EUROFISH Magazine 2 2020

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Spain Hoping for a Brexit deal that mimics existing arrangements

Estonia: Adding unusual value to dried ďŹ sh Pontevedra FLAG brings economic, social, and environmental beneďŹ ts World-class production at Saudi Arabia’s national aquaculture company is a member of the FISH INFO network

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In this issue

Spanish fishing vessels are active across the globe Spain’s fishing industry has improved over the last few years as fish prices have increased, fuel prices have declined, technological refinements have made for greater efficiency, and the status of some stocks has improved. Brexit is a shadow on the horizon, but for the Spanish fleet landings from UK waters are relatively small. That said, the hope is that a deal will largely maintain the status quo. Capacity in the fleet has declined and in the Mediterranean is set to decline further as a new management plan comes into effect that will limit effort. Not all vessels will be able to turn a profit under the new regime, and those that cannot will have to exit the fishery. The system of control and inspection both in community and in international waters has been significantly strengthened over the past years with increases in personnel and their deployment in remote regions where Spanish vessels are active. Some of these catches are intended for the Spanish market, where fish and seafood consumption is among the highest in the world. The high rate is good for consumers’ health and for the seafood sector’s economy, so the authorities are launching campaigns to counter a recent slide in consumption. Read more from page 25 Stagnating production of fishmeal and fishoil, the building blocks of fish feeds, has led to much research into alternatives that can provide the nutrients they contain. The aquaculture industry is expected to deliver much of the increase in seafood needed over the next decade which calls for an adequate supply of fish feed. The range of substitutes that can supply the proteins and fats demanded by fish and crustaceans in their feed is extensive. Raw material derived from animals and poultry such as meat, bones, blood, and feathers is an obvious source, but today worms and insects have also been found to contain the nutritional qualities needed by fish. Other substances such as yeasts, copepods, krill, microalgae, and plants are also being studied. Apart from the nutritional profile, availability, cost, digestibility and other factors play an important role in determining whether an alternative is promising or not. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on page 19 As the name suggests, invasive species are a threat to native species or the environment. The challenge, however, is that invasive species are not always identified in time to take action to prevent their spread.

Another issue is that while many invasive species are brought unintentionally with ballast water or fouling on vessels, some are brought in deliberately. Invasive species can also be economically useful which makes them even more difficult to deal with as there are commercial interests at stake. Finally, even if invasive species are recognised in time, have been brought in accidentally, and are of no commercial value, it can be close to impossible to do anything about them. Prevention is therefore much better than cure, and educating the population about how to recognise invasive species and about the hazards they pose is an important instrument to manage invasive species. Testing water samples using environmental DNA tools is another way of detecting the presence of invasive species before they spread which makes it easier to take action against them. Read more on page 40 Growth in the aquaculture sector in Saudi Arabia has made the kingdom the largest regional producer of farmed seafood. Both fish and shrimp are produced and exported to countries in the region and beyond. The boost to aquaculture can partly be attributed to the role foreseen for the sector in the kingdom’s Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy away from oil. The focus on aquaculture has led to a 200 increase in seafood production in the space of three years. The kingdom has invested heavily in quality which is of international standard and as result exports most of the shrimp it produces. Despite the high rate of growth, domestically farmed fish and shrimp amount to just over a third of the volume of imports.

Seafood consumption is at the lower end of the scale, something that the kingdom would like to change.

A national marketing campaign to promote seafood consumption is among the initiatives being implemented under a national strategy for the development of the aquaculture industry. Read more on page 52 EUROFISH Magazine 2 / 2020

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6 International News LV SE

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14 fish international 2020, 9-11 February, Bremen Storm Sabine fails to dampen spirits at seafood show

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16 Integrating smarter processing methods and technologies Human meets machine at the Salmon ShowHow

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19 Importance of fishmeal for aquafeed continues to decline More and more vegetable feed components are being used

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Spain 25 Decisions on fisheries management are based on the best available scientific advice Strong support for data collecting efforts

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28 A mutually beneficial arrangement will be a fitting end to a long relationship Spain hopes Brexit deal will maintain the status quo 35 Puerto De Celeiro S.A.OPP 77, a producer organisation specialised in fresh longlined hake Environmental and quality product certifications

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37 FLAG projects address the challenges to the artisanal fishing fleet in the Ría de Pontevedra Striving for bottom–up development in Galicia 40 Researchers at the University of Oviedo work to prevent the spread of invasive alien species through research and outreach New tools help identify alien species 43 FLAG Costa Sostible in Galicia boosts employment among shellfish gatherers The hub of Spanish cockle production

Estonia 46 Coronavirus situation forces postponement of fourth Open Fishing Port Day from April to autumn 2020 Kindling an interest in fisheries among children 47 Product innovation Ă la Hiiumaa, a small Estonian island Chocolate-coated fish create waves 48 Estonia launches a campaign for the promotion of fishing and aquaculture products Increasing seafood consumption to EU levels 49 Feed based on local raw materials can contribute to the sustainable development of marine aquaculture Achieving Blue Growth in the Baltic Sea 50 Market failures can reveal the limits of non-repayable grant aid Financial instruments are a tool, not the purpose of entrepreneurship

Cover picture courtesy Norwegian Seafood Council

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Contents 51 Fourth Baltic Sea Region Fisheries Forum, Autumn 2020, Tallinn A sector dependent on trade

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

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52 The seafood sector in Saudi Arabia A vision for growth is being realised 55 National Aquaculture Group drives Saudi aquaculture production to impressive heights Farming crustaceans and fish in the desert

Technology 57 Reduce plastics and waste with sustainable labelling and banding Banding for a variety of purposes 58 Bettcher’s Quantum X1500 trimmer offers flexibility and accuracy High-performance cutting tools for the fish processing industry 59 Deep Trekker launches new underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) A useful tool for cage fish farmers 60 Seac of Sweden presents its new FPM-470 machine Size matters – especially when it is small

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61 Tramper presents entry-level fully automatic tray sealing machine Tray sealing for small and medium enterprises

Worldwide Fish News Bulgaria

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Cyprus

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Denmark

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European Parliament

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GFCM

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Guest Pages: Dr Manuel Barange 62 Climate change impacts on aquatic ecosystems are modulated by other forcing factors Reducing overall stress boosts resilience to climate change

Service 65 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers

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

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] UK may walk away from Brexit talks The UK wants a trade agreement like the one the EU has with Canada and will consider walking away from negotiations for want of progress. Boris Johnson specified that the UK wants “regulatory freedom� from the EU and will not accept the European Court of Justice (ECJ) playing a role in dispute mediations. The British government said it wanted to reach “the broad outline� of an agreement by June, with the goal of finalising the agreement by

September. And if not enough progress had been made by June, it would “need to decide whether the UK’s attention should move away from negotiations and focus solely on continuing domestic preparations to exit the transition period in an orderly fashion�. If this is the case the UK would leave on WTO terms at the end of 2020.

While the EU wants some degree of governing alignment the UK wants to be open to set its own rules and did not acknowledge

the need for a “level playing field� regarding competition. The UK’s negotiating mandate wants an independent agreement on fisheries that would grant annual

negotiations on access to each other’s waters, including total allowable catch and shares while the EU wants fishing to be part of the whole agreement.

Spanish industry wants EU to ensure access The Spanish Fisheries Confederation, CEPESCA, has requested the Spanish government to ensure the European Union defends its interests, primarily allowing the Spanish fleet to access the UK waters of the UK and, secondly, to maintain reciprocal access to markets. The Spanish fleet catches around 29,000 tonnes in the Northeast Atlantic of which 9000 tonnes are caught in UK

waters primarily hake, megrim and monkfish worth around ₏27m. Although these catches only account for 1 of total Spanish catches and far from, for example, Sweden’s 60, they are essential for shipowners from Galicia, Asturia and Cantabria. Currently, the 88 Spanishflagged vessels that can fish in the UK waters employ 2,150 crew members and generate around 10,750 indirect jobs.

CEPESCA stance aligns with the position of the European Fisheries Alliance, where president Gerard van Balsfoort, has already relayed to EU negotiator, Michel Barnier the importance of access to UK waters and market. “If Spain’s objective is to guarantee the rights of domestic companies, the access of the Spanish fleet to the waters of the United Kingdom must be given priority.

We trust that at the end of the negotiation, fishing will not be used as an exchange currency, as has happened on previous occasions,� said Javier Garat, General Secretary of CEPESCA. It is not just the Spanish fishing fleet that is affected, but the Swedish, Dutch, French, Irish, Belgian, German, and Danish fishermen have been fishing in these waters long before the UK became a part of the EU.

Cyprus: Combined drinking water and disinfection unit for ďŹ shing vessels A new product from Flow Water Technologies, the FlowSafe DCD 2000, provides fishing vessels with limitless disinfectant and drinking water eliminating the need for plastic-bottled drinking water and additional chemicals.

The unit can be scaled up for cleaning and sanitising any size of vessel by producing an unlimited amount of sustainable disinfectant. The unit also produces a limitless supply of drinking

water using a commercial level pre-filtration in front of an ultrafiltration system, eradicating plastic bottles and the CO2 footprint caused by them. Our ambition was to create a unit that helped reduce the use of plastics at sea to save the environment while ensuring the health and safety of people working at sea remained paramount, said Mark Hadfield, CEO of Flow Water Technologies.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Gates invests in Greek ďŹ sh farming

Philosofish is now the second largest Greek company farming

seabass and sea bream thanks to the European Commission’s approval last year of rival Andromeda’s acquisition of Selonda and Nireus. The three-way merger could only be sanctioned through the sale of Nireus and Selonda assets to a third party. One of these was Philosofish, which subsequently added 12,000 tonnes to its existing 5,000 tonnes annual capacity in addition to taking over other assets. Sources say that additional funding by a top investment entity may find its way to the Greek company in the near future.

ŠPhilosofish

Fish farming may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Bill Gates, but the philanthropist has made an investment in Greek aquaculture company Philosofish, Ekathimerini. com reports. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has already supported Greek-owned fund Diorasis, which already has invested in Philosofish (formerly Bitsakos Fish Farming) and has also invested in WorldFish, focusing on fish farming in the developing world, so aquaculture is no new thing.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Large potential for sustainable freshwater aquaculture in Europe The European Parliament held a stakeholders meeting on the current challenges facing the aquaculture sector, with an emphasis on production. The speakers included fish farmers representing marine aquaculture in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean to pond farming in the Czech Republic, with additional experts from Hungary, Belgium, and Croatia.

Dr. Halasi-KovĂĄcs of the NAIK Research Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture in Hungary underlined in his presentation, the

potential of freshwater aquaculture.

Presenting some general trends in the EU, he said, 85 of aquaculture production originates from marine sources while only 12 percent is from freshwater production. Production from pond aquaculture has not grown in the last decade within the EU, although globally freshwater aquaculture production constitutes 60 percent of total farmed fish production, while marine production contributes less than 30 percent. FAO and OECD predict that freshwater aquaculture, including

Relevance of freshwater aquaculture production in the world

pond aquaculture, has high growth potential, also in the EU. On a global scale, the potential growth for freshwater species is five times higher than that for marine species.

In addition to unutilised potential, freshwater species, like carp, have the advantages of lying lower down the food chain, feeding on cereal based foods without the need for fish meal and oil. Michal Kratochvil from the Czech Fish Farmers’ Association drew attention to the environmental services provided by pond systems including the

accumulation and retention of surface water, improvement of water quality passing through a pond thanks to nutrient retention, transformation, or elimination, and the reduction in micropollutants. He also pointed out that ponds form unique and highly biodiverse ecosystems. Dr Halasi-KovĂĄcs also enumerated suggestions for boosting pond aquaculture in the EU: sustainable intensification; innovative solutions; subsidies for the additional costs of environmental services; and support to further freshwater aquaculture research.

The European Parliament approved a report it had commissioned entitled “Towards a sustainable and competitive European aquaculture sectorâ€? in 2018, in which it stressed the need to stimulate diversification and innovation in aquaculture. In the meantime, the European Commission is expected to publish new strategic guidelines for the development of aquaculture later in 2020. Citing EU statistics Dr Halasi-KovĂĄcs said that in the last two financial periods these areas saw less than 5 of the available resources. One can hope that the coming funding period will be brighter for freshwater aquaculture.

Black Sea maritime agenda kicks off The Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea is a networking event for stakeholders where significant projects for the region can be identified. The event had its first meeting in February, where representatives from the seven member countries (Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine) met in Sofia and discussed issues including marine litter, protection against pollution of marine resources, sustainable shipping and digital connectivity.

The activity is supported by organisations like the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), the Commission for the protection of the Black Sea against pollution, as well as the WWF and the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank. The next steps include identifying thematic priorities as well as planning high level events and regional workshops that will be held in the second half of 2020.

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Black Sea riparian countries, which include two EU members, Bulgaria and Romania, discussed challenges facing the Black Sea and their solutions.

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] French supermarket launches sustainable super-nutritious trout French retail group Auchan, one of the world’s largest retailers, is introducing a groundbreaking trout, raised on a novel feed by Skretting enriched with algal oil from Veramaris and insect meal from InnovaFeed. For the first time, the entire value chain has come together to create a unique consumer offer, combining farming, feed efficiency, and alternative ingredients. Together, they achieved a significant boost of the nutritional value from the algal oils, while ingeniously replacing the feed fish with insect meal and fish trimmings. It’s the sustainable usage of a previously discarded resource. Not only does this provide consumers with healthier and more sustainable

seafood as a result of increased levels of omega-3 fatty acids, the feed composition also constitutes further progress to ensure limited resources like fishmeal are not compromised. Olivier Vandebeulque, Head of Seafood Category at Auchan, was fundamental in bringing the new value chain together including Skretting, Truite Service, InnovaFeed and Veramaris. At the Paris International Agricultural Show (SIA 2020) the partners presented the product.

Elodie Petit, Skretting France, said that the decision by Auchan to introduce trout fed on the unique and technologically advanced diet is a testament to the quality of the product. French consumers will

Auchan has launched sales of a trout fed on a diet that includes algal oil and insect feed.

not compromise on taste, nutritional value, or sustainability. The product has proven a 12 category growth at Supermarché Match

following their launch of algalfed salmon. Consumers are able to buy this new fish in all Auchan supermarkets as of March 2020.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Saudi Arabia seeks to join GFCM as non-contracting partner The foundations of the Saudi marine fish-farming sector are mainly based on the transfer and adaptation of know-how and expertise from the Mediterranean region. Due to its geographic proximity as well as its experience in the marine aquaculture sector, the Mediterranean offers many opportunities. In Saudi Arabia, many production managers in marine fish farms are from Mediterranean countries, as are most suppliers of aquaculture equipment and management software. For several decades, exchanges between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea have been taking place in the form of ad-hoc and service-based knowhow and technology transfer with the participation of experts and consultants. Research institutes in

both regions have been collaborating in research and development activities.

Saudi Arabia has felt the need to further enhance and institutionalise such collaboration. The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) offers a framework to exchange knowledge, experience and best practices in aquaculture and to promote the organisation of joint activities. At the forty-third session of the GFCM, in November 2019, representatives from Saudi Arabia requested the status of GFCM cooperating noncontracting party. Within this newly established cooperation, several areas will be covered, namely aquaculture governance, environmental

Although well developed, Saudi Arabia’s aquaculture industry could benefit from a more formal collaboration with the GFCM with its extensive knowledge and experience in the sector. The kingdom has therefore approached the GFCM to become a cooperating non-contracting partner.

protection and implementation of sustainability indicators, new technologies and innovation, market development and international trade. The two counterparts are already working together to identify

effective exchange mechanisms with a view to further developing knowledge and to promoting successful practices for sustainable aquaculture, responsible investment and the use of technical guidelines.

Symposium on reproduction in aquatic animals to be held in Turkey Following scientific meetings at a series of “Workshops on Gamete Biology in Aquaculture� in 2014, 2016 and 2018, a new concept called “International Symposium on Reproduction in Aquatic Animals (REPROAQUA 2020)� will be organized on 22-24 October 2020 in Trabzon, Turkey. The theme of the symposium is “Aquatic Genetic Resources: Importance, Threats and Conservation�. This international scientific event, to be held every two

years, will be a platform for discussing scientific studies, current developments and problems related to the reproduction of aquatic animals and will also provide an opportunity for academicians, students, and industry representatives to exchange information. The event will avoid parallel sessions, enabling all participants to attend all presentations and follow the ensuing discussions. A poster hall will be available throughout the symposium and the programme will

include a reception dinner, a Trabzon city tour, along with an excursion to Sumela (Meryem Ana) Monastery

Event to ensure representation of women The International Organization for Women in the Seafood Industry (WSI) and the North Atlantic Seafood Forum (NASF) have signed a memorandum of understanding with the objective of increasing the representation of women invited as speakers to the NASF conference to a level of 40 by 2025. The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals include one on gender equality and NASF sees this as

a necessary foundation for developing the NASF conference further towards a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world. The 40 target covers not only female participation as conference speakers, but also at the event’s seminars.

When planning the event NASF will raise awareness among seafood leaders about gender equality and both organisations will widely promote the memorandum.

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and UzungĂśl (Uzun lake). More information is available at: http:// www.ktu.edu.tr/reproaqua2020

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Spain seeks solutions for the transport of fish from Mauritania Last year freight containing fish from Mauritania destined for Spain suffered such delays and losses that Luis Planas, the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food had to intervene. The blockade was caused by limiting travel on the only road from Mauritania to the north by Sahrawi activists. Mr Planas visited the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott to negotiate with the Mauritanian authorities regarding problems related to the renewal of the EuroMauritanian fishing agreement.

The European fleet in Mauritania is mainly composed of Spanish ships, 65 in total, which operate under an agreement that concluded mid-November 2019 but has been extended as negotiations

between the parties continue. The minister has referred to the problems of land transport of Spanish catches and has said that he has agreed with his Mauritanian counterpart to look for an alternative. The Spanish minister stressed that Spain intends to keep the same level of presence and fishing effort in the next agreement with Mauritania with special interest in the important hake quota. With regard to the possibility of extending the agreement to species such as shrimp and other shellfish (so far excluded from the agreement), Mr Planas has indicated that the Mauritanians have accepted that surveys of shellfish be made in order to verify the real level of resources.

University dedicated to small-scale fishers The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) is launching a university devoted to small-scale fisheries (SSF). The SSF University will offer free workshops and training courses to small-scale fishers and fish workers across the Mediterranean and Black Sea region. Smallscale fishers represent 84 percent of the total regional fishing fleet and 60 of total onboard jobs. Yet despite the important role of SSF in the region, small-scale fishers often fail to be engaged in the decision-making processes. The governments of the region recognized the need to promote their access to financial resources, and facilitate education and training opportunities. To respond to these challenges, the GFCM has teamed up with the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Low Impact Fishers of Europe, the European Network of Women in Fisheries and Aquaculture, Petra

Patrimonia, and LOQUS, as well as relevant FAO projects and sub regional and country offices, to offer a wide variety of courses on topics such as ecosystem friendly gears, fishing tourism, the legislative basis for SSF governance, starting a fisher association, etc.

In 2020, fifteen courses are foreseen to take place in more than 11 countries, targeting representatives of SSF organizations, fishers and fish workers active in the sector.

The European Network of Women in Fisheries and Aquaculture (AKTEA) organizes the first course of the SSF University in Brussels. It focuses on how to make a difference in the legislative and policymaking processes of European institutions and includes a visit to the European Parliament Fisheries Committee and meetings with European lawmakers. The SSF University

responds to one of the key recommendations of the Regional Plan of Action for Small-Scale Fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea (RPOA-SSF) adopted by 18 Mediterranean and Black Sea countries as well as the European Union in 2018, by promoting capacity development in the small-scale fisheries sector.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Recreational ďŹ sheries wants full recognition in the CFP Anglers addressed the European Parliament for full recognition of the recreational fisheries sector in the Common Fisheries Policy which, they said, was needed to properly manage public access to fish and to ensure the fair and sustainable management of fish stocks.

MEP Niclas Herbst, new Chair of the Forum on Recreational Fisheries and Aquatic Environment (RecFishing Forum), hosted the forum’s first conference in the new term of the European Parliament. Representatives from the European Fishing Tackle Trade Association (EFTTA) and the European Anglers Alliance (EAA) outlined the challenges that the recreational fisheries sector is facing. Olivier Portrat, the newly appointed EFTTA CEO, said there were over 8.7 million sea anglers in Europe who generate EUR10.5 billion yearly with their expenditure (fishing equipment, services, fishing trips, etc.).

The sector supports around

100,000 jobs in the European Union. In addition, angling contributes to people’s health and quality of life. He said the high socio-economic value of angling demanded better and more detailed data collection and added that an effective fisheries management program would not only generate more anglers in the future, it would also be of great benefit for structurally weak, rural areas. David Vertegaal, of the EAA, highlighted the contribution of anglers to the protection of the environment and to the EU green agenda and pointed out that marine recreational fisheries were not yet considered a separate sector in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), preventing the sound and fair management of the sector. “The quality of the angling experience depends on healthy and flourishing fish stocks. Anglers are committed to sustainable fisheries. But we need a fair deal for recreational fisheries in the CFP, and that applies to the revision of the

Angling is a socially and economically important activity in several EU countries and deserves better data collection and effective management of target stocks.

ongoing Fisheries Control system as well,� he stated. Maja Kirchner from DG MARE welcomed the anglers’ commitment to dialogue and commended their role in

informing conservation measures taken by the EU. She emphasised the need to continue communicating, and to collaborate to get data on endangered species.

which the wellbeing of the fish is preserved was one topic, while innovative methods focusing on the use of specialized, modern,

and technologically advanced equipment and integrated recirculation systems in fish farming, was the other.

