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In this issue
Keen interest in recirculation aquaculture systems in Lithuania ESE – The European Seafood Exposition (ESE) this year again exuded an air of optimism that suggested that many in the seafood industry had put the crisis and the recession behind them, and were looking to the future with confidence. Exhibitors and visitors alike seemed to be present in greater n umbers than in 2009 and 2010 and many spoke about the need to invest in future growth. A commonly voiced problem was the shortage of raw materials and their high prices. The FAO warns that capture fisheries will continue to contribute less and less to global fisheries production as yields will remain stagnant or reduce. Growth in aquaculture production is also not expected to match the rate experienced in the first decade of this century, so higher prices for raw material are probably here to stay. Read more on page 13 Lithuania – A cod management plan introduced in the Baltic at the beginning of 2008 is bearing fruit. The stock situation has shown improvements and for three consecutive years Lithuania’s cod quota in the Baltic has increased. This healthy development seems set to continue in 2012. Cod is an important species for the Lithuanian fisheries sector, but not the only one. Fishers also target herring, sprat, and Baltic salmon. Unfortunately the quota situation for these species is bleaker. The sprat quota was cut by 24% in 2011 and the quotas for herring and salmon have been showing a downward trend for some years. Lithuania is keen to develop its aquaculture industry, in terms of the number of species farmed, the technology used, and the volumes produced. Recirculation aquaculture systems are seen as a way to achieve all three objectives and several options to deploy them are being explored. Read more on page 33 Iceland – Iceland has consistently featured in the news for the last few years. First there was the fi nancial meltdown in 2008, which broadened to an economic and political crisis, then the volcanic eruption early in 2010, and most recently the disagreement with the EU and Norway about mackerel quotas. Fisheries is still an important part of the Icelandic economy, though its significance has decreased somewhat as the economy has diversified into aluminium production, pharmaceuticals, tourism and information technology. But fish and seafood exports accounted for 42% of the country’s total exports. With 7,000 people in employment the seafood industry also provides 4% of all the jobs in Iceland. When Iceland (and the Faroe Islands) unilaterally raised their share of the mackerel quota, it provoked outrage in Norway and the EU, in particular Scotland, and complicates negotiations over Icelandic membership of the Union. Read Manfred Klinkhardt’s report on page 46 Fish slaughter – Regulations in Europe demand that the slaughtering process is humane and stress free for the animal, whether terrestrial or aquatic. Research has shown that an animal that is slaughtered without stress or pain also results in a better quality product with some studies suggesting that the shelf life also increases. If the slaughter is stress free the onset of rigor is delayed allowing a longer period in which the product can be processed, and when rigor does set in, it is not as strong. Apart from the moral aspect there are thus also sound commercial reasons for making the slaughtering process as humane as possible. Fish slaughter is a combination of processes that include stunning to anaesthetise the fish, the actual slaughter, followed by other processes such as heading and gutting. While experienced human operators are more than capable of ensuring the fish is dispatched quickly and cleanly, today machines are commonly used when the volumes of fish are large. Read more on page 52 www.eurofishmagazine.com
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Table of News 6 International News
Events 13 ESE and SPE 2011 drew 30,000 visitors from 140 countries to Brussels Raw materials shortage, rising demand, record prices
Project 30 The Aquainnova workshop in Poland Defining the future of freshwater aquaculture
Lithuania 33 Lithuania Cod quotas in the Baltic Sea on the increase 38 UAB Salcininku Zuvininkystes Ukis Carp farm looking to expand into trout production 40 Norvelita JSC Salmon production increases exponentially 42 UAB Auksinis ungurys Investment in new recirculation system doubles eel production
Poland 44 Polish researchers Adding value to low quality Baltic herring
The vision for the auction was that it would serve the east coast of the Baltic Sea including the three Baltic States, Kaliningrad, and Poland. This year fishing vessels from Estonia sold their catch through the Klaipeda auction for the first time.
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Contents Iceland 46 Threat of “mackerel war” aggravates Iceland’s EU membership negotiations Iceland demands privileges for its fisheries in the EU
Fraud 50 Fraud in the seafood trade Choosing the right business partner
Technology 52 Fish slaughtering less stress during slaughter process enhances product quality Fish slaughter should be more humane
Worldwide Fish News Belgium
pages
8, 9
Croatia
pages
11, 64
Denmark
pages
10, 11, 12
France
page
10
Germany
page
8
Iceland
page
46
Ireland
page
10
Italy
pages
Lithuania
page
33
Netherlands
page
7
Norway
page
8
Romania
page
9
Spain
page
6
Thailand
page
12
Turkey
page
6
UK
pages
Ukraine
page
9
Viet Nam
page
6
6, 12
10, 12
55 Rudolf Maass + Partner celebrate 35 years of quality High-speed slicers for the salmon processing industry
Trade and markets 57 Salmon prices forecast to remain high Can Chile sustain its projected growth levels?
Aquaculture 60 Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture Chapter Three: Fish species in recirculation
Guest Pages 64 Josip Suic, Croatian Directorate of Fisheries New campaign to increase domestic fish consumption
Service 63 Diary Dates 66 Imprint, List of Advertisers
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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Viet Nam: Antibiotic contamination triggers warnings against Vietnamese seafood
Turkey: Rapid industrialisation increases pollution levels in Marmara Sea
The US, the EU and Japan, three of Viet Nam’s leading trade partners have all issued warnings about antibiotic residues in shrimp exported from Viet Nam that exceed the permissible minimum level, reports fis.com. Between January and April the US found that around 100 consignments of Vietnamese seafood violated requirements covering product content labelling, chemical or antibiotic contamination. Vasep, the Vietnamese Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors, says most of the warnings were due to product content labelling issues while a few related to con-
Murat Demir, the leader of the Turkish Natural and Environmental Conservation Association, has criticised the rapid industrialisation and lack of water treatment facilities in the north east of the country which are increasing the levels of pollution in the Sea of Marmara, reports the Hurriyet Daily News. Mr Demir questions the existence of water treatment facilities at the numerous factories that have sprung up on the coast, some right next to the sea, and wonders how rigorous the inspection regime and wonders how rigorous the inspection regime is that will monitor the
tamination with antibiotics. Japan has issued 33 warnings against shrimp imported from Viet Nam due to excessive antibiotic residues. Vasep attributes this to the newly decreased level of antibiotic residues that are permitted in Japan, which Vietnamese exporters have not yet been able to incorporate in their control systems. In the EU 45 consignments of exports have been rejected due to contamination with antibiotics. Vasep is therefore urging its members to rigorously test their seafood to ensure it complies with import regulations and to prevent damage to Viet Nam’s reputation.
Spain: Mariculture seminar calls for more international cooperation FAES, a think tank headed by former Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar, together with Apromar, the Spanish Mariculture Association, organised a seminar to analyse the current status of the mariculture industry in Spain. The seminar brought together representatives from the industry, the administration, organised labour, the research establishment as well as political players to discuss the future of the industry. The discussion led to several noteworthy conclusions. These included the need to improve the regulatory framework to have the same opportunities for all companies whether involved June
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The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2011-2020, which was released recently, warns that higher prices for agricultural commodities are here to stay. The report says that a good harvest this year should push prices down from their peaks earlier this year, but that in the coming decade price levels of cereals will be 20 higher and prices of meat 30 higher than they were in 2001-2010. These levels are still substantially lower than the peaks seen in 2007-2008 and again this year. The higher price of commodities is feeding through the supply chain and raising consumer price inflation in most countries. Higher food prices though beneficial to farmers can be devastating for
poor people in developing countries, who use a high proportion of their income on food and who immediately feel the impact of increasing prices. This raises the spectre of economic instability and the threat of food security in some developing countries. The report calls on governments to improve information and transparency of both physical and financial markets, encourage investments that increase productivity in developing countries, remove production and trade distorting policies and assist the vulnerable to better manage risk and uncertainty. The report, which includes fisheries for the first time, forecasts that
“Our cover story in the Eurofish Magazine brought an instant and very favourable response. We look forward to working with Eurofish Magazine again in the future.” Mr M. Zafer Erel, CEO, Antalya Balik, Turkey
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in production or marketing; to increase the technical competence of the public administration, and to deepen the cooperation with producers in other countries. Another important issue was the need for greater resources to control and organise the use of coastal areas. The meeting also called for the publication of a strategy that includes federal and state government plans for marine aquaculture. Participants concluded that the image of aquaculture, and its products, with special emphasis on the sector’s environmental achievements needed to be promoted.
factories. As the number of facilities has expanded the biodiversity and the existing fish populations in the Sea of Marmara have declined, he says. Heavy metals and other contaminants are being dumped into the sea from both industrial and residential sources due to the lack of purifying plants. We are not against development, explains Mr Demir, but we need to distribute the industrial density from the Marmara Sea basin more evenly across Turkey and the requirement for state of the art waste treatment plants must be strictly enforced if we want to improve the marine environment.
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Contact Eurofish: Ms A. Petersen on +45 33377763, aleksandra.petersen@eurofish.dk Mr E. Preuss on +49 (0) 4149 8020, e.preuss@freenet.de
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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] global production in the fisheries sector will increase by 1.3 percent annually to 2020. This is slower than growth over the previous decade,
due to reduced or stagnant capture of wild fish stocks and lower growth rates in aquaculture, which underwent a rapid expan-
sion over the 2001-2010 period. By 2015, aquaculture is projected to surpass capture fisheries as the most important source of fish for
human consumption, and by 2020 should represent about 45 percent of total fishery production, including non-food uses.
Netherlands: New line of shrimp products from Culimer Culimer, a manufacturer and trader of high value frozen sea food products, has introduced a line of ebi fry, butterfly breaded and nobashi shrimps to its range of products. The shrimps are the P. vannamei variety and are farmed in Viet Nam to GlobalG.A.P. standards. These standards secure the environment, animal welfare, as well as the health and safety of the employees and are in force in farms around the world. The company’s shrimp are also available in other formats including headless shell on, peeled deveined. The new line together with the company’s super frozen tuna skin pack attracted the most attention at the Culimer stand at the European Seafood Exposition, which it said had been the Culimer has added new line of ebi fry, butterfly breaded and nobashi shrimps to its range of products. most successful edition of the event.
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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Norway: Net cage manufacturer installs floating collar 200 m in diameter Aqualine, a manufacturer of floating collars, net cages, and mooring equipment for fish farming and other marine needs, will be installing net cages and mooring systems at no less than nine sites this July, a record for the company. Fish farmers are investing in bigger and more robust systems not only for reasons of safety but also because the farms are being positioned further out to sea in more exposed conditions, says the company in a press release. It has received orders for
equipment from companies in Tasmania, Shetland, and Canada and, for the first time, from Panama. Aqualine has recently built, delivered, and installed, what it claims is the world’s largest floating collar with an internal diameter of 200 m. The collar is installed in an unsheltered area outside of Kristiansund in Norway, and for now does not contain any fish. However, if everything proceeds as scheduled the fish will be introduced into the nets soon.
Aqualine technicians installing what the company claims is the world’s largest floating collar.
Germany: New handling module optimises loading of packs in cartons The packaging equipment manufacturer Multivac has developed a new and versatile handling module, the H 240, which is equipped with two 4-axis robots. The Multi-Robot can be used in a wide range of applications such as the loading and unloading of packaging machines or the separation and positioning of products after the packaging procedure, in ejecting reject packs or in loading the outer packaging and boxes, with product containers as well as with intermediary layers and separators. The device can
also reposition packs to make optimal use of the space in the box. Products such as fish fillets can also be filled into packages by the Multi-Robot. It is also a highly flexible device that can be quickly adapted from one application to another and can handle products and packs of up to 1,000 g. The Multi-Robot is made of stainless steel and is hygienically designed to prevent the accumulation of waste matter or water during the cleaning process. It can be controlled with its own control panel or at the packaging machine’s terminal. The
two 4-axis robots are built with high quality components and
are also available in lightweight titanium.
The handling module H 240 from Multivac is equipped with a pair of 4-axis robots. The module can be used in a wide range of applications both before and after the packaging procedure.
Belgium: EU fish processors and traders call for the removal of import barriers Leaders of the EU Fish Processors Association and the EU Federation of National Organisations of Importers and Exporters of Fish have called for the removal of trade barriers for fish from non EU countries. In an opinion published on cfp-reformwatch.eu, a website established by Isabella Lövin, a Swedish MEP from the Green Party, Guus Pastoor and José 8
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Ángel Mozos write that meeting the EU´s food needs involves more than simply protecting the catching sector. They argue for a workable EU sustainable fisheries management policy to ensure a thriving fish processing sector that currently employs some 130,000 people in 4,000 companies, many of which contribute disproportionately to the economies of small coastal and
rural areas. Their vision of the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy includes Mandatory Long Term Management Plans for all EU fisheries that would base fisheries management on science rather than political considerations; centrally mandated schemes should be replaced with national and regional fisheries plans with broad stakeholder involvement, which will
bring the fishermen and other stakeholder on board to ensure effective management strategies that meet the EU’s commitments to sustainability. The reform of the CFP should also acknowledge that EU food needs in the future will not all be met from within the EU and therefore policies that discriminate against imports from third countries are outdated. www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:00 PM
[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Belgium: EU countries seek to dilute their commitments to biodiversity
Ukraine: Imports to dominate domestic consumption for the foreseeable future
The WWF has expressed its concern that certain countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Italy, and the UK are having qualms about endorsing the targets envisioned in the 2020 biodiversity strategy. These countries would like first to finalise the reform of the Common Fisheries and Common Agriculture policies as well as the EU budget. According to the WWF, waiting could result in several negative impacts on EU environmental policy and is symptomatic of a more general lack of commitment by EU Member States to
A report from Credo Line, a Ukrainian consultancy offering analytical services for different market sectors, suggests that imports of fish and seafood into the Ukraine are only likely to increase in the foreseeable future. In 2009 58 of domestic consumption was derived from imports, a figure that rose to 92 in 2010. In value terms, imports have been rising steadily from about USD100m in 2004 to USD569m in 2010. Demand for seafood is increasing and Ukrainian catches in both marine and freshwater cannot meet
environmental policies aimed at reducing emissions or improving the health of European rivers, lakes and wetlands. Endorsing the EU biodiversity strategy, without targets, would not be worth the paper it is written on,” says Andreas Baumueller, Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer, WWF European Policy Office. The WWF feels strongly that natural resources cannot continue to be consumed as they are now, and it sees the greening of the European economy as one of the ways of lifting countries out of their economic and financial problems.
the requirement. Imports are popular because imported frozen fish compares favourably with domestically caught fish in terms of price. As a result the report forecasts that over the next decade the Ukraine will continue to be one of the countries most dependent on imported seafood. Currently the main supplier nations are Norway, Russia, and the US. But seafood from other countries such as Belarus as well as Asian countries including China, Thailand and Viet Nam is also likely to gain in popularity.
Romania: Advisory Committee to foster dialogue between all stakeholders in fisheries The association for aquaculture professionals in Romania has set up an Advisory Committee to facilitate the dialogue between the business community and the authorities that regulate aquaculture and fisheries
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activities. The Committee acts as an interface between public authorities, the central government, that is the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Ministry of Environment and Forests, as well
as producers’ organizations and professional associations in the fisheries sector, research institutes and representatives of anglers associations. The Advisory Committee will be a permanent body that gives all
the stakeholders a voice in the development of sector strategies and the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy in Romania. The first meeting of the Advisory Committee was held at the end of May.
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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] UK: Shetland product scoops award for second consecutive year Grieg Seafood Hjaltland UK Ltd has won for the second consecutive year the best retail product - Fish and Seafood, for its WildWaters smoked, marinated, and fresh Scottish salmon range at the 2011 Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards. The WildWaters range includes whole sliced sides and sliced packs with interesting and unusual flavours as well as traditionally smoked and marinated products. It also includes a smoked
organic salmon product. Fresh salmon cuts sold under the WildWaters brand are premium loins, fillets, and gutted fish. Fish in the WildWaters range is grown by Grieg Seafood and then processed by the company so that complete control is maintained over the product from start to finish. Since the company’s smokehouse opened two years ago the WildWaters range, which is exported to 13 countries, has won four awards.
France: New tool to give aquaculture researchers access to scientific facilities Coordinating access to top class research infrastructure is the aim of a new platform to be developed by a pan-European team of aquaculture research facilities. The project, titled Aquaexcel (‘Aquaculture Infrastructures for Excellence in European Fish Research’), has been funded under the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The project will be led by Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France, and includes 16 partner institutions from Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, Spain and the UK. Marc Vandeputte, researcher at INRA and coordinator of the project feels that today the European aquaculture sector is facing complex challenges which can only be solved by providing research teams with access to state-ofthe-art infrastructure and the right biological resources. Over twenty aquaculture research 10
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facilities are represented in the consortium. A multidisciplinary team of experts specialising in fish nutrition, physiology, health and welfare, genetics, monitoring and management technologies, and engineering will carry out the project. Their aim is to link and coordinate key research infrastructure in Europe in order to create the basis for harmonizing access, joint research, and networking. By fostering links between academia and the industry itself, the researchers hope to improve market-driven research priorities, evidencebased products and services, and efficient knowledge transfer. The project will also map out the aquaculture research infrastructure capacity across Europe. This online tool will help to create a new research environment in which all researchers, regardless of their location in the world, have shared access to unique scientific facilities, including data, instruments, computing, and communications.
Ireland: Mining the genes of marine organisms to benefit mankind In a project titled MG4U (Marine Genomics for Users) funded under the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme, scientists from France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and its Station Biologique de Roscoff are collaborating with teams from Germany, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden to make marine genomic knowledge more accessible to a broad spectrum of end-users. The knowledge transfer process will involve mapping genomic hot-spots, raising awareness about potential applications, developing training programmes, matching knowledge to commercial challenges, and documenting success stories. Marine organisms have been the source of novel genes and novel compounds for anti-cancer and anti-viral applications, enzyme
processing at high temperatures for animal feed, and anti-fouling processes in oceans and we think human health and biotechnology of the future could benefit from advances in gene mining, said CNRS Professor Bernard Kloareg, the project’s scientific coordinator. Developments in marine genomics could help us to understand the impact of climate change on marine fauna and flora, appreciate how marine ecosystems function, and comprehend evolution, he added. Advances in marine genomics could be at the origin of new applications in various industrial fields like aquaculture, fisheries, biomedicine and food processing, where biotechnologies are used for sustainable production of healthy products such as vitamins, antioxidants, essential oils and medicines.
