Eurofish Magazine 2 2021

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Demand for convenience influences common carp products too Aquaculture: Identifying the gender of young sturgeons Denmark: Pandemic accelerates direct sales to consumers Guest Pages: Kenn Skau Fischer, Managing Director, DFPO

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In this issue

Hungarian fish consumption climbs steadily

Kyle LaFerriere / WWF-US

Commercial fish production in Hungary, a landlocked country, comes from aquaculture. Traditional earthen fishponds are used to cultivate several species of fish in polyculture, of which common carp is by far the most dominant. Production is extensive, cereals are used to feed the fish rather than high energy extruded feeds, and seasonal with peaks over Christmas and Easter. Some investments have also been made in more intensive recirculation and flow through systems used to cultivate higher value species such as African catfish, trout, and sturgeon. Educational and research institutions with many years of experience underpin the industry, while the administration ensures the quality and safety of fish products for consumers. Consumption of fish and seafood is lower than in most other EU countries but has been increasing steadily assisted by retailers who are using homegrown fish and imports to develop and market a range of innovative, tasty, healthful, and convenient products.

Another important fish-related activity is angling which is practiced by thousands of enthusiasts making them an economic and political force. Read more from page 12 Electronic monitoring of fishing vessels is the use of various devices including cameras, satellite monitoring, and sensors to control the vessel’s position and its fishing activities. Fisheries managers and environmental organisations feel that this monitoring will help ensure that fishers follow the rules and that fishing becomes more sustainable. But it is met by implacable resistance from fishers themselves, who feel it is far too intrusive.

Electronic monitoring has been trialled in different parts of the world and is in fact being used in a few fisheries, but these are exceptions. As part of the reform of the European control regulation, the European Parliament has just adopted the introduction of cameras on board vessels above 12 m identified as posing a high risk of noncompliance with the landing obligation, legislation that obliges fishers to land their entire catch of regulated commercial species. To overcome fishers’ misgivings about having cameras on board incentives in the form of additional quota may be the way forward. Fishers would also try to optimise their gear to catch only those species and those sizes they are permitted to, says an expert. Read more from page 38 Value-addition increases: The consumption of fish and seafood is rising across the world and products are increasingly being processed in one way or another before they are bought by the consumer. The reasons behind this shift in preferences from whole, chilled, or even live fish to processed products are varied, ranging from demography through social changes to technology. As the world becomes more urbanised and incomes rise people have more to spend on relatively expensive products such as fish. Lifestyle changes, where many more people live on their own in modest apartments, nuclear families with both partners working, and a general lack of time and space to prepare complex meals all tend to encourage the conversion of food including fish into convenient products. Technology and logistics that enable frozen fish to be transported from one end of the globe to another without influencing the quality have also played a role in enhancing the popularity of processed products. Other technological developments, such as in packaging, also influence this trend, as it extends the shelf life of products allowing for greater flexibility and reducing spoilage and waste. Leftovers from filleting lines can be processed into valuable products making the most of the resource and contributing to sustainability. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article from page 45 Sustainable packaging: The European Green Deal is the European Commission’s plan to make the European economy sustainable. Packaging can contribute to this goal if recyclability was improved and complexity reduced, the proportion of recycled content was increased, and reuse promoted, measures that are included in the commission’s circular economy action plan. The need is plain as the use of packaging is exploding particularly among private households. As society sees increasing numbers of one and two person households, companies adjust their offerings to this reality making smaller and smaller retail units each of which needs to be packaged. Other trends such as home delivery also increase the need for packaging. The pandemic may have brought down CO2 emissions as economic activity was interrupted by lockdowns, but packaging consumption increased significantly. In the fish industry the use of packaging that is more sustainable than before is a way of attracting aware consumers. And the sector has the advantage that many of its products, cans, for example, or glass jars, are recyclable. Other materials such as wood, cardboard and paper are experiencing a resurgence.

Much remains to be done, however… read more from page 49

Table of News

6 International News

Aquaculture

10 Early Sturgeon Sex Discrimination (ESSD), a new diagnostic service for hatcheries and farms.

A novel technique to save costs in caviar production

Hungary

12 A Hungarian government owned company is responsible for managing fish stocks in Lake Balaton Healthy resources mean happy fishers

14 Promoting Hungarian fish to domestic consumers through quality and certification Credible quality labels can tempt customers 18 Conservation of freshwater fish genetic resources in the HAKI gene banks Scientific breeding programmes for threatened species

20 HUNATiP is dedicated to promoting innovation in the Hungarian aquaculture sector Technology can boost sustainability and production

26 The inter-branch organisation MA-HAL assists its members cope with the pandemic fallout Support for producers helps, but cannot substitute markets

29 Hungary restructures higher education in aquaculture Merger creates a centre of excellence 31 Panarini employs only domestically farmed fish in its production Consumers seek innovation and convenience

35 The Fishmarket serves an exclusive clientele Using quality to promote fish consumption

Cover photo credits: Main image: Szegedfish Ltd.

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28 The National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH) in Hungary has a variety of functions Keeping food safe and stocks of native species healthy

33 Szegedfish sells to a wide range of customers in Hungary and abroad Culinary traditions drive demand for pond-farmed fish

22 Hungary’s contribution to aquaculture development in Laos A 60-year-old tradition of collaboration continues

Contents Denmark 38 Convincing fishers to have cameras on board is an uphill battle Electronic monitoring could be a potent tool

41 Fishmasterbutik.com caters to a variety of tastes in Denmark Creating an opportunity from crisis 44 A Danish company has developed corrosion free pumps that are 99% recyclable Making fish farming more sustainable

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

by Hayden120 and NuclearVacuum

Processing 45 Global growth in processed fish products Added value due to more processing

Technology 49 Reduce, reuse or recycle properly Less is more when it comes to packaging 52 Bandall can help reduce costs and increase sustainability of packaging operations Many ways to reduce plastics and waste by banding 53 Danish agent for Steen fish processing equipment takes care of customers across northern Europe Serving the fish industry in a variety of ways

Guest Pages: Kenn Skau Fischer 54 The Danish Fishermen Producer Organisation A voice for Denmark’s fishermen

Worldwide Fish News Belgium

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Croatia

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Denmark

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Germany

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Italy

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Latvia

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Turkey

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UK

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Service 57 Diary Dates 58 Imprint, List of Advertisers

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EUROFISH Magazine 2 / 2021

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Latvia: Aina Afanasjeva passes away Aina Afanasjeva, Director, EUROFISH International Organisation, passed away on Sunday, 14 March 2021, in Riga, Latvia following a long struggle with illness.

Aina, who turned 60 in January this year, is survived by her husband, daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren.

She led the organisation for 12 years steering it through the aftermath of the financial and economic crisis of 2008 with a steady hand and working closely with the EUROFISH Governing Council to ensure the continuation of EUROFISH services to its member countries. Hungary, a country with an important inland aquaculture sector, joined the organisation on her watch, and Aina played a crucial role in expanding the EUROFISH project portfolio with multilaterally and bilaterally funded projects. She had a vast network of colleagues, partners, and friends not only across

Europe, but in countries around the world, and the messages of condolence that have been ticking in steadily testify to the deep affection and respect she inspired.

Aina joined EUROFISH in 2009 from a position in the European Commission, DG Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, where since 2005 she managed the implementation of EU structural funds programmes in the fisheries sector in different Member States. Before that she was Deputy Director of the Latvian fisheries administration for nine years. Among her major tasks were the negotiations on trade in fisheries products, preparation of Latvia's accession to the EU, as well as representation of national interests in various EU institutions. Aina Afanasjeva had a long record of international relations (WTO, FAO, and the EU) and she was one of the key national representatives contributing to the

Italian fish farmers using Skretting feed can now calculate their environmental impact The Italian division of Skretting, a manufacturer of feed for the global aquaculture industry, has recently been certified to the ISO standard that allows the company to provide certified carbon footprint figures on any of the aquaculture feed products in its portfolio. This will allow fish and seafood farming operations to calculate the carbon footprint of their production and devise ways to reduce it. The certification, the first in the aquafeed sector, was carried out by DNV and covers the entire production process from raw material procurement, through formulation, and to final product despatch through the factory gates. For Italian fish farmers this is an opportunity to

become frontrunners on the path to carbon neutrality benefitting the climate and a way to attract consumers concerned about the future of the planet. The certification is a further step in Skretting Italy’s carbon neutral feed concept, Feed4Future, launched in 2020. Feed4Future diets incorporate innovative raw materials and high-quality by-products sourced from the food industry that do not compete with human consumption and have a 10 lower carbon footprint than standard diets. Skretting plans to further the Italian division’s initiative by launching an action plan to calculate the environmental impact of its global operations and to find ways to reduce them.

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Aina Afanasjeva, 1961-2021, Director, EUROFISH International Organisation

establishment of EUROFISH. She had a background in commodities and trade in food products,

the technology of fish products, and a post graduate degree in food chemistry.

Denmark: Lea Wermelin, Minister of Environment, appointed Young Global Leader Lea Wermelin, Denmark’s 35-yearold minister of the environment, has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum joining a who’s who of political, academic, and business achievers that includes Emmanuel Macron and Mark Zuckerberg. This year over 100 people from 56 countries were cited for the accolade. The awardees are part of a network, the Forum of Young Global Leaders, that uses its members’ talents, energy, and influence to create a more sustainable future for the planet.

Nominees must be under 40 with several solid achievements behind them and must be committed to improving society both locally and across the globe. Ms Wermelin is

not the first female, Danish environmental minister to receive the title, that honour goes to Ida Auken who won it in 2013.

Lea Wermelin, Danish Minister of Environment, has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]

Sabine Wedell, project manager of the fish international trade show, is organising Digital Seafood Meeting, an online event to be held on Wednesday, 21 April 2021. Together with Monika Pain, project manager of Polfish in Gdansk, and Selin Akdogan, project manager of Future Fish Eurasia in Izmir, Ms Wedell will present the virtual event, where discussions on futuristic topics such as petri dish seafood will be combined with matchmaking sessions.

Whether buyers, product developers or sales managers the Digital Seafood Meeting will give partners and customers the chance to meet one on one. The accompanying programme of talks will be spread over three themes: out-ofhouse sales, product launches in the retail trade, and innovations.

The focus of the first will be mass catering where questions such as how the pandemic has changed this market and what comes next, will be debated. In the retail product launch theme discussions will relate to recent developments on the market, new products on offer, and the extent of their retail success.

The third theme, innovations, will cover the most exciting developments hitting the markets in terms of plant-, land- and cell-based products. As more and more alternatives make it

M3B Gmbh/Oliver Saul

Germany: A “dating platform” for the fish industry from the organisers of fish international

The challenges of the out-of-house market, innovations like cell-based fish, and product launches in the retail trade are the main topics of the Digital Seafood Meeting on 21 April 2021. But the overall idea behind the meeting is to forge contacts.

to the market, the question of whether they are competitors or complements to fish and seafood needs to be addressed, says Ms Wedell. Burkhard Gabbe, Managing Director of FRoSTA Foodservice GmbH, reports in this context about “Fisch vom Feld” (Fish from the Field). This is a plant-based fillet which was presented for the first time at the fish international last year. It is already used in mass catering

and the food retail trade. There will also be a presentation on cell-based fish products that are produced from cells using innovative biotechnology. “No fish have to die for this food”, says Dr Sebastian Rakers, the Managing Director of Bluu Biosciences GmbH and a pioneer in this field. Unlike meat cells, fish cells are cultivated at room temperature, which saves energy costs.

In addition, the less complex

tissue structure makes cellbased fish easier to produce.

Participation in the Digital Seafood Meeting will be easy. Anybody who wants to join in can log on to the platform, create a profile, search for potential partners, and arrange virtual meetings. After both sides have agreed, they can start to chat. Registration is free at: www.fish-internationaldigital-2021.b2match.io

UK: Rebranding products to boost domestic sales Newlyn, Cornwall’s biggest fish market, attracts some 1,000 tonnes of megrim, a flat fish, annually, reports the BBC, almost all of which is exported mostly to Spain. However, more bureaucracy for British traders and the introduction of border controls

since Brexit have disrupted exports of fish to the continent including that of megrim. As a result, the Cornish Fish Producers Organisation (CFPO), in a bid to encourage British consumers to eat more megrim, is planning to rebrand the fish to Cornish sole.

Another species, spider crab, that faces the same challenges, will be renamed Cornish king crab. The decision to rename the products was taken after consulting with chefs and consumers. Rebranding has worked before for Cornish fishermen, who successfully

renamed pilchard to Cornish sardine and saw landings jump from seven tonnes in the mid-90s to 7,000 tonnes in 2018 according to the 1010 number of the weekly newsletter, Relaksation. Whether it will work again remains to be seen.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Croatia: Fisheries protection offers social and environmental benefits The Jabuka pit, an area of some 3,000 square km, is an important spawning ground for hake and Norway lobster. For years, however, it has been a favoured area for commercial fishers targeting these two species, reports Euronews. Studies conducted under the AdriaMed project showed that the bottom trawls used also caught large numbers of juveniles and undersized hake. Between 2011 and 2014 prohibitions on fishing in the most vulnerable areas were largely ignored. Finally, in 2017 the GFCM adopted

an EU proposal to establish a fishing restricted area (FRA) covering at least 2,700 sq. km in the Jabuka Pit, which came into force in 2018. Under the proposal the area is divided into three zones with different degrees of restrictions. The restrictions are enforced by fisheries inspectors who conduct routine checks on trawlers fishing in the small area where they are permitted to operate.

Inspections can include measuring random samples from the caught, checking logbooks, and the vessel’s papers. Vessels are

also tracked from land using vessel monitoring systems and from the air using drones. The data from all these sources can be combined electronically by a system which will then issue a warning if anything is amiss.

Today, the impact is seen as overwhelmingly positive as the analysis of data from surveys, commercial landings, and international studies has revealed that key populations are recovering faster than expected.

Fishers too have noticed that catches, though lower than they

were, are improving. Everybody wins from the situation: fishers operate sustainably catching larger individuals, securing better prices and conserving the stock for future generations, while consumers have a bigger choice of seafood as marine biodiversity recovers. Coastal communities also benefit from the increased abundance of fish as it attracts anglers and other tourists who contribute to the economy of the area. Protecting a vulnerable area from fishing can have multiple positive repercussions.

Belgium: New map shows how Europe’s coast is changing The new EMODnet Geology shoreline-migration map, freely accessible from the EMODnet Geology portal (http://www.emodnetgeology.eu), allows policy makers, together with national and regional coastal managers, to determine large-scale coastal behaviour and identify areas of rapid change. It is based on field measurements and aerial photography and covers

time periods up to decades. The map is particularly valuable for cliffs, which are prevalent along European coastlines, particularly since state-of-the-art satellitemonitoring methods are not yet suitable for imaging erosion of non-sandy types of coastline. This important data product allows users to visualise pan-European coastal behaviour at different

spatial scales. A built-in search and zoom functionality enables online users to distinguish areas of landward migration (erosion or submergence), stability, and seaward migration (accretion or emergence). The underlying downloadable dataset offers additional information on measured or derived annual migration rates. The map also provides the

public with useful insights into one of Europe’s most obvious climatechange effects: loss of land through coastal erosion. Most importantly, field and satellite data can now be compared on a pan-European scale, highlighting common spatial patterns as well as prominent discrepancies that require further work to optimise and align the respective methodologies.

A Danish company has developed a system based on analysing data collected from 12 locations on a fish farm to improve water quality and fish welfare while reducing costs.

Blue Unit, a company founded

by David Owen, a biologist, in 2009, was established to optimise the operations of recirculation aquaculture systems by exploiting the data available from the RAS. A centralised monitoring system collects data on 13 water quality parameters, including pH, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, opacity, and salinity, that are monitored by

specially designed sensors and compares the numbers with benchmark values from producers around the world. The system provides an early warning showing where, when, and why there is a change in water quality, and giving managers time to react before conditions become critical. In the long term it means less waste of fish feed, reduced expenses, better animal welfare, and greater profit.

The system has been successfully deployed in the Norwegian RAS industry by fish farmers who have found it very useful for their operations.

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Blue Unit

Denmark: A new tool to improve fish welfare in RAS installations

Instead of measuring water quality manually, RAS-farmers can now use the monitoring system Blue Unit Solution which monitors 12 pools and issues a warning if the numbers reach critical levels.

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] New book analyses Turkey’s aquaculture industry A new book from the Turkish Marine Research Foundation celebrates the country’s aquaculture industry, the third largest by volume in Europe after Norway and Spain. The book, Marine Aquaculture in Turkey: Advancements and Management, is a collection of papers written by academics, resource managers, and representatives from industry. Edited by M. Didem Demircan and Deniz D. Tosun from Istanbul University, and Deniz Coban from Aydin Adnan Menderes University, the papers cover all aspects of the aquaculture industry from production to the sector’s effects on the environment and on occupational health. Production Is fully integrated starting

from broodstock and ending in a range of products for the market.

Seabass, seabream, and rainbow trout farmed inland are the most cultivated species, but smaller volumes of several other species are also produced.

The sector boasts 20 hatcheries, 23 feed plants, and over 200 processing facilities, and it maintains close links with the research establishment based in universities and institutes as well as with the government.

Turkish legislation is harmonised with EU directives and regulations enabling the country to export some four fifths of its production to the EU. In 2023 the target is to produce 600,000 tonnes (up from 373,000 tonnes

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in 2019) and to export USD2bn (up from USD1bn in 2019) worth of fish and seafood products.

The expansion of production will take the interests of the environment into account in terms of site selection, feed quality and feed consumption ratio, use of modern technology, integrated multi-trophic aquaculture models, stocking density and discharge criteria for water.

The book, all 440 pages, contains useful and up to date information for those interested in the Turkish aquaculture sector and its development in the years ahead. It can be freely downloaded from https://tudav.org/ wp-content/uploads/2020/12/ Marine_Aquaculture_in_Turkey_2020_low.pdf

A new book published by Tudav, the Turkish Marine Research Foundation, analyses the Turkish aquaculture sector and its ambitions for the future.

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[ AQUACULTURE ] Early Sturgeon Sex Discrimination (ESSD), a new diagnostic service for hatcheries and farms

A novel technique to save costs in caviar production Many commercially relevant fish varieties including species of sturgeon have no externally visible sexual dimorphism (males and females cannot be distinguished from each other) which makes producing only females more difficult. This in turn minimises production yield and increases costs. Until now, no gender-specific marker has been identified for sturgeons or for many other commercial fish species.

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turgeon farmers producing fish for caviar would benefit hugely from a molecularbiological sex test for juvenile and adolescent sturgeons. Early sexual identification can significantly decrease production costs by increasing the number of females for caviar production while main-

taining a balance of male animals for meat production and for use as brood stock.

Additional advantages from the genomic analysis to determine sex could be the identification of genes implicated in growth, meat production, or egg quality (caviar) which opens the door

for improvements in these areas.

Currently, the normal male to female ratio in production facilities is approximately 1:1 through natural selection. If an early sex test is available, then this ratio could be manipulated to favour the production of either caviar or meat.

The workflow showing how a stock of fish will be tagged, sampled, and finally sorted into males and females.

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Two aquaculturefocused companies with a tradition of working together TunaTech, a life sciences company focused on aquaculture, and aquaFUTURE, a supplier of aquaculture equipment and consul-

[ AQUACULTURE ] provide a relatively automated sorting system for separation of males and females. In the near future, the techniques and tools used will be further developed for application in farm breeding programmes to distinguish between fast growers, and also in single sex propagation scenarios (all females) with proof of concept. The ESSD template can be customised for commercial farms from small (500 individuals) to large sites (10,000 individuals).