Innovative production of ďŹ sh in Poland Invitation to the scientific conference entitled “Innovative and traditional production of fish in Polandâ€? at the International Green Week fair, Berlin, 23–24.01.2020.

The National Marine Fisheries Research Institute in Gdynia along with the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, the Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn, and the Sturgeon Producers Organization in Torun, held a scientific conference entitled “Innovative and traditional production of fish in Poland� as part of the International Green Week Berlin, an international food, agriculture,

and gardening exhibition, popular with consumers and trade visitors but also among representatives of the fisheries and scientific sectors from various EU countries. The large turnout and lively discussions justify the promotion of Polish fish products on the foreign food markets. Creating a positive image of Polish fish products on the German market is particularly important because it is the most important market for Polish fish products.

Two important directions of fish production in Poland were discussed: traditional fishing with its centuries of history, and fish farming in natural conditions, in

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Denmark to discuss the future of ďŹ sheries in the Baltic Low fishing quotas over several years due to a critical decline in cod and herring stocks challenge both commercial and recreational fisheries financially with declining revenues and fewer angler tourists fishing for cod. Representatives from the business community, research establishments, municipalities, NGOs, and politicians gathered with the Danish government to lay the groundwork for an action plan for future fisheries in the Baltic Sea. Although fishing pressure has eased considerably since 2000 and quotas are the lowest in many years, cod and herring stocks in the Baltic have declined to the point where the future of fishing in the Baltic Sea is uncertain.

In 2019, a report from the University of Copenhagen’s Institute for

Food and Resource Economics (IFRO) calculated that revenues for Danish fishermen in the Baltic Sea area would fall from DKK 286 million to DKK 241 million, if quotas were set as low as expected at the time. In addition, it found that vessels under 15 meters would be the most challenged by the low quotas, as it is more difficult for small vessels to switch to other species.

The Commission had, inter alia, proposed to reduce cod quotas in the western Baltic by 68 percent and herring quotas by 71 percent. In Denmark, the negotiations ended with the cod quota being reduced by 60 percent and the herring quota being reduced by 65 percent. The Minister announced a forthcoming compensation scheme of DKK

10 million to fishermen catching cod and herring in the Baltic Sea. It allows them to seek funds to cover financial losses. From the stakeholders being gathered he anticipates hearing proposals on fishing for new species such as beach crabs, new innovative cooperation plans

between chefs, fishermen and local eateries, but also concrete proposals such as renovations of ports and fish factories. Based on the suggestions a working group will draw up an action plan which is expected after the summer, when it will be discussed also politically.

The poor condition of cod and herring stocks in the Baltic is threatening the livelihoods of fishermen.

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[ EVENTS ] ďŹ sh international 2020, 9-11 February, Bremen

Storm Sabine fails to dampen spirits at seafood show Though the rough weather brought to Germany by Storm Sabine had some impact on the number of visitors, the biennial ďŹ sh international trade fair was a success by any measure. Despite the storm almost 10,500 attendees showed up to visit hundreds of company booths and national pavilions, where ďŹ shers, farmers, processors and equipment manufacturers from all around Europe and beyond presented their products and services.

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isitors from the food and fish retail, and the food service industries found lots of interesting delicatessen products, plus of course fresh fish and seafood such as Japanese flounder, Black Sea salmon trout, and organic shrimp. An abundance of convenience seafood products confirmed a Europe-wide preference among consumers for shorter preparation times and smaller portions.

Germany, the venue for fish international, is a major European seafood industry center. According to EUMOFA, the country’s seafood exports in 2018 totalled EUR 2.6 billion, while imports reached EUR 5.3 billion. The main trading partners are European countries, but German trading links extend around the world. The leading species exported include salmon, skipjack, Alaska pollock and shrimps; the main imports are salmon, cod and other ground fish.

It’s not your grandmother’s canned fish anymore In recent years canned fish has been gaining popularity in big cities as a trendy bar food. Although fish in cans has been around for more than 100 years, today it is not the same plain, uninspiring product that fed earlier generations. Nowadays, consumers can

buy a traditional product like tuna but canned in a variety of oils or sauces with tomato, spices, and other ingredients. Can quality and appearance are becoming more and more important.

Daniel Rietdorf, owner of cannedseafood distributor manger trouvĂŠ from Hanau, Germany, has for ten years been bringing high-quality canned fish to the German market, offering over 150 different kinds of products from almost 40 producers in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy.

Passing by his booth it was hard not to appreciate the attractive designs of the packaging, both classic and modern. His Portuguese supplier Jose Gourmet invited different artists to create special designs for 18 different products from sardines, mackerel, tuna, octopus and squid. “We intend to move this very oldfashioned product, the fish can, to the next level, to the new time,� says Mr Rietdorf. Last year he established his own brand of sardines to show customers that canned sardines are a relevant and timeless product. The company sells to delicatessen shops in Germany, highend restaurants, wine bars, and catering companies. “It is still very challenging to convince the customer why my sardines should cost more than other ones,� says Daniel Rietdorf, �but once they taste them, they realize the quality difference.�

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Attention to consumer requirements is a key to success, emphasized another exhibitor, caviar producer Lemberg. The company began selling salmon caviar in 2002 in a small shop in Berlin and has since expanded both production capacity and the product range to six kinds of red (salmon, trout and other salmonids) caviar and up to eight kinds of black (sturgeon) caviar, along with pike and capelin roe, as well as several kinds of fish delicatessen. The company runs a web shop selling both in Germany and outside, and the barrel-shaped tin with red caviar has long been the company’s carte-de-visite. “Different customers want different products,�

says Julia Lerman, Lemberg’s Head of Marketing, “Russian-speaking customers prefer big, up to half kilo cans of caviar, while Germans prefer small glass jars of 100 to 150 grams.â€? Lemberg also has a “bricks and mortarÂť store LEDO in Berlin, offering a wide range of fish and seafood. “We keep growing,â€? says Julia, “as the market is huge and can absorb higher production.â€?

Major seafood regions have their own pavilions Several national or regional pavilions were present at fish international, providing space and facilities to their respective companies, associations, and agencies. The

Brothers-in-arms — participants at the EUROFISH Business Platform were open about sharing information and contacts with each other adding another dimension to the Business Platform concept.

[ EVENTS ] Centre for Export Support from the Murmansk Region of Russia hosted for the first time a pavilion for five companies from the area offering frozen groundfish, farmed trout, and shrimp. The region is the fourth largest in Russia in terms of exports of fish and seafood: in 2019 the value reached EUR 5.22 million, representing almost 15 of the country’s total seafood exports. Nearly all the exports from Murmansk go to the Netherlands, Chile, United Kingdom, Norway, and Lithuania, while Germany’s share in 2019 represented around 1. “Germany is a promising destination for Murmansk region and for Russia in general,” says Ekaterina Pakova from the Centre for Export Support. “Our exhibitors are happy as there is a lot of interest from visitors’ side, and this interest is not idle” As at previous editions of the show, Xunta de Galicia, the government of Galicia, also had a pavilion at the show. The region’s seafood industry is world famous and one of Europe’s most valuable. Along 1,500 km of the coastline, more than 35,000 people are employed in fish/ shellfish capture or farming as well as processing. Galician vessels and crew operate around the world, although most are engaged in Spanish waters. The region is famous for octopus, clams and cockles, scallops and the prized goose barnacles. In addition, Galician farms produce around 250 000 tonnes of seafood, mainly blue mussels, with some turbot, bream, and sole as well. All these sectors were represented at Galicia’s pavilion, where products from ten firms were on display. Linamar, a provider of mussel products, has a 15-year presence in the German market. Ms Gabriele Obendorf, the firm’s export manager, said that during that time German tastes have shifted away from fresh mussels in favour of convenience products such as cooked and pasteurized mussels. This is

normal,” she said, “we have to follow the trend.” Faik Abarra, international division manager at another Galician exhibitor, Noriberica Vigo, described his “secret of success” as knowing the product you sell, know the market very well, and know the mentality of the customers. “This is what German customers expect of you.”

Aquaculture – taking responsibility for nature Elsewhere at the exposition, aquaculture companies showed their ingenuity and imagination with a variety of products and the latest production technology. Kingfish Zealand, a Dutch producer of farmed yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) since 2015, operates RAS system in Eastern Scheldt, a Natura 2000 nature reserve that has very clean saltwater. Even before the fish was put in the water, the company signed quality control papers for production according to ASC and BAP parameters, and soon became the first globally BAP-certified land-based farm, and the first land-based farm ASC-certified for yellowtail. Particular effort is dedicated to sustainability, for example, the farm operates with 100 renewable energy. The final product is destined for two equally important market channels: the sushi market that prefers 2-3 kilo fish; and highend restaurants and other buyers that grill, smoke, or otherwise cook the fish, who prefer 700 gram specimens. “We are in Bremen to find out about the German market,” explains Ohad Maiman, the company’s CEO. “It is large and generally pays well for seafood, and most important for us is to identify the right partners as the country is big and has important players.”

The world’s largest producer of tilapia, Regal Springs has been operating its farms in Indonesia, Honduras, and Mexico for over 30 years. The

farms are in national lakes with pristine water, which results in top quality tilapia. “The DNA of our company is care and respect,” says Petra Weigl, managing director of Regal Springs Europe GmbH. “We care about the environment, we respect our people, we respect the fish, and as a result we produce tilapia with a quality all of its own.” The retail price of the fish is higher than from other tilapia producers, but it remains competitive in comparison with cod, salmon, tuna and shrimp.

Farmed species in general, and tilapia in particular receive a mixed press. A massive consumer survey conducted by Regal Springs some two years ago revealed that most respondents knew “nothing!” about aquaculture. To offset the often-negative press that tilapia and other species get, consumers need to be educated and it is going to take time. Nevertheless, Petra

Weigl is optimistic, and convinced that “everyone who is catching responsibly, everyone who is farming responsibly, is needed for the market. We are not competitors — we are all needed to supply people with healthful proteins.”

Eurofish Business Platform brings companies from Eurofish member countries together Eurofish International Organisation provided a Business Platform to companies from its member countries, where they could exhibit and promote their products and services, communicate with visitors and other exhibitors, arrange product samplings, and hold meetings with potential business partners.

Croatian processor and wholesaler Canicula offers salted anchovies, sardines and sea urchin harvested

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[ EVENTS ] from Croatian waters to hotels and restaurants in Croatia as well as in Italy, Austria, and Spain. They came to Bremen to find business partners in Germany and reported considerable success. “At the show our anchovies with truffles were most popular,� says Cristian Serio, the owner, “although we believe that our new product, anchovy oil, may someday become our biggest seller.�

Fishing and processing company Rolevar specializes in chilled freshwater fish harvested from Lake Peipus in Estonia. Their key markets include Switzerland, Germany, and France. Germany has for a long time been the main destination for the company’s pike-perch. The Russian embargo made Polish fishermen switch to different markets as well as to different species, which resulted in the presence of pike-perch from the Baltic Sea on the market, increasing the competition with pike-perch from Estonia. “The

German market is very price-sensitive,� says Boris Sumnikov from Rolevar, “and the competition is stiff, so you have to make sure that your price is competitive and work hard to keep your supplies stable.�

Oscar’s Fish from Latvia came to Bremen to promote their new product, “Cook frozen!�, which can go to the frying pan straight from the freezer, without thawing. “Our potential customers are busy people who do not have time to cook, but still want to eat tasty and healthy food,� explains Maris Tirums, sales director. “We want to show that it is possible to have a good quality fish than can be prepared fast.�

The raw material comes from Icelandic waters, the source of many of the company’s other products — shrimps, scallops, scampis, and mussels among others.

Riga-based Sudrablinis has since 2000 been a processor and exporter of caviar and smoked fish

such as Norwegian and Alaskan salmon and Danish trout. They market the products under their own brand as well as private labels and sell mainly to European customers but also to Australia, Hong Kong, and USA. “We would like to show people that apart from red caviar there are other kinds of caviar products, for example, capelin roe and lumpfish roe,� explains Jevgenijs Kasimovs, sales manager.

Fish&Fish from Lithuanian raises and processes European eel. Its farm has a capacity of 200 tonnes per year, and the fish are sold mostly live, mainly to distributors in the Netherlands. The company also supplies gutted and cleaned eels to smokehouses, as many of them prefer to receive the fish ready for smoking. At the show, the company exhibited smoked eels both whole and filleted. Virginijus Nariunas, the farm manager, who would like to work with customers directly and not through dealers,

thinks that the German market “has a lot of potential for our eels.�

The participants evaluated EUROFISH Business Platform as a professional and successful concept. They enjoyed the good atmosphere as well as each other’s company. Sudrablini’s import manager Arturs Linis described the Business Platform as a good format of exhibiting. “Here we met new people — other co-exhibitors, and we discussed working together in the future.

We exchanged some ideas regarding possible directions each of us can take. We shared contacts of clients who might be interested in the products of our co-exhibitors.

Another advantage was that we all have different products and the visitors who came to one of us continued talking to all of us.�

The next edition of fish international will be held in Bremen on 13-15 February 2022.

Integrating smarter processing methods and technologies

Human meets machine at the Salmon ShowHow Recently in Copenhagen, Marel, a major manufacturer of salmon-processing equipment, held its 19th Salmon ShowHow, an event which included seminars, product demonstrations, and mingling with company executives and salmon processors. The general theme was how salmon processors of all types can beneďŹ t from integrating smarter processing methods and technologies with their existing processes.

T

wo presentations about robots and artificial intelligence seemed to capture many imaginations. Thousands of robots are installed in the food industry each year, owing to their flexibility and the needs they meet, such as labour availability, ergonomics, food safety, higher yield, and greater efficiency. Both speakers discussed the importance of

joint development of robotic technology between producers and engineers, and emphasised that the conversation about opening the doors to robots needs to happen not just on factory floors but in boardrooms as well. Staying ahead of the competition is as much about having a solid robotics strategy as it is about having the latest gadgets.

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Show and tell Displays around the hall emphasized advances in robotics, data control, and automation in general.

Displays included a software-controlled cutter, an advanced pinbone remover, and a manual deheading solution, among other products.

Two software seminars focused on yield and full production control by

optimising data collection and collation, allowing the user to monitor and improve yield.

At the other end of the complexity spectrum, a depalletizing robot, which is still under development, was on show, along with some the of industry’s most complex and intelligent robot solutions. These included a completely automated

[ EVENTS ] and integrated fixed-weight tray solution using a Robobatcher Flex and an I-Cut 130 Portion Cutter. The automatic quality control (QC) for portioning was another advanced concept on display.

Using a QC scanner, this solution senses defects, such as gaping or spots, and then tells the portion cutter how to maximize the number of high-quality portions, for example, by cutting either side of a defect rather than through it.

The QC scanner also played a role in a trimming solution concept designed to automatically sort fillets that need trimming, to speed up production, reduce giveaway – with approved fillets bypassing manual trimming – and improve product quality by avoiding unnecessary manual handling.

The effect of future salmon farming The first guest speaker, Rabobank’s Gorjan Nikolik, highlighted key dynamics of the salmon industry, from a gradual rise in raw-material prices in recent years, to the potential impact of unpredictable events such as the coronavirus. Looking forward, the market volume is projected to exceed 4.5 million tonnes by 2023, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 3.8. The rising worldwide demand for salmon can be ascribed to growth in disposable income, across both developed and emerging economies, which can be spent on a food product that was once considered a luxury.

Other factors include changing dietary habits that emphasise health consciousness, a preference for fish over meat, and salmon’s high levels of omega-3 fats, EPA, and DHA, which decrease the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, and obesity.

Gorjan Nikolik spoke about the impact a potential rise in salmon farming – both offshore and landbased – might have on the industry,

while emphasizing how difficult it is to predict whether the business case for this alternative supply will prove viable. He pointed to the great demand for salmon, from fisheries and aquaculture, and observed that the salmon value chain is the only consistently available, fresh seafood product in the west. Gorjan Nikolik said, “Aquaculture creates a consistent supply, with no seasonality. This assures good logistics, advanced cold-chain infrastructure, and it’s the underpinning of its premium health image, because most people don’t think canned or frozen is as healthy as fresh. So, with this combination of aquaculture, fresh value chain, and innovation, there is nothing like it in the seafood industry, no competition”.

He noted that Europe is by far the most important Atlantic salmon market. “Salmon is really the only product that consistently grows in consumption in Europe”.

Packaging strategies for sustainability and “moments of consumption” Gonzalo Campos, European Seafood Sector Leader for Sealed Air Packaging, provided insights into salmon retail-packaging strategies.

Campos said that only 5 of fresh salmon being produced today is packaged for retail, “And that leaves a very big opportunity.” In a world where food waste, oceans filled with plastic debris, and climate change are major concerns that affect consumer habits, it is crucial to develop a sustainable packaging strategy. Gonzalo Campos stated that, of Europeans surveyed, 81 said that food waste is a major concern. It is estimated that 40 of fishing industry production is probably never consumed.

And if food waste is a worry with consumers, it is a worry with European supermarket executives; 95 of those surveyed agreed. If food

waste were a country emitting CO2, it would be third in CO2 emissions.

Systems that reduce food waste are essential to developing a packaging strategy.

Pointing to the growing awareness of and demand for environmentally responsible products and packaging, he said, “in the end, if your product is not recyclable, it might not be shoppable. Packaging designed for recyclability could take the salmon industry to the next level”. Packaging can help with protection, transparency, and shelf-life extension. “Functionality, pasteurisation, microwavability, easy opening, all of these packaging ideas can open new conversations with your customers. However, we must be relevant to different moments of consumption. For example, I don’t call it

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‘Natural Salmon’. I call it ‘Dinner at Home’. How about ‘Easy to Cook’ or ‘Microwaveable’? Your packaging can match the identifiable benefit. There are more options than ever before to increase the number of salmon retail products in the consumer’s basket”.

The continuing rise of robotics In a double presentation on robotics, Kurt Nielsen, Director for Robot Technology at Danish Technological Institute, spoke about the range of robotics in processing – from simple “collaborative robots” that people can easily interact with, to highly intelligent robots that can make sequences of decisions and complex movements. Adalsteinn Viglundsson, Innovation Program Manager at Marel, then talked

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[ EVENTS ] about the work Marel is doing to further develop robotics for food processing. The use of robotics in the automotive and electronics industries is widespread. According to Kurt Nielsen, in the food industry, it has proven more difficult to automate many processes, and implementation has been slower.

New technologies, however, are now making it possible to automate some of the processes for which the technology did not previously exist.

The range of robotics in processing – from simple “collaborative robotsâ€? that people can easily interact with, to highly intelligent robots that can make sequences of decisions and complex movements – is increasing rapidly. Traditionally, it was imagined that robots would completely replace humans. “But we’re not talking about 100 automation, about removing the people altogether,â€?

Kurt Nielsen explained. “Robots are not a replacement of humans, but a tool to improve the productivity of people. It’s about collaborative technologies.�

Flexibility and adaptability are key According to Nielsen, mobile robots are more applicable to logistics. “The driving force is really the need for flexibility.

Instead of fixed conveyors, which you cannot move, mobile robots allow a more flexible set up, giving you the ability to actually relocate the machines�. Eventually, robots will need to collaborate with each other, for example, moving a hospital bed. Two humans could accomplish the task without even speaking because they understand the situation. Robots must be trained to understand the situation and adapt when necessary.

So far, many robots are fast and precise, but they lack flexibility and human cognitive ability.

The Marel Salmon ShowHow was a well-attended event that introduced visitors to the fascinating evolution of technology in the processing business.

Another development is the exoskeleton, for example, a robot that supports the human’s arms.

The robot excels at lifting heavy objects, again and again, and the human excels at judging what must be moved where. So, the choice between a human worker and a robot becomes more complicated.

Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a tremendous role in the robotics industry today. Robots are able to learn not only about a specific product, but about a type of product, to be able to deal with natural variety.

Kurt Nielsen said, “In quality control, it’s quite easy because the next million items passing by look like this, and this one looks different.

The robot must recognise what is good and what is bad. It is subjective. With AI, robots can be taught to understand what they are looking at, and what is acceptable or not�.

The decision to bring robots into a business is often based on saving money, increasing productivity, enhancing competitiveness, entering new markets, and growing the business. It also has to do with the difficulty in attracting and retaining good employees. Of course, the question is what is actually the company’s purpose and its ambition

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for these technologies? What to do about it, and how to get started?

Kurt Nielsen said, “The important thing is to find out why do I want more robots? It could be a combination of all of the decisions mentioned before, or it could be just one of them. But it’s important to think about it seriously, to have a strategy. It cannot just be something happening on the factory floor. The boardroom must be involved. Everyone must understand how robots will affect the business�.

The challenges of developing robots Adalsteinn Viglundsson explained some of the challenges in developing robots for fish processing. “So, when we look at other industries, they are filled with robots, and the obvious question is why isn’t our industry filled with robots? There are many explanations. We are dealing with very difficult products. No two salmon are exactly the same, in size, density, texture, or form. We have to adapt, and that’s where the human is quite good. Fish processing has some of the toughest standards related to hygiene. I often say that the most challenging part of designing a

machine is not the functionality. It is surviving the night crew’s intensive cleaning processes to be sure the machines meet the standards of cleanliness. We are really tough on the machines�.

