hand if the vessel is removed from the fleet at the expense of the owner, the capacity can be replaced. Kursa has removed 15 vessels from its fleet since the end of the 90s. Of these only two were removed permanently against compensation. Kursa therefore has the option of adding vessels to its fleet if the need arises. In theory the company could also expand capacity by modernising 48

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

the existing vessels, which are more than 20 years old. But, as Mr Markuseviskis says, putting a new heart into an old man does not make the man any younger. Besides, the next programming period does not include funds for scrapping vessels, a facility which in the past had contributed to vessel refurbishing. So any modernisation will be entirely at the company’s expense. This is one of the contradictions in the new European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), feels Mr Markuseviskis, which, on the one hand, is committed to environmental sustainability including reductions in emissions, while on the other, does not offer any support to achieve these aims. Newer engines and

PO provides processing facilities and other services The reductions in sprat quotas combined with bad winter weather, which has prevented boats from leaving their ports, have contributed to a significant increase in the price of the raw material. According to Inarijs Voits, president of the Latvian Fishermen’s Association, prices have almost doubled over the last

The Producer Organisation also produces for private labels. Here, frozen cod fillets produced for a Swedish buyer.

year. While this is a very favourable development for fishermen, Mr Markuseviskis points out that the cost of other inputs including fuel and labour have also increased significantly and if sprat quotas continue to fall no increase in price will be enough to compensate for the lack of fish. In 2007 the Producer Organisation (PO) headed by Mr Markuseviskis invested in processing facilities for the grading and freezing of sprat and Baltic herring as well as for the heading, filleting, skinning, and freezing of cod. The PO rents the space from Kursa, but owns the other assets. All the members of the PO have their fish processed at the PO’s facilities. By joining a PO companies small and big all have access to the services provided by the PO such as logistics, processing, freezing and storage which small individual companies may not have been able to afford. The sales and marketing functions however are still carried out by the individual company which finds the buyers and signs the contracts. The companies pay a subscription to the PO which is used to cover the costs of the processing, but the PO is not a profit making entity; it exists to add value to the product for the benefit of its member companies. www.eurofishmagazine.com

LATVIA

For Sillakas the environment is as important as the product

Striking the right balance between quality and volumes Sillakas is a ďŹ sh farm with a difference. Set in the Latvian countryside in the Cesis district near the river Rauna the farm is surrounded by forests. Although known as a trout farm Sillakas is also a destination for anglers. Of the 12 ponds six are for breeding and the other six are for angling.

illakas has a turbulent history. The Hofmanis family has owned the place for decades. When they first came the ground was so stony that it was unfit for growing anything other than grass. So, the family started a small business with bees, producing and selling the honey the bees made from the nectar of wild flowers. Over time the business grew and the family thrived. This was in the time of the Soviet Union under Stalin, and the familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s increasing prosperity earned them an award from the regime â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they were shipped off to Siberia.

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Small scale but high value Many years later in 1991 the family got its farm back and Mr Hofmanis, who had trained as a civil engineer, together with his son Raivo, an aquaculture engineer, decided to build a trout farm. Originally the idea was only to farm trout and with the help of funding from two EU-supported projects a recirculation system was put into place that enabled the full cycle breeding of trout, from egg to market-sized fish. Today the Sillakas concept is to grow trout not just for sale but also for anglers,

who, particularly in summer, come to spend time at Sillakas fishing for trout. What we offer, says Mr Hofmanis, is an experience that is based on nature and is intended for discerning tourists who value a small-scale, completely natural fish produced in harmony with the surrounding environment. Production volumes are deliberately limited to ensure that the entire operation emphasises the natural and to differentiate the company from others that operate on an industrial scale. For us that would undermine the whole concept, says Mr Hofmanis and the clientele we want to reach, quality-seeking,

environmentally-conscious customers, would desert us.

Mr Hofmanis, the owner of the trout farm and angling venture Sillakas.

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

LATVIA

Over the years Sillakas has become an increasingly attractive destination for anglers, who come from all over Latvia, especially Riga, and even from abroad. A guest house with a few large rooms allows fishers to overnight if they want to get away for a longer period. There are recreational activities to keep children entertained. In summer fishing instructors introduce children as well as adults to the basics of fishing. These courses also teach participants something about fish biology, about the environment and how to care for it, and provide other information relevant to angling and ecology. And for visitors who are not interested in angling there are also other possibilities such as walking and cycling trails, swimming, and other sports facilities. Sillakas also offers conference facilities including meals and beverages for

meetings of up to 45 people. And the facilities can also be rented for private occasions. The company also considers it important to popularise fish especially among the young and to spread information about the health benefits of fish. It therefore has arrangements with schools where groups of children are encouraged to taste different kinds of fish and are taught about the health benefits.

Trout is joined by other fish species In the meanwhile the number of kinds of fish that is available for anglers has increased several-fold. Today, in addition to trout, Sillakas also produces carp, catfish, sturgeon, pike, and tilapia. However, it is only the trout that are reared from the egg stage; the others are

obtained as fingerlings and then grown to market-sized fish. Sillakas also has a smokehouse where the trout is lightly smoked giving it a characteristic flavour. We do not smoke it too strongly as the flavour of the fish comes through better and we know our customers are nervous about the possible health impacts of strongly smoked fish. Smoked trout is one of the products that Sillakas offers to its customers on a regular though limited basis, but anglers can have the fish they catch smoked if they desire. Apart from being smoked the fish is also available fresh whole, or headed and gutted. It can be vacuum packaged or just wrapped. Customers are individual buyers rather than representatives of the wholesale or retail sector as this is in keeping with the whole philosophy of Sillakas. If we go commercial says Mr Hofmanis we will not be able to continue producing as we do now, there will be much more waste. The volumes today are in the range of 20 tonnes of fish of which half is trout and the other half is all the remaining species put together. The modest volumes mean that the fish are reared organically although the production is not certified, but everybody who buys from here knows our philosophy and how we breed the fish, says Mr Hofmanis. Besides, when the production is as modest as it is certifying it will be very expensive. Sillakas has to maintain the balance between the anglers who come

to fish and the other customers who come to buy fish. If we let one activity dominate it will change the whole concept.