Further trials to increase simplicity of testing procedure tancy services, have a long history of collaboration. Projects range from salmon genetics through restocking salmon in the river Rhine to sturgeon cultivation. Work on sturgeon sex discrimination markers based on hormonal and histological changes in both adult and juvenile sturgeons has also been carried out in research projects between TunaTech, Heinrich-Heine-University of Duesseldorf and the Mecklenburg Vorpommern Research Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries (Landesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Fischerei Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) in Born.

TunaTech has already invested considerable time and money into the research and development of a molecular-biological sex test for three sturgeon species. The sampling was performed at Aquatir, one of the world’s largest and most modern sturgeon farms, in which aquaFUTURE played a leading role, where blood, tissue and mucus samples of sexually mature belugas (Huso huso), Russian sturgeons (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) and sterlets (Acipenser ruthenus) of known sex were taken. At TunaTech’s laboratories DNA and RNA were extracted from the preserved samples and a comprehensive analysis was performed on the female

and male samples from the three species. From these analyses female reference data were designed, onto which all other data were mapped.

With the help of this analysis, several putative sex specific markers were found and analysed further.

From the latest results of an EU funded research project (STURGEoNOMICS1), it has been possible to combine previous TunaTech results and techniques with the new findings to produce an Early Sturgeon Sex Discrimination (ESSD) customised service for the industry.

A service tailored to the customer’s requirements This novel and customised solution for sex discrimination at early life stages for multiple sturgeon species will be made available in 2021 for a limited number of clients. Based on both laboratory and field experience in analysis, sampling, and tagging using the range of products it is possible to provide a customized service package to suit all aquaculture facilities, be they large or small.

marking or tagging of individuals usually with a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag such that they can be recognized at a later stage.

TunaTech and aquaFUTURE have over 20 years of experience in this field with numerous fish species.

Secondly, the process of obtaining DNA samples from individuals is then required using a tissue sampling unit, followed by the molecular analysis to identify sex-specific markers based on recent scientific evidence and our own proof of concept. A number of scenarios have been developed and have taken into consideration the large numbers of fish to be examined in some cases.

A high throughput can be achieved by software analysis and combining tagging and molecular results to

Thorough testing in the laboratory of multiple samples from several species ranging from adult fish of nine years of age down to juvenile sturgeons of approximately four months has indicated that the marker can be detected even at very early stages in the animal’s development. Using knowledge gained from the successful development of eDNA tests for alien crayfish species and the detection of Atlantic salmon in rivers and streams, a modified non-PCRbased optical test is undergoing trials which will reduce measurement times down to 30 minutes without complicated laboratory instruments.

For further information please contact: info@tunatech.de or firzlaff@aquafuture.de.

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by TunaTech describes the various steps involved in applying the Early Sturgeon Sex Discrimination (ESSD) solution in a commercial environment. The initial step requires the

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HUNGARY

A Hungarian government owned company is responsible for managing fish stocks in Lake Balaton

Healthy resources mean happy fishers Hungary’s Lake Balaton is the largest freshwater lake in central Europe with an area of 600 sq. km and a length of 78 km. It is a popular tourist destination not least for anglers because of the recreational fishing opportunities it offers. Commercial fishing on the lake stopped in 2013 and in the rest of the country in 2016.

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ESA/Copernicus Sentinal-2, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

ake Balaton is an important destination for tourists and the local population for all kinds of water related activities such as bathing, sailing, and health spas. The lake is also a favoured destination for Hungarian sport fishers who number some 700,000 people (out of a population of 10m). They target a variety of species including perch, asp, catfish, pike, and common carp.

Several measures directed at ensuring the well-being of stocks Maintaining the stock of these and other species that populate the lake is the responsibility of Balaton Fisheries Nonprofit Ltd., a state-owned company charged with conserving, developing, and managing fish stocks in the lake.

The company has a wide remit.

The overall objective of managing fish stocks includes protecting, maintaining, and developing spawning and nursery areas in the lake, habitat reconstruction, breeding and restocking, the development of fishing tourism, protection against predators such as cormorants, and the management of fishing in the lake through the sale of permits. The income generated from these sales is not transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture, 12

Lake Balaton’s striking emerald-green colour in this image is most likely due to its shallow waters and chemical composition. It is heavy in carbonates and sulphates, and there are also around 2,000 species of algae that grow in its waters.

which owns the company, but is retained and used to fund all the other activities.

The company has six sites for the production of fingerlings for restocking/sale with a total area of 1,050 ha. Two of the sites are owned, while the other four are managed by the company. The company has to meet a stocking obligation of 300 t of common carp, but significantly more can be produced on the six sites so

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the stocking requirements are easily met. In fact, Zsolt Szári, the managing director, says that the company usually restocks more than the obligatory 300 tonnes. In 2020, for example, over 337 tonnes of common carp were introduced into the lake. Although only four of the six farming sites were active, total production amounted to 800 tonnes from fry to marketsized fish. After restocking, the remainder of the output is sold to angling associations or may

also be exported. The farm has its own broodstock and grows the carp for two or three years before releasing them into the lake for the anglers. Thanks to this fully integrated production no fish is brought to the farm, which is an important biosecurity consideration; fish only leaves the farm. In addition to carp, the company breeds and stocks six tonnes of pikeperch fingerlings a year, along with smaller quantities of pike, asp, Volga pikeperch,

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tench and burbot. The company is also part of a consortium that is involved in habitat reconstruction directed at pikeperch nests with a view to increasing natural spawning of this species. The project, a research, development, and innovation undertaking, includes the breeding for restocking of Volga pikeperch and asp and the use of zebra mussels, an invasive species, as a feed source during the pond rearing of fish. The project is funded through an EU economic development programme.

Loss of spawning grounds puts pressure on the common carp stock While restocking efforts are directed primarily at the above species most prized by anglers, the lake is home to several other species as well. Stocks of predatory species such as European catfish and pikeperch are performing well (the latter helped by restocking efforts) with satisfactory levels of recruitment, but stocks that lay their eggs on vegetation (phytophilic species), such as common carp are under pressure partly due to a loss of spawning grounds.

The railway that was built on the southern shore of the lake cut it off from the swamps that provided these species with their spawning area. However, other phytophilic species, such as roach and bream, are thriving as they can also spawn on algae-covered stones.

As in other parts of Europe, particularly in areas where pond fish farming is common, cormorants are an ever-present threat. The mandate of Balaton Fisheries Nonprofit Ltd. includes the most effective control of this predator of which there is both a nesting population and a much larger migratory population coming from the Baltic in winter The company tries

to minimise the damage caused by this pest by culling and scaring cormorants on its fish ponds (it may not do so on the lake itself).

Annually, it shoots around 800 birds, which is enough only to keep the local nesting population at bay, but is both insufficient and inefficient against the wintering stock coming from the Baltic.

Additional efforts to preserve the lake’s native fauna include a selective fishery of alien species—Prussian carp, silver carp, bighead carp, grass carp, and eel—in the streams leading to the lake where some of these species go to spawn. Eels are captured in an eel trap installed in the outflow of the Sió canal to remove them.

Trials are also being conducted on removing bullhead catfishes, another invader, from the ports around the lake using fyke nets.

The biomass of the caught fish is not large, some 5 tonnes of Prussian carp, 5-30 tonnes of eel, and minimal quantities of the other species. Some of this fish is sold on the market, while the rest is destroyed if it has no commercial value. In contrast, commercial fishing on the lake, when it existed before 2013 yielded 600800 tonnes of fish, mainly breams.

Today, approximately the same quantity is caught by anglers though the mix of species is different.

Balaton Fisheries Nonprofit Ltd is a state-owned company responsible for managing fish stocks in Lake Balaton. To this end it breeds common carp in ponds both to restock the lake and to place on the market. Here, fish being harvested from a pond.

farm sites qualifies for the protected geographical indication, “Balatoni hal”, an indication in the final stage of approval by the European Commission that certifies that the fish are produced in the catchment area of Lake Balaton. Demand for fish from

Lake Balaton has always been significant, Mr Szári states, in fact more than what the lake could supply. Balaton Fisheries Nonprofit sells the fish it produces at its sites to the hotels and restaurants around the lake, but this fish must compete with imports,

Labels to guarantee quality and authenticity The company also makes use of a label “Quality Fish from Hungary” which is used to designate two fish species produced at two of its farming sites, a longbodied Balaton landrace of common carp and pikeperch. To qualify for the label the production process is audited, and the fish are subjected to chemical and organoleptic tests. In addition, fish from the company’s EUROFISH Magazine 2 / 2021

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in the world with 250 competing teams. The company also offers accommodation to anglers at Keszthely, one of the towns at the western end of the lake, where it has built cottages for anglers to stay,

Close to 100,000 anglers visit Lake Balaton each year drawn by the possibility of landing a fish like this 18 kg common carp.

for example, pikeperch from Kazakhstan and other countries.

Each year some 100,000 anglers visit the lake, a number that has been increasing over the years, says Mr Szári. They provide over 80% of the company’s revenues through their purchase of fishing permits.

The anglers target common carp mainly, though pikeperch is also popular. Part of the income from

the sale of fishing permits goes towards stock management activities and the development of fishing tourism at the lake. The company participates in the organisation of a series of fishing tournaments which includes two major carp fishing competitions as well as several smaller events held through the year. The two big events are held in spring and in autumn and are among the largest such events

but there are also any number of privately owned hotels and restaurants in the towns around the lake.

For an angler, whether it is finding a place to stay or fish to catch, Lake Balaton clearly offers it all.

Balaton Fisheries Nonprofit Ltd. Horgony u.1 8600 Siófok Hungary titkarsag@balatonihal.hu https://balatonihal.hu Managing director: Mr Zsolt Szári Activities: Production of farmed fish for restocking and sale, management of fish stocks in Lake Balaton, promotion of angling tourism

Production volumes: 800 t of which 300 t is for restocking (Common carp) Certifications: Quality Fish from Hungary, Balatoni hal (fish from Lake Balaton) Species: Common carp, pikeperch, Volga pikeperch, asp Revenues: HUF1.2bn (EUR3.3m) mostly from sale of fishing permits Employees: 90

Promoting Hungarian fish to domestic consumers through quality and certification

Credible quality labels can tempt customers The quality and diversity of Hungarian aquaculture production makes a major contribution to the cultural and gastronomic heritage of Hungary. Increasing domestic fish consumption is a strategic objective for the Hungarian aquaculture sector. In reaching this objective, one of the key issues is the quality of fish products.

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urveys show that quality, in general, is among the top three priorities determining the food choices of Hungarian customers. In the case of pond-reared fish, especially common carp, there is also a negative attitude to overcome: many people regard this fish as tainted by off-flavours. Recently, in connection with the abolition of natural-water commercial fishing, the aquaculture sector was subjected to a smear campaign

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distinguishing “muddy-tasting” farmed fish from “good-quality” natural-water fish. It is therefore of crucial importance for the aquaculture sector to recognize, distinguish, and promote fish and fish products of outstanding and guaranteed quality.

This can be achieved by quality awards, quality certification, as well as the recognition of quality products with specific characteristics linked to their geographical origin.

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Quality standards are set by the agriculture ministry The OMÉK Ready-made Fish Product Award used to be awarded by the Ministry of Agriculture once in two years on the occasion of the National Agricultural and Food Industry Exhibition and Fair (OMÉK). In addition to the product’s organoleptic characteristics, the jury also considered the appearance and packaging,

the special or novel character of the product and its market recognition, as well as the producer’s compliance with the applicable legal requirements. In recent years, it was awarded to products from Hoitsy and Rieger Ltd. (Lillafüred Trout Farm) and GyŃri ElŃre Fisheries Cooperative. In 2019, the OMÉK Ready-made Fish Product Award was merged into the OMÉK Food Product Award, which is conferred on the basis of more or less the same evaluation

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criteria. However, even before 2019, this award was also open for fish products. For instance, in 2013, it was won by the common carp fillets produced by Hortobágy Fish Farm (two years earlier, the same farm won the OMÉK Organic Production Award for its grass carp fillets).

The Hungarian Agricultural Economy Quality Award (MAMD) was established in 2005 to provide national recognition to agricultural enterprises committed to quality production. Applicants must submit a self-evaluation in nine key areas based on the EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) model which is then audited by experts.

The applications are then evaluated by an award committee

appointed by the Minister of Agriculture. A maximum of five enterprises can be granted the award annually, but there have been several occasions when none of the applicants met the strict criteria and thus no award was granted. The awarded enterprises have the right to use the MAMD certification label for a period of three years, after which the application process must be repeated. In 2018, Szegedfish Ltd. became the first (and, to date, the only) aquaculture enterprise to receive the award.

Labels can be owned by the private sector…

An example of a private sector label is the Gold Ribbon quality mark founded by the Hungarian

Gastronomy Association and modelled after the French Label Rouge.

The Gold Ribbon is awarded to top quality products with special organoleptic properties that make them easily distinguishable. Not only chefs and specialists, but also ordinary consumers are involved in the evaluation. Over the years, the Gold Ribbon label has gained recognition in the Hungarian gastronomy sector and there are several top restaurants that give preference to Gold Ribbon products.

In Hungarian aquaculture, the following products have been granted this quality mark: Akasztói Szikiponty, common carp produced in the region of Akasztó; Tahitótfalu Trout, trout produced by Royal Trout Ltd. in Tahitótfalu; Lillafüred Brown Trout, brown trout produced by Lillafüred Trout Farm.

Another example of a private certification label is the “Hungarian Product” label programme managed by the Hungarian Product Non-profit Ltd., which was established in 2006. This system includes a range of certification marks: “Hungarian Product” (produced in Hungary from 100 percent Hungarian ingredients), “Domestic Product” (more than 50 percent of the ingredients originate in Hungary and the processing is entirely done in Hungary), “Domestically Processed Product” (the processing is done in Hungary, but the majority of ingredients come from abroad), “Hungarian Service” (service with over 75% Hungarian added value).

In addition, two more certification marks were launched in 2019: “Excellent Product” (products

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belonging to one of the above categories with outstanding quality) and “Green” (products belonging to one of the above categories whose environmentally friendly properties distinguish them from other similar products). Currently, over 4,200 products and services from 180 companies use one of the above certification marks. Unfortunately, among these, the aquaculture sector is represented by only one company (FrissHal Ltd.)

common carp produced at Aranyponty Fish Farm in Rétimajor and to common carp and pike-perch produced by the Balaton Fisheries Non-profit Ltd. However, after the announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture that it wished to create a joint certification mark for all kinds of food products, the MMH Managing Committee decided that the MMH certification mark should be rolled into the newly established state-owned quality system.

…or the state

The joint High Quality Food (KMÉ) certification was first awarded in 2019. The High Quality Food label is awarded to products that exceed the legal requirements and comply with the certification criteria (consisting of product composition, production process, and sustainability requirements). The “gold” level of the label can be obtained by products that achieve outstanding results in the complex evaluation of the product range conducted by the National Food Chain Safety Office (NFCSO/NÉBIH).

Initially, the quality scheme included only milk and dairy products, but recently pork was added to the scheme and work is currently under way to include other food products including fresh and

Among state-owned certification marks, there are several ones that are open to fish products. However, in response to the demand from the sector, the Ministry of Agriculture launched the sectorspecific “Quality Fish from Hungary” (MMH) certification mark in 2017. The evaluation involves an audit of the production processes, as well as chemical and organoleptic analysis of the fish samples to ensure outstanding quality.

The Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-branch Organisation (MA-HAL) is responsible for the management of this label. In December 2017, the MMH certification mark was granted to

Szilvásváradi pisztráng, brown trout, is produced in the Szalajka valley in the Bükk mountains at 350–400 m above sea level. The valley is the source of the Szalajka and Szikla karst springs. The fish can be marketed with the PGI logo.

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processed meat or fish. Quality requirements for the certification of fresh water fish meat will be available in the second semester of 2021.

Two fish products have qualified for geographical indications, two more are in the process The Ministry of Agriculture launched the geographical indication programme in 2016 for aquaculture producers, among others. For food products the programme offers Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographic Indication (PGI) labels. Under the former, all production, processing, and preparation shall take place in the area named in the label, while to qualify for the latter, at least one of those stages shall take place in the area. To date, two fish products from Hungary have been registered by the European Union under this programme: Akasztói szikiponty, saline carp from Akasztó PDO, is a variety of common carp with a light greyish golden-yellow colour, elongated body and bright orange fins. The medium and large-sized ponds (0.1–45 ha) where Akasztói szikiponty is bred and reared are located on saline plains near the Kiskunság National Park between the Danube and the Tisza.

Szilvásváradi pisztráng, brown trout produced in the region of

Szilvásvárad PGI, has pink flesh, a subtle flavour without muddy notes, as well as firmer texture and finer muscle fibres than trout farmed elsewhere, without any fat deposits. The Szalajka valley, where the fish is farmed, is in the Bükk mountains lying at 350–400 m above sea level and the source of the Szalajka and Szikla karst springs.

Two other products are under national protection with their EU-level approval currently in progress. Hungary grants national protection from the date on which their applications were submitted to the European Commission: Balatoni hal, common carp and pike-perch produced in the watershed of Lake Balaton PGI, and Szegedi tükörponty, mirror carp produced in the region of Szeged PGI. Geographical indications not only inform consumers that the product they are buying is unique in some respect but also support jobs and contribute to the economy, according to research by EU agencies. However, it is important that labels whether national or international are trusted and are not so numerous that they lead to confusion or even cynicism among the very consumers they are supposed to attract.

Peter Lengyel, Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture, peter.lengyel@ am.gov.hu

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Conservation of freshwater fish genetic resources in the HAKI gene banks

Scientific breeding programmes for threatened species The conservation and sustainable utilisation of agriculture related genetic resources is a strongly advocated endeavour nowadays at national and international levels. The FAO emphasises the importance of this activity due to the growth of the human population as well as to climate change and their impact on these resources.

When people hear the expression “gene bank” most of them associate it with plant seed banks. This is only one of the two different ways of conserving genetic resources. Seed banks are an example of an in vitro gene bank, where germ plasm (e. g. living tissue from which new plants can be grown or sperm of a species which is able to fertilize the eggs of the same species) is stored for the very long term frozen or cryopreserved. However, there also exists another way: the in vivo gene bank, where live organisms are maintained.

The ex situ gene bank means that targeted species are kept in an artificially created habitat under optimal conditions. Animal live gene banks require enormous resources such as infrastructure and equipment, but also human resources and knowledge of specific conservation technologies including genetics, reproduction, nutrition, and animal health to conserve the animals. The main aim of the management of a live gene bank is to conserve genetic diversity as widely as possible for the targeted animal. The reproduction technology and composition of specific mating designs (based on genetic data) have a key role in maintaining the genetic variability of a certain 18

stock. The task is more complicated where aquatic animals are concerned, as they cannot be checked spontaneously and also need special attention when different fish species with different environmental or technological requirements are maintained in one gene bank.

Common carp gene bank The HAKI (Research Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hungary) realised the importance of the conservation and utilisation of aquatic genetic resources with respect to common carp (Cyprinus carpio) in the 1960s. Common carp is the most important

cultured freshwater fish species in Central and Eastern Europe, but it is also in the top five produced fish species worldwide.

Since 1962 (when the common carp live gene bank was established) HAKI has collected and maintained many common carp strains and landraces with different genetic background. By the end of the 1980’s it became one of the biggest common carp live gene banks in Europe. Currently 16 different common carp strains (13 Hungarian and 3 foreign strains) are maintained in the live gene bank. However, in 2005 the in vitro cryopreserved gene bank was established and today it contains genetic materials

(deep frozen sperm) from 27 common carp strains.