Marel define robots as having three functions: sensing, thinking, and acting. In the past 10 years, huge advances have been made in the parts related to sensing. Marel is working to refine different types of sensing: X-ray, multispectral, 3D vision, and infrared. But seeing is not enough. Robots must think, and Marel is working in the fields of artificial intelligence, deep learning, machine learning, and neural networks. Finally, there is acting. This can take the form of a tool for crimping, clamping, or cutting, among other possibilities.

The Salmon ShowHow was, as usual, an eye-opener in terms of the developments in technology that are penetrating parts of the salmon processing industry. Even more impressive is what these technologies promise for the future — a subject, no doubt, for future Salmon ShowHows.

William Anthony

[ AQUACULTURE ] Importance of fishmeal for aquafeed continues to decline

More and more vegetable feed components are being used Although aquafeed manufacturers still can’t do completely without fishmeal and fish oil they are in the meantime much less dependent on marine ingredients and are increasingly using alternative raw materials to meet the protein and nutrient requirements of fish, shellfish and crustaceans. Modern processing methods today enable the use of numerous new resources.

A

ccording to the FAO an additional 27 million tonnes of seafood will have to be produced by 2030 in order to maintain the current supply level. This will be impossible without expanding aquaculture production, however, and will lead to an increased demand for aquafeed. That, in turn, poses enormous problems for the feed industry because the supply of fishmeal and fish oil cannot be increased at will without jeopardising the sustainability of industrial fishing. Traditionally, fishmeal has been the preferred

source of protein for aquafeed due to its high protein content, well-balanced amino acid profile, and good digestibility.

Global fishmeal production has been stagnating for more than 30 years, however, and might now even be on a decline. On average, the fishmeal industry uses about 20 million tonnes of raw materials a year for the production of approximately 5 million tonnes of fishmeal and 1 million tonnes of fish oil. Three quarters of this is processed to feed for aquaculture. Because the available quantities are not sufficient to

meet demand the feed industry has to resort to alternative raw materials.

Finding a replacement for fishmeal has been a particular focus of global aquaculture research for over two decades and has led to a notable expansion of the catalogue of potential feed ingredients for aquaculture. Due to this increase in the number of potential ingredients the composition of fish diets has become much more complex. This allows feed manufacturers more flexibility but also requires more detailed

knowledge and know-how. Our knowledge of fish nutrition is still incomplete in some areas, and a lot of valuable findings are not directly transferable from one species of fish to another. Fortunately, fish have no particular need for fishmeal, but they do need those nutrients that are naturally present in fishmeal in an optimal, well-balanced mixture.

This means that fishmeal can actually be replaced in fish feed as long as the required nutrients are mixed together “artificially” in the right proportions and in a digestible form.

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[ AQUACULTURE ]

Many aquaculture species are reared at a very early stage, often even from the beginning, solely on formulated dry feed which covers all their nutritional requirements.

Untreated vegetable feed is unsuitable for many fish species What at first sight might appear simple, however, is in fact quite complicated in practice if the fish are to thrive on a diet that is largely free from fishmeal and still maintain their health and nutritional value for the consumer.

In addition, fish feed must be affordable. And the sharp rise in the price of fishmeal since the beginning of the millennium is one of the main driving forces behind the search for cheaper alternatives. Initially, it was assumed that vegetable raw materials were fundamentally unsuitable as feed for carnivorous fish species. This is because carnivores can only digest and utilise carbohydrates to a very limited extent. Carbohydrate-rich food damages their intestinal immune system, and causes inflammatory changes in the intestine and liver.

The amino acid composition of plant proteins is insufficient and they often lack lysine and arginine whilst, on the other hand, the leucine content is often too high.

In addition, antinutritional factors (ANF) can impede the availability of nutrients in the fish feed,

impairing nutrient utilization and metabolic performance. Some polysaccharides, phytic acids, protease and lipase inhibitors and oxalates, for example, can have antinutritional effects. The need is therefore not only to find suitable alternatives to fishmeal and fish oil but also to understand their functions and effects in relation to fish digestion. Alternative raw materials are often only suitable for inclusion in fish feed after appropriate processing. It is not enough for the required components to be present in a raw material: In order to actually “feed� the fish, they must also be available in a form that is digestible and utilizable for the fish. And for it to be eaten at all – and thus reach the fish’s gastrointestinal tract – the feed must meet the fish’s requirements with regard to consistency and taste

New animal raw materials from worms to insects As is to be expected, animal proteins are most likely to meet the requirements of potential alternative protein sources for fish feed. In carnivorous species, in particular, their composition usually meets the nutritional requirements quite well. Not every animal protein source has the desired amino acid spectrum but, by cleverly combining different components, such deficits can be easily compensated for and acceptable growth rates achieved in the fish. A wide range of animal raw materials has been tested over the years and useful diets developed for numerous fish species. They are based on single celled organisms, yeasts, microorganisms or zooplankton

Manufacturers of feed for aquaculture are under pressure to find adequate, high-protein and preferably inexpensive alternatives to fishmeal which is scarce and expensive.

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FOREVER WILD – COME TO EXPERIENCE ALASKA Taste the wild and learn more about the sustainable fisheries in Alaska.

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[ AQUACULTURE ]

From rearing the first fry to harvesting the market-ready fish: feed is now available in the right size and composition for every phase of life.

from copepods to krill, which are particularly rich in protein and omega-3 oils. Feed protein can be obtained just as effectively from bacteria produced on the basis of methane or carbonaceous waste. However, the quantities involved here are currently far from sufficient to make an effective contribution to solving the feed shortage. At

present, worldwide availability of bacterial protein is probably hardly more than 20 to 50,000 t.

By 2025, the quantity could grow to 200 to 400,000 t, but even that is still too little.

In the search for protein sources research is also focusing on invertebrates such as polychaetes, earthworms and insects. Bristle

worms, for example the marine polychaet Nereis virens, are already used in feed for fry and for encouraging the maturation processes in some marine fish.

Among terrestrial earthworms, species such as Eisenia foetida and Endrilus eugineae have proved particularly suitable. They are rich in high quality protein (60 to 70 per cent in dry matter) with a high proportion of essential amino acids, especially lysine and methionine. Earthworms are relatively hardy and can be easily produced in simple composting processes at low production costs.

There are said to be more than 3,000 composting plants in Japan producing earthworms for feeding to farmed eels (Anguilla japonica). Studies show that earthworm meal can replace up to half the fishmeal in the feed of many fish species without impairing their development. The only digestive problem is the high chitin content (a polysaccharide component) in

Worldwide, approximately 60 million tonnes of feed are currently produced for aquaculture, which gives an idea of the extent of the challenges involved in procuring raw materials.

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The number of alternative feeds is increasing but it is only through expert mixing of the individual components that the fish’s nutritional requirements can be met as well as with fishmeal.

the outer shell of the worms, but this can be reduced somewhat by using soft, nutrient-rich culture substrates.

A good source of protein from insects are the pupae of silkworms which contain high-quality protein as well as valuable fatty acids.

However, the available quantities are too low to noticeably alleviate the feed industry’s problem in its search for alternative protein sources. Nevertheless, hopes are high that commercial insect breeding will make progress for it offers two important advantages.

Firstly, insects belong to the natural food spectrum of many fish species, for example salmonids, and secondly, they are relatively easy and cheap to produce. Feed trials confirm that insect meal can partially, and in some fish species even fully, replace fishmeal in the feed. More than 30 companies worldwide are already involved in the commercial production of insects, mainly the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens). Their larvae are particularly large and can be dried and crushed after only

[ AQUACULTURE ] 14 days of development. Global production volume, which is currently hardly more than 30,000 t, could rise to 100 to 200,000 t by 2025. But even that is far too little to make an effective contribution to protein supply for aquaculture.

In its search for a solution, the aquafeed industry now sometimes resorts to unusual raw materials. The Norwegian technology company Hyperthermics, for example, extracts the proteins contained in fish faeces. (The protein content in fish sludge is more than 40 per cent!).

Meal from bones, poultry, blood, feathers and meat are highly digestible protein sources but are not permitted for use in animal feed in all countries. They can replace fishmeal in fish diets to a

high degree without significantly affecting weight gain, feed conversion or body composition of many fish species. In individual cases, however, feed additives may be required to complete the amino acid spectrum. Lysine and methionine are often added to rainbow trout feed, for example, to compensate for deficits that occur when replacing fishmeal.

Vegetable raw materials are available in large quantities There is a particularly wide and promising selection of alternative raw materials in the case of plant-based products from agriculture, for example soya or various types of grain. Plant proteins are generally available in much larger quantities than fishmeal.

While hardly more than 5 million tonnes of fishmeal are produced worldwide each year, the quantity of soya alone is already more than 650 million tonnes, and additional sources are corn, rice, wheat and numerous other agricultural products which – after appropriate pre-treatment – are suitable for fish feed. One advantage is that, due to the large quantities involved, prices are usually lower than for fishmeal, and they do not fluctuate as much. Initially, vegetable proteins were mainly used for omnivorous fish species but carnivorous species such as salmon or trout are now also reared on feed containing vegetable proteins. Of course, carnivores cannot be biologically re-programmed and turned into herbivores. The feed manufacturers’ clever trick is to use special

processing methods to give the plant concentrates and vegetable components properties similar to those of fishmeal.

The vision of a vegetarian trout that can be reared inexpensively on vegetable feed lives on! Scientists of the Agricultural Research Service in the US Department of Agriculture (USDA-ARS) breed vegetarian rainbow trout strains that perform well on soybeanbased diets. Since the genetic selection programme began about 20 years ago measurable progress has been made from generation to generation in the use of pure plant protein diets. Nutritional studies on the selected trout strain have shown that the fish absorb plant proteins better, process amino acids effectively, and show good protein retention.

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[ AQUACULTURE ] protein requirements, such as tilapia or (better still) pure herbivores r %FWFMPQNFOU BOE VTF PG OFX plant species as protein sources in fish feed

Protein concentrates increase the value of plant raw materials

Since feed is the biggest cost item in aquaculture production fishmeal alternatives should not only be of high quality but also as inexpensive as possible.

The use of agricultural raw materials in fish feed is promising, but not without its problems, for the feed industry has to compete with a number of other user groups on the agricultural market. Wheat, for example, is needed for bakery products, rice is one of the staple foods in many countries of the world, soya and corn are fed to cattle, poultry and pigs. Due to the growing demand price fluctuations on the international markets are very frequent; since 2005, the raw material price index has risen by almost 50 per cent. Unfavourable weather conditions and severe storms, floods or droughts associated with climate change further exacerbate the problems. The use of genetically modified plants which are tailor-made for the requirements of fish nutrition could relieve the tense situation, but this technology is currently not acceptable for the majority of consumers in Europe.

Genetic engineering methods could, for example, be used to control protein content and amino acid composition and align it more precisely with the fish’s requirements or to reduce the concentration of antinutritional factors. On the other

hand, methods such as the biological improvement of raw materials using microorganisms, for example fermentation with yeasts, bacteria or fungi, are gaining more acceptance. Feed manufacturers are currently focusing mainly on the culture of microalgae from which high-quality omega-3-rich oils and proteins can be obtained. Microalgae cultures can be scaled to meet demand at reasonable cost and already account for a considerable proportion of the feed industry’s raw material supply. Their potential is far from exhausted and is expected to increase further in the near future.

A helpful way of developing vegetable raw materials for fish nutrition is to enrich the protein contained in them to produce protein concentrates. This allows the commercial use of raw materials that previously received little attention.

Barley, for example, is a nutritious and inexpensive grain that is produced in large quantities. It meets almost all sustainability criteria, is comparatively undemanding, thrives in both cold and warmer climates, and requires hardly any irrigation, little fertilisation or treatment with pesticides. Worldwide, more than 150 million tons of barley are produced annually, and it is at the lower end of the price spectrum for feed ingredients. Normal feed-grade barley costs about 160 US dollars per tonne.

The US company Montana Microbial Products says it is about to start commercial production of Barley Protein Concentrate (BPC). Feed The use of plant protein sources is trials have shown that BPC is easily currently concentrated in several digestible for several fish species – even at high replacement rates – areas: r %FWFMPQNFOU PG UFDIOPMP- and can therefore be used as a gies for the processing of plant protein base in fish feed. Trout material to reduce the effects reared with 30 per cent BPC in the of antinutritional factors and feed showed no differences in feed conversion rate (FCR), growth, improve the nutritional value r $VMUJWBUJPO PG QMBOUT XJUI MFTT taste, meat quality or colourantinutritional inhibiting fac- ing compared to conventionally tors and an amino acid profile farmed fish. Another advantage is the relatively low fibre content of optimized for fish nutrition r *ODSFBTFE BRVBDVMUVSF PG PNOJ BPC, which consists of less than 5 vorous fish species with lower per cent crude fibre.

Montana Microbial Products uses a process called “enzymatic fractionation� to produce one tonne of 60 per cent BPC from five tonnes of barley. Its market price is said to be 1,000 to 1,100 US dollars per tonne, which would be about a third cheaper than the same amount of fishmeal.

Corn gluten meal (CGM), which is produced during the wet milling of corn, has similarly good properties. With a protein content of between 60 and 70 per cent in dry matter CGM is an inexpensive alternative to other vegetable protein sources. CGM already replaces fishmeal in the feed of some fish species, for example cobia, sea bass and gilthead sea bream, without negatively affecting the growth performance of these carnivorous fish.

The potential applications of plant raw materials are quite impressive.

Recent feeding trials have confirmed that alfalfa concentrates are suitable as natural colour enhancers for shrimps. They give shrimps from aquaculture, which are often somewhat under-pigmented and pale in appearance, an attractive reddish colouring which is considered an important quality criterion that is also taken into account in pricing. Alfalfa concentrates, which are obtained by dehydrating the plant, are a cost-effective alternative to traditional carotenoidrich products such as spirulina algae, paprika or synthetic astaxanthin, particularly since shrimp feed containing alfalfa apparently not only intensifies colouring (differences in colouring compared to the test group were already visible three weeks after starting the feed), but also improves the crustaceans’ performance, especially weight gain. mk

Visit the archive of Eurofish Magazine articles on aquaculture at www.eurofishmagazine.com/sections/aquaculture 24 XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

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Decisions on fisheries management are based on the best available scientific advice

Strong support for data collecting efforts Dña. Alicia Villauriz Iglesias, the Secretary General for Fisheries, has a long history at top levels of the administration of the Spanish agriculture, fisheries, and food sectors with experience both from within Spain and outside. She outlines here some of the issues facing the Spanish fisheries sector and the measures her administration is taking to address them.

Dña. Alicia Villauriz Iglesias, Secretary General for Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food of Spain

Regulations on the ban on discards and the obligation to land all catches have been in force across the EU since last year.

What has been the impact on the Spanish fleet? How is compliance with these regulations monitored and what happens to fish that is landed but that cannot be sold (e.g. undersized specimens)?

The first year of full implementation of the landing obligation,

2019, has been positive for the Spanish fleet, since the main objective, which was the maintenance of the fishing activity avoiding the well-known “choke effect”, was possible, due to the efforts made for the implementation of the necessary mechanisms of flexibility. However, additional progress is needed in the future years, for instance, with the improvement of selectivity of the gears. The fish which cannot be sold for direct human

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consumption is managed by ports for alternative destinations.

This year (2020) was when fishing was supposed to be at levels that achieve Maximum Sustainable Yield. What has this meant for the Spanish fishing sector?

The year 2020 is the objective set by the CFP to reach the exploitation of stocks at the MSY level. Since 2019, all stocks targeted by Spanish fleets in national and community fishing grounds, and for which there is scientific advice at the MSY level, had their TACs and quotas set at this limit. The fishing sector is the first to be interested in the long-term sustainability of stocks and their ecosystems. The appropriate management strategy developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has been based on the best available scientific advice and a strict control and inspection system, as well as the maximum use of resources within their biological possibilities and socioeconomic conditions. This strategy has allowed the maintenance of or increase in TAC and quotas, with the natural fluctuations when dealing with biological resources.

The conditions introduced in the multiannual plans allow the use of fishing mortality ranges, which, from a scientific point of view, are considered as maximum sustainable yield and therefore sustainable. This approach allows consideration of socio-economic aspects that are fundamental for the fishing sector to

provide the necessary stability for the decision-making process. Therefore, the advisory role of scientific organizations that gives different options to the fisheries sector, always within the framework of RMS, is essential.

What trends can be noted in the Spanish fishing fleet over the last five years? Has the fleet taken any measures to mitigate its impact on global warming? How can the ministry encourage this development?

The number of Spanish active fishing vessels has experienced a significant decline in recent years, continuing the downward trend since Spain entered the European Union in 1986. The profitability has increased in the last years, partially due to the decrease of fuel prices, one of the main costs. However, there has been a significant effort to increase the fuel consumption efficiency, including some relevant initiatives, supported by the ministry, such as the use of wind by surface longliners in the high seas. These actions show the concern and priority shared by the sector to mitigate the effects of climate change and improve energy efficiency on fishing vessels, as evidenced by the inclusion of actions for this purpose in Spain’s Maritime and Fisheries Operational Programme, co-financed by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).

According to data monitoring use of the fund, since 2014, 160 projects have been approved

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for a total amount of EUR 8.8m (of which EUR 4.5m come from the EMFF), directly related to the reduction of energy consumption and the renewable energy incorporation.

The scope of these actions has focused on investments on board with 85 projects aimed at replacing parts and engines; in the field of ports, 27 projects have been approved, mainly promoted by fishermen’s unions, who have also accessed such projects through local strategies.

How important are UK waters currently for the Spanish fleet?

If no agreement between the UK and the EU is reached by the end of 2020 what will it mean for the Spanish fishing sector?

Spain has a traditional and significant fishing activity in UK waters, both in the north and west of Scotland and in the southwest of England. Although the activity of this fleet is limited within the waters of the United Kingdom, in case of no-agreement it will be necessary to relocate the fleet of the European Union. Therefore, the eight Member States affected by this matter, Spain among them, and the Commission are studying the impact of the shift of fishing effort to other fishing grounds. Finally, we cannot forget other Spanish interests in the context of Brexit, in the way of ownership by Spanish companies of UK-flagged vessels or EU-27 flagged vessels, fleets that land their catches in Spanish ports and sell most of their products into the Spanish market.

Climate change is manifesting in many ways from unusual climatic events to warming waters and increased acidification. What has been the impact on the Spain’s fisheries and aquaculture sector and what measures are being implemented to mitigate and to increase the resilience of affected sectors?

Global change must be tackled on several fronts. The Government has adopted a long-term strategy that considers multiple factors and coordinates different levels of administration, scientific institutions and sectors. In the specific case of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, we are committed to an ecosystem approach to fisheries management. In order to carry out this correct management, we first need high quality scientific evaluations. For this, the basic pillar is the collection of data of sufficient quality and the development of models that allow integrating all the information collected and obtaining the best evaluations.

For this reason, we rely first of all on clear support to the scientific organizations so that they can start this work, transferring the knowledge needed for fisheries management. The development of multidisciplinary research campaigns at sea allow us to collect the maximum possible information thus optimizing material and human resources and guaranteeing long historical series that allow trends to be analysed. Also, from the General Secretariat of Fisheries we carry out monitoring in particular places such as marine reserves of

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fishing Interest. We also participate in the different work groups constituted for this purpose in the General State Administration. In addition, the EMFF provides for a number of measures that contribute to reducing or mitigating the effect of climate change.

For Spain, the most important measures are those concerning the collection of data, actions in ports and cessation of activity, followed by others such as innovation or energy efficiency. With regard to data collection actions, they are an essential source of Information that facilitate forecasts and therefore decision-making. In addition to the National Data Collection Plan, other analyses are carried out at the national or local level.

Spain has a highly organized fisheries and aquaculture sector with associations representing companies at every step of the value chain.

In addition to providing a voice for the partners they represent, what role do associations play and how are they expected to evolve given the fall in employment in the sector?

Within the fisheries sector the different associations as well employment in the companies they represent are in good condition. Except for a slight decline in the maritime fisheries sector, mainly linked to the adjustment of fleet capacity with available resources, employment is stable or has grown in aquaculture, fishing and distribution. The fundamental role of the associations is the defence of the interests of its

members. Today, associations form an important organized, professionalized and stable socio-economic structure implemented throughout the territory, which allows cooperation in the transmission and enforcement of regulations, the promotion of technical innovations, the channelling of information to and from the producer sector, and the facilitation of the sector’s adaptation to changes and new technologies.

In the future, the role of these associations will be to further participate in advisory bodies of the European Union, international institutions and the Spanish Administration, especially the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, as institutional partners for the ongoing dialogue to set up a fisheries policy and general planning of the economy for the general interest.

Promoting associations in the fisheries sector is one of the main priorities of the ministry. As an example, during 2019, EUR 7.55m was allocated to prepare and implement the production and marketing plans of fisheries producer organisations.

the most appropriate mitigation measures. For this we work closely with the main scientific institutions of the country.

And we have established a programme of information gathering and analysis, based on multidisciplinary research campaigns at sea, in addition to scientific observer programmes on board commercial vessels and in the main ports. All this allows us to provide scientists with quality and necessary infrastructure so that they can make their recommendations.

On the fishing itself, Spain is committed to the sustainability

Spain is a member of the GFCM a body whose area of operations is the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Both these seas are seriously environmentally challenged — stocks are heavily overfished, pollution, eutrophication, falling biodiversity, marine litter, and invasive species. How is Spain contributing to solving some of these challenges?

of the fishing resources in the Mediterranean, based on best scientific advice. For that reason, Spain is one of the most active countries in GFCM, for example, in the Medfish4ever ministerial declaration. Also, Spain has been one of the EU Member States involved in the new EU multiannual plan for demersal fisheries in the Western Mediterranean, which is going to be implemented over the next years. Additionally, Spain will work in the future to improve the sustainable management of the small pelagic resources in the Mediterranean at national level.