Training courses in aquaculture could be another activity The nature of the activities that Sillakas offers means that summer is by far the busiest season with far more visitors and activities than during other parts of the year. In winter, although ice-fishing is possible, all the other activities cease and visitor numbers drop significantly. In winter we have half the employees and 20ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the income, says Mr Hofmanis. We would like to modernise the place, but do so in a way that maintains the natural charm of the area and ensures that customers keep coming to enjoy the beauty of the surrounding. Mr Hofmanis would also like to embark on a programme that will allow him to train people who are interested in aquaculture. Sillakas already functions as an informal consultancy offering information and advice to others interested in aquaculture, conservation, or the environment. But we would like to make it official and together with support from the Ministry of Agriculture offer courses, training in aquaculture-related fields, as well as conducting trials of equipment, says Mr Hofmanis.

Sillakas Trout Farm Company Fact File Liepnas pagasts LV 4128 Liepas Village, Cesu rajons Latvia Tel.: +371 93 54 126 Fax: +371 65 15 115 sillakas@inbox.lv Owner: Mr Hofmanis Products: Trout, carp, catfish, sturgeon, pike, and tilapia 50

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

Product forms: Smoked, fresh round, headed and gutted Packaging: Plastic wrapped, vacuum packed Volumes: 20-25 tonnes of fish, half trout, half all other species Facilities: Angling, guest house, conference room, sports, kitchen www.eurofishmagazine.com

LATVIA

The state hatchery Karli-Brasla

Restocking the River Gauja Basin Latvia has a well-developed restocking programme under which public natural waters are stocked with fish. These stocks form the overwhelming proportion of catches of several species in inland and coastal waters. The main species that are stocked include Baltic salmon, sea trout, river lamprey, pike, bream, vimba, pike-perch as well as small quantities of other fish species. Each year Latvian hatcheries produce 15-25 million larvae, juveniles and smolts, of which 80% are from state-owned hatcheries. The state hatcheries thereby play an important role in maintaining an inland and coastal fishery, including recreational catches.

he main state hatchery is the Tome hatchery on the River Daugava approximately 60 km from Riga. Tome is leading the work at three other state hatcheries, one of which, the Karli hatchery, is used to stock the River Gauja Basin. Karli is about 80 km inland from Riga and located close to the River Amata from which it draws the water it needs for use in the hatchery. A branch of the Karli hatchery is located on the River Brasla. For anadromous fish it is important that they are hatched and reared in the water, in which they will finally be released in order to find their way back up the river, when they will be ready to spawn, says Ms Dace Melgalve, the director of the Karli and Brasla hatcheries.

Baltic salmon and sea trout are the main species The main species produced at the hatchery are sea trout (Salmo trutta) and Baltic salmon (Salmo salar) with 200,000 smolts of each species. In addition the hatchery breeds European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The latter is intended for sale to commercial fish farmers who grow the juveniles to market size in ponds or water reservoirs. www.eurofishmagazine.com

For the Karli hatchery the five tonnes of rainbow trout that is produced for sale provides a useful secondary source of income. The seatrout broodstock is not kept at Karli, but at a branch of the Karli hatchery in Brasla also part of the River Gauja Basin. The Brasla hatchery has a license to catch the spawners and in the spawning season from October to December trap nets are placed in the river to capture the sea trout. The broodstock are kept at the Brasla hatchery and monitored closely so that the staff know precisely when the fish are ready to spawn. At that time they are stripped of their eggs by removing fish from the water and gently massaging the eggs out of the fish. Once the fish are relieved of their eggs they are returned to the tanks where they are kept under observation for a few days and then released back into the river. While the fish could in theory be used more than once keeping them at the hatchery for long periods is expensive, explains Ms Melgalve. They are big fish and need a lot of space as well as adequate nutrition, besides from a genetic point of view it is surely better to use eggs from different batches of spawners each year. From the Brasla hatchery the sea trout eggs come to Karli where they are incubated until

they hatch in April or May. The fry are grown for a year before they are released into the river next spring. The salmon on the other hand are reared from the egg stage at the Karli hatchery. We have an agreement with fishermen who catch the salmon in the spawning period and deliver them to us, says Ms Melgalve. Approximately 80 females and 60 males are needed to produce the 200,000 smolts that the hatchery uses each year for restocking. After the salmon have spawned they are usually returned to the fishermen who caught them.

Expansion is desirable but difficult economically Both the Karli hatchery and the facility at Brasla depend on the

Dace Melgalve, the director of the Karli hatchery and its branch at Brasla.

river for their water supply. The water is used in the hatchery and then goes through sedimentation tanks to filter it before it is allowed to return to the river.

Karli Hatchery Company Fact File Amata District, Karli Brasla Hatchery Pargauja District, Brasla Tel.: +371 29 467 509 Fax: +371 64 129 452 zivis.karli@inbox.lv Director: Ms Dace Melgalve Activity: Restocking of the River Gauja Basin.

Annual production: Sea trout (Salmo trutta) 200,000 smolts, Baltic salmon (Salmo salar) 200,000 smolts. In addition the hatchery breeds small numbers of European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

Incubators with eggs shortly before hatching. The seatrout eggs come from Brasla while the Baltic salmon eggs are extracted at Karli.

The state hatchery at Karli stocks the River Gauja Basin with Baltic salmon, sea trout, and some European whitefish.

At the moment Karli is producing to capacity. We would like to produce more, says Ms Melgalve, but that would mean expanding the facility and the money for that is not available. What we make from selling trout fry to private farmers is very modest and only covers some of the other requirements we have. At Karli alone there are 10 employees to oversee the various functions of the hatchery. Security is given priority and a 24-hour alarm will warn operators if the temperature or the oxygen content of the water changes unexpectedly. However, as the hatchery is not 52

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

using a closed recirculation system it cannot exclude diseases coming in with the water from the river. But there are norms for mortality rates at different stages of growth and we are well within those norms, says Ms Melgalve. When in doubt the hatchery can draw on laboratory resources at the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment in which the state hatcheries are operated as special branch of the instituteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activity. The Institute was established in 2010 by merging the National Diagnostic Centre and the Latvian Fish Resources Agency and it oversees all the state hatcheries. www.eurofishmagazine.com

LATVIA

Elanders recovers slowly from the crisis

Adapting to low demand and high raw material prices has been difﬁcult Rollmops are a traditional pickled herring rolled around a vegetable such as onion, olive, or gherkin, and fastened with one or two wooden pins. However, in the Latvian variation, this product is prepared as a rolled herring ﬁllet, and wooden pins are not used. The rolls are placed in a marinade, to which vegetables are added if necessary, and typically sold in jars or tubs at the retail level. Rollmops are consumed all over northern Europe including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Scandinavia, the three Baltic States and Poland.

n Latvia the company Elanders processes herring into a variety of products including rollmops. The company is owned by Alla Savina and Genrih Pokotinsky who developed it in the late 90s following a visit to Germany. The trip encompassed visits to companies making similar products as well as to exhibitions of seafood and processing equipment. But possibly, the company that made the greatest impact was a manufacturer of condiments and spices, who showed them how they could make better and tastier products naturally.