Denmark: Baltic Sea cod stocks at historic levels Stocks of cod in the Baltic Sea are at levels not seen since the 80s, according to a report from ICES, the International Commission for the Exploration of the Sea. The annual biological advice from ICES on the status of fish stock in the Baltic determines the levels of the fish quotas to be allocated in 2012 by the Council of Ministers. In the Eastern Baltic the report sees continued signs of progress in the size of the stock and recommends a 15 increase in the quota for 2012. In the Western Baltic too the report shows that the stock has for the first time reached the levels envisaged in the EU’s management plan for the stock. As a result ICES is recommending
an increase of 13 in the quota for 2012. The management plan was introduced in 2008 and is currently being revised. This is the first time that both the eastern and the western stocks have achieved the targets set by the management plan. The improvement in the stocks in both eastern and western parts of the Baltic mean that there will be no further reductions in the number of days at sea in 2012. The ICES report was less optimistic about other species in the Baltic such as sprat, salmon and herring, where it recommended a reduction in the quotas. Management plans for these three species will be presented by the Commission in the course of 2011 and 2012. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Denmark: Marine conservation NGO calls for more MPAs in the Baltic Oceana, an advocacy group working to protect the world’s oceans, launched in spring a two month expedition to study areas of special ecological interest in the Baltic, as well as to document marine biodiversity and the impact of human activity on sensitive Baltic habitats.
Researchers from the group will work together with governments and scientists from countries surrounding the Baltic. Photographic and video material from the expedition have shown the impact of overfishing, pollution, and destructive fishing practices on the
environment in the Baltic, but also areas with healthy ecosystems and rich biodiversity suggesting what the sea has the potential to look like. Based on the evidence Oceana has called for an extension of the network of marine protected areas with the stricter implementation of
laws and regulations designed to prevent illegal fishing and destructive fishing practices. The group also singled out subsidies to the fishing industry as one of the main culprits preventing the sustainable exploitation of the sea, and said they must be ended.
Croatia: Solid progress towards EU membership In a statement on 10 June, Enlargement Commissioner Füle announced that the Commission had completed its negotiations with Croatia and that it was now up to the Member States to make a final evaluation of the negotiations to decide whether the negotiations could be officially concluded and
the Accession Treaty signed. If accepted, the country could join the EU on 1 July 2013, the date proposed by the Commission. Commenting on the conclusion of the negotiations, President Barroso called it a historic day for Croatia and the European Union. Croatia, which would be the first country
to join the EU since Romania and Bulgaria in 2007, began accession talks six years ago and has been working on the fisheries chapter since February 2010. The talks covered administrative capacity for handling the EU’s common fisheries policy rules, fleet management, and the phasing out of
some subsistence fishing. Croatia’s accession to the EU comes at a time when the EU is struggling with substantial issues including the future of the euro and the Schengen zone. Joining the EU will also deliver a strong signal to the other countries in the Balkans that aspire to join the Union.
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Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Denmark: Significant drop in exports of farmed seafood
UK: New initiative to significantly reduce discards in nephrops fishery
The Organisation of Danish Aquaculture reports that exports of farmed fish fell significantly in 2010 compared to the previous year. Trout exports were the hardest hit with an overall drop of 7,500 tonnes corresponding to 25. Export volumes were lower in all the subcategories with frozen fish recording a fall of 34. Prices increased slightly but not enough to compensate for the fall in volumes. The volume of
A meeting called by the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation Nephrops Focus Group brought together representatives from industry, fishermen, Marine Scotland management, gear manufacturers and experts to discuss innovative ways of designing nets that would result in significant reductions in discards in the nephrops fishery. The requirements being placed on fishermen are becoming increasingly stringent as the European Commission seeks to eliminate discards altogether by 2015, and the meeting was attended by representatives from all the major Scottish prawn fishermen’s associations. Participants at the meeting were given a presentation
2009
eel exports also fell though not as steeply. Overall eel exports were 23.5 lower in volume terms in 2010 compared with 2009. Unit prices for all subcategories of eel (live, fresh/chilled, frozen, and smoked) also increased, but here too the increase could not compensate for the drop in volumes. Mussel exports remained unchanged in volumes terms, but the average price per kilo fell by 10 giving a reduction of DKK9m.
2010
Change
Tonnes
DKK/kg
Tonnes
DKK/kg
Tonnes
DKK/kg
Live
3,709
24.22
2,881
25.38
-828
1.16
Fresh/Chilled
5,053
21.65
3,815
24.81
-1,239
3.16
Frozen
10,933
19.55
7,201
23.43
-3,733
3.88
Fillet
1,138
16.47
818
22.27
-320
5.80
Smoked
9,855
33.12
8,388
33.83
-1,467
0.70
Trout1
30,688
24.70
23,102
27.63
7,586
2.93
Roe2
1,563
59.74
1,236
59.17
-327
-0.57
Live
1,668
56.00
1,276
57.36
-391
1.36
Fresh/Chilled
317
71.91
345
72.37
28
0.47
Frozen
652
45.36
420
52.90
-232
7.54
Smoked
51
116.45
14
133.97
-38
17.51
Eel
2,668
56.45
2,056
59.47
-632
3.03
Live
7,216
8.86
7,918
6.34
702
-2.53
Fresh/Chilled
96
29.32
44
18.44
-53
-10.88
Frozen
6,559
20.25
5,954
21.81
-604
1.56
Mussels3
13,871
14.39
13,916
13.00
45
-1.39
Grand total
48,810
24.64
40,309
25.17
-8,546
0.53
Source: Organisation of Danish Aquaculture/Statistics Denmark 1: Conversion to round fish, fresh/chilled/frozen: 83%; smoked and fillet: 47% 2: Include fresh and frozen 3: Only Mytilus and Perna types
by Mike Montgomerie, Gear Technologist at Seafish, which highlighted the effects of various gear configurations as well as emerging selectivity measures now in trial or employed worldwide. Several gear manufacturers also made submissions of their latest designs which drew much comment and resulted in a decision to produce four workable designs in the course of 2012. John Hermse, the chairman of the Nephrops Focus Group, expressed his satisfaction with the meeting saying it served to illustrate how industry, science, and management could work effectively together to devise solutions to problems affecting fishermen.
Thailand: Certification guarantees sustainability of entire supply chain The Thai Union Group has acquired four-star status under the BAP (Best Aquaculture Practice) programme, a global certification system for farmed seafood. The programme is based on the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s BAP standards, which address environmental, social, food safety, and traceability issues. Each of the stars represents a facility in the production chain, hatcheries, grow-out farms, feed mills and processing plants. The
Thai Union Group, which produces and exports frozen and canned seafood, owns the popular brands Chicken of the Sea, Sealect, and John West, and is the largest operation to be certified under the BAP standard. The Group’s feed mills are the latest units to be certified, joining the shrimp farms, hatchery, and processing plants, and will enable the sustainability concept to run through the entire production chain.
Italy: Canned tuna producer demonstrates commitment to sustainability A leading producer of tuna in cans and jars Generale Conserve Spa was the first in Italy to have its tuna and mackerel products under the Asdomar brand to be certified to the Friend of the Sea standard. The products are distributed to all 12
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the main retail chains in Italy. The company has now launched a television campaign highlighting the sustainability of its products. The commercial shows that only adult yellowfin tuna are used in the production. Mr Vito Gulli, Generale
Conserve’s President says the company’s factories are the most environmentally friendly in Italy, using only renewable energy, and that they only use sustainable adult tuna which have been given the chance to reproduce. Generale
Conserve has also been certified to the SA8000 Social Accountability Standard, a global standard developed by Social Accountability International, an organisation dedicated to improving human rights among workers round the world. www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:00 PM
[ Events ]
Every year the seafood world is drawn to Brussels by the variety and breadth offered by the European Seafood Exposition and the new product ideas it presents.
ESE and SPE 2011 drew 30,000 visitors from 140 countries to Brussels
Raw materials shortage, rising demand, record prices For three days at the beginning of May Brussels once again became the capital of the global seafood industry when the European Seafood Exposition (ESE) and Seafood Processing Europe (SPE) took place. In spite of higher prices visitor interest seemed to have grown further so that the halls were just as busy as usual. Sustainably produced products – preferably with a certificate to prove it – were very much sought after.
T
he world’s biggest seafood show, the ESE, seems to have overcome its brief difficulties of the past two years when the number of exhibitors and visitors had fallen by nearly 9 per cent. Compared to other fairs in the world that is not a lot but because 2008 was the strongest year in the history of the ESE it was particularly striking. Although this year, too, Hall 11 and the patio were again not fully booked the recession-induced downturn seems to have been overcome and the Brussels show is again attracting the interest of exhibitors and visitors. There were surprisingly big crowds in some of the halls even on the last day of the fair – traditionally a weak day. There is growing www.eurofishmagazine.com
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optimism within the industry and business is looking up. What draws the seafood world to Brussels every year is the variety and breadth offered by the show and the new product ideas it presents. Brokers, traders, importers and exporters, processors, companies from the aquaculture and fishing sectors, wholesalers, retailers, food service and catering are all represented, and nowhere else in the world can they gain information on performance, bottlenecks and the international seafood industry’s prevailing mood so quickly, so comprehensively and in such detail as in Brussels. Unfortunately, there were slightly fewer German companies participating this year than in the
past. Although at the SPE hardly any of the well-known German technology suppliers were missing and they were as usual able to impress visitors with their powerful processing machines, at the ESE the upward trend of previous years did not continue and the number of German exhibitors was lower than hoped for. In spite of this, it seemed that no companies wanted to do fully without the Brussels event and, if they weren’t exhibiting they were at least present as visitors.
Growing demand pushing prices up Wherever you turned, nearly everyone was lamenting the scarcity of key raw materials and a hefty
price increase. This development, which began more than a year ago on the salmon market has in the meantime spread to more and more product categories and, at the moment, there are no signs that the situation is going to change much in the near future. Quite a lot of people even fear that things could get even tighter in the future. There are numerous reasons for this foreboding development. According to the FAO’s current “State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture Report” there were 145 million tonnes of fish and seafood available worldwide in 2009, more than ever before in human history. Impressive as this figure may seem it must not be forgotten that the growth in volume that we have experienced Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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[ Events ] in recent years came solely from aquaculture production: production from the fishing sector is stagnant. And global consumption of fish and seafood has doubled since 1973 and a further rise of 25% is expected by 2015. In Eastern Europe, China, India, Brazil and numerous other states demand for high-quality protein is growing. The problem is not limited to fish and seafood, either, but also affects other foods. According to the FAO, food prices rose by about 25% worldwide during the past year. Wheat prices rose by over 80%, maize prices by 85%, sugar prices by even 124%. For the first time since 1960 world population grew more strongly than global production of wheat and rice, two of the most important foods. In order to meet the needs of the expected growth in world population at least 70% more food must be produced in the year 2050 than is produced today. In the packed fair halls in Brussels where the sheer abundance of products on display can literally overwhelm visitors it is easily forgotten what huge challenges face the food industry. What we are currently experiencing with
regard to resources and prices is only the beginning of a development which will intensify in the coming years at the same rate as the buying power and desire for healthy food in all regions of the world, particularly in the aspiring developing countries. All players in the seafood industry should be aware of the fact that they are part of a global distribution war that is only just beginning.
Supply bottlenecks feared for important fish species Following the high prices in the year 2010 when salmon production fell for the first time, the situation on the salmon market has now eased slightly. The aquaculture industry in Chile has largely overcome the ISA crisis and hopes to return to its former strength by 2013. In Brussels, Chile’s salmon producers signalled optimism with joint representation at a very impressive pavilion. On the other hand, there are increasing signs that there could be problems with pangasius supply. The exporters’ association VASEP had already at the beginning of the year predicted that, due to low prices, production would fall
by 40% this year. And this time it seems that the Vietnamese were serious: supply is lower than in previous years. In the USA the export price for pangasius fillet was already over 3.50 USD/kg in April. This even exceeded the minimum export price of 2.80 USD/kg which VASEP had introduced at the beginning of the year to curb the pangasius farmers’ losses. In the Mediterranean region, too, production decreases are expected in the aquaculture sector for sea bream and sea bass. The situation for shrimps is evidently not quite as bad as feared. At the beginning of the year more than 1,500 farms in the south of Thailand, the most important shrimp export country, were hit by severe flooding. At that time the industry estimated that production could fall to 550,000 t instead of the planned 670,000 t which would lead to a price increase of 5 to 10%. Now it looks as if Thailand’s highly developed shrimp industry can compensate the losses more quickly than expected. Irrespective of whether any of these fears become reality such developments are always a cause for concern and uncertainties on the markets. At fairs
like the ESE exhibitors and visitors seek answers to the question of how supply and demand will develop in future, whether it is wise to sign long-term contracts or perhaps better to trade on the spot market. Orientation has rarely been as difficult as in this year. The picture in the fishing sector is similar to that for aquaculture. Whilst in aquaculture high feed prices in particular have driven up the prices of a lot of farmed products (according to the FAO the prices of key components like fishmeal and fish oil have risen by an average 50%) the fishing sector is suffering increasingly from the high fuel and energy costs. They make fishing trips more expensive so that the fishermen often only leave harbour when they can be really sure that fishing is going to be lucrative. High oil prices also make transport and plastic packaging more expensive and, added to this, are the difficulties caused by political disturbances in some supply countries, unforeseeable natural occurrences such as flooding, tornados and earthquakes, not to mention the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico or the nuclear accident in
Seafood Prix d’Elite awarded to cake, ribs, and fruit! The expert jury passed judgement for the 11th time, making awards to the best and most original product innovations in the seafood sector. There were 37 finalists to choose from this year in the two main categories Best Retail and Best Food Service Product, with the additional sections Convenience, Health and Nutrition, Retail Packaging, Best Product Line and Originality. 14 Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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The biggest surprise was probably the victory of the Vietnamese Vinh Hoan Corp. with its “Provocake” which is designed to eat as an appetizer or a snack. It consists of an elaborately hand produced fish cake based on pangasius, shrimps and mushrooms, surrounded by asparagus pieces that are arranged around the cake in latticework. A particularly original product was Tambaqui Ribs from the French
producer Halieutis which looked rather like spare ribs. This product is based on Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), a high backed freshwater fish from the Amazonas (also known as Black Pacu). The fish is offered with a suitable barbecue marinade. Heiploeg (NL) won a Prix d’Elite for its ready-to-eat marinated shrimps in three different flavours, the Danish Agustson and
Marz for hot smoked tilapia, and Macrae Edinburg, a department of Young’s Seafood, for the packaging of salmon smoked over tea. Another prize went to Gilco Bvda (Belgium) for its “Fruit & Fish“ (herring with two fruity marinades: tropical fruits and apple/ blueberry). The Prix d’Elite for the best new product line went to Loch Duart (Scotland) which convinced the jury with three smoked salmon products. www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:15 PM
[ Events ] Fukushima. Speculations on the stock exchange and hedge funds also contribute towards market uncertainties, reducing margins and melting profits.
First aquaculture products with ASC seal expected in August Sustainability, probably the most important topic in the industry at present, was the main theme of a lot of discussion at this year’s show. In the fishing sector the MSC label has asserted itself as the preferred label in Europe. Awareness of the label is high and consumers are in the meantime very familiar with the blue logo. This is an advantage which the retail sector, in particular, values highly and traders make increasing use of the seal to distinguish
and position themselves in the market. Although the number of MSC certified products at the ESE rises higher every year the available range is by no means able to satisfy current demand from buyers. Just a few years ago the MSC would probably not have dared to even dream that the label would be so successful. That could be the reason why a lot of companies have already made their choice with regard to certification in the aquaculture sector. More and more aquaculture enterprises are backing ASC certification – the counterpart of MSC for fisheries. This is quite surprising since so far there is not a single product available that fulfils the ASC standards. That, however, is not so surprising since the first four sets of
standards were only presented during the fair by José Villalon, the Managing Director of the WWF Aquaculture Programme. Based on the current schedule for certification the first products bearing the ASC seal will not be on the market before August. And they will hardly change the range of products offered at German retailers’ because standards do not yet exist for a lot of the important aquaculture species. The four sets that Villalon presented in Brussels are for tilapia, pangasius, abalone and mussels. It is likely to be some time before the next species are added… which did not, however, stop some smart companies from displaying the ASC logo at the ESE and announcing that they supported the standards and would be introducing them as soon as
they were available on the market. At the presentation of the standards Villalon announced that the chain of custody standards would be outsourced to the MSC to avoid duplication. The training of the institutions commissioned with certification is to be carried out by GlobalGAP. It was to be hoped that suppliers would fair better with the sustainability seals than with HACCP, ISO and other earlier standards, lamented one of the exhibitors. First there had been a lot of hype and then, when a company had finally fulfilled all the requirements, no one was interested anymore. And it was often overlooked that certification is always linked to costs which additionally push the product prices up.
The Lithuanian Vice-minister of Agriculture visits the European Seafood Exposition For Mr Aušrys Macijauskas, Vice-minister of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Lithuania, a visit to the European Seafood Exposition was a valuable experience. The European Seafood Exposition is the largest trade fair for fish and seafood in the world, he notes, where a number of products in different categories (frozen, fresh, processed, highly value-added) are launched. In addition, companies and organizations providing quality control, finance, and IT services, as well as government institutions and nongovernmental organizations participate. European institutions responsible for fisheries including the Directorate General for Maritime Affairs www.eurofishmagazine.com
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and Fisheries, whose experts discussed the Common Fisheries Policy reform, aquaculture, structural support, common market, consumer protection, external relations and control issues were also present, as was the Community Fisheries Control Agency and the European Fisheries Areas Network (FARNET). However, it was the variety and range of seafood, and the innovative processing technologies that created the biggest impression. It is very important for Lithuania to explore all the technological possibilities that can increase competitiveness, says Mr Macijauskas. Lithuanian processors consider that by automating the fish processing industry, human errors
can be eliminated and greater product safety is ensured. At the ESE there was no single stand representing Lithuanian fisheries this year, while many EU Member States, including the other Baltic States, presented their activities and products under one roof. Mr Macijauskas will present and discuss the idea of a common pavilion for Lithuanian participants in 2012 to stakeholders. It would be useful for small businesses, which cannot attend such events independently, he feels, and I really hope that next year a common stand for the Lithuanian fisheries sector will be organised. The Lithuanian fish processing industry is competitive com
pared with other EU Member states and some Lithuanian companies have become leaders in this sector. However, one common problem, according to Mr Macijauskas, is the lack of raw materials. Globally, natural resources are diminishing rapidly. A very important alternative could be intensive aquaculture, that is fish grown in closed recirculation systems. Research needs to be dedicated to expanding the varieties of fish and to improving closed recirculation systems. New challenges in this area need to be addressed, such as ensuring production safety and quality, as well as changing consumer attitudes towards fish grown in such systems, says Mr Macijauskas. Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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[ EvEnts ] Maritech
Software solutions for all seafood segments
W
ith WiseFish, Maritech presented in Brussels a new version of its already well tried and tested software solutions for many segments of the fish industry from aquaculture and fisheries, through processing, to trading – including the necessary traceability. With the help of these industry-specific computer programmes it is possible to track operational processes in detail and analyse them so that any reserves will be directly identified, work processes optimized and profitability increased. The WiseDynamics product line currently comprises the following:
Wise Management, Wise Analyzer, Wise BI Cubes, Wise Reports, Wise Phone, Wise Contract Management, Wise Dynamics NAV, Wise Aquaculture, Wise Fishing, Wise Processing, Wise Trading and Wise Traceability. WiseFish was tailored specifically to the complex tasks of production planning, HACCP-compliant quality control, stock management and numerous other functions that are necessary in companies operating within the fish industry. Sales Manager Jon Heidar Palsson thus considers this programme to be particularly suited to supporting managers, purchasers, and sales and accounting staff.