According to the conservation strategy of the common carp gene bank the following strains, can be found at HAKI: r Common carp lines and strains bred in HAKI; r Szarvas hybrid carps (crossbreds) and their parental lines; r Hungarian landraces and foreign strains with favourable breeding characteristics; r Landraces with no registered breed owner in Hungary; r Wild carp varieties.

The collected common carp gene pools in HAKI represent great

The common carp gene bank maintained by HAKI is a repository of many common carp strains and landraces.

Shown, common carp embryos.

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value in terms of genetic resources therefore, the following objectives have been determined regarding the common carp gene bank: 1.

2.

3.

In vivo conservation of genetic resources of different common carp strains and landraces (Hungarian and foreign) in ex situ conditions; In vitro conservation through cryopreservation of semen from various common carp strains; Utilisation of diverse genetic resources of common carp strains mainly in breeding programs.

Practical utilisation of the common carp gene bank Apart from gene pool conservation the common carp gene bank is mainly used for breeding programs. Numerous national and international breeding programs have been conducted that utilised genetic resources from this gene bank. Three outstanding common carp hybrids (Szarvas 215 mirror, Szarvas P31 scaled and Szarvas P34 scaled hybrid carps) were created

out of almost 150 crossing combinations during the 1970s and 80s.

The genetic resources of the common carp gene bank contributed to a European breeding trial, part of the Eurocarp project (FP6) that focused on the selective breeding for disease resistance. Furthermore, HAKI participated in and still coordinates several common carp breeding programs in Asia and the Middle East. In addition, there is an ongoing common carp breeding programme at HAKI, where the main goal is to breed a new carp hybrid/strain that performs well in intensive culture conditions.

There were also several conservation-based actions conducted by the gene bank, such as the restocking programme for Tisza wild carp after the cyanide pollution, or the reintroduction programme of Poljana and Nasice common carp strains to Croatia after the Yugoslav war.

Sturgeon gene bank The aquaculture related research on sturgeons started in Hungary in the 1970’s. In the early 80’s the

aquaculture technology development on sturgeons was the focus of sturgeon related research at HAKI. To supply the research trials with material, which was mainly sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), HAKI started to collect its broodstock from Hungarian rivers. By 1988 HAKI had a significant sterlet collection that formed the basis of the ex situ sturgeon gene bank. Subsequentially the collection was expanded with several other native and exogenous sturgeon species, such as Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri) and paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), with the main purpose of developing aquaculture. However, research targeting nature conservation started already in the 90s.

Nowadays sturgeons are one of the most endangered species group in the world (IUCN). Unfortunately, this is also true for native sturgeon species of the Danube river drainage. All the populations of the largebodied Ponto-Caspian sturgeon species in the Danube drainage have decreased drastically. They are critically endangered and most have reached the brink of extinction. Preserving the genetic diversity of the natural populations could

be critical to their survival. Conservation has therefore become the main focus of the sturgeon gene bank at HAKI. Now four native sturgeon species (that originate in the Danube) exist in the gene bank, the most significant of which is the sterlet broodstock with over 100 specimens. In addition, the gene bank houses Russian sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii), stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) and Beluga sturgeon (Huso huso).

A genetic survey of the sterlet stock in the gene bank formed the basis of the gene pool conservationbased restocking (releasing the offspring of ex situ broodstock) programmes that strengthen the wild populations in their natural habitat. Since the operation of the sturgeon gene bank many restocking actions have been carried out for sterlet in Hungary. Moreover, HAKI actively participates in international projects such as the Interreg Danube Transnational Programme (DTP) with the main focus on sturgeon conservation.

There is a pressing need to expand the sturgeon gene bank with larger

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gene pools of native sturgeon species given the catastrophic status of their natural populations. HAKI started to expand the Russian sturgeon stock (of Danube origin) in 2018 and today there are close to 500 juveniles and sub-adults in the gene bank. Genetic profiling, which is the scientific basis of for restocking programmes, of Russian sturgeon individuals is an ongoing activity at HAKI. The conservation plan for the near future is to expand the broodstock in the ex situ gene bank with stellate sturgeon and Beluga specimens to start the natural stock rehabilita-

tion programme for these migrating sturgeon species in 2024.

Population collection of freshwater carnivorous fish species Some native carnivorous fish species could be promising candidates to diversify freshwater aquaculture production in Hungary and in Europe. HAKI is using pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) and European catfish (Silurus glanis) to conduct research on intensive aquaculture technology development as well as on genetic improvement. To create

a genetically diverse stock, individuals from different European wild and farmed populations have been collected. In case of pikeperch four populations of different origins are used for the aquaculture technology development studies, while European catfish populations were

collected from ten different origins.

The European catfish collection provides the basis for an ongoing genetic marker assisted selective breeding programme adapted to intensive culture conditions.

Gyula Kovács, Béla HalasiKovács, HAKI

Research Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture (HAKI) Anna-liget utca 35 5540 Szarvas Hungary

Tel.: +36 66 515 300 info.haki@haki.naik.hu www.haki.naik.hu

HUNATiP is dedicated to promoting innovation in the Hungarian aquaculture sector

Technology can boost sustainability and production The aquaculture sector in Hungary is robust not only because of its long tradition—fish farms were established in the 1890s—but also because of the strong institutional framework that underpins it. Research bodies, the administrative structure, the companies themselves and the associations they belong to, all contribute to the wellbeing of this industry.

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n 2010 a new body was established in Hungary with the express purpose of promoting innovation all along the fish value chain. HUNATiP, as this organisation is called, has recently been registered as a legal entity and is the Hungarian mirror platform of EATiP, a European association of organisations associated with technology development for the aquaculture industry.

Environmentally friendly aquaculture is a key focus area Led by Laszlo Varadi, a doyen of the Hungarian aquaculture sector, the organisation will contribute 20

actively to Hungary’s national aquaculture strategy drawing on Prof. Varadi´s experience of participation in the formulation of the European Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for EATiP. The modernisation of pond fish farming, the development of environment-friendly and waterefficient intensive fish production systems, which can significantly contribute to the growth of Hungarian fish production, and strengthening the processing and marketing of aquaculture products, are some of the organisation’s focus areas. By initiating and executing research and development projects, organising workshops and consultations,

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and publishing printed and digital materials HUNATiP will assist in increasing sustainability and expanding output of the sector.

Legal recognition for the organisation comes at a time of

consolidation among the institutions involved in Hungarian aquaculture. One hitherto unseen change has been the merger of HAKI, a key aquaculture research institute, with the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life

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dissemination activities either in partnership with MATE or individually as member of an international project consortium.

Results can be achieved in collaboration The organisation intends to focus on the exploration of the relationship between pond aquaculture and the natural values created and maintained by this technology. It will seek to utilise this knowledge to enhance the circularity and sustainability of freshwater aquaculture. During this development work, it plans to cooperate with research institutions, environmental organisations, and national park directorates. The organisation will also assist fish farmers by providing information and facilitating

the application of new strategies and technologies that help them meet challenges caused by climate change. At the European level, it provides comments and suggestions on European policies related to aquaculture innovation through EATiP and FEAP (Federation of European Aquaculture Producers).

As a technology innovation platform HUNATiP is particularly interested in promoting some of the pond aquaculture technologies Hungary has pioneered. For example, combined intensiveextensive production systems, freshwater IMTA (integrated multitrophic aquaculture) systems and multifunctional pond production can contribute to the sustainable use of natural

resources. The new systems and technologies are good examples of sustainable intensification.

The availability of geothermal water resources in Hungary provides a good opportunity for intensive year-round aquaculture, which can be utilised through the operation of recirculation aquaculture systems with full and partial recirculation.

The development of precision aquaculture and digitalisation are new challenges that require the mobilisation and strengthening of innovative resources. This is certainly a promising time for technological applications for Hungarian aquaculture.

For more information, contact Prof. Laszlo Varadi, varadil@ akvapark.hu

Pushing Boundaries®

Sciences (MATE). Prof. Varadi, a former director of HAKI, hopes that by properly defining tasks and by sharing the results of research, innovation, and technology transfer, the merger will promote cooperation within the merged entity and with external organisations such as his thereby contributing to the efficient development of aquaculture in Hungary. Prof.

Varadi could foresee MATE becoming a key partner of his organisation alongside MA-HAL, the inter-branch organisation for Hungarian fisheries and aquaculture. He is also quite clear that the two organisations (his and MATE) will not compete for project funding, since MATE will be a member of HUNATiP, and because the two have quite different mandates. He envisages

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Hungary’s contribution to aquaculture development in Laos

A 60-year-old tradition of collaboration continues Hungary has been involved actively in international freshwater aquaculture development projects all over the world since 1980 following a collaboration with FAO to develop the institutional framework for aquaculture in Hungary.

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s part of this collaboration the Warm Water Fish Breeding Station (TEHAG) at Szazhalombatta was established and turned into an international training centre in freshwater aquaculture development in 1973, and the Fish Culture Research Institute (HAKI) at Szarvas was upgraded into an acknowledged freshwater aquaculture research, development and training centre between 1975-1980.

HAKI was also an interregional centre of FAO’s Aquaculture Development Cooperation Programme (ADCP) that had regional centres in Africa, Asia and Latin America. HAKI still works closely with NACA (Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia Pacific), one of the centres of ADCP at that time. Hungary’s and in particular HAKI’s contribution to aquaculture development in Asia was initiated by FAO and has been maintained and even strengthened during the past decades. NACA is still a strong regional partner, however bilateral cooperation agreements have been signed with institutions and aquaculture companies in China, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam and numerous projects have been implemented. Laos, however, plays a special role in the Hungarian agriculture and aquaculture collaboration in Asia.

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A fish market in Luang Prabang, Laos. Annual fish consumption in Laos is about 20 kg/capita.

Training Lao professionals has led to increasingly comprehensive collaboration Hungary and Laos are small landlocked countries almost 8,000 km apart. In spite of geographic and climatic difference there are similarities in social and economic development and also in the use of water resources and

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the importance of agriculture.

The Danube in Hungary and the Mekong in Laos contribute significantly to economic and social development, but also constitute a threat through regular flooding. Cooperation in agriculture development between Hungary and Laos started about 60 years ago, an important part of which was the training of Lao professionals in Hungary. Leading Lao agricultural experts in government

institutions, provincial offices, and in business, who were trained in Hungary, created a solid basis for agricultural collaboration.

Hungary has also been involved in various international development assistance projects for Laos mainly through FAO. An important component of the FAO projects was aquaculture development by improving fish seed supply through provincial fish hatcheries and by training programmes. Hungar-

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ian assistance towards agriculture development in Laos intensified, when Hungary became a member of the EU in 2004.

The third Hungarian tied aid loan programme in Laos concludes in 2022 The tied aid loan is a special credit instrument for developing countries with zero interest rate and a long payback period, following OECD rules and regulations. It is “tied” because a minimum of 50% of goods and services should originate from the donor country.

Laos is a strategic country in the Hungarian tied aid loan policy and two agricultural development projects have already been completed successfully, the first between 2009-2011 (8.6 million

USD) and the second between 2016-2018 (30 million USD), that aimed at improving food safety and food security in one of the least developed countries of the world. The third tied aid loan programme (35 million USD) started in 2019 and will be completed in 2022. The main objective of the programme is to develop a high quality and safe supply of meat and fish through the establishment of model value chains following the “farm to fork” principle. The infrastructure development of the programme includes the construction of feed mills, fish-, cattle- and pig farms, processing plants and market facilities. The development of a model food chain safety system, modern laboratories, IT support, and human resources

development are also important components of the programme.

The Hungarian main contractor responsible for project implementation is the Vitafort Agro Asia Co., Ltd. that was created for this purpose in 2016 by Vitafort Co., Ltd. a leading feed manufacturer in Hungary. The key Lao partner is the Department of Livestock and Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Fisheries and aquaculture have an important role in protein supply and employment in Laos. Production is mainly fish capture from the Mekong river and tributaries, however, the importance of aquaculture is increasing. Despite the rich aquatic resources, the potential in fisheries and aquaculture has

not been exploited due to various constraints. Major problems are poor supply of high-quality fingerlings and fish feeds, poor infrastructure, lack of services, and lack of human resources.

Development of fisheries and aquaculture is also constrained by low level of governance, poor extension and R&D activities.

Aquaculture production is limited to a few species. Total aquaculture production was 108,200 tons in 2018. About 30% of the total production was tilapia that is produced mainly in cages predominantly by Chinese farmers.

Chinese carps, common carp, and Indian major carps provide about 53% of the total production, while the share of indigenous species is less than 10 percent. Most of the fish is produced

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in small ponds and in rain-fed and irrigated rice fields. Annual fish consumption in Laos is around 20 kg/capita.

Assistance for Lao aquaculture focuses on new species and innovative feeds Aquaculture development was the first area of cooperation between Hungary and Laos in the early 1980s. It paved the way for joint efforts in other areas like soil management, plant production, water management, feed manufacturing, livestock farming, food processing and marketing and food chain safety. R&D cooperation is still an important part of aquaculture development. HAKI’s main partners are the Living Aquatic Resources Research Centre (LARReC) in Nongteng and the Namxouang Aquaculture and Fisheries Development Centre in Namxouang. The two main areas of the collaboration are the introduction of indigenous Mekong fish species into aquaculture and the development of new types of feeds with alternative protein sources such as insect protein and Artemia.

Tilapia production in cages in Nam Ngum river. Tilapia accounts for about 30% of the total fisheries production in Laos.

In the Nongteng feed mill, as an outcome of the tied aid loan programmes, a fish feed production line manufactures special feed for fish fry and fingerlings.

The cutting-edge technology includes micro grinding, extrusion, and vacuum coating. The

An extruder line for the production of special feed for fish fingerling was established with Hungarian support.

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small sized (0.6/1.2/1.6 mm), high quality, floating pellets are used to feed commercially produced tilapia fingerling.

The Hungarian tied aid loan programme also assisted the establishment of a local company called Agro Processing Development (APD) Co. that operates the feed mill. APD and Hungarian feed experts continue to cooperate in the development

of sustainable fish feeds using locally available alternative animal protein resources.

Hungary’s private fish farmers are also involved in Laos There are only very few EuropeanAsian joint venture companies in aquaculture in South East Asia, however Aquatic Development

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Checking the growth of tilapia at ADC fish farm, a company established in 2014 by Aranyponty Fisheries Co., a leading aquaculture company in Hungary.

Most farmed fish is produced in small family-owned ponds and in rain-fed and irrigated rice fields. Here, a chicken shack built above the fishpond on a small farm.

Company (ADC) is a good example of such interregional business collaboration. The company was established in 2014 by Aranyponty Fisheries Co., a leading innovative aquaculture company in Hungary. ADC operates the Namhoum fish breeding centre in Vientiane municipality that used to be a government farm. With initial support from the Hungarian tied aid loan programme, ADC has become a leading supplier of high-quality tilapia fingerling in the region. With a staff of 18 people, the 8-hectare large farm produced over 12 million fish in 2020.

Since market size fish production is an essential element of the fish value chain, efforts have been made to develop appropriate technology for market size tilapia production in small ponds

supports the first modern fish processing plant to be established in Laos in Xaythani district close to Vientiane, the capital. The model facility will be operated by a local cooperative farm. To identify popular products a survey has been carried out in cooperation with the local cooperatives and government institutions.

in partnership with local farmers. As a result of the pilot scale production, water quality management, feeding technology and general farm management have been improved in the partner farms. The programme will be continued and expanded with the involvement of cage fish farms and fish-cum-rice farms.

The final goal of the programme is to produce certified fish under the logo “Lao-Hungarian Quality Fish”. The production process will be controlled and monitored under the newly established food chain safety system.

Although fish is a popular food in Laos and various traditional fish products are available on the markets and in restaurants, there is an increasing need for high quality, safe and certified convenience products. Hungarian aid

Hungary’s efforts in Laos serve EU goals too Laos is becoming a permanent base for Hungarian aquaculture experts, institutions, organisations, and companies. The active presence of Hungary in the region can contribute to the strengthening of collaboration between the EU and Asia in the field of aquaculture development. HAKI has been involved in EU projects

(ASEM, AqASEM09, EURASTIP) that were aiming at fostering collaboration between the Asian and European aquaculture sectors.

The European Union is highly dependent on imported seafood, much of which comes from Asia, and also has highly developed strengths in aquaculture education, training, research and development. Hungarian support for aquaculture development in Laos is well in line with the EUAsia aquaculture cooperation strategy. As a follow up to the recent EURASTIP exchange programme, a multilateral agreement was signed between Hungarian and Vietnamese companies and research institutions. The planned cooperation includes joint work by Vietnamese and Hungarian experts to assist aquaculture development in Laos.

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The inter-branch organisation MA-HAL assists its members cope with the pandemic fallout

Support for producers helps, but cannot substitute markets The global spread of the coronavirus and unprecedented lockdowns around the world had a particular impact on supply chains for globally traded food commodities, such as fish and seafood.

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n Hungary, the economic downturn at the end of March of 2020 had a serious impact on the aquaculture sector as well with, on average, only 15 to 20 percent of the usual volume of fresh and frozen fish products being ordered, reports Dr Istvan Nemeth, President of MA-HAL, the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Interbranch Organisation.

Rollercoaster ride for producers as markets open and close Due to the subdued demand, the live fish export from Hungary to Romania, the main export market, significantly decreased and even stopped for some weeks. Domestically, sales channels ceased to exist with the closure of catering, restaurants, and hotels. Fish producers and processors also reported a decrease in retail sales as the panic buying and stockpiling of food by consumers at the beginning of the pandemic did not include fish products. However, he adds, a gradual improvement was experienced in the markets from the end of May 2020. The restaurants and lakeside buffets where fish products are a popular food item gradually opened again. The autumn lockdowns lead to the closure of the food service sector again, bringing 26

about marketing difficulties for fish farmers. Luckily, exports picked up again from October and took up significant amounts of domestically produced fish.

However, the sector is not out of the woods yet, as new and more infectious variants of the coronavirus have appeared forcing governments to maintain if not intensify the restrictions. In the longer term, if the food service sector does not restart soon, Dr Nemeth is concerned about the risk of companies stopping their aquaculture activities. Intensive systems are particularly at risk, he says. Many enterprises also offer accommodation and catering besides fish production. They are especially affected by the restrictive measures as they have not been able to engage in these activities at all for most of the last year. Farmers and processors have also been able to tap government support schemes to compensate at least to some extent for the loss of customers.

The ministerial decree on the sectoral support scheme aimed at maintaining aquaculture jobs, as requested by MA-HAL, was published on 22 June 2020 ensured significant financial aid to fish producers and fish processors. The aid provided to companies under the National Food Economy Crisis Management Programme amounted

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to HUF500,000 per employee, with a total funding amount of HUF544m. Payments to the 108 beneficiaries started after the processing of the applications, in October 2020.

dropped very significantly at the beginning, then rose again to last year’s level by the end of the year.

However, this is far from optimal as feed and labour costs are continuously growing.

Some see opportunities in digital sales, but the development is uneven

MA-HAL too has devised some innovative responses to challenges arising from the shutdown of markets. During the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, the closure of the food service sector left an unprecedented amount of live fish unsold, which required quick action. MA-HAL reached an agreement with the Hungarian National Federation of Anglers (MOHOSZ), which bought this amount for 15-20 percent less than the normal market

The pandemic has obliged producers and processors to seek creative solutions to their predicament. Some, for example, have introduced online ordering and home delivery as an option, but there has been no significant breakthrough in this field at the sectoral level, notes Dr Nemeth.