Production inspired in Germany Armed with this knowledge Ms Savina and Mr Pokotinsky returned to Latvia to develop their business. Much of the equipment that was needed in the production they found was cheaper to have made in Latvia rather than buy it off the shelf. Elanders also moved the production to a bigger site on the outskirts of Riga. In addition to rollmops the company produced salted fish, fish marinated in different sauces, as well as smoked fish. Much of the production was based on Baltic herring, but sprats, mackerel, and salmon were also used. www.eurofishmagazine.com

The company had also developed a market in Estonia, but the Estonians took care of their own distribution. Between 2006 and 2007 turnover increased by 17 from EUR2.45m to EUR2.86m.

Alla Savina and Genrih Pokotinsky, the directors of Elanders.

The company was also producing tailor-made products for their clients who made requests for their own individual tastes and flavours. Production and sales increased as

demand went up. Elanders had its own distribution operation with a fleet of vehicles which brought the products to every corner of Latvia as well as deep into Lithuania.

Elanders Ltd. Company Fact File Jaunciema gatve 320 LV 1015 Riga Latvia Tel.: +371 7343477 Fax: +371 7343028 elanders@elanders.lv www.elanders.lv Directors: Ms Alla Savina and Mr Genrih Pokotinsky

Products: Wide range of herring preserves; smoked mackerel, salmon, and trout; seaweed salads Volumes of raw material: 50 tonnes of herring a month, smaller volumes of the other fish Markets: Latvia, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Greece, Spain, and the Czech Republic

But then the global financial and economic crisis struck. Latvia was one of the worst affected countries. After averaging GDP growth of 11 from 2005 to 2007 GDP fell by 3 in 2008 and dropped again by a huge 18 in 2009 before increasing by less than a half percent in 2010, according to the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. At Elanders between 2007 and 2011 the turnover shrunk by 40 to EUR1.7m. From 80 employees we went down to 50, says Ms Savina. Demand for our products just dropped as people could not afford them any longer. Many had lost their jobs and could no longer spend as much as they had in the past, others retained their jobs,

A selection of Elanders’ products waiting to be shipped to local buyers. Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

LATVIA

but suffered wage cuts, the price of filleted raw material went up, and, in addition, there was an increase in value-added taxes.

for partners abroad with the aim to increase the export proportion over the next few years. In Latvia the retail chains are important buyers, but the company also sells to smaller retail shops and fishmongers as well as to the hotels, restaurants, and catering sector. Large consignments can be stored in the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s refrigerated warehouses if necessary.

Diversifying the product palette Today, the situation is better, but there is still some distance to go before turnover returns to its pre-crisis level. We are slowly introducing new products into our range, says Ms Savina. One of these is herring salads, which combine chunks of herring fillet with vegetables and mayonnaise. But now we are also making salads without the herring, but just the vegetables. Another new line of products uses seaweed as the raw material. The seaweed is imported dried in bales from China and is then processed in the factory. The processing includes rehydration, cooking, and marinating before the seaweed is packed in jars or tubs. Herring is the primary raw material that Elanders uses. In 2011 it was using 50 tonnes a month, but before the crisis 70-80 tonnes a month was the norm. The company has also faced problems sourcing the raw material for its herring products. Baltic herring quotas fell by 16ď&#x2122;&#x201A; in 2012 compared with 2011 and the fish is more difficult to obtain

Rollmops are an important part of the Elanders assortment.

says Mr Pokotinsky. Elanders also uses North Atlantic herring from Ireland to make certain products. The two fish are the same species, Clupea harengus, but the Atlantic variety tends to be larger while the Baltic herring, as the name suggests, is found in the Baltic Sea. Problems sourcing Baltic herring have forced the company to buy more Atlantic fish than normal, but even so more Baltic herring is used in the production than Atlantic as it is fresher and cheaper.

Exports to several markets in Europe The 1,600 sq. m production area is airy and very bright with big windows and plenty of natural light. At an industrial fryer an

Headed herring that has been lightly dusted with flour mixed with spices is deep fried before being placed in a sauce or marinade. 54

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

employee deep-fries headed herring that has been lightly dusted with flour mixed with spices. Our philosophy is to make products that are healthy and tasty and are not spiked with artificial flavours or other additives, says Ms Savina. Even preservatives are not used which means the shelf life of preserves are only two months and not six. The processing facility is HACCP certified and products from here go to markets in Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, Greece, Spain, and the Czech Republic apart from the main market, Latvia. Exports amount to some 33ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the volumes produced. The capacity of the company is much bigger than what is now used and Elanders is open for cooperation and is looking

New products are constantly being discussed and developed, says Mr Pokotinsky. Account is taken of the different tastes prevailing on the different markets when designing new products. For example, in Germany products in oil are popular. Samples are then sent out to clients to get their feedback. We have also considered other species of fish, such as carp. Smoked carp is a good product, but the short shelf life was not suitable for the market, says Ms Savina, it made the product too expensive and Latvia is not yet ready for expensive products. However, using the existing product range as a base, it is possible to make modifications and adjust the product taste, appearance, or other parameters to the demands of the client. As the assortment of products offered is wide, there is also a lot of flexibility in this field.