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A mutually beneficial arrangement will be a fitting end to a long relationship

Spain hopes Brexit deal will maintain the status quo The Spanish ďŹ sheries sector comprises a ďŹ shing eet, marine and freshwater aquaculture, an advanced processing industry, and a complex market structure. In addition, there is a well-developed ancillary industry supplying technology and services to the other constituents of the sector.

Manually dredging for shellfish in an estuary in Galicia. The work is done from a boat but also by foot. Collecting by foot used to be exclusively done by women but now many men have also joined the activity.

O

ver the last few years the economic performance of the EU fishing fleet has improved thanks to a combination of factors including lower fuel prices, higher fish prices, improved

status of some stocks and advances in technology. These developments are expected to continue in 2019 driven by higher landing prices while fuel prices and interest rates remain low, according to the 2019

edition of the Annual Economic Report on the EU Fishing Fleet*, which is based primarily on data from 2017. EU fleet capacity has been declining but at a lower rate than previously amounting to some

83,000 vessels, while direct employment in the sector amounted to some 150,000 fishers. The fleet landed over 5m tonnes of seafood valued at just above EUR7.5bn.

The biggest segment of the fleet in

*Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF): The 2019 Annual Economic Report on the EU Fishing Fleet (STECF 19-06), Carvalho, N., Keatinge, M. and Guillen Garcia, J. editor(s), EUR 28359 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2019 28 XXX FVSPl TINBHB[JOF DPN

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Spanish fleet. This zone includes the North Western Waters as well as part of the Southern Western Waters. Catches in this single zone amount to about a third of total Spanish catches in terms of both volume and value. Altogether, the Spanish fleet is active in 15 FAO zones spread over three oceans, the Atlantic (including the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea), the Pacific, and the Indian.

Javier Garat Perez, Secretary General, CEPESCA

terms of vessels and employment is the small-scale coastal fleet (59 of the vessels, 51 of the employment) followed by the large-scale fleet (19, 45) and lastly the distantwater fleet (0.3, 4).

the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) area, North and Southern Western Waters, and the Mediterranean Sea, among

other areas. According to Spanish data, which are based on FAO zones, the northeast Atlantic (FAO 27) is a very important area for the

Most of these vessels are organised into associations that represent the interests of the owners, and function as counterparts for the government in consultations about the fisheries. Some 36 of these associations of (both large and small) vessel owners are members of the confederation Cepesca. The organisation accounts for over 700 fishing companies, close to 800 vessels, and about half the national catch. In terms of tonnage however, Cepesca represents about two thirds of the national fleet as the biggest vessels, the distantwater fleet, tuna purse seiners, bottom trawlers, longliners that fish around the world, are all members

The biggest vessels and catches in the EU Spain has the among the largest fleets in the EU. Not in terms of vessel numbers, where at 11 of the total, it lies behind both Greece (18) and Italy (15), nor in terms of engine power where with 13 of the total it follows France (16) and Italy (15). But in terms of tonnage, the Spanish fleet leads the EU pack with 21 of the total. The Spanish fleet had 1.07m days at sea and consumed the most fuel (606m litres) of any of the national fleets, but also generated EUR2bn or just over a quarter of the total EU fleet revenue. Spanish vessels fish in the North Sea and Eastern Arctic,

Hector Villa, Deputy Director General of National and EU Waters

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explains Javier Garat Perez, the Secretary General. However, the number of vessels in the Spanish fleet has been falling. When Spain joined the European Economic Community in 1986 it had 22,000 vessels, while today it has only 8,900 of which only 7,000 are active.

This was largely a consequence of the capacity adjustment the fleet had to undergo to adapt to the quotas that were allocated to Spain when it joined. Today the situation of most of the stocks in the north east Atlantic is positive, a status that was achieved thanks to the sacrifices made by fishermen, emphasises Mr Garat. Fishing effort has been reduced, fishing mortality has declined and as a result the biomass of the different stocks has gone up. For those fishermen who are fishing today it is a

good development, but for many of those who could not continue it was a drastic change. The change affected not only the fishermen directly, but their families and all the downstream activities, auctions, sales, processing, and distribution, as well.

Non-community and non-Spanish waters important for the fleet In the NAFO area, Spain was one of two main EU fishing nations (the other was Portugal) responsible for over 40 of EU catches in 2017. This is in line with previous years — since 2010 the Spanish fleet has caught between 38 and 60 of the EU catch in the NAFO area. The main target species are Greenland halibut, blue shark,

Trawls are just one of the kinds of gear used by the Spanish fishing fleet.

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and rays. The Spanish fleet has had between 60 and 70 of the total number of EU vessels in the area since 2010, though in absolute numbers the number of Spanish vessels has declined over the period. In 2017 there were 14 Spanish vessels — 12 large-scale and 2 distant-water. In North Western Waters (Atlantic ICES areas V, VI, and VII), the Spanish fleet with 60 vessels is a fraction of the UK, French and Irish fleets. These four fleets accounted for 90 of the revenue generated landings in 2017. European hake, anglerfish, and megrim are the main species caught by Spanish vessels, which are all large-scale. In contrast, the three other fleets comprise both small-scale and large-scale vessels. Spanish landings from this area amount to 3.3 of the volume

and 8.5 of the value of landings by all the fleets active in the area.

Spanish vessels fishing in these waters are the ones that will be most affected by Brexit though the extent of the impact will depend on the agreement that is negotiated between the EU and Britain.

Both small and large-scale Spanish vessels fish in Southern Western Waters The Southern Western Waters cover the Atlantic zone running from the tip of Brittany in the north, to the Strait of Gibraltar in the south and including the outermost regions of Madeira, the Azores and the Canary Islands (ICES areas VIII, IX and X, and the COPACE divisions

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are supplemented with risk assessments that identify ports or vessels where there is a higher risk of infringement which leads to a higher frequency of inspections. In Spain, says Mr Velasco, in general there have been more infringements over the years, but that is also because we have increased the number of inspections. He thinks however that the system of penalties for violations does bring about a change in behaviour and that fishers realise that not obeying the law will ultimately have an impact on stocks and thus on their own livelihoods.

Borja Velasco Tuduri, Deputy Director General for Control and Inspection

34.1.1 (Morocco coastal), 34.1.2 (Canaries/Madeira insular), 34.2.0 (Northern oceanic)). These waters are an importance source of Spanish production accounting for 28 (EUR570m) of the value of national landings. In volume the Spanish fleet in South Western Waters landed some 304,000 tonnes. Of the almost 11,000 vessels active in the region, Spain, Portugal and France accounted for 99 of them, and Spain alone for over half the total. The vessels active in the area are both smallscale and large-scale. Although the small-scale fleet accounted for some 60 of the vessels it contributed only 10 of the landings and 20 of the value. Since 2010 the number of vessel active in the area has declined by 2000 of which 60 were Spanish vessels.

The main species caught by the Spanish fleet are European hake, mackerel, albacore, anchovy, and pilchards. The Spanish smallscale fleet operating in these waters represents over 70 of the Spanish small-scale fleet and

more than 6,800 employees. The main species landed by this fleet segment included octopus, sole, and seabass, while the large-scale fleet targeted mainly hake, albacore, anchovy, Atlantic mackerel, and jack and horse mackerel.

These vessels comprised mainly demersal trawlers, purse seiners, and vessels less than 10 m using active and passive gears, as well as drift netters. In addition, 5 vessels from the Spanish distant-water fleet were also active in the area.

Technology, physical checks, risk assessments—control calls for all the tools in the box With Spanish vessels fishing in so many different areas monitoring their activities is a complex and demanding task. Fisheries control is split between the central fisheries administration in Madrid which is responsible for control in external waters, and the administration in the autonomous

communities which are responsible for internal waters. Internal waters, however, covers not only inland waters and coastal lagoons, but also marine waters within a line linking points along the coast, explains Borja Velasco Tuduri, Deputy Director General for Control and Inspection in the ministry. External waters are those lying beyond this line.

The first 12 miles after the line are Spanish juridical waters while beyond that to 200 miles are community waters. The ministry’s control extends to the point of first sale after which control reverts to the autonomous communities.

Control refers to monitoring, for example, to ensure catches do not exceed quotas, or of the implementation of the landing obligation, or of the days of fishing (in the Mediterranean). Inspections by the ministry are carried out by inspectors based in the different Spanish ports who are supported by a team of inspectors based in Madrid who travel to different parts of Spain. Physical controls

The ministry’s focus on control has contributed to an increase of about 30 people over the last five years or so. A further expansion in personnel is being considered for both 2020 and 2021, he says.

This increased emphasis on control can be traced back to an audit conducted by the EU in 2012 that revealed deficiencies in the control system. The report resulted in a system of control that in 2016 won an ISO certificate of quality for control and inspection. The vessels used by the ministry for its inspections are owned by the ministry but are managed by the navy. A fleet of seven smaller vessels and five helicopters is used by the Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) for fisheries control and two aircraft are used by the customs department for surveillance. In addition, the ministry is starting to deploy drones, closed circuit television (CCTV) and has already electronic observers on board 44 vessels which are fishing in the high seas, in third country waters, or in community waters. This is a tool we would like to further develop as it will contribute to better management, to avoiding discards, and to better monitoring of catches. However, since deploying these instruments on all the 9,000 vessels in the Spanish fleet is not &VSPl TI Magazine 2 / 2020

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Both these ports are used by Spanish vessels fishing for tuna in the Indian Ocean.

Carola Gonzalez Kessler, Deputy Director General for Aquaculture and Markets

possible these tools will be placed on board some vessels and combined with risk analyses to assess where and when inspections should be carried out. Inspections are carried out not only in Spanish and community waters but also in international waters. While

most of the Spanish fleet is comprised of small vessels (up to 12 m in length), some 400 vessels are large and active in third countries’ waters as well as in those managed by fisheries management bodies in oceans around the world. In the Seychelles the ministry has a

team of three inspectors permanently based there since the fall of 2019 and since January this year a second team has been deployed so that two vessels discharging their cargoes can be monitored simultaneously. Another team is being considered for Madagascar.

European hake is an all-time favourite among Spanish consumers for its taste and texture.

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The regime introduces a limit on the fishing effort for trawlers by allocating a maximum number of fishing days for each fleet category by Member State.

In addition, the plan restricts trawlers from operating in waters shallower than 100 m located within 6 nautical miles of the coast, for three months per year, to reserve the coastal zone for more selective fishing gear.

The plan will mean a reduction in fishing days, according to Mr Garat, and as a result some vessels will disappear as they will not be profitable with the days they have been allocated.

This will not only affect the fishermen but also the auctions, some of which depend on the fish that is brought by the trawlers, the ice factories that depend on the trawlers for their business, shipyards where vessels are repaired, and other ancillary businesses. The problem, he maintains, is that the data used to make these decisions is invariably out of date. He feels

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AER* fleet segment definitions − Small-scale coastal fleet (SSCF) includes all vessels under 12 meters using static gears. − Large-scale fleet (LSF) includes all vessels over 12 meters using static gears and all vessels using towed gears operating predominately in EU waters. − Distant-water fleet (DWF) includes vessels over 24 m operating in other fishing regions including EU outermost regions as well as fishing in areas outside EU waters and in areas beyond national jurisdiction covered by regional fisheries bodies (RFBs).

that measures already taken are having a positive effect on stocks (according to an FAO report, since 2016 the trend has changed and there are less stocks overexploited) and accepts that the new plan will probably accelerate this development. The concern of Cepesca and other organisations representing fishermen is the socio-economic consequences of these measures.

57). In the ICCAT area the Spanish fleet has the largest catches of all the contracting parties, which include nine other EU countries.

Spain’s catches amounted to 140,000 tonnes or almost a quarter of the total in 2017. Spanish catches peaked however in 2012 with 169,000 tonnes but since then have hovered around

an average of 144,000 tonnes.

Vessels are different sizes and use different gears including surface longlines, purse seines, and hook and line. The most targeted species include blue shark, albacore, swordfish, skipjack tuna, bigeye tuna, shortfin mako, Atlantic pomfret and bluefin tuna.

Because they are important for its fishermen and its market, and because of the commitment to sustainability, Spain contributes to collecting data on these stocks. Pilar Vara del Rio, Deputy Director of Fisheries Protection Resources, is the national correspondent for the EU data collection framework (DCF) and she and her team manage the Spanish programme, for example, of marine surveys (her unit operates three research vessels) and coordinate fisheries research in

Spain in collaboration with the Spanish Institute of Oceanography and AZTI-Tecnalia (in the Basque country). DCF scientists look at the situation of the principle stocks and participate in working groups of ICES and of RFBs like ICCAT. The three research vessels owned by the ministry carry out surveys at sea not only in Spanish waters but also in other countries’ waters where the Spanish fleet is active as well as in the NAFO area. This year joint surveys will be carried out in Angola and Congo and last year one was accomplished in Guinea Bissau. In March a survey of red seabream, sardine, and other important resources in Spanish (and Moroccan and Portuguese) waters in the Mediterranean was carried out in collaboration with FAO. Ms del Rio says that all the

Important fisheries in waters managed by regional fisheries bodies Spain also has a fishery off the Canary Islands, a Spanish territory consisting of a group of islands off the coast of west Africa This fleet generated an income of EUR34m from landings of 13,000 tonnes. The fishing activity takes place in FAO area 34.1.2 and landings are dominated by large pelagics — skipjack and bigeye tuna, albacore. Spanish vessels are also active in waters managed by regional fisheries bodies (RFBs) such as, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO, FAO 21), the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT, FAO 21, 27, 31, 34, 37, 41, 47 and 48), and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC, FAO 51 and

Ana Redondo Garrida, Deputy Director General for Competitiveness and Social Affairs

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Pilar Vara del Rio, Deputy Director General of Fisheries Protection Resources

stocks targeted by Spanish vessels in the ICS area and where the requisite level of knowledge is available are being fished at MSY. The tendency is generally positive, she says, as more than 95 of the landings made by the EU fleets are from stocks that are at MSY compared with the resource situation a decade ago. Biomass in general has increased especially in the Atlantic, for example, northern hake or anchovy in the Cantabrian Sea are at historic levels, or even bluefin tuna. We currently have the highest level of TACs of the last 10-15 years, she says.

processing industry where they number 65. In the ancillary industries related to fisheries, such as net making and maintenance they account for 86. In the

retail fish trade which includes fish mongers more than half the traders are women. Ana Redondo Garrido, Deputy Director General for Competitiveness and Social

Affairs, says that several years ago there were no organisations representing women in Spain. Since then however, a national association has been formed exclusively for women working in the sector and several regional associations for women have joined it. This structure has increased women’s visibility in the fisheries sector and contributed to increasing their empowerment, training, partnership, and leadership. The association, ANMUPESCA, tries to join other organisations to further increase its visibility and to create networks that can help solve some of the challenges they face. Maria de Mar Saez Torres, Service Chief in the same unit as Ms Garrido, says there exists network of women in fisheries with a website which hosts their projects and activities. The national strategy for women in fisheries tries to bring about gender balance with equal pay for equal work, better working conditions and improved work-life balance.

Better organisation gives women in Spanish fisheries greater visibility and increased empowerment Female participation in the Spanish fisheries sector is around 35.

In some sub-sectors, however, women play a more dominant role than in others, for example in shellfish gathering where they amount to 64 and in the

Maria de Mar Saez Torres, Service Chief, Directorate General for Competitiveness and Social Affairs

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Puerto De Celeiro S.A.OPP 77, a producer organisation specialised in fresh longlined hake

Environmental and quality product certifications The producer organisation Celeiro is named after the port in Galicia in the north west of Spain where it was established in 2014. It comprises a fleet of 25 vessels from 24-30 m in length fishing in community waters in Spain, France, west of Ireland, and west of Scotland, and the main target species is northern hake.

The history of the PO goes back to 1994, when a group of vessel owners founded a company to manage the port of Celeiro and establish an auction. The purpose of these activities was to make the port and its facilities attractive enough to entice the fleet to land its catches in Celeiro.

Revitalising the port was the main objective The fleet was fishing all along the Cantabrian coast, says Jesús A. Lourido García, the manager of the PO, and landing the catch in the Basque Country or in La Coruña or at other ports. We wanted to bring the catches home to Celeiro and start a market and try to empower the area, which is very isolated (2.5 hours from the airport and 2 hours from the motorway) and very dependent on the fishery. The vessel owners did not only want to land and sell the fish in Celeiro, but also add value to it. These activities led over time to various companies establishing themselves in Celeiro to support the fishing vessels that were basing their activity in the port. Today, these companies are some 10 in number and supply a range of products and services to the fleet—chandlery, refrigeration and storage, frozen bait, telecommunications, and fish processing.

Jesús A. Lourido García, manager of the producer organisation, Puerto De Celeiro S.A.OPP 77.

Bringing the vessels back to Celeiro was part of a larger makeover of the whole fishery which included a greater focus on sustainability and reducing environmental impact. Before the move to Celeiro, the vessels were a mix of longliners and trawlers, now, however, the trawlers have converted to longliners as this is a relatively low impact fishery. The fishing is at a depth of 300-400 m and is carried out at night to avoid impact on seabirds. The other gear used by a few of the vessels is gillnets. Trawls are a traditional gear, no doubt, but fishing with

hooks is in the DNA of Celeiro, says Mr Lourido, and the fishers understood it was better for the whole image that we wanted to create if we returned to our origins.

Longlines offer selectivity and low environmental impact Fishing with longlines has other advantages too—it is much more selective with negligible unwanted catches, and the fish is very high quality. Hake caught with a longline is very black

because it has retained all its scales, while the same fish caught by trawl is a lighter colour as some of the scales get rubbed off in the trawl. The PO wanted to market itself as practitioners of a fishery that was focused on high quality hake caught in an environmentally friendly way and from a stock that was fished sustainably. For added credibility among its customers the PO went in for a quality certification, Galicia Calidade (Galician Quality), a label backed by the government of Galicia. In addition, the fishery is certified to the Friend of the Sea (FoS) &VSPl TI Magazine 2 / 2020

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The Puerto De Celeiro S.A.OPP 77 producer organisation represents some 20 vessels most of which use longlines, a low impact and selective gear.

Northern hake dominates both the value and the volume of landings at the port of Celeiro.

standard, which is based on the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. The FoS certification also covers discards, bycatches, management of waste, ecosystem impact, energy management, and also includes a full audit regarding social accountability. The vessels have a crew of some 15 people, since all the work (baiting the hooks, etc.) is done manually, so the social audit was particularly important, says Mr Lourido.

Adding value in the form of filleting or packaging does not seem to resonate with customers. The PO still primarily sells whole fish as that is what the market demands, at least when the fish is fresh. Some years ago, a Spanish retail chain introduced modified atmosphere packaged portions of fish but decided to withdraw the product after several months and go back to whole fish as demand for the portions was too feeble. Spanish consumers want to see the whole fish, says Mr Lourido, they are not ready to accept fresh fillets yet.

On the other hand, working with small retail shops and fishmongers he sees it as very important that the fish is sold by people who are knowledgeable about fish

Hake is the most important species both in volume and value to be landed in Celeiro. According to Mr Lourido, the port is home to 30 of the Spanish hake fishing capacity in European waters and about 10,000 tonnes of hake worth EUR43m was landed here in 2018. This fish is landed not just by the vessels of the PO, but also by other vessels that land their catches at the port. The fish is sold through the auction with a minor volume being sold by contract. The port provides the auction building and equipment and manages the financial side of the transactions, collecting money from the buyers and paying the sellers. The PO has its

own company that buys at the auction too, competing with the other bidders. This arrangement gives the PO useful knowledge about the market and the prevailing prices. It also has a shop in the Madrid wholesale market.

Traceability links the fish to the end consumer To add value to the fish the PO has also been working on projects that are intended to engage the consumer more closely. For example, by giving each fish a unique number and QR code which the consumer could scan with a smartphone to automatically visit a website to get the story behind the fish—where it was caught, when, by which vessel, and other details—which would create a link between the product and the consumer. This idea was realised in collaboration with a major French retail chain with which the PO has been collaborating for many years. It represented possibly the first “block chained� traceability system for fresh fish. Another project will extend this idea to all the hake from the gillnet fishery that is landed in Celeiro.

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and can not only provide their customers with information on the product, but can also process it into the whole gutted, fillets or steaks that are often desired by the customer. Perhaps the Spanish market is in transition, he muses, where customers want to see and select their fish and then have it processed for convenience but are not yet prepared to buy pre-prepared packaged portions.

Whichever direction the market moves in, the Puerto De Celeiro PO will be prepared to supply it with the products it is looking for knowing that quality, traceability, accountability and sustainability will always be in demand.

Puerto De Celeiro S.A.OPP 77 Muelle Pesquero Sur S/n 27863 Celeiro Lugo Spain Tel:+34 982 57 09 13 Fax:+34 982 57 09 14 Mobile:+34 600 96 82 30 j.ota@puertoceleiro.com www.puertodeceleiro.es Manager: Jesús A. Lourido García Vessels: 25

Average length: 24-30 m Gear: Longlines, gillnets Catches: European hake Volumes of hake landed at the port of Celeiro: ca. 10,000 tonnes Certification: Galicia Calidade (Galician Quality), Friend of the Sea Markets: Spain

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FLAG projects address the challenges to the artisanal fishing fleet in the Ría de Pontevedra

Striving for bottom–up development in Galicia Spanish fisheries, especially those operating on a small-scale, are sailing on a choppy sea of continuous, EU-wide downturns in income and employment. Added to this are the problems of declining fish stocks and a loss of confidence in the centralised regulatory system.

