Romanian fish farmers increasingly add value to their products

e sheries and aquaculture sector in Romania, as in other countries in the EU, has been a ected by the steep hike in the prices of energy and other inputs triggered by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. ese increases cannot simply be passed on to consumers as in ation has already reduced their purchasing power. e government is considering measures that will o set the increased costs of production, such as a reduction in the duty on diesel used by the aquaculture sector. To promote the consumption of sh various measures are being included in the national aquaculture and sheries programme that will be supported through EU funds. e measures include campaigns to raise awareness of the health and environmental bene ts of farmed sh, drives to promote sh consumption, and support for e orts to reduce the length of the supply chain for shorter delivery times to the end consumer. Developing a more varied range of value added products to tempt consumers is among the objectives of the national strategic plan for aquaculture which also seeks to encourage farmers to diversify their sources of income by o ering services such as angling, accommodation, and restaurants. Read more about Romanian sheries and aquaculture from page 18

Arti cial reefs have existed for many years but really took o in the late 20th century as the bene ts they provide became more apparent. ey are used to protect, restore, and regenerate marine habitats and can also o er educational and recreational opportunities. Arti cial reefs can be created from di erent structure, some purpose built, while others, such as oil rigs or railway coaches, may be repurposed to function as reefs. While arti cial reefs may help to increase populations of marine creatures in and around them, whether they do so at the expense of nearby areas is the subject of some debate. In addition, arti cial reefs may facilitate the multiplication and spread of invasive species. e placing or construction of an arti cial reef must consider the speci cities of the area it is planned for and its possible impacts on biodiversity, abundance, and distribution of marine life in the area. Read more about arti cial reefs from page 38 e Port of Vigo in Spain is Europe’s largest in terms of landings of sh and seafood. Much of the port infrastructure has been created with concrete, the production of which contributes signi cantly to greenhouse gas emissions. e port is therefore experimenting with a more environmentally friendly version of concrete that may also accelerate the accretion of marine organisms thanks to its biomimetic properties. Learning more about the possibility to switch from grey to green infrastructure is the primary objective of the project, but another aspect is to deepen the interaction between the port and the people of Vigo by creating a museum about port activities and their social, economic, and environmental impacts. e project started out by studying the development of a community of marine organisms that attached to di erent structures designed to attract marine life. is development could then be compared with similar development on traditional structures. In the next phase environmental objectives were combined with engineering goals, while in the last phase activities from the rst two phases will be scaled up. Read more on page 40

Fishing is one of the most dangerous occupations in the world with a death rate 10 times higher than in passenger and merchant shipping. Poor safety at sea among some shing vessels can partly be attributed to the di culty in de ning and implementing uniform safety standards in particular for the small-scale eet, which forms over four fths of the global total of shing vessels. Small boats (less than 12 m) are vulnerable because they are often open, and are crewed mainly by unskilled people, who take risks either unaware of the possible consequences or in the interests of the pro tability of the shing trip. Even in developed countries death rates in the shing industry are multiple times the national average, while in poorer nations, despite the lack of reliable data, estimates suggest that fatality numbers are even higher. Vessel sinking, falling overboard, and mishaps on deck are the three leading causes of death at sea, while non-fatal injuries though common are not well documented. e lack of reliable data on deaths and injuries at sea in turn make it more di cult to implement measures that could prevent some of the incidents. Risk factors include lack of skills, high pressure to perform, fatigue, carelessness, and improper sta ng. Read Dr

Manfred Klinkhardt’s

article on page 45

Ghost nets are a well-documented threat to marine life. However, a study conducted in Lake Ohrid, a transboundary body of water shared by Albania and North Macedonia, showed that abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded shing gears (ALDFG) are also a threat to animals in freshwater systems such as lakes. Ghost nets are a threat to life in the water because they continue trapping and killing sh and other organisms after they have been abandoned or lost. In addition, they contribute to pollution in the water as wear and tear releases plastic particles into the environment. e Lake Ohrid project tested ways of nding and removing ghost nets using di erent combinations of equipment and divers and identi ed the most e ective methods to use. e researchers recommended regular joint activities between the authorities in North Macedonia and Albania to identify and remove ghost nets. Read more on page 48

Events

11 The Fifth Baltic Sea Fisheries Forum, 12 April 2023, Tallinn Management of the fishing fleet needs modernising

13 International Conference on Aquaculture, 29-31 March, Vukovar

Aquaculture is an economically strategic sector

14 Highlights from the fifth ECCWO symposium

Interdisciplinary collaboration for effective adaptation

16 RASTech 2023: Flexibility and cooperation are critical to a successful aquaculture operation

Cashing in on collaboration

Romania

18 Romanian fish and shellfish farming in the Black Sea could soon become a reality

Legislative frameworks falling into place

21 Closer cooperation between fish farmers’ associations in Romania and the Republic of Moldova

Benefits to sector in both countries

22 The SCR Group has ambitious plans for its trout breeding operations

Doubling production is just a first step

25 Entrepreneur expands from tourism into fish processing

Diversifying income streams

27 Pelicanul Distribution adds trout farming to its fish producing operations

Looking to develop direct sales to consumer

29 Persuading conservative customers to try processed fish products can be a struggle

Getting consumers out of their comfort zones

Aquaculture

32 Advances and perspectives in farming and exploiting microalgae

Immense potential remains to be realised

34 AquaNet, a new organisation in the Danish aquaculture sector, holds its first conference

Shaping the future of Danish aquaculture

Environment

38 Artificial reefs are useful structures, but much about them remains unknown A need for more research

Spain

40 Port of Vigo tests an environmentally-friendly alternative to concrete for its facilities

Converting infrastructure from grey to green

Ukraine

43 Ukraine seafood imports: Impacts of Russia’s war against Ukraine Industry proves resilient despite huge challenges

Fisheries

45 Statutory safety concepts for small-scale fisheries not in place

Thousands of accidental deaths at sea worldwide every year

48 Study of the ancient Balkan Lake Ohrid identifies ghost gear as a hazard for its fauna

Derelict fishing gear threatens inland water bodies too

Trade And Markets

51 Fish sausage: high-quality nutritional alternative to cheap gap fillers

An attractive and sustainable recycling opportunity for fish

Technology

54 Cretel’s next generation of table top fish skinners The new F360M is ready to be rolled out

54 FIAP launches the innovative profifeed SolarFeeder Reduce energy costs when feeding

55 Borgarplast makes durable insulated containers for the food industry

Proper handling prolongs shelf life