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June 3 / 2017 C 44346
June 3 / 2017
International Congress on CLIMATE CHANGE AND FISHERIES
ISSN 1868-5943
08:00-09:00 h. REGISTRATION. Centro Social Afundación. Policarpo Sanz 24-26, Vigo. 09:00-09:40 h. OPENING 09:40-10:50 h. SESSION I: CLIMATE CHANGE AND FISHERIES: EVIDENCE AND EXPECTATIONS Eurofish Magazine
09:45-10:00 h. Impacts on Ecosystems and Fisheries. John Pinnegar, Director of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, CEFAS (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture) UK 10:00-10:15 h. Expectations for markets and trade. Stefanía Vannuccini, Senior Officer, FAO 10:15-10:30 h. Challenges for Managers and Policymakers. Poul Dengbol, Fisheries Management and Coastal Community Development, Aalborg University. Denmark
10:30-10:50 h. PANEL DISCUSSION 10:50-13:45 h. SESSION II: REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES – PRIVATE SECTOR AMERICA 10:55-11:10 h. USA. Nicole Kimball, Vicepresident Pacific Seafood Processors Association 11:10-11:25 h. Chile* 11:25-11:40 h. Peru. Darío Alvites, Director of Human Consumption Committee, Sociedad Nacional de Industrias
11:40-12:10 h. COFFEE BREAK 12:10-12:25 h. AFRICA. South Africa. Madoda Khumalo, Strategic Services Executive, Sea Harvest 12:25-12:40 h. OCEANIA. New Zeland*
EUROPA 12:40-12:55 h. UE. Myron Peck, Professor Biological Oceanography and Fisheries Science, Hamburg University 12:55-13:10 h. Norway. Norwegian Seafood Council* 13:10-13:25 h. Iceland*
13:25-13:45 h. PANEL DISCUSSION 13:45-14:45 h. LUNCH
Lithuania
14:45-16:10 h. SESSION III: CLIMATE CHANGE AND FISHERIES: RESPONSES AND OPPORTUNITIES 14:50-15:05 h. 15:05-15:20 h. 15:20-15:35 h. 15:35-15:50 h.
Resource Management Responses. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)* Responses from NGOs. María Cornax, Policy and Advocacy Director. Oceana Climate Change and Trade. Aik Hoe Lim, Director Trade and Environment Division, World Trade Organization (WTO).* FAO approaches and adaptation toolboxes. Audun Lem, Deputy Director of FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy and Resources Division, FAO
Fishers, farmers add greater value at source
15:50-16:10 h. PANEL DISCUSSION 16:10-17:15 h. SESSION IV: FINANCING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE Rabobank* World Bank* African development Bank. Samba Tounkara, coordinator of ClimDev Special Fund OCDE. Simon Buckle, Head of the Climate, Biodiversity and Water Division
17:15-17:30 h. SUMMING UP Arni Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General Fisheries and Aquacuture Dep., FAO
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In this issue
Lithuania’s seafood sector is highly diversified Fisheries and aquaculture are both well-developed industries in Lithuania. Fishing takes place in all environments, marine, brackish, and freshwater, and the fleet comprises vessels from the very small to the very large. Fishing gear too is highly varied as are the species of fish of commercial interest. Fish farming is seeing a gradual increase in production helped partly by the emphasis placed on this activity in the Common Fisheries Policy. Both aquaculture farmers and small-scale fishermen are investing in processing capabilities and sales outlets to add value to their products and to sell directly to consumers. The trading and processing sector has seen a steady climb in the value of imports and exports and even fish and seafood consumption is on the rise. In short, many of the indicators associated with the sector are looking positive. Read more from page 30
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Seafood Expo Global held each year in Brussels is the world’s biggest and most international seafood event drawing not only the industry, but also associations, administrations, NGOs and other bodies associated with the seafood sector. Many of Eurofish’s member countries are also present at the event, some with large pavilions, where different stakeholders can meet and informally discuss issues of mutual importance. The pavilions play an important role in gathering the industry under one roof creating a highly visible cluster and facilitating networking both within the cluster and without. The pavilions are often visited by senior managers of the administration, who use the opportunity to show support for their country’s industry. This edition of the Eurofish Magazine will focus on the pavilions, while the next one (August issue) will will review some of the companies present at the show. Read more on page 14
New demands are being placed on refrigerants as efforts to limit the use of greenhouse gases gather pace. Since the 1990s when halogenated hydrocarbons were banned internationally new refrigerants have been introduced to the market. Some of these have also been or are being gradually withdrawn from the market to make way for more environmentally-friendly products. The issue is that a suitable refrigerant needs to meet different and sometimes incompatible requirements; it should be effective, environmentally friendly, widely available, and inexpensive. Candidates that meet these criteria can place other demands on systems, for example, by being inflammable or only able to operate under high pressure. This then calls for counter measures, that are usually expensive, to ensure that safety is not compromised. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on page 52
Chionecetes opilio, the queen crab (or snow crab) is a commercially highly significant species found in the subarctic waters of the Atlantic and the Pacific and fished by several countries including Canada, which has the biggest catches, the US, Russia, Norway, and Latvia. Snow crab is typically fished with pots or baskets which are placed on the ocean floor at depths of between 50 and 600 m. The crab is a delicacy and popular to eat, which is probably just as well, as it is considered an invasive species that is spreading in the north Atlantic and may prove a threat to the sensitive Arctic environment. Crab is sold in a number of forms, as claws, pure crabmeat, clusters, or whole, all of which are usually cooked and frozen. In the Barents Sea there have been issues with claims on the continental shelf which have interrupted the fishery. Read more on page 54 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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Table of News 6 International News
Events 14 Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, 25-27 April, Brussels An anniversary to be proud of 15 Croatian pavilion Fish and seafood with the special taste of the Adriatic
FI
16 Estonian pavilion The versatility of the seafood sector on display 17 Spanish pavilion Companies, associations, administrations ensure massive Spanish presence
NO EE R
18 Polish pavilion Thirteen years after EU accession Poland has pavilion at SEG
RU BY K
PL NL
22 Steen focuses on skinning machinery A winning combination of service and quality
23 Abramczyk products are all additive-free Frozen fish and seafood for the European market 24 With the consumer portal ggn.org GLOBALG.A.P. offers a direct link from consumer to producer Informing consumers about what they eat 25 The US overtakes Europe to become the world’s biggest market for seafood Everything’s growing at the Boston seafood show 27 Fish Congress, 30-31 March 2017, Sopot, Poland Higher added-value is the way forward for Polish processors
DE
UA
BE
22 Betafish understands the Estonian processing industry Carving a niche between seller and processor 23 Romanian fishing association exhibits at SEG Delicacies from the Danube delta
LT LT
DK
19 Italian pavilion Successfully promoting the taste and excellence of Italian seafood 20 Russian pavilion Russian catches may reach 5m tonnes in 2017
LV
SE
CZ
LU
SL FR
AU
CH
SI IT
MD
HU
RO
HR RS
BA
BG
ME FYROM AL EL
28 North Atlantic Seafood Forum, 7-9 March, Bergen Reducing waste between production and consumption
Lithuania 30 New government brings fresh approach to fisheries and aquaculture policy Balancing capacity with resources for greater profitability 32 Fisheries and aquaculture in Lithuania Fishers and farmers increasingly add value to their production
Front cover image courtesy Islauzo Zuvis
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Contents 36 Fisheries Service activities contribute to the abundance of salmonids in Lithuanian waters Breeding salmon and sea trout for restocking 38 Islauzo Zuvis, a pond fish farm dedicated to production the natural way Balancing the interests of nature with those of commerce
RU KZ
UZ
(CC BY-SA 3.0) Map based on https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Location_European_nation_states.svg by Hayden120 and NuclearVacuum
40 JFish breeds African catfish for the Lithuanian market Fresh, smoked, or prepared by a chef
AM
IQ
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Denmark
pages
Iceland SY
page
Italy
pages
Mauritius
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Morocco
page
8
Norway
pages
Portugal
page
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Russia
page
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Spain
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United Kingdom pages
49 Skrei has its own quality label The world’s finest cod
Processing 52 Refrigerant R404A no longer permitted in new installations as of 1 January 2020 Natural refrigerants enable climate neutral cooling systems
60 The fight against inhumane working conditions Global fish industry in the public eye
TR
page
Norway
Trade and markets
IR Worldwide Fish News
Belgium
47 SLP Zuvis processes fish caught from the Curonian lagoon for local markets Smoking freshwater species the traditional way
56 Queen crab: More than an inexpensive substitute for king crab Crustacean delicacy from subarctic waters
AZ
GE
44 Lithuania’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Laboratory A new centre for international collaboration
Species
TM
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42 Fishery Enterprises Association, Lampetra A PO for the Curonian lagoon fisheries
8, 10, 12 6 9, 11
Guest Pages: Peter Bamberger 63 The Danish (and European) seafood processing sector is heavily dependent on raw material from third countries A quest for a more liberal import regime
Service 65 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers
10, 12
6, 8
Scan the QR code to access the Eurofish Magazine website (www.eurofishmagazine. com), where you can also sign up to receive the Eurofish Magazine newsletter.
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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Iceland: Multinational meeting in Reykjavik for regulating Arctic fisheries With a warming Arctic region, rising temperatures and shrinking ice may make fish stocks more productive in the Arctic high seas. This could mean a more active fishery as distant fleets move in to take advantage. As of now however, most of the Arctic is not covered by an international conservation and management regime. Anticipating these changes, the countries most likely to be active in the area came together recently for a fourth round of negotiations in Reykjavik. The meeting brought together delegations from Canada, the People’s Republic of China, the Kingdom of Denmark (Faroes Islands and Greenland), the European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Kingdom of Norway, the Russian Federation, and the United States.
In 2012, more than 2,000 scientists from around the world signed an open letter calling for a moratorium on commercial fishing in the Arctic until more research can be completed on waters that were once covered by ice year-round. It stated, “The ability to fish is not the same as having the scientific information and management regimes needed for a well-managed fishery,” The response in recent years has been positive for coming to an agreement. After the meeting, Karmenu Vella, Commissioner for the Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, said: “I am encouraged by the commitment of all parties to take measures to prevent unregulated commercial fishing in the high seas area of the central Arctic Ocean. A final agreement is now in reach.”
International negotiations seeking to regulate the fisheries in the Arctic region were held in Reykjavik earlier this year.
UK: Study finds inconsistent EU IUU regulation procedures for imports A recent report by the EU IUU Coalition, a group of four NGOs, analyses countries’ implementation of import controls to fight illegal fishing. The report found disparities in the implementation of import controls across the EU, creating an uneven playing field and leaving the system open to abuse. It highlighted the differences between Member States in the frequency and rigour with which catch certificates are monitored, and in the quality of the risk assessment carried out to determine the consignments that were subject to checks. It pointed out wide variations in procedures for checking seafood imports in containers, which are not subject to the same inspection obligations as fishing vessels. Taken together
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Procedures for checking imports in, for instance, containers are not subject to same inspection obligations as fishing vessels creating an uneven playing field.
these failings undermine the significant progress in import controls achieved by some member states, and threaten to obscure the successes of other parts of the IUU regulation, notably in
supporting many poorer coastal States to build more rigorous fisheries management systems. The four NGOs, Environmental Justice Foundation, Oceana, Pew Charitable Trusts, and World Wide
Fund for Nature, are working together to ensure the effective implementation of the EU regulation to end illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The report is available at http://IUUWatch.eu.
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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Belgium: Success story for European fisheries and policies The European Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) has recently published its annual report on the performance of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) as regards to the progress on the situation of the fish stocks and exploitation levels. The STECF report
evidences positive trends in many fish stocks across Europe. For instance, when stating that amongst the almost 70 stocks fully assessed, the proportion of overexploited stocks decreased from more than 70 to close to 40 over the last ten years. In addition, the report points out that the proportion of the
assessed stocks outside the safe biological limits follows the same decreasing trend, from 65 in 2003 to 38 in 2015.
the objectives set in the CFP, well before the 2020 deadline. For the trend in biomass, the report shows improvement in all EU waters, with the exception of the Mediterranean and Black Sea. For the fully assessed stocks, the biomass ratio in 2015 was around 35 higher than in 2003.
Concerning the exploitation of fish stocks, the report shows that around half of the stocks assessed have reached sustainable levels, in line with
Spain: Scientists met an unpleasant sight in the untouched Arctic Ocean A team of scientists led by professor Andrés Cózar from Cadiz University in Spain were met with a very uncomfortable sight when sailing in the “unspoiled” Arctic Ocean: three hundred billion pieces of plastic. In a study just published in the scientific journal Science Advances, researchers have estimated that hundreds of thousands
of plastic bits are floating per square kilometer in large areas. This means that what was previously though as an untouched and unspoiled area, the Arctic Ocean is much more affected than estimated. Researchers sailed around the polar circle in a trawler fishing for the plastic. Especially areas around
the northeastern Greenland and the Barents Sea it was discovered unusually large amount of plastic floating in the water. According to the researchers it seems like it functions as a kind of dead end for the plastic, which is thrown into the Atlantic Ocean between Europe and the United States. This is now being referred as the “polar
cemetery”. Researchers fear that steadily increasing human activity in the area will cause the quantity of plastic to increase. Sue Kinsey, a professor at the British Marine Conservation Society, said to The Independent that “…manufacturers, retailers and consumers, all need to reconsider how we use plastic.”
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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] UK: Scotland issues policy guidelines for seaweed cultivation Seeing growing interest in cultivation of seaweed, the Scottish Government has issued policy guidelines which sets a framework for managing the environmental impacts of commercial activity. Seaweed is starting to be produced commercially for use in a range of items including food, cosmetics and fertilisers. The
policy guidelines were targeted at “small to medium” sized farms, defined as up to 30 lines of 200 meters. The policy states that the government is supportive of cultivation, but applications for farms should demonstrate that mitigation efforts have been made to prevent adverse environmental impacts.
Danish aquafeed fisheries certified
CERTIFIED In positive news for European salmonid producers, three fish stocks used primarily for production of fishmeal and fish oil have
achieved MSC certification. The North Sea fisheries of sandeel, Norwegian pout, and sprat are fished by the Danish Fishermen’s Producers’ Organisation (DFPO) and the Danish Pelagic Producers Organisations (DPPO). The average annual landings for these fisheries are about 123,000 tonnes for sandeel, 155,000 tonnes for sprat and 26,000 tonnes of Norwegian pout.
Morocco works to develop aquaculture A recent meeting held in Rabat, Morocco brought together government officials, industry and academia representatives and aquaculture officers from FAO in support to the development of Morocco’s growing aquaculture sector. FAO is working with the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture and Maritime Fisheries and its National Agency for Aquaculture Development in helping the country to meet its ambitious goal by assessing the achievements of the new national agency in its first years of operation and by identifying ways forward.
Scotland is starting to see the possibilities of using seaweed in food, cosmetics and fertilisers. Source: www.indbiotech.no
With its 3 500 kilometers of coastlines (500 kilometres on the Mediterranean coast and 3 000 kilometres of the Atlantic coastline), Morocco possesses a strong tradition of maritime fisheries. Its national fisheries production totaled 1.3 million tonnes in 2014,
making it the largest maritime fisheries producer in Africa and at the 25th position worldwide. Fisheries contribute 2.3 to the GDP and the sector creates direct employment for 170 000 fisherfolk and indirect employment to an additional 500 000 people. It is estimated that 3 million people in Morocco depend on fisheries for their livelihoods. It is within this context that aquaculture in Morocco is currently emerging. Many areas were considered, both at the national and regional level in Morocco, in particular for the five aquaculture development zones mapped by the National Agency for Aquaculture Development. Issues such as the planning process, support to stakeholders, technologies, markets and economics aspects, environmental protection and climate change, social dimensions and the legal aspects.
Mauritius: EU fleet lands 4-year tuna agreement A new protocol to the sustainable fisheries partnership agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Mauritius was signed in Port Louis in April. It sets the conditions that allow EU tuna fishing vessels to fish in Mauritius 8
waters for a period of 4 years, in a transparent and regulated environment. As a part of the agreement the Protocol will provide a contribution of EUR 575,000 per year to the latter,
as well as an increased contribution to be paid by vessel-owners. For the first time, it also includes specific provisions and financial incentives to support the development of the ocean economy in Mauritius as a contribution to its economic
growth, thus broadening the scope of the relations between the EU and Mauritius in the field of fisheries and maritime economy. This protocol will come into force in the coming months, after the completion of adoption procedures on both sides.
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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Italy: Tracking fish “from sea to plate” to keep illegal catches out of global supply chains An FAO-led push to establish internationally agreed standards that can guide the development of catch documentation schemes aimed at keeping illegal caught fish off store-shelves and consumers’ plates has taken an important step forward. A 5-year negotiation effort was finally brought to a close, because of a set of drafts “Voluntary Guidelines on Catch Documentation Schemes” was unanimously adopted by a technical consultation. These are now poised for adoption by all FAO Members at the UN agency’s upcoming bi-annual governing conference in July in Rome. Once approved by the Conference, the guidelines will act as an
internationally-recognized “gold standard” reference for governments and businesses looking to establish systems that can trace fish from their point of capture through the entire supply chain from “sea to plate” - in order to stop illegally caught fish from entering the marketplace. On a global level, about 91-93 million tonnes of fish are captured every year, and seafood products are among the world’s most widely traded food commodities, with an export value of $ 142 billion in 2016. Besides this, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is estimated to strip as much as 26 million additional tonnes of fish from the oceans
FAO’s Audun Lem says that using the Voluntary Guidelines on Catch Documentation Schemes is a signal of commitment to adhere to them.
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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] annually, damaging marine ecosystems and sabotaging efforts to sustainable manage fisheries. One challenge facing broader use of CDS relates to the logistics of ensuring that a paper certificate safely makes it from a fishing port in one country to an inspection station in another. The new
guidelines recommend moving beyond paper-only documentation, so that information on fish shipments is recorded preferably in a digital system that can be referenced at any point along the value chain, reducing administrative burdens but also cutting down on fraud opportunities. Audun Lem, Deputy-Director of
FAO’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy and Resources Division and current Secretary of FAO’s Sub-Committee on Fish Trade explained; “CDS will only succeed if there is strong, international coordination. Although they are voluntary, the process of negotiation that led to the new guidelines means they enjoy a high level of
buy-in by governments, while endorsement at the FAO Conference will send a clear signal of commitment to adhere to them. So, going forward, new catch documentation schemes established at the national, regional or international level will be in sync, reducing barriers to their wider use.”
Denmark: Microalgae have great potential as fish ingredient Traditionally fishmeal, which is an important ingredient in fish feed, has been made from industrial fish such as sprat and sandeel that are unfit for human consumption. This has resulted in an increasing production of fish feed for the growing aquaculture industry, and at the same time becoming environmentally and economically unsustainable to continue this practice. The hunt for more sustainable fishmeal alternatives has among other things focused on microalgae, because they contain almost all the nutrients fish need. However, commercial production of microalgae through photosynthesis has until now proved to be too expensive, and therefore new methods are needed in order for microalgae to become a cost-effective fish feed ingredient. The National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark has done a project, which has
shown that commercially produced microalgae could become a sustainable fish feed ingredient. In the project concepts have been developed to grow, harvest, dry and store two types of algae that are rich in protein, antioxidants and omega 3 fatty acids. Researchers who have been involved in the project have identified two types that have a high content of protein and/ or omega 3 fatty acids as well as antioxidants, which are suitable for growing under Danish conditions. They have also developed methods to harvest, dry and store the algae biomass, which ensure that valuable substances in the biomass deteriorate as little as possible.
Nannochloropsis salina, is one of two species grown that is rich in nutrients.
The two species (Nannochloropsis salina and Chlorella pyrenoidosa) are grown in industrial process water – a low-price growth medium rich in lots of nutrients while being free from
toxic compounds. The new drying process is also environmentally friendly. It uses 30 less energy than the spray drying techniques that are currently in use. In the new process, the microalgae are
dried in a stream of air in a specially designed drying chamber. The drying process is much gentler on e.g. pigments and omega 3 fatty acids in the biomass than spray drying.
Norway: More environmental pollutants in wild salmon than in farmed salmon A recent Norwegian study shows the levels of environmental pollutants are higher in Norwegian wild salmon than in Norwegian farmed salmon. The study is the first major study where they compare the species of wild salmon that lives in Norwegian waters (Salmo salar), with Norwegian farmed salmon. 10
Anne-Katrine Lundebye, a senior scientist at the National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES) led the research project. The study showed that farmed salmon had lower levels of most environmental pollutants than wild salmon, which includes dioxins, PCBs, brominated flame-retardants and pesticides.
According to Lundebye it is due to the differences in diets between wild and farmed. “Fish are what they eat, both in terms of environmental pollutants and nutrients. This can be controlled in farmed fish, while what fish eat in the wild varies. Changes in the composition of fish feed is one of the reasons for the relatively low level
of organic pollutants in farmed salmon. Today’s fish feed contains less fish oil, which was previously the main source of many of the undesirable substances in the feed.” At the same time both wild and farmed salmon had relatively low levels of environmental
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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] pollutants, which are well below the maximum limit for those substances for which limits have been established. The research also shows that wild salmon has higher concentrations of
the nutrients, such as iron, copper, zinc and selenium and that the composition of omega-3 and omega-6 is more beneficial in wild salmon than in farmed salmon.
Even though the different levels of nutrients and environmental pollutants in Norwegian farmed and wild salmon, Lundebye has no hesitation in recommending both types of salmon in our diets.
“Consumers have nothing to worry about, because both types are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and do not contain alarming levels of environmental pollutants. We can safely say that they are both healthy.”
Italian fishermen blame dolphins for stealing their fish and squid
Fishermen in Sicily have announced a two-day strike, in protest at dolphins, which they claim are destroying their nets
and eating the fish in the area. The battle between fishermen and dolphins is particularly fierce in the Aeolian Islands, an archipelago of volcanic islands in the bay between Sicily and Italy’s mainland. The fishermen are blaming bottlenose and striped dolphins for a 70 percent drop in turnover and demanded that authorities urgently takes action to stop the hungry mammals eating all the local fish. The Filicudi Wildlife Conservation have estimated that there
are approximately 100 dolphins in the region and do not believe that the number of dolphins is not any larger than it was 15 years ago. Giovanni Basciano, the vicepresident of a local fishing cooperative that represents 119 fishing boats, has stated that the fishermen are calling for a state of natural disaster declaration and are seeking compensation from the government. On the other hand the biologists and
conservationists say that poor fishing conditions aren’t solely the dolphins’ fault; the dolphins themselves are running out of other places to feed. Monica Blasi, a biologist working at the Filicudi Wildlife Conservation said; “The problem is that fish has decreased in the sea and cetaceans swim closer to boats to eat. One solution to keep dolphins away from the boats, is to provide devices with “pinger” devices, that will emit a frequency that will repel dolphins but not fish.”
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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]
Last season, the initial quota set by the Federal Agency for Fishery in Russia was around 332,000 tonnes, but was significantly increased mid-season, leading to a final catch of about 446,000 tonnes. According to Kyla Ganton in Tradex Food 3-Minute Market Insight, this year the Russia’s salmon catch quotas for the Far East Basin are just under 320,000 tonnes for all salmon species. This year, pink salmon makes up 45 percent of the quota, with chums totaling about 40 percent. The Kamchatka region is in particular important, because it accounts for about 50 percent of the total salmon catch in Russia.
Chinese processors are hopeful for a big salmon season, with some forecasting a supply increase by about 50 percent. Raw material inventories right now are slim for chum salmon but production of pink salmon products is steady. Price points are unconfirmed for 2017 but Tradex say they have a good idea of where the market is going – while pink and chum salmon portion pricing strengthened by 10 percent last year, they see pricing coming back down again this year. Another factor with pricing this year will be the rumoured duty increase on the exports of fish out of Russia, in an effort to strengthen their
Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Russia: Pacific salmon quota revealed
Russian salmon catch quotas for 2017 in the Far East Basin are just under 320,000 tonnes, of which pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), pictured, constitutes almost half.
domestic market. As recently reported by the Russian Federal Agency for Fishery, the current duty rate of 3 percent could be raised to 10 percent. This change
would reduce the volume of fish exported to China for further processing, subsequently increasing finished goods pricing for North America.