Fisheries in Galicia in north-western Spain, however, have two lifelines: their ancient institution of fishermen‘s guilds (cofradías) and the EU’s recently developed system of Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGS).

From left, José Manuel Rosas, President of Cofradía de Pescadores de Bueu; Sonia Cabodevila, technician on employment and economic promotion at Municipality of Bueu; María del Carmen Vázquez Nores, President of Cofradía de Lourizán and President of FLAG Ría de Pontevedra; José Barreiro Gómez, Secretary of Cofradía de Pescadores de Bueu; Laura Nieto Zas, Ría de Pontevedra FLAG manager.

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LAGs are part of FARNET, the network that implements Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). On the local level, FLAGs unite stakeholders (fishers, companies, associations, NGOs, local administration, researchers, fishermen’s guilds, etc.) in ascertaining the situation in a local fishing or

aquacultural community and developing CLLD programmes that address particular needs.

Resources are then distributed under EMFF.

An ancient fishing industry at home in Galicia The province of Pontevedra (whose capital is also named Pontevedra)

is located about halfway down the west coast of Galicia, one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities (plus two autonomous cities). Galicia’s more than 1,660 km of coastline is home to major population and manufacturing centres, but most important, it is the home to its fishing industry, which plays a vital role in Galicia’s culture, history, and economy. Although Spain takes catches in all seven of the fishing

areas covered by EU catch statistics (north-east Atlantic; north-west Atlantic; Mediterranean and Black seas; eastern-central Atlantic; southeast Atlantic; south-west Atlantic; and western Indian Ocean), this is done mostly by large-scale, industrial fisheries. The fisheries in the Pontevedra estuary are typically small artisanal fisheries working almost exclusively near Galicia’s irregular coastline. &VSPl TI Magazine 2 / 2020

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The definition of artisanal fishing varies from country to country, but the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) notes that it uses a “relatively small amount of capital and energy, relatively small fishing vessels‌, making short fishing trips, close to shore ‌â€?. According to the FAO, it can employ trawlers up to 20 m or longer. Galicia’s artisanal fisheries contribute important socio-economic and cultural features to its coastal communities, providing sustainable livelihoods, food security, population retention, and poverty alleviation.

Further, artisanal fishing is often less wasteful and less stressful on fish populations than modern industrial fishing.

Fishing together for 800 years Since the 12th century, Spanish fishermen have managed artisanal coastal fisheries with self organising guilds or cofradĂ­as.

(Industrial fisheries have their own system of associations for professional organisations and owners.) With their roots in both religious and professional medieval institutions, the guilds represent the economic, social, corporate, and political interests of the fishing and shellfish sector. Although, throughout their long history, guilds have suffered changes to their privileges and autonomous status, today they continue to contribute to local development, social cohesion, and sustainability, and are now taking a further active role by cooperating in various projects with the RĂ­a de Pontevedra FLAG (GALP RĂ­a de Pontevedra).

Laura Nieto, manager of the RĂ­a de Pontevedra FLAG, explains the importance of cofradĂ­as in the community. “They are the heart of the FLAG. In Galicia, the fishers and the culture of fish is

bound up in the local heritage and community. When a fisher comes to the president of the cofradía, the president knows the man and his problems, and they try to help. It is a community.� Perhaps the age-old tradition of cofradías predisposes the fishermen of Galicia to look naturally for situations in which effort is shared for the common good. In the framework of a FLAG, ideas can be developed locally and communally, avoiding top–down imposition of management.

Learning from discard management The fishermen’s guild of Bueu took part in a FLAG project to determine the effect of discard regulations, as required by the Common Fisheries Policy, on the artisanal fleet in the Ría de Pontevedra. The project clarified the challenges that artisanal fisheries face when implementing such a system, the effects it can have aboard fishing vessels, and the management of the discards once landed. Surveys were conducted with skippers from the fleet, and data was collected on the species caught, quantities landed, and the reasons for any discards. The area’s purse-seine fishing vessels, which were identified as potentially being most affected by the new landing obligations, became the project’s focus. Smaller vessels dedicated to gillnet and octopus fishing were also surveyed to make the dataset more representative of the entire fleet.

Results indicate that the measures will have a negligible impact on the area’s fishing activities. The discards for both seine and gillnet fishing vessels were revealed to be relatively low and consist mostly

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Fish being auctioned travels along the conveyer and is photographed so buyers can view the product both directly and on a screen before placing a bid.

of smaller species, such as starling and bogue. For gillnet vessels, these species are often discarded owing to small catch sizes (fewer than ten fish), which are too small to sell. Although catches of bogue are larger for purse-seine vessels, the species is not commercially regulated and therefore is not included in the vessels’ total allowable catch (TAC) quota. Spider crab are also discarded when caught out of season; however, given the nature of gillnet fishing gear, they are often returned to the sea alive.

Although the FLAG project has established that the new landing obligations will have a small affect on Bueu’s fishing fleet, it provides an objective evaluation of discard management in the area. The research concluded with a series of in-depth interviews with key industry stakeholders on their perceptions of the new measures, and the general opinion is that, with the right management, both discards and TAC quotas pose no threat to the future of the area’s fishing activities and economy.

Balancing exploitation and conservation in a national park Galicia‘s only national park, the Galician Atlantic Islands Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, includes the islands of Ons, Salvora, Cortegada, and CĂ­es, each of which is located at the mouth of one of the RĂ­as Baixas. The park includes both the islands and the surrounding oceanic areas, totalling approximately 8,333 hectares. At least 2,000 fishermen work in this protected area, which accounts for 94 of the fleet’s activity. Its central location in the fleet’s fishing grounds requires a delicate balance between exploitation and conservation.

According to Laura Nieto, “A problem arose when environmental NGOs proposed a plan to restrict fishing in the area. A more coherent fishery governance plan was required. The project was initiated by the cofradĂ­as of Portanovo, but it involved all of the cofradĂ­as in the Pontevedra area, as well as the three FLAGS in RĂ­a de Pontevedra, RĂ­a de Vigo, and RĂ­a de Arrosa. The aim was to

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involve the fishermen and their guilds in improving governance and management in the park, thus reducing conflict, reinforcing the role of the fishing communities, and maintaining jobs in the fishing sector”. The result was a management plan that recognised current shellfish fishing activities and all activities traditionally used in the area by fishermen, and the application of current regulations. A management body was created with 50/50 participation by fishermen and public administrators, and effective surveillance-control systems were implemented.

Taking it online The area of the Ría de Pontevedra FLAG is home to four fish and seafood auctions that market mostly artisanal products.

The four auctions are in Bueu, specialising in octopus, catches from purse-seiners, and molluscs; Portonovo, specialising in catches from purse-seiners and other species; Poio, specialising in mussels and clams; Marin specialising in crab, shrimp, and blue fish (sardines, mackerel, horse mackerel, etc.). The four

auctions sell an annual total of approximately EUR 15m. “Still,” Laura Nieto explains, “competition from the larger Vigo fish auction is fierce, and prices have been affected negatively”. A project was planned to develop an online platform and a communication campaign to increase the attractiveness of local seafood and increase its consumption. The platform would aggregate the four auctions’ products, making local seafood more accessible to buyers and increasing the range of products available. Another important objective was to increase communication between different actors in the value chain, for example, fishermen, fishmongers, consumers, auctions, distributors, and restaurants. Using a unique information point, the platform would instantly inform fish buyers what will be available at the four auctions.

According to the plan, fishermen send information on their daily catch via their mobile phone or computer to the platform, which then informs the auction hall and buyers in real time. Buyers can place an order online to be

processed by one of the auctions.

(National legislation prevents direct selling. All fish caught by Spanish vessels must be sold through auctions). Consumers can also place orders using the platform, which will then be processed by a registered buyer.

In addition, creating a collective Pescado Artesanal brand ensures consistency in communicating local seafood offers.

Fishmongers and restaurants buying from the platform are encouraged to use the brand to highlight their local sourcing. The platform also provides information about the local fleet, production methods, links with the national park, and places to purchase local fish.

Laura Nieto recalls, “We carried out other promotional activities, including a publicity campaign that targeted local schools and consumers, as well as cooking classes for students and seafood customers”.

The list of projects goes on Since the project began, two of the auctions have reported increased average annual prices (the Bueu auction had a notable increase of more than 50), whereas prices have stabilised for the other two auctions. The online sales platform has attracted new buyers on national and even international levels, which could lead to a new distribution scheme for Pescado Artesanal products.

The number of sales made via

the platform remains modest, but it is used as an information source by approximately 50 fishmongers. The platform attracts 500 visits every two weeks and has more than 1,000 followers on social media. The brand name is used by ten restaurants and 20 fishmongers. The platform was set up by the FLAG on behalf of the cofradías, but its day-today running is now in the hands of trained members of these associations, a type of career training for under-employed fishermen.

The variety of projects carried out by the Ría de Pontevedra FLAG goes beyond the scope of one article. Additional projects include, among others, improving the marketing for local octopus through certification as “Pesca de Rías”, improving the dock facilities in the port of Bueu, connecting the traditional sectors, such as fisheries, with more current sources of innovation, and marketing the region to tourists as an authentic brand, based on the region’s natural and cultural assets including its maritime and fishery heritage.

Despite the realignment that is taking place in the fishing industry throughout the EU, the interplay between the Pontevedra FLAG and the area’s cofradías suggests a strategy designed to build on the community’s social, environmental, and economic strengths.

William Anthony

FLAG Ria de Pontevedra Manager: Ms Laura Nieto Zas Number of partners: 74 (associations, public authorities, cofradias, social bodies) Percentage of fisheries actors: 45

Total public budget 2014-2020: EUR5.7m Of which EMFF: 85% Member State co-financing: 15%

Pots used to catch octopus, a speciality of Galicia.

&VSPl TI Magazine 2 / 2020

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Researchers at the University of Oviedo work to prevent the spread of invasive alien species through research and outreach

New tools help identify alien species Invasive alien species are among the most serious threats to biodiversity in the EU and are particularly damaging to vulnerable ecosystems such as those found on islands.

At the University of Oviedo in Asturias, Alba Ardura (left), Prof. Yaisel J. Borrell, and Prof. Eva Garcia-Vazquez are working on invasive species.

Globalisation accelerates alien species’ introduction

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nvasive alien species (IAS) can bring important economic and social benefits to society in the short term but may have deleterious impacts on natural resources that can last for generations. A report by the European Environmental Agency in 2012 estimated the impact of IAS on human life and health, and damage to agriculture, forestry, and fisheries to be in the range of EUR12bn per year in Europe.

The impact of IAS takes different forms. Competition for habitat and resources, predation on native species, transmission of disease (to humans and to other species), destruction of habitats or infrastructure, and hybridisation (mating with native species can alter the gene pool and genetic

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diversity) are among the negative affects of invasive species. Species have always moved from one place to another, but the difference is that today globalisation has greatly accelerated the process whereby animals and plants leave their origins and arrive at destinations where, if conditions are favourable, they will try and settle.

Reversing globalisation is neither desirable nor practical for various reasons. Current trends suggest it

will increase over the next years leading most likely to an uptick in the rate of arrival of IAS caused deliberately or unintentionally.

In addition, climate change may hasten the arrival of IAS by creating conditions in hitherto inhospitable areas in which alien species can survive and even thrive. These two factors, climate change and globalisation, have contributed to an increase in the volumes of species that are carried from one part

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A group of volunteers clears a beach along the Avilés estuary of the invasive New Zealand pygmy mussel (Xenostrobus securis)

of the world to another multiplying the number of introductions and greatly increasing the likelihood of successful colonisation by an alien species.

Ports are a common gateway for invading species Given these factors, tackling IAS calls for a raft of measures including early detection and rapid response, more rigorous implementation of existing legislation such as the ballast water directive, and the creation of information and awareness about the threats represented by IAS. At the University of Oviedo in Asturias in the north west of Spain, a team of researchers is studying the issue.

In December last year they organised the BluePorts 2019 workshop

which brought together port stakeholders, researchers, managers, teachers, students and citizens to discuss biologically safe or “blue” ports, that have adequate facilities for the reception of ballast water and the treatment of fouling, the two principle ways for the introduction of alien species through ports. The objective of the conference was to work with the maritime community to create relevant blue port services and thereby prevent discharges at sea.

Another, older, initiatives the researchers took was to organise the international Alertools workshop in 2016. Prof. Yaisel Borrell (Biology) and Prof. Eduardo Dopico (Education Sciences) coordinated the workshop under the scientific direction of Prof. Eva Garcia-Vazquez. The workshop

not only discussed technical subjects such as sensors for the early detection of invasions and molecular methods for detecting nonindigenous individuals, but also included a session on educational and citizen science approaches to increase awareness about biological invasions, and using citizen patrols to monitor the appearance of alien species. Of all the threats to biodiversity, invasive species are one of the main challenges, says Prof. Borrell, but people are unaware of it. It is therefore critical to educate the general public as a way of developing a kind of early warning system, as once an invasive species is established it is almost impossible to do something about it. Besides, we work at a publicly funded university and have a moral obligation to inform the public, so outreach,

education and dissemination are a regular part of our activities. Prof.

Dopico and his colleagues organised therefore a series of public talks in schools in the city of Gijon about the problems of biological invasion. Divers, fishers, people running or strolling on beaches, students and other ordinary citizens can alert the authorities or the scientific community if they detect something that might be an alien species. But for that they need to be educated to recognise something unusual.

Early detection and eradication are critical to prevent spreading The more information that is available about an invasive species— its origins, population structure, genetic diversity, and expansion &VSPl TI Magazine 2 / 2020

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What is an alien species?

An alien species is an organism introduced outside its natural past or present distribution range by human agency, either directly or indirectly.

This deďŹ nition implies an active movement facilitated by humans through a number of different pathways and covers both intentional and unintentional movements of species. Introductions can in fact be intentional — as in the case of species released to the environment for hunting, angling, aquaculture, forestry, agriculture, horticulture and gardening — and accidental, as in the case of hitchhikers or stowaways, or aquatic species transported through ballast water. Those alien species which cause negative impacts on biodiversity, socio-economy or human health are considered as invasive (CBD, 2002).

trends—the more can be done to prevent it from colonising a space and to eradicate it in case it does spread. In 2014 Prof. Borrell and Prof. García-Vazquez observed for the first time the New Zealand pygmy mussel (Xenostrobus securis) in the AvilÊs estuary in the Bay of Biscay in one port and at low density. A year later the researchers found that the species had rapidly and successfully spread possibly encouraged by new arrivals from the harbour as the port receives over 1,000 vessels (commercial, naval, recreational, and fishing) in a year. In a paper based on this study1 the authors suggest that the mussel arrived through ballast water or macrofouling and its spread to other regions could be prevented by monitoring the ballast water of outbound ships. In another paper2 Laura Miralles and her colleagues documented how this population of pygmy mussels that had spread in the estuary could be controlled. The researchers used an environmental DNA-based tool developed in the earlier study to detect the presence of the mussel and deployed enthusiastic volunteers to manually remove the invaders. The study revealed the importance of early detection and removal in preventing colonisation of the estuary by the mussel. It also showed the usefulness

of the eDNA tool to identify the presence of the mussels, and the significance of volunteers and citizen scientists in efforts to eradicate the pest. Periodic drives to manually remove the invader would be among the recommendations in a strategy to manage it.

These and other studies by these scientists have shown that invasive species can colonise spaces more easily when the environment of the area has been degraded by human activity, such as at a port, for example. The lack of predators, the ability of the invader to reproduce easily, and its tolerance of environmental changes all contribute to its success, if it manages to settle. Areas with high levels of conservation and tend not to have niches that an invading species can occupy and are thus more resistant to invasion. Monitoring marine traffic at a port could also provide an estimate of the port’s vulnerability to invasion, says Prof. Borrell. It would mean first identifying the species that are already present in the port and then analysing the traffic to identify potential threats.

If the port has never been surveyed before then a species found by the sampling would be considered invasive if it is invasive in other parts of Europe or if it originates from a remote place such as

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the New Zealand pygmy mussel. If vessels arrive from other parts of Europe with similar environmental conditions that are already suffering from invasive alien species, then the risk that they arrive at the port is high. Armed with this information it will be possible to take steps to detect and prevent the invaders from settling. For example, by developing techniques for the early detection of that species.

rainbow trout, catfish, and Pacific oysters so policy makers have to balance the different interests.

This balance can shift depending on the ideology of the government in power and the constituencies it depends on for its votes. As scientists we can identify the problem and its consequences and inform the decision-makers (and the public), says Prof. Borrell, and then the decision is up to them.

Alien species are sometimes introduced intentionally

Given the increase in IAS what can be done to slow their spread? One way, says Prof. Garcia-Vasquez, is to be more particular about the small things—applying antifouling paint to ships’ hulls, cleaning fishing gear more carefully, preventing the destruction of habitats and diversity when carrying out human activities, applying the regulations on ballast water, and preventing marine litter as it provides a substrate to which animals can attach themselves and then be carried long distances.

When it comes to invasive species, prevention is cheaper and easier than cure. In fact, once the alien species has established itself a cure may not be possible at all.

While ballast water is one vector for the arrival of exotic species, deliberate introduction by humans is another way for alien species to reach a new environment. The Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas), Japanese clam (Ruditapes philippinarum), some exotic seaweeds from Japan and Korea, and even such widely distributed species as rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and catfish (Silurus glanis) are all introduced. Many of these species were introduced for their potential to be farmed, and their impact on the wider environment was ignored.

For a species to be termed invasive it must be able to reproduce in the new area and grow in size and numbers to displace or harm native species or damage the habitat, says Alba Ardura, a former UniversitĂŠ de Perpignan postdoctoral researcher now working at the University of Oviedo. Spain maintains an official list of invasive species that declares these may not be cultivated, sold, or transported from one place to another. For a species of commercial value, being included on the list would completely depreciate this value. Economic interests that profit from this species will therefore fight to prevent it from being included on the list. Many people live directly or indirectly from

1

Devloo-Delva, Floriaan & Miralles, Laura & Ardura, Alba & Borrell Pichs, Yaisel & Pejovic, Ivana & Tsartsianidou, Valentina & Garcia-Vazquez, Eva. (2016). Detection and characterisation of the biopollutant Xenostrobus securis (Lamarck 1819) Asturian population from DNA Barcoding and eBarcoding. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 105. 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.03.008.

2 Miralles, Laura & Dopico, Eduardo & Devloo-Delva, Floriaan & Garcia-Vazquez, Eva. (2016). Controlling populations of invasive pygmy mussel (Xenostrobus securis) through citizen science and environmental DNA. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 110.

10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.06.072.

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FLAG Costa Sostible in Galicia boosts employment among shellfish gatherers

The hub of Spanish cockle production The fisheries sector in Europe, though relatively small in economic terms compared with other industrial sectors, plays a disproportionately large role in small coastal communities across Europe, where it is a source of livelihoods (sometimes the only one) and highly nutritious animal protein.

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owever, areas where these communities are found, are facing several economic, social, demographic, and environmental challenges. To revive them, innovative responses must be devised that are both sustainable and inclusive. Among the solutions that have been implemented is Community-Led Local Development (CLLD), a bottomup approach to development that brings different stakeholders together, who propose and test ideas that benefit the community. CLLD is supported by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, the structural fund that aids the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy.

Development tailored precisely to local needs CCLD in areas where fisheries (or aquaculture) is an important economic activity takes the form of Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs). These bring together representatives from the private sector, public sector, and civil society organisations, for example, fishermen, processors, local administrations, and NGOs, who together identify the most pressing problems facing their community and develop a strategy for development that responds

to their specific requirements.

Funding is available for projects that create employment, economic activity, or improve the quality of life. This approach to development has been popular with some 375 FLAGs spread over twenty Member States developing almost 4,500 projects.

Spain has one of the biggest fisheries sectors in Europe by any measure — fleet size, landings, processing, aquaculture production, or consumption. The importance of the sector is also reflected in the number of FLAGs (over forty), the number of projects (700), and the average budget per FLAG (EUR 3.5m), all of which are at the very top end of the scale compared with other countries.

The FLAGs are spread all along the country’s Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts. The Costa Sostible FLAG in Noia and Muros close to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia covers an area that includes two estuaries (rias) where rivers flow into the sea. Among the members of the FLAG are nine fishermen’s associations or guilds (cofradias). The members of one of these includes shellfish fishers who gather clams and cockles from the seabed. Although traditionally a woman’s activity, today of the 400 fishers who gather

Shellfish gatherers wait to have their cockles graded. They are paid based on the weight of each grade.

The system automatically grades and prints out a receipt with the name and number of the collector, the grades and the weights of each.

&VSPl TI Magazine 2 / 2020

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The depuration centre at the auction which was supported by the FLAG and from where shellfish is sold to the public.

shellfish on foot, about 150 are men. Whether the fishers go out in boats or on foot they use a hand dredge to collect the bivalves. The gathering activity is dependent on the tides which can increase the depth of the water to 6 m.

and brought to the auction. The manager of the cofradia recalls, how many years ago, before the tractor was used to transport the catch, the women would carry baskets of shellfish weighing up to 25 kg on their heads.