Marketing Manager Iris Magnusdottir and VP Sales Jon Heidar Palsson. WiseFish software enables direct inventory and cost control.
Wise Processing makes it possible, for example, to have constant control of stocks, to monitor product quality within the production
process, to track certain batches, and thereby to have a constant eye on costs from the raw material to the finished packed product.
A FIRST FOR FISH and the INDUSTRY CEFAS APPROVED DISINFECTANTS Maintain High Standards of Hygiene and Biosecurity
Any processing plant using HACCP rules should be purchasing only CEFAS validated disinfectants. Please contact: PEvans@evansvanodine.co.uk Tel: +44(0)1772322200 www.evansvanodine.co.uk
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www.eurofishmagazine.com
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[ Events ] Gioioso Ittica s.a.s
Knowledge of markets and seafood combined with good service
M
ario Gioioso and his brother head the company Gioioso Ittica, an old and established trader in fresh and frozen fish, based in Puglia near the heel of Italy. The company imports and processes fish from around the world to sell in Europe, and particularly in Italy. At the ISO-certified processing plant fish and seafood from the local vessels as well as from as far away as New Zealand is cleaned and processed for distribution. Frozen fish may be thawed, while fresh fish may be frozen, there are many ways in which we process the fish, it all
depends on the customer and his requirements, says Mario Gioioso. The customer is really the most important in our business and we try to accommodate his wishes as far as possible. We are focused on quality and are one of the most innovative producers and distributors of fish in our region, he adds. Forty percent of the production goes to supermarkets while half goes to big processors and the last 10% is bought by restaurants and fish shops. As a trader the company knows its local markets as well as those overseas in cities like Lisbon, Rotterdam, Singapore, Jakarta,
Naturland
Standards that exceed the prescribed minimum
T
he German association Naturland is a well-known certifier of organic aquaculture in the world today, having assessed production units in more than twenty countries from Asia to Latin America, covering trout, salmon, shrimp, tilapia, and pangasius. The Naturland principles for organic aquaculture start with the site selection for the farm and so as to avoid conflicts with other users of aquatic resources and to protect adjacent ecosystems. The use of chemicals is generally prohibited and natural remedies rather than pharmaceutical ones www.eurofishmagazine.com
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are sought to treat diseases. The plant ingredients in fish feed should be based on organic agriculture, while the fish meal and fish oil component must be derived from the by-products of fish processed for human consumption rather than a dedicated industrial fishery. The use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) is prohibited both in feed as well as in the fish stock. In 2009 the European Commission published organic regulations which included detailed rules on aquaculture. As a result regulations governing organic aquaculture are now for the first
Mario Gioioso and his brother head the trading company Gioioso, which buys fish and seafood from around the world to sell in Europe.
and Sydney and also knows the value, shelf life and freshness of the products it buys and sells. The combination of expertise
enables us to deliver a very high quality product and will form the basis for our growth in the growing market for fresh fish.
Italy: We did it – again! For Hania Biedzinska, director of Uniprom, the fact that there was an Italian pavilion at the European Seafood Exposition is something of a miracle. We only knew for certain we were coming at the absolute last minute, she says, yet despite that we managed to organise everything in time for the opening of the show. Resolution coupled with ingenuity delivered the Italian pavilion right on time, and the initial feedback from the exhibitors suggest that it was all worth it. time the same across Europe, says Naturland’s Albert Atena. In addition, imported products that are certified organic must also meet the same minimum standard. Now we have a common standard and it is up to the different certifying bodies to decide whether they want their standards to be the same as or more stringent than the minimum
prescribed by the legislation. In the case of Naturland, Mr Atena says that the minimum requirements are exceeded as that is what is demanded by the market. To be credible Mr Atena feels it is important to be an independent body, known in the aquaculture industry, and governed by a set of fixed rules that are the same where ever you operate. Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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[ Events ] Costa Adriatica SRL
Fish from the Adriatic for Spanish and French customers
C
osta Adriatica SRL based in Rimini in Italy is specialised in the export of fish from the Adriatic. These are mainly small pelagic varieties such as sardines, anchovies, sprats, and horse mackerel, but also hake, tuna and mullet. In addition Costa Adriatica imports some quantities of fish such as mackerel from Northern Europe. The small pelagic fish is sold fresh and frozen to canneries in Spain and France, while the company also supplies the domestic market with fresh fish. The company has a joint venture with a processing firm that makes marinated fillets of sardine for the Italian market. Today it is important to add value to the
product, says Baldazzi Luca, one of the co-owners, because people do not have the time themselves to prepare the fish. With this in mind the company has launched a frozen fish cake with sardine fillets, potato, breadcrumbs, tomato, olive oil, garlic, and salt. The dish can be placed directly from the freezer in the microwave and prepared in seven minutes, or it can go directly from the freezer into a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Adriatic sardines are fished over two seasons, first in spring when the size is smaller at 45 pieces to a kilo, and then again from September to December when the size is 28-32 pieces per kilo. The sardines can be prepared in different ways
Dr Baldazzi Luca (left) and his partners in the trading company Costa Adriatica that specialises in pelagic fish from the Adriatic.
depending on the client. Fresh fish for the French and Spanish market are packed in 7 kg polystyrene boxes on ice, but Costa Adriatica also offers fresh fillets in 4 kg polystyrene boxes, as well as 12 kg buckets of fillets in vinegar. Retail packages of 120, 160 or 730 g are also available. Anchovies from the Adriatic are available in two different sizes depending on where they are fished. From Rimini to Trieste they
are in the range of 70-90 pieces per kilo, while further south the fish are bigger reaching a size of 35 pieces per kilo. Our strength is that we know these local products, says Dr Luca, but the amount of fish from the Adriatic is getting less each year and we need to start looking for other sources of fish that is similar to sardines. It will depend on the taste, the price, and the quality, but there may be opportunities in India, South Africa, or South America.
F.lli Pasquato II s.r.l
Looking to Eastern Europe for new customers for fresh fish
F
.lli Pasquato II s.r.l has been exporting fish and seafood since the 60s and today supplies countries in Northern Europe, including Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, with anchovies, sardines, horse mackerel, and vongole clams. The company sources its seafood within Italy, but also from other countries within Europe as well as from Asia and Latin America. The fish is brought into Italy both fresh and frozen and is processed at the company’s plant in Chioggia near Venice in Italy. Here cuttlefish, squid, and 18 Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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octopus as well as anchovy, sardines, mackerel, sea bass and sea bream are brought in from the local fishing boats or from the main fish markets or dealers. The factory is certified to the ISO 9001:2000 as well as the ISO 14000 standards and the temperature within the building is maintained at between 12 and 15 degrees to keep the fish from deteriorating. Much of the local fish comes fresh off the boats and is repackaged and despatched immediately to customers such as Deutsche See, Metro and other supermarkets. The supermarkets, says Carlo
oscolo, sales manager, also ask B us to clean the fish such as sea bass and sea bream, so we gut and clean the fish and send it fresh on ice. Four times a week the trucks leave the processing factory for destinations in Northern Europe. As a trading house F.lli Pasquato II has to ensure that the right product ends up at the right destination and a modern bar coding system allows the company to keep track of all the consignments that are going in and out of the factory. The European Seafood Exposition is a useful show for us, says Mr Boscolo, we have been com-
Carlo Boscolo (right), sales manager at F.lli Pasquato II, a company that supplies fish to northern European supermarkets.
ing here for the last 10-15 years. We need to get new customers all the time and this is a good place to be for that. Nowadays we are looking at potential customers in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly in Poland and the Czech Republic. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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[ Events ] Kilic Holding
The future lies in adding greater value to seafood
A
t the European Seafood Exposition the Turkish pavilion draws a lot of visitors partly for the freshly cooked fish that is served at regular intervals. Among the suppliers of the raw material is the biggest producer of seabass and seabream in Turkey, the Kilic Group, which is now also becoming a force in the rainbow trout farming business. Sinan Kiziltan, vice president of the executive board of Kilic Holding, as well as president of the Turkish Exporters’ Association, is bullish about exports of sea bass and sea bream from Turkey. The high price of salmon will cause
people to look for alternatives, he says, and Turkish sea bass and sea bream is an excellent substitute. Kilic Holding exports 62% of the sea bass and sea bream it produces to markets in Western Europe, but is also seeing strong growth in its exports to the Middle East and Russia. Last year the Group benefited from a big investment from the National Bank of Kuwait which made it one of the healthiest companies in the seafood sector in Turkey. The company is moving from supplying fresh fish on ice to creating value added products including modified atmosphere packaged (MAP) gutted fish as
Sinan Kiziltan, vice president of the executive board of Kilic Holding, as well as president of the Turkish Exporters’ Association, displays a sample of MA packaged sea bream.
well as fillets of sea bass and sea bream, and smoked rainbow trout. The company has plans to invest even more in value addition as it sees this is where the future lies on overseas markets. To achieve this we are building a new factory in the Bodrum
area, says Mr Kiziltan, that will double our filleting capacity. Ready meals using its farmed fish in combination with other ingredients is also something the company is developing, though initially at least this will mainly be for the domestic market.
Atlantic Ltd
Investments in fish farming pay off
A
tlantic, a Bulgarian fishing company, was forced to abruptly change direction when Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. We were not allocated any quotas, says Ivaylo Roussinov, the managing director, so there was no alternative to getting rid of our fleet. The company converted one boat into a tourist vessel and sold the rest to concentrate its energies on processing and trading. It also added another dimension to its activities by entering into fish farming. Today rope mussel cultivation in the Black Sea and barramundi breeding in a recirculation system are the two main farming www.eurofishmagazine.com
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activities, while plans are afoot for the production of salmon and salmon trout. Target production for salmon and salmon trout is 200 tonnes, while for Barramundi it is currently 25-30 tonnes per year. Mr Roussinov is also looking at the possibility of growing tilapia together with the barramundi as they both require similar environments. We certainly do not lack ideas for our aquaculture activities, says Mr Roussinov. Atlantic’s processing business includes the filleting of Icelandic and Scottish mackerel for smokehouses in Sweden and Denmark and sending topshell from the Black
Ivaylo Roussinov, the managing director of Atlantic, switched the company direction from fishing to aquaculture when Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007.
Sea to markets in South Korea and Japan. For Atlantic the European Seafood Exposition is the place to talk with the buyers and
suppliers of the fish it trades including, mackerel, horse mackerel and other pelagics, hake, hoki, mussels, and surimi. Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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[ Events ] Sabiedriba IMS SIA
Smoked sprats specially made for western palates
S
abiedriba IMS is a producer of canned products using pelagic fish from the Atlantic as well as the Baltic. The company produces an extensive variety of canned sardines, sardinella, herring, mackerel, and horse mackerel, in different sauces such as tomato or tomato flavoured with curry or paprika; or in oils with flavours such as dill, garlic, or lemon. The assortment includes a line of smoked fish, herring, and sprats. Smoked sprats in oil is a well known product that comes typically from Latvia and is based on sprats caught in the Gulf of Riga, smoked and canned. The product is popular in all the former Soviet repub-
lics, as people there developed a taste for it when they and the Baltic States were all part of the Soviet Union. Today Sabiedriba IMS cans smoked sprats and exports them to the countries in the east, but is also trying to break into markets in the west. Tastes are different in the west, says Mr Vjacheslav Kochetkov, the managing director, and we are trying to reduce the intense smoky flavour that the typical smoked sprats have. To achieve a product that would appeal to western palates the company has invested in a smoking chamber that uses beech chips. The traditional smoked sprats are smoked in a tunnel using alder wood.
Sabiedriba IMS produces an extensive variety of canned sardines, sardinella, herring, mackerel, and horse mackerel, in different sauces or in oils.
The beech smoked sprats are less smoky in flavour and have a more rounded taste. Production is currently 1.3m cans a month which should rise to 2m cans if the product takes off as hoped. Sales
have already started to Germany and Hungary and Mr Kochetkov is hoping that the product will prove popular in other countries too.
Halieutis
Barbecued fish ribs pockets award at ESE
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he winner of the best new foodservice product award at the 2011 European Seafood Exposition went to the French company Halieutis for its Tambaqui Ribs. Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) is a freshwater fish native to South America where it is also farmed. The fish can grow to 108 cm in length and weigh 40 kg, but 70 cm is more common. Halieutis takes the ribs of the fish and marinades them to create a product reminiscent of barbecued pork ribs. The raw material is farmed in Brazil to a market size of 2.5 kg, says Virginie Aubin, the
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key account manager, and the ribs are sent to France to be marinated and cooked at the company factory in Lorient, which is certified to the BRC, IFS, and ISO 9001 standards. The Pris d’Elite award for the Tambaqui Ribs will help the company launch the product and is good advertising for us. Several people wanted to come and see the product and taste it when they saw we had won the award, says Ms Aubin. At its factory Halieutis also makes a range of value added products for different customers, restaurants, catering, supermarkets, and home delivery, primarily
Halieutis’ award-winning marinated ribs are based on tambaqui, a large freshwater fish that is farmed in Brazil.
in France. The products include both raw and cooked fish, which could be dipped in flour,
breaded, or prepared in some other way, before being frozen and shipped. www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:15 PM
[ Events ] Canned Fish LV
Policy making should be more decentralised
T
he number of members of the Union of Latvian Fish Processors, Canned Fish LV, has been increasing. Next year we will be at least seven companies at the stand here at the European Seafood Exposition says Didzis Smits, the president. He is busy lobbying to get the reform of the CFP to reflect his members’ opinions. There are two points about which we feel strongly, he says, the first is the availability of funding for large factories. Factories which use a high proportion of manual work should be entitled to a higher percentage of support. The other issue is not directly related to processing but
concerns the fishing industry that supplies the factories. The number of vessels in the fleet has come down substantially, and Mr Smits would like to see European support to build new vessels. New boats would benefit the processing industry by supplying higher quality raw materials. But we are also interested in the decentralisation of policy, so that Member States can take the more detailed decisions at their level while leaving the overall direction of policy to the centre. But Mr Smits is well aware that a lot of discussion will be needed before any decisions can be taken and while his positions
Smoked Riga sprats in oil are now available in jars which are more convenient for the consumer and difficult to counterfeit.
are echoed in some of the Member States, not all are of the same opinion. In addition to his task of lobbying for his members Mr Smits is also showing off some of the new smoked Riga sprats in oil which are packed in jars instead of the traditional cans.
The jars have several advantages, he explains. They are more difficult to counterfeit, and they are more convenient. The screw top lids mean they can be opened and then refrigerated directly, without having to consume all the contents.
Larsen Danish Seafood GmbH
Convenience, taste, and health from a vending machine
L
arsen Danish Seafood has focused on the German and Danish retail market for decades. At the European Seafood Exposition the company launched a new variation on its popular Frokost Fish, the 4-pack, where the design of the packaging makes it easy to take a single package in a lunchbox or on a picnic. We saw some new possibilities in other channels like the food service sector, says Kay Kramp, marketing manager at Larsen Danish Seafood GmbH. At a hospital or a hotel for example the food that is served is often meat or dairy based, and the portion packs are usually butter and jam. Our idea was to serve portion www.eurofishmagazine.com
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packs with fish, the advantage is that it does not have to be cooled, for the chef it is easy to calculate the requirement, and there is no waste. Ten or twenty pieces can be served at the buffet each day and at the end of the week it is easy to calculate how much has been consumed and how much needs to be re-ordered. The packs are easy to open, there is no cooking involved, they are in individual portions, they are very convenient and, above all, fish is healthy, says Mr Kramp. The company is also targeting a very specific part of the food service sector – the vending machines. These are owned and operated by third parties who maintain the
machines at public places such as airports, train stations, and hotels. Machines are typically stocked with sugary drinks or sweets and the idea of stocking them with fish is unusual to say the least. Larsen Danish Seafood would like to stock machines with a small snack box that would contain a packet of fish, two pieces of bread, and a spoon. Currently the concept is being tested at Frankfurt Airport and the railway station and, says Mr Kramp, it is going well. At InterNorga, the international fair for the hotel, restaurant, and catering industries, the concept drew a lot of interest. The snack box would of course vary slightly from country to country to
Larsen Danish Seafood is planning to use vending machines to sell its snack box, which contain a pack with fish, two slice of bread, or crackers, and a spoon.
take into account different tastes. Currently the snack box contains either tuna or salmon in combination with rye bread or a cracker, but we are planning to expand the range shortly and use some other combinations which we think will appeal to consumers, says Mr Kramp. Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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[ Events ] Coppens International
Experiment with fishmealfree trout feed
C
oppens International, a specialist for fish feed, is specialised in the development and production of feeds for aquaculture. They deliver their products to customers in more than 40 different countries. Conventional fish feed, and particularly fish feed for farming carnivorous species, still contains a share of fishmeal and fish oil. Both raw materials are scarce, however, and so expensive. That is why feed companies have to handle these resources more efficiently or – in so far as this is possible – do without them altogether. That, however, is not easy since for healthy growth, fishes need certain essential amino acids and long-chain Omega 3 fatty acids that are to be found in fishmeal and fish oil.
Coppens has long been involved in research on the stronger use of vegetable proteins and animal by-products that meet fishes’ nutritional needs and thereby reduce dependence on fishmeal and fish oil. At present the first fishmeal-free trout feed is being tested in Coppens’ research facilities. If it can prove itself in practice it would be a valuable contribution towards more sustainable aquaculture production. The average MPDR (Marine Protein Dependency Ratio) of trout farming is 0.63 which means that 630 grams of fishmeal are needed to produce 1,000 grams of trout protein. Coppens now only buys fishmeal and fish oil from suppliers who
Ronald Faber, Denise Beaupain and Company Manager Jeroen van Stokkom. Coppens works according to internationally recognized ISO 22000 food safety standards.
fulfil international ISIS sustainability standards. These are said to guarantee that the raw materials for the fishmeal and fish oil come
from controlled fisheries that operate within binding fishing quotas.
Norah Plastics
Mobile gutting table made of plastic
T
he Belgian company Norah Plastics presented a mobile gutting table at the SPE. It is almost fully constructed in unbreakable HDPE (high density polyethylene). The work table which is simply fitted onto the semicircular waste container beneath it has raised edges on three sides to stop the fishes falling off. On the right side a round opening measuring about 10 cm has been cut into the work surface through which waste can then be pushed into the container below. The waste container has a capacity of about 100 litres and is fitted with a drainage system. The Inox wheels on the table legs are 22 Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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360°swivel-mounted to give the table good mobility so that it can easily be moved from work station to work station. According to Birger Embrechts who was representing Norah Plastics in Brussels the table’s maximum load is 200 kg. Embrechts said that in Germany the product would be being supplied via the company Craemer (Westphalia) at whose stand Norah Plastics were exhibiting at the SPE. After the fair the mobile gutting table was for several weeks to be offered at the introductory price of 350 EUR (plus VAT), whereby transport is not included in the price.