Norway: Project studies impact of social sustainability on industry In recent years, a spotlight has been placed on forced labour practices and other human rights violations in the seafood industry. In 2015, the International Labour Organization (ILO) called on nations to enforce worker’s rights at sea. With social sustainability on the agenda, it has become important to find out just what regulations and certifications
could be applied to this area of growing concern. Some retailers, such as Marks & Spencer’s in the UK, have already begun to implement their own certification schemes as part of marketing efforts reflecting demand for ethical supplies. The Norwegian Seafood Research Fund is now engaging in a
project to clarify the current status in the markets, identify existing standards, and analyze and evaluate the relevance of the various schemes when it comes to the Norwegian catchbased fishing industry. The project will investigate whether requirements concerning social sustainability could become “hygiene requirements” and
therefore required for manufacturers in order to secure access to the market. Based on the results from this project, industry players will be able to make wellinformed decisions with regard to certification and will be able to use the results as part of their reputational development to strengthen their position in the market.
Pacific oyster threatens Danish oysters in the Limfjord The Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) is spreading aggressively to the detriment of animal and plant communities in the Limfjord, Denmark. The unwanted and invasive Pacific oyster, best known for its very folded and sharp shells, is now seriously threatening to erase the Danish oysters (Ostrea edulis). The invasive species is spreading aggressively throughout the length of the Limfjord and can greatly damage to changing the local animal and plant community, explains Professor Jens Kjerulf Petersen from the 12
Danish Shellfish center at DTU (Technical University of Denmark). The species originates from the Pacific Ocean and has been introduced for breeding in large parts of the world, but has also spread in nature. It now covers large areas throughout the Limfjord and biologists fear that it will be a direct threat to the oysters and mussels in the Limfjord. In addition to damaging the area’s animal and plant life, in areas where it is very close to the beaches, it can make the beaches unsuitable for swimming.
The Pacific oyster originating from Japan and Southeast Asia is threatening the existence of local oysters in the Limfjord. Source: wikimedia.org
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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Portugal: New digital resource assesses health benefits and risks of seafood for consumers Seafood plays an important role in a balanced diet. It is a nutrientrich food that is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals and contains a unique type of fat – namely omega-3 fatty acids, which have considerable health benefits. Like any other food type, seafood can also be a source of harmful contaminants. It is now easier than ever to make informed dietary decisions with FishChoice, a new digital tool available for both everyday consumers and professionals in health and nutrition. The tool considers both the risks and benefits when it comes to different seafood options. What makes this program particularly unique is the inclusion of specific information for pregnant women and nursing
FishChoice offers information on health and nutrition including information for pregnant and nursing women.
mothers, whose increased health risk from consuming certain species such as tuna, was incorporated into the system. FishChoice provides users with the means to minimise their
exposure to chemical pollutants from eating seafood, whilst helping them ensure important nutrients, such as fatty acids, are still consumed. It has been designed and developed by researchers of Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain)
and Ghent University (Belgium), under the coordination of the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere. More information is available at fishchoice.eu
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[ EVENTS ] Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global, 25-27 April, Brussels
An anniversary to be proud of The most popular seafood event in the world celebrated its silver jubilee this year with the largest exhibition space ever. According to Diversified Communications, the event organisers, over 38,000 sq. m of space were used to host more than 1,800 exhibitors from 79 countries, some, such as Costa Rica, Cyprus, Myanmar, Romania and Venezuela, represented for the first time.
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ome of the show’s success can be attributed to growing popularity of seafood, consumption of which has doubled since 1973, according to the FAO. But the show is also an unparalleled opportunity for all the components of the global seafood industry to meet and network. The seafood excellence
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global awards are another abiding feature of the show generating enormous interest in the finalists and the ultimate winners. This year the awards for best retail and best Horeca product, went respectively to Cozy Harbor Seafood of Portland, Maine, USA for their lobster meat and to Globe Export/Algues de
Bretagne of Rosporden, France for their marinated seaweed. Poland, one of the EU’s biggest processors and exporters of seafood, made its debut this year with a pavilion, as did Myanmar and Venezuela. The Polish organisers of the national stand were so pleased with the results
of their efforts, that even before the conclusion of the show, they were making plans for 2018. Over the following pages Eurofish reviews some of the pavilions at the event, mainly those of its member countries, while the August edition will feature individual companies, their products and services.
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[ EVENTS ]
Croatian pavilion Fish and seafood with the special taste of the Adriatic
T
he Croatian pavilion at the Seafood Expo Global has become a regular stop for all those interested in anchovies and sardines. Croatia prides itself on the quality of its catch of these two pelagic species from the Adriatic. This fish provides the raw material for an industry that dates back at least a century for canned, salted, and marinated fish. Today many companies have sophisticated vessels and modern processing facilities so that the catch is handled with great care from the moment it is brought on board with the result that both quality and yield are immeasurably higher than they were all those years ago.
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Croatian catches of anchovy are but a fraction of the total European catch and more or less invisible in comparison to the global catch. However, the special characteristics of the Adriatic in terms of salinity and temperature influence the anchovy giving it a taste, which is distinctly and uniquely Croatian, and very popular in important markets for the product such as Italy and Spain. While salted anchovies take several months to prepare, the marinated product takes less time to manufacture – and also has a shorter shelf life. Export markets for the marinated product are also southern European countries, primarily Italy.
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The Croatian pavilion was organised by the Chamber of Economy. It was visited by Ms Ruza Tomasic, Member of the European Parliament (third from left) and Ante Misura, Assistant Minister for Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture (fourth from left).
Although canned, marinated, and salted small pelagics are internationally well known Croatian products, they are by no means the only
seafood that Croatia exports. Wild demersal catches of fish, shellfish and cephalopods are exported on a regular basis to the Italian market a
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Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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[ EVENTS ] few hours’ drive from northern Croatia. Farmed seabass and seabream is another important export commodity. Much of the production goes again to Italy, but companies have also started sending fish to France, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, where there is a demand in particular for organic products.
Yet another Croatian seafood product is fattened tuna, where young tuna are captured, stored in cages, and fed on small pelagic fish until they reach harvest size. Customers for this tuna are almost exclusively Japanese buyers and producers have no need to market their products at trade shows.
Estonian pavilion The versatility of the seafood sector on display
O
rganised by Valdur Noormagi, Managing Director of the Estonian Association of Fishery, the Estonian pavilion with some 15 companies was, as usual, a striking affair with a distinct design and look. The companies present represented a cross section of the activities in the Estonian fishing and processing sector. These cover every step of the value chain – catching, primary and secondary processing, storage, distribution, export marketing and sales. The variety of products available from
this country of 1.3m people is impressive. Marine, freshwater, and locally farmed fish and seafood, but processing companies also import a wide range of seafood which is processed and exported or sold on the domestic market. The wild-caught species are Baltic herring, sprat and cod, of which in terms of volumes sprat and herring are the most important. Estonia has three producer organisations in the fishing sector of which one was represented at the stand, the Estonian Trawling Association, which processes sprat
This year the number of companies at the Croatian pavilion, which is organised by the Croatian Chamber of Economy, was slightly lower than last, but activity was intense as usual and participants expressed their satisfaction with the show and the level of interest in their products shown by other exhibitors and visitors. Among the visitors
was Ante Misura, Assistant Minister for Fisheries in the Ministry of Agriculture, and Ms Ruza Tomasic, Member of the European Parliament for the European Conservatives and Reformist Group, and a member of the Fisheries Committee. Both dignitaries came to show their support for the Croatian industry and to have a word with the companies.
and Baltic herring fished by the association members. As a producer organisation, the association has also built its ow processing facility where the fish is converted primarily into frozen blocks destined for export. Other products are spicy marinated, salted, and individually quick frozen fish. Of the other companies present at the stand some work with freshwater fish, perch, pike, pike-perch, and with high value farmed species like sturgeon and eel. Japs for example catches and processes perch and pike perch exporting fresh and frozen fillets to markets in Europe. Nine tenths of its production which includes smaller volumes of eel, Baltic herring, and pike are exported. At
another company, Kallaste Kalur, pike-perch and perch are caught from the Lake Peipsi, processed into fillets and then exported. The company also catches bream, roach, and burbot, which are supplied whole fresh or frozen.
From left, Valdur Noormagi, Managing Director, Estonian Association of Fishery; Peeter Seestrand, Director, Agriculture Affairs, Perm. Rep. of Estonia to the EU; Illar Lemetti, Secretary General, Estonian Ministry of Rural Affairs; Andres Talijärv, Secretary General, Estonian Ministry of Environment; Hanna Soe, Assistant, Environment Affairs, Perm. Rep. of Estonia to the EU 16
In addition to companies selling freshwater fish, the stand also hosted Reyktal, a company fishing northern prawn in the northwest and northeast Atlantic and in Svalbard waters. The crustacean is size graded, processed, cooked and frozen on board and can be discharged as a readymade product for the market. Most of the production is exported to other European countries or to Japan. Estonian companies attend Seafood Expo Global not only to find customers for their products but also suppliers of raw material. Many of the companies present import fish and seafood to process it and sell under their own brand on the domestic market or also under private label for sale in Estonia or abroad. Avektra for example imports salmon from Norway, processes it, and exports the fish to northern Europe, while MV Wool, another company that trades heavily in Norwegian salmon has two processing facilities, one dedicated to the export market and the other for products to be sold at home. The Estonian pavilion showed much activity throughout the show. Representatives from the Estonian Ministry of Rural Affairs also visited the pavilion to talk with the companies.
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[ EvEnts ]
Spanish pavilion
Companies, associations, administrations ensure massive Spanish presence
W
ith the main pavilion in hall 7 as well as a smaller one in hall 8 and groups of companies in halls 4, 5, 6 and 11, Spain was, as usual, well represented at the Seafood Expo Global. As one of the biggest producers, traders, and consumers of fish and seafood in the European Union, a strong Spanish presence at the world’s biggest seafood show is only fitting. But while Spanish participation was impressive and suggests a generally thriving industry (Spanish exports in 2015 increased 11% to 3.3bn compared with 2014) there are concerns at falling rates of consumption of fish and seafood within Spain itself. The vast Spanish pavilion in hall 7 hosted the Spanish Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment as well as ministries from some of the autonomous communities in addition to many companies. What was different this year was the theme of the pavilion, which focused on sustainability, says Cristina Morena, an executive with a business promotion company. This meant the use of reusable materials in the construction of the stand, to generate less waste and use fewer resources. The stand materials were thus being used at the SEG in Brussels, and then in another three events in Spain. And even after using the material in four events it could be further recycled. The message clearly was not only that Spain was conscious of the environment in general,
Aina Afanasjeva, Director of Eurofish, and Jose Luis Gonzalez Serrano, General Director for Fisheries Management at the Spanish pavilion
but also, that it was necessary to rethink the way resources are used and that sustainability in the fisheries sector applied not just to fish stocks, but to all aspects of the sector. The pavilion hosted individual companies as well as the associations that represent them for example, Conxemar for the processing and exporting sector and Anfaco for canning companies,
while the autonomous community pavilions host companies from their communities. The pavilions are also used by politicians to show their support for the fisheries sector (which employs some 56,000 people nationally), for example, the president of Galicia visited the Galician pavilion, and to meet the companies and hear their opinions in an informal setting.
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[ EVENTS ]
Polish pavilion Thirteen years after EU accession Poland has pavilion at SEG
F
or the first time ever Poland had a pavilion at the Seafood Expo Global representing the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, associations, as well as private industry. This historic event was commemorated by visits from Marek Grobarczyk, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Inland Navigation and Janusz Wrona, Director of the Fisheries Department. The pavilion hosted some 15 organisations altogether. While the pavilion was decorated with the ministry logo, the names and brands of the private
companies present were conspicuous by their absence. Monika Kolodziejczyk, a senior expert from the Fisheries Department in the ministry, explained that as the pavilion had support from the EMFF under a certain regulation any promotion efforts had to be for the industry as a whole and not for individual companies. Many of the private companies at the stand said they would like to be more visible and hoped that it would be possible next year. Poland has an important fish processing industry both in terms of
The chefs at the Polish pavilion get a hand from Marek Grobarczyk, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Inland Navigation.
turnover and employment. The Polish Association of Fish Processors estimates that the industry’s turnover in 2015 was just under EUR2.5bn (the fourth highest in Europe) and that it employed over 17,000 people. In the five years to 2015 exports have been increasing steadily and stood at about EUR1.6bn. Smoked products were responsible for 42% of the turnover in 2015 followed by frozen products at one fifth. Other important product categories are marinated, fresh, and preserved including canned. Polish processors tend to be large, over half have 250 or more employees, while nine tenths of the 250 processing facilities that constitute the industry have more than 50 employees. Most processing companies produce under private label for the international retail chains as well as under their own brands for the domestic market.
Janusz Wrona, Director of the Fisheries Department, visited the companies exhibiting at the Polish pavilion. 18
The Polish Association of Fish Processors was represented at the pavilion by Jaroslaw Zielinski, a member of the association board, who described the existence of the pavilion as a historical moment for the association. It was
something that was actively supported both by Marek Grobarczyk, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Inland Navigation, and the industry, says Mr Zielinksi. The industry has wanted a pavilion at the Brussels seafood show since 2004, when Poland joined the EU, so the pavilion this year represents the achievement of a long-held wish. Next year he is sure the pavilion will be even bigger as the association has over 60 members and many of them want to exhibit at SEG. Even those that traditionally have had their own stands at the show are interested in joining the pavilion as it makes economic and commercial sense to be part of a joint Polish stand. As Mr Zielinski says, many of the association’s member companies are owned by self-made people who keep a close eye on costs, particularly as margins in the processing business are wafer thin. Any activities that can be carried out more efficiently are always welcome. The association is a multi-branch organisation representing companies all along the value chain, from vessels, to processors, to sales and logistics companies, to retail shop owners. The wide range is also reflected in the size of the companies. Membership
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[ EVENTS ] includes giant companies as well as tiny family-owned affairs. The Polish processing industry’s reputation as high quality and cost efficiency has spread all over the world, says Mr Zielinski. Over the years, it has made huge progress in terms of the products it manufactures, the management of complex supply chains for highly perishable goods, sales and marketing, and the logistics of storage and delivery. However, as Poland becomes wealthier and its labour force more expensive, processors need to move further up the value chain manufacturing products with
higher value-added and relying less on contract processing and more on building their own brands. This is also happening, says Mr Zielinski, there are fewer and fewer companies that rely purely on manufacturing for private label. Most Polish processors today, says Mr Zielinski, and our members in particular, are producing under their own brand for the Polish and the international markets. The companies realise that things are changing, customer preferences, the market, competition from other countries, and from other products that can substitute fish, and they know that they too have to change and adapt.
International cuisine with a Polish twist The pavilion also had a chef to prepare samples of Polish cuisine using Polish raw materials. The food was freshly prepared in front of the onlookers and served to the public. Tomasz Krolikowski, the chef hired for the purpose, combined cooking abilities with a talent for showmanship to draw visitors to the stand. After 10 years working as a chef in London, he moved to Warsaw in 2013 to teach young people how to cook. At the pavilion, Mr Krolikowski used some seafood from the Baltic Sea, herring and prawns, and some freshwater species, sturgeon, sturgeon roe, zander to create dishes that he described as basic food that he brings a few levels up, by adding a twist. For example, a classic combination of strawberries, caviar, and champagne, he will change to strawberries, rhubarb, a vanilla sauce, chocolate mousse, and sturgeon caviar. The idea is to seek inspiration from all over, and to use Polish ingredients to execute it. The quality of the raw materials is fantastic, he says, and I want to keep the food relatively simple and let it speak for itself.
Italian pavilion Successfully promoting the taste and excellence of Italian seafood
T
he Italian pavilion at Seafood Expo Global has always been one of the highlights of the show. Elegantly designed, spacious and airy, with arguably the best restaurant of the entire show, the stand reflects the different Italian regions and their seafood specialities, culinary knowledge and traditions. In addition to private industry, the pavilion also hosted the fisheries administration in the form of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policies. Ricardo Rigillo, General Director, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Maritime Affairs Policies, was also showing his support for the industry. An agency called the Overseas Group was responsible for the design and construction of the stand. Filippo Bonifati from the agency said it was the first time his company had won the tender to build the pavilion. The main issue was to give enough and equal space to the different companies that would use the space, and to ensure that there were
areas that people can share, for example to taste samples, drink a glass of wine, or hold meetings, to create the effect of a community among the more than 60 different exhibitors at the pavilion. The overall message of the pavilion, said Mr Bonifati, is excellence and taste. The logo is a minimalist fish made with the Italian colours and a slogan underneath “Taste meets Excellence.” The idea of the stand was to have a space like the sea itself – the same body of water, but very different depending on the direction from which it is looked at. This impression was conveyed by the use of three shades of blue from the carpet to the walls. The space for the cooking and tasting of Italian seafood was also given a lot of prominence, to show the importance of these activities in the Italian context. The agency was responsible not only for the design, but also for the programme of activities at the pavilion, such as the
Ricardo Rigillo, General Director, Fisheries, Aquaculture and Maritime Affairs Policies, spent time at the Italian pavilion meeting exhibitors and showing his support for the industry.
regular cooking and tasting sessions. Italian foods, flavours, and tastes vary from region to region and the cooking sessions should reflect this. The chefs selected were from two different part of the country, one from Rome and the other from the north of Italy. The two worked together at the pavilion, but also gave the diners a taste of different areas of Italy. The pavilion represented almost all the Italian regions that had access to the sea, as well as
some like Lombardy, which have large lakes that also support a fishery. The response has been very positive, says Mr Bonifati, with lots of meetings between the participants at the stand and visitors from outside. In addition, the cooking shows have been very popular and successful at drawing people into the open space, where they have enjoyed the taste of the products. This was a very good way to market the taste and quality of our products. Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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Russian pavilion Russian catches may reach 5m tonnes in 2017
R
ussia was represented with a large national pavilion at the Seafood Expo Global. Individual Russian companies have always exhibited at the event, but this was only the second time that the country had a pavilion. Ilya Shestakhov, Head of the Federal Agency for Fishery, said at a press conference that Russian participation was even bigger this year. He drew a parallel with the Russian wild catch, which at 4.8m tonnes in 2016 was a 20-year record. This year (2017) catches were 3% higher in the first quarter than the corresponding period last year and Mr Shestakhov was hopeful that the year would end with an annual increase in the catch of 2-3%. In the Black Sea region, Krasnodar region, and the Crimea, mussels and oyster production had also gone up. The aquaculture sector too has contributed to the increase in overall production thanks in part to the public support the sector has received. In contrast, the salmon catch in the Russian Far East would be slightly lower than last year, he said, but still enough to cover both domestic demand and exports. The drop in the salmon catch has generated concerns about the impact of global warming, one of the topics that will be discussed in detail at an event in St. Petersburg, the Global Fishery Forum and Seafood Expo, from 14 to 16 September. The overall increase in catches is within sustainable limits as advice from scientists plays an important role in the determination of production targets. Russia has a sciencebased strategy for the fisheries sector to 2030 that foresees an increase in production. In the Barents Sea and the Norwegian Sea, Russia and Norway jointly manage stocks and Mr Shestakhov mentioned this as an excellent example of co-operation based on mutual respect for scientific 20
advice and on international standards for responsible fishing. The increase in fish and seafood production in Russia should be seen in the context of the policy of import substitution following the embargo on imports from the west. Russian seafood production both raw and processed now meets domestic demand, said Mr Shestakhov and is also largely able to substitute imports. These used to account for 40-50% of domestic consumption, but today this proportion is down to 25%. Norwegian salmon, for example, has partly been substituted by salmon from the Russian Far East, Russian catches of wild shrimp have increased, and in a couple of years he is confident that mussel production from the Black Sea will be sufficient for domestic needs. However, while production is increasing, consumption per capita
has declined slightly in Russia. Mr Shestakhov suggested a couple of reasons for this development, one being the increase in the production of chicken in Russia, a product which competes directly with fish, and the other was the fall in the value of the rouble which had made imported products more expensive. However, he was optimistic that consumption would increase again to about 22 kg per capita. Greater availability may also assist in boosting per capita consumption of fish and seafood. The bulk of Russian catches (about 70%) are in the Russian Far East from where they need to be transported to the densely populated western parts of the country, a distance of some 10,000 km. While rail should be the most obvious solution, obsolete rolling stock, high freight rates, and complicated rules for the transport of perishable goods are hindering the development of this sector. Mr Shestakhov said that the agency together with the railways had developed certain solutions that allowed
delivery of the fish from the Far East in 7-8 days as opposed to over three weeks before these solutions were implemented. As a result, railway freight had increased by 7% last year. Special facilities have been built in Moscow as well as in the port of Kamchatka to facilitate the logistics. One of the problems is that about half the refrigerated wagons used by the railways were built in Soviet times and are now obsolete and so maintaining the cool chain throughout the journey is a challenge. The government is therefore encouraging the use of refrigerated containers since these are the most practical way to transport fish whether by rail, road, or sea, as the cargo does not have to be taken in and out of the container. A project that has been launched together with the veterinary authorities embeds a sensor in the boxes with the fish that regularly records the temperature from the time the fish is loaded to the point it is unloaded. This will enable all those involved in shipping the product to monitor, whether the temperature has stayed within the prescribed limits.
Ilya Shestakhov, Head of the Russian Federal Agency for Fishery, at a press conference at Seafood Expo Global.
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[ EVENTS ] Mr Shestakhov also addressed the issue of discards, a topic particularly relevant in the EU context as countries implement the landing obligation in an attempt to eliminate the practice of discards. In Russia
fishing regulations impose an obligation on trawlers for example to change the area where they fish if too many undersized fish are being caught. This and other regulations governing the fisheries are enforced
by fisheries inspectors. Speaking about the potential for the snow crab fishery in the Barents Sea, an activity that has currently come to a standstill, Mr Shestakhov said that he saw bright prospects for trade
in this species. In 2016, following a precautionary approach, the Russian fleet caught 8,000 tonnes, but Russian scientists believe the resource will support a fishery of up to 30,000 tonnes a year.
The Russian fisheries and aquaculture industry at SEG
Seeking to export value-added items The design and construction of the Russian pavilion was managed by a private company, ESG Expo, that works closely with the Federal Agency for Fishery. The Russian pavilion at SEG was an imposing affair decorated in the red, white, and blue of the Russian flag. We wanted to convey the size and importance of the Russian fisheries sector and the Russian Federation, when we built this, says Ivan Fetisov, managing director of ESG Expo. But it should perhaps have been more open with greater use of air and space to convey the message that the Russian fisheries sector is open to collaboration with companies from other countries, to forge partnerships with the international fishing, farming and processing community that will be mutually beneficial. This year, we open the largest seafood event in Russia - Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo, which will be held in St. Petersburg on 14-16 September 2017. For the first time Russia will host the global fisheries and related industries. Official delegations from more than 50 countries have been invited to participate in the forum. About 200 leading Russian and foreign companies will have stands in the exhibition, which occupies an area of more than 10 thousand square meters. The companies represent fishing, fish-breeding and processing organizations, shipbuilding enterprises, manufacturers of equipment and related materials, logistic, trade and others. The largest companies from Denmark, China, Belgium, Sweden,
Iceland, Spain, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Germany, the UK and other countries will present products, advanced technologies and equipment for the fishing industry. They will include Alpha Laval, Yanmar, Baader, Nantong, Optimar, Simrad, Arkhangelsk Trawl Fleet, Magadanryba, Russian Fishery Company, and Sigma Marin Technology among others. Compared with the Russian pavilion a few years ago at the SEG, this year the Russian presence is significantly bigger. In terms of the number of companies this has doubled from 10 to 20. We have a huge fishing industry says Mr Fetisov, and we want to try and bring as many companies as possible to shows like this. Each time we try to involve different companies that have not participated before and that can represent some of the diversity in terms of products and species that Russia can offer. While the trade embargo has hit western exports of certain kinds of fishery products to Russia, exports from Russia have stayed fairly stable, according to Mr Fetisov. Part of the reason for our presence here is to find ways to export less raw material and more value-added products, he says, such as smoked items, conserves, and caviar, and to find a way to the end consumer that eliminates middlemen as far as possible. We are also looking for products from Asia and Latin America that are not produced in Russia, for example, tuna, which is a very popular product in Russia, shrimps and crab.