After frying the herring is left to cool before being further processed. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ PROCESSING ] Reliable, versatile and inexpensive

Ice is the universal coolant in the ﬁsh industry Cold preserves and maintains the quality of numerous products and protects them against premature spoilage. Ice is a reliable coolant that has been put to good use for centuries for cooling ﬁsh and seafood both on and off shore. But not all ice is the same… There are various different kinds of ice that vary with regard to temperature, consistency and other characteristics. Which ice is best suited to which application?

he biggest catch would be in vain if it were not immediately possible to protect the fish from spoilage through appropriate cooling. A simple rule of thumb states that with every hour in which fresh fish is not cooled after the catch it loses a whole day’s shelf-life. And even if this formula is very approximate it is indisputable that nutritional value and freshness, flavour, vitamins and many other ingredients are best preserved through adequate cooling. Of course, this is also true for a lot of other foods such as fruit, vegetables, dairy products, sensitive bread, cakes and pastries, or meat and meat products but it applies in a special way to fish and seafood.

in the flavour, colour, and in the smell of the fish, which becomes more unpleasantly “fishy”. Added to this is the effect of the fish’s own enzymes which played a part in numerous processes within the living organism. A lot of them remain active even after the fish’s death when they begin to break down the body substance of the fish. This leads to quality losses as the fish’s flesh becomes increasingly soft. The third reason for spoilage is chemical processes that are partially the result of atmospheric oxygen which reacts, for example, with the fatty acids in the body tissue making them rancid due to oxidation. Chemical degradation processes play a decisive role in the development of unpleasant smells, too.

When a fish dies, decomposition and spoilage processes begin immediately because important defence mechanisms that protect the living organism from such damages no longer function. Bacteria, enzymes and chemical processes work together to dissolve body structures and tissues. Billions of bacteria that occur naturally in the fish’s body slime, on their gills and in their intestines begin to multiply rapidly. Some of these bacteria produce enzymes that break down the fish’s protein. This leads to a gradual change

The intensity and speed of these spoilage processes depends very heavily on temperature. Higher temperatures accelerate bacterial growth, increase enzymatic activity and intensify chemical reactions. Already an increase in temperature of 0 to 4°C can double decomposition rate and approximately halve the shelf-life of a fish. No other factor influences the shelf-life of seafood products as strongly as temperature. This explains why constant cooling on ice is so important during storage of fish.

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The presentation of fresh fish at the retailer’s would be inconceivable today without ice. Transparent ice shards allow customers to see even small details in the fish.

Ice quality determines its use No matter whether a fisherman stays at sea for weeks or returns to port the same day, his fish will only maintain optimal quality if immediately after the catch it is cooled to, and stored at, a temperature of about 0°C. The fisherman can take the ice required for this purpose on board when he leaves harbour or he can produce it himself on board his fishing vessel using ice machines. Although the technology used in ice machines varies from manufacturer to manufacturer the basic principle behind the production process is always the same. Water is applied to the interior of a strongly cooled

cylinder in the machine and this water freezes immediately and is then scraped off so that it falls into an ice bin below. This is how pourable scale ice is produced, a type of ice which is frequently used on board fishing vessels because it is easy to handle. With temperatures of nearly minus 7 degrees Celsius scale ice is relatively cold. The ice scales are only about 2mm thick, however, so that freezer burn will not develop and the sensitive fish skin is not damaged. Scale ice is comparatively dry and melts more slowly than other kinds of ice. The melt water that arises during this process keeps the fish sufficiently moist and washes any developing microorganisms from the fish skin. Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

[ PROCESSING ]

Two types of liquid ice: on the right microcrystals measuring about 0.1 mm (ideal for reducing temperature) and on the left round crystals measuring 1.5 mm which are particularly suited for cooling during transport.

Several basic criteria that are decisive for the quality of ice and its applications have already been mentioned. It goes without saying that the purpose of ice is always to cool the products but not so strongly that they suffer damage. As soon as the temperature falls below a critical level during storage freezer burns can develop which change the appearance, colouring and flavour of the fish and possibly even render it inedible. The ice should maintain the desired temperature during fish storage but at the same time slowly melt so that the fish is gently washed. This rinses bacteria and other germs from the surface of the skin, protects the layer of slime and keeps the fish constantly moist. The temperature of the ice is of less significance for its cooling capacity which mainly depends on the melting point. The larger the surface of a piece of ice compared to its volume the faster it will change back into water, i.e. melt. Following this logic anyone who wants to cool a fish as quickly as possible should choose small-sized ice pieces because they melt relatively 56

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

fast and thereby release their cooling capacity quickly. If, however, fish is to be stored over a longer period of time it is generally more advantageous to use larger pieces of ice that will melt more slowly. However, heed must be taken of the fact that the individual pieces of ice will tend to freeze together due to air humidity or the meltwater and then clump together. The colder the ice is and the longer it is used for cooling the more meltwater is formed and the more this effect is to be seen. Scale ice with its extremely cold temperature of -7°C often clumps together in warm surroundings already after just a few hours. This process can be delayed if the ambient air temperature in the storage room is kept low, too, so that as little meltwater as possible develops.

Chip ice and liquid ice made of fresh or salt water Chip ice hardly freezes or clumps together at all. At only -0.5°C the

temperature of chip ice is relatively warm and not sufficient to make meltwater freeze again. As a rule it is only on the surface where the ice is in direct contact with the warmer ambient air that a thin frozen layer will form but beneath this, the ice remains loose and pourable. Chip ice is a kind of multi-purpose ice because, depending on the size of the pieces of ice, it can be used for nearly all cooling purposes. Small chips which melt quickly are perfect for fast cooling of fish, especially of fresh fish fillets that could freeze in a colder ice. Larger chips that do not melt so quickly are well suited for storage and long-term cooling of fish, for example in fresh fish counters or during transport. Nugget ice or cube ice is really chip ice, too, even if some kinds have particular properties. Nuggets, for example can be very hard on the inside but in contrast on the outside watery and soft. This makes the ice looser, the pieces of ice do not “tinkle” but slide past each other in a homogeneous mass. The relatively soft ice is gentle on the products it chills and ensures – for example when cooling drinks – a pleasant mouth feel. Most kinds of ice are based on freshwater but some can also be made of salt water. The salinity of sea water ensures that this ice is more amorphous, “softer” so to speak. Scale ice that is made of sea water, for example, is always slightly more crumbly, the shards are not as smooth and resistant to abrasion as in the case of scale ice made from freshwater. “Liquid ice", a suspension of water, tiny ice crystals and more compact ice pieces, is usually made from sea water. The salinity reduces the freezing point so that it is still liquid at temperatures of down to about -2°C. Salt water is thus ideal for the production of an amorphous liquid ice pulp which