Birger Embrechts (Norah Plastics). The mobile gutting table is made of unbreakable plastic and is suitable for numerous gutting and processing work stages. www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:15 PM
[ EvEnts ] Schröder Maschinenbau
Special injectors for the fish sector
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achine manufacturer Schröder has optimized a number of its IMAX injectors for marinating fish. Individual components like pumps, injection needles and brine feed were modified for this special application area so that they fit together perfectly and, in combination with intelligent electronics, ensure optimal results. Alfred Schmidt, the Export Sales Director, emphasized that the injectors now stand out in the fish sector, too, for their high performance, injection accuracy and optimal brine distribution within the product. This was an important prerequisite for precise adherence to recipes and
consistently good results under the individual process conditions. One of the innovations is that the fish runs through the machine on a belt and is not picked up during the injection process. The transport and injection processes are co-ordinated to guarantee smooth production flow. In the case of sensitive fish species the needles are also now thinner (diameter 2mm). The distance between the injection needles was reduced to about 10mm so that there is higher injection density (610 needles). Together with the high stroke frequency (15 to 45 strokes / min) this leads to a more homogeneous salt
Alfred Schmidt (left), Export Sales Director. The IMAX injectors for marinating fish stand out for their high performance and optimal brine distribution within the product.
distribution within the product which enables shorter maturing times. Injection depth is adjustable so that the IMAX can be used for various fish species, e.g. salmon, tuna or sole and, in spite of the different body shapes, always delivers the same good results. This is known to be a decisive prerequisite for consistent brand quality.
According to Alfred Schmidt the high-performance IMAX injectors are also profitable for smaller companies with a product throughput of between 1 and 1.5 t per day. Of course, their profitability also depends on the fish species and size.
The future of
Marine Coldwater Aquaculture a meeting of European Aquaculture stakeholders
2nd Aquainnova Consultation Workshop: Hotel Bristol, Oslo, Norway 21-22 September 2011 The vision for the future of marine coldwater aquaculture in Europe – and the research and innovation needed to support its key strategies – will be the focus of the second thematic workshop, organised by the European Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform, in the framework of ‘Aquainnova’, a European support action. This event follows the ‘Freshwater Aquaculture’ workshop held in Warsaw on 15th-16th June 2011. Participation will be limited to 60 people.
Contact: European Aquaculture Technology & Innovation Platform (EATIP) Rue de Paris 9 4020 Liège Belgium Tel.: +32 4 338 2995 Fax: +32 4 337 9846 secretariat@eatip.eu www.eatip.eu
Earlybird registration: € 50 After 21 August registration: € 80 To register visit: www.eatip.eu
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[ Events ] Round table discussion with EU Fisheries Commissioner Maria Damanaki
European consumers want sustainable fish
A
t the beginning of the year WWF conducted an online survey in which nearly 15,000 consumers in 14 European states were questioned on EU fishing policy. It revealed that the vast majority of EU citizens want fish products from sources that are not overfished. This requirement is being understood by more and more companies along the supply chain as a demand for more sustainability and they are responding accordingly in their daily activities. Some particularly committed industrial associations have joined forces with WWF to form
a WWF/Industry Alliance which is demanding that EU politicians gear common fisheries policy to increased sustainability, that they stop overfishing of resources, and that they finally put an end to the wasteful practice of discarding unwanted fish. This does not only coincide with the wishes of a lot of European consumers but at the same time ensures that the fisheries sector will become more efficient and more profitable than in the past. The demands made by the Alliance are geared particularly to the forthcoming third reform of Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) in the EU which in spite of the two earlier reforms in 1992 and 2002 still has a lot of weak points and unsolved problems. The Alliance does not only criticise the fact that overfishing still continues but also that there are evident deficits with regard to environmental protection, adherence to the implementation of internationally binding fisheries standards, and the necessary reduction of excess fleet capacity. At the ESE, representatives of the Alliance met Maria Damanaki, EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs & Fisheries, on the second day of the fair to make clear their position and to seek a common basis for the forthcoming fisheries reform. Time is pressing since the Commission is currently in the process of formulating its proposals for the draft of the CFP reform which was published in July. The reform was the most important task for 2012, said
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Commissioner Damanaki during the round table discussion at the EU fair stand in Hall 7. The logistics at the venue in terms of sound and space could have been better. Most round table participants limited themselves to reading out their prepared statements, so the actual discussion was muted. The WWF/Industry Alliance did, however, use the opportunity to make clear to Commissioner Damanaki how urgent the reform was. Europe’s fishing industry had to finally put an end to its obvious deficits and gear itself to sustainable management. That alone was the yardstick by which the reform’s success could be measured. Alfred Schumm (WWF) pointed out that according to the survey 88% of European consumers wanted sustainable fish and that nearly two thirds of them do not feel adequately informed on the origins of the fish products they are offered. Guus Pastoor (AIPCE) demanded for the EU fish processors association which represents 4,000 companies with 130,000 employees that fundamental changes be made in EU fisheries policy with the aim of ultimately achieving stability oriented fisheries management. Aldin Hilbrands (EuroCommerce) spoke in favour of closer co-operation of the retail sector with the fish industry and NGOs in order to be able to supply European consumers with fish from sustainable sources. The range of certified sustainable fish was too small, said Rosita Zilli (Euro Coop) and demanded fur-
Maria Damanaki, EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs & Fisheries. The health of European fish stocks is an urgent target of the forthcoming CFP reform.
ther improvements in the scientific assessment of fish stocks and product traceability. Europe’s chefs could also do more to improve the situation, said Evan Doyle from Euro-Toques, an association of over 2,000 chefs and cooks, by developing new recipes for less well-known fish species that were still available in sufficient quantities. EU Fisheries Commissioner Damanaki understood the demands of the Alliance as assistance and support but at the same time made it clear how difficult it was to take into account and implement all wishes. The fisheries sector was not only a key provider of food but also created jobs and income upon which whole regions of Europe were economically dependent. It was still not acceptable, however, that currently only 8 of 138 fish stocks in European waters were sufficiently safe. The aim of the CFP reform thus had to be to achieve clear improvements in the condition of the waters, the fish stocks and thus ultimately the efficiency of the fishing sector. www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:15 PM
[ Events ] Caviale Manufaktur
Smoked caviar “Caspian Style”
C
aviale Manufaktur, one of the world’s biggest aquaculture producers of sturgeon caviar, is a member of the Venatus Holding Hamburg. In the Caviale Farm in the north of Italy a stock of nearly 1,000 tonnes of sturgeon is developing in canallike ponds that together measure over 5 km in length and into which clean river and spring water (up to 2,000 litres/ second) flows constantly. The caviar is taken from the fishes at the earliest after 8 years when they are about 1.4 m long and weigh about 12 kg. Farming in these river-like open-air canals under near- natural conditions leads to a good quality of the caviar and prevents deficits in flavour which can sometimes occur with other farming methods. According to Sigurd Späth, Caviale Manufaktur produces more than 10 t caviar per year. Caviale’s range is based on three kinds of caviar that come from
sturgeon hybrids. The premium product is Perluga Black Label. Its grains measure 2.7 to 3 mm and its flavour has a nutty hint. This caviar is the result of a cross between Russian (A. gueldenstaedtii) and Siberian sturgeon (A. baerii), also called Guba. The fishes reach spawning maturity at an age of between 9 and 12 years. After 8 to 10 years’ farming a cross between Adriatic (A. naccarii) and Siberian sturgeon supplies a caviar with a colour ranging from pale green to deep black. The grain size of this caviar type is between 2.5 and 2.8 mm. Caviale produces two kinds of caviar from this roe: Perluga Blue Label with a relatively mild, nutty note, and in contrast Caviar Caviale, a pasteurized caviar with a mildly aromatic flavour. Just recently Caviale began processing part of its caviar directly at the location Mutzschen. Sturgeon are taken live from the north of Italy to the processing plant in
The smoked product Perluga Caviar Caspian Style (left) is a new addition to the range of caviar products offered by Caviale Manufaktur from outdoor aquaculture.
Saxony and kept there until their caviar is needed. Caviale had decided to use this procedure despite the great effort it involves, said Späth, because it meant more entrepreneurial freedom and more flexibility. Directly on site it was easier to experiment with salting and packaging (e.g. MAP), the distance to the storage depot was shorter, and it was possible to react more quickly to the specific requirements of individual customers. A final decision had, however, not been taken yet, and the option of opening their
own processing plant in Italy was still open. The company presented a new product at the ESE: smoked Perluga Caviar Caspian Style, a product based on an old rediscovered recipe. The sturgeon caviar is mildly smoked at a temperature of 4°C in cherrywood smoke which is said to have been freed from tar and carcinogenic substances. Instead of the conventional tinplate cans, Caviale now packs its caviar in environmentally friendly cans made of aluminium.
Your Direct Channel to the Lucrative Produced by:
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[ Events ] MAJA
Dual-lane skinning machine
M
AJA’s skinning machines from the ESB series are well-known for their performance and high fillet yield. In order to offer fish processing companies more flexibility MAJA now also offers them as dual-lane machines. The dual-lane DFS 4365 is available in four versions for silver skinning or the MAJA-patented deep skinning and with or without cutting command. This means that for salmon and similar species there are now basically three skinning grades: • Silver skinning: silver skin and brown fat layer with the blood vessels remain in the fillet. This skinning method enables high yield but does not deliver premium quality.
• F ull deep skinning: this technique involves the complete removal of the skin together with the middle brown layer from the whole fillet. This leads to a particularly high-quality fillet but a lot of lean fillet meat is lost. • MAJA-patented deep skinning: this skinning method removes only parts of the brown fat layer with the skin, leaving the adjacent lean meat intact. The technique leads to premium quality and simultaneously increases yield by up to 3% compared to conventional methods. The dual-lane skinning machines can be integrated into processing lines, for example behind filleting machines. This enables fully auto-
MAJA sales representative Klaus Peter. Companies that remove too much meat from salmon fillets during machine skinning are losing money unnecessarily.
matic skinning on two independently operating, individually configurable lanes. Lane performance is doubled (about 1.5 t salmon fillets), and different techniques can run parallel to each other. MAJA recommends the cutting command for fully automatic in-line operation since this makes manual reworking of the fillets unnecessary which saves time and money. In Brussels, MAJA sales representative Klaus Peter presented the DFS 4365/PA (‘P’ stands for the MAJA-patented deep skinning and
‘A’ for the separately controlled cutting command). The air-filled pressure rollers are individually adjustable which enables careful skinning of sensitive fillets. Additionally, and if necessary, a water spray device can be fitted which rinses any skin waste and scales from the roller. According to Klaus Peter’s calculations this skinning machine can save a lot of money. If a company skins 500 kg of salmon per day and manages to leave 3% more meat on the fillet, that adds up to about 20,000 EUR over the year!
Multivac
Packaging solutions for the fish industry
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ULTIVAC used the SPE to demonstrate their competence in the international arena as a partner to the fish industry for packaging, labelling, coding, inspection and other specialist areas. Global networking in the fish industry has raised the demands placed on transport logistics considerably. MULTIVAC meets these challenges with a whole package of compatible system solutions ranging from packaging machines for very different applications, through industrial robots, to high-performance labelling machines and control systems. The company does not only supply to the major players in the
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fish industry but also offers interesting options to a lot of smaller artisanal companies. In Brussels, for example, they presented the C 370, a floor-mounted unit for vacuum packaging. This machine has a spacious chamber, a powerful pump and a long sealing bar for continuous use in small and medium-sized enterprises. According to Area Sales Manager Harald Knoflicek this compact stationary unit works fast, reliably and is as easy to operate as the tried and tested tabletop machines from MULTIVAC. Before the pack is hermetically sealed the air is evacuated completely so that the product inside is reliably protected from any
external impacts. Sealing time and vacuum can be adjusted precisely to 0.1 second and 1 mbar. The C 370 is not only suitable for packing larger numbers of products but also for longer products such as whole fishes because the vacuum chamber is 890 mm long, 440 mm wide, and 160 mm high – twice the size of other vacuum machines in this series. The machine is made of stainless steel, requires little maintenance, is easy to clean, and fulfils high hygiene standards. Corners, edges and cavities were deliberately avoided during its design. The sealing bars can be removed without the use of tools. Chamber
Area Sales Manager Harald Knoflicek. With its large-size vacuum chamber the C 370 is also well suited to package whole fish.
and lid are smooth and can be cleaned quickly and hygienically, as can the touch control panel. The machine’s high-quality workmanship enables longevity even in continuous use in professional environments. www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:15 PM
[ Events ] Marel
Automatic solutions for complicated processing steps
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arel is one of the world’s biggest and most proficient manufacturers of processing machinery. At SPE they displayed a representative cross-section of their extensive delivery programme ranging from single manual plants to fully integrated automatic processing lines. These systems can handle and process nearly all the important wild and farmed fish species. Machine solutions were presented in Brussels for the work stages incoming products (weighing, sorting), filleting, portioning and packaging. Among the highlights this year was the introduction of the new salmon filleting machine MS 2730 which can process up to 25 salmon per minute. The salmon can be of different sizes since the machine automatically records the shape and size of each individual fish and then adjusts all the tools individually to ensure optimal yield. The new multi-angle salmon slicer from Geba is according to Marel currently the fastest slicer in
the world. ‘This single or dual lane (250 slices/ minute!) system slices the salmon at an angle of between 10 and 68° which enables a wide range of high-quality products such as bacon cut, D-cut or sushi slices. The machine is suited to processing both raw and cold or hot smoked salmon fillets. New in the programme was an upgrade version of the Marel Intelligent Trimming Machine (ITM) for salmon fillets which stands out for its higher performance, improved ergonomics (operation panels on both sides) and optimised cleaning facilities. These salmon processing machines were supplemented by the Vacuum Pinboner CT 2616.24 which can remove even very difficult bones from the neck area as well as the excess water from the fillet.
In this variant the new salmon filleting and trimming machines were combined to a small processing line.
Clean Tunnel Freezer” is intended mainly for freezing small, sensitive products like shrimps or fish fillets and is said to enable 15% savings on running costs.
active Species Sessions“ on all three fair days. Here p rofessionals gave live demonstrations to show how pangasius, tilapia, white fishes and salmon can be processed more economically and with time savings using Marel s ystems.
Visitors to the Marel stand had the opportunity to take part in “Inter-
Marel’s “Target Batcher” puts together products with different individual weights in just fractions of a second so that the intended target weights are exactly met and losses from “overpacking“ are avoided. The “Super Flow Easy
OUR COMPREHENSIVE PRODUCT RANGE Herbs, spices and seasonings
Organic range herbs and spices,
Functional additives
additives, marinades, food systems
Fish spices and additives
Flavours - spicy & sweet
“PICCANTOS” food systems/
Plant extracts
sauces and preparations
Starter cultures
FRUTAROM Savory Solutions GmbH
Marel’s delivery programme ranges from manual processing machines to fully integrated automatic processing lines. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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Im Tweyad 1 27612 Loxstedt-Nesse Germany Tel.: +49 4744/91 81-0 service@nesse.de . www.nesse.de
Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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[ Events ] Erich Geiger Fish & Convenience
Batters and crispy coatings fresh in MAP
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eiger, a German supplier of fresh and frozen fish and convenience products, doubled its production area when a new production location in Frickingen/Salem went into operation in 2009. The company has remained true to its orientation as a developer, producer and supplier of high-quality seafood products for the retail and food service sectors. Geiger’s image is still marked by ambitious products whose raw materials largely come from certified, sustainable sources or from organic aquaculture. According to Quality and Project Manager Frank Vollstedt products that place high demands on quality and flavour are today the company’s top sellers and constitute the product
category with the highest growth rate. The concept of freely combinable components had made the range very flexible so that the company could react relatively fast to specific customer wishes. Geiger’s portfolio also includes project management during new listings. In Brussels the company presented an exemplary segment of their delivery programme which also of course included a selection of classic products in batter and crispy coatings. They are not only available frozen but were recently also introduced in MAP trays (minimum shelf-life 10 days). They included crustaceans as well as precisely portioned
Quality and Project Manager Frank Vollstedt: One of the company’s main focuses at present is the strengthening and positioning of Geiger’s own trademark Gourmet Fisheries.
marinated natural fillets (90% fish, 10% marinade) in weights of 70 to 90 g. With these products Geiger offers gastronomy outlets, in particular, a lot of options since the natural fillets are available in four main varieties – Lemon Pepper, Red & Spicy, Thai Curry and Mediterranean – which can all be prepared easily and quickly.
Geiger is also flexible with regard to packaging, offering almost all possibilities from cartons (5-10 kg), polystyrene boxes (3-10 kg), folding boxes (150-400 g) and LDPE bags to skin packs and MAP trays (also with euro hole for hanging presentation at the retailer’s).
VEMAG
Careful grinding and precise shaping
T
he Verden-based (Germany) engineer VEMAG Machinenbau GmbH presented the Ball Control at the Brussels fair. This plant can shape croquettes, rissoles and other convenience products quickly and neatly. The forming process is carried out with the help of perforated plates that are exactly suited to the individual product shape and produce the different varieties by means of contra-rotation of the plates. Irrespective of whether a product is to be filled or only consists of one raw material this principle offers the user maximum flexibility allowing him to develop a broad range of product ideas. The resulting products are always identical and always have the same weight and appear-
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ance. Due to the low number of mobile parts the Ball Control can be cleaned easily without the use of tools. To change from one product to another the nozzle block just has to be removed and replaced by a new plate with the required nozzles. With this forming machine, products of different sizes ranging from 10 to 60 mm can be produced. When forming the products the Ball Control offers numerous options enabling round, rectangular, balls, cylinders or cones. The machine’s performance is dependent on several different factors. The higher the number of nozzle outlets and the higher the tact frequency the more products can be produced per time unit.