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[ EVENTS ]
Steen focuses on skinning machinery A winning combination of service and quality
A
Belgian manufacturer of processing machinery for the fish and poultry sector, Steen has existed since 1960. The company started out making skinning machinery, but over the years has added other machines to its range including descalers and deboners. However, skinning equipment is still the most important part of its business with several machines of different capabilities in this product category. The company sells its equipment not only to big processors of marine fish, but has established itself among companies processing smaller volumes or freshwater fish, that is sourced, for example, from the large freshwater lakes in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. That said, the company has also built and exported big machines, such as automatic skinners, to
customers in the UK, USA, and Canada. Steen exports its machines to several different markets which, according to Laurenz Seesing, an executive with the company, tend to be focused on different products, for example on whitefish (Canada) or on tilapia, or on defrosted fish (China). And machines are made for customers with all kinds of production volumes, small, medium, or large. They are suitable for small fishmongers as well as industrial scale processors. The company adapts its machines to exactly suit the customer’s requirements. A processor looking for greater yield will have his machine tooled one way, while one interested in a better appearance for the product will have a different set up. This personalised service extends to relatively minor conveniences as well. For example, a longer cable for a pinboning machine
Laurenz Seesing and one of Steen’s bestselling machines, the ST700, which can be dismantled without tools, cleaned, and put back together again.
to increase the distance between the machine and the operator, or a height-adjustable table – small things in themselves but they can mean a lot to a client. On the other hand, the feedback from the client is vital for the company as it enables them to improve their products for the benefit of all their customers. The closer we are to the client the better it is, says Mr Seesing, their feedback is a gift. As a small company (about 20 employees) the staff are in direct contact with many of their customers and a close
relationship is maintained before, during, and after a sale. Steen does a lot of sales and distribution through agents. In countries with very different histories and traditions, a dealer that knows the language and the culture can get closer to the client then Steen itself. Today more sales are outside Europe than within, and the most interesting market is China, which is big and growing rapidly, and where the company was at two trade shows last year.
Betafish understands the Estonian processing industry Carving a niche between seller and processor
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arianna Tamm, managing director of Betafish, an Estonian company, has a dream. She wants to produce a range of fish products using retro recipes from the 1930s and 1940s as the template. She feels there may be a market for these products among people who recall with nostalgia the food their parents prepared. For the moment, however, her dream is on hold. The professional food technologist is at the Seafood Expo Global to
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drum up business for her company. Betafish was established in 2009 and functions as a classic middle man. It signs contracts with customers and then has independent processing companies to execute the contract. Betafish is responsible for ensuring the proper execution of the contract, that it conforms to the specifications laid out in the agreement, is of the right quality, and is delivered on time. Ms Tamm also takes care of the raw material needed for the contract,
Marianna Tamm, managing director of Betafish, a company that links sellers with processors.
sourcing it from local suppliers and then delivering it to the processors. Here too her expertise as a food technologist is invaluable as she can professionally evaluate the raw material ensuring that it is appropriate for the job in hand.
In her role as a facilitator Ms Tamm has scored several international contracts, among others for retail chains in Hong Kong and mainland China as well as in the Caucasus. To east Asia she has supplied canned and vacuum packaged products, while
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[ Events ] to Azerbaijan and Georgia, it was freshwater bream. The role she fulfils allow customers to specify what product they want and what the specifications should be. Ms Tamm could also be involved in these decisions as she knows what her partners in the processing sector
are capable of, and can make suggestions that would perhaps make it easier to execute the order. Once the specifications have been decided she can take them to her processing contacts and discuss how the order might be fulfilled as she has the qualifications for this. For a customer
negotiating with Betafish may be easier than directly with a processing company, for whom an order may be too small, too complicated, or badly timed. Betafish knows exactly which processor is likely to be able to handle what kind of order, saving time and effort for all concerned.
The company deals primarily in frozen products based on Estonian raw material, bream, perch, sprat, herring etc., as well as trout from Finland and salmon from Norway. These are the species she is very familiar with and will also be the ones that she will use in her retro recipes, whenever that idea fructifies.
Romanian fishing association exhibits at SEG Delicacies from the Danube delta
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o-Pescador is the name of the Romanian fishing vessels ship owners association. Based in Tulcea close to the Danube Delta Ro-Pescador is headed by D aniel Buhai, the owner of a fishing and processing company Miadmar. RoPescador as represented by Mr Buhai was sharing the Eurofish stand at the Brussels seafood show and Mr Buhai had brought several of his products to exhibit. These included traditional Romanian products such as a salad made with pike and carp roe, marinated rapana (a marine snail), and marinated Black Sea sprats. The rapana and sprats are caught by the company’s own vessels in the Black Sea, other fish, such as Atlantic mackerel, is imported,. The pike roe salad is a completely natural product
with no additives or preservatives and the eggs coming from pike that the company catches in the Danube. The marinated sprats which are typically from the Black Sea, but also occasionally imported from the Baltic, are made by placing the headed and gutted sprats in a marinade of salt, wine and vinegar for a minimum of 16 hours, says Lydia, Miadmar’s head of production. The rapana are cooked, the meat is removed, and is then placed in a marinade. For the rapana there are two types of marinate, one with oil and garlic and another that is spicy. The company has some cold smoked products as well, silver carp and shad. The former is sourced from pond farmers, while the latter are caught by other vessels in the association and sold to Miadmar. The
Daniel Buhai, the head of Ro-Pescador, the Romanian fishing vessels ship owners association, his wife, the marketing manager in Miadmar, and his daughter, who is doing an internship.
cold smoked shad has been submitted as a candidate for Protected Geographical Indication status and the application is currently being processed. For the moment these products are only for sale in Romania, where they can be found in many of the big retail chains. Miadmar has its own brand, Deltaica, which is used for products that it sells in its own shop in Tulca. The company also has a distributor in Bucharest, who
Abramczyk products are all additive-free
Keeepepititcoforl,esh k
Frozen fish and seafood for the European market
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he Abramczyk company is one of Poland’s leading processors of fish and seafood producing a vast assortment of frozen items from raw materials that are imported from around the world. The company’s main market with four fifths of the share of sales is the domestic one, remainder is
from export markets, most of which are other countries in the EU. The source of the company’s raw materials depends on the product. China, Viet Nam, Chile, Argentina, USA are some of the countries supplying the company with its requirements, says Hanna Jedryczka-Majchrzak, the export manager. On occasion
INTER FRESH CONCEPTS BV. info@icepackxl.nl Tel.:+31252340687
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places the products in small retail stores, where too the Deltaica brand is used. However, the brand covers only a small proportion of the total sales. Production sold to the supermarkets, which makes up the bulk of sales, is usually under private label. In addition to the products Miadmar brought to the show, it also has a line of frozen products, which it exports mainly to Hungary. These include bream, and Prussian carp.
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[ EVENTS ] the company also buys from other parts of Europe, but that is chiefly in emergency situations, for example, if a consignment is delayed or if something is required at short notice. The company produces mainly frozen fillets, so Alaska pollock, hoki, hake, and dab (limanda) are among the most imported fish species. In addition, Abramczyk also has a line of shrimps and seafood cocktails. Sales are primarily through two channels, bulk packaged for big distributors, and retail packaged goods for supermarkets. Sales to these two customer groups are more or less evenly split. The company’s products can be found in all retail chains in Poland and in many of the supermarkets abroad.
Abramczyk has seven production lines for processing with a capacity of 120 tonnes per day. Production takes the form of adding a glaze to the product to protect it from dehydration, however, most of the value-addition that the company does is repackaging for bulk and for retail. The products, particularly in Poland, are sold under the company’s own brand, but production is also for private label. The company has been on the market for over 20 years now and has promoted itself as one that uses no chemical additives in its products. Products under our brand are completely natural, says Ms Jedryczka-Majchrzak, and this is something that the market has come to realise. In the longer
The staff from Abramczyk attending the SEG. From left Stanisław Łuciw, Urszula Poliwka, Nikoletta Sztupecka, Hanna JędryczkaMajchrzak, and Joanna Kosakowska
term, greater value addition is something that is on the cards and the company has several ideas in play, including one using refreshed products. Ms Jedryczka-Majchrzak
acknowledges that without constant new offerings and developments in the product range the company will not be able to maintain its position on the market.
With the consumer portal ggn.org GLOBALG.A.P. offers a direct link from consumer to producer Informing consumers about what they eat
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rowing environmental consciousness among consumers worldwide prompted GLOBALG.A.P. to introduce a GGN label for aquaculture products. GGN stands for a thirteenfigure identification number by which all certified participants in the production and supply chain can be recognized. Fish farmers with this number can identify themselves as participants in the independent certification procedure in accordance with the GLOBALG.A.P. standard. Any visitor to GGN.org can find out who has produced a particular end product and which farm it was bred on. This direct link between the consumer and the original producer forms the basis of a chain of trust in food production.
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One year after introducing the GLOBALG.A.P. consumer label for fish and seafood from certified aquaculture, 31 farm profiles are now online. They represent ten labelled aquaculture products available on the market. In April, the German retailer Globus introduced the first salmon on ice with the GGN label, sourced from the Scottish Salmon Company, which last year became the first salmon producer in the UK to secure full GGN licensing. According to Craig Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of the Scottish Salmon Company, provenance and traceability are of growing importance to consumers and are paramount for the company’s business. GGN certification provides even further reassurance of the premium
GLOBALG.A.P. now provides information about the seafood products it certifies so that consumers can find out the producer and the farm it was cultivated on.
quality of Scottish salmon to customers and consumers. “While GLOBALG.A.P. Certification is already a sourcing requirement for our fresh seafood department, the GGN label and portal offers our consumers an additional source for information,” says Juergen Pauly, seafood buyer at Globus. Available products with GGN label are listed with pack shots on the www.ggn.org website. New licenses
are added every month, building up the pipeline of new products that will be available soon. A special newsletter for parties interested in B2B announces new listings. “We are very pleased with the first experience and progress of new products introduced with the GGN label,” said Kristian Moeller, CEO of GLOBALG.A.P. “With our market presence in Germany, we are now ready to start our B2C social media activities to support our partners.”
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[ EVENTS ] The US overtakes Europe to become the world’s biggest market for seafood
Everything’s growing at the Boston seafood show The U.S. market for seafood, one of the world’s largest, is growing. Imports are up (making the USA the world’s largest seafood importer), exports are trending up, production (of most things) is rising, and U.S. seafood consumption is up. Everything’s up, including record-setting industry attendance at this year’s Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, the largest seafood trade show in the western hemisphere, which was held March 19-21, in Boston, Massachusetts.
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he U.S. is the world’s largest net importer of seafood, with imports of $18.8 billion in 2015 (the latest available year) outpacing exports of $5.6 billion, for a trade deficit of over $13 billion. U.S. edible seafood supply (domestic landings plus imports minus exports, adjusted to round-weight equivalent) in 2015 totalled nearly 12 billion pounds (5.4m tonnes), of which 5.7 billion pounds (48 percent) was imported. U.S. per capita consumption of seafood averaged 21.4 kg (round-weight equivalent) per year during 2011-13, compared with 19.4 kg average for the world. The biennial exposition, informally known by its old name, the Boston Seafood Show, attracted 1,200 exhibitors from over 50 countries and many thousands of visitors from around the globe. Exhibitors displayed nearly every type of seafood product and every seafood market category, including retail, restaurant, catering, foodservice and processing, with thousands of seafood products, manufacturing equipment, and transport, logistical, and other industry services showcased.
Exhibitors from around the world Seafood industries from all around the world were well represented at
country pavilions throughout the expo’s huge halls. At the Turkish national pavilion, for example, several companies presented their latest products and met large numbers of current and prospective wholesale or retail clients from the U.S. and other countries. Ms Bahar Cengiz Ozmen, Export Director at Kilic, a leading supplier of sea bream and sea bass, said that the U.S. market is really attractive for Turkey – especially seabass consumption, which is growing day by day. Every year Turkey attends (the Boston expo) with more companies because we are beginning to co-operate with US firms and because we would like to serve consumers. So far we are shipping fresh fish by air, delivering it on the 2nd or 3rd day of the shelf life, which will enable us to increase sales. Kilic is also expanding elsewhere in the Americas, such as in the Dominican Republic, where production can satisfy local demand as well as create easier access to the U.S. market. It helps companies to attend shows in both Europe and North America because suppliers can better understand what customers want. Both groups of customers [U.S. and European] have similar preferences, said Kilic’s Bahar Cengiz Ozmen. You need to take care of the sustainability, and
Seafood Expo North America attracted 1,200 exhibitors from over 50 countries and many thousands of visitors from around the globe.
you need to be careful about fish quality and freshness.
Fresh and frozen fillets popular in the US
fillets is increasing rapidly and is true not only for fresh, but also for frozen fish markets. In the supermarkets you can see lots of brands of fish fillets.
In the US market the share of frozen fish is higher because of the long transportation time, and frozen fish has high potential. Our fish is meant for sophisticated consumers and their expectations are always high – they push companies to make products of higher quality. Fish fillets, continued Ms Ozmen, are becoming more and more popular both in US and in Europe, but in the US, especially in the restaurants people prefer to have fillets, as they don’t like to deal with the bones. The demand for
At another European national pavilion, this one representing Denmark, firms were also enthusiastic about the North American market. Martin Winkel, Head of Group at Danish Fish Tech Group, explained that his network has close to 90 member companies from Denmark, focusing on the fishing, aquaculture and processing industries. It is the second time we are organizing a Pavilion of Denmark in Boston. We also had a pavilion last year and this year more companies joined us at SPNA. The potential for growth in Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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[ EVENTS ] the market for processing technology is exciting to Martin Winkel, who feels there is a lot of interest for Danish technology in North America. The Danes are looking intensively at the North American Market – both the USA and Canada. Much is happening in Seattle right now, said Mr Winkel, and we are looking at how we can introduce Danish companies to that region of the U.S. as well. We are also looking more intensively at Canada as a country both for fishing and for aquaculture. This optimism for U.S. growth was echoed by another European technology supplier, Jon Pallson, vice president sales and marketing, of WiseFish, an Icelandbased supplier of software for the seafood industry. WiseFish products include software used in a wide array of applications, from quota management to bar coding, traceability and control, and trade data for traders and brokers.
Strong dollar benefits seafood consumers Visiting from somewhat closer to home was the pavilion of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), whose mission, according to ASMI’s international marketing specialist Megan Rider, is to promote seafood from Alaska both abroad and domestically and increase the value. We work on behalf of the state of Alaska as the industry’s official marketing arm. It is a really good mix of people here at the show, from Europe, from Asia, and I’m seeing more Americans than at any other show. Of course, the dollar is so high now that the strong market for us is the United States. No international seafood expo is complete without JETRO, the Japan External Trade Organisation, whose members include some of 26
the largest seafood companies in the world. This year said Ms. Naoko Hojo, Chief Director, JETRO Yokohama we are promoting Japanese raw fish. It is very traditional for Japan to eat raw fish and we try to promote it, and we think that yellowtail (Japanese amberjack) has the biggest potential. But of course, we have a lot more products and we want to promote them too. U.S. market conditions are a natural topic for Seafood Expo North America. This year there were over 20 conference sessions on topics such as U.S. import requirements for seafood, product traceability, seafood safety and compliance, and the growing issue of fish stock sustainability and related effects of seafood production and consumption.
New US regulation to protect marine mammals The U.S. fish agency NOAA chaired a session on U.S. import regulations, which focused on the Marine Mammal Protection Act import rule that became effective on 1 January 2017. Under the rule, U.S. imports of fish and seafood are banned from any country which does not have bycatch/mortality standards equal in effectiveness to U.S. standards. The ban applies to the species for which a given standard is implemented (e.g., tuna species harvested in a manner that threatens dolphins). Although effective this year, the rule allows a five-year grace period for foreign countries to develop and put in place a satisfactory standard to protect marine mammals. The import ban in many instances may not be very sweeping – in fact it can be as narrowly confined to the offending species, the location in a country’s waters it is caught, the gear type, and for aquaculture facilities, the name of the farm. A
country’s marine mammal protection plan does not have to mirror the U.S. plan, but it must have the same effectiveness, as measured/ estimated by the foreign country and verified by the U.S. government. Many countries’ plans have already been approved by NOAA, which will issue a list of countries from which it is still seeking additional information. More information is available from NOAA at www.iuufishing.noaa.gov. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN chaired another panel session at the Boston expo, on sustainability. By 2050 there will be 9.7 billion mouths to feed, and sustainable aquaculture will be a major part of supply. Increasingly, consumers are concerned about seafood sustainability and are asking questions about it. It is government’s responsibility to manage fisheries, said panel member John Connelly of the U.S. National Fisheries Institute, but it is industry’s responsibility to work with government to “get the message out” to consumers that their seafood comes from well-managed and sustainable sources. John Henderschedt, director of NOAA’s Office of International Affairs and Seafood Inspection, agreed that government can be (1) “informative” with information to the public regarding sustainable fisheries, (2) “accommodative” with regulatory frameworks joining sustainability with market conditions, and (3) “restrictive” in the sense of limiting imports of IUU fish and seafood that competes unfairly with appropriately run sectors of the seafood industry. Niklas Wehner of German Development Agency pointed to the work by the UN, Global Goals for Sustainable Development, and Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative as examples where industry, government, and international organizations work together to solve these challenges.
Marine plants have huge potential to solve multiple challenges Seaweed aficionados found many questions addressed at another panel session on “Sea Greens: A sustainable nutritional solution to a global problem.” Representatives from kelp sea farms, NOAA, and the Bigelow Lab offered their expertise and encouragement in this potentially vast future source of food and other products and contributions to environmental health. Sea greens – the many forms and types of underwater flora around the world – are an underutilized, unappreciated source of food, feed, and ingredients in a surprisingly broad array of products, from skin care to garden soil enhancers to furniture. But perhaps more important than improved skin cream is the contribution that sea green culture, widely applied, provides to nearby aquaculture operations by cleansing the water, and less visibly but more globally, by offsetting ocean acidification created by climate change. Sea greens are a great food source from which we can get more omega-3, calcium, phosphorus, iodine, and other important nutrients, as well as a significant environmental benefit. Finally, this year’s Boston exposition included the always popular oyster-shucking contest (grand prize: $700!), and a keynote session featuring a panel of famous chefs who offered many of their culinary secrets. In all, this year’s Seafood Expo North America and Seafood Processing North America once again proved an essential event for industry officials, government agencies, academics, NGOs, and the general public to share and gather information and business contacts in the growing North American seafood market.
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[ EVENTS ] Fish Congress, 30-31 March 2017, Sopot, Poland
Higher added-value is the way forward for Polish processors The Polish fish industry’s signature event, the Fish Congress, gathered over 300 participants when the fourth edition was held in Sopot this year.
The Fish Congress in Sopot focused on the future of the Polish fish processing industry, one of the biggest in Europe, and an important source of export earnings and employment.
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he Fish Congress was supported by the Polish Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Inland Navigation and by Eurofish International Organisation, and was organized by the Polish Fish Market Development Association in Gdynia in cooperation with the National Marine Fisheries Research Institute and the West Pomeranian University of Technology. Opened by Tomasz Kulikowski, the editor of Fish Industry Magazine and Chairman of the Fish Market Development Association, the programme included a wide range of themes related to fish processing technology, the future of aquaculture, marketing and promotion, sustainable
fisheries and certification, and supported by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
The future of animal protein is farmed fish The programme focused on the future of the fish processing and aquaculture industries. In addition to those two thematic sessions, the plenary session featured ministerial speeches and provided a summary of the Polish fish market. Jacek Juchniewicz, Aller Aqua, described why consumers should continue to support aquaculture and choose more fish products as possible alternative to other sources
of protein. In view of the growing population, limited space for agriculture, and high energy prices, it is increasingly important to use the available resources effectively, and farmed fish is the most sustainable solution. Ekaterina Tribilustova, Eurofish International Organisation, presented an overview of fish trade and consumer trends on the European market, the largest in the world with over 510 million inhabitants and an average annual consumption of nearly 25 kg per capita. Poland is an important fish trading and processing market with 4 of the total European trade flow in 2016. Global consumer trends such as interest in more sustainable and
healthier food and the challenge of increasing the level of fish consumption are also reflected on the Polish market. The discussions on rising raw material prices, labour market issues, the need to create higher added-value, and to tailor products to consumers’ expectations, were well received by the audience. Closing the conference Tomasz Kulikowski said the goal for the next edition was to internationalise the event and also to create a forum for fish processors from other Central European countries. The next Fish Congress will take place in April 2018. Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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[ EVENTS ] North Atlantic Seafood Forum, 7-9 March, Bergen
Reducing waste between production and consumption Now in its 12th year, the North Atlantic Seafood Forum has established itself as the leading executive meeting place for the seafood industry. The event represents the largest network platform for the companies, providing valuable links between cutting edge innovation, trade, market insights and development, research and policy, technology and finance.
The North Atlantic Seafood Forum was again this year a richly-informative event with experts addressing current issues of relevance to the fisheries sector in the region.
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“green shift” to sustainable production, Brexit, and China were the key topics of the first day of the conference. Per Sandberg, Minister of Fisheries of Norway, presented an outlook of the Norwegian fisheries and seafood sector highlighting two main challenges: increase of sustainable production and decrease of waste between production and consumption. “…we need to think about new ways of 28
harvesting and the new ways of processing seafood…,” he said.
Norway regards China, Iran as markets with vast potential The importance of international trade and its challenges in the past years were mentioned with examples of the Russian and Chinese markets. While Mr Sandberg expressed optimism about the
re-opening of the Russian market, he noted a thaw in the relationship with China. Political normalisation between Norway and China has started, and Chinese diplomats met with the Norwegian Seafood Council this spring. Another big potential market for Norwegian seafood and technology that was mentioned is Iran. New market opportunities on the growing Chinese market
were discussed by Asbjørn Warvik Rørtveit, Director of Market Insight and Market Access, Norwegian Seafood Council. Economic growth and the new middle class are the driving forces transforming the nation and the structure of consumer preferences for seafood. The share of middle class is increasing in inland China, and will take a larger part of the growth. The number of relevant consumers and their purchasing power is
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[ EVENTS ] on the rise, since greater prosperity leads to a higher share of income used for seafood. Chinese seafood consumption is driven by luxury, food safety and e-commerce. Food safety is regarded as key due to the high degree of scepticism towards domestically produced food. Several food scandals in recent years have paved the way for imported food, and reinforced the impression that imported food is of higher quality than Chinese food. Environmentally-friendly production is becoming more important for consumers in China, especially in comparison with other East Asian countries, including Hong Kong, Japan and Korea. A curious fact is also that Chinese consumers choose online supermarkets for buying imported food most often compared to other sales channels, such as international hypermarket and supermarket, convenience store, national hypermarket and supermarket and other channels. In addition, wealthier Chinese consumers are getting more familiar with frozen food highlighting the factors of convenience (ready to use and easy to store at home), wide selection of available frozen products, higher safety and trust for frozen versus fresh products as the key reasons for their choice. “In 2025 we expect the Chinese middle class to have tripled”, said Asbjørn Rørtveit, stressing new opportunities for seafood on this giant market.
Will UK fishers regain control of their waters? The impact of Brexit and fisheries on international trade was a hot topic that several speakers addressed. According to Emiko Tarazono, Financial Times, fisheries is ranked as medium on the scale of the UK Brexit negotiation priorities together with electronics, chemicals and furniture, while banking, pharmaceuticals,
aerospace, automotive, insurance and food and drink industries are mentioned as high priority. Since 92 of the fishermen voted for Brexit, access to resources versus access to markets is one of the main issues in the upcoming negotiations. The best-case scenario would imply no increase in quotas and keeping preferential tariffs, whereas other outcomes would bring changing fishing quotas and increases in tariffs.