is particularly suitable for storing cooling energy. Liquid ice, also know under the names slurry ice, flow ice or stream ice, can be pumped through pipes and thereby transported from the ice machine to the location of application. It surrounds the products it has to chill completely, for example each individual fish, enabling maximal surface contact. The small ice crystals soon dissolve leading to an even cooling process. The temperature of the products falls faster than with other types of ice which is why liquid ice is particularly popular for cooling fishes, for example on board fishing vessels after the catch. Because there are no sharp edges in the slurry ice the fishes suffer no mechanical damages and remain fully intact. Liquid ice is also good to dose and is particularly hygienic because it can be pumped from the production site directly to its destination without having to be carried by hand. By mixing ice and water the temperature can be adapted fairly precisely to the required range. In general, liquid ice contains about 20 to 50 solid ice but higher ice concentrations are also possible. The “Variable State Ice” System from Axima Refrigeration is said to be able to supply liquid ice with an ice content of between 0 and 100 which covers temperature ranges between 0 and -30°C (such low temperatures are, however, only possible with liquid ice in combination with special additives). The application spectrum of liquid ice is thus very broad, depending on whether it is liquid, pasty or nearly dry.

Compact block ice and ultra cold dry ice made of CO2 The opposite of liquid ice is hard block ice which is a compact, completely frozen ice in rectangular www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ PROCESSING ] blocks usually weighing between 10 and 25 kg. In a lot of industrialized countries block ice has today moved rather out of focus because compared to a lot of other types of ice it has certain drawbacks. Prior to its usage, for example, it often has to be cut up which can lead to sharp edges on some of the pieces. Block ice does have some convincing advantages, however. It has a good cooling capacity, can be stored for a long time and is easy to transport. A special kind of ice is solid dry ice which is not made of water but of carbon dioxide (CO2). At temperatures above -78°C dry ice immediately becomes gaseous without melting. Due to its strong cooling capacity dry ice has to be carefully dosed if the products should not freeze. The cooling capacity of this ice is nearly three times higher than that of conventional water ice so that smaller quantities are sufficient for achieving the same cooling effect. This means that dry ice is a very useful option whenever a combination of reliable cooling and minimum weight is required, for example during transport of fresh fish by air. It is also an advantage that when dry ice melts no water develops which might cause damages within the aeroplane.

Apart from that, the product is not left “floating” in meltwater. Although this means doing without the disinfectant effect on the skin surface of the fish when the meltwater washes over it this is compensated for by the disinfectant effect of the CO2. Another advantage of dry ice is that it is odourless and flavourless and so does not impair the sensory properties of the fish. Dry ice is available in pellets, slices, blocks or as dry ice snow and can thus be very easily dosed for most application fields.

Food hygiene regulations also apply to ice There is a wide choice of ice machines and cooling systems for producing the different types of ice for their various applications.

system a user ultimately chooses depends on numerous criteria. Modern machines for producing ice should not only have a high capacity, be reliable, robust and low-maintenance but should also be profitable and energy efficient because the cooling energy stored in, and later released by, the ice first has to be invested during the production process. Of similar significance are the hygiene aspects that have to be considered during the production and use of ice. Ice is usually used in the food sector for cooling fish and other products in order to prevent their premature spoilage and the development of harmful bacteria. It would thus be scandalous if bacterial germs were to get into the fish via contact with the very ice that is used to prevent this. According to EU

Water used for the production of ice should meet the highest hygiene requirements In addition to standardised systems for “normal” application fields a lot of manufacturers also offer made-to-measure solutions that are tailored to the particular needs and requirements of individual users. Which

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law both ice and water are seen as foods and thus subject to very stringent hygiene regulations. Scrupulous cleanliness of all machines, rooms and apparatus that are used for the production, transport and storage of ice is thus

an absolute must for germ-free, hygienically safe ice. Probably the most prominent source of germs in ice is the water that is used to make it. It should meet the highest hygiene requirements and if possible be of optimum food quality. Despite this, problems can still sometimes arise, particularly if water has lain unused in pipes for a long time, for example in the inlet pipe or in a machine which is switched off. To prevent the penetration and spreading of bacterial germs some manufacturers equip their ice machines with disinfection systems which work with UV light or ozone. This enables noticeable reductions in the risk of bacterial contamination of ice. Germs can also get into the ice through the air, however, for example through germ-contaminated aerosols or inadequately disinfected surfaces of fish counters and packing cases, and from there onto the fish. As is the case with temperature controlled foods surfaces that come into contact with the ice must be regularly and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Dr Manfred Klinkhardt

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Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Seac AB to display new equipment at SPE Brussels

A machine that delivers both nobbed ďŹ sh, and ďŹ llets Seac AB, the Swedish company specialised in renovated processing machinery for the ďŹ sh industry, will launch the FPM-400, a new nobbing and ďŹ lleting machine, at Seafood Processing Europe in April.

eac AB has its origins in Arenco AB later Norden Seafood Fish Machinery, the former manufacturer of processing machinery from Sweden, and today employs engineers both from Arenco and from VMK, another Swedish company, to continue the Swedish tradition of precision engineering in fish

processing. Over the past three years Seac AB has redesigned and developed the former Arenco machines, the CIS-N for nobbing and the SFD-300 for filleting, gradually enabling them to process smaller and smaller fish. Today the nobbing machine can handle fish in the range of 80/100 fish per kilo, while the

filleting machine processes fish of 55/60 fish per kilo and tests are continuing to bring that to 100 fish per kilo. The CIS-N was a popular machine racking up sales of over 2,500 units around the world in the two decades up to 1980. As a result, the new FPM-400 has a

Seac AB will launch the FPM-400, a new nobbing and ďŹ lleting machine for small Baltic herring and sardines, at Seafood Processing Europe.

lot of experience and knowhow built into it. The SFD-300 was developed in the 60s and is still

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Mr. Arnis Petranis Âˇ E-mail: peruza@peruza.lv Phone: +371 2640 4797 Âˇ Internet: www.peruza.lv 58