The wholesale prices of live fish

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Physical events such as this cooking contest held in 2019 to promote fish consumption have been put on hold because of the pandemic. Instead, MA-HAL has focused on campaigns using social media.

price and used it to stock the state-owned natural waters managed by its member associations.

This resulted in an extraordinary nation-wide stocking event managed by MOHOSZ in the spring of 2020. It was the largest logistic operation conducted by the Hungarian fisheries and aquaculture sector to date. A total of 1,177 tonnes of common carp were stocked in 324 water bodies in a mere 18 days. This feat was made possible by the HUF800m (EUR2m) support provided to MOHOSZ by the Ministry of Agriculture for natural-water fish stocking—a win-win situation where MOHOSZ could obtain more fish for stocking from the

available funding, while helping fish farmers to get rid of their unsold fish.

Promotion moves online The restrictions on gathering have also had an impact on MA-HAL events to promote the consumption of fish, most of which were cancelled. Dr Nemeth is hoping it will be possible to hold physical events, such as fish cooking contests, from the summer of 2021.

Until then, the organisation is placing more emphasis on online marketing. Using the possibilities offered by social media, it has started an online campaign called HalPéntek (Fish Friday), which

promotes fish consumption on a regular basis and at least once a week. The campaign will need to work hard to make up for the drop in domestic sales that producers experienced in December.

Nearly 40 percent of annual fish consumption in Hungary is eaten during Christmas. Compared to previous years, a decrease of 10

to 20 percent was experienced in December 2020 as a result of the pandemic, as fish is regarded as a holiday meal eaten by many only when the family gets together or in restaurants. Partly as a result, In the spring of 2021 fish producers appear to have stocked less in their ponds than in the previous year.

Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-branch Organisation (MA-HAL) Ballagi Mor u. 8 1115 Budapest Hungary

iroda@magyarhal.hu www.magyarhal.hu President: Dr Istvan Nemeth

Tel.: +36 30 934 8411 EUROFISH Magazine 2 / 2021

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The National Food Chain Safety Office (NÉBIH) in Hungary has a variety of functions

Keeping food safe and stocks of native species healthy Commercial inland fisheries are vanishing in many European countries and Hungary is no exception. There, the disappearance of this activity was accelerated by the entry into force, in 2013, of a new law for the sector which emphasised angling. As a result, commercial fishing in natural waters ceased on 1 January 2016. However, to preserve cultural values, it is important to maintain small-scale fishing as a recreational activity in as many waters as possible.

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Balaton Fisheries Nonprofit

ishing for pleasure is a popular activity in Hungary, where, in 2020, anglers caught over 5,000 tonnes of fish under different license categories. A significant segment of the angling community does not regard fish as food but is only interested in the size of the catch (trophy). For this reason, the number of private ponds specialised in sport fishing and fishing tournaments is growing as well.

These private ponds promise anglers the experience of catching big fish.

Large fish are sometimes illegally traded As large-size fish represent an enormous advertising value in the angling community, it is in the obvious interest of private ponds to have as many of them as they can obtain, says Richárd Zsigmond, head of the Directorate of Agricultural Genetic Resources under NÉBIH. The problem is that rearing such large fish takes decades of work, and therefore, they are hard to find, and the market value of a common carp of 25-30 kilograms can exceed EUR1,600.

This makes it easy to understand why a black market has been built on catching such fish in natural waters and selling them to private ponds. It is the goal of the State 28

Cultural values that would otherwise have been lost with the ending of commercial fishing in Hungary have been preserved by the large angling fraternity. Recreational fishermen’s activities are monitored by the State Fishing Inspection Service.

Fishing Inspection Service, which is part of the directorate, to eliminate this angling and fishing black market. The service identified several dozens of illegally caught and transferred large-size fishes and returned them back to their natural environment in 2020. In the fight against illegal angling and fishing NÉBIH is assisted by the law-abiding angling community which can report offenses even anonymously, by sending an

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email to the address allamihalor@ nebih.gov.hu.

The legitimacy of fish and fish products in Hungary is controlled by the State Fishing Inspection Service that is responsible for monitoring the provenance of fish and fish products and tracking them from water to table.

Every year it controls the origin of fish and fish products at ca. 300 sites—fish farming facilities, fish

shops and other points of sale, restaurants—including through test purchases. NÉBIH is responsible for the testing of food products including the examination of the origin, quality, and traceability of fish and fish products.

During inspections, invoices for fish and fish products as well as aquatic animal health certificates are closely examined. These are issued by qualified aquatic animal health inspectors and certify

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the safety of the given product and its traceability confirming that it meets strict animal health requirements. Officers of the service, who are civil servants with special qualifications in law enforcement and fishing inspection, find irregularities in 10-15% of the samples, on average, and destroy almost a tonne of fish and fish products every year because of unproven origin. In 2020, fines worth approximately EUR37,500 were imposed for a range of offences.

Reducing stocks of invasive fish in favour of native species The State Fishing Inspection Service also monitors restocking

activities in natural waters. These are carried out by the owner of the fishing rights in the pertinent body of water. Maintaining the ecological and economic sustainability of native fish stocks and reducing stocks of invasive alien species (e.g. bullhead, silver carp, bighead carp) require selective fishing for ecological purposes.

This helps to preserve the desirable species structure characteristic of Hungary’s natural waters.

The fisheries authority may oblige the fishing rights owner or the operator of a fish farm to monitor the stocks of alien invasive species endangering native fish stocks, as well as to implement protective measures. To this end it may issue a special fishing license that entitles a suitably qualified person,

who has an agreement with the fishing rights owner, to carry out a selective fishery.

In addition to supervising fishing inspection, the Directorate of Agricultural Genetic Resources is responsible for the National Fisheries Database. Within this system, data on fisheries activities (fisheries management plans, data on fish stocking and fish catches, data on fisheries operators) are collected. The most important data amongst these are those on fish stocking and fish catches, which are published on the “Data of Public Interest” interface of the National Fisheries Database. Fishing rights owners are obliged to notify about their fish stocking events in advance.

The 19 county fisheries authorities and the State Fishing Inspection Service control the veracity of these notifications through random on-site inspections, and oblige operators performing the stocking to submit reports on the stocking events, which are to be confirmed with invoices and veterinary certificates. According to the latest data there are currently 2,200 registered fishery water bodies in Hungary, with a total area of over 163,000 hectares and in 2020 some 554,000 angling permits were issued.

For more information, contact Richárd Zsigmond, mgei@nebih. gov.hu, or visit https://portal. nebih.gov.hu.

Hungary restructures higher education in aquaculture

Merger creates a centre of excellence Higher education in agriculture in Hungary is being reorganised, a process that also affects research and educational institutions for the aquaculture sector.

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he process incorporated the University of Kaposvár and the Georgikon Faculty of the University of Pannonia into Szent István University on 1 August 2020, while the institutes that were formerly part of the National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre (NAIK), including the Research Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture (HAKI), joined on 1 February 2021. This latter merger created a new institution, the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) which incorporates, among others, the Department of Aquaculture of Szent István University, HAKI, the Department of Aquaculture and

Fisheries of Kaposvár University, and the Georgikon Fish Research Centre of the University of Pannonia.

Different areas of expertise assembled into one body All four institutions were active in the general field of aquaculture, however, each one had its own characteristics, explains Prof.

Béla Urbányi, who heads the MATE Institute of Aquaculture and Environmental Safety (as well as the Szent István Campus of MATE). The team from Kaposvár specializes in fish nutrition and intensive fish farming. People in

Keszthely have a wide range of experience in fish farming technology, plus they have the only aquaculture-related high-profile “Élvonal” project in the country specialising in reproductive genomics. HAKI is an institute with a long history and specialises in a wide range of topics from fish nutrition, farming technology, intensive aquaculture to genetics and gene banking. The same is true for the scientists in Gödölló whose expertise is very diverse including toxicology, reproductive biology, pond aquaculture technology, reproductive genomics and molecular markers, cryopreservation of germ cells and many others.

The purpose of the fusion, says Prof. Urbányi, was to concentrate the efforts and scientific excellence of several aquaculture institutions into one functional unit that is more powerful than its constituent parts. It is much too early to say whether it has achieved its objective, as it is going to be a long learning process, but all the people involved are enthusiastic and are committed to making this restructuring a success.

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Post graduate degree in aquaculture on the anvil The Institute of Aquaculture and Environmental Safety trains approximately 100 students each year, however, the majority of these students are enrolled in environmental management programs rather than strictly aquaculture. The number of students studying aquaculture is around 20 on various levels of training.

Currently, a dedicated aquaculture degree is only offered in the form of a post-graduate specialist training, although the plan is to launch a master programme in aquaculture in the coming two or three years. Currently, students enrolled in the Agricultural Engineering undergraduate program can choose to major in aquaculture with several courses offered.

In addition, students enrolled in other programmes (e.g. Wildlife Management or Agricultural Biotechnology) also have aquaculture-related courses. Finally, the PhD school of Animal Husbandry Science offers PhD training in the field of Fish Biology and Fish Farming. The trends in student numbers are increasing with a growing number of foreign students being interested in our training programs. This is especially facilitated by the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship program.

Courses reflect the realities of Hungarian aquaculture The aquaculture degree, whether it is in the specialist training program or the major in aquaculture in the Agricultural Engineering program, prepares students to solve practical problems occurring in real life at various fish farms, according to Prof. Urbányi.

Due to Hungary’s geography, this primarily means carp-centered 30

pond farms, however, the students receive training that qualifies them to work in other areas, as well, including intensive fish farms, governmental institutions and administration, NGOs such as angling associations and federations. Approximately 10% of the students who take the major in aquaculture in the Agricultural Engineering programme stay for a PhD and then pursue an academic career. The institute also offers courses in intensive aquaculture including an in-depth introduction into recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS), where students can get actual practical training in working with these systems. The professor points out, however, that intensive aquaculture production in Hungary is primarily in flow-through systems rather than RAS. The most important farmed product in Hungary that comes from intensive farming is African catfish and that is almost exclusively produced in flow-through systems. Thus, although recirculating aquaculture is present in the country, it still has a long way to develop. We do not anticipate production in intensive systems to overtake that in pond farms, at least not in mid-term, he says.

This is primarily defined by the market and the Hungarian fish market is still very much carpcentred and seasonal concentrating chiefly on the Christmas fish sale. Intensive systems by their very nature cannot target seasonal markets. Nevertheless, there are plans to intensify carp production in ponds, e.g. by reducing the production cycle from three to two years.

A few farmers have successfully diversified income streams In Prof. Urbányi’s view, the future of pond farming is constrained by

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Facilities at the MATE Institute of Aquaculture and Environmental Safety include this system to rear zebrafish.

certain structural factors. It would be great to see a bright future for pond farming with improvement and innovation in sight, he says, however, one has to be realistic. Pond farming targets a seasonal market therefore it has to be low-cost. This is a self-perpetuating process where nobody is interested in investment and innovation—farmers are afraid of increasing prices because they think they would lose markets to competitors and the market itself is very limited due to its seasonal nature. A better integration of farmers into a single interest group would probably improve the situation. In the meantime, he

sees some good examples where individual farmers are able to identify a segment of the market which they can target and use that to their advantage. This typically means investment into processing, selling processed fish instead of the raw material, opening their own restaurant, or offering recreational services connected to the ponds such as angling or lodging.

These, however, at the moment are individual attempts and regardless of their success, they do not define the entire industry.

For more information, contact Prof. Béla Urbányi, akvakultura@ uni-mate.hu

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Panarini employs only domestically farmed fish in its production

Consumers seek innovation and convenience Balaton Fishfarm & Factory, a producer of sturgeon and European catfish, and processor of a diverse range of fish types, and Panarini Hungaria, a fish sales company are part of the same group (Panarini Group). The mission of the two units is to supply conveniently processed, domestically produced fish to the Hungarian market. To this end, the processing facility also collaborates with other Hungarian farms to ensure the variety and the volumes of fish that it needs.

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Sturgeon and European catfish farmed in recirculating aquaculture

he fish farm was founded in 2011 in Szentgyörgyvár close to Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe and a popular destination among tourists and anglers. Being close to the lake is an advantage as it is associated with fish and fishing and attracts people with an interest in fish-related activities including gastronomy. Initially, the company focused on the production of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) but later began to buy, process, and sell many other species of fish. Sturgeon, however, remained the company’s core competence. The location in Szentgyorgyvár is also useful because it is not far from the Hungarian capital, Budapest and about the same distance away from other major cities like Vienna, Graz (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), and Zagreb (Croatia).

From the outset the sturgeon and catfish have been farmed in recirculating aquaculture systems drawing water from the ground.

Fingerlings are obtained from external suppliers—the company does not maintain a hatchery with its own broodstock. The system comprises 42 tanks each 27 m3 in volume divided into two halls. The water is recycled every 45 minutes and because it is isolated from the environment the chances of the fish contracting a disease are remote. Small volumes of fresh water are injected into the system to compensate for losses due to evaporation or to other reasons, and the outlet water is cleaned before flowing back into nature. A

Arpad Koszegi, CEO, Sales and Finance

Zoltan Kovacs, CEO, Manufacturing

small-scale processing operation focused on the production of sturgeon meat started a few years later, when the plan was to sell the fish on the Russian language markets, and in 2017 the company expanded this operation building an 800 m2 facility with an annual capacity of ca.

1,000 tonnes that could handle any kind of freshwater species. The new facility was equipped with state-ofthe-art processing machinery and is certified to the IFS standard. It has smoking ovens, several automated packaging options, and a traceability system that can trace products back and forth along the supply chain. The company’s own farmed sturgeon can be tracked from the fingerling stage all the way to the final product.

By increasing the capacity, the company could also begin to process other species of fish. Today these include European catfish that the company also farms, trout, African catfish, and carp, which are made into a variety of products under the Panarini brand. The latter three species, as well as others, are obtained from other Hungarian farms, a point emphasised by Arpad Koszegi, the CEO responsible for sales and finance, who is keen to promote the production and consumption of Hungarian farmed fish. Despite the variety of items the company can offer,

sturgeon is still the flagship product. The fish is bred purely for its meat, there is no caviar production, and it is closely monitored to make sure it is healthy. Extruded pellets certified GMO free are fed to the fish several times a day by hand to prevent over feeding and overloading the system and the combination of clean water, good feed, and no use of antibiotics results in healthful and tasty products, says Sandor Nemeth, the manager of the fish farm. In the processing factory fish can be whole gutted, filleted, sliced, smoked or made into sausages, burgers or other highly value added products.

Innovative and convenient products boost the popularity of fish Hungary has a long tradition of farming and consuming carp, which is therefore the most consumed fish on the market. However, Mr Koszegi notes that other species such as European catfish, trout, and African catfish are increasing in popularity too. As a producer of sturgeon though, he is trying to increase awareness and consumption of this species. Educating people about its boneless flesh, its versatility, and its taste, he feels is the way to boost the popularity of this high value fish not

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most sought after fish of them all, says Mr Koszegi, particularly around Christmas and in summer. While imports may boost a general interest in fish, domestically farmed fish must also compete with imported marine products like hake, which is popular in summer, and seabass. The wide availability of fresh or smoked salmon all the year around is also something of a competitor thanks to its versatility, taste, bonelessness, and wide availability. Other marine species, such as pelagic fish, are mainly niche products.

Sturgeon and catfish are grown in recirculation aquaculture systems, where clean water, high quality feed, and careful monitoring result in tasty and healthful products.

only in Hungary but also abroad.

It would also brand Panarini as a purveyor of premium products, enhancing the company’s reputation on those segments of the market it wants to target. Over time he sees Panarini reducing its turnover from carp and increasing it for the other species in particular sturgeon and catfish The company would like to attract a new generation of fish-lovers as well, with less traditional species like trout (that they started supplying to one of the top international chains in 2020). This dovetails with a trend he has noticed among his customers for more innovative products.

At the factory, staff are constantly experimenting with new offerings that meet these expectations, for example, using sturgeon meat to create fish burgers and fish balls for the summer when people like to grill, says Zoltan Kovacs, the CEO responsible for manufacturing. There is also an emphasis on convenience—products that can be taken home and prepared within 10 minutes to give a tasty and healthful meal. These could be a seasoned or marinated piece of fish meat giving an extra twist to a familiar product. Trials have also been carried out on a stuffed 32

sturgeon fillet and sturgeon frankfurters. These efforts, though focused on sturgeon and catfish also encompass the other fish species that the company buys, reveal Mr Kovacs’s conviction that the market is shifting and that he wants to anticipate and shape these trends—not only at home in Hungary but also in neighbouring countries. Creating new products from all the different species creates a wider assortment that caters to the tastes of a broader range of customers.

The availability of a larger variety of products that are tasty and convenient is no doubt contributing to the increase in annual fish consumption in Hungary which, admittedly from a low base, went up by a third between 2012 and 2018 before falling back slightly in 2019 to 6.45 kg/capita. The wide acceptance of salmon may also have fuelled a greater interest in fish in general. These developments lead to other home-grown species, catfish, trout, African catfish, increasing in popularity, though thanks to its long tradition in Hungarian cuisine and the fact that it is cheaper than other species, carp is still the

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Export markets to be targeted in 2021 Panarini works closely together with retail chains, online retailers, and the food service sector which together form the company’s main customer base and enable it to sell across the country. Products to the retail segment are sold both under the company’s brand and as privately labelled products. The hotels and restaurants are mainly around Lake Balaton and in Budapest and include both premium and regular establishments. A minor part of the turnover comes from the company’s shop next to its headquarters, where sales are made directly to consumers, and

By adding value to locallyfarmed fish Panarini wants to encourage the consumption of Hungarian products.

which the company would like to expand in the nearest future to build a direct link to consumers.

This expansion strategy would include the use of social media to keep track of consumer preferences and consumers’ response to new products and to use this information to adapt Panarini’s product assortment and marketing tactics.

Another direction that the company will start developing this year (2021) is the export market as it feels it has the products, the range, and the capacity to delivery to neighbouring countries. If all goes to plan, Austrians and Slovaks can look forward to tucking into Hungarian sturgeon in the near future.

Panarini Hungaria Ltd. Felsómánd puszta 26/A 8393 Szentgyörgyvár Hungary +36 30 897 3374 hello@panarini.com panarini.com Chief Executive Officer: Arpad Koszegi, Sales and finance Chief Executive Officer: Zoltan Kovacs, Manufacturing Manager of the fish farm: Sandor Nemeth

Farmed fish production: 80 tonnes (combined sturgeon and catfish) Species processed: Sturgeon, catfish, trout, African catfish, carp Assortment: Innovative added value products Product types: Fresh fish, smoked fish, processed fish (eg. fish burgers, fish sausages), Markets: Hungary Customers: Retail chains, HoReCa, consumers

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Szegedfish sells to a wide range of customers in Hungary and abroad

Culinary traditions drive demand for pond-farmed fish Aquaculture production in Hungary has stayed largely stable over the four years to 2019 averaging 17,500 tonnes. Common carp accounts for approximately two thirds of the production and African catfish for a fifth. Smaller volumes of silver carp, grass carp, catfish, and bighead carp make up most of the balance. The fish is produced in polyculture in large earthen ponds typically for three seasons in the case of common carp.

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ounded in 1930 and privatised in 1994, Szegedfish has an annual production of some 1,600 tonnes of fish in ponds spread over 2,000 ha. The farm is characterised by typical lowland ponds surrounded by dikes, a structure that has evolved over the last couple of decades. The ponds vary in size from 20 to 200 ha and there are 36 ponds. Food fish accounts for about 1,000 t, the remaining 600 t is comprised of younger fish that needs to grow another year or two years before being sold as table fish.