Tact performance and product shape have no influence on portioning accuracy which is always exact from the first to the last product. Visitors to the SPE were able to convince themselves of this at the VEMAG stand: the Ball Control was in operation throughout the fair, producing equally goodlooking products with impressive precision. With the separation grinder 982 VEMAG also presented a technology for grinding and separating in the fish processing industry. The machine grinds the product to its final grain size and at the same time separates bones and other undesired particles. The separation grinder can process up to 8.7 t fish raw material per hour. The
portioning device of the vacuum filler from the ROBOT HP series batches the raw material during the grinding and separating process which makes subsequent weighing unnecessary. The forming machine FM 250 which forms and divides up the raw material can thus be connected directly to the grinder. A press belt gives the products on the conveyor belt the right size and passes them on individually to the next processing stage. All the products produced by the forming machine have a very good texture. Because the machine handles the raw material very gently the fish fibres are not squashed or destroyed. They maintain their natural structure so that the final product has the bite of a hand made speciality. www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:15 PM
[ Events ] Baader
Salmon processing line with substantial capacity increase
F
ounded in 1919 in Lübeck, Germany, Baader is a leading manufacturer of machines for the fish processing industry. For nearly every kind of consumer fish the company can offer processing options ranging from individual machines to complete on- and offshore fish factories. In addition to its internationally well-known and tried and tested individual solutions, Baader used this year’s SPE to demonstrate their competence as a supplier of whole systems. At the centre of their presentation was thus a new salmon processing line which stands out for its much higher capacity, its high yield and – a typical feature of Baader machines – its reliability. This line comprises
practically all the work stages that are involved in salmon processing from gutting, heading, filleting and skinning to trimming and packaging. All process steps are fully controllable which enables maximum yields, high throughput and quality as well as complete traceability. Baader sometimes co-operates with other manufacturers who already have extensive experience and have developed efficient machinery in special areas such as pinbone removing. Although due to lack of space only parts of the new processing line could be displayed at the SPE the live demonstrations which took place three times a day always attracted crowds of visitors. Their main interest was the new high speed filleting machine,
the Baader 581, which processes salmon weighing between 2 and 7 kg, achieving high yields without any additional readjustment and at the same time with a 20% higher throughput than previous machines. The new 581 is not only more powerful than its predecessor and enables better hygiene due to its design but it also cuts the fillets in a higher quality which considerably reduces reworking when trimming. Baader also offers a fully automatic trimming machine, the Baader 988, which just recently underwent a complete face-lift to increase itsefficiency. The recognizable care and precision during fish processing are also characteristic of the Baader 434 salmon heading machine which performs a perfect U-cut
The live demonstrations at the Baader stand always attract a big crowd of fair visitors who are very impressed by the new machines’ performance.
so that as much meat as possible remains on the fillet. Every salmon is measured individually prior to heading to enable fine adjustment of the blades. Fillet transfer units in the salmon processing line enable a smooth product flow.
Sequid
Objective measurement of fish quality and water content
S
equid produces and supplies measuring instruments with which it is possible to determine exactly how fresh fish is. On top of that, the combination of high-frequency technology and multivariate statistics enables the measurement of other quality parameters, too, for example whether a fillet has been single or double frozen or whether water has been added to a fish product from the outside. The addition of water-binding substances such as phosphates, www.eurofishmagazine.com
05_News_EV.indd 29
citrates, carbonates or speciesspecific protein hydrolysates is widespread in the fish industry today and such additives are not always correctly declared for fish fillets and seafood. Conventional chemical analysis techniques do not only cost a lot of time and money but are also not capable of identifying all additives. An RFQ scan can provide information in just a few seconds. The AddWater module is able to identify external water additives due to the changed dielectric properties and thus independently of the
processing form. RFQ scans only take a few seconds, they are nondestructive and thus particularly suited to routine checks for waterbinding additives. The quality of frozen fish products can vary greatly depending on whether the fish is of frozen -at-sea premium quality or inferior double frozen fish. Whilst sensory tests are often subjective a scan with the FroQ module can provide objective and thus reliable measurements for Alaska Pollack. Sequid’s service programme
Jens Koch-Bodes demonstrates at the Sequid fair stand how fast and simple RFQ scans work.
includes the tailoring and calibration of RFQ scans to individual customer requirements – a key condition for fast, effective quality management. Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
29
01/07/11 7:15 PM
[ PROJECT ]
Among the conclusions from the Aquainnova workshop on the future of freshwater aquaculture was that sustainable growth and profitability in the future would need greater cooperation between professionals and scientists with real innovation and effective technology transfer.
The Aquainnova workshop in Poland
Defining the future of freshwater aquaculture The Aquainnova project, supporting governance and multi-stakeholder participation in aquaculture research and innovation, is concerned with the creation of an international framework focused on the vision for the future of European aquaculture – and, using best governance principles, define the research and innovation needed to supports its key development strategies.
F
inanced by the EU FP7 programme, the objectives of ‘Aquainnova’ are: to facilitate the dialogue between the aquaculture industry, the research community and the policy makers; to exploit the potential for innovation and technological development in European 30 Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
06_Project_PRJ.indd 30
aquaculture through actively promoting the exploitation, dissemination and communication of the results of aquaculture Research and Technological Development (RTD); to improve how RTD and innovation knowledge is managed, disseminated and transferred.
A shared vision for fish farming in Europe Since the start of the ‘Aquainnova’ initiative, more than 200 experts have been involved in preparing vision documents that give a consensus view of where the European aquaculture sec-
tor should be in 10-20 years time, encompassing all possible aspects (e.g. production and consumption, socio-economic and knowledge management, systems and technology, feeds and animal welfare, environment, etc.). This has meant identifying strengths, weaknesses, www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:21 PM
[ PROJECT ] opportunities and threats as well as specific knowledge gaps for each thematic area covered. Based on these documents, a Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) has been developed that describes what needs to be done to respond to the identified goals of the vision documents as well as an action plan to indicate how these can be achieved and implemented to the benefit of all components of European aquaculture. “The future of freshwater aquaculture in Europe” event, which was held in Warsaw (Poland) between 15 and 16 June, was the first of a series of thematic ‘Aquainnova’ workshops that have as their objective the finalisation of the SRIA and action plans, using an open and transparent consultative process so that all stakeholders can contribute to the finalisation of these key documents. Forty-four participants from 17 European countries, representing a wide spectrum of stakeholders (e.g. producers, associations, research, education, government and administration), had the opportunity to have their say on topics concerning freshwater aquaculture during an innovative 1.5 day workshop that was designed to have a strong emphasis on discussion and consensus building. Organised in a dynamic yet informal manner, using a professional meeting facilitator, the event enabled debate, reflection and effective participation on key issues relevant to European freshwater aquaculture.
Fundamental questions raised and discussed The first day was opened by Courtney Hough, General Secretary of EATiP (European www.eurofishmagazine.com
06_Project_PRJ.indd 31
Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform), with an introduction of the workshop objectives and schedule. Mr Hough stressed the need to identify the knowledge and innovation gaps of freshwater aquaculture, to develop policy and support guidelines while improving the knowledge management, networking and responding to societal concerns; to support and stimulate actions, at European, regional and national levels. In 2002, the European Union (EU) target growth of aquaculture was 4% per year but stagnation is visible in 2011. ‘How can the anticipated growth be achieved and where do we want to be in 2030, what are the tools to help us reach our goals and what are the social implications?’ – are just a few of the questions that were raised for reflection during the workshop. A video presentation by the EATIP Chairman, Gustavo Larrazábal, on the motivations to create the EATiP, contributed to this scene-setting. Arnault Chaperon, the president of FEAP (Federation of European Aquaculture Producers), continued with a broad presentation of relevant European policies and aquaculture’s position within these and was followed by, respectively, David Murphy of AquaTT and Elisabeth Crudgington of Bright Green Learning who explained further the workshop’s methodology and processes. The plenary debates started with short explanatory videos made by representatives of relevant EATiP thematic areas which were followed by discussions in small table groups; the structure of table groups changed continuously, so that every participant had the opportunity to contribute to the discussion on each
Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
31
01/07/11 7:21 PM
[ PROJECT ] thematic area. The conclusions and ideas of each group were then presented and discussed in a plenary session. The goals identified in the vision documents, available for consultation to all participants, focusing on those relevant for fresh water aquaculture, have thus been debated and their need for improvement has been assessed. The extent to which these goals match the overall strategic vision has been analysed. Last, but not least, prioritisation of the most important issues for the successful long term development of European fresh water aquaculture has been estab lished through consensus.
‘We need to create the dream inside!’ Concerning consumer issues, there are needs to maximize the health benefits by continuously providing high quality and safe aquaculture products; to better understand consumer perceptions towards aquaculture products and improve their attitude, through strong scientific evidence, so that consumers can make an informed choice. The freshwater aquaculture community needs to be proactive and improve the tools for proper communication actions towards relevant interest groups and consumers, contributing to a good reputation of European aquaculture. The latter idea is closely linked with some of the goals identified within the knowledge management thematic area: to create and manage knowledge in an effective manner; to promote and enable networking and collaboration; to transmit clearly and effectively the societal benefits of aquaculture; to attract and f oster 32 Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
06_Project_PRJ.indd 32
talent; to invest in education, from early stages; to generate the societal understanding that aquaculture is a viable source of safe and healthy food production, providing employment, contributing to rural development and food security; to strategically position and positively differentiate European aquaculture from other sources of food production, and to assure consumer acceptance for European aquaculture products. The European Union (EU) enlargement has changed considerably the landscape of freshwater aquaculture: there are currently 340,000 hectares of man-made fresh water ponds in the EU27 Member Sates, as compared with 60,000 hectares in the former EU15 Member States. This change alone brings along additional environmental, societal and cultural challenges, to name just a few. As Arnault Chaperon said “we need to find the right strategies and tools to ‘create the dream inside’”.
Not one single solution One of the main challenges that European aquaculture is confronted with is ‘how to achieve innovation and economic growth in a sustainable manner?’ and this is not unique to the freshwater sector. ‘How can the sector be competitive and profitable without having a “level playing field”?’ is a question frequently asked by the actors of European aquaculture. “European aquaculture is so diverse; there is no single solution for each Member State. This consultation confirmed that aquaculture production should be oriented towards
market demand and the important need of administrations for taking responsible decisions” is the opinion of one of the participants, Mr. Juhani Papp of the Ministry of Agriculture, Estonia.
European aquaculture a good positive story In 2012 the European Commission will finalise a restructured Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) where it appears that the role of aquaculture will be reinforced. European aquaculture has become a ‘good positive story’ and should be driven by key factors such as innovation, greening, diversification, promotion and communication. However, to maintain sustainable growth and profitability, the sector needs higher cooperation between professionals and scientists, with real innovation and effective technology transfer which are indeed needed for fundamental change. Mr. Jacek Juchniewicz, who participated at the workshop as a representative of the Polish Trout Breeders Association, thinks that “EATiP is a good way to create a link between industry and science. To make the research work for the benefit of industry and to therefore measure the impact of
the research towards solving the real problems of the sector.”
Excellent opportunity for networking “This workshop was a good opportunity to meet professionals with different backgrounds and it generated very interesting discussions among many people involved in freshwater aquaculture” said Susana Portela Gaute, ADSG ATRUGAL, Spain. In summing up, Courtney Hough thanked the participants for their enthusiasm and the quality of their inputs, which will be incorporated into the ‘Aquainnova’ documentation. The ‘Aquainnova’ vision documents as well as the SRIAs and action plans are available for consultation on the EATiP website www.eatip.eu. Stay tuned for the following workshops on marine cold water aquaculture, scheduled to place on 21-22 September 2011 in Oslo (Norway) and on Mediterranean aquaculture that will be organised in Spain in late November 2011. For further information please contact: secretariat@eatip.eu www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:21 PM
LITHUANIA
Lithuania
declining since 2006, a trend that also looks as if it will continue in 2012. This year the sprat quota fell by a hefty 24 to 14,451 tonnes. Both sprat and herring catches have shown a declining tendency over the last five years, something that the Lithuanians attribute to the natural biological cycle of the fish.
Cod quotas in the Baltic Sea on the increase In Lithuania cod catches increased in 2010 to 3,197 tonnes from 2,818 tonnes in the year before. While quotas for cod have increased for three years in a row from 2009 to 2011 and will probably go up again in 2012, the same cannot be said for the three other main species that Lithuania catches in the Baltic Sea. Sprat, herring and salmon quotas have all declined.
D
arius Nienius, director of the Fisheries Department of the Ministry of Agriculture, says that the effort reduction in the Baltic Sea as well as in inland waters has had a positive effect especially on the cod fishery. His opinion is substantiated by the latest advice from the International
Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). While the long term management plan for cod that was introduced in January 2008 is currently under revision, ICES in its advice on cod in the Baltic Sea for 2012 has recommended a 13 increase in the quota in the Western Baltic and a 15 increase in the
Klaipeda auction sells most Lithuanian-caught cod
Eastern Baltic. This is the first time that the targets set in the management plan have been achieved for both cod stocks in the Baltic Sea. Sprat and herring quotas, however, have been falling since 2008 and look set to fall further in 2012, while the salmon quota has been
The main outlet for the sale of cod is the auction in Klaipeda. As the fishermen were not in a position to finance it, the auction was built by the government with support from the European Fisheries Fund. The government also determined that 80 of the cod had to be sold through the auction. Initially there was no trust in the auction, says
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04/07/11 7:17 PM
LITHUANIA
Vytautas Andriuskevicius, director of the National Association of Aquaculture and Producers of Fish Products.
Saulius Jocbalis is chairman of the Taurage Fishery Local Action Group as well as chairman of the network of Lithuanian FLAGs.
Mr Nienius, which made the first two years quite difficult and necessitated aid from the state. But now, he says, trust in the auction has increased as the fishermen can see it is a way of monitoring the catches of cod, and they find it useful to be able to sell through the auction. Algirdas Ausra, chairman of the Confederation of Fishermen and Fish Processors of West Lithuania, says before the auction was established there were several small companies who bought fish as well as one or two big companies who could squeeze suppliers to bring down the price. With the auction things are more transparent, he says, which is beneficial for the fisherman. But the auction needs to join a network so that we can see what the prices are at other auctions in the area. According to Mindaugas Kokoska, the auction director, efforts to join a network are hindered by a review of the auction that is being conducted by the government, however once that is completed the auction will become part of a network.
says Mr Nienius. The vision for the auction was that it would be the only one on the east coast of the Baltic Sea and would serve the Baltic States, Kaliningrad, and Poland. This year Estonian vessels also landed their fish for the first time and we are hoping that this development will continue.
The auction offers several services including the supply of ice and the washing of fish boxes. Auction officials also gather all the information related to the landings, monitor the quality of the fish and ensure that it is legitimately caught. There are 160 buyers currently registered with the auction. We are trying to attract more sellers including boats from Estonia and Latvia to sell their fish here, 34
Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
07_LITHUANIA.indd 34
The Baltic fleet gets smaller and older Between 2006 and 2010 the total number of Lithuanian vessels fishing in the Baltic has fallen by 36 to 159. This figure includes vessels in all the three categories, those which operate along the coast (up to 12 m), in the open Baltic Sea and along the coast (from 12-24 m), and only in the open Baltic Sea (24-40 m). In addition the average age of the vessels is over 30 years. The Department of Fisheries has raised this point several times with other Member States and with the Commission, but for the newest members of the EU that joined from 2004 there is no provision for financing building new vessels through the existing funding instruments. This, says Mr Nienius, places Lithuanian vessel owners at a disadvantage compared with fishers from the old EU, who could invest in modernising their fleets and as a result have more modern and fuel efficient boats. There is little chance that this will change with the upcoming reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. The CFP has
Gintaras Silinskas, president of Zmare, the Amateur Fishermen’s Association, says that pressure on stocks can be reduced by educating his members to fish responsibly.
come under fire for doing too little for the resources it is supposed to manage and reformers would like to see subsidies phased out and fleet sizes reduced to make them commensurate with the resource.
High seas fleet interested in EU agreements with Guinea, Senegal Despite its relatively small size Lithuania has an active high seas fleet with 12 vessels fishing in the South Pacific, NAFO, NEAFC, and the economic zones of Mauritania and Morocco. Lithuania would also like the European Commission to sign Fisheries Partnership Agreements with Senegal and Guinea to increase the size of the pool of resources where EU boats can fish. This will reduce pressure on the stocks that we target now, says Mr Nienius. We are also interested in a solution that reduces discards on the high seas, which we, like the Commission see as a serious problem. This could be by the introduction of more selective gear or some incentive that changes this behaviour.
Aquaculture is a priority One of the main Lithuanian priorities in the CFP reform is greater emphasis on aquaculture. Although FAO projections for the decade 2011 to 2020 show that aquaculture production will slow
after a period of rapid expansion in 2001 to 2010, the sector will still supplant capture fisheries as the most important source of fish for human consumption by 2015 and by 2020 should represent about 45 of total fishery production including non-food uses. In Lithuania catches in the Baltic are falling and since 2004 imports of fish and seafood have steadily increased. The Fisheries Department would like to see greater investments in recirculation systems which it considers a way to increase the production of farmed fish with limited environmental impact. Recirculation methods would be used to farm species like trout, pikeperch, eel, and sturgeon for which there is demand in Western Europe and which would increase exports. At the moment aquaculture production in Lithuania is dominated by European carp which is sold primarily on the local market with some fish going to neighbouring Poland and Latvia, and production is more or less stagnating. One of the advantages of farming, for example, trout is that it has a production cycle of less than a year, while a market-sized carp takes three years to produce. Vytautas Andriuskevicius, director of the National Association of Aquaculture and Producers of Fish Products, is also positive about the introduction of recirculation systems in Lithuania. It was rare to see recirculation facilities in the country, he says, because the traditional pond farm production used to be enough for the domestic market and there was no need for high tech farming methods. Now, however, we are more familiar with how these systems work and can see the advantages. But, he cautions, there are also other factors that must be taken into account. For example the need for high quality feed, the increased energy requirements, the cost of www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:31 PM
LITHUANIA
Lithuanian fishing fleet 2006
2007 2008 2009 2010
High sea vessels, longer than 40 m
16
17
14
13
11
Baltic Sea fishing vessels, 24–40 m length
44
37
32
30
31
Baltic Sea and coastal fishing vessels, 12-24 m
9
7
6
5
3
Baltic Sea and coastal area vessels up to 12 m length
197
189
169
145
125
Inland water vessels
... *
243
174
159
167
Total
266
493
395
352
337
* No data
Baltic Sea Fish species
Allocated quotas (tonnes)
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010 2011
Cod
3 216
2 921
2 631
2 892
3 300
Herring
3 382
3 874
4 456
4 192
3 689
3 136
Sprat
21 060
22 745
22 745
20 015
19 015
14 451
Salmon
6 992 pieces
6 642 pieces
5 646 pieces
4 799 pieces
4 559 pieces
3 875 pieces
3 758
Catches (tonnes) Baltic Sea Year
Cod
Herring
Sprat
Plaice
Total
2006
3301
1172
10814
376
25825
2007
2795
3547
19745
338
26425
2008
3301
793
18295
664
23053
2009
2818
3722
19514
498
26552
2010
3197
1556
10222
501
15476
the equipment itself, and the fact that they are optimised to produce large volumes. These conditions suggest that recirculation systems are best suited to high value species like eel or sturgeon.