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

Smart budget equipment specialists www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ TECHNOLOGY ] being used by companies around the Baltic who use it to process sprat and Baltic herring, as well as in the Mediterranean region where it is used for sardines and similar fish. Seac’s new FPM-400 is based on these two machines, but also draws on other equipment for important components. The transfer unit for example originates from the CIS/CIF, also made by Arenco, and in its time popular in North America. The FPM-400 is unique in that it delivers both nobbed fish and fillets. With an optional attachment the machine can also give belly-cleaned fish. The first part of the FPM-400, the Seac FPM-200, uses a mechanical gutting device rather than a vacuum unit. This not only cuts

SEAC AB Company Fact File Slaanbarsvagen 4 S 38690, Oland Sweden Tel.: +46 4853 5200 Fax: +46 4853 5230 info@seac.se www.seac.se Owner: Ulf Groenqvist Area of operations: Manufacturer

the cost of the machine, but also gives a yield that is 15-18 percent higher in the end product than a vacuum unit with two knives. In other words it is as close as one can get to manual filleting. Tests also show that the mechanical device is a much better solution

of new and reconditioned ﬁsh processing machinery based on models from Arenco and VMK, two Swedish processing companies Specialisation: Developing machinery to process smaller and smaller ﬁsh sizes Markets: Latvia, Romania, Russia, Croatia, USA, Australia, Norway, Estonia

for different fish species with soft bodies than an ordinary vacuum unit. However, by extending the FPM-200 it is possible to equip it with a vacuum unit resulting in a single machine with two nobbing devices. This variation can profitably be used by companies that

work only with defrosted fish as it gives high yields as well as high accuracy. The FPM-400 is designed for smaller fish and the machine has been installed in Latvia where it is processing Baltic herring (25-55 fish/kilo) at a speed of 300 fish/ min. In 2012 three more machines are expected to be installed in Latvia and Croatia for small Baltic herring and sardines. Seac AB is cooperating with Peruza, a Latvian company, to develop further refinements for the machine such as an automatic feeder for small fish. This will reduce the number of operators needed to feed the machine and has already reached the trial stage. The feeder is expected to be ready for the market in 2012.

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Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Depron reduces its carbon footprint

Biodegradable packaging for the food industry Polylactic acid (PLA) is a compound derived from renewable resources such as corn starch, sugarcane, or tapioca that can be used for the manufacture of plastic packaging materials that have several advantages over plastics produced from oil. Among the companies that are using this material is Depron, a manufacturer of packaging materials based in the Netherlands.

nlike conventional plastics derived from oil, plastic packaging made from PLA is biodegradable – over time it will degenerate into harmless natural products. In addition, the production of PLA uses less energy and results in less greenhouse gases than a comparable volume of conventional plastic. Companies using this material can claim to have reduced their carbon footprint. Depron produces a range of packaging materials for the food industry from PLA. Compared with conventional polystyrene trays PLA trays are slightly more expensive, an issue the company is trying to solve by talking to its suppliers to try and find cost reductions. The trays come in a variety of shapes, sizes and even colours so that the customer is sure to find the one that is perfectly suited to his product. Together with the trays the company also has a range of backing boards made from extruded polystyrene foam. The backing boards can either be “dry,” a Depron patented technology, or standard. The “dry” boards absorb any moisture released by the product and also have a slightly adhesive surface that allows the product to be displayed vertically. The adhesive effect is created by the small holes in the surface of the board

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

keeping the packaging free of any visible moisture. Both the dry boards and the natural boards are made of food grade materials that comply with all the The Dutch concern Depron makes packaging products for the food and non-food industries for markets across Europe.

which create a slight suction and thereby hold on to the product even if the package is placed vertically. The slight adhesion of the product to the board also facilitates placing the board into a tray. The “dry” boards absorb fluids evenly whether the tray is laid flat or is placed vertically thereby

Polystyrene is gradually being replaced with the more environmentally friendly PLA in Depron’s packaging products.

Depron B.V. Company Fact File Wetering 20 NL 6002 SM Weert The Netherlands Tel.: +31 495 458 658 Fax: +31 495 458 680 pbiesh@depron.nl www.depron.nl Sales and marketing director: Mr. Pieter Biesheuvel Activities: Production of packaging material from

polystyrene and more recently from polylactic acid (PLA) Customers: The food and non-food industries Volumes: About 450m units per year Markets: Germany, France, Poland, the UK, Austria, Lithuania, Estonia, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Belgium Employees: 100 Turnover: EUR20m

The “dry” backing boards use a technology patented by Depron that absorbs the moisture in the package, and keeps the product in position by adhering it in place.

relevant European regulations. They are very light, yet sturdy, retaining the shape of the product and stabilising the packaging. The boards are anti-microbial and available in a range of colours so that the appearance of the product can be highlighted. In addition the standard board can be easily customised with the name or logo of the supplier without compromising its other qualities. Depron was established as a fully owned subsidiary of Hoechst Holland in 1970 to manufacture polystyrene trays for the food packaging industry using the raw materials produced by another Hoechst plant in Breda, Netherlands. In 1997 Hoechst sold the company in a management buyout. Since then Depron started several new product lines including barrier trays in 2001, backing boards for fish production in 2003, and the PLAbased packaging range in 2010. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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FISH INFONETWORK NEWS

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Projects

Efforts to make Chilean croaker available in Brazilian cities

The FAO consultants with Infosamak staff.

Chilean technicians show farmed croakers to Luis Palmera (first left) and Isabela Rangel (first right), representatives of the wholesale trade in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro respectively.

The final phase in the “Croaker Project” financed by CORFO/ Fundación Chile, consisted of a visit by two Brazilian seafood market representatives to Tongoy and Playa Serena in Chile on 18-20 December. The objective was to show the visitors the sites where the farmed croaker (Cilus gilberti) is produced in Tongoy, as well as to invite them to a tasting session in La Serena. Mr Luis Palmeira, from Sao Paolo city, is the director and owner of New Fish one of the most important wholesale companies in the central market of Companhia de Entrepostos e Armazéns

Gerais (CEAGESP) in Sao Paolo. Ms Isabela Rangel, is the director and owner of Georosa, which operates in the central market of CEASA in Rio de Janeiro, and she also represents the wholesaler association of Rio de Janeiro (APPAERJ). They were accompanied by the Director of INFOPESCA, Roland Wiefels, who organized the mission. The participants visited the floating cages in which the fish is reared and observing the different stages in the production of the farmed fish. Afterwards they took part in a meal where croaker was prepared and presented in different ways.