Integrated production— from broodstock to table fish The company has its own broodstock and hatchery and is self-

Szegedfish has a full cycle of production starting with the broodstock. Here, carp eggs in hatching jars in the hatchery.

sufficient in the production of eggs and fry. The species farmed are primarily common carp, grass carp, European catfish, bighead carp as well as the predatory species pike. As at the national level, common carp dominates also Szegedfish’s production amounting to about 75% of the total. Since it maintains a full cycle of production, fish are bred and sold at different ages depending on the purpose, as table fish, for anglers to stock their waters, for other fish farmers to stock their ponds, or even as broodstock. The farm is located in southern Hungary close to the border with Serbia and Romania on the outskirts of the city of Szeged, from where it gets its name. The geographical conditions (microclimate, water quality, and soil) in the area are particularly favourable to the cultivation of fish and the company has combined this with a systematic scientific approach to breeding to produce tasty and healthful fish. Its scientists have developed a variety of common carp, the Szeged Mirror Carp, a landrace that is particularly well adapted to the local conditions, is genetically robust, low in fat, good meat structure, and very tasty.

The breed has been recognised by the Ministry of Agriculture and has applied for the EU’s protected geographic indication. The strain

The carp larvae spend the first few months in the hatchery developing into fry that are then moved to specialised rearing ponds.

has also been exported and is bred in other countries too.

A large farm with several ponds of different sizes brings advantages Production at Szegedfish follows the typical three-year cycle common among Hungarian farmers. In the first year, the eggs are hatched, and the larvae nursed to fry in the company’s stateapproved hatchery before being moved to specialised rearing ponds that range in size from 1-15 ha, where the fry are a given specially formulated extruded

feed. Two- and three-year-old fish are however fed on wheat.

All the ponds are harvested in the autumn and the fish moved to the 140 wintering ponds. Here they are not fed as the low temperature slows down their metabolism and they enter a state of hibernation.

In spring the wintering ponds are harvested, and the fish sorted and moved to larger ponds for on growing. Three-year-old fish that are ready for the market are moved into ponds from where they can be easily harvested when there is demand for fish. Marketsized fish typically weigh between 2 and 3 kg. However, as all the pond fish farmers in Hungary are

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At harvest the fish are removed from the water and conveyed into transport tanks.

At Szegedfish the fish are sometimes transported from one part of the farm to another by train!

harvesting their market-sized fish at about the same time this can lead to a glut of fish and a consequent drop in prices. However, at Szegedfish, thanks to the large number of ponds, the harvested fish is not placed on the market at once but is stored in ponds to serve the market throughout the year. This was not possible some 20 years ago when carp consumption peaked twice a year, at Christmas and at Easter. Over the last two decades efforts promoting the year-round consumption of carp have born fruit and today there is demand for carp at all times of the year if companies can meet it. At Szegedfish these efforts included the creation of ponds from where they could harvest the fish throughout the year and the construction of a fish processing plant. The fish is supplied to Szeged and the surrounding area, to the food service sector, and the fish is also exported. Fish in these storage ponds are not fed over winter, but as the weather warms up feeding starts again and continues until the fish are sold which could be at the end of summer. By this time the fish are three-summer-old, however, there is little danger that they become too large for the market as they tend to lose a little weight in winter which they

the ice to oxygenate the water, on the other hand the fish are more active. They do not hibernate but continue to move which can lead to higher mortalities in the winter.

To counter this the stocking density must be decreased to allow the fish more space to move and the flow of water increased to augment the oxygen supply. The farm is located a couple of kilometres from the Tisza river, which ensures that the farm does not suffer from any lack of water. However, in extremely hot periods, additional

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regain over the next months and so stay within the weight range acceptable to the market.

In pond farms unlike in recirculation aquaculture systems the production is influenced by climate-related factors including precipitation and water temperature. Recently, for example, the winters have been quite mild, which has both positive and negative impacts. The advantage is that wintering ponds do not freeze so holes do not have to be cut in

water needs to be pumped from the river into the ponds and the oxygen supply needs to be monitored and, if necessary, increased.

Live fish is rapidly falling out of favour Most of the company’s customers lie in Szeged and the surrounding area, but fish from the farm is delivered as far as Baja on the Danube some 160 km away, where it goes to restaurants and hotels. Canning factories are also among the

Over wintering ponds are usually smaller than the on growing ponds. When winters are mild the fish metabolism does not slow down as must and the ponds must be stocked at lower densities.

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customers and a proportion of the fish is exported, mainly to Poland and Romania. Finally, some of the fish is sold to angling associations to stock their waters for the benefit of their members. The processing factory is used for the primary processing of the fish. Products, cleaned and gutted fish, are maintained chilled for immediate consumption, nothing is frozen. The company has its own fish shop at the farm site, where consumers can buy live or fresh gutted fish. There is a general trend away from live fish and towards more refined products such as fillets or steaks, while demand for live fish has fallen significantly. Hungary imports some

11 thousand tonnes of finfish products a year some of which competes with the domestic production.

In the southern part of Hungary, which is where Szegedfish is located, there are long standing and strong traditions of producing fish soup using the locally farmed fish. These and other culinary traditioncs that go backa generations and that rely on farmed freshwater species are likely to maintain consumers’ interest in the local fish for years to come. However, fish processors are aware of the need to invest in developing tasty, healthy, sustainable, and convenient products if locally farmed fish is to hold its own against imports.

Szegedfish Ltd. Nádvágó út 2 6728 Szeged Hungary +36 62 461644 j.sztano@t-online.hu szegedfish.hu Managing director: Mr János Sztanó Economic director: Mr János Ladányia Head of the economic department: Mr Tamás Zsáky Activity: Farmed production of freshwater fish

Volumes: 1,600 t Species: Common carp, grass carp, bighead carp, European catfish, pike Pond area: 2,000 ha Products: Live fish, gutted fish, fillets, steaks Employees: 100 Customers: Food service in and around Szeged and up to Baja, angling associations, private consumers, processing plants Exports: Poland, Romania

The Fishmarket serves an exclusive clientele

Using quality to promote fish consumption Hungarians are not known for their love of fish. According to the Hungarian Institute of Agricultural Economics (AKI), annual consumption in Hungary was 6.45 kg per capita in 2019 placing it among the countries with the lowest consumption in the EU. However, consumption has been climbing slowly—it was 5.46 kg in 2011, a year when average consumption in the EU was about 25 kg.

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ver the last years companies have noticed that the lack of interest in fish might offer an opportunity. Other similarly landlocked countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria eat more fish per capita, so it may be possible to persuade Hungarians to invest more in fish consumption.

Salmon is a staunch favourite Among the suppliers of fish to the Hungarian market is The Fishmarket, a company with three

main activities: sales to wholesale; to retail; and a fish buffet.

The company was started in 2000, four years before the country joined the EU, when the Hungarian market for fish and seafood was still in its infancy. Péter Palotás, the founder, was one of the first to recognise the potential of selling fresh fish and seafood to Hungarians. He started by importing fresh fish from Norway and Denmark, initially about 25 tonnes of salmon a year, a volume that has since increased to some 250 tonnes of fish and seafood products. Seafood is sourced from

Péter Palotás, the owner and founder of The Fishmarket, a supplier of high quality fish to the Hungarian market.

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Customers can buy their fish in person or place an order on the company’s webshop.

all over the world, but the products with the largest volumes are still salmon and some white fish species from the North Sea which are obtained from Denmark. But imports also arrive from France, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands, Croatia, and Italy, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and Sri Lanka, among other countries.

Shutdown of food service provides the impetus to launch a webshop About 60% of the sales is to the food service sector (hotels, restaurants, and catering), while 30% goes to the retail segment, mainly the supermarkets. The last 10% is the company’s own direct retail sales through its fish shop located next to the processing plant, and through its mobile fish shops that sell fish across the country stopping each day at a new location. Last year the company also launched a webshop, something that had been planned, but was brought forward 36

in response to the pandemic. Like other suppliers to the food service sector, The Fishmarket was affected by the closure of restaurants, hotels, and catering establishments, which accounted for over half its sales.

The webshop was seen as a way of partially compensating for the loss of this segment. Restaurants, for example, closed at the end of October 2020 and are scheduled to remain closed until the end of April 2021. The market has changed a little in response to these developments, notes Mr Palotás. While sales to food service are down, those to the retail chains have increased and turnover from the company’s shop and its webshop has also gone up significantly balancing to some extent the decline in food service sales.

total and arrive five times a week usually from within the EU. The remainder is frozen products such as crustaceans and cephalopods from distant parts of the world that arrives once a week. Most of the fish is delivered whole gutted, partly out of a conviction that the best packaging for the fish meat is the fish skin and partly to allow a greater degree of flexibility. When the company places an order for the raw material, it has only a

rough idea of products in demand by its customers. In the processing factory whole gutted fish can be made into steaks, fillets, skinless portions, or whatever else may be required. Buying pre-cut fish would restrict the range of products that can be offered to the customer. The company also has a line of fresh ready-to-cook retail products in skin packaging sold under its own brand, Selfish, which some years ago won

Whole gutted fish offer the most flexibility to meet customer needs Seafood comes in five days a week from different countries—fresh products account for 70% of the

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Activities include a fish buffet where freshly sourced fish is cooked and served. The buffet expects to open again when the restrictions imposed by the pandemic are loosened.

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Selfish is The Fishmarket’s own brand of skin-packaged retail readyto-cook products. Over the next year the assortment is set to increase from the ten items currently available.

the SIAL’d Or Global. Currently, there are some 10 items available under this brand, one of which is a salmon portion with a herb butter that can be microwaved directly in the packaging to give meal in a matter of minutes. Of course, the fillet can be removed from the skin pack and cooked conventionally, too.

Convincing customers of the merits of fish is a long, hard slog There is demand for such convenience products, says Mr Palotás, because people have less time to spend preparing meals and because many young people in particular are not used to cooking at all. Most of them would be overwhelmed if they had to clean or slice a fish. Another issue is that the traditional fish produced in Hungary is common carp which is cultivated in ponds. It has a lot of bones which does not make it popular and is part of the reason that fish in general tends to be associated with bones. I have spent the last 20 years persuading people that salmon, cod, seabass, and seabream among other

species do not have bones the way carp does, says Mr Palotás.

Consumers’ inherent scepticism regarding fish is reinforced when they realise it is also more expensive than, for example, chicken or pork. Boneless chicken breast will cost roughly EUR4 while salmon fillet will easily cost twice or even three times as much. A fillet of locally produced carp is perhaps twice as expensive as chicken, still includes bones, and at the same time does not give the same feeling of satiety as meat. Fish sellers therefore have a number of hurdles to cross in their campaign to convert consumers.

Attitudes towards seafood are evolving positively There have, however, been gradual but discernible changes in consumer attitudes. Mr Palotás feels that even if the volume of fish consumed has not increased significantly, there is greater interest in quality. Two decades ago, consumers were mainly buying cheap frozen products, but now there is a segment that can afford to buy high quality fresh fish and

seafood. These people tend to be well-educated, travelled, younger, interested in a healthy lifestyle, and aware of the benefits of fish consumption. They have probably tasted seafood in other countries and want to be able to recreate that experience when they return to Hungary. The Fishmarket caters to this segment selling to up-market restaurants and the more exclusive supermarkets. At the same time the assortment includes products based on locally farmed fish. What is critical is not only that the product is of very high quality but also that it is consistent throughout the year. We cannot afford carp that is excellent for one month and mediocre for the rest of the year, which is why we put a lot of effort into selecting our supplier. All our fish, whether seabass, salmon, or other species, maintains the same high quality throughout the year, says Mr Palotás. This is particularly important because our customers tend to place greater emphasis on quality than on price. In addition to common carp other locally produced species that the company sells include European catfish and African catfish. The latter is popular for its lack of bones, reddish colour, and meaty consistency.

Pike perch too is popular, but that is difficult to source in Hungary

and the company therefore buys it in Denmark or Sweden.

A lockdown phenomenon, ordering online, is here to stay The Fishmarket offers delivery throughout the country, but sales are mainly to the greater Budapest area and other big cities. In more remote places delivery takes place once or twice a week, while in the Budapest area it takes 24 hours for an order on the webshop to be processed and delivered. The webshop will continue to be one of the sales channels in the future even after the threat of covid-19 recedes and Mr Palotás expects it to increase in importance over the years. He plans therefore to increase the frequency of deliveries to under-served parts of the country in anticipation that consumers are increasingly going to order over the internet. Supermarkets also show a lot of potential and over the next couple of years he would like to increase production of the Selfish-branded skin packaged products and start supplying Aldi, for example, which has a good reputation and which is growing.

The Fishmarket’s strategy should ultimately contribute to moving Hungary up the rankings of fish consumption in EU countries.

The Fishmarket Törökbálinti u. 23 2040 Budaörs Hungary +36 30 216 5159 palotas.peter@thefishmarket.hu www.thefishmarket.hu Owner: Dr Péter Palotás Activity: Processing and sales of seafood

Channels: Wholesale market, retail outlet, webshop, fish buffet Product categories: Fresh 70%, frozen 30% Customers: Food service, retail chains, consumers Source: EU countries, Asian countries, Australia, New Zealand, Canada Market: Hungary Own brand: Selfish

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Convincing fishers to have cameras on board is an uphill battle

Electronic monitoring could be a potent tool Over 97m tonnes of fish and seafood were caught globally in 2018, according to the latest data from the FAO. Many fisheries are well regulated with catches at the maximum sustainable level, but others forego opportunities to improve yields, profits, and jobs because they are poorly managed, and yields are below the optimum level.

Cameras could generate much useful data Since placing observers on board all kinds of fishing vessels would be both impractical and expensive, EM has the potential to collect information that can contribute to resource management and provide the incentives to comply with regulations. According to the Environmental Defence Fund, an NGO, deploying EM is a way of allowing fisheries to reach 38

Kyle LaFerriere / WWF-US

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n addition, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is widespread depleting stocks, damaging the environment, penalising legitimate fishers, and is often associated with other illegal activities such as smuggling.

Electronic monitoring (EM), the use of cameras and other electronic devices such as position and activity sensors, on board fishing vessels is becoming increasingly attractive to fisheries managers as a cost-efficient supplement to existing catch monitoring activities. While observers on board are customary in some fisheries in areas regulated by regional fishery management organisations, fisheries administrators, scientists, NGOs, and other stakeholders recognise the need for more comprehensive data on catches, bycatches, discards, fishing effort, and compliance with regulations.

Monitoring fishing activity with cameras, sensors, and other devices is among the ways being discussed to make fishing more sustainable.

their full potential, generate data for stock assessments, and help ensure compliance with regulations. Despite these advantages, as a paper by van Helmond and colleagues shows, EM has not found wide acceptance as managers are reluctant to deploy it knowing its unpopularity among fishers.

The latter consider it an invasion of their private workspace and a reflection of official mistrust.

Trials of EM have been conducted in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands among other places. The trials monitored catch, effort, handling, gear modification,

and protected species, or some combination of these factors and they tested how suitable EM was as a complement or a replacement for on-board observers. The tests revealed that EM was feasible on a wide range of vessels, was more cost effective and scalable, and the availability of video enabled the data to be reviewed. Spanish trials of EM in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans led to two Spanish tuna purse seine associations adopting 100 coverage by EM, possibly the only programmes in the world that are managed by the industry itself rather than national or regional authorities. EM is also fully implemented in a few fisheries in North

America, Australia and in tropical tuna fisheries in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

An independent reporting tool would eliminate bias, human error Self-reporting tools such as logbooks suffer from certain constraints, among others, conflicts of interest. Information recorded accurately in a logbook may jeopardise future fishing opportunities if too many individuals of a protected species are caught, for example. Faithful reporting may be unintentionally coloured by bias or

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human error which can affect the reliability of records. Systems that independently record data are free from these pressures and offer other advantages as well. The data can be stored digitally and analysed later; they spare the fisher from paperwork; they can be deployed even on small vessels; they are cheaper than having observers on board while generating data that is comparable to that produced by observers; they can capture a wide variety of data that including on fish populations and habitat conditions that is useful for fisheries managers; they can work around the clock; they promote transparency enabling owners to monitor the activities of their vessels; by improving compliance with regulations; and by generating data the integrity of which cannot be compromised.

Studies have also shown that EM is cost effective compared with having observers on board. This is both because of the wider number of objectives (catch, effort, catch handling, gear modification, protected species, etc.) that can be monitored by the system and because the costs of the electronic components, sensors, cameras, data storage drives, etc., are falling even as their performance improves. In addition, the costs of software to integrate the components into a system, automated analysis of footage recorded, and data transmission are dropping all the time. Being able to dispense with the logistics of getting an observer on board a vessel is also a saving. Studies by NOAA Fisheries in 2015 showed that annual costs of electronic monitoring

were about a third of those of having a monitor on board.

EM cannot do it all However, EM systems also have their limitations. For example, they cannot collect biological data, such as otoliths, nor may they be able to monitor compliance with measures to reduce bycatches or discards if they do not happen on deck. Observers are also better at complex catch sampling operations. EM systems, like any other electronic equipment, can also fail, either breaking down or recording in poor quality if the camera lenses are not clean. The efficacy of an EM system also depends on the vessel where it is installed. Because of the lack of space, a small vessel may not

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afford the cameras an unimpeded view of the process they are to record. Other systems to monitor fishing activities include the use of patrol vessels and aerial surveillance, but these are estimated to be substantially more expensive than EM. Drones are also being used in some countries. All three, however, provide only a snapshot of the activities of the vessel.

In Denmark trials with EM started in 2008 and include one of the longest running pilots to test the potential of EM as a tool for fisheries management and control. In a paper in Fisheries Research from 2015 Kristian S. Plet-Hansen from DTU Aqua and his co-authors use the data from the trial to study the potential of EM as a tool for management and for monitoring

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compliance with the discard ban.

The trial started in 2010 and continued to 2014 and was followed by a second phase carried out over the next two years. It initially covered fisheries in the North Sea, Skagerrak, and the Baltic Sea but after 2011 was restricted to fishing operations in the North Sea and Skagerrak. Among the conclusions the researchers came to was that the reliability of the EM system could be improved significantly with the help of relatively simple measures, such as correct positioning of the cameras and ensuring the lenses were kept clean. The ability to stream video data, which was not possible in the early stages, was a significant improvement as auditors could monitor the stream in real time and suggest improvements to camera positioning or crew behaviour that would increase the usability of the data.

Combining EM with an observer might be best to monitor compliance with the discard ban In terms of monitoring compliance with the discard ban the scientists suggested that a combination of EM and on-board observers may be the most reliable as the disadvantages of each can be compensated for by the other. Observers enable the most sample detail but not the continuous coverage that cameras provide. Video analysis could be restricted to random samples which are then checked against electronic logbook entries.

Mismatches between the two could trigger an audit of a higher number of video samples or even of the entire footage to confirm possible non-compliance. The authors suggest future improvements in hardware and software should enable automated video analysis that would be faster (and cost less) than manual audits and would open up other possibilities 40

such as estimating the entire catch.

However, they point out that video analysis does not allow estimations of fish age which is needed for scientific stock assessments. EM could link temporal and spatial data with the incidence of discards, information that fishers or managers could use to increase spatial or temporal selectivity and thus reduce discards. The authors also propose that despite its advantages the use of EM in the EU is not widespread because of fishers’ reluctance to adopt the technology citing privacy issues. In Denmark, fishers participating in trials of EM were given incentives in the form of quota top ups, though in other trials fishers have participated without being offered any rewards. In their paper van Helmond and his colleagues find that objections to EM from fishers stem from privacy concerns and the intrusiveness of monitoring. Sofie Smedegaard Mathiesen, a biologist with Denmark’s Fishery Association likens monitoring with cameras on board a vessel to surveillance in a prison.