The fishers are highly aware of the importance of sustainable fishing, so the catch is graded as soon as it is collected and the shellfish below the minimum size are returned to the water. The catch is brought ashore to be inspected by the coastguard who make sure that the catch complies with regulations on size and volume. The containers with the shellfish are then loaded onto a tractor trailer

Balancing supply with demand to prevent prices from plunging The cofradia produces an annual management plan which must be approved by the Galician ministry of fisheries. The plan details when and how much of each target species can be collected. The cofradia is not however a producer organisation as defined by the

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regulation of the Common Market Organisation, but the manager is interested in making the cofradia a producer organisation as that would make it eligible for support from the EMFF. At the auction the shellfish are graded by size. Officially, the minimum size for cockles is 25 mm, but at the cofradia, anything below 30 mm is returned to the sea. We want to protect the resource, says the manager, and these cockles will spawn in the spring and be perfect for gathering by September. From April to September the fishery is closed, and the fishers switch to catching crabs and star fish which prey on the shellfish. At the auction the cockles are graded into four

commercial sizes 30 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm and >40 mm. The volume of shellfish that each fisher may gather varies depending on the market. One day, for example, it may be 5 kg of cockles and 3 kg of clams and a few days later this may be reversed. The daily catch allowance may vary every day, every week, or every month and these changes are managed by the cofradia and do not have to be approved by the government as long as the limits are within the those specified in the plan.

By adjusting the supply to the demand the cofradia ensures that the price of the product is maintained at the right level. If this were not the case, the fishers

SPAIN

The company Marisco Santos was supported by the FLAG and now employs 40 people full time. Pictured, the depuration centre.

Mussels in a net packaged in modified atmosphere by the company Marisco Santos to improve the shelf life.

would collect too much and the price would crash. In February for instance the big processing factories do not buy cockles because the meat content is seasonally low. As a result, demand is lower and comes mainly from the fresh seafood market which can absorb only limited quantities. As the catch of each fisher is graded and weighed at the auction, she or he is given a receipt for the amount.

In the afternoon the catches will

be auctioned and once a week the fishers are paid.

all combine to make the area very productive The low salinity, says Esperanza Martínez Bouzas from the Galician government, is particularly important for the cockles as unlike clams and mussels, they cannot tolerate high levels of salinity. The main species collected are cockles, three varieties of clams and, in November and December, oysters. In fact, about 75 of the Spanish production of cockles comes from here. Before the shellfish can be consumed it needs to be depurated to remove any potential toxins. This involves placing the bivalves in clean running water for at least 15 hours.

The FLAG supported the building of a depuration centre just

FLAG supports several employment-generating projects

next to the auction, says Manuela Oviedo, the FLAG manager and in fact brought some 100 shellfish gatherers from Noia and Muros together to design a management plan for a new shellfish gathering area that was not being exploited before. The FLAG also supported the launch of a processing facility for shellfish which now employs some 40 people full time and a further 20 or 30 during the season. The company deals with mussels, clams, cockles, razor clams and sea urchins, depurating them, cleaning the shells, and packaging them in nets.

One innovation is packaging the nets in modified atmosphere to increase the shelf life.

FLAG Costa Sostible Manager: Ms Manuela Oviedo Hermida Galician government officer in charge: Esperanza Martínez Bouzas Number of partners: 41 (associations, public authorities, cofradias)

The Ria de Muros e Noia has long been a site for collecting shellfish. The temperature of the sea (about 11 degrees), the flow from the river (which dilutes the salinity), and the presence of nutrients

Percentage of fisheries actors: 27 Total public budget 2014-2020: EUR9.5m Of which EMFF: 85% Member State co-financing: 15% &VSPl TI Magazine 2 / 2020

45

ESTONIA

Coronavirus situation forces postponement of fourth Open Fishing Port Day from April to autumn 2020

Kindling an interest in ďŹ sheries among children

T

he fourth Estonian Open Fishing Port Day has been postponed to autumn 2020. The precise dates will be released on the website of the Fisheries Information Centre, http://www.kalateave.ee/en, during the course of the year. This year, 20 Estonian fishing ports will open their gates to visitors.

Entrance is free of charge and each port has its own programme.

Visitors can meet with ichthyologists and fish chefs. The ports will organise handicraft rooms, workshops, and fish diners, and visitors can look forward to boat

rides, and live music. For children there will be fish workshops, science theatre, instructions in how to use a fishing rod, and they will even be able to experience virtual reality. The activities will keep the entire family busy for the whole day at least.

The purpose of Open Fishing Port Day is to popularise fish consumption, introduce the everyday life of fishing ports, and demonstrate how fish end up on our plates – from the Baltic Sea as well as from inland waterbodies. “An average Estonian does not

visit fishing ports very often and so knows little about what is happening there. Participating in the activities of the Open Fishing Port Day may arouse an interest in fisheries among the younger generation, above all� says Toomas Armulik, Head of the Fisheries Information Centre.

Visitors will have a chance to purchase and taste fresh fish and fish products and become acquainted with the work done in fishing ports.

The idea is also to create direct contacts between consumers and fishermen. This should make access to

fresh fish easier for consumers and give fishermen a chance to directly market their catch.

The Open Fishing Port Day has proven to be a successful initiative that attracts more visitors each year. We are expecting around 25,000 participants this year, says Mr Armulik, and hope that the weather will be with us. The 2020 Open Fishing Port Day is organised by the Ministry of Rural Affairs and the Fisheries Information Centre and funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014–2020.

At Open Fishing Port Day on 25 April 2020 visitors will be able to buy freshly caught and prepared fish and participate in a variety of activities.

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ESTONIA

Product innovation à la Hiiumaa, a small Estonian island

Chocolate-coated fish create waves

S

These were existing products that were sold as fish chips by the company. After trying different species, the selection was narrowed down to two—pike and ide. Bass would have probably worked as well, but the two selected species are more reliably available from the sea. It was decided to make dark chocolate with pieces of ide fillet and light caramel chocolate with peanuts and pieces of pike fillet. It was a good idea to offer a choice of light or dark chocolate, because people often end up buying both.

So, a chocolate specialist was found, and experiments began with various dried fish fillets.

Cutting the fish fillets turned out to be a real challenge, as initial tests showed that neither meat mincers

nor food processors were suitable for the extremely fibrous and tough material. As a result, the fillets are chopped into half millimetrecubes manually. The volumes are fortunately not yet large enough to make the job impossible.

As one would expect, the main target group for the product are tourists and the chocolate is often bought as an emotional purchase.

The fun packaging with images of fish designed by a local artist has certainly also helped to turn the product into something that the locals like to take with them as a gift when visiting others.

One thing is certain – saying “fish chocolate” never fails to provoke a

reaction —and not always one that is positive. The controversy the product generates has provided an excellent opportunity to advertise it on the Estonian national TV channel. In addition, it was the second most popular product after mulled wine at the Tallinn Christmas market. The reactions of people of different nationalities were also tested at a conference in Brussels, where the French appeared the most puzzled by the combination of flavours. No one was surprised when the fish chocolate reached French television after that. It looks like the product already has a life of its own.

Tuuli Tammla Tuuli Tammla

tonefish is a small familyowned fisheries business on the island of Hiiumaa in the Baltic Sea. A few years ago, the company established its own production plant and retail store with the assistance of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund 2014-2020. The company was using its catch to make products with traditional flavours, until one day the manager returned from vacation with samples of cheese chocolate. This raised the question – if there is cheese chocolate why not fish chocolate?

Small cubes of dried fish coated in chocolate have proved to be controversial enough to generate lots of free publicity.

&VSPl TI .BHB[JOF

ESTONIA

Estonia launches a campaign for the promotion of ďŹ shing and aquaculture products

Increasing seafood consumption to EU levels

I

n 2020–2023, the Ministry of Rural Affairs is planning a campaign to introduce and raise awareness of fishing and aquaculture products in Estonia.

The aim of the campaign is to motivate Estonians to eat more fish, and to expand consumption of fish in the broadest sense.

various recommendations from the fields of food safety and food science, such as the balanced food pyramid, and take into consideration the seasonal nature of fish resources in the region. The campaign will promote fish consumption in general, without focusing on specific trademarks, producers, or areas of origin.

Current consumption of fishing and aquaculture products in Estonia is significantly lower than the average of Estonia’s neighbours or of the EU, where per capita consumption of seafood is 25 kg per year (EUMOFA). Estonians consume some 17 kg of fish per person annually. This amount includes both consumption at home and away from home. In comparison, more fish was consumed in the past: about 30 kg per person annually in 1970, 25 kg in 1980, and 23 kg in 1989. These amounts should, of course, be considered in light of the fact that the trade, availability of food products, and selection were significantly different back then compared to the current situation.

The idea is that everyone involved in the fisheries sector, from fishermen to cafÊs and stores, will be inspired by the campaign. The campaign is counting on good ideas from the representative organisations, fishermen, producers, and retailers on how to offer the products to better satisfy the expected increase in demand. The campaign, which will draw attention to the existence and value of fish, is expected to benefit the reputation and financial indicators of the companies cooperating with the campaign independently. The campaign will be funded by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for 2014–2020.

Comprehensive campaign targets all age groups

Chefs inspire children to prepare food

The campaign to introduce and raise awareness of fishing and aquaculture products will be diverse, long-term, and nationwide. It will target different age groups (e.g. children, teenagers, pregnant women, elderly people) using channels and methods suitable for each group. The state will promote a generic message, that should, however, comply with

For many years, the Ministry of Rural Affairs has been involved with educational projects designed for children with the aim of introducing them to the path food takes from nature to the dining table.

As the majority of the population now lives in cities, many children have no connections with rural life and therefore also no idea of how food is produced. Due to the

48 XXX FVSPl TINBHB[JOF DPN

accelerating pace of life, people are increasingly consuming storebought, ready-made meals and less and less time is spent in the kitchen preparing and eating food together with the family. In order to change these behavioural patterns and increase the awareness of food among children, the consumers of the future, they must be involved as early as possible. The so-called hands-on method is the most efficient way to achieve this purpose.

In 2019, the Ministry of Rural Affairs launched the “Chefs at Schools� pilot project supported by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) 2014–2020 with the aim of invigorating the cooking lessons taught at schools, to draw attention to the story of local food and the vocation of a cook, and to teach children to value food prepared by them. The project was implemented in cooperation with the Estonian Association of Chefs and it consisted of two stages. The Ministry of Rural Affairs also plans to continue to contribute to the promotion of fish dishes at educational institutions.

Hands-on projects for school children generates much interest First, study materials were produced in cooperation with top restaurant chefs. A collection of recipes appropriate for children were put together with videos teaching children how to prepare food as well as printable materials for teachers. The National Institute

for Health Development was also involved to ensure that the recipes selected were compliant with the principles of healthy eating.

In the second stage of the project, the chefs visited schools and gave cooking lessons. In addition to preparing food, special attention was also paid to safety at work and the local food culture. In the autumn of 2019, 43 chefs visited one hundred Estonian schools; a total of 2,348 children were able to take part in the classes within the framework of the pilot project.

As schools were very interested in the project, the Ministry of Rural Affairs saw this as a good opportunity to promote preparations made with fish as well, and some of the lessons were dedicated to popularising these dishes in particular. The feedback received from the schools after the project was positive. Crispy fish bites made of oven-baked codfish fillet were announced as one of the children’s favourite recipes.

A children’s video competition was also organised as a follow-up activity, for which children had to prepare a dish and film a video of the process. The grand prize was a visit to a chef at their restaurant, cook a meal and eat it together.

The project is a good opportunity for schools for diversifying their curricula, creating practical connections between real life and subjects taught at school, and drawing attention to vocational training, i.e. popularising the skills of a cook. The zeal of chefs can inspire students and teachers alike.

ESTONIA

Feed based on local raw materials can contribute to the sustainable development of marine aquaculture

Achieving Blue Growth in the Baltic Sea

Primary production is the supporting pillar of the marine ecosystem and is most affected by the availability of light and the nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, which limit plant growth.

Excessive inflow of nutrients causes eutrophication of the sea. Currently, nutrients are too readily available in the Baltic Sea and restrictions on the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous compounds reaching the sea are recommended to improve the quality of the aquatic environment. Intensification of agriculture is, however, increasing the nutrient burden on the Baltic Sea. Based on the above, methods are sought for developing sustainable aquaculture.

Algae and bivalves can remove nutrients from the water While fish farms in natural waterbodies increase the environmental burden, farming algae and bivalves is a form of aquaculture which leads nutrients out of the marine environment and is considered the flagship of environment-friendly management. In 2014, the European Commission adopted the Sustainable Blue Growth Agenda for the Baltic Sea Region. Aquaculture is currently

one of the best opportunities for increasing blue growth in the European Union, which is aimed at achieving both economic and environmental goals.

In the spring of 2019, researchers from the Estonian Marine Institute of the University of Tartu drew up an analysis in which they highlighted the potential compensation measures for neutralisation of the inflow of nutrients which accompanies fish farming. The analysis is narrowly focused on the measures which can be applied to remove excessive nutrients from the marine environment. The aspects which are related to other human activity or other negative impacts, such as sources of pollution or changes in the flora or fauna, were not analysed.

Several potential compensation measures studied Within the framework of the project, cultivation of filtrating invertebrates with removal of biomass from the aquatic environment, cultivation of algae with removal of biomass from the aquatic environment, removal of the natural biomass of algae from the aquatic environment, collection of coastal deposits from the beach, the possibilities for removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from the seawater provided by coastal and pelagic fishing, and additional fishing (e.g. non-commercial species and foreign species) were analysed as compensation

Interreg project Baltic Blue Growth

S

cientists at the Estonian Marine Institute of the University of Tartu show ways of compensating for nutrients generated by fish farming in the Baltic Sea.

Growing mussels in the Baltic Sea and using the biomass as fish feed can compensate for the nutrients released by farming fish in the sea.

measures. As a result of the analysis, two scenarios were presented with the alleviation measures for fish farming calculated for both. In the case of one of the scenarios, the calculation included using feed made of local raw material.

farming. It would, however, be necessary to implement alleviation measures to compensate for the additional nitrogen.

According to the analysis, if local raw material-based feed was used in fish farming, it would only enrich the marine environment with nitrogen and to a considerably lower extent compared to using traditional feed.

With respect to phosphorus, the marine environment would be cleaned of excessive nutrients.

Species such as the Baltic herring, the zebra mussel, the blue mussel, the round goby, the Prussian carp, and the three-spined stickleback are considered local raw material. If local fishing could cover the demands of the production of fish feed, this would be the most efficient and costeffective measure of alleviation of the environmental impacts of fish

In addition to the above, it was highlighted that the peculiarities of each farm must also be taken into consideration in determining compensation measures applied to fish farms. For example, in the case of coastal net cage farming, it is important to focus on local impacts; in the case of deeper-sea farms, however, large-scale processes should be taken into consideration. Measures which have a direct effect on the availability of nutrients in the water column are suitable for the alleviation of local measures, while it is important to take into consideration transportation of nutrients and water between the pools and the water column and the bottom of the sea in the large scale.

Fish farms respond differently to compensation measures

&VSPl TI .BHB[JOF

ESTONIA

Market failures can reveal the limits of non-repayable grant aid

Financial instruments are a tool, not the purpose of entrepreneurship

E

U Member States have been able to use the resources from the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) 2007–2013 as well as the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) 2014–2020 to achieve the goals of the European Common Fisheries Policy.

This has mainly been done by using the non-repayable grant aid scheme, which is probably very well known in the European Union. However, alternatives to this scheme are available to promote the fisheries sector.

Financial instruments are designed to support investments which are deemed financially viable but cannot find sufficient sources for funding in the market.

The need for financial instruments is determined in the course of a preliminary assessment, which identifies the market failures that could be alleviated with the help of these instruments. Financial instruments include, for example, surety, guarantee, equity investments, and loans which may be combined with non-returnable grant aid, if necessary.

avoid the long application-processing procedure which is quite common in the case of non-returnable grant aid schemes. Entrepreneurs who wish to use a financial instrument must first fill in a proper application, which will be followed by a relatively quick processing procedure. If the loan application and the applicant meet the requirements, the loan application will be approved, and the entrepreneur can use the funds freely for investments in the fishery sector.

For example, in the period of the EFF 2007–2013, the promotion of entrepreneurs and production organisations involved with or starting in the field of aquaculture

was supported to the extent of more than 5 million euros with the help of financial instruments. Within the framework of the EMFF 2014–2020, three financing tools with a total volume of 11.2 million euros have been developed for the alleviation of market failures. First, investment loans for the aquaculture sector, which will improve current operations or provide an opportunity for completely new initiatives in the aquaculture sector.

Micro and small companies can also benefit Secondly, growth loans for micro and small companies starting or

operating in the field of fish processing. As is apparent from the name, the loan is designed for micro and small companies in the fisheries sector that need a small amount of additional capital but face challenges in getting loans from banks. This may be because they are starting companies whose sales revenue and cash flows are not sufficiently large and reliable for banks. Some companies may also wish to enter the fisheries sector from another sector, which basically also means starting from scratch. Often, entrepreneurs do not have enough collateral, which usually has to exceed 100 to meet the requirements set by credit or financing institutions.

Financial instruments also have advantages Estonia has prior experience with financial instruments both from the EFF as well as the EMFF. The purpose of using financial instruments is to ensure quick and constant access to loans for the Estonian fishery sector, while giving entrepreneurs as much freedom of choice as possible. This will help to

Micro and small fish processing companies may be eligible for funding through financial instruments.

Pictured, a processing facility owned by fishermen in Dirhami, Läänemaa country.

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ESTONIA

In the case of the entrepreneurs described above, a small loan may be a significant impulse to help them launch or grow their companies or significantly improve their financial situation. Preliminary assessments of funding tools also revealed the greatest market failure in the case of this target group.

The growth loan is also a practical option for a coastal fisherman who is currently only catching fish but would like to diversify the business and launch a smallscale fish processing unit, providing added value to the production and creating an opportunity to earn some additional income. As micro and small companies tend to be located in rural and coastal areas, they also have a special role in promoting the local life.

Commercial bank loans may also have drawbacks

fishery sector. This loan scheme is for up to medium-sized companies that usually need a single larger loan amount to make bigger investments, while their cash flows are not sufficient to earn the invested amount back quickly.

As the productivity of companies in the fisheries sector is divided over a longer period, the payback period of investments is also longer in their case. This means that the entrepreneurs often need a longer repayment period for investment loans to avoid payment problems. The banks operating in Estonia offer loans, but the loan periods are often too short and their collateral requirements may be too stringent for entrepreneurs. For example, cooperative societies that wish to invest in large-scale joint projects but, as a rule, do not have any fixed assets and lack sufficient equity may struggle to obtain loans.

Thirdly, the long-term investment loan for companies starting or operating in the field of fish processing has been designed for large-scale investments in the

Estonia is currently mapping the market failures which could be alleviated with the help of funds from the next European Maritime, Fisheries, and Aquaculture

Fund (EMFAF) 2021–2027. Preliminary estimates show that the fleet used for fishing on the Baltic Sea requires modernisation and that fishermen have an actual need for financial instruments (loans and collateral). The trawlers used for fishing on the Baltic Sea are old and consume a lot of energy.

Using financial instruments to upgrade the fleet would alleviate market failures which have arisen because the fisheries sector cannot get loans from providers of financial services because they lack specific knowledge of the sector.

Financial instruments could contribute to the achievement of green targets The European Commission recently presented the European Green Deal, which, among other things, intends to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the environment. In future, financial instruments could provide one of the methods for contributing to the

achievement of such goals. This would preserve healthy fish stocks and would not increase catching capacities, as current catching capacity would be replaced with a more modern and environmentally friendly alternative.

Financial instruments are not intended to compete with credit or financing institutions—the idea is to alleviate market failures. Taking into consideration the specifics of the fisheries sector, it would be possible to offer periods of grace to the loan-recipients or to delay repayment of the loan until the production has been realised, i.e. until the entrepreneur has an actual source of income. As financial instruments are a form of aid which is always repayable, the amounts repaid could be used to make further investments in the sector.

This will, in turn, enable the use the same funds for the benefit of more entrepreneurs than the initial amount of money planned for the financial instrument would have actually allowed.

Fourth Baltic Sea Region Fisheries Forum, Autumn 2020, Tallinn

A sector dependent on trade

T

he fourth Fisheries Forum of the Baltic Sea Region will be organised by the Fisheries Information Centre of Tartu University in Tallinn, Estonia.

Originally scheduled to be held in May the event has been postponed to autumn 2020 due to the situation caused by the coronavirus. The precise dates will appear later in the year on the website of the Fisheries Information Centre, http://www.kalateave.ee/en. The forum is aimed at the Estonian

fisheries sector including private industry, research establisments, NGOs, and the fisheries administration. Participants are expected from the Baltic Sea region and neighbouring countries. Previous editions of the forum have focused on the fishing industry, the fishing fleet, and coastal fisheries. This year, however, the main theme of the event will be fish trade. And with good reason: the vast majority of Estonian fish catches are exported, so

the international market plays an important role in the economic well-being of the Estonian fisheries sector.

In recent years, Ukraine has been the main target market for sprat and Baltic herring caught by Estonian fishermen. The fisheries industry in cooperation with the Fisheries Information Centre has launched a marketing campaign to promote Estonian sprat and Baltic herring to Ukrainian

consumers. At the forum, there will be presentations on the fish trade in Ukraine and on fish exports in the Baltic states. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided for participants in English and Estonian. For more information about the forum, contact: Toomas Armulik, tel.: +372 503 9276, toomas.armulik@ut.ee, or visit the website http://www.kalateave.ee/en/ &VSPl TI .BHB[JOF

SAUDI ARABIA

The seafood sector in Saudi Arabia

A vision for growth is being realised The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is famous for its vast oil reserves, a quarter of the world’s total, and for the dominance of its economy by petroleum and associated industries. However, growing diversiďŹ cation of the Saudi economy has beneďŹ ted some sectors. In agriculture the Kingdom is now self-sufďŹ cient in the production of milk, eggs, wheat, and other commodities. In addition, the country is a major exporter of fruits, vegetables, dairy products and ďŹ sh and seafood to markets around the world.