News

Team reviews FAO support to countries for implementation of responsible ﬁshing code An FAO consultancy team on a mission to evaluate the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing (CCRF) in Morocco had meetings with Infosamak staff in January 2012 about the implementation of the Code. The team also discussed www.eurofishmagazine.com

means and procedures that could be followed so that FAO could better assist countries in the adoption of the guidelines provided by the Code. The assessment aims at providing the FAO and its member countries a review based

on concrete evidence of the support provided by the FAO since 2004 to implement the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fishing. The assessment will report on the results and the comparative

advantages of the FAO in this area of work, and make recommendations on the role and future strategies the FAO could adopt in its work for the improved implementation of the Code.

Publications

An introduction to certiﬁcation schemes This guide gives an overview of the major sustainability, social labelling and quality assurance schemes for the capture and aquaculture sector. It gives an introduction to the conditions and implications when being certified to a standard and contains case stories on six companies’ approach to certification. Advice on how to initiate and carry through the certification process is presented in an easily read format. The book is a collaboration between Eurofish, FAO, and Bureau Veritas Denmark and is available for EUR35 (plus postage) from the shop on the Eurofish website www.eurofish.dk.

A Guide to

&HUWL¿FDWLRQ LQ WKH $TXDFXOWXUH DQG 6HDIRRG ,QGXVWU\ An introduction to sustainability and quality assurance opportunities Author: Michael Larsen

SA 8000 MSC IFS ISO 9000ISO 22000BRC MSC SA 8000 Friend Of THE ISO SEA9000 ISO 22000 BRC MSC 8000 Of T ISO 9000 IFS SA Friend THE SEA BRC ISO 22000 IFS

A guide to certification in the aquaculture and seafood industry, Michael Larsen, Copenhagen, Eurofish. 2012. 80 pp.

Mud crab farming growing rapidly in parts of Asia The last decade has seen rapid expansion in the farming of several mud crab species in China, the Philippines and Viet Nam in particular. This manual is an introduction to all aspects of

mud crab aquaculture. It provides a useful reference source for existing farmers, researchers and extension officers active in the industry and comprehensive baseline information for those Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

[

FISH INFONETWORK NEWS

The Fish Infonetwork ( FIN )

in countries or companies interested in investing in this aquaculture sector. Information on mud crab biology, hatchery and nursery technology, grow-out systems, disease control, processing and packaging has been collated to provide a holistic approach to mud crab aquaculture production. The publication can be freely downloaded here http://www.fao.org/ docrep/015/ba0110e/ba0110e.pdf

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

Mud crab aquaculture, FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 567. Rome, FAO. 2011. 78 pp.

Using modern technology to create oases in the desert This volume contains the proceedings of the FAO technical workshop on aquaculture in desert and arid lands held in Mexico in 2010. Aquaculture in desert and arid lands has been growing steadily over the last decade thanks to the modern technologies and alternative energy sources that have allowed water in these places of extremes to be exploited more effectively and more efficiently, using it for both crop irrigation and production of fish. This publication presents the evolution of desert and arid land aquaculture in the past few decades in seven countries and regions (Australia, Egypt, Israel, Mexico, Southern Africa, the United States of America, and Central Asia) describing the achievements of a number of farming operations, which demonstrate the significant potential for farming commercial aquatic organisms using geothermal, fresh and brackish waters. Limited water supply remains the single largest constraint for aquaculture development in arid and semi-arid regions; however, where the resource is available, the development of integrated aqua-agriculture systems may certainly provide economic 62

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

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output opportunities from such resource-limited regions. Such farming systems may also enable the production of highly priced fish, vegetables and fruits all year round. At the end of the workshop, a series of recommendations were elaborated by the experts to assist FAO Member countries wishing to generate a favourable national environment to promote sustainable aquaculture development. The publication can be freely downloaded here http://www.fao.org/docrep/015/ ba0114e/ba0114e.pdf

FIN executes donor projects, prepares market research for private companies, and organizes training courses on marketing and quality assurance. All seven services offer different possibilities for co-operation with the private sector, institutes, government offices and donors. Globefish Fishery Industries Division FAO Viale delle Terme di Caracalla I 00100 Rome, Italy Tel.: (+39) 06 5705 6313/5059 Fax: (+39) 06 5705 5188 globefish@fao.org www.globefish.org Partners: Seafood Services Australia, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada; Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Denmark; European Commission (DG FISH); OFIMER, France; Norwegian Seafood Export Council; Ministero de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación, Spain; National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, USA; VASEP, Viet Nam Infopesca Casilla de Correo 7086 Julio Herrea y Obes 1296 11200 Montevideo, Uruguay Tel.: (+598) 2 9028701/2 Fax: (+598) 2 9030501 infopesc@adinet.com.uy www.infopesca.org Member Countries: Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uruguay, Venezuela Infofish Menara Olympia, Level 2 8 Jalan Raja Chulan Kuala Lumpur 50200, Malaysia Tel.: (+603) 20783466 Fax: (+603) 2078 6804 infish@po.jaring.my www.infofish.org Member Countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Maldives, Malaysia, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand

Aquaculture in desert and arid lands: Developments and constraints, FAO Technical Workshop. 6-9 July 2010, Hermosillo, Mexico. Proceedings No. 20 Rome, FAO. 2011. 202 pp.