Industry needs to rethink product packaging Innovation in product packaging, sustainable sourcing of seafood, and delivery methods were the main trends in the retail sector discussed during the NASF retail panel on seafood category expansion. Andrew Streeter, a consultant from the UK, spoke about product packaging and the need for the seafood industry to have a newer look at the presentation of products and product placement in the retail stores. He made comparisons with the meat sector providing case studies from France and Japan. For example, many meat products in the frozen sector had a non-transparent package with a colourful picture of how that meat product would look after the preparation. “When French consumers buy meat, they cannot see how it looks like immediately. Instead, they can imagine how it will look like when it is cooked. Why don’t we have more examples of those life style driven packaging advantage in the frozen fish and seafood assortment,” asked Streeter. He also pointed out that assortment of ready meals in retail outlets often did not distinguish meat from fish dishes, all products were placed together. The panel discussions on the strategies of retailers and producers included the latest concepts from
several companies. Metro Cash & Carry introduced its Group Sourcing Strategy and Fish Sustainability Programme. The Fish Sustainability Target implies that 80 of the target species in the retail group will be certified by 2020 by one of the following certification standards: Aquaculture Stewardship Council, European Organic Certification, Friend of the Sea, Global Aquaculture Alliance – Best Aquaculture Practices, Global GAP, or Marine Stewardship Council, or any other certification standard which has been recognized by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative.
Polypropylene boxes are better for the fish and the environment The Fish Sustainability Target includes 12 species, which are responsible for nearly 70 of the fish turnover and over 65 of the total weight. The species are tuna, salmon, trout, pollock, cod, seabass, seabream, pangasius, common mussels, scallop, lobster and shrimp. An example of the Fish Sustainability Programme in packaging was the case of packaging fish in polypropylene boxes. Since
2015, all wild fish processed in Metro’s partner factories are packaged in polypropylene boxes, which are now developed locally by countries for local supply. The boxes are 100 recyclable, lightweight and hygienic and use up to 30 less space than conventional boxes, saving transport costs, and requiring less storage space. Optimisation of sales channels by Deutsche See involved digitalizing fish sales and modifying traditions. The avant-garde approach to renew traditions included the need to invest in building trust, which should over time translate into greater sales. Service is regarded as a part of the product the company sells, and will be an important component of online sales in the form of customer support and rapid delivery. These were just an excerpt from some of the topics that were discussed by the retail panel. More information about other sessions at the conference will be published in the next edition of the Eurofish Magazine. Ekaterina Tribilustova, ekaterina. tribilustova@eurofish.dk
NASF sets attendance record – again This year the North Atlantic Seafood Forum, the world’s largest business and investor conference, gathered over 900 participants from 35 countries and 350 companies in Bergen, the seafood capital of Norway. The event was organized by Jorgen Lund, Managing Director of NASF, Pareto Security AS, Norwegian Center of Expertise, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and United Nations Industrial Development Organization, in cooperation with Norwegian Seafood Council, European Fish Processors and Traders Association, Marine Stewardship Council and other partners. Over the three days of the conference around 100 speakers spoke at 10 sessions, including the Seafood Innovation Day, International trade and policy session, NASF retail panel, Global salmon summit, Whitefish summit, Pelagic industry summit, NASF/MSC sustainability seminar, NASF/ICWPF/NSC Atlantic prawn, shellfish, lobster and crab seminar, and the Pareto investor finance seminar.
Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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LITHUANIA
New government brings fresh approach to fisheries and aquaculture policy
Balancing capacity with resources for greater profitability The fisheries sector in Lithuania can boast of a fleet split into four segments, high seas, Baltic Sea, coastal, and inland; an active processing sector producing a variety of products for domestic consumption and for export; and an aquaculture industry that stretches from traditional pond farming to the latest in recirculation aquaculture systems. Administering this diversity is the Ministry of Agriculture which, since a new government was formed late last year, is headed by Bronius Markauskas from the Lithuanian Peasant and Greens Union, an agrarian party. In this interview, Artu-ras Bogdanovas, Vice Minister, outlines the policy priorities in the fisheries administration under the new political dispensation. The Lithuanian government is dominated by a farmers’ party. What impact will this come to have on the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Lithuania? What are the government’s priorities in this field? To distinguish itself from its predecessor, the current Lithuanian government calls itself the “changes government”. This does not mean that policies initiated by the previous government will be abandoned and all activities will now start from scratch. There is, however, a distinctly new approach, for example, regarding the FLAGs, or the fishing port at Šventoji. The main task of this government is the design and implementation of effective fisheries policy in Lithuania. I would like to name four main priorities: − Development and establishment of competitive fisheries companies. We would also like to see the production of fishmeal based on domestic sources of raw material. For this we will encourage private sector initiatives which can count on support from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF). − Balance between fleet capacities and fishing possibilities to 30
Artu-ras Bogdanovas, Vice Minister, Ministry of Agriculture, Republic of Lithuania
ensure the profitability of each segment of the fleet as well as making sure that allocation of fishing quotas is based on transparent and objective criteria and including environmental, and socio-economic indicators; − Growth of the fisheries local action groups as well as increasing their employment. In this regard, this government
is reviewing FLAGS’ strategies, their geographic distribution and the regions they cover, and increasing the financing. − This government is committed to take active actions to create an operative, small and effective port in Šventoji as demanded by our fishermen, which would be suitable for fisheries, tourism, and recreational uses. We
want to ensure that this port starts operating soon and both public and private investments will be used for creating and modernising the infrastructure. In addition, we foresee that the governing board of the port will also include social partners. Fishermen today need to focus ever more on getting the most
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LITHUANIA
value from their catch as this has benefits for their economies and for the environment. Adding value starts from the moment the catch is landed on board the vessel and continues all the way along the value chain. How can fishermen be encouraged to treat the fish to maximise value? Firstly, I would like to mention that added value can be created by offering not only freshly-caught fish, but also fresh fillets, or fresh and prepared in other ways that will make it more attractive to consumers. It is also important to have a long-term strategy for the fishing companies. Lithuania introduced a transferable quota system in 2016, which allows the industry to better plan the business for the long term. Initially the right to a proportion of the national TAC (total allowable catch) will be allocated for three years, but in future we are looking at allocating this right for 15 years. I think that the role of producer organisations, of which Lithuania has three, is also important in creating added value thanks to the production and marketing plans that they draw up for their members. And I expect their role to increase in the future. The government also supports creating added value by providing possibilities for support through the EMFF. The landing obligation will be phased in by 2019 to cover all species and all fisheries across the EU. It is expected to end the practice of discarding, but will result in fish being landed that cannot be sold on conventional markets. What do you estimate is the current volume of discards in the Lithuanian fisheries and how do you expect
discards to be dealt with after being landed? The landing obligation in the Baltic Sea has been in force since 2015. It was the first sea basin in the EU to implement this requirement, so we already have some experience with this issue. I would like to mention that the volume of discards in the Baltic Sea is relatively small and high seas fishermen also have not reported any problems concerning this matter. However, at the EU level fishermen are facing the problem of catching as by-catch fish, for which quota is not even allocated to Member States (so called choke species). In this regard, we could face difficulties fishing cod in the Baltic Sea and catching as by-catch plaice, for which Lithuania does not have a quota. So even a little by-catch of this fish species would cause problems for Lithuanian fishermen in the Baltic Sea. A possible solution could be that the European Commission sets a nonallocated quota for use by the Member States that do not have quotas for these species, a possibility that is currently being discussed by the Member States and the European Commission. The Common Fisheries Policy has introduced the idea of regionalisation as a way of customising policy to the needs of a group of nations or of a sea basin. How has this approach worked in practice? Do you feel that policy is better able to consider regional specificities? Can you illustrate this with an example? When speaking about regionalization, firstly, I would like to mention the Baltfish regional forum, which gathers together all eight EU Member States around
the Baltic Sea. I would state that this regional forum is the most successful among similar regional forums in the EU. It has shown a striking ability to reach a common position on important EU agenda items. Baltfish was established in 2009, even before the EU Common Fisheries Policy was reformed, came into force, and the important issue of regionalization was foreseen. What is more, Baltfish had already provided its opinion on the landing obligation mentioned above, but also on the multiannual plan for stocks of cod, herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea, as well as other proposals for EU legislation. Baltfish actively cooperates with other regional organisation, such as the Baltic Sea Advisory Council and, to tell the truth, is a good example of best practice in the field of regionalisation. Every year under this collaboration Baltfish submits a compromise proposal to EU institutions on the fishing possibilities in the Baltic Sea for the next year and based on this compromise the final decision is adopted in the EU Council. Other examples of our regional cooperation are the joint recommendation on the discard plan, and now we are working on technical measures. Although Baltfish was established initially to deal with fishermen’s problems such as TACs and quotas, the landing obligation, discard ban etc., now we are moving to include EMFF issues such as the implementation of the EMFF in the countries. Regionalisation is very useful as it takes into account regional specificities, which are not addressed specifically in the EU-wide policy framework. The Lithuanian high seas fleet fishes in several parts of the world, but the bulk of the
catches have been from the Mauritanian and Moroccan EEZs. Now however, four vessels are targeting snow crabs in the Barents Sea. Is Lithuanian interest in the EU’s Fisheries Partnership Agreements with countries like Mauritania and Morocco diminishing? Firstly, I would like to say that there are different segments of the high seas fisheries. Besides, the fisheries you have mentioned, Lithuanian high seas fishing vessels are also fishing shrimps and have fishing possibilities in the waters regulated by the regional fisheries management organisations - NAFO, NEAFC and SPRFMO. For example, in the SPRFMO Lithuanian vessels have a quota of five thousand five hundred tonnes of jack mackerel. Secondly, Lithuanian vessels fishing pelagic species in the waters of Morocco and Mauritania are capable of catching more and performing more intensive fisheries activities. Lithuania has informed the EU institutions that is interested in the other fishing possibilities under bilateral agreements, should such a possibility arise. As far as the snow crab fishery is concerned, it is a difficult issue. Lithuania’s fishing vessels were the first in this type of fishery. Interest in this kind of fishery would increase, but unfortunately due to different interpretations of international law, the perspectives and future of this fishery is unclear. The EMFF supports the development and diversification of the European aquaculture sector. Yet in Lithuania production is still dominated by carps. Do you see this changing soon with different species and improved Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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returns on investment reshaping the domestic aquaculture industry? We already see that carp’s dominant role in aquaculture production is decreasing. In recent years carp production has decreased from 90 to 80 of the overall amount of aquaculture production. I think that the form of presentation to the consumer should also change and greater variety
should be proposed. We invest a lot in the aquaculture sector, one third of the total amount of support from the EMFF in Lithuania is allocated to aquaculture. We already see some positive results – more and more fish is grown in closed recirculation systems. There are currently 26 closed recirculation system companies offering consumers catfish, trout, eel, sturgeon and products made from these fish.
How does Lithuania seek to increase visibility of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, promote seafood products, and create awareness about the health benefits of increased seafood consumption, among the population, to increase the consumption of fish? Unfortunately, Lithuanians do not consume a lot fish and fish products, therefore we are thinking of
educating the young generation and inculcating in them the habits of a healthy diet. The ministry has real projects pending on promoting and increasing the consumption of the fish products. I think that producers should also show their interest in increasing the variety of their products, promoting their taste, quality, and healthfulness, and in meeting the high demands of the contemporary consumer.
Fisheries and aquaculture in Lithuania
Fishers and farmers increasingly add value to their production Although a small country (population. 2.8m) Lithuania has a highly diverse fisheries and aquaculture sector. The fishing fleet comprises tiny vessels that are active in inland waters as well as large ones fishing the high seas, the aquaculture sector combines traditional pond farms producing carp and other freshwater species with ultra-modern recirculation aquaculture systems. The value of the output from the processing industry, which produces a large variety of fresh, frozen, smoked, salted, marinated, and canned products, has been growing steadily and was more than half a billion euros in 2016.
A
ccording to the official fleet register, as of 1 Jan 2016 the Lithuanian fishing fleet comprised 290 vessels. The fisheries administration recently introduced transferable quotas to all fleet segments in a bid to modernise fisheries management and make the activity more profitable. Artu-ras Bogdanovas, Vice Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, says that the administration studied systems of management being used in different parts of the world, before coming to the conclusion that an ITQ system would be the most appropriate in the Lithuanian context. The fishermen too were enthusiastic, at least about certain aspects of the new system. They liked the 32
idea of being allocated quotas for a period longer than a year and the fact that they would be based on historical catches, says . . Agne Razmislavicˇiu-te-Palioniene, the Director of the Fisheries Department. The system has built in safeguards to prevent undue concentration of quotas in the hands of few fishermen, a problem that has been seen in other parts of Europe.
High seas fleet targets small pelagics off Africa The high seas fleet is active in waters governed by regional fisheries management organisations in the northwest Atlantic, the northeast Atlantic, the south Pacific, and in African waters,
. . . Agne Razmislavicˇiu-te -Palioniene , Director of the Fisheries Department.
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Yields stable from the Curonian lagoon
Pike, a valuable fish, is caught in the Curonian lagoon as well as on pond farms.
specifically off Mauritania and Morocco, countries with which the EU has entered into bilateral agreements. The most important species that are fished in these waters are redfish, jack mackerel, mackerel. Some of the quotas allocated to Lithuania are very small so companies which have a share will often swap it to build up bigger quotas. Vessels of the high seas fleet tend to be big and expensive to operate so they must be able to catch a substantial quantity for the fishing to be commercially viable. They must also fish for as long as possible, so catches are usually processed on board and trans-shipped at sea to allow the fishing vessel to operate continuously without having to sail back to port to land fish. Catches by the high seas fleet have fluctuated significantly over the two years to 2016 falling by more than half in 2015 before increasing 44 to 76,380 tonnes
in 2016. Production from African waters in 2016 was responsible for over 90 of the volume of the high seas catch. Lithuanian vessels have also been catching snow crab in international waters in the Barents Sea. Volumes doubled to almost 1,900 tonnes in 2015 compared to the year before, but fell back to 485 tonnes in 2016. Snow crab is an invasive species in the Barents Sea and a valuable product that is fished by several fleets including Norwegian, Russian, and Latvian. However, there are competing claims on the resource related to international issues about the continental shelf, which will need to be settled before the fishery can really take off. The Baltic Sea fishery is carried out offshore and along the coast. The Lithuanian Fisheries Law defines coastal fishing as fishing in a coastal zone by
High seas catches*
vessels not exceeding 12 m in length and using passive fishing gear or gear operated from the shore. In the Lithuanian fleet, vessels below 12 m are by far the most numerous, amounting to 101 vessels or over 70 of the total. In the Baltic Sea the most important species for Lithuania are cod, sprat, herring, flounder and salmon. After declining by 30 to 25,000 tonnes between 2007 and 2011, the total of Lithuania’s quotas in the Baltic Sea have been largely stable since 2012, hovering around 20,000 tonnes. Quotas are based on advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), and individual quotas have tended to move in different directions, with the quotas for herring and sprat increasing since 2012, while those for cod and salmon going down. Catches, on the other hand, increased by 12 to 18,700 tonnes between 2012 and 2016.
Catches in the Baltic Sea
2014
2015
2016
Mauritania
29,561
14,901
24,807
Morocco
Cod
84,851
23,157
46,755
NEAFC
1,478
3,335
4,818
NAFO
No fishing activities
No fishing activities
No fishing activities
Flounder
SPRFMO
No fishing activities
11,354
No fishing activities
Total
*mainly mackerel, jack mackerel, redfish
The Curonian lagoon is a body of water separated from the Baltic Sea by a narrow spit. Near Klaipeda at the northern tip of the lagoon is a narrow channel into the Baltic Sea that allows the exchange of water. The Nemunas river discharges into the lagoon and is responsible for the generally very low salinity. This varies however depending on weather conditions which can cause more or less water from the Baltic to flow into the lagoon. Apart from bringing freshwater into the lagoon the Nemunas is also a source of mineral and organic nutrients which fertilise the lagoon facilitating the growth of zooplankton. This serves as feed for the fish in the lagoon, for which there is a well-established fishery. The most commercially important species are pike, pike-perch, bream, roach, vimba bream, smelt, and perch. Over the last few years the yield from the Curonian lagoon has stabilised at about 1,200 tonnes per year. There are about 50 fishing companies operating in the lagoon. They use small vessels typically between 6 and 10 m and different fixed gears, gillnets with different mesh sizes, the larger size for bream and pike perch, the smaller for roach, perch and vimba; fyke nets for eel, smelt, lamprey. Towed seines are used to catch smelt as they migrate
Ministry of Agriculture, Lithuania
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
3,057
2,483
1,742
1,196
1,737
1,669
Herring
2,655
2,276
2,475
2,153
4,724
5,199
Sprat
9,730
11,245
10,353
9,679
11,003
11,548
452
648
1,002
733
272
303
15,894
16,652
15,572
13,761
17,736
18,719
Ministry of Agriculture, Lithuania
Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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from the Baltic Sea to the Nemunas river spawn in spring. As part of the management of fish stocks several temporal and technical restrictions on fisheries in the lagoon are in place that prohibit fishing with certain gears in certain periods. To maintain the fishery the lagoon is also periodically restocked with fish. These are produced at facilities belonging to the Fisheries Service under the Ministry of Agriculture, one of which is a brand new laboratory located on the Curonian spit. Lithuania also has a commercial inland fishery that generates some 1,400 tonnes a year. The fisheries law determines that a fishery for vendace, smelt, riverlamprey and eel is permitted in public inland waters, while other species can only be targeted in polders, ponds exceeding 200 ha, and private inland waters. The fisheries are managed by transferable quotas that are allocated by auction in some instances but not all. The kind of water body for which the quota is issued, influences whether it will be auctioned or not. Regular research is carried out on the status of stocks in inland water bodies exceeding 200 ha where there is a commercial fishery. The results of the research are used to determine the total allowable catch.
Aquaculture production expands slowly
2012
The aquaculture industry in Lithuania ranges from the traditional to the ultra modern. Carp farming has a history that goes back to the fifteenth century while in the late nineteenth century the first salmonids were bred. In total, there are some 10,000 ha of reservoirs, and 9,000 sq. m of basins and canals available for the production of farmed fish. Today carp, Asian carps, and other freshwater species both herbivores and carnivores, are farmed in ponds. Over the last few years, and thanks in no small measure to support from the EMFF, recirculation systems have been established for the cultivation of several high value species, such as trout, African catfish and other freshwater species. In addition, a minor volume (155 tonnes) is farmed in tanks and raceways. Production is dominated by common carp, which accounted for over 80 of the volume in 2015, with rainbow trout coming in second at 6.2. In total, farmed output between 2011 and 2016 increased by a third to 4,387 tonnes. Some pond farmers are making part of their production organic. This has an impact on stocking densities, which are lower than in conventional farming, and the feed that is used, which
140000
600
120000
500
100000
400
80000 300
60000
200
40000
100
20000 0
0 2015 Production,
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2016 Value
Value, million euro
Production, tonnes
Processing industry
2014
Fish production (tonnes) 2013
2014
2015
2016
Aquaculture
3,596
4,209
3,841
4,447
4,387
Inland water catches
1,614
1,465
1,194
1,420
1,206
Ministry of Agriculture, Lithuania
has to be organically certified. The shift to organic can be attributed to a combination of personal conviction, a need to distinguish the product, and a response to a growing general interest in food that is healthy and natural.
Farmers sell added-value products Not all farmers are content with just producing fish and selling it – a few have started processing operations where the fish is cleaned, filleted, and frozen, or also smoked, or even made into other products such as salads, pâtés or other items. These are then sold freshly prepared from their own premises creating a customer base in the local area that the farmer can serve directly. Apart from the financial advantage of eliminating the intermediary, direct sales bring their own benefits. The farmer/ processor gets to know his customers tastes and can see immediately which products do well. He can also interact with them directly, perhaps getting ideas for new products. Shops are not the only kind of outlet that farmers are investing in. Others are opening fish restaurants that are supplied with fish from their own production. Not all is rosy in the aquaculture sector however. Predation is an issue for pond farmers, finding suitably qualified labour is becoming increasingly difficult, and for farmers with recirculation systems, the extruded feed used is becoming more expensive.
Highly capable, export oriented processing sector Lithuania had a fish and seafood processing industry manufacturing a range of products for the domestic and neighbouring markets even before it joined the EU. A highly skilled and competitively priced workforce, plus proximity to western markets were among the reasons that Lithuania was one of the countries that benefited from the outsourcing of seafood processing activities by companies in western Europe even before it joined the EU in 2004. Today there are some 50 companies (GAIN report, Jan. 2017) in the processing industry which employ some 5,500 people and manufacture about 141,000 tonnes of products. Processors sell on the domestic market usually under their own brands while exports are typically for private label. A wide range of products can be found in a wellstocked supermarket in Lithuania, many of them not available in the west. The products vary by species, recipes used to prepare them, and by packaging, and cater to every taste and income bracket. Most of the production is based on imported raw material – pelagic species from the Atlantic like herring and mackerel, but also farmed salmon from Norway and more exotic species including the large pelagics, tuna and marlin, crustaceans like shrimp and prawns, mussels, and cephalopods. Products from the local inland fisheries and aquaculture
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Trade in fisheries and aquaculture products (thousand euros) Exports to the EU Exports to non-EU
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
280,844
317,841
387,979
454,436
504,317
20,703
27,593
33,942
25,640
23,094
Exports total
301,547
345,434
421,921
480,076
527,411
Imports from the EU
168,182
210,021
267,582
274,210
336,888
Imports from non-EU
107,800
108,697
108,377
122,965
142,680
Imports total
275,982
318,718
375,958
397,175
479,568
Trade balance
25,565
26,716
45,963
82,901
47,843 Statistics Lithuania
production, carp, pike-perch, bream, catfish, perch, tench, and pike etc. are sold fresh, filleted, and even live, as well as smoked. Salted, and marinated products are widely developed and seafood snacks are also popular. Lithuania hosts several of the production facilities of one of the biggest manufacturers of surimi and seafood products in Europe. Many of these products including various types of surimi are sold in Lithuanian supermarkets. The variety and ready availability of seafood may contribute to Lithuania’s increasing consumption
of seafood per capita, which, according to Statistics Lithuania, has gone from 14 kg per capita in 2007 to 19 kg in 2015.
Rising imports and exports testify to Lithuanian processing skills The factors that contributed to Lithuanian companies’ status as contract processors of fish and seafood, competitively priced skilled labour and proximity to markets in the west are still valid. With support from EU
structural funds many processing plants have been modernised or rebuilt and are highly efficient state of the art facilities that can export anywhere in the world. According to Statistics Lithuania the country’s exports of fish and seafood have increased hugely over the last 10 years from EUR161m in 2007 to EUR504m in 2016. The overwhelming majority of this trade is with the EU, which in 2016, absorbed 95 of the total (in value). Dried, salted and smoked fish is the biggest product group to be exported with about 45
of the total export value followed by preserves (24) and fillets (23). The raw material for the processing industry is both locally sourced and imported. While Lithuania’s exports of fish and seafood products have risen, so has the value of its imports, which increased from EUR164m in 2007 to EUR480m in 2016. On average, about two thirds of the imports are drawn from the EU. By far the most imported product in 2016 was fresh fish, which was responsible for three fourths of the total import value. This was followed by frozen fish at less than a tenth of the total and prepared or preserved products with 7. The biggest supplier in 2016, again by a large margin, was Sweden, from where the value of imports amounted to EUR215m or almost half the total. Most of this amount can be attributed to imports of Atlantic salmon. The value of imports from Germany, the second most important supplier of seafood, amounted to EUR44m.