Fisheries groups to revitalise local communities Another Lithuanian priority is the formation of Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs). FLAGs are supported by the European Fisheries Fund and are intended to rejuvenate fisheries communities by bringing together all the www.eurofishmagazine.com
07_LITHUANIA.indd 35
stakeholders (people involved in fishing activities, local government representatives, commercial fishermen’s representatives, and fishing communities) to create and test local initiatives that encourage the sustainable development of fisheries areas. Lithuania has been enthusiastic in the creation of FLAGS. When we first wrote the Operational Programme in 2007, we thought there would be three FLAGs, says Mr Nienius. Now there are in fact ten all over the country. The FLAGs represent initiatives that are very different and they have prepared a number of interesting and useful projects
for evaluation. There is also something of a geographical element to the projects; in the west they tend to be fishery-related, in the centre of the county it is manufacturing and aquaculture, while in the east the projects are about inland fishing and tourism. Saulius Jocbalis is chairman of the Taurage Fishery Local Action Group as well as chairman of the network of Lithuanian FLAGs. This network is now creating international links to other national networks in Estonia, Latvia and Poland. We are considering building a big Baltic network involving the three Baltic States, Poland, Germany, and Sweden, he says. Tasks and objectives are being described for this network which will then seek funding from the EU. Within the Lithuanian national FLAG network a number of activities are being planned, says Mr Jocbalis. Links are being forged with, for example, the Klaipeda Chamber of Commerce, who will use their connections to convene a meeting of ambassadors serving in Lithuania with the network. This way we can inform them of our plans and perhaps use them to further our aims to internationalise our activities. The Taurage FLAG includes one of the biggest fish processors in Lithuania, who is interested in developing markets abroad for his products. Meeting
ambassadors or their trade attachés from all over Europe could create opportunities in some markets. This is an example of how the FLAG can benefit local industry and thereby also the surrounding community. Another project concerns Lithuania’s culinary heritage. Before the Second World War, recounts Mr Jocbalis, Klaipeda region belonged to Germany and after the war most of the population emigrated to Germany taking all their cultural heritage, such as recipes with them. We would like to bring back our cultural traditions, so through our network we contact emigrant Lithuanians and ask them to send their old recipes, we also ask them to visit and share their experiences with the local community. By kindling interest in old traditions Mr Jocbalis also expects to attract tourists who are looking for a certain kind of experience, or who may have memories of tastes, flavours and smells, that they would like to experience again. Bringing in tourists and getting them to spend money is beneficial for local communities.
FLAG projects come in all shapes and sizes FLAGS are also helping inland fishermen. Due to restrictions on inland fishing these fishers can only work four to five months in the
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01/07/11 7:31 PM
LITHUANIA
High seas fisheries Year
NAFO
NEAFC
Svalbard area
SPRFMO Mauritanian waters
Moroccan waters
2006
2522
18773
1549
-
90603
25086
2007
3436
18364
1147
41037
63731
36071
2008
1517
12662
567
24056
73059
47671
2009
0
3698
0
22570
82792
42441
2010
1028
3856
388
10296
96533
15136
Aquaculture production (tonnes) Year
Total
2006
2204
2007
3378
2008
3008
2009
3422
2010
3191
Fish processing Year
Quantity of processed Value of processed production products (tonnes) (thousands of litas)
2006
64936
405325
2007
78519,9
505903,9
2008
83369,5
577552,8
2009
73290,2
561895,6
2010
81180
777193
All data courtesy the Lithuanian Department of Fisheries
year. The FLAGs are trying to help convert the vessels so that they can be used for angling tourism in the periods when it is not possible to fish. The FLAGs also provide fishers with the means to make contact with other groups to develop cooperative programmes or projects. Funding for the FLAGs is distributed depending on the projects submitted, so that some receive more funding than others. In Lithuania it is the Klaipeda city FLAG, chaired by Gediminas Ragauskas, that has proposed the biggest projects of all the FLAGS and as a result has the biggest share of the budget at LTL7.5m (EUR2.17m). Klaipeda is the biggest port in Lithuania and has a long history associated with the fishing fleet. Today however the fleet is much smaller 36
Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
07_LITHUANIA.indd 36
and the problem is to find gainful employment for the fishers who are now out of work. Many of them have taken to using their boats for recreational purposes, but as Mr Ragauskas says, there is a limit as to how many vessels can be made into recreational boats, there are just not enough customers in Lithuania. The FLAG is therefore trying to help the fishers acquire customers in neighbouring countries such as Poland, Russia, and Belarus. One FLAG member is taking his boat to Norway where he offers fishing trips to holidaymakers at a campsite.
Cleaner water in Klaipeda harbour? Another of the FLAG projects seeks to increase the number of
berths in the port for smaller vessels. The commercial vessels and the stevedoring companies occupy all the space in the port, says Mr Ragauskas, so we need to negotiate with the federal government, which is responsible for managing the port, to acquire or create space for smaller boats. Other projects that are being proposed includes one to clean the water in the port which is at the moment quite dirty from fishing vessels and other activities, and one to add value to by catch and waste products from the processing sector. We need to generate activities here that give people employment and a decent standard of living, just receiving a wage is not enough, argues Mr Ragauskas. Over the last six years the city’s population has fallen from 187,000 inhabitants to 178,000 as people have migrated in search of opportunities. With the FLAG we hope to reverse this trend so that Klaipeda can again become a vibrant and economically thriving area that attracts and retains people and companies, he says. The Lithuanian FLAGs are however suffering from two constraints. The number of FLAGS that has been formed is three times more than the number that was envisaged in the Operational Programme. As a result the funding that was allocated for the groups has to be spread much more thinly. The other constraint says Mr Jocbalis is the groups’ lack of experience with
EU procedures, funding, and project management. In addition, language is often a barrier. Farnet (Fisheries Areas Network) seminars, which are meant to assist the Local Action Groups, are usually in English, a language with which few of the members of the Lithuanian FLAGs are comfortable. Ironically, when FLAGs from Eastern European countries meet and discuss, the language they use is Russian.
Stable catches from inland fisheries In terms of inland fisheries catches have been more or less stable over the years 2005 until 2009 (the last year for which data is available). The main site for inland fishing is the Curonian Lagoon, which accounts for some 75 of the total inland catches, other smaller sites include the Kaunas reservoir and the lower reaches of the Nemunas River. The Curonian Lagoon is separated from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian Spit and is divided between Russia and Lithuania. The total area of the lagoon is 1,584 sq. km of which 413 sq. km (26) belongs to Lithuania. Catches in the Lithuanian part of the lagoon amounted to 886 tonnes in 2009, a fall of 24 compared with 2005. Catches comprise mainly pikeperch and bream and recently an experimental fishery in shad was also introduced. The Lagoon is administered by a joint working commission from the two countries that meets every six months and includes fishermen, scientists and administrators. The meetings are important, says Mr Nienius, to coordinate our efforts with those of our Russian colleagues so as to manage the stocks for the benefit of both parties. In addition to the commercial inland fisheries Lithuania also has a substantial amateur fishery, www.eurofishmagazine.com
01/07/11 7:31 PM
LITHUANIA
which at the moment operates more or less without any kind of regulation, according to Gintaras Silinskas, president of Zmare, the Amateur Fishermen’s Association. We have about 4,000 members, says Mr Silinskas, but that is only a small fraction of the estimated total number of amateur fishermen in the country. Lithuania has a very high percentage of people who are interested in amateur fishing with some suggesting that it could reach up to one in six people. Zmare is considered a national organisation although it is not based in Vilnius but in Silute near the Curonian Lagoon. This is the most important region for inland fisheries as it is the main point from where fish can migrate from the lagoon to
the rivers, says Mr Silinskas and Silute therefore attracts a number of anglers, more than any other town.
Amateur fishermen need to fish responsibly Membership of the Association does not entail paying a fee, but subscribing to the goals and visions of the organisation. One of the main purposes of the Association is to try and find a compromise between the amateur fishermen and the commercial fishermen in the face of dwindling resources. Mr Silinskas explains the resource is shrinking because there is too much pressure on the stocks. The problem of overfishing is widely acknowledged;
both the amateurs and the commercial fishers are taking more from the resource than is sustainable. This is further complicated by the fact that the amateurs are largely unregulated with data on their numbers and the amounts they catch being largely a matter of conjecture. Plans to regulate the amateur fishery have been discussed for three years, he says, but have not yet been implemented. Through our Association I want to educate the members and introduce them to a culture of responsibility in which they learn that it is not necessary to take every fish that is caught, but that fish can also be released back into the water after catching. This will reduce the pressure on the stock. However, illegal
fishing is reckoned to be an even bigger problem with the widespread use of proscribed nets – even during closed seasons. Mr Silinskas estimates that the illegal fishery is in fact much bigger than the legitimate fishery. Getting the members to fish more responsibly is unlikely to happen overnight. It will call for a significant effort to create awareness of the problem and to point out the benefits. Efforts to train the members will require assistance from the European Fisheries Fund and will take the form of seminars, and other information dissemination activities including articles and advertisements in trade journals for the amateur fishermen’s community.
Advertise Globally Eurofish Magazine has teamed up with three other magazines to expose you to the booming economies of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Customers can now combine advertisements at a highly favourable price. Eurofish Magazine is the leading journal for the fisheries and aquaculture sectors in Europe, where we have 90% of our distribution. Combine your advertisements to get the global exposure you need. The organisation Eurofish supports its member countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, and Turkey) in marketing their fishery and aquaculture products promoting trade contacts between them and the rest of Europe. For more information contact: Aleksandra Petersen HC Andersens Boulevard 44-46 DK 1553 Copenhagen V • Denmark Tel.: +45 33377763 • Fax: +45 33377756 aleksandra.petersen@eurofish.dk
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Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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01/07/11 7:31 PM
LITHUANIA
UAB Salcininku Zuvininkystes Ukis
Carp farm looking to expand into trout production Production in the aquaculture industry in Lithuania has been more or less stable over the last five years. According to data from the Fisheries Department total aquaculture production from 2006 to 2010 averaged 3040 tonnes with a low of 2204 tonnes in 2006 and a peak of 3422 tonnes in 2009. Farmed fish in Lithuania is mainly European carp, which amount to over 90% of the total production. Small quantities of other species are also produced including trout, sturgeon, grass and silver carp, and eel.
W
ith 340 ha of water surface divided into 23 ponds UAB Salcininku Zuvininkystes Ukis may not be the biggest carp farm in Lithuania but is certainly one of the most productive. Production amounted to 300 tonnes of fish last year, more than many of the bigger farming facilities in Lithuania. The efficiency of the farm, Algimantas Gylys, the owner, attributes to good farming practices. The ponds are thoroughly cleaned once a year, which includes emptying them of water, letting them dry, digging up the floor, disinfection with lime, and the repair of those parts of the pond that may have been damaged during the year. In addition the natural environment, water and feed quality, disease management, and effective protection against birds all play a role in productivity, says Mr Gylys.
State hatcheries provide specially bred juveniles The farm has a long history. It was built in 1966 when Lithuania was still a part of the Soviet Union and all the production units were state owned. Then came the collapse of the political system and the privatisation of the farm, which was bought by Mr Gylys. Today while the farm 38
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predominantly breeds European carp there is also a small production of Chinese carps, and pikes. The farm acquires the juveniles from state hatcheries who carry out all the genetic development of the fish. They have bred a variety of carp that is specific to Lithuania and this is the variety that is also being farmed at Salcininku Zuvininkystes Ukis. We have received a certificate from the state hatchery that confirms that we are breeding this special variety, says Julija Gylyte, the project manager on the farm and the daughter of the owner. This variety is characterised by a more rapid growth, robustness, as well as meat quality. Growth of carp is one of the issues that reduce the competitiveness of carp farmers. The fish takes three years to reach market size. In the first year it grows to 35-40 g, the second year to 200-500 g and in the final year to 1-2.5 kg.
The preferred market size is usually about 2 kg says Ms Gylyte, but a three year cycle cannot be compared with the approximately 12 month cycle for trout or the four-month period for certain varieties of chicken. The problem is that the fish do not feed in the winter so they do not grow. However, carp has certain advantages over other kinds of fish. For one there is a long tradition of eating carp in Lithuania particularly at Christmas and Easter. Unlike other fish carp is traditionally sold live which is reassuring for customers who want to know that the fish is very fresh. Carp has also a distinct taste and texture that make it quite distinct from marine fish or even farmed trout. At Salcininku Zuvininkystes Ukis some of the production is also exported to Latvia as well as to Poland and Germany. All these countries as well as Estonia have a history of eating carp and we sometimes find
UAB SZU Company Fact File UAB Salcininku Zuvininkystes Ukis Konstitucijos pr 15-13 Vilnius Lithuania Tel.: +370 5 2705050 Fax: +370 5 2705070 salcininkuzuvis@sekme.lt www.szu.lt
Director: Mr Algimantas Gylys Project Manager: Ms Julija Gylyte Products: European carp Volumes: 300 tonnes / year Ponds: 23 on 340 ha Markets: Lithuania, some exports to Latvia, Poland, Germany
buyers there, usually around the Christmas period. But it only happens sporadically, says Ms Gylyte. Other countries do not have this tradition and if consumers there are used to marine fish it is difficult for them to eat carp, because it has more bones and a different texture. In addition they may feel it is not as healthy as marine species.
Organically farmed carp Our carp is at least as healthy as marine fish, because more than half the farm is organic, explains Mr Gylys. The main difference is in the feed as that has to be formulated from organic raw materials, but also the ponds are cleaned more carefully, the use of certain chemicals is prohibited, the density of the fish in the ponds is lower, and activities such as fishing or swimming in the ponds is banned. In addition, the manure that is added to the ponds, to stimulate the growth of the natural flora and fauna on which the fish also feed, must also be derived from organic farms. The organic status of the fish is verified at regular intervals by an authorised body. The fish is slightly more expensive than conventional fish, says Mr Gylys, but thanks to support we get from the Fisheries Department to encourage the production of organic fish www.eurofishmagazine.com
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LITHUANIA
Mr Algimantas Gylys, director and Julija Gylyte, project manager of the carp farm Salcininku Zuvininkystes Ukis.
we sell both organic and conventional fish at the same price. If not, our experience is that customers
ignore the organic provenance and purchase the conventionally farmed fish because it is cheaper.
Like many pond farmers Mr Gylys has a significant bird problem. This is caused mainly though not exclusively by cormorants which he says eat about 0.5 kg of fish a day per bird and damage another 0.5 kg. If it were just a few birds it would be tolerable, he grumbles, but in autumn there can be over a 1,000 which means serious losses. Although the state pays compensation for not hunting the birds, Mr Gylys feels that now the problem is so acute that some kind of balance has to be struck, that would limit the losses to about 0.5 tonnes a day. Devices that explode at irregular intervals are one way of dealing with the bird menace, but despite altering the frequency and location of the devices, the birds inevitably get accustomed to the sounds.
Benefits of the European Fisheries Fund Salcininku Zuvininkystes Ukis has benefited from the European Fisheries Fund which the company has used to obtain all the heavy machinery such as tractors and diggers needed to clean the ponds and keep the farm area neat and tidy and clear of vegetation. If we did not cut the greenery back regularly the ponds would be invisible. Ms Gylyte is planning to file another application for funding this time for an indoor recirculation system for trout. The advantages are that trout grows faster than carp and if we can build it indoors then we can better control the temperature and other parameters, she says. The initial plan is to produce about 200 tonnes but we would scale that up in the future.
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Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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01/07/11 7:31 PM
LITHUANIA
Norvelita JSC
Salmon production increases exponentially One of the biggest and best known processing companies in Lithuania, Norvelita started out in 1995 as a joint venture with Norwegian and Lithuanian investors. Initially, the company was primarily trading in frozen fish, but since then it has expanded its activities to include the processing of a wide range of fish and seafood, with a focus on salmon, for retail customers in Western Europe.
O
ver the years salmon has become an increasingly important product for Norvelita with volumes increasing significantly to reach 13,000 tonnes of raw material last year. The importance of salmon processing in the company’s activities is reflected in the dedicated factory, NS Trading that opened two years ago solely to process salmon. Victorija Kenstaviciene, the sales director, explains that the roles of Norvelita and NS Trading are split so that while Norvelita is responsible for obtaining the raw material and the sales of the final product, NS Trading handles the actual possessing. This allows suppliers and customers to deal with a single partner which makes communication easier.
Caught between suppliers and customers Until recently however the margins in salmon processing were terrible, admits Ms Kenstaviciene. Ever since problems with disease decimated Chilean production capacity prices of salmon have been rising. We were at a conference in Oslo earlier this year, says Ms Kenstaviciene, and all the representatives from the salmon industry looked very satisfied and with good reason. The removal of the Chileans from the market opened new opportunities for Norwegian salmon 40
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producers, while at the same time demand for salmon in established European markets was increasing, because the retailers had not increased their prices. As a result processors like Norvelita were under pressure from both sides, they had to pay high prices for the raw material but prices on the shelves were low. Things only started to improve around Easter this year when retail prices started to increase. In addition Chilean production has been increasing, so more Norwegian salmon is available on the market here, continues Ms Kenstaviciene.
customers are demanding more items on their shelves. It would also enable the company to better
Salmon products based on fresh Norwegian raw material
The fish is processed to the customer’s specifications. Here the fillets are being injected with salt.
All Norvelita’s salmon products are based on fresh Norwegian raw material. We focus strongly on quality control, carrying out our own audits, visiting the farms, and talking to our suppliers, says Alina Sandu, the import manager. Because we buy substantial volumes we are interesting as a customer although our suppliers sometimes complain that we are too strict on quality issues, says Ms Sandu. The growth in the salmon business is leading Norvelita to consider yet another factory dedicated to salmon processing. This would increase flexibility and increase the product range still further as
serve the increasing number of customers. If all goes to plan the new factory will be built in the
Norvelita JSC Company Fact File Norvelita JSC LT 60192 Gabsiai, Raseiniu r. Lithuania Tel.: +370 428 53 993 Fax: +370 428 57070 info@norvelita.lt www.norvelita.lt Managing Director: Mr. Jordanas Kenstavicius Sales Director: Ms Viktorija Kenstaviciene Product Manager: Ms Asta Simkute Import Manager: Ms Alina Sandu Products: Salmon products including smoked, marinated;
salted herring fillets, marinated herring in vegetable sauce, maatjes; smoked mackerel and other smoked products such as pangasius, hake, pink salmon, redfish Volumes: 16,000 – 17,000 tonnes per year, of which salmon ready products 6,500 tonnes (8,000 tonnes estimated 2011) Markets: Germany, Belgium, Italy, UK, Ireland, Italy, Sweden USA, Russia, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania Employees: 650 Turnover: EUR86m (2010), EUR107m (estimated 2011) www.eurofishmagazine.com
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LITHUANIA
make sure they are experienced people who know the fish trade.
The processing operations in this factory deal exclusively with salmon products that are exported to markets in Western Europe.
same location and will represent the state-of-the-art in salmon processing. If possible funding from the European Fisheries Fund will be used to put up and equip the new plant. All our competitors used these funding mechanisms, says Ms Kenstaviciene, so we have to as well if we want to stay competitive.
Production strictly follows clients’ requirements The NS Trading factory has two packaging lines and employees about 200 people altogether. We do not operate at capacity says Ms Kenstaviciene because we need to be able to ramp up our production when our customers expect bigger volumes, for example, during the Christmas season. If we commit to supplying a client then we have to be able to handle the regular demand, but also the peaks. Most of the staff is from the local area making Norvelita one of the biggest employers in the district. However the supervisory staff and management generally come from outside the area, as they have degrees and experience that local people may not possess. The processing operations www.eurofishmagazine.com
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strictly follow the clients’ requirements. Each step of the process is determined by the client, for example, they may want to have the dark meat removed from the fillet and then salted with dry salt, or they may require the dark meat to be retained and the fillet injected with salt, we take care of it all, says Ms Kenstaviciene. All the operations are computer controlled and monitored and products are completely traceable both up and down the production line. An in-house laboratory monitors salt, fat content, humidity, proteins, and pH, and concentrations of different chemicals, both in the raw material and in the finished product.