T

he national aquaculture sector in particular has grown rapidly over the past several years making the country the top regional producer and an exporter of seafood worldwide thanks to the highest production safety and traceability standards, state-of-the art technology, and rigorous biosecurity.

Saudi aquaculture has an ambitious strategy The evolution of the aquaculture sector, recent achievements, and prospects for the Saudi seafood market were among the topics discussed during the international workshop “Prospects and challenges for increasing seafood consumption�, held in Riyadh on 26 November 2019. Organized

by the National Fisheries Development Program and the Saudi Aquaculture Society, the workshop presented the national aquaculture industry and its ambitious vision for the future.

Mohamed Odaiby, General Secretary of the Saudi Aquaculture Society, presented SAMAQ, the Saudi National Aquaculture Product Certification and Labelling Program, Mouhamed Alahmri, Consumer Protection Association, emphasized the importance of enhancing consumer confidence in marine farmed products, and Philippos Papageorgiou, National Fisheries Development Program of Saudi Arabia, identified prospects for the Saudi seafood market development. The General Fisheries Commission for the

Mediterranean was represented

by Mr. Houssam Awadh Hamza, and Ekaterina Tribilustova, EUROFISH International Organization gave a presentation on regional markets for seafood.

While aquaculture in Saudi Arabia dates back to the early 1980s, when Nile tilapia was first introduced and reared in ponds in inland regions of the country, it was really through the semiintensive farming of shrimp that the sector took off internationally. The first pilot shrimp farm was established in the late 1980’s.

Production commercialized around the mid 1990’s with the introduction initially of the giant tiger prawn (Penaeus monodon), and then the Indian white shrimp (Penaeus indicus). However, as the white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) epidemic spread to this part of the world too, in 2014 the industry switched to the more robust Penaeus vannamei for which WSSV tolerant specific pathogen free (SPF) broodstock could be obtained from certified agencies.

Aquaculture development is part of Vision 2030 Expanding shrimp farming is part of the strategic target of producing half a million tonnes of farmed seafood by 2030.

In 1982 the Saudi government in collaboration with FAO established the Jeddah Fisheries

Research Centre (JFRC), as a center for fisheries and aquaculture research and a hub for continuous capacity building for personnel in the industry. In parallel, a number of visionary entrepreneurs invested heavily, over the years, in the industry, bringing know-how, developing expertise, and building and installing state-of-the-art facilities. Apart from shrimp farming, fish cage aquaculture projects were also established in the early 2010’s, with the introduction of Asian seabass and Mediterranean seabream for farming. Currently, aquaculture is considered a dynamic food production sector, and a significant pillar for the support of Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s strategic plan to transform the economy, the society, and the country at large.

Despite two long coastlines (Red Sea and Arabian Gulf) supply from the local fisheries is relatively low.

It is estimated that over the period 2014-2018, on average between 60 and 70 thousand tonnes of seafood were landed annually at the country’s main ports, largely by an artisanal fleet of small coastal boats. In 2018, as a result of the government’s attempts to prevent overfishing and rationalize the fishing fleet, capture fisheries landings reached only a little over 62 thousand tonnes.

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SAUDI ARABIA

Production from aquaculture exceeds that from capture Contrary to landings from capture fisheries, domestic aquaculture output has increased significantly over the past few years. In 2018, aquaculture production surpassed capture fisheries landings.

Almost 75,000 tonnes of farmed shrimp and fish were produced, an increase of 200 within just 3 years. Shrimp is the dominant product of the Saudi aquaculture industry. The majority of farmed shrimp produced is exported, while the bulk of the farmed fish is consumed domestically. The final products of the industry are of high quality, certified and marketed under SAMAQ, (SAudi Mark of Aquaculture Quality) the national aquaculture quality certification and labelling program.

Despite the increased supply from aquaculture, the domestic market still relies heavily on imports, which reached about 207 thousand tonnes in 2018. Overall, seafood imports which accounted for over 75 of local consumption in 2014, suffered an average drop of 2.6 over the five year period 2014-18 owing to stringent inspection and

regulatory measures adopted by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), in order to reduce dumping and improve product safety and quality of imports, as well as to mitigate possible biosecurity risks associated with products originating from certain countries.

Fall in seafood consumption needs to be reversed Based on supply and trade figures, it is apparent that seafood consumption is relatively low in the country. Average per capita consumption is estimated at around 9 kg/year, less than half of the global average. Overall, consumption of seafood in Saudi Arabia saw a marginal drop during the period 2014-18, mainly because of: a) Demand in the institutional sector dropped by a significant average of 5.9 (CAGR 2014-18) driven by the departure of around 2 million expatriates (due to the ongoing Saudization policy). b) Fluctuating supply coupled with VAT implementation increased consumer prices, resulting in a per capita annual consumption drop from an estimated 9.4 kg in 2014 to 8.5 kg in 2018.

c) Product supply decreased due to the banning of imports from a number of third countries (mainly Egypt and SE Asian countries). d) The increase in domestic aquaculture production focused mainly on shrimp. Domestic production could therefore not meet the demand created by the reduction in imports of fish (tilapia and pangasius).

Increased shrimp production lead to higher exports. Overall exports grew by 16.5 over the 2014-2018 period, with frozen shrimp being the most exported commodity. Exports go to more than 30 countries worldwide with China and Vietnam (probably for re-exporting to China) the main destinations, while new markets such as Russia, are also emerging.

Generally, frozen shrimp from Saudi Arabia is in demand for its high quality and is positioned as a premium restaurant offering across countries in the region such as Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Egypt as well as certain Asian and European countries.

Domestic seafood market has potential to grow Saudi Arabia represents a growing seafood market with significant

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If the increase of the Saudi population, which is growing at a rate of 2.9 annually, along with the emerging consumption trends which are already shaping the market, are complemented by a national campaign promoting seafood consumption, the market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of around 8. This will create an annual demand for seafood of around 700,000 tonnes in 2030. As landings from capture fisheries are declining and stricter safety regulations are imposed on imports, aquaculture is expected to be the main source of seafood in Saudi Arabia. At the same time, its strategic geographic position presents an ideal opportunity for the country to become a major seafood exporter serving the GCC as well as European and Asian markets.

Aquaculture is about more than just seafood production

potential for increased local consumption. Seafood has traditionally been part of the Saudi diet in the coastal regions of the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, but not in inland regions of the country. However, with a total population of 33 million (2018), the highest in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, and a growing young population (over 50 is below 35 yrs old) that is quickly adopting a new lifestyle, thanks to the social and economic reforms pushed by the government (saudization of most jobs, increased entrance of females to the workforce, etc), food consumption patterns are rapidly changing. The average Saudi consumer is becoming more health conscious and has less time to prepare meals. At the same time the available income per household is increasing.

The extensive Red Sea coastline, with its pristine waters and favorable environmental conditions is &VSPl TI .BHB[JOF

20/04/20 7:11 PM

SAUDI ARABIA

Seafood trade in Saudi Arabia Category

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

CAGR 2014-18 (%)

Imports (MT)

230,446

225,376

225,196

225,968

207,684

-2.6

Exports (MT)

36,771

37,970

42,823

61,381

67,802

16.5

Total Domestic Production (MT)

91,865

106,900

110,000

128,929

139,931

11.1

Year-end inventory (MT)

6,037

6,498

6,446

Total Consumption (MT)

291,577

300,804

298,819

Per Capital Consumption (Kg)

9.4

9.5

9.2

considered a largely unexploited goldmine in terms of its capacity for aquaculture production. Properly and sustainably managed, it could provide high quality nutritional seafood products to the domestic and international markets. The national plan for the aquaculture sector under Vision 2030 aims is to reach a total production of around half a million tonnes in 2030.

Aquaculture thus seeks to create a strong pillar for the country’s new economy, contribute to GDP, provide skilled employment, and help effectively address the issue of food security in the most environmentally sustainable manner.

Implementation of the national strategy has begun To achieve this, the government has established the National Fisheries Development Program (NFDP). In practice, the NFDP is the executive arm for the implementation of the government’s strategy for the development of the aquaculture industry in line with the Vision 2030 objectives. The NFDP has been provided with a ‘toolbox’, which includes five key initiatives, totaling SAR1.3 billion (EUR0.3bn). These initiatives are expected to act as catalysts for the industry’s further growth, by mobilizing private interest and investment in the sector. Smart and sustainable use of the unique natural and environmental resources and the potential for growth of the seafood market are the cornerstones of this strategy which is already being realized through measures, such as:

a. In collaboration with other government agencies such as SAGIA (Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority), MODON (Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones), SIDF (The Saudi Industrial Development Fund) and ADF (Agricultural Development Fund) a clearer and investment-friendly framework has already been established.

Aquaculture licensing has also been simplified making rËŞ elevant investments more business friendly. As a result, there is already increased interest from local as well as international investors for either expanding existing projects (aquaculture farms) or establishing new ones.

Emphasis is given to marine fish farming, while increased interest is also shown for shrimp. b. The geographic locations with the most favorable conditions for aquaculture development have been identified, surveyed and are ready to be licensed, taking into account not only the environmental and oceanographic conditions, but also the logistics for supply of raw materials and the quick transport of the products to the local, national, regional, and international markets. c. A tight national biosecurity surveillance program is already in place, with Standard Operating Procedures, Rapid Alert systems, and Contingency Plans in case of emergencies.

6,474 299,990 9.1

d. Technical workshops are organized on an almost bimonthly basis, with national and international experts sharing their experience and knowhow with all relevant industry stakeholders, on issues ranging from new production techniques and protocols, to environmental impact monitoring and control, animal health and welfare, product marketing etc. e. Research towards improving production efficiency of the currently cultured species, as well as experiments with new species, better adapted to local conditions and which have high market potential, are being conducted by the country’s best research and academic institutions, often in collaboration with international experts and globally highly acclaimed centers of excellence in the field of aquaculture research. f. Sustainable practices based on global standards are being emphasised.

All aquaculture operating facilities are required to be certified by the Global Aquaculture Alliance / Best Aquaculture Practices (GAA/BAP) scheme. The Aquaculture Department of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture is strongly promoting the use of responsible aquaculture practices and already 95 of the national output is BAP certified. The aim is for the industry to achieve 100 BAP compliance by the end

6,284

1.0

286,097

-0.5

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of 202O and thus become the first country in the world with national level GAA/BAP certification for its products.

7. A Saudi national aquaculture product certification and labelling scheme has been developed under the acronym SAMAQ which is based on international guidelines and responsible aquaculture practice requirements. The objective is that ultimately all Saudi national aquaculture products will be certified and marketed with the SAMAQ label indicating their local origin and guaranteeing their quality and freshness. g. A generic national marketing campaign will be executed, to increase public awareness of the health benefits of increased seafood consumption, and to communicate to the local population the advantages of domestic aquaculture products (locally produced, freshness, safety, nutritional value).

Already MEWA has executed a detailed seafood market study and is ready to design and execute a “National Seafood Consumption Campaign� to boost seafood consumption.

Philippos Papageorgiou, National Fisheries Development Program, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia; and Ekaterina Tribilustova, EUROFISH International Organization in collaboration with Saudi Aquaculture Society and National Aquaculture Group.

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20/04/20 7:11 PM

SAUDI ARABIA

National Aquaculture Group drives Saudi aquaculture production to impressive heights

Farming crustaceans and fish in the desert The National Aquaculture Group has built from scratch a vast facility to farm high quality seafood which today is exported to countries around the world.

S

ituated 180 km south of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia along the Red Sea coast of AlLith and covering an 250 sq. km of land and 65 km of coastline, National Aquaculture Group (NAQUA) is the headquarters of what is considered to be the largest fully integrated desert coast aquaculture projects in the world.

Today, the group employs more than 2,700 people from 32 nations to produce Red Sea shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), barramundi (Lates calcarifer) and seabream (Sparus aurata). In 2019,

output of aquaculture products was close to 70,000 tonnes and NAQUA expects to reach a production of 100,000 tonnes of Red Sea shrimp and 25,000 tonnes of barramundi by 2023.

From research station to commercial producer But how was all this possible in an area surrounded by desert?

The project was conceived in the 1980s when a visionary engineer was inspired by a shrimp farm he visited in the Philippines.

His enthusiasm encouraged the start of two projects: a tilapia fish farm in Quassim Region and a shrimp project on the Red Sea coast. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the company got permission to set up a research station in 1982, and over the next decades the company expanded to become one of the most advanced, fully integrated and multi-functional marine aquaculture farms in the world.

For its employees NAQUA provides accommodation, school,

supermarket, laundry, catering, and other services at the farm site itself.

Sustainability and traceability underpin the company’s production. The vertically integrated structure includes full control and traceability from feed mill to hatchery to grow out, processing, selling and shipping. A robust biosecurity program is in place and preservation of the environment at all stages of production from hatcheries to ponds is a priority. NAQUA is a founding member of the Global Alliance for Aquaculture and the founder of the Saudi Aquaculture Society.

Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) is grown in 16 farms with some 550 open inland ponds. Shrimp grow out facilities include 80 nursery and 77 super intensive ponds. Total water spread area is approximately 4,177 ha or 65 km of coastline. Shrimp are grown in low-density ponds, and its mild taste and excellent texture are the result of a combination of low impact aquaculture practices and unique environmental conditions.

Lack of infrastructure was a minor hindrance

The NAQUA facility comprises 16 farms with some 550 open inland ponds. Shrimp grow out facilities include 80 nursery and 77 super intensive ponds and production in 2018 exceeded 60,000 tonnes.

09_Saudi1.indd 55

The hatcheries’ capacity is 1.5 billion post larvae a month or 50 million a day. After the harvest, shrimp are taken to the processing plant within a maximum of 2 hours and are in the cold store &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

20/04/20 7:11 PM

SAUDI ARABIA

The main seafood currently being farmed in Saudi Arabia is shrimp, barramundi and seabream (pictured). Total output was about 70,000 tonnes in 2019.

Locally farmed fish with the SAMAQ quality label on sale at a supermarket. Per capita consumption of fish in Saudi Arabia is about 9 kg, a figure the authorities want to increase.

within 7 hours. Technical capacity is around 60,000 tonnes annually (average of 400 tonnes a day and maximum capacity of 900 tonnes a day). At the start of the project everything had to be built from the ground, including basic infrastructure like water, electricity and hundreds of kilometres of roads. Today the processing plant is considered as the biggest factory in the world with the capacity up to 800 tonnes of shrimp per day. Processes are highly automated with minimum handling of raw and finished products.

Shrimp are individually quick frozen (IQF) to produce top quality products that retain freshness and preserve the same nutritional profile as that of freshly caught shrimps. Final shrimp products include head on, headless, peeled deveined, peeled deveined tail on and sushi quality standards, either IQF or fresh.

In the fish business, barramundi (Lates calcarifer), and seabream (Sparus aurata) are the main species, which are farmed in 3 offshore farms, each with 20 cages.

Barramundi are produced in a closed cycle from broodstock to the final product, while seabream are produced from 1 g until harvest

size. The hatchery has a capacity of 6 million fry per month and the nursery of 2-3 million fingerlings per month, all year around.

Final products of all fish species exceeded 10,000 tonnes in 2019, whereas the maximum annual harvest capacity is estimated at 20,000 tonnes. Final products include whole round fresh chilled seabream, and several products based on barramundi including whole round chilled fish, fillets and portions skin-on, skinless, loins, and steaks. The fish too is grown in low density ponds and the high salinity of the Red Sea gives the products a unique taste. This mild taste with a touch of sweetness and the lack of pin bones make the products suitable for children too. This is a particularly important feature since children are critical for the future consumption of fish and seafood products.

a production capacity of 90,000 tonnes per year. The production process includes double pelleting, post-conditioning for high water durability, and vacuum coating technology. The fish feed extrusion line is semi-automated with a production capacity of 30,000 tonnes per year. Production involves twin screw extruder and vacuum coating technology.

Feeds are formulated to match the needs of the various growth stages of shrimp and fish and to reduce the impact of environmental stressors. The feeds are fully traceable, highly digestible for faster growth, have low FCR, reduced waste, and are continuously improved by the NAQUA R&D team in collaboration with internationally reputed research organizations targeting FCR reduction, digestibility as well as immunity enhancements, and better growth.

Feed for shrimp and fish produced in-house

Products on market 24 hours after harvest

The company produces its own feed for shrimp and fish to ensure the quality of the products. For shrimp feed, the pelleting line is fully automated with

The company is committed to bringing its products to market 24 hours after harvest, preserving maximum quality of the products. NAQUA exports its products

around the world, including the EU countries. Products are fully compliant with all local and global standards, best-in-class quality, food safety and strong environment projection management.

Commitment to high quality, consistency and accountability is validated by various certifications, including ISO 9001:2008, HACCP Codex Certification, ISO 14001:2004, ISO 22000:2005, BAP 4 Star certification, Global Gap certification, FSSC 22000 certification, EU Export and Export to China certification. NAQUA has cooperation agreement with several universities in Saudi Arabia, sponsors educational programs, runs two training centers, offers protection of natural resources programs, and collaborates with schools to develop interest and knowledge about the environment among pupils.

Philippos Papageorgiou, National Fisheries Development Program, Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia; and Ekaterina Tribilustova, EUROFISH International Organization in collaboration with Saudi Aquaculture Society and National Aquaculture Group.

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20/04/20 7:12 PM

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Reduce plastics and waste with sustainable labelling and banding

Banding for a variety of purposes At Seafood Processing Europe 2020, Bandall and specialist printer Max. Aarts have a joint stand called Branding by Banding, where demonstrations by the firms' experts will show how fish processing and packaging companies can achieve significant savings in packaging material, and improve efficiencies throughout the logistical chain.

The skin packaging takes into account irregular shapes creating a uniform and easily labelled package.

The solutions presented by the company illustrate the ease with which products can be bundled together and attractively labelled.

Highlighting the product

sustainability requirements. Among the reasons to visit the stand are r .BYJNVN BUUSBDUJPO SBUF XJUI minimal and sustainable packaging r /P BEEJUJPOBM MBCFMMJOH SFRVJSFE r 3FMJBCMF QSPUFDUJPO BOE FBTZ order picking during handling and transport r .PSF TQBDF GPS ZPVS CSBOEJOH and as much visibility for your product as you like r #BOEBMM CBOEJOH UFDIOPMPHZ accommodates variables in vacuum packs prefectly

Bandall’s compact stacking and bundling solutions are ideal for labelling individual and multipacks, for retail ready packaging, and for promotional packaging such as special offers. The entire surface of the 360o band can be printed on with the Bandall High Performance Print & Band model which has an integrated printer.

Difficulties in neatly labelling skin packs are also easily resolved with specialised packaging. Seafood

such as salmon, bacalhau and lobsters often protrude beyond the containers or trays, resulting in irregular sizes and shapes.

These variables are accommodated perfectly, resulting in uniform and tidily labelled units.

Attrative and sustainable packaging The demonstrations aim to show how easily a customer can implement reduced packaging that meets today‘s and tomorrow’s

r &DP GSJFOEMZ BOE SFDZDMBCMF materials Several samples and equipment to illustrate the Branding by Banding labelling concept will be on display at stand 4-6345.

For more information visit, call, or write to Bandal.com Brandingbybanding.com Tel: +31 (0) 85 27 35 840 info@brandingbybanding.com

EUROFISH Magazine 2 / 2020

57

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Bettcher’s Quantum X1500 trimmer offers exibility and accuracy

High-performance cutting tools for the ďŹ sh processing industry Bettcher Industries X1500 cutting trimmer is the perfect application for salmon slicing and defatting. The company’s trimmer makes long slicing and defatting more precise for increased yields. Additionally, an optional adjustable depth gauge allows for exibility and exactness in the thickness of slices.

T

he unique trimmers are designed to improve yields and productivity and enable workers to trim the meat more precisely with less effort.

The lightweight ergonomic design enables accurate work such as removing fish bloodlines and dark meat, recovering lean meat, and cooked fish descaling.

Can be used with any Bettcher motor The trimmer range is designed GPS NBYJNVN ĂŤFYJCJMJUZ BOE FBTF of use. The X1500 can be attached to any Bettcher motor — the 6/ ÄŽÄŞ 4FSJFT ** 6MUSB%SJWF PS Whizard Quantum motors. The interchangeable handles in different sizes are made of vibrationabsorbing material to provide additional comfort and keep hands warmer than metal handles. Bi-directional grip design improves tool handling by adding “tractionâ€? to the operator’s hand.

An adjustable thumb support QSPWJEFT NBYJNVN DPNGPSU BOE control.

The trimmers use inclined blades, which ensure a gentle posture for users when trimming, since the wrist is held in a neutral position and the forearm is less stressed.

A micro-break hand strap allows the user to relieve the fingers between the individual handles

The Quantum X1500 Trimmer from Bettcher can be used to slice fish accurately but also performs other tasks effectively.

while at the same time maintaining full control over the tool.

This saves energy and prevents fatigue. Bettcher is headquarUFSFE JO 0IJP 64" BOE JO &VSPQF

58 XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

is represented by Bettcher GmbH based in Dierikon, Switzerland.