The Fisheries Service develops a traceability system
Monitoring the flow of fisheries and aquaculture products Traceability of fisheries and aquaculture products has been a concern in most EU Member states since the new European Union fisheries control system under the main control regulation No. 1224/2009 came into force. The European Commission has pointed out that the traceability system, foreseen in the control regulation and based on paper documents, is still not effective. However, the Commission has not presented member states with any common guidelines for the electronic traceability system. Some member states, seeking to implement the provisions of the control regulation, have established electronic traceability systems to ensure effective and efficient traceability of fisheries and aquaculture products. In Lithuania, the new fisheries law that came into force in 2016, states that “the procedure for ensuring the traceability of fisheries products in line with provisions of the Common Fisheries Policy shall be laid down by the Minister of Agriculture or an institution authorised by him”. A new traceability system has been created and came into force in 2017. The new system is based on documents that are provided electronically and is implemented by the Fisheries Service under the Ministry of Agriculture. The Fisheries Service organised the training sessions for all the involved parties in advance and has regular consultations with the different stakeholders. Since the traceability system is a novelty the results are too early to talk about, however the electronic data are successfully fed to the new system and are analysed by the designated fisheries control officers. In the near future traceability data will be exchanged with cooperating countries (Latvia has already expressed an interest) to perform cross checks and verifications. The Fisheries Service is looking forward to presenting this system to the fisheries administration in other countries so they too can draw on Lithuania’s experience of complying with the challenges of a complex fisheries control system.
Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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Fisheries Service activities contribute to the abundance of salmonids in Lithuanian waters
Breeding salmon and sea trout for restocking Fishermen have been catching salmon and sea trout for years in Lithuanian rivers such as the Nemunas and its tributaries. However, a significant decrease in the population of these fish in Lithuanian waters has been observed since the fifties. Intense fishing pressure, pollution, and poaching were the main causes for the dramatic decline in salmonid numbers. Natural resources were also considered a legitimate source of food, an attitude that was widespread during that period and not only in the Soviet region.
S
ince 1991, when Lithuania regained its independency, the scientific community and administrative authorities have drawn attention to the status of fish and shellfish stocks in the country’s water bodies. Discussions about artificial salmon breeding were initiated. Latvia’s success in using artificially bred salmon to boost the catch of Baltic fishermen also contributed to the enthusiasm. The work intensified when Lithuania joined the European Economic Area and started participating in the activities of the IBSFC (International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission) and its Salmon Action Plan 1997-2010. This provided the basis for a national programme for the recovery and protection of salmon resources including artificial breeding measures.
Recirculation systems introduced with Danish assistance The first activities started at the Žeimena fish farm, named after the adjacent river, a natural spawning ground for salmon and sea trout. Rainbow trout have been bred at this facility since 1965 so all the infrastructure necessary for salmon breeding existed. However, a new salmon and sea trout breeding plant based on recirculation was established in cooperation 36
At the hatchery eggs are hatched and the fry grown to 1-2 g before they are released in to rivers.
with the Danish government. The first plant was equipped with an incubator with growing tanks for juveniles built in 1998. The next year the first salmon juveniles were released into rivers. Over the years, production capacity has been expanded and today the Žeimena subdivision of the Division of Pisciculture controlled by the Fisheries Service under the Ministry of Agriculture operates three independent closed water systems breeding salmon, sea trout, and grayling. At Žeimena the focus is exclusively on the recovery and strengthening of natural resources. Salmon
and sea trout are bred only using broodstock from the wild, which are returned to the natural environment after taking roe and milt. On average, 80 percent of the salmon and sea trout grown in the hatcheries are released at 1-2 g of body weight. This enables the fish to adapt better to natural conditions and promotes the development of the homing instinct. The rest is released as 1 year smolts. In recirculation systems salmon smolts can grow from 30 g to more than 100 g in one year. The number of juvenile salmon released annually during each of the last eight years
amounts to about 150 thousand parr and 25 thousand smolts. The figures for sea trout are slightly higher reaching on average 170 thousand parr and 30 thousand smolts annually.
Breeding and releasing fish has helped threatened salmonid populations Studies of salmon and sea trout abundance in Lithuanian rivers conducted by Nature Research Centre and Fisheries Service specialists since 2008 show significant growth in resources (Fig. 1 and 2).
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Salmon and Sea Trout releases in Lithuania 250000
120000
100000
200000
80000
60000
Smolts
Parr
150000
100000 40000 50000
20000
0
0 2000
2001
2002
2003
Salmon Parr
From 2000 till 2016, production of wild smolts increased from 6,000 to more than 35,000 on average. Proportionately, more of this fish was released into rivers annually. The variation in abundance of wild populations is mostly determined by weather conditions, while variation in production is mostly dependent on the number of caught wild salmon and sea trout broodstock. Preliminary data from 2016 show that the growth trend will be maintained also in the nearest future. Artificial breeding has
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Sea Trout Parr
helped to recover and strengthen salmon and sea trout populations in most of the Lithuanian salmon rivers not only by the direct augmentation of the existing salmon stock, but also indirectly – by reducing pressure from fishery on wild salmon in mixed stocks fisheries in the Baltic Sea. Artificial breeding was not the only measure that helped salmonid fish populations to recover. The integral approach has also influenced other decisions. Each
2009
2010
Salmon Smolts
2011
2012
2013
2015
2016
Sea Trout Smolts
year, in cooperation with the Ministries of Agriculture, Environment, and National Defence, the Fisheries Service organises initiatives to protect salmon and sea trout spawning sites; punishments for poaching and fishery rule violation have been made much stricter; and certain river works have been stopped. The Fisheries Service has also successfully implemented several fish passage construction projects on river dams. These works have resulted in sea trout being deleted from the Lithuanian endangeredspecies list, and in 2011 salmon was transferred to the category for restored species.
Recreational fishermen are part of the populations rehabilitation efforts too
Broodstock for the breeding activities are taken from the wild, stripped of eggs and milt, and returned to their natural habitat.
2014
The increase in salmonids has allowed recreational fishing rules to be simplified. In recent years, salmon and sea trout have become the most desirable target for non-commercial fishermen in Lithuanian rivers and the Baltic foreshore. Salmon and sea trout may be caught in the Baltic Sea
by anyone, and in interior water bodies by recreational fishermen with a permit to catch these specific species. Sea trout caught in the sea should have a minimum size of 60 cm and in interior water bodies of 65 cm. Both in the sea and in freshwater only one salmon or sea trout may be taken by a single fisherman during a single fishery. Despite these restrictions catches by non-professionals have already surpassed those from commercial fishing. Recreational fishermen, by fishing salmon and sea trout, contribute to funding breeding work and other environmental projects. The Fisheries Service will continue its breeding activities to manage salmonid populations. Although strengthening and increasing most salmon populations has been successful, the initial target – to increase wild smolt production to 50 percent of the potential capacity of a river – has still not been reached in many rivers. In the future, the regular tagging of released fish is planned and new fish passage construction and other projects will also be implemented. Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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Islauzo Zuvis, a pond fish farm dedicated to production the natural way
Balancing the interests of nature with those of commerce Located in Prienai some 100 km west of Vilnius, Islauzo Zuvis is a traditional pond farm producing a number of species of freshwater fish. The pond surface area is about 500 hectares of which about 100 ha is used for organic production.
A
mong the 19 species produced are Siberian sturgeon and bester, a hybrid of beluga and sterlet, as well as trout in limited quantities. Common carp however dominates the production at over 80 of the total, while all the other species together make up the remainder. These include the Asian carps, i.e. bighead carp, grass carp, and silver carp. Altogether, 11 species are produced commercially.
Fish sold in a variety of formats Darius Svirskis, the director of the company, is passionate about the natural production of fish. Although the majority of the production is conventional the difference between that and the organic production lies mainly in the fact that the feed for the latter is certified organic. The other conditions are all the same, he says. In terms of
content the conventional feed is the same as the organic feed, but without the certification. In addition to farming fish, the company also processes its production. Hot and cold smoking are the main ways of processing, but since the facility was established the company has found that there is also demand for fresh fish in the form of cleaned fish and fillets on ice. In addition to being distributed through retail outlets, the processed production is sold through the company’s two shops, one of which is located next to the processing facility and close to the farming ponds. Here, a tank holding live fish is also present for customers who prefer this highly traditional way of buying fish. The fish are caught, placed in a plastic bag, weighed and handed over to the customer. While live fish used to be the only way to buy farmed carp and other cultured species, today things have changed, and customers often have neither the
Nineteen species of fish are grown on the farm, 11 of them commercially. 38
Darius Svirskis, managing partner of Islauzo Zivis, a pond fish farming and processing company.
time nor the skills to deal with live fish.
Organic production of fish since 2014 Mr Svirskis has a long history in the fish farming business. He was previously working at another large fish farm, one that had existed as a cooperative prior to the political changes in the 90s. Then, in 2003 he was asked to help manage a farm that was financially distressed. This was the start of Islauzo Zuvis. Initially, annual production was 5 tonnes, last year, however, it reached 850 tonnes and in 2017 he is expecting it to touch 1,000 tonnes. While this would give a
productivity of around 2 tonnes per ha, the organic production tends to reduce the average as there are limits on the density that is permitted in the ponds. Although an ichthyologist by training Mr Svirskis had to learn about fish farming when he took over the farm. To do this he travelled to Hungary, the Czech Republic, and even Israel, seeking knowledge and inspiration. While the farm itself was in reasonably good shape, when he took it over, and did not require much in terms of renovation, the organic ponds are something new that Mr Svirskis started in 2014 as much out of personal conviction as commercial considerations. Here the entire cycle is organic starting
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from the spawning by the broodstock. As far as possible everything is allowed to happen naturally with little or no human intervention. No drugs or chemicals are used at any phase in the growing process, incubators are not used for hatching the eggs, the feed at all stages is natural fodder that the fish would also eat in the wild. Today, the organic production is certified by Ekoagros, a Lithuanian body that certifies agricultural products.
Lithuania is the main market In addition to distribution through the company’s fish shops, the fish is also sold through the main supermarket chains. However, only live fish is sold this way. In earlier years the company had focused on export markets sending fish to Poland and Latvia. Here demand was seasonal and mainly in winter. Now, however, Mr Svirskis concentrates on the domestic market, where the sale is all the year round, so a third of the production goes to the retail sector, a third to the company’s own shops, and only a third is exported. Carp has been consumed for decades
Some of the products available for sale in the shop. The raw material is from the farm and it has been processed in the Islauzo Zuvis facility.
in Lithuania and has a special significance in the eyes of consumers. Despite the presence of many other species of fish on the market, including mackerel, Atlantic herring, salmon, and also fish from other parts of the world, consumption of carp has stayed broadly stable. For Islauzo Zuvis the main threat is not so much from other fish species as it is from other Lithuanian producers of carp. Mr Svirskis
emphasises that pond-grown fish is not only healthful, but also locally produced in natural conditions and therefore a more environmentally-friendly alternative to imported fish. To promote his ideas about fish farmed in ponds Mr Svirskis plans to open a restaurant that will serve a variety of dishes using his own fish. This will show diners what freshly caught and prepared fish that have been grown in natural
The fish are collected in a container, which can then be hoisted up by a crane and emptied into a storage tank.
conditions can offer in terms of taste and health. The concern with natural products extends also to the production in the processing facility, where there is no use of artificial preserving agents.
Challenges include predators, finding qualified labour In common with pond farmers across Europe Mr Svirskis has a problem with cormorants. He installed guns to fire explosives at intervals to scare off the birds, but over time they got used to the sound and no longer feel threatened by it. He has therefore employed six people just to scare the pests. Although the amount the birds actually eat is modest, their presence stresses the fish making them more vulnerable to illnesses. In addition, they can damage the fish without killing them, which too makes them more prone to disease. Partly to reduce this vulnerability the farm has a breeding programme that selects the most disease resistant, fast-growing, and good looking fish to propagate. Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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This kind of selection work calls for well-qualified staff, another issue the farm is battling. Such people are very difficult to find, says Mr Svirskis, and he has been forced to hire people from other countries. But it is much more time consuming to find and employ people particularly, which is usually the case, from outside the EU. The problem, according to him, is that the qualified Lithuanians do not meet the company’s requirements.
From an environmental point of view, pond farms are good for biodiversity, says Mr Svirskis. His ponds host a variety of animal and bird life, but they are a mixed blessing. Some birds, such as swans, may not eat the fish itself, but will compete with the fish for feed, while animals such as otters prey on the fish. The challenge is to find the right balance between allowing nature to run its course and intervening in the interests of a commercially viable business.
Islauzo Zuvis Islauzas 59037 Prienai Lithuania islazozuvis@gmail.com www.islauzozuvis.lt Director: Darius Svirskis Species: 19 in total, 11 commercially produced including common carp (> 80%), Asian carps, Siberian sturgeon,
bester, catfish, pike, pike perch, tench, roach, perch etc. Volumes: 850 tonnes Products: Live, chilled on ice, smoked, Farm: 500 ha of which 100 ha is organic Facilities: Processing facility, two shops Employees: 65
JFish breeds African catfish for the Lithuanian market
Fresh, smoked, or prepared by a chef A six-year-old company, JFish, has placed its bets on an exotic species, for which it is now creating a market niche among a younger clientele that is willing to experiment with new tastes. Recirculation systems reduce the impact of fish farming on the environment
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ccording to the FAO, the production of food from marine, freshwater, and brackish water has altered from being predominantly based on capture fisheries to the culture of farmed species. At the global level, 2014 was the first year when farmed production of species for human consumption exceeded output of wild catches. In Europe, aquaculture production has for many years not grown at the same pace as it has in the world as a whole. A variety of factors have contributed to this, including a lack of sites to expand, environmental restrictions, and bureaucracy. However, as it becomes increasingly apparent that fish farming is the only way to ensure the future supply of fish, policy in Europe is being designed to encourage this activity. 40
One way of getting around stringent European environmental laws is to produce fish with little impact on the surroundings. Isolating production in this way is possible with the use of recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS). These recycle the water in which the fish are bred after passing it through a series of filters, while the sludge created by the fish excretions and excess feed is treated and then can be used as manure. In Lithuania these systems have proliferated thanks in part to support from European structural and investment funds and today there are over 20 facilities in operation. RAS are typically more expensive than traditional ponds or raceways
and are therefore typically used to cultivate high-value species such as sturgeon, trout, eel, turbot, and even shrimp. One Lithuanian company, JFish, is using this technology to breed African catfish (Clarias gariepinus), a meaty, fast-growing species. Giedrius Morkevicius, the technical director, says the choice of catfish was also determined by the fact that the company wanted a fish that was not otherwise being grown in the country. The company started production in 2012 and has been selling the fish for the last three years. The fish reaches market size in 18 months and prefers higher water temperatures than for example the European catfish (Silurus glanis). The company runs a full cycle breeding programme – from broodstock to eggs, larvae, fingerlings, and adults. The first batch of broodstock was
obtained from the Netherlands, where there is a longer history of breeding African catfish.
Tropical fish require tropical conditions As a native of tropical climates African catfish require high water temperatures in order to thrive. At JFish the water for the RAS is obtained from the ground and warmed to the requisite temperature of about 22 degrees by pumping heated air through it and 5 to 10 of the water is replaced every 24 hours. The female broodstock are given an injection to induce spawning while the males are slaughtered and the sperm removed and mixed with the eggs to fertilise them. The females take about 9 months to recover from the spawning process. The fertilised eggs are kept in incubators
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more often when the density is higher to ensure that the fish do not have any off taste.
Establishing a restaurant to promote catfish consumption
Giedrius Morkevicius, the technical director of JFish in front of the company restaurant, which specialises in African catfish dishes.
for the first two months until they reach about 10 g in weight and are then moved to small tanks, where the temperature is maintained at 24-26 degrees C. In summer, however, precautions must be taken to endure that the environment does not become too warm. The fish are grown to about 1.5 kg, but the company also grows fish to larger sizes. At least twice during 18 months the fish are graded by size so that similar sized fish are grouped together. This is important to restrict cannibalism and to ensure that fish grow at more or less the same rate. In addition
to temperature, noise levels must also be considered as African catfish are highly sensitive to sound and one must be careful not to touch the tanks in which they grow as this transmits a sound and stresses the fish. The lighting is also kept at a constant low level rather than being switched on and off, as these noises too can disturb the fish. Before slaughtering the fish are removed to harvesting tanks, smaller tanks with fresh water, where they are kept without feed for 24 hours to cleanse their guts. In these tanks the water is changed at least once a day, and
The company has a production of some 30 tonnes a year which is then sold either fresh on ice or after being processed, such as smoked, at their own processing facility. Fingerlings are also sold to other Lithuanian fish farmers, who are using RAS, and JFish will buy back the marketsized product if there is a need. Mr Morkevicius estimates the total market for catfish in Lithuania to be around 100 tonnes, a figure he would naturally like to see increased. To this end the company has opened an upmarket restaurant at the production site, some twenty minutes by car from Kaunas, that serves only its own, freshly caught catfish prepared in different ways. The idea is to familiarise customers with the fish and to show them how it can be cooked to highlight the texture of the flesh and to optimise the taste. With its trendy design the restaurant is an effort to attract young people to catfish. Sales are currently only within Lithuania. However, the company is exploring export markets, but is aware that production of the smoked products, for example, will have to increase to at least a tonne a
week before selling abroad is realistic. Catfish meat is lean and the smoked product is somewhat similar to ham. Today, the company itself processes most of its production, and 50 of this volume is sold through its own shop, while the rest goes through the retail chains. Hotels and restaurants are another potential group of customers, but the logistics of supplying them are more demanding, says Mr Morkevicius, who wants first to manage the competition from other suppliers (and from the black market) before embarking on an expansion of sales. JFish has also been very open to the public about its activities and the technology it uses, sharing its experiences with other producers and inviting students to come and train as interns. This transparency was, however, not always the way the company interacted with the rest of the industry. In the beginning, Mr Morkevicius admits, JFish was more secretive, but as recirculation systems became more widespread and short films about running them started appearing on video-sharing sites, it became obvious that nothing could be gained from secrecy and perhaps greater openness would be better public relations. Ultimately, any initiatives that can contribute to popularising African catfish can only help the company in the long run.
JFish Vingio g. 13 Naujieji Muniskiai Uzliedsiy sen. 54317 Kauno r. Lithuania info@jďŹ sh.lt www.samas.lt
Technical Director: Giedrius Morkevicius Employees: 9 Production: 30 tonnes per year Products: Fresh ďŹ sh, processed products Market: Lithuania Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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Fishery Enterprises Association, Lampetra
A PO for the Curonian lagoon fisheries Silute, a small town close to the Curonian lagoon, hosts the Fishery Enterprises Association and producer organisation, Lampetra. About 40 companies are members of the association, which was founded in 1993 and led by Siga Jakubauskiene, the chairwoman of the council. arch enemy, the angling fraternity, with whom they are forced to share stocks.
Various initiatives add value to the catch
Siga Jakubauskiene, Chairwoman of the Council of the Fishery Enterprises Association, Lampetra, and Ramunas Krisciunas, the owner of three companies, Baltoji kopa, Juros vejas and Novika.
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ampetra became a producer organisation in 2011 and today is busy implementing its programme for the 2014-17 period. Members of the association are primarily fishermen active in the Curonian lagoon, the Nemunas delta, and the coastal Baltic Sea. There are about 50 companies fishing in the Curonian lagoon of which Lampetra represents 40. Most of these are small familyowned companies with about 5 employees, except in the smelt fishing season when a number of temporary workers are hired. Fishermen typically use either smaller wooden vessels of 6-8 m length or larger ones that are 9-10 m. 42
Becoming a PO brings significant benefits There are 19 species of commercial interest in the Curonian lagoon, which the fishermen target with static gear including fyke nets. Catches in the Curonian lagoon amount to about 1,200 tonnes per annum a figure that has stayed largely stable for the past few years. What has changed, however, is the value. Ms Jakubauskiene shows statistics that reveal how the value of the catch has trended upwards over the last four years, a development she attributes to the association becoming a recognised producer organisation (PO). One of the prerequisites was that the association
make a programme to improve the quality of the fish. The implementation of the programme resulted in a better-quality product for which the fishermen were able to demand higher prices. The figures show that the unit price increased from 2011 to 2014, but then with the introduction of the euro in 2015 the price declined. It recovered somewhat in 2016, but did not reach the 2014 level. The PO also helps its members with issues such as work safety, veterinary approvals, form filling and submission. It also organises lectures on various topics, improves IT skills and carries out other activities for the good of the members. The members also recognise that united in a PO they carry more weight against their
Among the steps the PO took to improve the quality of the catch was to improve the logistics. Transport times were reduced with the introduction of faster cars, and refrigeration was widely used when freighting and storing the fish. The PO also carried out promotion campaigns, organised tasting events, and had the products analysed in laboratories to verify the quality, all of which resulted in greater awareness and increased popularity of the products. As an inland fisheries PO Lampetra could not however make use of the storage aid mechanism as this is available only for saltwater species. Currently the PO has an ongoing project to establish an electronic fresh fish shop where fishers will be able to sell fresh fish directly to consumers with the help of an app that is being developed. The PO is also creating its own brand “Lampetra” that will be used to market the fish to retailers. The main customers today are processors, companies that smoke or dry the fish, as well as distributors who in turn sell it to the retail sector. But Ms Jakubauskiene would like to eliminate the middlemen and see greater volumes being sold directly to the end consumer.
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the Russian Federation and scientists from both countries have regular joint meetings to discuss the status of fish stocks and to deal with other issues that have a bearing on fisheries in the lagoon.
Alternate sources of income being developed for the closed season
Mr Krisciunas’ storage facility that was renovated with support from the EFF. Many fishermen in the PO sell their catch to him.
Five-year quotas allow for better planning The members of the association include both large and small companies. One of them, Baltoji kopa owned by Ramunas Krisciunas, is among the bigger fishing firms. On a site close to a fish landing place Baltoji kopa has a large facility for reception, sorting, and storage of the fish. The building belonged to the company already, and with support from the European Fisheries Fund Mr Krisciunas renovated it some years ago. Now he utilises the capacity for the fish caught by his vessels, but also buys fish from the other fishers. While the quotas allocated to each member of the association is about the same, most fishers do not have the ability to handle the fish after landing. They therefore sell the fish to Mr Krisciunas, who has the infrastructure to consolidate these quantities together with his own catch, and to sort, process, store and sell the fish. For small family businesses without their own logistic operations, companies like Mr Krisciunas’ are perhaps the only link between them and the market. Fisheries in the Curonian lagoon are also
managed with quotas which, with the recent introduction of individual transferable quotas, are allocated to the individual for five years. In addition, under the ITQ system, a proportion of the quota is now also sold through an auction. In Ms Jakubauskiene’s opinion the allocation of a quota for five years is desirable because it makes it easier to plan long term, however, she is less enamoured with the idea of selling a proportion of the quotas (about 10) through an auction. The auction will benefit some fishermen do not have quotas for a certain gear because they have no historical catches with this gear. With the ITQ system, they will now be able to buy a share of the quota that can be caught with this gear.
Strict monitoring of catches prevents overfishing The Silute area abuts the Nemunas delta, where the river discharges into the Curonian lagoon. In spring flooding is common here as melting snow causes the river to swell and burst its banks. People living in villages in the area are used to these conditions and
switch to boats as a means of transport since the roads are flooded. The fishers are not affected as they land their catch at some 20 points around the lagoon. However, they are expected to have registered their catches with the authorities before they arrive at the landing point. Compliance is monitored with spot checks, where inspectors come to the landing point and check that the fish landed conforms to what has been declared. Ms Jakubauskiene says that there are often nine to ten such checks a month. This monitoring is necessary to protect the stocks against overexploitation. It seems to work as catches in the lagoon have been broadly stable for the past few years. The lagoon is shared with
From the middle of April to the middle of July the fishing season is closed to allow the fish to reproduce, says Ms Jakubauskiene. The ban on fishing, however, does not extend to roach, which can be targeted using gear that allows other species that are caught to be returned to the water. The association is trying to develop alternate activities for the fishermen to secure them an income also during the closed season. Inspired by similar activities in France and Italy, one of the ideas being considered is fishing tourism, where tourist who come to the area in spring and summer are introduced to the Curonian lagoon fisheries although at this time fishing is only possible for one species, and not all fishers have a quota for it. But the association is trying to develop projects like this that will link the fishers with tourists in one way or another for the benefit of both parties. These initiatives are important for the sustainability not only of the fisheries, but also the fishermen.
Lampetra Lietuvininku˛ g. 26 99179 Silute Lithuania Tel.: +370 441 52289 Chairwomen of the Council: Siga Jakubauskiene Members: 40 small and medium fishing enterprises
Catches: 1,200 tonnes per year Species: More than 20 different species of fish, mainly bream, roach, and smelt Products: Fresh fish, some smoked products Markets: Domestic wholesalers
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The Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Laboratory was officially opened a year ago.