Baltic States (Rimi, Maxima) and other countries. We deal with agents in each country, says Ms Kenstaviciene, as they know the local rules and regulations and it simplifies the logistics, but we
The company also supplies a number of products to the domestic market. These include herring preparations as well as mackerel and more exotic species such as hake, pink salmon, and butterfish. A new concept that is being tried is to supply farmers markets around the country with artisanal-smoked fish. From a stand decorated in the Norvelita colours freshly smoked fish is sold wrapped in paper to buyers willing to pay a little more for a quality product. The fish can be locally caught or imported and is usually hot smoked but also sometimes salted. In the summer these markets are found on the coast where they also cater to tourists.
Main export markets in Western Europe Most of the salmon production (90-95) is exported to markets in Western Europe. Cold smoked salmon is the main product, but the production includes hotsmoked and marinated salmon. The product goes under private label to Germany (Aldi, Rewe, Edeka, Penny Mark) Belgium (Aldi, Delhaize), Italy (Eurospin, Esselunga, Auchan) the Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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01/07/11 7:31 PM
LITHUANIA
UAB Auksinis ungurys
Investment in new recirculation system doubles eel production Among the farmed fish produced in Lithuania is also the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Annual production volumes are limited but now one of the farmers of this fish has invested in a new recirculation system that will roughly double his capacity from 50 tonnes to about 90 tonnes a year.
O
legas Kuzminas, the director of Auksinis ungurys, an eel farm near Vilnius became interested in eels some fifteen years ago. As a biologist he found eels an interesting and mysterious species partly because little was known about their spawning behaviour in the wild. Today while much of the eel’s lifecycle has been elucidated, attempts to produce the eel in captivity have been largely frustrated. The stock is severely depleted with recruitment levels (the number of baby eels produced a year) at less than 1 of what they were before the 1980s, according to ICES, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. EU legislation
demands that Member States have eel management plans in place that will allow 40 of the adult eels to migrate from inland waters to the sea where they can spawn. EU countries that catch glass eels (juveniles) must reserve 35 (rising to 60 in 2013) of the catch for restocking purposes in the EU.
Assistance from the European Fisheries Fund Although the biologist in Mr Kuzminas attracted him to the eel in the first place the commercial potential did not escape his attention either. Fifteen years ago when he set out to farm the fish it was fetching very high prices
The eels have a growth period of about 14 months from the glass eel stage till when they reach market size. 42
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on the market. Putting up an eel farm however was a pioneering move as this was the first such endeavour in the Baltics on this scale. Neither Latvia nor Estonia had similar eel farms. Undeterred by the lack of experience in the area, Mr Kuzminas invested in an old mushroom farm which he equipped with the tanks, filters, pumps and other equipment necessary to farm eels. The capacity of the farm was for fifty tonnes of eel per year. Much of the equipment for the farm came from Denmark. Last year Mr Kuzminas decided to expand the production from 50 to about 90 tonnes. The expansion called for a new building, new tanks, and
new machinery, an investment of approximately half a million euro, which was funded partly through the European Fishery Fund. Over the last fifteen years recirculation equipment has developed hugely. The new system that is now installed is very different from the old one, says Mr Kuzminas. Apart from the new biological filter one of the most striking changes is the level of automation. In the new system the feeding and grading of the fish is now automated; in fact although the new system doubles the production capacity, to run both the new and the old plants I need just two people, says Mr Kuzminas. The new system was
The new system has many automated features such as feeding. The eels trigger the feed by pushing a lever which extends from the feed hopper into the water. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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LITHUANIA
The eel farm Auksinis ungurys has recently invested about half a million euro in equipment and the building to house it in.
Production at the new plant will almost double the total from 50 to 90 tonnes a year.
installed by a Dutch supplier and is now up and running. The production cycle starts with the introduction of the glass eels, the term given to juveniles less than 12 cm long because of their translucent bodies. Mr Kuzminas obtains juvenile eels from a supplier in Peterwood in the UK. The price of glass eels has seen significant fluctuations over the years; five years ago it was EUR1000 per kg, however now it has come down to EUR450-500. The annual glass eel requirement at Auksinis ungurys is some 280300 kg which is purchased in two instalments over the year. The glass eels need to be gradually adapted to the higher water temperatures (23-24 degrees) that prevail in the system and are therefore quarantined in a small tank where the temperature is gradually increased over two days.
smoke the fish while the remaining 10 is sold on the domestic and neighbouring markets. Here the fish is delivered live to the market, while the Dutch customers transport the fish live to their processing plants.
Main market in the Netherlands The water on the farm is sourced from the ground at a depth of 80 m and is a uniform temperature of 7-8 degrees all the year around. In summer when the temperature exceeds 30 degrees the water does not have to be heated before it is added to the system as only 5-10 www.eurofishmagazine.com
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of the water is changed each day. In winter however, when it can be minus 20 degrees or even colder, the water has to be heated before it can be added to the system to maintain the optimum temperature of 23 to 24 degrees. The eels take about 14 months to grow to the market size of 150-200 g. During this period they are graded every two months as growth rates can be very different. Another interesting aspect of the eels, says Mr Kuzminas is that in a batch 70 tend to be males and they only grow to 150 to 200 g, while the females can grow up to 1 kg and beyond. In the Baltic States there is a preference for the bigger fish, while in Western Europe it is mainly the smaller male eels that are consumed. About 90 of the production goes to companies in the Netherlands that fillet and
The fish that have reached market size are introduced into tanks that have their own oxygenation systems. Here they again have to be acclimatised to the conditions on the journey they are about to undertake to the Netherlands. At the final grading special fish pumps are used to reduce the handling of the fish and thereby their stress levels. Eels are generally robust fish as is evident from their mortality levels, which Mr Kuzminas says are insignificant, and can handle the transport without problems.
Auksinis ungurys, UAB Company Fact File Auksinis ungurys, UAB Magunu k, Magunu sen LT 18157 Svencioniu r. Lithuania Tel.: +370 378 49 837 auksinis.ungurys@erdeves.lt
Director: Mr Olegas Kuzminas Products: 90 tonnes of eel per year Markets: The Netherlands (90%), Lithuania
Advantages of the new system outweigh the drawbacks While Mr Kuzminas is generally happy with the new system, but he points out that there are certain disadvantages with the way it works. The old system has a bio filter for each group of four tanks, he explains, while in the new system there is one filter for all the tanks. This saves on space and energy, but means that a problem can affect all the tanks rather than just the four connected to the filter.
Government implements management plan for eel The plight of eel stocks in the EU has resulted in national eel management plans in many of the Member States. In Lithuania restocking has been carried out as a private initiative for many years where fishers buy eels from farms and release them into the wild, not only in Lithuania, but also in Belarus and Poland. This year the government has got involved in the restocking programme buying eels through tenders and restocking water bodies with them.
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01/07/11 7:31 PM
POLAND
Polish researchers
Adding value to low quality Baltic herring For many years, Baltic herring (Clupea harengus membras) has been one of the main raw materials used by the Polish fish processing sector. The limited domestic supply of Baltic herring of 18-20 thousand tons annually is compensated by imports of Atlantic herring, mainly from Iceland and Norway.
B
altic herring is a pelagic fish of modest size and weight, as well as a specific, very delicate structure of muscular tissue. A drawback of processing Baltic herring is the high degree of body mass loss due to thermal drip containing valuable nutrients, such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, macro and microelements. The reason for the declining interest in the fish by the processing industry is its limited usefulness among other reasons due to the low fat content of the meat. In the 1990s, during the fishing season between September and December, the content of fat in Baltic herring often reached 15, whereas nowadays it hardly ever exceeds 5.
Very low fat content in Baltic herring The Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia has analysed the possibility of processing Baltic herring for food and in 2010 scientists studied the chemical composition and technological properties of herrings from domestic catches in the Baltic Sea. Table 1 shows the composition of Baltic herrings caught in May and June 2010 in the FAO27IIId/25 fishing area. The analysis revealed a noticeably low fat content. Among herrings caught in May it amounted to 1.76, whereas for herrings 44
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caught in June it was even lower at 0.98. Water content in the meat of the tested herrings in both samples was similar and exceeded 80. The volume of body mass loss during heat treatment, e.g. steaming or sterilisation is shown in Table 2. In the case of the whole fish, the thermal drip from herrings caught in May and June 2010 was similar and amounted to 21.4-22.1. However, in the case of the minced carcass, thermal drip was significantly lower and amounted to 13.5-13.8. Due to the thermal drip from whole fish that are steamed or sterilised, a significant mass loss, exceeding 20, is observed. From the point of view of the yield, thermal processing of minced Baltic herrings is more favourable, since thermal drip from minced muscular tissue leads to a visibly lower body mass loss, not exceeding 14.
Large variation in size and weight, and poor handling also make for low grade raw material The tests and analyses conducted showed that the main factors limiting the processing of whole or filleted Baltic herring into traditional products, such as canned fish, smoked fish, salted fish or fish marinades, include the
Table 1. Composition of Baltic herring Compound
Baltic herring Catch, May 2010
Catch, June 2010
Protein (N x 6.25), %
16.13±0.25
15.94±0.06
Fat, %
1.76±0.08
0.98±0.02
Water, %
80.41±0.46
80.94±0.38
Ash, %
1.81±0.08
1.87±0.08 Source: SFI, Gdynia
following: weak muscular tissue, low fat and high water content, and high thermal drip, especially from non-minced muscular tissue. Baltic herrings supplied to processing plants are also characterised by large differences in length and weight. For example, in a sample of unsorted Baltic herrings caught in May 2010, the differences amounted to 8.5 cm in length and 42.8 g in weight. Herring supplied to processing plants also include a considerable share of mechanically damaged fish, as a result of improper storage and transportation. For example, the share of damaged fish in
the sample of herrings caught in May 2010 amounted to as much as 43.0, while in the sample of fish caught in June 2010 it was significantly lower and amounted to 15.3. In summary, due to existing conditions, traditional methods of processing Baltic herring are often unprofitable for the domestic processing industry due to low yields and inadequate product quality. A possible solution for the processing of Baltic herring for food may be the production of minced fish products, where physical integrity of
Table 2. Thermal drip from tested Baltic herring. Baltic herring
Thermal drip, % Catch, May 2010
Catch, June 2010
Whole carcass
21.4±0.4
22.1±0.2
Minced carcass
13.5±0.6
13.8±0.7 Source: SFI, Gdynia
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01/07/11 7:32 PM
POLAND
Baltic herring chilled, frozen Preprocessing of fish Raw meat from other fish species
Food additives and spices
Vegetables Cutting in a silent cutter
Low grade Baltic herring can be processed into healthy and nutritious products by adding other minced meat from other species such as salmon.
Fish-vegetable stuffing
Canned fish
Culinary semi-product
Cooked fishvegetable dish Source: SFI, Gdynia
muscular tissue does not play a vital role. The chart below presents the production stages of minced fish products from Baltic herring, such as canned fish, culinary semi-finished products and cooked fish and vegetable dishes.
Scheme of production of minced fish products from Baltic herring The basic raw material for such products is Baltic herring of lower value due to, for example, low fat content in meat, weak muscular tissue or mechanical damages. A significant problem faced by this technology is to obtain products of high nutritional value and
sensory quality. One of the solutions to this problem is adding other fish and plant raw materials, such as salmon meat, and vegetables, to minced herring meat. It is necessary to minimise the thermal drip during the processing of minced meat products. To achieve this it is necessary to apply an efficient hydrophilic thermal drip binder giving an appropriate texture to products.
Adding minced salmon meat offers many advantages Table 3 presents the chemical indicators in fish burgers made from minced Baltic herring meat in the following raw material
variants: without salmon meat added (sample A0) and with salmon meat added in the amount of: 10 (sample A10), 20 (sample A20) and 30 (sample A30). The data in the table show that protein and fat content in four fish burger variants varied significantly depending on the amount of salmon meat in minced herring meat. For example, protein and fat content in fish burgers produced exclusively from minced herring meat without salmon meat added (A0) amounted to 13.56 and 1.15, respectively, whereas protein and fat content in fish burgers produced from minced herring meat with 30 salmon meat added (A30) amounted to 16.10 and 6.90, respectively. The results show the potential to change the nutritional value, including the protein and fat content, of minced herring meat products, by adding meat of other fish species, such as salmon.
Processing low value Baltic herring for food may be an alternative to traditional and inefficient solutions used by the fish processing sector today. Poor quality Baltic herring may be used for the production of quality fish products with convenience food characteristics. The addition of other fish raw materials to minced herring meat gives vast opportunities to design the content, nutritional value and sensory quality of new products to adapt them to particular consumer groups’ preferences. A significant advantage of the technology is the possibility to fully automate the minced fish meat production process with the use of energy-efficient technical solutions that will reduce any adverse impact of the production process on the environment. Bogusław Pawlikowski, PhD, Eng. Department of Processing Technology and Mechanisation, Sea Fisheries Institute, Gdynia
Table 3. Content of chemical indicators in fish burgers from Baltic herring Fish burgers
Protein (Nx6,25), %
Fat, %
Dry matter, %
Ash, %
A0
13.56±0.13
1.15±0.04
17.13±0.11
2.42±0.05
A10
14.63±0.06
3.10±0.03
21.14±0.18
2.41±0.10
A20
15.38±0.06
5.05±0.08
22.95±0.08
2.52±0.03
A30
16,10±0,19
6,90±0,01
25,37±0,12
2,37±0,08 Source: RSFI, Gdynia
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01/07/11 7:32 PM
ICELAND
Threat of “mackerel war” aggravates Iceland’s EU membership negotiations
Iceland demands privileges for its fisheries in the EU When the financial crisis almost drove Iceland to bankruptcy in 2008 the majority of the country’s citizens were in favour of joining the EU. But this preference is now crumbling again because a lot of Icelanders consider the price of EU membership to be too high. Their main fear is that they will have to subject themselves to the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy and open their waters to other fishing fleets. And this vision is horrendous to a lot of the Icelandic population.
Although compared to other economic sectors the fishing industry has lost some of its significance it was still one of the small country’s most important sources of income in 2009. With its population of 318,000 Iceland’s gross 46
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national product in that year was 8.7 billion EUR. The EU is the biggest market for Icelandic fishery products, and nearly three quarters of all products were exported to the EU. Their total value in 2009 was 912 million EUR or 5.9 of all EU fish imports. That made Iceland the third most important seafood supply country in the EU, behind only Norway and China. The export-oriented fish industry also benefits from the fact that fish and seafood products are tax-free, something the EU grants Iceland as part of the Most Favoured Nation principle. Since the beginning of the 1990s Icelandic policy has focused increasingly on liberalisation and deregulation and this pushed ahead diversification in the economy and stimulated the development of several economic sectors such as aluminium production, pharmaceuticals, tourism and information technology, but above all the financial sector which gained increasingly in international stature and became the driving force behind the flourishing economy. Prior to the outbreak of the financial crisis Iceland was considered one of the richest countries in the world, with per capita buying power twenty per cent higher than the average of the 27 EU states. The fact that
this affluence was credit-financed became clear in 2008 with the financial crisis which has in the meantime broadened to a severe economic and political crisis. The country’s three big banks Glitnir, Landsbanki and Kaupthing, had borrowed over 100 billion dollars in order to finance international business. This sum is nearly eight times more than Icelandic GNP. Prices exploded during the crisis and the Icelandic króna lost half of its original value within only a few weeks. There was galloping inflation, the stock exchange collapsed, and one company after another went bankrupt. Unemployment, that had been unknown in Iceland up to the crisis, rose to nearly
10 in 2010. If the International Monetary Fund and other states had not immediately helped Iceland with loans, the economy would have collapsed.
Individual transferable quotas stabilise the Icelandic fishery Under the shock of these occurrences a lot of Icelanders wanted to enter the EU and introduce the euro as quickly as possible. A survey of opinions carried out in October 2008 revealed that about 70 of the Icelandic population were in favour of EU accession. And the country has ideal prerequisites for this, too. Iceland Páll Gunnar Pálsson
T
he Icelanders have already in the past shown themselves to be uncompromising and rigorous when their fishery and rights of access to the fish stocks around their island state were at stake. During the series of disputes with Great Britain which went into history as the “Icelandic cod wars” they extended the boundaries of their fishing grounds in three successive stages: in the first cod war in 1958 from four to twelve sea miles, in 1972 in the second “war” to 50 sea miles and finally in 1976, as one of the first countries to take this step, they enforced an “Exclusive Economic Zone” (EEZ) of 200 sea miles which has today become the binding standard all over the world. The Icelanders value their fishery highly – not surprisingly as it was for centuries their main livelihood. Icelandic coins (the Icelandic currency is the króna) do not portray kings, queens or other dignitaries as other countries often do, but pictures of cod, Arctic capelin, lumpfish and shrimps.
Vessels in Reykjavik harbour. Iceland is fighting to keep its fisheries out of the Common Fisheries Policy if it joins the EU. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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Jónas R. Viðarsson
ICELAND
Manfred Klinkhardt
The EU is the biggest market for Icelandic fishery products, and nearly three quarters of all products were exported to the EU. Iceland is the EU’s biggest supplier of seafood after China and Norway.
Páll Gunnar Pálsson
The mackerel wars between Iceland and the Faeroe Islands on the one hand and the EU and Norway on the other have seen some softening of positions, but the resolution of the dispute is not yet in sight.