Infopeche Tour C -19éme étage, Cité Administrative, Abidjan 01, Cote d‘Ivoire Tel.: (+225) 228980 / 215775 Fax: (+225) 218054 infopech@africaonline.co.ci www.globeﬁsh.org/index.php?id=1113

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Implementing an ecosystem approach to manage human activities

Science can promote sustainable use of resources The International Council for the Exploration of the Seas (ICES) is a network of scientists from 200 institutes that supplements national research into the marine ecosystem in the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas. The information generated through ICES is developed into unbiased advice that is used by the 20 ICES member countries to manage these areas. The ICES secretariat is based in Copenhagen, Denmark and comprises some 50 staff led by the General Secretary. Anne Christine Brusendorff has been General Secretary of ICES since February this year. She joined ICES from HELCOM, the Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission, where she served as Executive Secretary. In this interview she discusses among other issues the importance of ICES' contribution to the sustainable use of marine ecosystems. Now that you have had a little time to settle in to your new position how do you see your role as General Secretary of ICES and what are your priorities for the organisation? As the General Secretary my role is, together with my colleagues in the Secretariat, to facilitate the work of the ICES Member States. An important part of this work is to strengthen the ICES trademark, and in this way ensure that the organisation is both responsive to existing demands, but also prepared for future challenges. One of the existing, but still developing demands is to implement an ecosystem approach to management of human activities affecting the marine environment through integrated science and advice. ICES is already working in this area, but there is a need to better recognize our capabilities 64

Eurofish Magazine 2/ 2012

Anne Christine Brusendorff, ICES General Secretary.

and identify the ICES potential to respond to this demand. I am, therefore, very pleased that a Working Group will look into the scientific needs to support implementation of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive and the capacity of the current ICES portfolio to deliver this support. How do you think being a General Secretaries without a background in fisheries science will influence the organisation?

With a lot of skilled and very competent colleagues in fisheries, environmental and ecosystem sciences, it is my belief that I can augment the capabilities of the organisation in other ways. Through my previous work, I have dealt with a variety of issues regarding marine environmental protection at large, both at a macro level, but also in more detail. It has also been my experience that working with a team of colleagues, with different competencies, is a

very good way to supplement each other, and fosters the creation of innovative solutions. Congratulations on the recent award from the Baltic Sea Fund you received for your efforts to protect the Baltic Sea through the Baltic Sea Action Plan. Helcom is different from ICES in that it has an active role to play in improving and preserving the marine environment in the Baltic Sea. ICES, on the other www.eurofishmagazine.com

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hand, studies and reports on the status of stock making policy recommendations, but has little influence (perhaps beyond moral) on whether or not these recommendations are implemented. For somebody as interested as you in the health of the Baltic Sea do you see this becoming frustrating at some point? I see the role of ICES to be instrumental in serving decisionmakers to pursue optimal and sustainable use of the marine environment and ecosystems. This role could be enhanced through increased interaction between the decision-makers and ICES regarding the needs for scientific knowledge. In a way the rules of the game are the same, whichever organisation you are working for. In policymaking there are always additional issues at stake, cemented by rules of unanimity, two-thirds majority, or veto. For this reason, I found through my work at HELCOM, that it was of utmost importance to agree on the common priorities and linkages to other European and global policies. And through this framework, agree on the added value of the work of the organisation, whereby the Baltic specific work would also fulfil other international legislative commitments; the so-called threein-one approach. With the upcoming review of the overarching ICES Strategic Plan, there will be a similar opportunity to review, define, and link priorities for our work in the North Atlantic with those set at the global and European levels. As the leader of HELCOM before you came to ICES are you looking at bringing some of the environmental priorities from there www.eurofishmagazine.com

to your work at ICES? How do you realistically see the development of the Baltic marine environment over the years to come and what will it entail for the countries in the region? I find that environmental issues are already part of ICES’ work, and incrementally, ICES is implementing a more integrated approach. At times I am confronted with a perception of ICES as more of a fishery organization than an overall marine organization. Therefore, I find it to be one of my most important tasks to communicate, and to disseminate, as well as to further elaborate the role of ICES in the environmental fields. And also to point to areas where the integration between what has traditionally been considered the fishery, environmental and ecosystem fields can be seen as beneficial. In the Baltic Sea, it is the cumulative effects of both past and present human activities, which are contributing to the current environmental status of the sea. While some regulatory acts will show immediate and positive effects in the marine environment, such as the improved treatment of sewage and the agreement of a nutrient ceiling cap, other effects cannot be mediated so easily and longer time horizons are necessary before improvements become evident. Having said this, I see many positive developments over the last couple of years in the management of the pressures affecting the Baltic, both in the willingness of the governance system to regulate in a more integrated and cross-sectoral way, and in the readiness to be a front-runner showing the way for other regions. What possibilities do you see for developing synergies between

the different maritime sectors and actors in the Baltic Sea as a result of implementing EU maritime policy? There is both a need and a demand for a more cross-sectoral and integrated approach to marine and maritime issues. This is evident from the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, covering improvements to the environment, efforts to increase prosperity, better accessibility, and promotion of safety and security. And also from the integrated Maritime Policy which has the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive as its environmental pillar. Within ICES this challenge has been addressed in the MARCOM project, where ICES is working together with various actors, such as the European Technology Platforms Aquaculture and Waterborne, to identify research priorities. An issue that ICES could also confront is the development of a dedicated EU Maritime Strategy for the Atlantic Ocean area. Advice from ICES is fundamental to the European Commission’s proposals on stock quotas and TACs. At times ICES conclusions are at odds with what fishers experience. Are you satisfied with the degree of interaction between ICES and the fishing community or do you see there is scope for improvement? Contact with stakeholders including industry and NGOs is essential for the proper work of the Advisory Programme. As far as the EU countries are concerned, this dialogue is mainly taking place through contacts with the Regional Advisory Councils (RACs) and includes the arrangement of the annual general meeting with the RACs. ICES also ensures that advice is

presented to the RACs and other stakeholders. ICES puts a strong emphasis on transparency and involvement in its processes, for both the science and advisory processes. In 2010, ICES ran a training programme aimed specifically at helping stakeholders and policymakers to understand the complex science behind the stock assessments so they can contribute meaningfully to the process. Through the observer policy of ICES, stakeholders have the possibility of participating in the ICES work and in this way ensure that their information and data is taken into account. It is crucial for ICES that the advice it provides is seen to be unbiased and credible. Some stakeholders feel however that the advice has a political dimension to as it is often requested by bodies that have a political agenda. How does ICES reconcile politically coloured requests with neutral advice? Societal choices always involve prioritization. Politicians work to prioritize objectives, and it is ICES’ responsibility to make the best science available to them to ensure an informed decisionmaking process takes place. At the political level it has, inter alia been decided that Good Environmental Status of marine waters should be achieved, that the Precautionary Principle should be applied, and that Maximum Sustainable Yields should be pursued in management of fish stocks. ICES’ role in this respect is to respond with advice that demonstrates how overall political objectives have been taken into account and which advice, on the basis of the current knowledge and data, can be formulated.

Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2012

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