Lithuania’s Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Laboratory
A new centre for international collaboration The aquaculture and marine fisheries research laboratory of the Lithuanian Fisheries Service is a brand new experimental facility on the Curonian spit that is intended to serve multiple purposes. The laboratory was built with support from the European Fisheries Fund and will contribute to aquaculture and marine studies, both theoretical and applied, in Lithuania as well as the wider Baltic region.
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he primary purpose of the laboratory, says Giedrius Macernis, the acting director, is to gather fisheries data from the Lithuanian exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea, as well from the high seas where Lithuanian vessels are active – the north Atlantic, the south Pacific, and off the coast of Africa. The data are analysed at the laboratory and the results sent to the European Commission, where they provide the basis for calculating fishing quotas. The data collected include biological information such as sex, maturity, 44
length, weight, and age, which is calculated from the otoliths. These are small stones in the head of the fish that record how old the fish is in a series of lines, similar to those seen in tree stumps. Each line represents a year. Otoliths play a role in the fish’s sense of balance. In the Baltic these data are collected mainly for the four species that are of commercial interest to Lithuania, Baltic cod, herring, sprat, and flounder. The information is used in three programmes, the national data collection, national environmental programme, and a programme to
research the status of fish stocks in Lithuanian waters.
Aquaculture research to benefit farmers, restocking programmes The research being carried out at the laboratory includes the study of recirculation aquaculture systems. There are three such systems in operation, one of which simulates conditions in a hatchery. Fertilised eggs can be collected and placed in incubators and once the larvae reach a minimum size they are moved to
bigger basins. The systems can be used with freshwater, saltwater, or brackish water. As on a commercial fish farm, the larvae are fed with artemia or brine shrimp, small pelagic organisms that are often used as the first feed for fish larvae. The artemia are obtained as eggs which are introduced into an incubator, a glass tube, the base of which is angled at 45 degrees. Artemia prefer water that is highly oxygenated, so oxygen is pumped in and the angled base allows the water to circulate better in the tube. The eggs hatch and the
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Giedrius Macernis, the director of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Laboratory.
Though an invasive and destructive species in the Baltic, round goby is also a source of feed for some of the native species.
nauplii go through several stages before achieving maturity, when they can be collected and fed to the fish larvae. The aquaculture section also contains vertical incubators for salmonid eggs. These include Arctic char, rainbow trout, and Baltic salmon. Over the last year however, the laboratory has produced the first generations of pike-perch, perch, barbel, asp, and roach. These fish are being bred for experimental purposes. For example, together with researchers from Klaipeda university, the scientists at the laboratory are planning to test certain probiotics. Another fish that is also considered interesting is sturgeon and the researchers are planning to start breeding this fish too.
developed from eggs that have been collected from the wild. These fish will be grown until they mature and will then provide the eggs and the sperm for the next generation. The advantage is that broodstock will not have to be captured from the wild and that because the fish have spent a lifetime in captivity they are already partly domesticated and therefore easier to handle. On the other hand, since they have been raised in captivity these fish would have a very low survival rate if they were to be released into the wild as they would not be able to hunt for food or avoid predators.
The broodstock for these experiments are caught in the wild and the eggs and sperm obtained from the females and males respectively. These are then mixed together and the fertilised eggs placed in the incubators while the parents are released back into the wild. The purpose of these activities is to improve fish breeding techniques, which will benefit the work done at the Fisheries Service’s seven restocking
centres. At these centres fish are bred for release into the wild to maintain stock populations for the benefit of the environment, commercial fishers, and anglers. At the laboratory on the other hand scientists carry out experiments that are intended to reveal why, for example, fish are either born with or develop certain kinds of defects. Fish that exhibit these problems in the wild usually do not survive for very long. In the laboratory, however, they can be kept alive, observed, and analysed to try and find the cause of these problems.
Creating a pool of broodstock In a brackish water system fed with water from the Baltic Sea coast perch, pike-perch, barbel, roach, and even a single carp are being grown. Many freshwater species thrive in brackish water as long as there is enough feed. The Nemunas river brings several varieties of fish into the Curonian lagoon, where it discharges. An invasive species, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), is also found in these waters, and is a popular feed for pike-perch. Other tanks host fish that have
To avoid these problems when restocking fish are released after two or three weeks.
Sophisticated equipment for the study of nature In the basement several water cleaning systems are maintained. The purpose of these is not just to filter and clean the water, but also provide a basis for experiments that should ultimately result in better and more efficient cleaning technology. The results of these trials conducted at the laboratory are passed on to the aquaculture industry for them to
A mesocosm models the environment in a water body. Various parameters can then be tweaked to study the impact of the changes on the water body that is being simulated. Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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The team of researchers at the laboratory. Some are involved in providing fisheries data to the European Commission, on the basis of which fishing quotas are decided.
improve their systems. The cleaning systems include typical filtration systems of the type found in recirculation aquaculture plants, and include biological filters, mechanical filters, degassing systems to remove carbon dioxide from the water, protein skimmers, UV filters etc. At the laboratory a significant space is dedicated to mesocosms, which are a series of large tanks that simulate a natural aquatic environment such as in lakes, the Curonian lagoon, or in the Baltic Sea. Within the tanks
certain parameters (temperature, salinity, pH, gas content, etc.) can be adjusted to study the impact of these changes on the environment that is being modelled. The tanks are constructed in such a way that it is possible to have the upper layer of water at one temperature, the lower layer at another (lower) temperature and a thermocline (where the temperature changes more rapidly than in the upper or lower layers) in the middle. The mesocosms can simulate physical conditions but
replicating a biological environment is more difficult. Because the water in the tanks is not recirculated only the most basic living creatures can survive, bacteria, some phytoplankton, some zooplankton, and fish larvae, and only for 2-3 months. In theory this could be prolonged by adding oxygen to the water, but that would then set other processes in motion and the mesocosm would no longer accurately simulate the environment it was supposed to. Other equipment in the laboratory are tanks where water flows can be simulated which can contribute to studies on sedimentation patterns, habitat restoration, and to research on fish behaviour, for example, in rivers.
A symbol of international scientific cooperation in the Baltic The laboratory has an agreement with Klaipeda University so that researchers from there also have access to the facilities available. There are also international project proposals that seek to make use of the facilities to carry out experiments. The laboratory is currently among the best equipped and is certainly one of the newest in the Baltic Sea region and the laboratory administration as well as the Fisheries Service plan to encourage international collaboration that will make the laboratory a lively centre for international fisheries and aquaculture research in the region.
Fisheries Service under the Ministry of Agriculture Division of Fishery Research and Science
Otoliths, tiny stones in the head of the fish, when studied under a microscope reveal the age of the fish. 46
. Smiltyne s str., p. d. 108 . LT-90100 Klaipe da Phone: +370 46 391122 Fax: +370 46 391104 www.zuv.lt
Director: Giedrius Macernis giedrius.macernis@zuv.lt
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SLP Zuvis processes fish caught from the Curonian lagoon for local markets
Smoking freshwater species the traditional way The Curonian lagoon is separated from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian spit. The lagoon is 1,584 sq. km in size and harbours a number of fish species, which provide the basis for a fishery in the lagoon. The lagoon, like the spit, is divided into a Lithuanian part in the north and a Russian part in the south. At the northern end of the lagoon is the city of Klaipeda, where a narrow strait connects the lagoon to the Baltic sea.
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he Lithuanian river, Nemunas, discharges into the lagoon contributing to a low salinity of 0-7 psu in the northern part. As a result of this low salinity the lagoon is home to several freshwater species including perch, pike perch, roach, bream, and smelt. In the Baltic Sea on the other side of the Curonian spit, fishermen can target flounder, cod, and Baltic herring.
Fresh and processed fish for sale Stanislovas Papievis is a fisherman and processor who smokes the fish he catches. Since his youth he has been fishing, spending first nine years with the high seas fishery, and then fishing in the Curonian lagoon where he together with his fishermen catch about 120 tonnes a year. The fishing is seasonal. In the autumn when the weather is rough his fishers go out with one 14 m vessel, while in spring when the weather gets warmer the fishers go out in 3 m vessels each crewed by two people. In summer the men go out at 5 in the morning and are back in the port by 9 where the fish can be iced so that there is no risk of the fish getting spoilt. The seasonality is also reflected in the catches. Smelt for example is caught in the spring
and autumn, while in summer there is very little fishing. The depth of the lagoon varies from 1 m on the eastern (mainland) side to 4 m on the western (Curonian spit) side averaging 3.8 m. Mr Papievis uses static nets to catch the fish. The nets are placed in the water and his employees sail to the nets to empty them and return to the processing facility, where the fish is processed immediately. At the shop the fish is sold gutted on ice as well as smoked.
Imported species are also popular Some of the fish in the display counter are not locally sourced
species, for example, smoked salmon, butterfish, and tuna. Mr Papievis buys these species from local fish traders, which allows him to buy the volumes he needs. He recalls approaching a Norwegian salmon producer, but was told that the volumes had to be much larger to be able to buy directly. Other species such as sturgeon and catfish which he also smokes he buys from local fish farmers that are producing these species. Apart from hot and cold smoked products Mr Papievis also salts and dries fish, another popular speciality. The shop serves the local area mainly, but also attracts customers from as far as Klaipeda, a distance of over 40 km, who are
drawn by the traditional smoking techniques that are used to process the fish. The facility has four wood-fired smoking ovens that use a special variety of wood to generate the smoke.
Unique products from day to day This artisanal method of smoking means that external factors such as weather conditions can have an impact on the process but also result in a final product that is more or less unique reflecting the temperature, pressure, humidity etc. of that day. While most of the smoked fish is sold to the end consumer often for events like
Stanislovas Papievis sells fresh, smoked, and dried fish products. The latter are processed at his own facility. Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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Fish from the Curonian lagoon and from local aquaculture farms, as well as imported species are all smoked giving customers a wide range to choose from.
weddings or christenings, fresh fish is also bought by hotels and restaurants. Having been in the processing business for the last 12 years, Mr Papievis has noted certain trends, among them that carp tends to be eaten more in the summer months while winter is when customers prefer fatty fish like mackerel and herring.
Despite this the assortment of fish in the shop varies only slightly. Some of his customers are Lithuanians who work and live, for example, in the UK and they buy large quantities of fish to take with them, when they go back home. In the processing facility, multiple rows of cleaned and salted
fish arranged on frames are waiting to be smoked. In the winter the temperature is low enough to allow the fish to mature without refrigeration. In summer however the fish is kept cool during the maturation period. After the maturation the fish are introduced into the oven and either hot smoked or cold smoked, the
difference determined by the temperature. After smoking the fish is allowed to cool and is then placed on display in the shop. By adding garlic or pepper or other spices to the fish and by smoking gutted fish, conventional fillets, and butterfly fillets, Mr Papievis ensures that he has a product to meet every taste.
SLP Zuvis Minijos g. 1 Kintai 99358 Lithuania Tel.: +370441 62290 Owner: Stanislovas Papievis
Catfish salted and maturing on a frame prior to being smoked. 48
Activity: Fishing, smoking Products: Fresh fish, smoked fish, dried fish
Volumes: 120 tonnes per year Facilities: Smokehouse, shop Species: Perch, bream, roach from the Baltic Sea; sturgeon, catfish from local fish farms; mackerel, salmon, butterfish from importers Vessels: One 14 m, three 3 m Employees: Fishermen 6, processing 4
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Marius Fiskum, Norwegian Seafood Council
NORWAY
Skrei has its own quality label
The world’s finest cod
The areas around the Lofoten Islands and Vesterålen are the most important fishing grounds for skrei, which are fished during the winter and early spring.
Within just a few years skrei or winter cod has become an important addition to the range of seafood available because it combines seasonality with high product quality and its own special story. Prestigious service counters and restaurants upgrade their image with skrei boosting sales. Skrei is a seasonal Norwegian cod. It comes from the world‘s largest cod stocks in the Barents Sea in the north-eastern Arctic. When cod (Gadus morhua) reaches maturity at the age of about five years it migrates during the winter months to its place of birth on the Norwegian coasts to spawn there. That means skrei is a fish that has reached the best phase of its life. Skrei have made this journey to their place of birth to spawn every winter for thousands of years, phenomenon that is unique to Norway. In fact, the term “skrei”
is derived from the old Norwegian word “skrida” which means “migrate” or “migrant”.
Special quality label reflects very high standards The Norwegian seafood industry has developed a quality label for this special fish, Skrei®. Only top-quality skrei which has been caught, processed and packaged according to strictly stipulated conditions that are laid down in an official quality standard
is given the special quality rating and can bear the label Skrei®. It is thus easily distinguishable from other skrei and cod products. Skrei®-labelled fish must be a mature Norwegian cod which comes from the Barents Sea. They are only found in the winter season (1st January to 30th April) in the traditional spawning grounds along the Norwegian coast. To carry the label the product must be packaged and stored at a temperature between 0 and 4 degrees on ice within twelve hours of the catch. Whole fresh fish have to
be individually marked with the label on the foremost dorsal fin and packed in crates which are also marked with the label. Fresh fillets, portions, or steaks must bear this label on the exterior of their packaging. Companies operating in the Norwegian fisheries sector that want to sell their fish with the label must be registered in the quality labelling system of the Norwegian Seafood Council. Following registration they receive a quality standard which they then have to Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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fulfil. The fishing companies are then entitled to mark high-quality skrei with the quality label. The purpose of the quality labelling system is to contribute towards making market communication easier and more transparent for the Norwegian Seafood Council, fishery enterprises, fish processors and suppliers, retailers and restaurants. The label guarantees that the skrei in question is of consistently high quality. An independent certification body monitors the registered companies and ensures that the products they deliver fulfil the quality standard.
Skrei stands apart from other cod Skrei differs from other cod with regard to its longer more pointed shape and a paler skin colour. Apart from that, it migrates over large distances and spends its juvenile years in the Barents Sea. In contrast, other cod are predominantly found in coastal waters and have a very large head in comparison with their body. Skrei does not eat much on its migration from the Barents Sea to the north Norwegian coast (Lofoten Islands). Only those fish which succeed in building up a good condition after intensive feeding in the Barents Sea begin the long journey to their spawning grounds. After the first spawning some of the mature
cod skip the second spawning. This share is probably much lower in coastal cod on account of the shorter distance to the spawning grounds.
Quality specifications start at the vessel Skrei is caught in the traditional spawning grounds along the Norwegian coast. The areas around the Lofoten Islands and Vesterålen are the most important fishing grounds for skrei whereby the total spawning area stretches from the Møre coast in the south to the Finnmark coast in the high north. Because the fish is taken live out of the sea, killed on board the fishing vessel, immediately bled and cleaned with sea water, then properly processed and stored at a temperature around zero degrees it maintains its excellent quality for a further eight to ten days after the catch but should then no longer be eaten raw. Skrei has to be stored at a constantly low temperature. An interruption of the cold chain will have an immediate impact on the quality. The quality standard for Skrei® includes strict provisions with regard to fishing methods, bleeding, gutting, landing, packing, and the unbroken cold chain for optimal storage conditions for this fish. The sellers are responsible for
Skrei migrate a long way to spawn – from the Barents Sea to the north of Norway, a distance of more than 1,000 km.
removing any fish from the sales process if they have exceeded their sell-by date. The different factors which lead to skrei’s changing its spawning grounds over the course of time are not yet fully known.
Availability is mainly dependent on weather conditions. In winter, bad weather can stop the fishermen from reaching the fishing grounds with their fishing vessels. General climatic conditions are a further factor. Water temperatures and salinity determine the point of time and arrival of the skrei in the fishing grounds.
Skrei is a sustainably fished resource
Skrei has a longer, more pointed shape and a paler skin colour than coastal cod. 50
The largest cod population is found in the Barents Sea. This stock to which skrei belongs is considered one of the best managed cod stocks worldwide. Norway has a holistic approach to sustainable management which is based on long-term
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Marius Fiskum, Norwegian Seafood Council
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The Skrei ® label reflects very high standards of quality that cover the catching, processing, and packaging of the fish.
thinking. Norway and Russia share the responsibility for the protection of the stocks and take a joint decision every year on how high the catch quotas should be. These are in accordance with the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and the Fisheries Commission whose job is to achieve high yields in the long term and at the same time attain a certain stability of catch volume from year to year. The management system in the Barents Sea is also recognized by WWF and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and KRAV. The Norwegian authorities have excellent opportunities for controlling the activities of fishing enterprises: the Norwegian Coast Guard, the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, and the Norwegian Cooperatives. All fishing vessels
in Norwegian waters have to carry with them a log book recording the species, quantity and fishing ground where the fish on board were caught. The fishery cooperatives keep a list of the current catch quantities and the remaining fishing quota for every vessel. All fishes that are landed in Norway have to be sold via the fisheries cooperatives. The catch quantities are checked on landing and both the fisherman and the buyer sign the catch logbook which confirms that the catch volume was given correctly. The fisheries cooperatives are accountable to the Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries which is responsible for this catch logbook. The fishing quota reports are updated every day. The control system implemented in Norway ensures that the fish sold was caught within the legally permitted scope.
A product in high demand among connoisseurs
a lot of good protein, potassium, iodine and sodium, to name but a few.
Skrei has quality features that with regard to consistency, colouring and flavour are unusual, for example, its firm, pale white meat. There are a couple of reasons for this. During its migration to the spawning grounds on the coast of northern Norway skrei covers more than 1,000 kilometres, of which 600 kilometres is spent along the north Norwegian coast. This leads to a very good muscle tonicity and a firm meat consistency of the finest quality. Along the way the skrei eats very little. This means that its stomach contents are low which has a positive effect on meat texture. In addition, skrei is one of the healthiest whitefish species in the world. One portion of skrei contains the recommended daily intake of Omega 3 fatty acids, plus
Skrei is very much in demand both in Norway and in other countries. The traditional way of preparing skrei in Norway is in a dish called “mølje”: The meat, liver and roe of the skrei are poached in lightly salted water in separate pans and then served with boiled potatoes. The aim is to make use of as much of the skrei as possible. The tongue and the cheeks of the skrei are also eaten as a delicacy in Norway but only seldom exported. A further speciality is the skrei’s stomach. It is the Norwegian tradition to turn this inside out and wash it in cold water. After that the stomach is stuffed with liver and chopped onions and seasoned with salt and pepper. It is then either poached separately or together with skrei fillet. Source: Fischmagazin 12 2016 Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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[ PROCESSING ] Refrigerant R404A no longer permitted in new installations as of 1 January 2020
Natural refrigerants enable climate neutral cooling systems Refrigeration technology and ice enable low temperatures that are necessary for guaranteeing the quality and freshness of sensitive foods such as ďŹ sh during transport, in the production process, during storage, and at the retailer’s. However, some of the refrigerants that have been used so far in refrigeration units damage the ozone layer and promote the greenhouse effect which is why refrigeration technology suppliers are now using more environmentally friendly technical solutions.
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herever temperaturesensitive foods are involved there is a need for refrigeration. Canteens, hotels and restaurants, chemists, laboratories and medical facilities, bakeries, butchers and the fish trade make use of the advantages of low temperatures every day to slow down the development of microbial germs and retard chemical spoilage processes. To achieve this they have at their disposal a wide range of cooling equipment in different sizes and with various capacities and these are suited to practically all requirements. Refrigerators, refrigerated tables, counters, cabinets and shelves, cooling and freezing units, shock freezers and, of course, ice machines produce the right ice in the required quantity for virtually every need, be it for use in hotels and restaurants, laboratories or the food industry. Special products often require special cooling systems. Recently, for example, special refrigerated cabinets for sushi have become popular for they keep the appetizing portions fresh for longer and enable much more attractive product presentation. With the development of superfrozen fish products the need arose for highperformance cooling technology that can guarantee temperatures of about minus 60°C. Because initially such equipment was not
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readily available in the food sector the first interested users chose refrigeration technology from the medical sector to fulfil their purpose. The demands users make on cooling systems and equipment are high. Refrigeration technology should not only be easy to operate, quiet and hygienic but should also be available in precise dimensions, in high-quality timeless design, and it should be profitable. If in the past it sufficed for a new fridge or freezer to be energy-saving, customers investing in new technology today also want their systems to be environmentally and climate friendly. Because more attention is in the meantime paid to the sustainable and respectful use of nature the choice of refrigerant that is used in the cooling systems plays an increasingly important role.
Changing states in a continuous circuit Without going into too much detail, a small digression into the technology and functional principle of cooling systems might be helpful at this point. Regardless of the size and construction of a unit, the cooling principle is almost always the same. The refrigerant used circulates in a
Ice is available in many different forms with different consistencies and temperatures so that there is a suitable ice for every cooling purpose.
closed circuit and in the process successively assumes different aggregate states. At the start of the process the gaseous refrigerant is compressed so strongly that it becomes liquid under pressure as it releases heat. The liquid refrigerant passes through
a pressure pipe into the actual cooling compartment and there the pressure is relieved via an expansion valve or a system of capillary tubes, i.e. the pressure produced by the compressor is reduced again. The liquid refrigerant evaporates during this
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[ PROCESSING ]
When cooling fresh fish and seafood different qualities of ice are still the chosen method both on board and on shore.
process and, in spite of the low temperature (“evaporative cooling”) absorbs heat from the cooling compartment. Subsequently the meanwhile gaseous refrigerant flows back to the compressor and the cycle begins again. The cooling process is thus maintained externally (mechanically) by the compressor which supplies the required power so that the refrigerant can absorb the heat present in the cooling compartment and discharge it to the outside (for example at the rear of the refrigerator) at a higher temperature level. Various refrigerants can be used in cooling systems. Choice depends, among other things, on the location of the ice machine, its integration in existing cooling systems, and environmental aspects. Ideally the refrigerant should fulfil the following requirements: r good availability r suitable thermodynamic properties r high physical and chemical stability r the lowest possible environmental impact
Conversion or replacement of refrigeration plants Since not all refrigerants meet these criteria equally, legislation has in recent years increasingly restricted the choice of permitted substances. After in the early 1990s halogenated hydrocarbons (CFCs) were banned internationally on account of their ozonedamaging impact, since 1 January 2015 hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) have also been gradually withdrawn from the market in the EU. The aim of this measure is to gradually reduce the sales volume of HFCs to one-fifth of today’s volume by 2030. The refrigerant R404A, which is currently most frequently used, is no longer to be permitted in new plants as from 1 January 2020. And from 1 January 2022 refrigerant R134A may no longer be marketed in commercially operated refrigerators and freezers. By 2025, stationary refrigeration plants with particularly climate-damaging F-gases must be shut down or converted so that they can use less climate-damaging refrigerants. These requirements also apply
In tropical regions temperature-sensitive seafood products are cooled regularly with ice even during the ongoing production process.
to propellants used by individual manufacturers when foaming insulating materials. There is still some time left before the required measures become effective but plans should be made in good time and due preparations made for any necessary investments. Although some refrigerants will not be allowed in the future, the number of possible alternatives is nevertheless so great that the decision for or against a particular one often requires expert advice. The refrigerant R449A, also called Opteon XP40, is not harmful to the ozone layer, and can easily replace traditional refrigerants such as R404A, R507A, R22 or R407F in industrial and commercial cooling plants. This refrigerant is also suitable when refitting existing plants. At the same time R449A has considerably better environmental properties. With GWP-values (Global Warming Potential) of around 1,280 the impact of this refrigerant on world climate is about 67 lower than R404A and, depending on the plant technology used, energy requirements are 8 to 12 lower. With that the use of Opteon XP40
– at least according to the current state of the art – would seem possible in the longer term.