Incentives may make fishers more amenable to camera monitoring To address the opposition of fishers to EM they need to be convinced that there is something in it for them, such as increases in quota, greater flexibility to switch gears, or access to closed areas.

Some fishers may also be persuaded by the potential benefits to them from EM data, for example, if the data identifies areas or seasons with high discards, it could be shared with fishers to encourage greater selectivity. Ms Mathiesen also points to the landing obligation (LO), EU legislation that demands that all fish regulated by total allowable catches (TACs) should be landed and counted against quota. The regulation forces fishers to land

undersized specimens or individuals that would survive if returned to the sea. Instead of monitoring compliance with such regulations, she feels more effort should go into crafting better legislation that would benefit stocks.

Her scepticism regarding the LO is reflected in the paper by van Helmond and his co-authors who suggest that it incentivises fishers to illegally discard small fish to retain quota to catch large fish of the same species. In mixed fisheries, choke species are also likely to be discarded in favour of target species.

When cameras are contentious and rules ignored, turn to economics The debate seems to have shifted from one about ways to achieve healthy stocks to one about the merits and shortcomings of video monitoring. As things stand, despite the introduction of the LO, fishers still discard and authorities turn a blind eye. If legislation does not achieve its objectives, and monitoring is controversial, perhaps economics is the answer. Mogens Schou, a former ministerial advisor on fisheries policy in Denmark, states that if fishermen were given an increased quota comparable to the discard level in the given fishery on the condition that all catches were documented and counted against quotas, they would have every incentive to stop discarding. Instead of optimizing catches by discarding the least valuable fish, fishers would optimize catchresults by improving their catch methods to target only the most valuable fish. Extensive Danish and UK trials 2009-2014 reported this very clearly. In the illustration the red bars are the cheaper size 5 fish starting to show in catches for trial vessels when CCTV was installed in September.

EM certainly has its uses, but fishers are wary if not outright hostile to having it on board. Attempts to deploy it must involve fishers from the outset and it must be seen as a tool to help them fish better for themselves and the environment, rather than an instrument to monitor compliance. Mistrust of EM can also be allayed if it is introduced simultaneously in all Member States to ensure a level playing field for fishers across the EU. Sources: – van Helmond ATM, Mortensen LO, Plet-Hansen KS, et al. Electronic monitoring in fisheries: Lessons from global experiences and future opportunities.

Fish. 2020;21:162–189. https :// doi.org/10.1111/faf.12425 – Schreiber Plet-Hansen, K. (2020). Fisheries data from electronic monitoring and traceability systems in the context of the EU landing obligation. Technical University of Denmark.

– David C. Bartholomew, Jeffrey C. Mangel, Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto, Sergio Pingo, Astrid Jimenez, Brendan J. Godley, Remote electronic monitoring as a potential alternative to on-board observers in small-scale fisheries, Biological Conservation, Volume 219, 2018, Pages 35-45, ISSN 0006-3207, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2018.01.003.

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Fishmasterbutik.com caters to a variety of tastes in Denmark

Creating an opportunity from crisis An entrepreneur established a fish processing and sales company intending to export his production. The spread of the coronavirus forced a hasty change of plans as markets shut down, so today he promotes his products on social media and sells directly to Danish consumers from his webshop.

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he corona pandemic has left its mark on the seafood sector particularly the segments dealing with fresh products, not least by closing down restaurants, hotels, and catering establishments. Trends in retail are more mixed as supermarkets, at least in Europe, have remained fully stocked and consumers have continued shopping for food. According to the FAO, on the supply side there has been a contraction as vessels stay in port and crews at home following restrictions on travelling and gathering, measures that have also affected processing facilities.

Rays of light amidst the general gloom Aquaculture harvests are being delayed and stocking volumes reduced in response to the lack of demand and to the precautionary measures introduced that also inhibit labour. As the most internationally traded food commodity in the world, seafood has been particularly affected by the closure of borders, cancellation of flights, and health inspection delays. While the impact of the coronavirus has been largely malign, there have been a few positive developments. Processed of canned and frozen seafood have noticed a hike in demand for these products as consumers have stocked up on non-perishables in response to concerns at the start of the pandemic that retailers would run out of food. The general uncertainty and the feeling of emergency that accompanied the

spread of covid-19 no doubt also contributed to the popularity of these products. The restrictions on movement and assembling as well as the shutdown of large segments of their export markets also forced companies to develop the domestic market and explore new ways of selling. This has resulted in an explosion of sales over the internet as consumers confined to their homes used the internet not only to hold meetings and attend events, but increasingly also to purchase goods and services. Companies established full-fledged web shops and used social media to promote their products, and for many these steps made all the difference between surviving and going under.

Pandemic strikes just as business starts up In Randbøl, a town in Jutland, Denmark, Ihor Velykopolskyy, an ichthyologist by training, experienced the full weight of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Having left his position with Troutex ApS, a company producing and exporting certified disease free trout eggs, where he had worked for three and a half very valuable years in terms of all he learned and the close relationship he established with Jørgen and Haakon Jøker Trachel the family behind Troutex, he had decided to set up a fish processing and trading company.

Founding a company in a foreign country is not an easy task, but

Mr Velykopolskyy obtained vital support from his former employer, from Jesper Domino Isaksen, a food service consultant, and from Lene Lühdorf Nielsen, an accountant. Over the course of 2019 he found a site, organised the connections to water, electricity, and sewage, built and equipped the plant, set up freezers and a smokehouse, and identified suppliers and customers through his connections in eastern Europe,

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France and Austria. By February 2020 he was ready to go and was in fact processing an export order for trout caviar, when the pandemic struck. This prevented the buyer from picking up the order leaving Mr Velykopolskyy with a large volume of unsold caviar. This unfortunate experience was what triggered the sales and delivery direct to consumers which Mr Velykopolskyy has been engaged in ever since.

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A long association with fish Mr Velykopolskyy’s commitment to fish dates to the time when, as a four-year-old living on the campus of the college in Ukraine, where his parents taught, he decided to practice his father’s carp cleaning techniques on the family goldfish.

The goldfish did not survive that encounter, but the experience engendered a lasting interest in all things fish. Although ichthyology was not his first choice (he wanted to be a veterinarian) he ended up both studying and working in this field. Among the assignments he was tasked with were breeding and restocking natural waters with endangered species, an area that gave him the chance to work with some of the foremost scientists in Ukraine, in particular, Prof.

Antonina Mruk from the Ukrainian Institute of Fisheries under the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences. A chance encounter with a Danish trout farmer at a conference led to an opportunity to work in Denmark where he finally decided to strike out on his own.

Shortly after starting, however, the coronavirus struck, lockdowns were imposed, and Mr Velykopolskyy had to rethink his business model.

Corona brought complications he says, but on the other hand it also created an opportunity—to develop new channels to sell to customers.

The restrictions that kept people at home were also favourable to creating ways of selling directly to consumers, to exploiting the time they spent surfing the internet or on social media. News about the shop spread rapidly after it started a Facebook group where consumers would, for example, put up pictures or videos of dishes they had created using fish from Fishmasterbutik.

Each time a delivery was made consumers would post pictures and recipes which generated interest in the 42

Ihor Velykopolskyy (left) with Jørgen Jøker Trachel on the latter’s trout farm in Denmark, where Mr Velykopolskyy worked for over three years.

shop and its service. The feedback generated by consumers was also useful for the shop as it would indicate individuals’ preferences and offer suggestions as to new products the shop should make or carry in its assortment. Because the company is delivering itself, Mr Velykopolskyy has got to know many of his customers personally which is useful when trying to divine trends. He also often collects the raw material himself from his suppliers establishing a close relationship with them too. In some ways he feels this contact, both physical and virtual, makes the whole enterprise, suppliers and customers with the shop in the centre, like an extended family.

Products for traditional and contemporary tastes Demand has been brisk and he would now like to hire another person to work in the processing plant and perhaps start using a delivery company for some of the orders, while investing in an additional refrigerated delivery van. Supplies

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come from different sources and the assortment on offer follows a plan. Firstly, local fish, species and cuts and processed products that are traditionally eaten by the local population, for example, salmon, trout, cod, plaice, and eel. All these products come from Denmark, including the salmon which is farmed on land. This production method isolates the fish from nature and prevents exposure to

pathogens, which means they do not have to be treated with medicines or other chemicals in any way. The feed the fish are given is organic which makes the product a little more expensive, but that is outweighed by the fact that it is local, very fresh, and of very high quality. Secondly, the assortment reflects the traditional tastes of the many customers who come from eastern Europe, who are no doubt

Fishmaster Butik Lihmevej 5 7183 Randbol Denmark +45 42 21 22 62 customerservice.fishmaster@ gmail.com fishmasterbutik.com facebook.com/fishmasterbutik Ihor Velykopolskyy (owner): Cleaning and processing of fish, smoking, caviar processing

Denis Gonchar: Packing, delivery, planning, and logistics Daryna Bordiuk: Fishmaster group on Facebook, promo and advertising Activity: Fish and shellfish processing and direct sales to consumers Product forms: Fresh, frozen, smoked, salted Volumes: 2.5 tonnes/month Delivery: Across Denmark

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partly drawn by the fact that Mr Velykopolskyy himself is originally from Ukraine. Common carp, for example, was a big hit among these customers just before Christmas, when it is eaten in many eastern European countries. The fresh carp is sourced in Poland and then at the Fishmaster processing facility it is gutted, washed, vacuum-packed, and frozen. In addition to carp, Mr Velykopolskyy also buys pike, and catfish from his award-winning Polish supplier, while sturgeon he buys from a German company from which he also obtains caviar.

Listening to customers and adding to the assortment is critical Fishmaster also sells mackerel and herring as part of the

assortment aimed at eastern European customers. Smoking, for which Mr Velykopolskyy is personally responsible, is an area where he experiments with different recipes, temperatures, and techniques. Salmon, for example, is cold smoked as fillets or steaks. Trout and eel are hot smoked whole, mackerel is hot and cold smoked, sturgeon is hot smoked whole, and he has also discovered how to smoke octopus. Customers have expressed an interest in a typical eastern European dumpling (pelmeni), so Mr Velykopolskyy plans to make and fill them with smoked sturgeon meat. Regular additions or changes to the assortment are necessary to maintain customers’ interest in the shop and to ensure that they

return regularly to check for and to buy new products. Interest increases still further, when new products are inspired by the customers themselves. Each time we have something new it results in more orders, says Mr Velykopolskyy, not only of the new product, but also of other items. He therefore makes it a point to go through all the social media posts to see if somebody has mentioned a product they would like to have. As a result, he is currently looking for a supplier of seaweed.

For now, while the business is generally running smoothly, delivery is something of an issue. The shop offers to send products all over Denmark, and when there are a lot of

orders it becomes logistically complex to deliver to the agreed schedule. This is not good for the reputation of the company, which is why Mr Velykopolskyy is considering a delivery company. However, this issue is a growing pain. When he started sales amounted to some 500700 kg a month and now, a year later, they have reached 2.5 tonnes. The number of visits to the company’s Facebook page has grown similarly from 1,500 to 5,500 and the orders per delivery trip have increased from 50 to 150. If you treat your customers well, listen and respond to what they say then it is possible to grow the business.

In other words, keep your customers happy and they will keep you happy!

FINANCE YOUR FISH BOX COMPACTOR WITH USED FISH BOXES Save time and space when handling your waste fish boxes Eliminate transport and landfill costs on your fish boxes Be paid for your waste fish boxes – TURN WASTE TO VALUE

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Phone: +45 9737 1799 · www.runi.dk · runi@runi.dk Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2021

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DENMARK

A Danish company has developed corrosion free pumps that are 99% recyclable

Making fish farming more sustainable A family-owned company based on Funen in Denmark, Lykkegaard has existed since 1883 and has been manufacturing customised propeller pumps since the 1940s. Today, another dimension has been added to its already long-lasting products—sustainability.

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he 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) are the core of the world’s nations’ commitment to equitable development that preserves oceans and forests and tackles climate change. Achieving this envisages a role for all the constituent parts of society both large and small.

The Danish company Lykkegaard takes this responsibility seriously and in line with SDG12 (responsible consumption and production) has dedicated itself to make its products more sustainable.

Designed for demanding environments The company manufactures pumps for industry and for the aquaculture sector specialising in corrosion-resistant propeller pumps that are fabricated in HDPE (high density polyethylene). This allows the pumps to be safely deployed in aggressive environments, where salt levels can reach 40 ppt and water temperatures can be up to 30 degrees Celsius making them suitable for marine farms and closed recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) using saltwater, but also attractive for freshwater farms and recirculation systems. In keeping with the demands of SDG12, however, equipment must not only be reliable and sturdy but also sustainable with a minimal impact on the environment. Lykkegaard has met this challenge head on; 44

no less than 99 percent of its propeller pumps can be recycled.

And not just downcycled, but recycled into brand new propeller pumps of the same quality as the original.

The emphasis on sustainability has its roots in the company’s philosophy to produce equipment that is durable and that uses as few resources as possible both in the manufacture and when running so as to have a neutral impact on the environment. This is achieved by fabricating longlasting machinery that is energy efficient and makes optimal use of materials and resources. At the same time, to reduce the generation of waste, the company strives to make its products as recyclable as possible. Here the secret lies in designing them so that they can be easily taken apart and repaired if necessary. The commitment to responsible production is also seen in the demands the company places on its suppliers with regard to the environment. All the production is carried out in Denmark and suppliers are by and large local as well. This embeds the company in a local ecosystem of component and service providers where it knows its partners well. Thereby the risk of sudden disruptions to the supply chain is reduced, the cost of transport is minimised, and the company contributes to the well-being of the local community.

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Recycling without downscaling

pumps that are indistinguishable from the original.

The pumps have a long life, but sometimes customers’ needs change, so a pump may become superfluous to requirements.

Customers are encouraged to return their pumps to Lykkegaard, when they are no longer used, and the company’s technicians will take it apart and store all the components for reuse. For Karsten Lykkegaard, the CEO, this is a service the company provides to the customer—and to the environment. By doing this at our factory we know exactly how the parts are recycled, he says.

For instance, the HDPE material is granulated and sent back to the plastic factory which melts it and produces new HDPE tubes.

Recycling is often associated with downscaling, that is, the recycled product is of lower quality than the original, but at Lykkegaard most of the reused material goes into the production of brand-new

Each pumping solution from Lykkegaard is tailored to the needs of the individual customer. Once these have been identified, the pump is designed and manufactured, and before delivery to the customer it is tested and certified. We guarantee a documented low energy consumption supplying our customers with the most energy-efficient and cost-efficient pump solutions – a sustainable choice – good for business and good for the environment, says Mr Lykkegaard. As specialists in pumping technology the company is a consultant and supplier for national and international assignments, and has been involved in projects on all five continents. By contributing to the sustainability of farmed seafood the company is supporting a healthful and generally climate friendly source of nutrition and thereby doing its bit for the environment.

Lykkegaard A/S Nyborgvej 35 DK-5863 Ferritslev Fyn Denmark Tel. +45 6598 1316 https://lykkegaard-as.com/ Chief Executive Officer: Karsten Lykkegaard

Activity: Supplier of customised pumping solutions Products: Recyclable propeller pumps made with HDPE Areas of use: Aquaculture, industry, wastewater filteration

[ PROCESSING ] Global growth in processed fish products

Added value due to more processing Fish is a highly perishable food. Safeguarding its quality and nutritional value and avoiding damage, unnecessary waste and premature spoilage requires special efforts. For this reason, there has been an ongoing effort across the globe to extend the shelf life of sensitive raw products with suitable processing and preservation methods to further diversify the range of fish products on offer and to make these products more convenient.

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n the 2020 SOFIA report, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) found that the quantity of fish and seafood brought to market has increased more rapidly over the last 60 years than global population. Between 1961 and 2017, average global fish catch increased by 3.1 per year, while global population only increased by 1.6 per year. This resulted in a significant increase in the quantity of fish available per capita, despite some pessimistic forecasts regarding the future development of the global seafood market. According to a rough calculation, 9.0 kg of fish (live weight equivalent) was available for every person in the world in the year 1961. By 2017, this had risen to 20.3 kg. Preliminary estimates for 2018 put the figure at 20.5 kg per capita. There is hardly any other sector involved in the production of animal protein (meat, eggs, milk, etc.) that has seen such an increase in average annual volumes. The only exception is poultry, which has seen slightly greater annual growth of 4.7.

The general trend of growth in global fish volumes has been driven by fundamental changes in consumption behaviour. The ways in which consumers choose, purchase, prepare and consume specific fish products have changed significantly. On the one hand, this can be attributed to globalisation and the increasing liberalisation of the trade in

fish and fish products, which have had a global impact. On the other hand, development has also been driven by enormous progress in fish processing and transport, which has made it possible for fish to be caught in one country, processed in another, and consumed in a third. The international trade in fish has made it possible to compensate for specific limitations arising from unfavourable geographic, regional, and seasonal features of a market.

It has also stabilised the range of species and products on offer and provided consumers with greater choice. The primary beneficiaries of this have been the prosperous industrialised countries of Europe and North America, which now import 70–80 of their fish and seafood. In contrast, in Africa the proportion of imported fish was 35 in 2017.

Urbanisation is changing consumer preferences An increasing level of processing of raw products has been a strong driver of market development and the global trade in fish.

Despite certain regional differences, this is a trend that can be seen almost everywhere across the globe. In Europe and North America, some two thirds of fish products for human consumption reach the market in a treated, processed, or preserved form (mostly frozen). In Africa, where stable refrigeration facilities are often

Despite pessimistic projections, the average per-capita quantity of fish available for each person in the world rose from 9.0 kg in 1961 to 20.3 kg in 2017.

unavailable, smoking or drying are the preferred preservation methods. Here, the proportion of fish that is smoked is significantly above the global average. In many Asian countries, consumers prefer fresh or, even better, live fish.

However, in general, there has been an undeniable change in the products on offer in Asia, with a move away from traditional methods to more advanced, more highly processed products, which enable greater value creation and result in a higher market value.

According to the FAO, the proportion of frozen products in developing countries increased from only 3 in the 1960s, to 8 in the 1980s, to 31 in 2018. The proportion of processed products is still relatively small, but it more than doubled from 4 in the 1960s to as much as 9 in 2018.

A major cause of the global trend towards the increased processing of fish is demographic development. Urbanisation continues to increase across the globe. In 2007, more than half the global population lived in cities – today this figure is likely to be almost two thirds. Urban-dwellers usually have higher incomes than rural populations and spend more money on high-quality, proteinrich food such as fish. The fish trade in urban areas requires suitable infrastructure for the storage, distribution, and marketing of perishable products. Traditional fish markets have been declining in importance. Supermarkets, however, with their highly processed and hygienically packaged products with long shelf lives, play an increasing role.

Urban lifestyles, which follow Eurofish Magazine 2 / 2021

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[ PROCESSING ]

There has been an unmistakable shift from traditional product types to more consumer-friendly, highly processed products with a higher market value.

ever-shifting trends in consumption, have also increased demand for fish in Africa, Latin America, and Asia, as it is simple and easy to prepare. Many people eat out in restaurants, cafes, or fast-food outlets, and those who do not often require convenient fish products that can easily be prepared in the oven or microwave.

Consumer awareness of sustainability, legality, safety and quality issues around fish and fish products is growing, both in traditional and emerging markets. This in turn is driving demand for traceable and certified products. Fish producers and distributors are reacting to these developments in consumer preferences by adjusting and increasing the level of processing of their products.