The company develops tools that enable precise, rapid, and ergonomic work on fish production

lines thereby increasing yields on a highly competitive market.

For more information: www.bettcher.com.

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Deep Trekker launches new underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV)

A useful tool for cage ďŹ sh farmers With a decade of proven performance the Canadian company, Deep Trekker, is one of the largest underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV) manufacturers in the world – delivering high quality, robust and portable underwater robots to the aquaculture industry.

D

eep Trekker has recently launched the DTG3 and UIF 3FWPMVUJPO SFNPUFMZ PQFSBUFE WFIJDMFT 307T %Fsigned to inspect, detect, observe and locate objects in harsh underXBUFS FOWJSPONFOUT CPUI 307T were constructed with aquaculture-specific features in mind.

Chance incident leads to major development The company was founded in 2010 with a mission to create portable, affordable, and easy to use harsh environment robotic inspection tools. Headquartered in Ontario, Canada, all engineering and manufacturing is completed in house.

Deep Trekker’s origins spark from a unique moment in Lake Huron more than a decade ago. While boating at night, President Sam .BDEPOBME BDDJEFOUBMMZ ESPQQFE B ÍBTIMJHIU Pŀ UIF CPBU JOUP UIF XBUFS CFMPX .BDEPOBME SFNBSLFE to her boating companions that it would be amazing if there was a robot that could go underwater to SFUSJFWF UIF ÍBTIMJHIU ‡ BOE UIFO she set out to achieve just that!

The company Deep Trekker’s new underwater remotely operated vehicle has been designed for the aquaculture industry.

BOE TUSBJHIUGPSXBSE *O TIPSU UIF company makes tough and portable robots that are convenient to use. Utilizing the latest in technology and in response to a growing market demand, the company’s underwater robots are powered by proprietary technology, allowing for new and advanced features and third-party integrations. “With the launch of the technology and PVS OFXFTU 3FWPMVUJPO 307 XF BSF Aiming to make tough tasks easy, ushering a new era of advanced UIF DPNQBOZ T 307T BSF EFTJHOFE functions and underwater techto be efficient and convenient. The OPMPHZ u TBZT 4BN .BDEPOBME CBUUFSZ PQFSBUFE 307T BSF QPSUBCMF Made for the and quick to deploy. The vehicles aqua culture industry are suitable for the harsh underwater environments fish farms can QSFTFOU &RVJQQFE XJUI ÄŞL DBN- Designed with aquaculture in eras designed to work in low light, NJOE UIFTF 307T BSF FĹ€FDUJWF UPPMT the machines provide operators for any fish farm. From net inspecwith reliable eyes underwater. The tion to stock health, they allow custom carrying case makes trans- VTFST UP *OTQFDU BOE PCTFSWF DBHFT portation and deployment quick at any time without the need to wait

for a dive team or power source.

3FHVMBS DBHF BOE OFU JOTQFDUJPOT ensure effective cleaning and monitoring for wear and tear that could cause potential fish escapes.

By staying on top of net inspection, operators save time and money by tackling minor issues before they become catastrophic failures. With Deep Trekker’s net repair tool, users can mend nets quickly and FŀFDUJWFMZ ǔF 307 DBO CF VTFE UP ensure mooring lines and anchor points guarantee structural integrity and meet industry regulations. .PSUBMJUJFT BSF BO VOGPSUVOBUF reality in the aquaculture business. Using the mortality removal tool, operators can push dead fish into the mortality pumping system or bring them to the surface for FYBNJOBUJPO Stock health and wellness can be monitored with regular

observation of fish behaviour and feeding assessments. Live feedback from Deep Trekker’s underwater camera systems and 307T BMMPX PQFSBUPST UP NPOJtor fish health and wellbeing to catch changes before they become NBKPS JTTVFT *O BEEJUJPO UP NPOJUPSJOH êTI CFIBWJPVS 307 QJMPUT can keep an eye on nearby underXBUFS QSFEBUPST *O TIPSU VTJOH BO 307 UP SFHVMBSMZ JOTQFDU DBHFT monitor fish health and ensure cleanliness saves time and money in the long term. Deep Trekker is proud to offer aquaculture specific 307T UP IFMQ êTI GBSNT PQUJNJ[F their operations in a convenient, cost-effective manner.

For more information: https://www.deeptrekker.com/Â sales@deeptrekker.com Tel.: +1 519 342 3177

EUROFISH Magazine 2 / 2020

59

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Seac of Sweden presents its new FPM-470 machine

Size matters – especially when it is small  Over the past thirty years Seac AB of Sweden has been one of the main suppliers of FPM ďŹ sh processing machines and when it comes to machines for very small ďŹ sh (from 25 to approx. 100 ďŹ sh/kilo), the company is probably the number one. The 2019 “world record in smallnessâ€? proves this as Seac was ďŹ lleting and belly-cleaning defrosted sprats in full size of 6 grams each at about 50% yield.

A

ll Seac’s different machines originated from the former "SFODP ,. FSB ħįčČ ĭČ T

when Arenco and others competed on the world market with their different machines. But while the big companies continued their work on big fish, Seac went in the opposite direction.

From small pelagics to small white fish Over the past several years Seac has been seeking a new niche on the world market and finally found a market for the processing of small white fish, where the company could use its own knowledge and FYQFSJFODF JO QSPDFTTJOH PG TNBMMFS pelagic fish and convert it for white ĂŞ TI QSPDFTTJOH &OUFSJOH UIF OFX market started over five years ago when Seac sold an former cpl renovated/rebuilt “Arenco SFD300 sardine filleting machine to a customer in Australia who wanted UP ĂŞ MMFU TNBMMFS TJ[FT ÄŹÄŚ ħČČ HSBN

of the local silver whiting (Sillago bassensis "GUFS BCPVU TJY NPOUIT of testing and redevelopments the machine was finally accepted and has been in production since 2015.

Of course, due to the bone structure and other differences in anatomy of the white fish, one cannot just go straight on with a “classical� machine for pelagic fish processing, so there have been modifications and changes

The FPM-470 can fillet small fish both fresh and defrosted.

done during the last several years, resulting in the new Seac ê MMFUJOH NBDIJOF m UIF '1. ĪĭČ "OE JU XBT UIF PXOFS PG 4&"$ Ulf Groenqvist, who saw the potential to enter a new market – the market for filleting smaller white fish, a market where similar machines are not common.

Also suitable for fish from defrosted fish blocks Since 2015 the company has been testing its new prototype machine on different fish species, both pelagic and non-pelagic: capelin,

60 XXX FVSPl TINBHB[JOF DPN

vendace, some local species from "VTUSBMJB BOE "4&"/ DPVOUSJFT different mackerel species etc., later switching to blue whiting and Alaska pollock mainly. The Seac '1. ĪĭČ DBO XPSL PO XIJUF ê TI GSPN BQQSPYJNBUFMZ ħČČ HSBNT VQ to 300/400 grams, of course with different modifications/adjustment being done to the machine. *O $IJOB JU IBT CFFO XPSLJOH PO whole round blue whiting of 150250 grams and H&G Alaska pollock of 200-400 grams. *O $IJOB UXP '1. ĪĭČ NBDIJOFT have shown good results filleting block frozen blue whiting and

"MBTLB QPMMPDL *O GBDU UIF CJHHFTU problem was not filletting but defrosting the fish properly makJOH TVSF JU XBT OPU UXJTUFE *O UIF past filleting of defrosted blocks of small size fish has been done manually. With Seac's high speed machine, which allows 200-250 fish to be filleted per minute, the capacity has increased tremendously compared to hand ĂŞ MMFUJOH .BOVBM USJNNJOH XJMM still be needed for most of the fish, but the machine will be still cost-efficient due to its capacity and the quality of the yield, even for defrosted, block-frozen small white fish.

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Variety of products done by the same machine

products such as: H&G+T, butterfly fillet, single fillet (skin-on PS TLJO PGG BOE CFMMZ DMFBOJOH After the latest tests on both all done with the same machine: GJTI TQFDJFT JO 3VTTJB 4FBD IBT '1. ÄŞÄ­ÄŚ 5PHFUIFS XJUI POF PG proven its ability to process the main suppliers of skinning white fish for different end NBDIJOFT JO &VSPQF 4FBD JT

now in the final stage of developing an “in-line� skinner that can cope with up to 250 fish per minute in-line.

Seac machines will be presented later this year at

SPG Brussels, ProPack 2020 JO #BOHLPL 4FBGPPE &YQP 3VTTJB JO 4U 1FUFSTCVSH *DFMBOEJD 'JTIFSJFT &YIJCJUJPO JO 3FZkjavik, and China Fisheries 4FBGPPE &YQP &YIJCJUJPO JO Quingdao.

Tramper presents entry-level fully automatic tray sealing machine

Tray sealing for small and medium enterprises The Tramper S-340 is a robust and reliable tray sealing machine, that can run at up to 18 cycles per minute. The machine is highly suitable for packaging ďŹ sh and shellďŹ sh under MAP conditions in various types of trays, such as plastic, aluminium and cardboard.

For optimal product presentation or a longer shelf life, skin packaging is also possible.

The compact S-340 has a hygienic construction and is known for its easy operation. Parts that are

tailor-made for your tray can FBTJMZ CF FYDIBOHFE TP FOBCMJOH another product or tray format

to be packed within a few minVUFT 7JTJU 5SBNQFS 5FDIOPMPHZ BU TUBOE Ī čįČĨ EVSJOH 4FBGPPE

Processing Global at Brussels, or visit the website: www.trampertechnology.com

The Tramper tray sealer is aimed at companies with small or medium production volumes.

EUROFISH Magazine 2 / 2020

61

GUEST PAGES

Climate change impacts on aquatic ecosystems are modulated by other forcing factors

Reducing overall stress boosts resilience to climate change Currently Director of the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy and Resources Division and Honorary Professor at the University of Exeter (UK), Dr Manuel Barange is an ecologist and ďŹ sheries scientist interested in researching climate change impacts on marine ecosystems, their resources, and their implications for human society. Here he makes an eloquent case for management measures as the best way to limit the impacts of climate change and achieve sustainable ďŹ sheries.

Climate change is projected to have a negative impact on fish production particularly in tropical regions, where millions from often the most vulnerable layers in society are dependent on fisheries and aquaculture for their livelihoods and for nutrition. How can these groups be made more resilient in the face of these changes?

impacts. It is clear that improved management can offset many negative effects of climate change, but the one adaptation we are not yet actively working on is consumer adaptation: distributional changes will affect what fish becomes available in fishmongers and supermarkets.

We should eat what is available, not just what we are used to eat.

Climate change will change the productivity and distribution of many fish stocks. Our best projections suggest only a small global decline in potential catch by mid-century, but this masks important increases and decreases at regional level.

Of particular concern is the projected decline in potential catches in tropical regions.

FAO has developed an adaptation toolbox to guide countries in adapting their institutions, their management procedures, the livelihood opportunities of dependent communities, and on how to enhance their resilience to change. This toolbox is being implemented in a number of FAO field projects with the objective of enriching it with particular case studies, develop best practices, and scale it to larger regions, because regionally coordinated adaptation is important to share benefits and minimize

Dr Manuel Barange (left) with seaweed farmers on Zanzibar, whose crops are being affected by climate change.

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Consumer adaptation is crucial to minimize the impacts of climate change and to transform food systems.

Is climate change yet another source of pressure on biodiversity or could it also have a positive influence?

Biodiversity in European marine waters is under threat from a variety of anthropogenic factors, pollution, eutrophication, marine litter, hydromorphological pressures etc.

Climate change may be a simple problem to define and explain, but its consequences are complex, sometimes unexpected, and always diverse. The global reorganization of marine biodiversity

GUEST PAGES

is one such example. In general we expect tropical regions to experience a loss of species due to elevated heat stress, but we also expect the biodiversity of temperate and high latitude regions to increase as species migrate poleward. How to respond effectively to this ecological restructuring depends on how we define, now and in the future, our relationship with nature and thus with biodiversity.

Having said that, climate change is only one (even if increasingly dominant) forcing function.

Other pressures, as listed in your question, may amplify or reduce the impacts of climate change.

Reducing the overall pressures on marine ecosystems is the best recipe, and management is the best conservation tool.

The fact that climate change has an impact on fish stocks is fairly widely known even among the general public. That it also has implications for food safety is perhaps not quite as obvious.

What are the main threats to food safety that stem from climate change and how can these be reduced?

Yes, you are correct. Climate change will lead to a series of more subtle impacts that are not yet well known by the public, and in fact are not yet fully understood by scientists. Pathogenic bacteria that occur naturally in waters (e.g. those that cause cholera or botulism), or are present in faecal waters (e.g. Salmonella), are known to grow faster in warmer waters and thus could pose additional risks in the future as they extend their distributional area.

Excessive blooms of toxic algae are also a concern, such as of the dinoflagellate responsible for ciguatera fish poisoning. Although this disease was previously

limited to tropical regions it now extending to temperate areas as waters warm. The toxicity and bioavailability of heavy metals is also affected by pH, which is decreasing as a result of climate change.

It is however important to keep these impacts in perspective. This is not a horror movie: the diseases and vectors we refer to are not new, but as their modus operandi may change we need to be ready for them. We need to reinforce our early warning systems, strengthen our risk assessment protocols, adapt our legislation, etc. In most cases we have the knowledge to act, but climate change is a moving target that requires adaptive and flexible solutions.

Freshwater aquaculture farmers in Central and Eastern Europe already experience some of the effects of climate change in the form of rising water temperatures, more unseasonal and more extreme weather events. What steps can they take to reduce their vulnerability to these phenomena?

Most of the impacts of climate change on particular aquaculture farming operations can be both favourable and unfavourable depending on the species considered, the farm set up, and its location. It is therefore difficult to generalize or simplify our messaging, but what we have been saying is that we have the tools to adapt. The problem is to identify what to adapt to in practical terms, how to adapt, and how to prioritize our actions. These are complex questions that have different answers if you operate at national level, at community level, or at the level of individual operators. From a national or supranational perspective the objective may be to identify how

to reduce vulnerability. To do so farmers need to be supported to access and interpret the increasingly reliable projections of precipitation trends, temperature change, flooding/ draught risks, etc. This is crucial to understand how exposed they are to climate change. Second, they need support to increase their adaptive capacity: from diversifying the species farmed to integrating farming practices, from improving infrastructures to enhancing insurance protection. Many organizations are ready to support adaptation, and in fact many countries have listed aquaculture as an industry to reinforce as an adaptation measure to climate change. Again, the FAO Adaptation Toolbox has a full menu to guide managers and operators.

can affect the productivity of fish stocks, but fisheries management would respond and adjust to these impacts, reduce overfishing and conserve the resource. I cannot repeat it enough: management is the best conservation, it is the only solution to the sustainability challenges we face.

Many fish stocks in the Northeast Atlantic are subject both to the stress of climate change as well as of other conditions including pollution and habitat modification. The number of overfished stocks, though declining, is still significant. What are the implications for sustainable exploitation, in the face of so many different stressors?

According to the FAO SOFIA Report about 62 of Mediterranean and Black Sea stocks are overfished, while the assessment of the General Fisheries Commission of the Mediterranean (GFCM) is closer to 78. The difference relates to how one defines a fish stock, but both of them are worrying. Indeed, the sustainability situation in this region is the worst of the areas FAO monitors. The reasons are complex, and related to the fact that riparian countries have very different socio-economic characteristics. In general, resource sustainability tends to fail most dramatically in places where poverty, hunger and conflict exist. Sustainability often stops being a priority! This is why the Sustainable Development Goals are interconnected and indivisible. If we do not end hunger and poverty our other objectives become unattainable.

This is a complex question, and in some ways circular. We know that where fisheries are intensively managed, like in the NE Atlantic in recent times, in the NE Pacific, in Australia and New Zealand, stocks are consistently above target levels or rebuilding. On the other hand, in places where fisheries management is not in place or is ineffective, the sustainability of fish stocks is deteriorating. The message is clear: the solution for fishery sustainability around the world is to implement effective fisheries management measures.

Other external factors, like pollution and habitat deterioration,

In the Mediterranean and the Black Sea the majority of assessed stocks are overfished.

The riparian countries are at different stages of development with disparate economic, social and environmental priorities.

Climate change is an added complication. How can these various influences be reconciled to help both vulnerable fish stocks and vulnerable fishing communities?

Having said so, we must also acknowledge the progress made by the Mediterranean and Black

EUROFISH .BHB[JOF

GUEST PAGES

Sea countries, supported by the GFCM. Up to nine multiannual management plans have been recently approved for stocks in the region, and eight new Fisheries Restricted Areas are in place, covering 22,500 km2. Almost 60 of the Mediterranean is already closed to fishing (1,700,000 km2) as part of a large deep-sea FRA. We are moving in the right direction, and political will is growing every year, but progress is still too slow.

Production from aquaculture has already overtaken that from capture fisheries and is projected only to increase in importance as a source of the global supply of fish and seafood. How significant is the threat of climate change for the aquaculture industry and are all forms of aquaculture, marine, freshwater, land-based, equally vulnerable?

The growth of aquaculture has been staggering, approximately 7.5 per year by volume since 1970. As almost 90 of the current global farmed food production is produced in Asia and over 60 in a single country, China, we see both opportunities and challenges. Opportunities because implementing Asia’s methods to other regions could significantly increase aquaculture’s contribution to food and nutrition security, but this is also a big challenge.

The reasons why Africa (2.5 of production), Europe (3.7) or America (4.2) do not produce at the same level are complex: availability of land, access to finance and investment, costs and availability of feeds and fingerlings, insufficient biosecurity and disease controls, lack of legal frameworks, and underdeveloped value chains, are some of these reasons.

As we approach 10 billion mouths we need aquaculture to almost double production by 2050. It can

be done, but aquaculture growth rate has declined as production increased, and a concerted effort to tackle the issues I mention will be required.

The impacts of climate change on marine, freshwater or land-based aquaculture differ, of course. On land the challenge is availability of fresh water or aquatic ecosystems, which are affected by rain patterns, dams, irrigation, etc., while in the ocean the dominant forces are temperature change and acidification. Climate change changes everything, and whether a problem becomes a challenge or an opportunity depends on how one approaches it. We have the tools, but not necessarily the political will to be as innovative as we ought to be.

The fisheries and aquaculture sector is a source of some of the emissions that drive climate change. As is the case in other industrial sectors it too should reduce its contribution to global warming and other manifestations of climate change. What is the scope for improvement here and should it be led by the industry itself or is there a role for governments too?

Overall the fishing and aquaculture industries are estimated to release < 2ď&#x2122;&#x201A; of the CO2 we emit to the atmosphere, so the gains would matter for the industry but may not necessarily make a very significant dent in our global emissions. Nevertheless, it is an obligation on all of us to reduce emissions and become carbon neutral.

But to talk about greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for a whole sector can be misleading, because there are good and not so good practices in the sector. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology for assessing environmental impacts associated with all the

64 XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

stages of the life-cycle of a commercial product. Using this tool we know that the lowest GHG production per unit of protein is from mollusc and salmon aquaculture, as well as small pelagic, large pelagic and whitefish fisheries.

Catfish and shrimp aquaculture production, and invertebrate and shrimp fisheries, are the largest emitters in the sector, with figures comparable to beef production.

What is evident is that there are significant opportunities for GHG reductions in both subsectors. In fisheries these include significant reductions through more efficient engines, propellers, hulls, fishing gears, lights, etc., as well as speed reductions. In aquaculture these include using renewable energies, integrating systems, and improving feed management, in addition to better species selection. These measures are easier to consider in some regions than others, because they require investments not available to many.

What policy recommendations with regard to climate change do you anticipate will be considered at the upcoming COFI meeting? In your opinion are countries treating the issue with the seriousness it deserves, initiating the measures necessary for the fisheries and aquaculture sector and the communities that depend on them to become more resilient? What role can FAO play in this regard?

Climate change has become the defining term in all our conversations, but turning this interest into practical action at sectoral level â&#x20AC;&#x201C; other than the clear need to reduce emissions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; has been less successful. This is not surprising: fisheries management relies on assessing what has happened in the recent past (assessing spawning stock

biomass, recruitment, etc.) in order to determine what to do today (establish catch limits). Climate change demands that we look at what might happen in the far future instead, and adjust our present actions accordingly. We will also have to consider adjusting our principle of â&#x20AC;&#x153;managing for stabilityâ&#x20AC;? to consider â&#x20AC;&#x153;managing for variabilityâ&#x20AC;?. These are both significant paradigm shifts! In the marine fisheries sector the main issues lurking around the corner are the management and policy implications of stocks shifting distributions: do we have the institutions to cope with this (including multi-national arrangements), are our management processes flexible enough, will the industry be able to adapt and will dependent communities see the benefit? Perhaps most importantly, will the consumer accept change or reject it? You know, I lived in the UK for many years and used to buy two red mullet fillets for one pound.

It is a fish from southern Europe and the fishmonger could not sell them! No fisherfolk can make a living if the customer is not prepared to pay for fish they have a lot of, but are not used to eat.

For aquaculture we see particular challenges in the competition for water with other sectors, particularly agriculture, and the infrastructure costs to cope with sea level rise and extreme events, among many others. But we also see opportunities in better genetic selection, alternative feeds, and low energy solutions.

Eventually what we need is for climate change to be absorbed in all that we do rather than being talked about on the side, as a special problem. Everything we do in the future will include managing the impacts of climate change, it will be absorbed in all that we do, but this is another paradigm shift that will take time.

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