Climate protection gaining importance for refrigerants With regard to the climatedamaging greenhouse gases, the alternative refrigerants CO2 (R744) and propane (R290) perform even better. Both refrigerants are convincing due to their low GWP values, they work reliably and are user friendly and highly economical. They protect the environment and do not damage the ozone layer of the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is already used fairly frequently as a refrigerant in some food sectors with cooling requirements, for example supermarkets. CO2 or R744 has two important advantages. Firstly, its GWP value of 1 is extremely low (in comparison: the GWP of R449A is 1,280). And secondly, due to physical factors, the efficiency of CO2compounds is mostly much better than that of other refrigerants. The cooling capacity of CO2 is thus higher with the same energy expenditure and the production Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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The choice of refrigerant depends among other things on the location of the ice machine, its integration into existing cooling systems, and environmental and climate aspects.
costs are lower. CO2-cooling units are thus a particularly profitable and forward-looking technology that should be used more strongly. In spite of this, they are currently seldom seen. This is mainly because of the high technical requirements of this technology. Carbon dioxide has a high vapour pressure and all components of the refrigeration circuit must be designed for high pressures. Whilst conventional cooling units work at a maximum of 40 bar, 120 bar must be possible if CO2-gas is 54
used. In the meantime quite a few manufacturers of cooling systems are able to cope with this challenge and offer CO2-systems but this refrigerant is still rarely used in single-stage plants. However, CO2 finds more frequent use as a low-temperature refrigerant in two-stage systems. Propane (R290) and butane have similar properties to CO2 as refrigerants. They belong to the group of hydrocarbons (HC), which are chemical compounds consisting
of the elements hydrogen and carbon and they occur naturally in high concentrations in crude oil, for example. Both propane and butane are an environmentally friendly alternative to fluorocarbons (CFC, HCFC, HFC) that are harmful to the environment. They do not attack the ozone layer, are gentle on the climate and are particularly energy-efficient, which reduces operating costs. However, it is a disadvantage that propane and butane are highly inflammable and thus entail risk of fire.
Their use as a refrigerant is only possible if strict technical specifications for explosion protection are complied with. Actually, this is not a problem, because gas is also used for cooking and heating in the household. However, refrigeration technology such as refrigerators, freezers or ice machines, whose cooling circuit is under considerable pressure, requires special safeguards which still function reliably even after many years of non-stop operation. Hydrocarbons such as propane, butane or isobutane (R600A), with GWP values of around 3, offer such significant advantages that hardly any refrigeration engineer can do without these refrigerants today. Instead of using the recently introduced R134a, many manufacturers switched directly to the more environmentally friendly R600a. In domestic refrigerators and freezers, isobutane is in the meantime the most widely used hydrocarbon. More than 700 million household refrigerators currently work with R600A, and by 2020 three-quarters of all refrigerators manufactured worldwide will probably be using this refrigerant. Propane (R290) is mainly used in commercial refrigeration and freezing systems, air-conditioning systems and heat pumps.
High safety requirements for cooling plants The transition from conventional synthetic refrigerants such as R22 which damages the ozone layer of the atmosphere to propane or other hydrocarbons is relatively easy from a technical point of view because these refrigerants work with the same cooling circuit and so are in a certain sense “compatible� with existing equipment and systems. The only difference really lies in the safety
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[ PROCESSING ] requirements which are considerably higher for hydrocarbons. Due to their potential fire hazard they are internationally subject to strict safety regulations and laws. The permissible filling quantity, for example, is limited to 150 grams per device (this value can be exceeded, however, under certain conditions in Europe). The manufacturers of hydrocarbon refrigeration systems must comply with prescribed safety regulations. Legislation demands, for example, tests in which leaks within the cooling system have to be simulated and recognized. Electric cables and components that are in the vicinity of the refrigerant flow must be adequately insulated. In order to rule out any risks the manufacturers of refrigeration units use particularly long-lasting safety valves and reliable pressure monitoring technology. From an environmental point of view ammonia NH3 (R717) continues to play an important role as a natural refrigerant. It is mainly used in industrial cooling plants that have to be cost-effective and yet powerful. Examples of these work areas are breweries, cold stores and slaughter houses, or ice rinks. Ammonia is so to speak a classic product among the refrigerants and has been used in industrial cooling plants for more than 130 years. Ammonia is hardly inflammable and it is climate-neutral and so it does not contribute to the greenhouse effect or ozone depletion. Its half-life in the atmosphere is only about two weeks. A disadvantage of NH3 is its toxic effect and physiological hazard since the gas can corrode the lungs upon inhalation and damage the eyes because it forms an alkaline reacting solution when it comes into contact with water.
The characteristic biting smell of ammonia is, however, already perceivable at very low concentrations of 3 to 5 mg per cubic metre of air which guarantees a reliable warning effect. This warning threshold is far below the critical concentration of 1,750 mg/m3 which causes chemical burns and other health damages. A further disadvantage of ammonia is its incompatibility with non-ferrous metals which increases material expenditure considerably during the installation of large ammonia refrigeration plants. Copper pipes, galvanized parts or fittings made of bronze or brass are not suitable for this refrigerant.
Cooling and freezing with solar energy However, the climate and environmental friendliness of a refrigeration plant does not only depend on the refrigerant used. Its sustainability is also dependent on the energy required for compressing and circulating the refrigerant. This fact revived an idea that dates back to the middle of the nineteenth century. At that time the French engineer Augustin Mouchot combined concave mirrors with collectors to evaporate water and drive steam engines with the help of concentrated sunlight. In 1866 the first usable solar steam engine was put into operation. When Mouchot directed the steam into overheated rooms the water condensed and cooled the air as a fine spray. The engineer recognized the potential of this idea and continued to work on its further development. At the Paris World Exposition in 1878 Mouchot presented an ice machine which was operated by solar-generated steam and, to the astonishment of the audience, produced the first ice block using solar energy.
Ammonia, freon, halons, and hydrocarbons
What exactly are refrigerants? DIN EN 378-1 para. 3.7.1 defines a refrigerant as a fluid that is used for heat transfer in a refrigeration system, and which absorbs heat at a low temperature and low pressure and emits heat at a higher temperature and higher pressure, whereby normally the fluid’s aggregate state changes.
Modern solar cooling systems are technically much more complex and effective but the basic idea is quite similar: the aim is to produce ice for cooling purposes with the help of sunlight. The refrigeration technology supplier Ziegra, for example, offers ice machines which can be a real alternative to conventional ice machines, especially in rural areas in tropical countries where the power grid is often incomplete and power supply unstable. The production of electricity using solar panels has the advantage over current generators that no fuel is needed for this and that it works silently. Sunlight is mostly available in abundance and with suitable batteries the solar energy can also be stored “gratis” for the dark night hours. Ziegra’s solar driven systems are not off-the-shelf solutions for they are developed from commercially available components according to the local concrete requirements. The manufacturer’s qualified personnel have the necessary engineering knowledge to combine all parts from the solar panel to the batteries into fully functional systems. In Senegal, Ziegra has already gained experience with solar energy generation using smaller machines producing about 375 kg of ice per day. Battery-powered ice production continues until late into the night and switches off only in the early morning. Ziegra’s solar ice machine is used by the
German Association for International Cooperation (GIZ) in Senegal in a rural area without constant power supply to cool fresh fish with the produced ice. The smallest ice machine which can be combined with solar panels produces about 150 kg of ice per day. Ziegra has identified opportunities for its solar ice machines especially in African countries where fresh fish spoils quickly if there is no adequate cooling available. In these countries, too, a consumer group is growing which is characterized by a higher quality awareness and more emphasis on hygienically clean, fresh fish products. Although the interest shown in the solar systems is considerable, willingness to buy is rather low. Many fishmongers currently still regard the use of ice for cooling as a “luxury” which leads only to unnecessary costs. Innovation-wary buyers often believe that a trader who packs his fish in ice is only trying to conceal the lack of freshness of the goods or other defects. While refrigeration manufacturers are now developing more and more fascinating products, improving the efficiency of their appliances, and making them more environmentally and climate friendly, such developments seem to overwhelm some customers. It is presumably easier to push ahead the state of the art than to change something in people’s minds, in the way they think. mk Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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[ SPECIES ] Queen crab: More than an inexpensive substitute for king crab
Crustacean delicacy from subarctic waters The ice-cold northern seas are not only the home of king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus), but also of queen crab, also known as snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio). The snow white meat of the long spiderlike legs has an intense, slightly salty yet delicate flavour. The queen crab fishery is sustainable, and annual landings add up to well over 110,000 tonnes.
T
he names of fine crustacean species – both trade names and vernacular names – are often mixed up. Crawfish are often called lobsters, there is considerable confusion over prawns and shrimps, and the name queen crab is used for various different species. It is, for example in common use for the Australian giant crab Pseudocarcinus gigas. Carpilius corallinus, which lives in the shallow water from the Bahamas to Brazil or the Chilean snow crab Paralomis granulosa appear in trade as queen crabs. The crab species we are talking about here, however, lives in the ice-cold waters of the North Pacific and Atlantic and is called both queen crab and snow crab, Northern Arctic crab or spider crab. It is also regionally called “opilio crab”, derived from its scientific name Chionoecetes opilio (Greek chion – snow, oiketes – dweller, Latin opilio – shepherd or goatherd). With that, the identity of this crab species would probably be sufficiently clear were it not for a number of marketing strategists’ from some crab suppliers adding to the confusion. For alongside “genuine” opilio queen crabs the species Chionoecetes also includes three further species that are landed by commercial fisheries: C. bairdi, C. tanneri and C. japonica. These species, too, are mostly offered for sale as queen or snow crabs 56
so that these names are rather to be understood as “generic trade names”. Irrespective of this aspect, opilio queen or snow crab is the most widely spread, most frequently fished and commercially most significant of all the Chionoecetes crabs. The species is a typical benthic species that is found on soft muddy beds or loose sandy sediments in the shelf regions and upper edge of the continental slopes. Its habitat is the subarctic waters where temperatures rarely exceed 5°C over the course of the year. In the North West Atlantic the crabs are usually caught at depths of between 70 and 300 metres, in the North Pacific individual crabs have been located at 1,200 m. The main distribution area of queen crab covers the western Atlantic from Greenland via Newfoundland to the Gulf of Maine and the Arctic waters in the North Pacific from Alaska and North Siberia as far as the Aleutians, along from Kamchatka as far as the deep sea off Japan and Korea. In the meantime the crab is spreading further and further in the North Atlantic. In 1996 examples were found for the first time in the Barents Sea and in 2003 off the Norwegian coast. The stock seems to be growing in this marine area as catches of gravid female crabs seem to indicate. Fisheries scientists therefore rate opilio
Queen crab has five pairs of legs. The front legs have claws, the rear pair is disproportionately small. The crabs in the picture have lost individual legs which is fairly typical of the species. They will be replaced at the next moulting.
as an invasive species which could cause considerable damages to the ecologically sensitive Arctic region. In contrast to king crab (P. camtschaticus), which was introduced in the Russian and Norwegian coastal areas by humans, queen crab made its own way there, presumably along the north coast of Siberia.
Clear differences to king crab Queen crabs are easily distinguishable from their much more popular relatives, the king crabs. Both species can grow to considerable sizes but the king crabs reach much greater weights of 2 to 4 kilograms on average (a maximum of 15 kg is even possible). In contrast,
queen crabs rarely weigh more than one kilogram. The differences in appearance are also striking. Both species have very long legs, the span of which can be anything up to two metres in the case of king crab, while queen crabs only measure about half of this, i.e. just under one metre. The legs of opilio are also noticeably more slender in relation to their length. The most obvious difference, however, is in the number of legs. King crabs have four pairs of legs of which the foremost are modified into claws with a pincer and a larger breaker claw. In contrast, queen crabs have five pairs of legs. The two front legs also have claws but the difference in size is not so marked. The rear pair of legs is unusually small and seems
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[ SPECIES ]
Crab pots at Dutch Harbor on the island of Unalaska, as they are used for king and queen crabs (snow crabs).
almost stunted. The two species are similar with regard to the colouring of their bodies which is mostly a rather washed out brown shade, but the shell of king crabs is considerably tougher, harder and more prickly than that of the more delicate queen. The difference in size is also noticeable in the crab fishery. Fishing baskets are considered well filled when they contain 60 to 80 king crabs. To fill the basket to the same extent with queen carbs nearly 200 are necessary. The king crab fishery has a long tradition and, according to FAO statistics, was already carried out off Russia and Japan during the 1950s. Queen crabs were originally only caught by chance as bycatch during trawling and the commercial fishery for this crab species did not begin until the mid-1960s in Canada. The USA and other states joined the fishery in the 1990s. As is the case in the lobster fishery the catch was almost without exception made using baited basket traps or pots. The fishing gear is mostly set out on the sea bed over night at depths of 50 to 600 metres and then hauled in the next morning. Canada is the most important fishing nation for queen crabs and nearly three quarters of world production are caught in the West Atlantic in the region off Newfoundland and Labrador, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and in Fundy Bay or
Nova Scotia. Fishing times vary regionally but the largest quantities are landed during the spring and summer months. In 2015, landings of Chionoecetes species amounted to 253,313 t according to the FAO and at least 147,151 t of this total were C. opilio. The actual yield of this species is probably much greater, however, as in the FAO statistics 80,507 tonnes appear only as Chionoecetes spp. and are not specifically separated into different species. The largest share of this quantity is presumably opilio.
Healthy stocks enable a sustainable fishery Queen crab stocks between West Greenland and Canada are basically considered to be healthy although – as with all natural resources – natural fluctuations can occur independent of the fishery. Recently global climate changes are also having an impact on stocks. Although the stock has shown a tendency to decrease in the northern regions the biomass used for fishing has remained largely stable because the growing stock in the south makes up for these losses. Stock developments are monitored and evaluated by the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat. The management of the fishery is based on permitted catch volumes and annual fishing quotas, fishing effort controls,
legal minimum landing size, stipulations on permissible mesh sizes and variably fixed fishing periods and regions. The fishermen who hold a crab fishing licence – about 4,500 in all – are allocated an individual fishing quota every year and they are only permitted to put out a defined number of pots. The minimum mesh size is currently 13.5 cm. Only male crabs with a shell width of at least 95 mm may be landed. Female and undersize crabs have to be gently returned to the sea. If more than 20 per cent of the catch in any region consists of soft-shell crabs that have just moulted the zone is closed to the fishery for the rest of the season. The entire package of these measures has led to the Canadian queen crab stocks remaining at a high level for more than ten years, something which can also be seen in the stable landing volumes. In the opinion of a lot of scientists the weak cod stocks in the region also contribute to this development. This fish is considered to be the major predator of the young crustaceans. Nearly three quarters of the Canadian crabs are exported to the USA, which alongside China and Japan constitute the most important market for queen crabs.
In the USA, the second largest fishing nation, the fishing season in the Bering Sea and off Alaska usually lasts from January to March or April depending on the ice cover. The TV report “The Deadliest Catch” made the fishery for queen crab (which are called snow crabs here) widely known and describes vividly the life-threatening occupation in ice-cold, winter storms and metre high waves. Because the fishermen only have a narrow time window for their hunt for snow crabs – the fishing season usually begins on 15 January and ends when the fishing quota has been fished – the fishing vessels compete for the prize in a rigorous derby. Competition is exacerbated by the fact that the snow crab stocks off Alaska suddenly plummeted at the end of the 1990s and have not fully recovered to this day. Because the allocation of fishing quotas is based around the reduced stock biomass the fishery is still considered sustainable and reasonable. Even the Monterey Bay Aquarium seafood watch (known for its critical appraisal of fisheries) rates snow crabs from Alaska “Best Choice”, and similarly catches from the southern Gulf of St. Lawrence in Canada. Crabs from the other
FAO
Development of landings of queen crab (Chionoecetes opilio). The actual landings are higher because some of the Chionoecetes catches are not differentiated according to species. Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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[ SPECIES ] The best qualities are fully but not excessively glazed and have at most 10 per cent breakages (the thin frozen legs break very easily.) Common grades range from 3/5 oz (about 85/142 g), through 5/8 oz (142/266 g) to 8 up (over 226 g).
A popular meal in North American seafood restaurants is crab legs in the shell whose meat is removed and dipped in melted butter before eating.
Canadian fishing grounds are rated a “Good Alternative”. The queen crab fishery of the Canadian province Newfoundland and Labrador has held certification according to MSC since 2013.
Immediate processing guarantees the best product quality After the pots have been hauled on board again the crabs that do not comply with the fishing regulations are first sorted out. Male crabs whose body shell exceeds the required minimum size are either kept live or placed in ice to maintain their freshness and quality. They are usually killed by hand as gently as possible. To achieve this one holds the crabs with both hands by the legs and splits their body on an axe-shaped cutting device with a quick powerful blow. This method means that the four legs remain connected to one another beneath the body shell (one of the legs is the small posterior leg). This typical and probably most frequent crab product is called “cluster”. After the subsequent size and 58
quality sorting the clusters are boiled in water until they reach a core temperature of 85°C. In this form the clusters serve as starting material for a range of products. They are for example shock frozen and glazed as a whole or as individual legs. Some processors use cryogenic freezers which enable particularly high qualities.
Individual crab legs are available whole, divided into sections between the joints, and with a split or scored shell which makes the removal of the crabmeat considerably easier (“Snap 'n' Eat”). Separate claws (“Cocktail Claws”) and pure crabmeat are also part of the range of most suppliers. A common industrial standard is mixed “combo” packs that contain 80 body and 20 leg meat. Better qualities are mixed at a ratio of 60 to 40. Frozen combo packs in 5 lb blocks that are quite reasonably priced in comparison are often used in hotels and restaurants for salads, soups and other crustacean recipes. There are also smaller packs, however, that are designed for sale to retailers and for the final consumer. Frozen crabmeat is usually available at the retailer’s without any preservatives
or other additives. Most meat is to be found in the legs and claws, with small quantities in the body shell. Because it is not easy to remove the meat this time-consuming task is mainly carried out by companies in Asia, mainly in China. The average meat yield in the case of C. opilio is about 17. That is less than that of king crab or Dungeness crabs which can have as much as 25 yield.
Frozen products have a longer shelf-life and are very versatile The shelf-life of frozen, cleanly glazed crab legs and leg pieces is about one year. After thawing the crabmeat should, however, be eaten within three days. Crabmeat keeps longest when tinned for canned products can be stored for up to three years. Because queen crab products are almost without exception first cooked and then frozen they can be eaten either cold after thawing or reheated. Pre-cooked products should not be cooked too long then, however, because the meat
A typical crab product is clusters in which the legs remain linked at the shoulder joint (the picture shows king crab clusters).
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[ SPECIES ]
Queen or snow crab, Chionoecetes opilio, in Bonne Bay, Newfoundland, Canada. The upper larger crab is a male, the lower one a female. Males sometimes remove the females’ legs and carry their bodies around with them. Photo: Derek Keats, South Africa 2008, Wikimedia commons.
can otherwise dry out, and the consistency becomes tough, and loses flavour. Basically crabmeat is suitable for almost all preparation methods. It can be poached, baked, fried or sautéed, heated in the microwave and – with the necessary care – even grilled. Typical defects and quality losses that occur frequently in crustaceans such as king and queen crabs that live in the wild are above all dirty shells that might, for example, be contaminated with barnacles or remains of seaweed which look unattractive and reduce the usable portion of product weight. A slightly blue colouring of the meat is considered an indication of a product being undercooked, ice crystals that are stuck to the crabmeat are a sign of too slow freezing or the frozen product having been thawed again in between. A particularly frequent fault is the incorrect mixture of body and leg meat, i.e. differing from the declaration, and excessive share of breakage, that is then well above the permitted 10. The mildly aromatic, succulent, slightly sweet tasting meat of queen crab is considered almost everywhere as a real culinary experience. The muscle sections of the leg meat are coloured snow white on the inside and on the
outside they are covered with a bright orange coloured surface. Whilst king crabs have a strong, full intense flavour the queen’s more tender meat is more subtle in flavour and differs above all
from king crab on account of its fibrous structure. That is why it can be used in so many different ways in the kitchen – to the pleasure of restaurant chefs and cooks. The slightly sweet crabmeat fits very well with sour or fatty ingredients such as pineapple, apples or other fruit as well as nuts or avocado. Recommendations for preparation range from soups and salads, through omelettes and soufflés, to seafood bakes. During preparation one really only has to make sure that the meat is not too strongly heated because it then dries out. Queen crab meat is less expensive than king crab meat.
mango curry sauce. The tender leg meat is also appreciated by sushi fans. In Canada and the USA clusters are found on restaurant menus, the meaty cocktail claws are popular for buffets. The shell is usually removed or broken open so that the meat can be easily removed. It is then eaten after dipping in a cocktail sauce or melted butter. In Spain queen crabs are enjoyed as a delicacy at Christmas and they sell well during Advent and are then eaten with family and friends. Because 100 grams of crabmeat only contain 1.2 grams fat their energy content is also relatively low: 90 kcal. That promises pleasure without remorse particularly since the cholesterol content at 55 mg/100 g crabmeat is not too high compared to other crustaceans. mk
In Asia people eat crabs directly from the shell both warm and cold. They are served with fruits or wasabi, with fiery salsa or
Biological information on queen crab (snow crab), Chionoecetes opilio
Males are almost twice the size of females Queen or snow crabs are crustaceans with a flat body typical of crabs and five pairs of spider-like legs (the front pair are claws). In order to be able to grow the animals shed their hard exterior shell from time to time. This process is called moulting. Young crabs moult several times a year, older animals only once a year. During moulting lost limbs can be replaced. When female crabs reach maturity they stop moulting and so stop growing. That is why they remain considerably smaller than the males. After moulting the new body shell is still relatively soft for some time. Such animals are then called “soft-shell crabs” or “white crabs”. Queen crabs are reddish to brownish on the upper side and whitish-yellowish on the lower side (when heated the crabs turn the typical red colour). Calcium deposits give the thorny body shell (carapace) which is almost as wide as it is long a considerable hardness. The shell of male crabs can be up to 150 mm, that of females up to 90 mm in length. Males grow to a maximum weight of 1.35 kg (leg span up to 90 cm), females reach just under 0.5 kg and a leg span of just under 40 cm. A larger claw is a typical feature of male crabs. This develops at the start of maturity and is probably meant to attract the females. Queen crabs feed mainly on bottom-dwelling invertebrates (e.g. crustaceans, mussels, brittlestars, polychaetes), occasionally also smaller fishes. Cannibalism has also been observed in juveniles. Both sexes live separately and only make direct contact during the spawning season. During mating the males pass a seed package to the females which store it in their spermatheca which they use for several insemination processes. Depending on their age the females lay between 12,000 and 160,000 eggs which they carry around with them under their bellies for about a year depending on temperature. Only male queen crabs whose body shell exceeds the legally permitted minimum size of 95 mm may be landed. On average they take 7 to 9 years to reach this size. The maximum age of this crab species is said to be 14 to 16 years.
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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] The fight against inhumane working conditions
Global fish industry in the public eye The fish industry is an important employer with nearly 60 million people worldwide earning their living from fishing and a further 140 million employed in the fish processing and sales sectors. Working conditions differ greatly from region to region. Most countries respect internationally-recognized labour standards but there are also some horrifying negative examples that are reminiscent of early-capitalist exploitation.
I
n recent times Thailand, in particular, has often been seen as an example of dangerous, inhumane and degrading working conditions. And labour conditions in the fishing sector were particularly poor where many of the larger fishing vessels are crewed by more than 90 per cent migrants, particularly from Myanmar and Cambodia. The workers often had their identity papers taken from them so that they were at the mercy of the vessel’s captain. It was not rare for them to be kept like slaves, exploited, and miserably treated, and even after months at sea they were often not allowed to go from board when the vessel finally arrived in a port. Human rights organisations have compiled dozens of reports on such degrading working conditions. Human trafficking, pitiful wages, and poor diet, forced labour and physical violence are presumably quite common on board such ships. It is reported that in individual cases executions have even been carried out. The EU and the USA demand an immediate stop to human trafficking and slave labour in Thailand’s fish industry and all other countries concerned. International food groups that import raw materials and fish products from these countries demand from their suppliers that they ensure decent, humane working conditions for their employees. In November 2016 even the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People denounced 60
the exploitation of migrants in the fishing industry on the occasion of World Fisheries Day. Thailand’s government and seafood companies are noticing the growing pressure and are acting. A whole bundle of measures has been introduced by the government to radically improve the situation. They range from individual registration of migrants and crew members on fishing vessels to effective controls in the ports and at sea, and strict punishment in the event of violation of existing regulations. In March 2017, for example, 16 human traffickers were condemned to 14 years imprisonment because they had kidnapped migrants to work on their fishing vessels. The package of reforms does not only aim at putting an end to human rights violations in the fish industry but at the same time it wants to curb IUU fishing. The government is supported in its efforts by big seafood companies that are mostly dependent on exports. The Thai Union Group (TU), for example, is abolishing the recruitment fees for workers in their factories that forced foreign migrants into bonded labour. Although these efforts have not completely solved the problems there are now the first signs of improvement. The US Department of State has recognized Thailand’s efforts in the fight against forced labour and human trafficking and has raised the country’s status accordingly.