Global trade requires high processing standards Trade in treated and processed products, which has long been a feature of daily life in the West, is now also increasing in other regions of the world. The global fish economy has become more complex and dynamic. The growth in the level of production has been accompanied by similar 46

progress in technological developments in cold chains, shipping, and distribution. The global trade in fresh fish is still associated with large losses due to spoilage. However, such risks are being reduced by processing at the point of origin, which also reduces transport quantities, since processing waste remains at the original location and can be used there, for example for fish meal or fish silage.

International supermarket chains and large retailers in particular have driven forward and accelerated progressive developments such as these through targeted demand, fixed supply contracts and regular inspections. They define the minimum requirements for access to the market as well as the quality and safety standards that are vital for consumer protection at a regional, national and international level In order to sell any fish products on the global market at all, strict hygiene requirements in accordance with the Code of Practice for Fish and Fishery Products (Codex Alimentarius Commission, 2016) must be met, and it must be demonstrated that the products have been manufactured in accordance with the HACCP food safety management system regulations.

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The high and rising level of processing in the fish sector has also meant that more raw products are being used for human consumption. According to the FAO, in 2018 around 88 (over 156 million tonnes) of the global fish catch of 179 million tonnes was used for direct human consumption. In the 1960s, this figure was only 67 on average! Because more fish is being used for human consumption today, the proportion of catches available for non-food purposes is inevitably decreasing. In 2018, this amounted to 12 of the total catch, i.e. approximately 22 million tonnes. 80 of this (nearly 18 million tonnes) was used for fish meal and fish oil. The remaining 4 million tonnes was used for fish for restocking waterways, for bait or for pharmaceutical purposes. Some was also used for feed for livestock and animals used in the fur industry. The processing methods used for fish are highly dependent on a number of factors, including regional culinary traditions, general fish consumption, the availability of individual species of fish, fish prices and the income level of consumers. Generally, however, it is fair to say that greatly improved refrigeration facilities during storage and transport have made distributing fish products over large distances much easier, which has led to expansion. However, this does not

apply to all regions in the global market, because the stability of the distribution chain is also highly dependent on climatic conditions, market penetration and the density and reliability of transport and distribution infrastructure.

Traditional processing methods are experiencing a decline In some African countries, the power supply network is still patchy and power failures are a relatively frequent occurrence.

Because maintaining stable cold chains is almost impossible under these conditions, traditional preservation techniques such as smoking, salting and drying are still relied on in these areas, and the level of processing of fish products is correspondingly low. But even in these African and Asian countries, a slow transformation towards more modern forms of processing is underway. According to the FAO, the proportion of fish products that are preserved by salting, drying, smoking or fermenting decreased globally from 29 in the 1960s to 10 in 2018. A similar development can be seen with fish that is marketed as fresh or still alive. These traditional distribution methods, which have been practised in China for more than 3,000 years, are still very popular in East and South-East Asia, as well as in

Fillet sections and mechanically separated flesh can be economically turned into attractive products with industrial processing.

[ PROCESSING ]

Supermarkets, with their highly processed and hygienically packaged products with long shelf lives, have been playing an increasing role in the fish trade in urban areas.

niche markets in other countries where there are large communities of Asian immigrants. Fish that was fresh or alive still accounted for almost two-thirds of the market in Asia in the 1960s (62 according to the FAO). In 2018 this figure was 51. This may seem like only a slight reduction, but it represents an enormous shift when one considers the traditional, freshnessoriented trade and food cultures in these countries.

It would of course also be technically and logistically possible to offer live fish for sale in industrialised countries. But two factors would weigh against this. First, the strict health and animal welfare regulations in Europe and North America, which would make selling live fish practically impossible. Second, consumers would not even know where to begin with these types of products due to a lack of experience and

skills. They no longer need these skills, because the fish processing industry is increasingly completing these tasks for them, offering attractive products from kitchenready fillets and portions to ready meals. Many of these products are frozen when they come to market. The proportion of frozen fish products climbed from 27 in the 1960s, to 43 in the 1980s, reaching a record high of 58 in 2018. The proportion of ‘old-fashioned’ preservation methods (salting, drying, smoking, fermenting) fell from 25 to 12 during the same period.

products available. At the beginning of the 1960s, the three largest seafood markets, Japan, the USA and Europe, accounted for almost half (47) of global fish consumption. Today, this figure has fallen to less than a fifth (according to the FAO, it was 19 in 2017) of fish sold for human consumption. Now,

71 of fish consumption takes place in economically prosperous Asian countries (in 1961 their share of the market was only 48). This development has been driven primarily by strong demand in China.

China increased its share in the global fish market from 10 in 1961 to 36 in 2017. This increase can be

Market focus increasingly shifting to Asia The share of global fish consumption taken up by highly processed, consumer-friendly and convenient products with constant availability has increased in recent times, despite the range and variety of fish

Highly processed canned fish is very popular, because it is practical, has a long shelf life, is always ready to eat and is also tasty.

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[ PROCESSING ]

Freshly made salad, ready-made fish and snacks made according to special recipes: value can be added at fish counters too.

Recently, completely new product categories have appeared such as algae salad, which were previously largely unknown in the west.

attributed to two factors: first, the vast quantities of fish produced by the Chinese aquaculture industry and second, the expansion of an economically powerful middle class, where social status is defined by a high-quality, protein-rich diet. Since China’s economy began to open up, average fish consumption per capita has increased by around 2 per year. In contrast, European average per capita fish consumption increased by only around 0.8 per year during the same period, and in Japan it actually decreased by 0.2 per year.

Growth in Europe has been due less to the buying of larger quantities of fish than to an increase in demand for processed products with more added value. Similar developments can be expected in China, as more and more Chinese people are moving to the big cities, which is strengthening the position of supermarkets even more.

Urban-dwellers prefer to buy processed fish products, which can be prepared quickly, conveniently and with less waste in the tiny kitchens which are a common feature in urban apartment blocks.

selling it as ‘waste’ for use as feed in aquaculture or for livestock and pets. For more than two decades, a number of leading nations in fishing and aquaculture have been trying to develop suitable processing technologies for fish waste in order to use this resource more fully and efficiently. Compared to the overall weight of the fish, the quantities of by-products can be significant: 9–12 for the heads alone, 12–18 for the guts, and 9–15 for the spine and bones. While we find it relatively difficult in Europe to eat other parts of the fish than loins and fillets, in other parts of the world it has always been considered normal to eat heads, stomachs, skin, or trimmed parts of the fillet as well. The potential uses for fish – both as a food and for more specialised purposes – are extraordinarily varied. Fish can be used to make sausages, pâtés, cakes, snacks, gelatins, soups and sauces, but also fish leather, biofuels, chitosan, natural pigments, and pharmaceuticals (omega-3 oils), cosmetics, proteolytic fish enzymes or bioactive peptides.

These developments have created compelling opportunities for the processed fish industry, if it can successfully exploit them. New 48

ideas are also urgently needed in the West, as market structures have become rigid and the range of fish products available is quite fixed and unchanging. Recipes are designed with the culinary traditions of yesteryear in mind, real innovation is rare and demand-related behaviour has stalled and lost its dynamism. It is almost always other cultures that provide us with new food concepts and innovations. Sushi and sashimi, poké bowls, ceviche and even fish and chips can reach new, younger consumer groups more easily than a traditional fish pie or ‘trout au bleu’. Fish processors are still not doing enough to exploit their experience and opportunities to package food ideas like these into attractive, tasty and marketable products.

More processing also increases sustainability The expansion of fish processing has had significant positive side effects on the sustainability of the entire value chain. Large quantities of by-products are created during processing, which can sometimes make up two-thirds of the raw product. This means that the economically viable exploitation of this so-called ‘fish waste’ is often much more profitable than

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There is already growing demand from the leather, cleaning agent, food and pharmaceutical industries for fish enzymes, collagens

and gelatins, and many of the substances contained in fish by-products have not yet been developed for exploitation. For example, scientists suspect that the epidermal mucus found on numerous species of fish could contain antifungal and antibacterial substances. The haemolymph of some species of crab seems to act as a kind of immunological barrier, and certain pigments such as astaxanthin and their esters could have medical applications due to their antioxidant effects.

Other marine organisms such as sea snails, sponges, cyanobacteria, or tunicates are believed to contain equally powerful substances, however more research still needs to be done for these species.

Researchers are hoping for new cancer treatments, strong painkillers and highly effective antiviral medications. The potential of algae and aquatic plants also extends far beyond agar, carrageen and culinary uses, as they contain many micronutrients, minerals (e.g. iron, calcium, iodine, potassium and selenium), vitamins (particularly vitamins A, C and B12), and natural long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

The term ‘processing’ could thus mean much more than simply filleting or smoking a fish in the near future. mk

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Reduce, reuse or recycle properly

Less is more when it comes to packaging A world without packaging is nothing but a pipe dream, since there is hardly a single product that can be produced, transported and handled completely unpackaged. This is why there are many initiatives aiming to make packaging better, more environmentally friendly and more sustainable, to protect the environment, prevent waste and keep its CO2 footprint as small as possible. What packaging alternatives currently meet these requirements best? beverages in disposable packaging. Although it may be sensible and advisable from an environmental perspective to use reusable dishes, this is inappropriate and potentially risky during a pandemic.

In order to prevent infection, it is currently not permitted to fill reusable cups with coffee.

Containers brought by customers are not accepted at coffee counters. Because the closure of restaurants often leaves consumers with no other option than a rushed picnic walking through a city park, municipal cleaning services are battling with vast quantities of pizza boxes, noodle cartons and disposable coffee cups.

The boom in online shopping has meant further growth in the mountains of waste, particularly as retailers frequently use standardised boxes that are too big for their small contents. Since 2015, the quantity of packaging waste per person in Germany has fluctuated around 230 kg per year, of which almost half can be attributed to industry and trade, and the other half to private consumers. It is already clear that there will be a further increase in the packaging waste caused by the coronavirus crisis, particularly because low oil prices are reducing the pressure on suppliers to use less plastic packaging.

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any things about our lives that previously seemed difficult to change or unshakeable were transformed within a few days by the coronavirus. Some developments accelerated, while others stalled. The climate benefited, since global CO2 emissions fell by a full seven percent in 2020 due to the shutdown of the economy.

On the other hand, efforts to reduce waste generation, especially from plastic and single-use packaging, took a step backwards.

Declines in commercial waste from businesses were more than offset by plastic waste and other waste from private households.

According to the recycling company Grüner Punkt, German recycling bins were filled with an average of ten percent more packaging waste. This was to be expected, since people leave their own homes much less frequently when working from home, leading to more takeaway food orders.

The ongoing trend towards ever more packaging waste was accelerated by this. This was fuelled by households composed of singles and seniors, ever smaller retail packaging units and also increasing demand for convenience foods, including ready meals.

Then came the ardent appeals to support local catering businesses during the coronavirus crisis by purchasing takeaway food and

Industry is keen to reduce packaging following the principle “as much as necessary as little as possible”.

Despite the coronavirus-induced setback, the basic goals of industry and trade remain the same: as much packaging as necessary, as little as possible. Materials such as styrofoam and aluminium, specific plastics and composite materials such as coated paperboard should be replaced as soon as possible with more sustainable alternatives that use renewable or recyclable raw materials.

Environmentally friendly, ecologically responsible packaging is also playing an increasingly important role for fish products, and is often even a purchasing criterion for particularly environmentally conscious consumers. When consumer wishes are ranked in order of priority, avoiding packaging comes out close to

the top. Where packaging is unavoidable, reusables are frequently the better option, and if disposable packaging is used, then it should be made from recyclable material if possible. However, packaging requirements for fish and seafood are very stringent.

Freshness, taste and hygiene can often only be ensured and safeguarded through complex packaging designs, high quality foils, thermoform trays or aroma-proof bags – regardless of whether the fish offered is fresh, smoked or frozen. It is not easy to replace tried-and-tested packaging materials that producers and retailers have been using for a long time with alternative packaging, as desirable as this might be.

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Fibre and cellulosebased materials are the focus of development The fish industry is essentially already starting from a good position with those of its products that are packaged in tinplate cans or screwtop glass jars. Herring, tuna, sardines and mackerel that are canned or preserved still make up about a quarter of per-person consumption of fish. The contents are reliably protected in cans and jars and premature spoilage and contamination are largely prevented.

The manufacturing of such packaging is relatively intensive in terms of materials and energy, but both have very high recycling rates. At 93 in Germany, the recycling rate for tinplate is the highest of any packaging type.

The ‘sustainability offensive’ of packaging manufacturers is focusing on new raw materials that can be obtained in a way that protects resources, as well as materials that are lighter and thinner, but still have similarly good features to their predecessors. Recyclate packaging, a high percentage of which is composed of recycled material, is often favoured in this context. Germany provides a good economic environment for this, as almost 70 percent of packaging waste is sent for recycling in this country. Recycling rates for paper, cardboard, glass and steel are particularly high, but those for plastic packaging are less satisfactory.

Wood, cardboard and paper are currently experiencing a revival as packaging materials, as they are fibre and cellulose-based substances that are manufactured from renewable resources in a CO2-neutral process. They are very suitable for recycling and they are biodegradable after use.

In addition, packaging manufacturers can receive certifications 50

such as the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC, like a BSI standard for forests), or the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which can verify that they work responsibly with wood as raw material. Pure wood fibre can be used as a basis for paper and cardboard or it can be dried as a fleece together with recycled paper and have the natural minerals kaolin and chalk added to it to make the mass whiter and smoother. Either way, paper is extraordinarily versatile and suitable for countless applications. Dry food can come into contact with recycled paper, if it is approved for use with food.

For wet or fatty products, only packaging made from primary fibres is approved, unless it has an additional coating. The range of wood-based products extends from wooden cutlery to noodle and burger cardboard cartons, tear-proof carrier bags, folding paper bags and cardboard plates.

With the Pure Paper Bag, the packaging specialist Schur has developed a mechanically sealable paper bag manufactured from pure, unbleached and noncoated paper material. The strong fibre structure makes the paper bag particularly puncture- and tear-resistant, which means it has a wide range of applications throughout the food sector, where barrier properties are not urgently required. Superseven, founded in 2017 in Wentrof near Hamburg, manufactures foil packaging made from wood for the B2B sector. The recyclable foils are made from cellulose, water, glycerine and a binding material. However, because cellulose is relatively costly, Superseven’s foils are significantly more expensive than conventional plastic packaging. A Japanese company has developed an alternative to conventional aluminium foils with the NatureFlex

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foil, which is based on wood fibres.

It provides robust protection for products and can be composted within 42 days. Fresh food counters in some organic markets are currently testing wraps impregnated with beeswax, which could replace artificially coated paper in future. Beeswax wraps keep food fresh for a long time and are also reusable.

Packaging made from grass, straw, bagasse or cocoa beans Although using wood as a raw material fulfils many ecological requirements, the search for alternative fibre materials goes further. This trend is being driven by committed startups in particular, who are increasing their focus on resource efficiency and ecofriendliness. The tangible results of these efforts are grass paper and grass pellets, the processing of which requires less water and energy than manufacturing cellulose or recycling old paper.

Grass is a sustainable, recyclable and biodegradable raw material. It grows very fast and can be harvested multiple times per year. Since it does not contain a lot of lignin, grass is easier to process than wood. Manufacturing a tonne of pulp from wood requires approximately 6,000 litres of water, but getting the same amount from hay, on the other hand, rarely requires more than two litres of water. Creapaper, based in Hennef, near Bonn, is already manufacturing packaging, paper and cardboard from dried hay. Even straw, which is impact-dampening and moisture-regulating, and is created as a by-product of cereal harvests, is being used for packaging. Landpack, for example, a company based in Puchheim near Munich, makes compostable insulated liners from straw.

FischMagazin/SN-Verlag

[ TECHNOLOGY ]

Packaging determines the look and feel of a product and plays a critical role at the point of final sale.

The fibre-rich shells of cocoa beans are another sustainable and resource-saving raw material that is generated as a ‘waste product’ after the cocoa beans are extracted, as well as bagasse, the fibrous remnants of the sugar cane that remain after pressing out the sugar syrup. It is prepared into a fibre slurry that can be rolled out into a type of cardboard. Brown cocoa paper, which is visually very attractive, is heat-resistant, microwave safe and compostable in accordance with EN 13432. Hemp fibres have a similarly positive ecological balance and are shock-absorbing and breathable. Insulating fleece made from hemp fibres has a low thermal conductivity similar to styrofoam and is therefore suited to use in thermal packaging. Bamboo and palm leaves also supply natural fibres for food packaging. Because these fibres are relatively stable and moisture-resistant, they often serve as raw material for skewers, plates, takeaway trays and other disposable dishes, such as those offered by Leaf Republic, based in Taufkirchen near Munich, for example. The Berlin startup Arekapak makes a variety of packaging materials that can be heated up to 200°C and are compostable within 60 days from the

[ TECHNOLOGY ] leaves of the areka palm, a waste product of Indian agriculture.

Bio-Lutions from Hamburg has developed an upcycling process that uses diverse regional raw materials such as banana, pineapple or tomato plants to manufacture water- and oil-resistant disposable dishes. The first plant in India has already been built.

The list of natural raw materials suitable for manufacturing sustainable packaging and disposable dishes now ranges from climate-neutral polylactic acid (PLA) to sugar cane and palm leaves, plant starch, bamboo and wood. Companies such as Bio Futura from Rotterdam or Bionatic from Bremen, one of the market leaders in the sale of palm-leaf dishes and sustainable packaging with its B2B brand Greenbox, are showing how extensive and varied the relevant ranges for catering, retail and end consumers already are.

Moulded pulp, which everybody is familiar with from egg cartons, is a highly environmentally friendly and also versatile material. It is made mainly from wood and paper fibres that are made into a fleece, pressed into the desired shapes and dried. Moulded pulp is reusable, recyclable and compostable. By adding more environmentally friendly materials, the features of the basic material can be enhanced and made more varied. There are now also water-resistant and oleophobic moulded pulp products available that can replace trays made from expanded polystyrene (EPS) or extruded polystyrene (XPS).

Some moulded pulp components are even suitable for automated packaging processes. Papacks is a Cologne startup that has specialised in the development of sustainable packaging solutions made from moulded pulp.

The Indonesian company Evoware manufactures watersoluble foils and bags based on algae, which many will recognise from shrink-wrapped dishwasher pods. The materials are odour- and taste-neutral, have a shelf life of two years and dissolve in hot water. They are great for use in portioned packaging of coffee, tea, spices, instant noodles or gravies. The US company Monosol also offers foil bags that dissolve in liquids. The British startup Skipping Rock Labs manufactures edible ‘Ooho Balls’, which have a membrane casing that is 100 made from plant fibres and algae extracts. The US startup Ecovatice Design is growing fungal mycelium into packaging in a pilot system. The rapidly proliferating fungal fibres combine in just under ten days into a foamy but stable mass called EcoCradle, which can be further processed into seed trays, coolers and insulation materials. Compostable packaging made from wood, sugar cane and similar natural materials does have less of an environmental impact than many synthetic plastics. However, hardcore environmentalists warn that they do not solve the underlying problem of excessive resource consumption, because they are mostly made from monocultures, which in turn require huge amounts of land. They say the goal must be to avoid packaging entirely or at least to develop reusable designs.