Humane working conditions are in the meantime recognized throughout the world as an elementary human right and deemed an intrinsic part of sustainable development.
It was promoted to the higher “Tier 2 Watch List” in July 2016.
Conscious violation of internationally recognized employment standards However, when examining the problem of inhumane working conditions it would be a big mistake to point a finger only at the fish industry in Thailand. A lot of workers, particularly migrants and itinerants are also subjected to exploitative practices in other regions of the world, both on board ships and on land. Illegal immigrants are particularly at risk for they rarely possess valid papers and are thus often without written work contracts, they
have no social security or health insurance, and work under questionable conditions for a pittance. Language barriers and a low level of education make it more difficult for these workers to gain access to the regular job market. As “illegals” they have practically no protection and can thus hardly take action against violation of their rights, for example if they are not paid regularly or, even worse, not at all, or if they suffer lack of work protection measures or discrimination. Anyone who has to work under such precarious conditions mostly has little interest in participating in social dialogue or becoming active in a trade union and fighting for their rights. And that, in turn, weakens the ability of workers to influence
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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]
The large share of women on the staff of many seafood processing companies makes them “feminized” workplaces, and in recent times increasingly “ethnicized” workplaces.
the development of the company that employs them, its policy, or good governance mechanisms. The fish industries of western countries are, of course, not without their own problems and work areas where improvements could be made, but the focus of criticism is on the developing countries where jobs in the fisheries sector are mostly marked by low wages, seasonality, poor access to professional job training, and low productivity. In the wake of these shortcomings and in the harsh competition for resources and markets the risk of overfishing increases as does the unsustainable use of natural resources. Anyone who consciously violates basic human rights and internationallyrecognized work standards, who exploits their workers for their own profit, disregards their social security and dignity, will hardly shy from polluting or destroying the environment, from ignoring climate change, or from overfishing.
Exploitation and IUU fishing often go hand in hand A particularly shabby chapter in the catalogue of inhumane working conditions is child labour.
According to investigations by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) child labour is still very widespread in some regions of the world and particularly in the fishery sector. Although this is a clear violation of the ILO Minimum Age Convention of 1973 such violations are rarely prosecuted or punished. Under pressure from global structural change in the fish processing industry – a result of increasing mechanisation and automation of personnel-intensive work processes – the number of people employed in the industry is sinking. In the fishing sector alone which is working to reduce fishing fleets and is geared to a more sustainable use of fish stocks and resources, nearly 1.5 million jobs have been lost since the turn of the millennium. That is why not few people are sooner willing to accept poorly paid, physically strenuous and often even health-damaging work. And this is particularly true in those regions of the world that have few other work and income opportunities to offer. Added to this is the fact that things are changing within the fisheries sector, too. In 1990 in the primary sector of raw materials production, 83 per cent of all jobs were in fishing but in 2014 it was only 67 per cent. At the same time jobs in the aquaculture
sector rose from 17 to 33 per cent. However, working in the aquaculture sector demands certain qualifications which means that it is difficult to switch directly from fishing to fish farming.
to be one of the most dangerous work areas worldwide. It is estimated that there are about 24,000 fatal work accidents per year, and the number of injuries is likely to be considerably higher.
There are various different reasons why one frequently finds inhumane working conditions on board fishing vessels, especially on deep sea vessels that are often at sea for several weeks or months at a time and are thus not easily controlled by the supervisory authorities. And particularly since some captains intentionally operate in remote regions to avoid the risk of possible inspections. Exploitation, ill treatment and precarious working conditions are not rarely linked with IUU fishing practices. But even if a fishing vessel is caught at sea violating working or fishing regulations criminal prosecution is often difficult because the vessels are mostly registered in “open registers” of third countries and thus operate outside of the regulated jurisdiction of a state.
Globalisation increases cost pressures and encourages exploitation
For the duration of a worker’s time at sea the vessel is that person’s home, offering him accommodation, shelter, protection, food, work and income. If, however, basic labour standards, social standards and rules of human decency are consciously or unconsciously violated this set-up breaks down. It is then not rare that the fishermen are at the mercy of the vessel’s captain and to an unacceptable degree open to economic and social risks. The punishment workers have to face can include partial or complete withholding of payment, physical violence, forcing the fishermen to work longer hours, ignoring tiredness and safety standards and, imprisoned within this structure, the worker will probably tend to take more risks. Fishing is known
The international seafood market has changed dramatically in recent years and demand for fresh fish and processed products or ready meals has grown continually. Retail chains and supermarkets have become the main buyers of fish and seafood. Their daily business demands regular supply with products that have been produced according to uniform, consistently high quality standards. This has, on the one hand, extended the range and content of fish processing. Whilst in the past this rarely meant more than filleting and freezing, much more highly processed products are demanded today and even ready-to-cook or ready-to eat variants. On the other hand, globalisation has led to workintensive or personnel-intensive processes in fish processing being moved to different geographical regions of the world in which there are still enough workers available and where wage costs are relatively low. And as things lie at the moment that means the developing countries. This outsourcing of processing capacities at regional and global level has both positive and negative effects. It is positive, for example, that more countries are integrated into the international supply chain for this leads to jobs and income being created locally. Apart from that, global business with fish and seafood ensures that modern production methods and internationally binding quality, hygiene and safety standards are implemented Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]
Inhumane working conditions are often found on board deep sea vessels that are at sea for a long time and are thus difficult to monitor.
in these countries. Among the negative effects are the fact that jobs in the countries where the products are bought are lost, that global climate suffers under increased transports, and that often exploitation of large numbers of workers in the production countries is encouraged. The low transport costs and low wages in some countries make it profitable, for example, to carry whole frozen fishes from Europe and North America to Asia, in particular to China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam, to quickly thaw and fillet them there, and then refreeze them before they begin the return journey.
Europe’s fisheries industry losing more and more jobs Nearly two thirds of the fish and seafood products consumed in EU countries come from non-EU states. Basically the situation of workers in the national fisheries industries of the EU are of course not comparable with those in developing countries but here, too, there are unsolved problems, if at a different level. The fisheries sector accounts for less than 1 of gross national income of the EU and the number of people working in fisheries, aquaculture and processing is about 260,000 which is about 0.12 of the workforce. 62
Although there are big differences from region to region in Europe with regard to dependence on fishing it is only very rare that more than 10 per cent of the work force are to be found in this sector. In structurally weak regions there are hardly any opportunities, however, to find other work. The fishing sector is shrinking. In the last decade before the turn of the millennium employment in fishing in the EU fell by 20 and in the processing sector by 10. That was equal to a total loss of 60,000 jobs, spread differently over the member states. Whilst job losses in Denmark and Spain were particularly severe, there was even an increase in the number of jobs in Greece. Council Regulation No. 3760/92 lays down the complex details of the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). For example, the preservation of endangered stocks must be ensured whilst at the same time safeguarding the fishery’s continued existence. The member states are called upon to reduce fleet capacities whilst at the same time maintaining jobs. EU fishermen are assured an adequate level of income although supply through EU landings is declining and the EU is increasingly dependent on imports. The principles supported by the EU include non-discrimination. The fish
industry is particularly affected by this because in the sectors fishing, aquaculture and processing at least 100,000 women are employed Europe-wide and their work is often considered precarious. Women are often employed only for a short time to buffer seasonal peak times, and shift work and longer working hours are then common. Although in the fish processing sector women usually do the same work as men they are mostly paid less. In small family businesses a lot of women are not even officially employed, that is to say they work without remuneration, social insurance and pension schemes. In most EU countries the weekly working time is 40 hours which is, however, rarely observed in the fisheries sector. When seasonal peaks demand longer working hours larger companies generally grant compensation or pay overtime premiums. There are also differences in holiday times which are usually graduated according to a person’s length of service and age and are generally between 25 and 30 days in Europe. The workers are expressly encouraged to take their annual leave at times of low work load.
becoming “ethnicized”. A lot of fish processing companies have a particularly high share of workers with a migrant background at their gutting tables and conveyor belts. This is, for one thing, because the work rarely demands much qualification or language skills, and for another because regular employment is often the prerequisite for permanent residency and a source of regular income enables a certain standard of living. The wages paid in the fish processing sector reflect the economic situation of the European countries and the cost of living in those countries. In order to maintain minimum standards most states have in the meantime introduced legal minimum wages that vary strongly however from country to country. In Hungary, for example, the minimum wage is well below 300 euros per month, in Cyprus companies pay about 700 euros, and in Germany, where in the meantime every tenth employee works in the low pay sector hourly wages of 8.50 euros are required by law. Additional holiday allowance is not usual everywhere and in some European countries there is no payment on public holidays.
Employment in the fish processing sector is not very attractive
It goes without saying that the problems of workers in developing countries where one often has to fight child labour and forced labour, discrimination and financial exploitation, are completely different from those in Europe. But here, too, there is still quite a lot do. In the year 2015 the governments of nearly all states committed themselves in Addis Ababa to provide sufficiently productive work, to create humane work for everyone and in particular to promote small and medium sized enterprises. Humane working conditions are an elementary human right that is an integral part of sustainability, good governance and ethical behaviour.
Companies operating throughout the fisheries sector are constantly in need of workers who can react flexibly to the sector’s variable demands. But although unemployment is relatively high in a lot of coastal regions of Europe companies seem to have difficulty filling vacancies. The image and social status of a job in fish processing are low, the work in damp, cold rooms and the smell of fish are not very attractive for domestic workers. This leads to fish factories that were traditionally “feminized”, in more recent times
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The Danish (and European) seafood processing sector is heavily dependent on raw material from third countries
A quest for a more liberal import regime The Danish fish and shellfish trading and processing industry is represented by the Danish Seafood Association, an organisation that assists its members in various ways. Among the issues the association espouses is the liberalisation of trade regimes for seafood to ensure a reliable and inexpensive supply of raw material for its members. Peter Bamberger, the chairman of the association, speaks here about some of the strategic issues affecting the Danish and European seafood sector. The Danish Seafood Association represents the fish and seafood processing and trading sector in Denmark. Please describe briefly the main policies the association is interested in shaping, in the Danish and more widely in a European context? What are the association’s priorities? The largest part of the input for the Danish seafood industry is imported - including products such as cold water shrimps, farmed salmon, Alaska pollock, cod, crayfish and other shellfish etc. Only a minor part is from EU fisheries and aquaculture. The main priority for the Danish seafood business is to ensure supplies which are available without duties and quotas and on predictable terms when entering the EU. And the import formalities and paperwork should be simple and quick. The new Union Customs Code (UCC) that entered into force as from 1 May 2016 is one unfortunate example. These new regulations have presented many challenges and have been implemented in a non-uniform way in the 28 EU Member States. Today it is still a problem understanding how to comply with the provisions, and a priority for us to see the UCC implemented in a
way that best serves the importing seafood industry. We offer assistance to our members when regulatory barriers are met for import or export. This is another main priority for our association. For our exports to Russia and China we face a number of challenges in relation to access for individual products. The association also assists in our gaining collective access to these markets. Individual exporters must maintain their registration for these main markets. Danish Seafood Association together with other national associations are organised in Brussels via AIPCE-CEP which is the European seafood industry’s voice towards the EU – including DG MARE, DG SANTE and DG TAXUD – the most relevant directorates inside the EU Commission for the fisheries sector. Denmark has a very open economy, efficiently and honestly administered, with generally excellent infrastructure, and widespread use of technology and knowhow. All the low hanging fruit that could contribute to greater competitiveness have thus already been plucked. Given this, which are the areas where improvements
Peter Bamberger, Chairman, Danish Seafood Association.
are possible to ensure the competitiveness of the seafood sector, both now and in the future? Because of high unit costs in Denmark we have seen outsourcing of production to countries such as Vietnam and China, but also to other EU members as Poland and Germany. Production in Denmark has been decreasing for many years.
To reverse this trend, we need to reduce the level of taxes and duties and we should ensure a level playing field regarding EU subsidies supporting new production facilities. There should be no incentive to relocate business to other EU Member States by higher subsidy rates which should be set on the same level across the EU. We have an efficient food safety control in Denmark. It gives us a Eurofish Magazine 3 / 2017
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fine reputation around the world, however, we sometimes face a stricter implementation of EU regulations in Denmark than in other EU Member States – also regarding control fees which companies pay for veterinary inspections in the companies and when importing products. This restrains our ability to compete in the European Union. The research sector in Denmark is highly developed, but do you feel it serves the seafood industry adequately? Greater interaction between industry and academia is one of the ways to promote the development of the seafood processing sector by creating innovative processes/technologies and products that reflect consumer needs. How does the association encourage collaboration between industry and research to achieve these desirable outcomes? The seafood industry in Denmark for the most part consists of small and medium sized enterprises generally not disposing of the man power needed to maintain relations and cooperate closely with universities and academia. Universities could put more focus on educating engineers for the seafood sector as we have seen with greater success in Iceland. We in the Danish Seafood Association are actively involved as partners in innovative projects between universities and businesses and we are actively trying to promote the funds which can be applied for by our members if they want to engage in innovative projects. Generally speaking, closer ties between universities and seafood business should be formed to mutual benefit and to enable new research to be transformed into new products and processes. Although Denmark has a close relationship to the sea with no 64
point more than 50 km away from a coast, and there is a long tradition of catching, processing, and trading seafood, consumption in Denmark is slightly below the EU average. What prevents Danes from eating more fish?
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We have in many years engaged ourselves in collective sales promoting activities funded by the EU and co-financed by the Danish fishery sector. Overall consumption has been rising during the last 10 years while still below the official recommendations for seafood consumption. We face a tough competition from other protein sources such as chicken and pork. So, more work needs to be done to promote seafood. Generally, the consumption of fresh seafood has been rising, while sales of frozen and canned products have been decreasing. Danish seafood products are exported to a large extent to countries in the vicinity. While these are important partners, the industry is also looking to diversify its export markets. Which are the areas where the association sees the most potential in this respect? We export fish and seafood products to 96 countries and the exported volume has been increasing ever since 2008. And when meeting serious barriers, such as the Russian embargo in 2014, we manage to enter new markets and in this way new doors are opened. Africa is one good example. However, each group of products has a certain geographical connection. We have seen a trend to enter more remote markets where, traditionally, we have been selling our products to our neighbouring countries. Currently many Danish products are not allowed to enter the Chinese market, but we hope
6 LÆKRE SOMMERRETTER MED DANSK FISK Promotion activities to encourage the consumption of fish in Denmark include material urging consumers to eat seasonal fish and seafood. Fish consumption has been increasing over the years, but faces competition from other proteins, and is still below officially recommended levels.
for an opening for these products when the Danish prime minister visits China in 2017. China still has a high potential. Fish and seafood are the most globally traded commodities. Competition for raw materials is set to increase around the world as populations become more prosperous and demand for seafood rises. How can Danish seafood ensure an adequate, stable, and competitively priced supply of raw materials now and in the future? Imports are still today tied up in various duties and quotas in
a messy and non-transparent manner. The criteria for success is further liberalisation. More specifically we need an adequate supply of raw material for our processing industry for species that are in short supply from EU fisheries and EU aquaculture – or are not supplied at all. Southern blue whiting, Jordan shrimps and crayfish are such examples for which we need a more liberal import regime in the form of a higher Autonomous Tarif Quota (ATQ), or an ATQ for new species. About 65 of the Danish processing industry’s raw material needs are met through imports
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that are governed by EU laws. While the Danish sector is interested in a more liberal import regime, other parts of the European seafood sector are more concerned with greater restrictions. How can these two conflicting interests be reconciled?
you think the processing industry is in a position to deliver on these demands, or is it more likely that there will a gradual decline in the industry in Denmark as it relocates factories and jobs to lower cost countries? What steps need to be taken to maintain a thriving processing industry in Denmark?
We form a dialogue in our EUwide Brussels based association (AIPCE-CEP) with other national associations and this way we reach compromise. Conflicting views are balanced out before presenting our common proposals to the EU Commission. This has been a successful way forward when we have defined our interests for ATQs for imports.
Basically, the Danish seafood business has been responding to the Danish tough competitive challenge by outsourcing to lower cost countries or by automation in domestic plants by investing in state of the art machinery. Our global trading members are more flexible when deciding where to locate their production. They can choose countries with a competitive edge.
If Denmark wants to maintain a seafood processing industry within the country it is important to create enough value to offset the high cost of labour. Do
Production in Denmark is burdened by high taxes and fees
by a greater understanding of the benefits of free trade and that we would see that materialise in trade deals and the opening of markets.
and high labour wage costs. The general level of costs must be reduced if we are to retain seafood production in Denmark. We also need to be aware of how we in Denmark implement EU regulations. We should refrain from making stricter applications than other EU countries.
More bilateral trade agreements between the EU and third countries are in the pipeline which represents a positive sign for a more liberal trade regime. The EU-Canada trade agreement is expected soon and is very important to the Danish seafood industry. EU -Vietnam FTA is expected in 2018 at the earliest and would also be significant for the sourcing to Denmark.
As someone who has been associated with the Danish seafood industry for many years, how would you characterise the changes you have seen in the sector over the last five years and how do you expect the industry to develop in the future?
Drawing in the opposite direction is the fact that China and Thailand has lost their GSP status. So, we pay full duty on imports from these countries. When third countries are becoming richer relative to the EU they risk losing their preferential access to the EU.
The global market is changing fast and has become uncertain. Brexit and the Russian import embargo are examples of major changes and challenges. I hope that the current trend for protectionism will be reversed and succeeded
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DIARY DATES 27-30 June 2017 World Aquaculture 2017 Cape Town, South Africa www.was.org
15-18 August 2017 Aqua Nor Trondheim, Norway Tel.: +47 73 56 86 40 mailbox@nor-fishing.no www.aqua-nor.no
5-7 September 2017 Seafood Expo Asia Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel.: +1 207 842 55 04 customerservice@divcom.com www.seafoodexpo.com
14-16 September 2017 Russian Fisheries Forum St. Petersburg, Russia Tel.: +7 906 731 92 79 reklama@rusfishexpo.com www.rusfishexpo.ru
11-13 October 2017 DanFish/DanAqua International Aalborg, Denmark Tel.: +45 9935 5555 info@akkc.dk www.danfish.com
17-20 October 2017 Aquaculture Europe Dubrovnik, Croatia mario@marevent.com www.marevent.com
27-29 September 2017 Expoalimentaria Lima, Peru Tel.: +51 1 618 3333 spulache@adexperu.org.pe www.expoalimentariaperu.com
9 November 2017 International Cold Water Prawn Forum Reykjavik, Iceland Tel. +45 40 79 10 11 icwpf@gemba.dk http://icwpf.com/
25 - 27 February 2018 Fish international Bremen, Germany Tel.: +49 421 3505260 info@fishinternational.de www.fishinternational.de
13-15 September 2017 Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition Kopavogur, Iceland Tel.: +44 1329 825335 icefish@icefish.is www.icefish.is
3-5 October 2017 Conxemar Vigo, Spain Tel.: +34 986 433 351 Fax: +34 986 221 174 conxemar@conxemar.com www.conxemar.com
25 – 27 February 2018 GASTRO IVENT Bremen, Germany Tel.: +49 421 3505338 info@gastro-ivent.de www.gastro-ivent.de
A d d y o u r e v e n t t o w w w. E u r o f i s h M a g a z i n e . c o m
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EUROFISH International Organisation H.C. Andersens Boulevard 44-46 DK-1553 Copenhagen V Denmark
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ISSN 1868-5943
June 3 / 2017 C 44346
Lithuania
SuccessStories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Fishers, farmers add greater value at source
Eurofish member countries at SEG Norway: Skrei is synonymous with taste and quality Labour in the seafood industry is a member of the FISH INFO network
EUROFISH
Copenhagen
INFOYU Beijing
Casablanca
INFOPECHE Abidjan
Montevideo
Eurofish Magazine
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GLOBEFISH Rome
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INFOPESCA
INFOFISH Puchong
INFOSA
Windhoek
eurofishmagazine.com
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June 3 / 2017 C 44346
June 3 / 2017
International Congress on CLIMATE CHANGE AND FISHERIES
ISSN 1868-5943
08:00-09:00 h. REGISTRATION. Centro Social Afundación. Policarpo Sanz 24-26, Vigo. 09:00-09:40 h. OPENING 09:40-10:50 h. SESSION I: CLIMATE CHANGE AND FISHERIES: EVIDENCE AND EXPECTATIONS Eurofish Magazine
09:45-10:00 h. Impacts on Ecosystems and Fisheries. John Pinnegar, Director of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, CEFAS (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture) UK 10:00-10:15 h. Expectations for markets and trade. Stefanía Vannuccini, Senior Officer, FAO 10:15-10:30 h. Challenges for Managers and Policymakers. Poul Dengbol, Fisheries Management and Coastal Community Development, Aalborg University. Denmark
10:30-10:50 h. PANEL DISCUSSION 10:50-13:45 h. SESSION II: REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES – PRIVATE SECTOR AMERICA 10:55-11:10 h. USA. Nicole Kimball, Vicepresident Pacific Seafood Processors Association 11:10-11:25 h. Chile* 11:25-11:40 h. Peru. Darío Alvites, Director of Human Consumption Committee, Sociedad Nacional de Industrias
11:40-12:10 h. COFFEE BREAK 12:10-12:25 h. AFRICA. South Africa. Madoda Khumalo, Strategic Services Executive, Sea Harvest 12:25-12:40 h. OCEANIA. New Zeland*
EUROPA 12:40-12:55 h. UE. Myron Peck, Professor Biological Oceanography and Fisheries Science, Hamburg University 12:55-13:10 h. Norway. Norwegian Seafood Council* 13:10-13:25 h. Iceland*
13:25-13:45 h. PANEL DISCUSSION 13:45-14:45 h. LUNCH
Lithuania
14:45-16:10 h. SESSION III: CLIMATE CHANGE AND FISHERIES: RESPONSES AND OPPORTUNITIES 14:50-15:05 h. 15:05-15:20 h. 15:20-15:35 h. 15:35-15:50 h.
Resource Management Responses. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)* Responses from NGOs. María Cornax, Policy and Advocacy Director. Oceana Climate Change and Trade. Aik Hoe Lim, Director Trade and Environment Division, World Trade Organization (WTO).* FAO approaches and adaptation toolboxes. Audun Lem, Deputy Director of FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy and Resources Division, FAO
Fishers, farmers add greater value at source
15:50-16:10 h. PANEL DISCUSSION 16:10-17:15 h. SESSION IV: FINANCING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE Rabobank* World Bank* African development Bank. Samba Tounkara, coordinator of ClimDev Special Fund OCDE. Simon Buckle, Head of the Climate, Biodiversity and Water Division
17:15-17:30 h. SUMMING UP Arni Mathiesen, Assistant Director-General Fisheries and Aquacuture Dep., FAO
ER REGIST NOW
17:30-17:50 h. CLOSING SESSION
LIMITEDY IT CAPAC
* Speaker to be confirmed
VIGO, October 2nd 2017 01_Cover 4p.indd 1
EUROFISH International Organisation
16:15-16:30 h. 16:30-16:45 h. 16:45-17:00 h. 17:00-17:15 h.
Eurofish member countries at SEG Norway: Skrei is synonymous with taste and quality Labour in the seafood industry is a member of the FISH INFO network
EUROFISH
Copenhagen
GLOBEFISH Rome
INFOSAMAK
INFOPECHE Abidjan
Montevideo
INFOYU Beijing
Casablanca
INFOPESCA
INFOFISH Puchong
INFOSA
Windhoek
08/06/17 1:12 pm