Plastics remain indispensable for now If material cycles are consistently taken into consideration when choosing packaging materials, plastics can also continue to be part of an environmentally friendly solution. Recyclates from the yellow recycling bin such as rPET, CPLA (made from

polylactic acid) or reusable salad boxes reduce the consumption of mineral oil-based plastics and energy consumption, often very significantly. While recycled LDPE can no longer be used for food packaging, recycled PET is approved for continued use as primary packaging for food as long as the recycling company is approved by the EU. From a waste disposal perspective, packaging made from a single material is better than combinations of various substances. This is unless they can be easily detached from each other and disposed of separately, as with duplex paper, the packaging classic of many fresh food counters. In this case, because the foil only adheres to the paper at certain points, the paper and foil can easily be separated from each other. For composite materials of the kind frequently used at fish counters this is hardly possible. The waferthin PE coating on the inside of the paper protects the products from drying out and serves to seal them in an odour-proof way, and the external aluminium foil ensures particularly good barrier properties. However, there are now alternatives made from pure paper which could take the place of such multi-layered composite materials in the future.

German packaging manufacturers are driving forward development in this area and also setting international standards. Some fish processors and fish dealers in Germany are using these new opportunities to position themselves on the market in a more targeted way. For MAP and vacuum skin packaging, thinner sealing foils are increasingly being used, as well as paper fibrebased trays and bowls, which are recyclable and reduce plastic consumption. Fish fillet manufacturers are turning to recyclable

cardboard trays instead of the aluminium trays which they previously used, approximately 95 of which are made from unbleached, natural brown paper with a wafer-thin PET coating.

Since 2006, Deutsche See has been increasingly transporting fish and seafood in more environmentally friendly reusable fresh fish boxes instead of styrofoam boxes, which is saving 640 tonnes of styrofoam per year.

Südpack has developed environmentally friendly packaging made from over 95 percent cardboard in a modern design that is intended for fresh and smoked fish ranges in the SB (sustainable brand) sector. The food manufacturer Frosta, with its freezer bag made from pure kraft paper, has just won a sustainability prize for particularly environmentally friendly packaging. According to the jury, the design helps prevent waste, meets the requirements for hygiene and transport safety and, when compared to traditional PP bags, leaves a 30 smaller CO2 footprint.

Although these solutions and successes are impressive, ‘green’ packaging that fulfils all our wishes and requirements is still a long way away. The fish sector is on the right path, and even if progress sometimes happens in smaller steps, rigorous specifications or requirements would be somewhat counterproductive. This is because, in addition to how environmentally friendly a product is, the look and feel of its packaging at the point of sale are decisive for a successful sale when choosing between similar products. A study from Information Resources Inc. (IRI) and the Association of European Cartonboard and Carton Manufacturers has shown that packaging is often more important than the brand itself. mk

EUROFISH Magazine 2 / 2021

51

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Bandall can help reduce costs and increase sustainability of packaging operations

Many ways to reduce plastics and waste by banding Fish processing and packaging companies can achieve significant savings in packaging and improve efficiencies throughout the logistical chain by thinking banding.

Bandall, a Dutch company, offers compact stacking and bundling solutions that are ideal for labelling individual and multi-packs, but also for fast fully automatic retail ready packaging processes and promotional packaging such as special offers.

Benefits for the environment through banding For companies interested in sustainability there are several advantages to banding.

The amount of banding maerial required in relation to the size of the material to be packaged can be quite small especially considering that the alternatives may be shrink wraps, bags, boxes, or other forms of packaging. Banding also obviates the need for clips, pins, rubberbands, or adhesive labels. Bands can be printed directly with information using the company’s print and band machine. Unlimited data, such as barcodes, dates, and updates in nutritional values, can be printed in the desired position on the band.

If the information or the language changes, the printout can be adjusted accordingly without wasting the band. In contrast, preprinted packaging is usually discarded if the information on it becomes outdated. that may change from one batch 52

of the product to the next The machinery for banding itself may increase savings as it uses less electricity than equipment for certain other kinds of packaging. The banding material is 35 microns thick meaning less weight, less volume, less waste, cheaper freight, and fewer emissions. Moreover, the company offers several sustainable banding materials, including FSC certified Kraft paper, or bio-based banding films that are 100 recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable.

A neat packaging solution for irregularly shaped products Bundling with a printed paper band can highlight canned fish packaging. A 360° print design gives plenty of space for branding, recipes, or even storytelling.

Banding also reduces packaging material compared to shrink wrap or other alternatives, and the band can easily be slipped into the recycling bin. Difficulties in neatly labelling skin packs are also easily resolved with this banding concept. Seafood such as salmon, bacalhau and lobsters often protrude beyond the containers or trays, resulting in irregular sizes and shapes. All these variables can be accommodated perfectly, resulting in uniform and tidily labelled units.

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Banding makes it easy to neatly label skinpacks while keeping the contents in plain view.

The trend whereby variations of a product are placed on the market continues. The variations are often a result of changes in taste or product composition.

This leads to greater diversity, while the numbers per variation decrease. However, this does not necessarily mean that each variation needs a different label.

When the information changes the new details are inputted and the band will reflect the changes. The company has also introduced the Bandall Multi-Width option with which two or more band widths can

be processed on one machine increasing the flexibility already afforded by this banding technology. Converting a machine to process multiple band widths is just a question of clicking the multi-width option into place and replacing the roll of banding material.

Bandall equipment is built for longevity and is therefore an environmentally friendly choice. The company has its own commitment to sustainability, and is very aware of its importance in the world of packaging.

Bandall Damzigt 45 3454PS De Meern The Netherlands

Tel.: +31 348 431520 info@bandall.com www.bandall.com

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Danish agent for Steen fish processing equipment takes care of customers across northern Europe

Serving the fish industry in a variety of ways Demand for Steen fish processing machinery in northern Europe led to a collaboration between the manufacturer and a Danish company that has run smoothly since it started seven years ago.

I

n the late 1980s, F.P.M International N.V., the company behind the Steen brand of fish processing machines, started to export its equipment to Scandinavia. As exports grew the company realised that it needed a partner to deal with customer satisfaction and technical support and so turned to Seafood-Supply.

dk. A Danish company with many years of experience in the fish and seafood industry, Seafood-Supply.dk offers a range of services to the sector including assistance within sourcing, production, marketing, and sale of fish and shellfish products, whether chilled, frozen, or ambient. Other activities include the sale and

sustainable disposal of EPS boxes and consultancy services related to fishing projects.

Both new and refurbished machines available Since 2014 Seafood-Supply.dk has been the exclusive agent for

Poul Petersen (left), director, and Bent Petersen, head of sales, at seafood-supply.dk, exclusive agents for Steen fish processing machinery in northern Europe.

Steen fish processing machines in Denmark as well as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. It is responsible for the sale of new and refurbished machines and spare parts to customers in the region and can also carry out minor repairs if necessary. The company can offer the full range of Steen products for the fish industry. These machines meet all the requirements of the modern food industry with built in extra safety and hygiene features. In addition, they are designed and built to withstand the demanding environment of a fish processing factory offering the same reliable performance year after year with minimal maintenance. With its years of experience in the fish business the Danish company is well placed to testify to the quality and durability of the Steen equipment it sells There is a close link between staff at Seafood-Supply.dk and those at F.P.M International, who provide the technical support that the Danish agent may need, so that customers can be completely confident that they are in good hands when they invest in a Steen machine.

For more information about Steen fish processing equipment contact: info@seafood-supply.dk or info@ steen.be

EUROFISH Magazine 2 / 2021

53

GUEST PAGES

The Danish Fishermen Producer Organisation has a series of hurdles to overcome

A voice for Denmark’s fishermen Danish fisheries contributed some DKK14bn (EUR1.8bn) in 2018 to the nation’s GDP. The sector is an important source of export earnings as well as of livelihoods in coastal communities. The Danish Fishermen Producer Organisation (DFPO) is the national organisation representing the fisheries sector through some 32 local associations across the country. Vessels of all kinds, both large and small, and using different gears, are part of the organisation, whose main objective is to safeguard its members interests. This includes shaping fishery policies, providing advice to the members, and promoting the sale of fish to consumers.

Danish fisheries face some headwinds at the moment as it digests the implications of Brexit, suffers from the pandemic-induced loss of the international food service market, and comes to terms with the evaporation of cod quotas in the eastern Baltic. Kenn Skau Fischer, managing director of the organisation since 2019, discusses some of these challenges.

The bilateral fish and seafood trade between Denmark and the UK amounted to over DKK2bn and a further DKK214m worth of fish was landed by Danish vessels from British waters in 2019. What are the likely consequences of Brexit on this trade? With the EU-UK agreement has DFPO achieved its key demands for unchanged quota distribution and access to UK waters?

The agreement between the UK and the UK has come at a very high price for the European fisheries. The EU fisheries has to pay 25 percent of the value of the fishing in UK waters through a transfer of quotas to the UK. This is a very high price, indeed too high a price, to pay. For this we are getting access to UK waters.

This access is important for some fisheries—though not so much for the demersal catches. Access to UK waters is a continued priority for us and we will of course follow closely any changes to the conditions for access that might come up.

We hope that, despite the divorce, we can continue the constructive cooperation with the UK fishers that we have developed over the years as we have much in common.

Having said that, UK is now not part of the EU and we might find it more difficult to continue trade and cooperation as in the past— and I could imagine that some of our trade would stay in the internal market of the EU as this is a bigger market than the UK market.

Electronic monitoring using cameras to keep track of fishing operations is used in fisheries in Spain, Canada, and the US among other countries, and trials have been conducted in Denmark. Fishers are not enthusiastic, but do you see this as a technology with potential?

CCTV can work in the fishery as an alternative control measure if fishers are given incentives to use them, i.e. more in-real-timeupdated quotas, higher prices, more flexible technical measures, or less of other control measures.

As a control element on top of all the other control elements this is merely a way to drive all the smaller vessels out of fishing. The EU fisheries policy is not geared for such an inflexible control measure. It is shooting sparrows with cannons considering all the bureaucracy that follows with the CCTV solution. Also, note that a country like Norway does not

XXX FVSPlTINBHB[JOF DPN

Kenn Skau Fischer, Managing Director, Danish Fishermen Producer Organisation

consider it necessary to use CCTV as part of its fisheries regulation.

The covid-19 pandemic has shut down hotels, restaurants, catering establishments and

the tourist trade across Europe.

How has the Danish fishing sector responded to the loss of these markets? Do you see a positive side to the pandemic, for example, in terms of new sales and

DFPO

GUEST PAGES

Cooperation with policy makers, NGOs, and scientists is necessary to reach a common understanding, Here, a fuel consumption trial in the industrial fishery.

distribution channels, product development, or greater use of the internet?

Fortunately, Covid-19 has not had much influence on the pelagic or the industrial fishery for fishmeal and fish oil here in Demark, but the market for Danish fresh fish normally demanded by restaurants and catering all over Europe has been hit hard. Gross revenue in the demersal fisheries and among shellfish fishers went down 30 percent in 2020 compared to the year before.

However, more people are also cooking more now compared to a couple of years ago and I understand more Danes have started asking for more different fish when they are cooking—more sales to consumes today goes through internet shops with delivery at people’s home. This is a very positive development—and

makes the relation between fishers and consumers closer.

The precarious state of the cod stock in the eastern Baltic has reduced TACs to virtually nothing this year after falling heavily last year. Prospects for an increase in the near future are slim. How many Danish fishers are affected by this development and what could a possible solution look like?

The development for the stock of eastern Baltic Sea cod is a disaster for nature and the fisheries.

It shows how important a truly ecosystem-based management is and more important the consequences of a non-healthy marine environment. It will take years for this stock to recover—and I guess that we will only see such change if the countries around the Baltic get together to seriously reduce pollution—the flow of nutrients into the sea must be reduced. The

levels of salinity are also an issue.

Finally, controlling the seal stocks must be part of the ecosystem management—if not, it is hard to see a recovery of the stock.

Over the years many of our fishers have been driven out of the fisheries in the Baltic Sea following the state of the stock for eastern cod.

Some have been able to go fishing in other waters, others have given up and many are looking for a way out of the fisheries. For the moment there is not much to offer the fishers traditionally targeting eastern cod, but I think that many still hope that the stock will bounce back in a couple of years.

The ban on discards and the introduction of the landing obligation were intended to reduce the practice of discarding and increase gear selectivity to make fishing more sustainable.

Most Danish fishers are indifferent to the landing obligation

and it is difficult to enforce by inspectors as suggested by a DTU AQUA thesis1. Do you feel it should be implemented differently or scrapped altogether and replaced with something else?

The landing obligation is not an objective for the EU fisheries policy.

It is another conservation measure.

Unfortunately, this is been forgotten in the EU where many seems to consider the landing obligation as the answer to everything and the overall objective of the CFP. Having said that I think that within the regionalised approach in the CFP a lot of work has been done to make the landing obligation function and I also think that more and more fishers everyday are trying to live up to the provisions of the landing obligation. We are in a positive process, I think. However, the landing obligation will never be fully implemented—if you do not have some kind of flexibility as part of the provisions. Fishers

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GUEST PAGES

will always have unintentional bycatches. They have realised that in Norway and other countries.

Many of the Danish fisheries are certified to the MSC standard, a process that has taken several years. Last year Svend-Erik Andersen, chairman of DFPO, aired the idea of a national label that could replace MSC. What would be the difference between the new label and the MSC? How has the idea been received by DFPO members? Given other countries’ generally poor record of developing national labels, why should it be different in Denmark?

We have worked hard to get MSC certification for as many of our fisheries here in Denmark as possible. We have achieved a lot and are one of the most MSC certified countries in the world. We are proud of this as it is truly a commitment to sustainable fisheries.

However, one of the challenges with the MSC is that despite abiding as a fisher or a group of fishers or a country with every requirement of the certification—you might be the most sustainable fisher in the world—if countries cannot agree on the revision of a management plan for a stock or states cannot agree about the sharing of the stock you will lose your MSC certification.

What is needed is a certification scheme that encourages and gives the individual fisher some benefit when she or he is committed as much as possible to a sustainable fishery. The state of play of a management plan or the stock is irrelevant as such—it is the behaviour of the single fisher that should be relevant for the certification. Note that we are also not talking about some gear being better than others—what we are talking about is that fishers—small vessels as well large ones—through a certification scheme should be

encouraged to a strong commitment to sustainable fishery.

The number of vessels in the Danish fleet has declined gradually but steadily over the last couple of decades. Do you foresee this trend continuing? What are the reasons behind this development and what are its potential consequences?

Yes, without doubt, unfortunately.

We will have fewer and fewer fishing vessels in Denmark. One reason is the access to waters following Brexit. Another reason is the competition for access to the sea (windmills and raw material). A third reason is the ongoing work in all countries on MPAs (marine protected areas). There is and will simply be less space for the fisheries on the sea. Fourthly, many of our fishers are simply giving up the fight against bureaucracy, as they see it. The load of paperwork and reporting following the CFP is very hard on the 1-2 person vessels. All in all, fishers in Denmark have started pushing for a decommissioning scheme. Furthermore, the financial sector also plays an important role as regards the structural development of fisheries—often pushing for larger entities with better economy.

The average age of Danish fishers has been rising consistently, despite the fact that their number has also increased slightly since 2012. This suggests that not enough young people are joining the profession. What are the incentives youngsters need to attract them to this business— which is needed to secure the future of the sector?

We have a collective scheme for recruiting young people to our fishing school in Thyborøn, where we have a very fine education for fishers by international standard.

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We are proud of the school and we have no problem recruiting students from all over Denmark thanks to a campaign on social media designed specially to connect with young people.

The problem, however, is keeping the young fishers in the sector. Though earnings in general are good in the fisheries, we compete with the merchant fleet, the energy sector at sea, and the ancillary industry to the energy sector, where it is probably easier to find an 8 to 4 job.

Furthermore, it is not easy and certainly costly to gain a foothold on your own deck. It is a real challenge to our sector that it can be difficult to make generational change for a family-owned vessel and therefore we are trying to put this high on the agenda when discussing fisheries matters with our politicians.

Landings of fish for human consumption have fallen since 2016 and though the unit price has increased revenues have declined. The quality of Danish food fish catches is very high, but are fishers considering ways of adding more value to the catch?

The quotas for several of our important species have been reduced in recent years following negative developments in the stocks. That is a challenge—especially when demand like the last year following the corona-pandemic has been low. We need to try to increase the demand for our fish at national and international level.

The demand for fresh fish is still disappointingly low in Denmark.

We also need to try to add more value to the catch to the benefit of the vessels. This is a challenge, as fishers in general are small players compared to the seafood industry and so far it has proven

difficult to ask the supermarkets and consumers to pay more for certified fish or fish caught using certain gear. However, most fishers would be happy to do a little extra if that could give them a better price for the fish.

You were appointed director of DFPO in 2019. What is your vision for the segment of the Danish fishery that the organisation represents, and for DFPO itself?

What is the most important goal you have you set yourself and how do you propose to achieve it?

My organisation has 688 vessel members and we are proud of being among the largest producer organisations in Europe. We represent all types of fisheries from small coastal vessels to larger vessels fishing in the open sea. We represent the community in most of the Danish fishing harbours.

We aim for a better EU fisheries policy with more responsibility left to the fishers.

For me a very important goal is a general recognition of the fact that a sustainable fishery is climate friendly and goes hand in hand with the green agenda. The fishing sector has, more than anyone, good reasons to ask for a healthy marine environment.

We will of course have to take our share of the responsibility considering our daily life in the marine environment. But we cannot do this on our own. We need not only a close dialogue and cooperation within the fishery sector but certainly also with the authorities and the NGOs, nationally as well as at the international level.

1 *Schreiber Plet-Hansen, K. (2020).

Fisheries data from electronic monitoring and traceability systems in the context of the EU landing obligation.

Technical University of Denmark.

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

12-15 April 2021 Aquaculture Europe 2020 Online mario@marevent.com www.marevent.com

14-18 June 2021 World Aquaculture 2020 Singapore mario@marevent.com www.was.org

7-9 September 2021 Seafood Expo Global Barcelona, Spain Tel.: +1 207 842 5590 sales-global@seafoodexpo.com www.seafoodexpo.com

15-17 June 2021 PolarFish Greenland Ilulissat, Greenland Tel.: +45 9935 5555 akkc@akkc.dk http://polar-fish.net/en/ 15-17 September 2021 Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition Reykjavik, Iceland Tel. +44 1329 825 335 jmiller@mercatormedia.com www.icefish.is

6-8 July 2021 Seafood Expo Russia St. Petersburg, Russia Tel.: +7 499 922 44 17 info@rusfishexpo.com www.rusfishexpo.com

4-7 October 2021 Aquaculture Europe 2021 Madeira, Portugal mario@marevent.com www.marevent.com

11-13 July 2021 Seafood Expo North America Boston, USA Tel.: +1 207 842 5590 sales-na@seafoodexpo.com www.seafoodexpo.com

5-7 October 2021 Conxemar Vigo, Spain Tel.: +34 986 433 351 conxemar@conxemar.com www.conxemar.com

13-15 October 2021 DanFish Aalborg, Denmark +45 99 35 55 18 ehe@akkc.dk www.danfish.com

20-22 October 2021 REPROAQUA 2020 Trabzon, Turkey Tel.: +90 532 558 49 53 reproaqua2020@gmail.com www.ktu.edu.tr/reproaqua2020

15-19 November 2021 World Aquaculture 2021 Merida, Mexico mario@marevent.com www.was.org

13-15 February 2022 fish international Bremen, Germany Tel.: +49 421 3505 260 info@ fishinternational.de www.fishinternational.de

1-3 June 2022 Polfish Gdansk, Poland Tel.: +48 58 554 93 62 monika.pain@mtgsa.com.pl http://www.polfishfair.pl/

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INFOPECHE Abidjan

Montevideo

INFOYU

Beijing

Casablanca

INFOPESCA

INFOFISH Puchong

INFOSA

Windhoek

26/03/21 3:12 PM