Vessels landing their catch at Stykkishólmur harbour in western Iceland. Icelandic fisheries industry generated 42% of the nation’s export earnings in 2009. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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belongs to the European Economic Area (EEA) and has already implemented 4,000 EU legal regulations that nearly all concern the European single market. In spite of this, EU accession which was officially applied for on 17 July 2009 could still be quite difficult because Iceland is making its entry dependent on concessions by the EU. The Icelanders’ greatest concern is their fish industry for which they do not want to accept any compromises. For a lot of Icelandic fishermen it would be a nightmare if they had to defer to decisions taken by far-away Brussels bureaucrats, particularly since with regard to sustainable management and fish stock protection these do not have much to boast about. The Icelanders consider their own fishery to be in a better position. It is profitable, it is based on healthy stocks, and it has no need of subsidies with which the EU has frequently and willingly concealed undesirable developments. It wasn’t always like that, however, for the Icelandic fishery has not been without crises in the past. Some of them were severe… in the middle of the 1960s, for example, when the fish industry was suffering from overfishing in the herring fishery. But Iceland responded to this crisis and brought about a rigorous turnaround in several steps. After imposing a fishing ban for several years the herring fishery was reopened in 1976, based on an Individual Quota (IQ) system which allocated a maximum fishing quantity to every fishing vessel. Gradually the IQ was introduced for other fish species, too (e.g. capelin in 1980, demersal species in 1984) and developed the system further by allocating the fishing quotas not only individually but making them transferable and thus tradable. The Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ)
was first introduced for herring in 1979. Since 1990 all fisheries that Iceland operates in its own EEZ have been managed on the basis of the ITQ systems. Although these systems work well on the whole they are constantly modified and improved. The advantages of the ITQ are evident. Every licensed fishing vessel is allocated a percentage of the total allowable catch (TAC). This means that every fisherman knows exactly how much of the fish in the sea “belongs” to him and can then decide for himself when it will be best for him to catch it. Whilst in the past a fisherman’s interest was mainly focused on catching more fish than his competitors in a short time, fishing is today much more “market-oriented”. That is because fishing is particularly lucrative when demand and prices are high. Because they can no longer increase their profits through catching more fish the fishermen pay more attention to the quality of their catch. Efficiency has thus increased in the fishing sector because investments are more wisely targeted. Fishing and processing can be planned better and jobs have become safer because although fishing quotas are transferable they may not be traded outside of the allocated regions. To prevent the formation of monopolies within the fish industry no person, company or company group is permitted to hold more than 12 of the catch value in an ITQ fishery. The owners of small fishing vessels under 15 tonnes are given a defined share of the fishing quota every year and this share may only be traded within that segment of the fleet. In the face of all these advantages it is easily overlooked that the ITQ system also has its weak points Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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Jónas R. Viðarsson
ICELAND
Iceland’s ITQ system infringed upon valid international rights. Another disadvantage of the ITQ system is that it encourages “high grading”. Because a fisherman’s income today is more dependent than in the past on the quality of the catch they will tend more towards discarding fishes that are of a slightly inferior quality so that these will not burden the quota.
Iceland’s fish industry a stabilising anchor in the crisis
Páll Gunnar Pálsson
The Icelandic fisheries are well managed, profitable, and do not need to be subsidised by the EU.
Fresh cod fillets are packed in a newly designed expanded polystyrene box.
and flaws. The most serious of them is probably the claim that it is unfair from a social point of view. Through the “individualisation” of the fishing quota the common social right of ownership of fish stocks becomes private property. This is a controversial
practice and it is still discussed very contentiously in Iceland today. There have been numerous legal disputes on its account. One drawback is that it renders it difficult to impossible for any interested newcomers to enter the industry because the total fishing quota is already fully divided up among the licensed boats and fishermen. Anyone who wants to enter the industry has to buy a share of the quota. Because he considered this to be an infringement of the principle of equal rights one Icelander took legal action as far as the United Nations Human Rights Committee which in October 2007 deemed that
The ITQ system naturally only works well when the fishery operates within an enclosed region like the Icelandic EEZ from which other fishermen are excluded. This probably explains why a lot of Icelanders are so worried: with accession to the EU their fish resources would possibly be used by other member states. Icelanders are convinced that the fishery is absolutely indispensable for their country and this conviction has grown even stronger during the financial crisis. When the banks collapsed in 2008 it was above all the fish industry that gave the country’s economy a certain stability. HB Grandi, the biggest company, did not fire any of its 650 employees, and some
other companies even experienced an upswing during this period. Since 2001, companies in the fish industry have been able to increase profits by an average of 5 per year. In 2009, in the midst of the crisis, seafood exports rose by 10.9 in volume terms, and in value terms by 21.4 to 1.2 billion EUR. The 7,000 people employed in the fish industry (4 of Icelandic jobs) produced 42 of the country’s total export value. Icelandic law dictates that companies in the fish industry always have to be controlled by Icelandic people and the share of foreign capital must not exceed 25. Iceland has not overcome the crisis but the waves have subsided somewhat. And to the same extent as the people are regaining hope, the acceptance of EU accession seems to be disappearing again, as can be seen in surveys. According to Morgunbladid 37.7 of Icelanders were for, and 38.8 against, EU accession in January 2011. Just a few days later Frettabladid reported that 40 were in favour, 60 against accession. The opinions of the Icelanders are divided and a lot of people have presumably not formed an opinion at all which
Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition seeks nominees for awards This year the Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition will be held against the backdrop of Iceland’s negotiations with the EU on the country’s membership of the Union. Public sentiment is generally negative with polls from earlier this year showing as much as 80 of the population against accession. One of the stumbling blocks is the nation’s fisheries, which are well managed and profitable. There are few, if any, who would like to see sovereignty over their fisheries moving to Brussels. As if to 48
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illustrate the health of the fisheries, figures from Statistics Iceland show the total value of the catch of Icelandic vessels increased by 2.8 to ISK37.4bn (EUR226m) in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the same period last year. This news will no doubt be appreciated by participants at the Exhibition, some of whom will be hoping to scoop awards for new products or outstanding ahievements. Winners of awards in any of the 13 categories can be assured that the
prizes will generate additional publicity for their products. The Icelandic Fisheries Awards are now in their fifth year and have gained each year in stature and renown. The awards categories fall into two sections: Icelandic companies and non-Icelandic companies and nominations are now being sought from the sector to celebrate outstanding achievements and new products across the Icelandic and international fishing industry. The awards ceremony will be held at the reception on the exhibition’s
Winners of the 2008 Icelandic Fisheries Awards. The 2011 awards ceremony will be held at the reception on the exhibition’s opening night.
opening night, at a venue not far from the exhibition grounds enabling exhibitors and visitors to network through the evening. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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ICELAND
makes the outcome of the planned referendum difficult to predict. The fact that Iceland is even in this situation not prepared to move a step closer to the EU is demonstrated by a current dispute that is being termed the “Icelandic mackerel war” in some media.
International dispute over Iceland’s unilateral fixing of the mackerel quota So what is this dispute all about in which, although the Faeroes are also involved, it is mainly Iceland on the one side and Norway and the EU on the other side? For decades Iceland played no major role in the North Atlantic mackerel fishery, and the catch volume hardly exceeded 2,000 tonnes. The fishing quotas were divided up according to a fixed formula between Norway, the Faeroes, and the EU (particularly the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and Denmark). Now, however, mackerel is moving further and further north on its migration (scientists presume this could be connected to global warming) so that the Icelanders sometimes have large quantities of mackerel in their EEZ. Without conferring on the quotas with the “established” fishing nations, Iceland allotted itself a share of 17 of the lucrative cake and raised its quota to 130,000 t. This year they even want to fish 147,000 t. Because the Faeroes also increased their quota from 25,000 to 85,000 t in 2010 and then to 150,000 t in 2011 there is a real risk that the stock will be overfished. The unilaterally agreed quotas of Iceland and the Faeroes add up to nearly half of the original total allowable catch of 672,000 t. And none of the “traditional” mackerel fishing nations is willing to reduce its share in favour of Iceland and the Faeroes. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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There is considerable outrage in Norway and the EU member states concerning this self-service mentality on the part of Iceland and the Faeroes. The EU condemns this independent action, British fishermen are closing ports for trawlers from the two countries, thousands of jobs and MSC certification of the fishery are at risk. Struan Stevenson, the Vice President of the Fisheries Committee in the European Parliament sees Iceland’s action as that of “modernday Viking raiders” and claims that at its core it is nothing other than IUU, i.e. illegal fishery. Norway acted immediately and closed its ports for trawlers from both states on 29 July 2010. Because the threat of sanctions by the EU did nothing to change the situation Europe decided on 14 January 2011 that it would also close its ports – although only for Icelandic vessels wanting to land mackerel.
the management and quota distribution of the mackerel stocks. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement of 1995 Norway and the EU were even committed to negotiate with Iceland on the allocation of this resource in so far as it concerned the mackerel fishery in international waters. In contrast, where the fishing quota in the Icelandic EEZ was concerned, Iceland could decide on its own since this region did not come under the authorisation of the North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC).
This probably won’t worry Iceland too much since they land most of their mackerel in their own ports anyway. They see themselves completely in the right and reject all criticism. Iceland had the same claim to the mackerel as Norway and the EU, particularly since the fishes were to be found in Icelandic waters, where they fed on the abundant nutritional resources. Because the Icelanders are today still excluded from negotiations on the fixing and distribution of fishing quotas they had felt forced to fix the quota themselves. This had been communicated to Norway and the EU in good time so that it could be taken into account when the total allowable catch was fixed. Since this had not been the case, however, Iceland refused to take responsibility for the imminent overfishing of the stock. Norway and the EU alone were to blame for this because they did not let Iceland participate in
Will the transferable fishing quota be introduced in the EU?
In March 2011 three days of talks were held in Oslo between Iceland, Norway and the EU. The parties had come a bit closer together with regard to their individual viewpoints but had still not found a solution to the problem of the mackerel quota.
Iceland’s unilateral action in the mackerel question has not made the official negotiations on the country’s EU accession (which began on 27 July 2010) any easier. Two of the three main critical issues that could delay the original schedule which foresaw full membership for Iceland this year should be able to be dealt with swiftly. One of them is that Iceland puts a stop to the whale fishery which the country still operates with four vessels. The other is the repayment of just under 4 billion EUR which were lost when Icesave, a subsection of Landsbanki, collapsed. It was mainly Dutch and British savers who were damaged. In a referendum 93 of Icelandic taxpayers had voted against stepping in for the bank’s debts.
The third and hardest nut to crack is the fishery since there is hardly an Icelander who is prepared to go along with the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy. Before the start of the official talks Iceland’s Foreign Minister Ossur Skarphedinsson said that on no condition would Iceland open its territorial waters fully for fishermen from other EU nations. He proposed that Iceland’s fishing zone could be declared a “Specific Management Area” in which the Icelanders could in future continue to manage and fish their fish stocks alone. The EU should keep out of this issue, after all they had not even succeeded in protecting their own fish stocks from overfishing. EU Commissioner Stefan Fuele who is responsible for EU enlargement repelled the Foreign Minister’s advance with the vague comment that the EU could not accept any “permanent” exceptions… which sounds almost as if a temporary ruling of this kind would be quite conceivable. Possibly the two sides will move closer together more quickly than some people expect. With the reform now imminent the EU wants to finally adapt its Common Fisheries Policy to requirements and to gear it strictly to sustainability. Thorolfur Matthiasson from the University of Iceland is convinced that Iceland could with its wealth of experience in this area help the Europeans to redesign their fisheries policy. It is a fact that the EU is planning to reorganise it fisheries policy on a transferable fishing quota system which would be very similar to Iceland’s ITQ system. With the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy this concept could then be put into practice Europe-wide. It remains to be hoped that mackerel will not by that time be long overfished. mk Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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[ fraud ]
Selecting the right partner can be crucial to the success of your business. The wrong partner can lead to a loss of reputation, clients, or even financial ruin.
Fraud in the seafood trade
Choosing the right business partner To choose the right supplier and buyer is one of the most important parts in the international seafood trade. Mistakes made at this stage can cost dearly from the loss of reputation and clients to direct financial losses.
B
efore you start negotiations with a supplier or buyer it can be a good idea to check the registration and financial standing of your prospective partner. Information collected from the Internet, local Chamber of Commerce, from the lists of a pproved exporters and producers can give you initial information about the company. If the company is registered and approved for export you can be confident that you are not talking to a bogus firm. Usually all approved companies are listed on the portals of health authorities of the appropriate countries and many other official websites and professional publications. If no
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information is found or it is very limited, it is advisable to avoid this company.
Check out potential partners thoroughly Financial standing of the firm is another important factor for choosing a future partner. When starting a cooperation with a fishing company, producer or an importer you want to be sure that the company has the financial resources to stand for its obligations. Minor trading companies usually have limited resources and if a quality or quantity claim arises it may be difficult to have it compensated. That is why it
is always advisable to perform a complete company check before you start working with an unknown firm. Another question that is often raised is whether to work with a middleman or go directly for a producer or local distributor. It is difficult to answer this question as it very much depends on the trading company and what value it adds to business. If a trading company provides extra services both for the supplier and the buyer (offers financial and coldstorage solutions, repacking, can combine different species in one consignment, offers product inspection
or customs clearance, etc.) both the buyer and the supplier know what the trader is charging for and usually can accept to pay for the extra service they do not offer themselves. In addition, if the trader is a well known and financially strong and experienced company who can help both the producer and the buyer with settling any problem with the consignment, both parties will only benefit from cooperation with such a firm. On the other hand, if a trader is very small and earns money just by collecting prepayments from the buyers, deducting his margin and sending the money to the sellers it www.eurofishmagazine.com
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[ fraud ] is questionable whether it is worth working with such a company especially if it is financially weak and is not able to compensate either the buyer or the seller with a quality or quantity claim through its own financial resources. Again, a detailed company report can provide all the information you may need to choose the right partner.
Choose your equal Another important issue when choosing the right company to work with is to choose a partner who is your equal. Most likely a large overseas importer will hardly be interested in working with a smaller trader or producer who cannot offer a steady supply of large volumes of product, competitive prices and favourable payment terms. Equally a solid fishing company and producer will concentrate on large key customers serving them in the first instance while the inquiries and orders from minor companies can be ignored or will be fulfilled last. Our practise shows that companies may have good chances of building good and long lasting relations when they are of similar size and financial standing. This can ensure that both parties will value the cooperation and will deal with the counterparty with the proper respect.
One of the most popular ways to find a supplier or a buyer nowadays is through the Internet. There are many seafood trading boards where suppliers and buyers post their offers and requests. This way of finding a business partner is the fastest and cheapest but, unfortunately, most unreliable. How can you be sure that you will not meet a bogus company or if the supplier or buyer can stand for their contractual obligations?
Reducing the risk when shortlisting partners A short checklist can diminish your risks when choosing a new company to work with: price that is far below the • A market level is a serious “red flag”. Usually fraudsters use this trick to entice buyers. • If a new supplier presses you for a fast decision claiming that the fish will be sold to another buyer at any time, it is worth taking extra caution. Of course in a dynamic seafood market the decisions should be made promptly but not with a new and unknown supplier. This is especially the case when you need to make a prepayment to the unknown seller. • A warning sign is when a potential supplier easily
accepts almost any price reduction and is willing to give you “the very best offers”. This is especially the case when you have to transfer prepayment and when the seller refuses to have a preshipment inspection of the fish. A serious problem with the quantity or quality of the product can often follow such a “good” deal. • Can you find any information about this company on the Internet? If the company has been in business for some time it can be spotted on different portals, trade boards, etc. • When making the very first deal with an unknown supplier, offer a Letter of Credit as a payment method. If the
seller refuses to work on L/C and insists on prepayment only, think twice before sending the money. • A pre-shipment inspection can be a good solution to ensure the quality and the quantity of your consignment. If the seller does not allow the inspection, for whatever reason, this is a strong warning sign. One of the safest ways to find a reliable supplier is to visit a seafood show or any other professional event. Companies investing in participation will almost certainly not disappear with your money once received. Professional publications are another proven source of finding reliable suppliers and buyers.
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Binyin Food International Ltd.
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Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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[ TECHNOLOGY ] Fish slaughtering less stress during slaughter process enhances product quality
Fish slaughter should be more humane “Fish slaughter” can be understood in different ways: It generally comprises preparatory measures for the slaughter process, then the stunning and actual killing of the fishes, as well as gutting. In the past the focus was primarily on efficiency and profitability. Today, efforts are also made to avoid unnecessary stress for the fishes. This applies both to manual and machine slaughter processes.
T
he German entrepreneur Hans Raab recently closed his fish farm in the Swiss state of St. Gallen in which he had invested nearly 40 million Swiss francs. On the farm he had produced ‘Melander’, a cross between various catfish species. With this closure Raab put an end to months of dispute with animal rights activists and several m edia who accused him of ethically unacceptable slaughter methods. The St. Gallen veterinary had declared that “live chilling” – the method used on the farm – was not in accordance with the animal protection directive that had been valid since September 2008. For this technique the fishes (that are farmed in water with a temperature of 27°C) are stunned and d e-slimed in a slowly rotating drum filled with flake ice before they are fed into a slaughter machine. Without wanting to judge either the technique or its advocates and opponents, the dispute that arose on its account shows what a significant issue animal slaughter can be, particularly since the discussion of the fundamental process among the public is often very emotional.
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Fish slaughter comprises several work stages. Usually at the beginning of the process the abdominal cavity of the dead fish is opened using a cut from the throat to the anus and a central blood vessel is severed to enable bleeding (deviations from this procedure are possible depending on the species: in the case of cod, for example, the throat is cut immediately after the catch). After that, the guts, gills and often the belly skin are removed together with the kidney using a scraper, a brush or suction. The slaughter process is often combined with the heading of the fish which can be performed using a round, wedge, or oblique cut. In the case of the first mentioned technique the collar bone remains on the body, with the wedge cut it is removed, and with the oblique cut, which involves the highest meat losses, the abdominal cavity is opened at the same time.
Traditional slaughter methods under scrutiny European law demands that animal slaughter should be carried out without avoidable pain and
This manually operated slaughter machine for trout removes the guts with a vacuum which ensures hygienic conditions.
suffering to the animals. Although the pertinent rules and regulations deal primarily with agricultural livestock they also apply to fishes. A stress and pain free slaughter process is also in the interests of the fish farmer since there is in the meantime adequate proof that humane killing leads to measurable increases in meat quality and often to a longer shelf-life. Some
traditional slaughter methods were preferred because they were inexpensive, simple and reliable. Today, however, techniques like live gutting, suffocating in the air, hypothermia on ice, or CO2 narcosis are considered inhumane in a lot of countries. Efforts made to spare animals unnecessary stress and pain www.eurofishmagazine.com
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[ TECHNOLOGY ] already begin during the processes prior to the actual killing. To ensure high quality and hygienic final products, feeding is stopped several days before the slaughter date. An empty bowel at the time of slaughter reduces the risk that its contents will contaminate the fish meat. In the opinion of numerous experts the period of fasting should not exceed 72 hours, however. This length of time is sufficient to completely empty the bowel without causing excessive harm to the fish’s well-being. As in this case, compromises are inevitable in other processes, too, for example during harvesting which leads to a concentration of the fishes in a very confined space and often even their removal from the water. Crowding of the fishes and net contact increase the risk of mechanical injuries and reduce the quality and oxygen content of the water. If possible, the animals should not be subjected to such situations for more than 2 hours. With the help of modern methods such as pumping it is possible to avoid stress since the fishes remain in their natural habitat and often even swim to the slaughter facility themselves. A lot of slaughter facilities thus have water tanks or net cages in the close vicinity in which the fishes can be put for a time after delivery to enable them to calm down and reduce any stress caused by the transport. If fishes are exhausted from the journey to the plant and are then killed directly on arrival, the meat quality is lower. Apart from that, rigor mortis sets in at an earlier point in time with the result that there is less time left for the subsequent processing stages. If fishes are subject to less stress during the slaughter process rigor mortis begins later and is then not so strong either. In Norway’s salmon farming industry www.eurofishmagazine.com
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experiments are currently being carried out to cut out the transport of live fish altogether. The fishes are killed immediately on specially equipped ships after being pumped out of the net cages and then transported in tanks containing refrigerated salt water (RSW) to the slaughter plant.
Stunning saves the fish unnecessary pain Although the actual killing process is today mostly carried out using modern methods that are very efficient and hardly cause the fishes any pain or stress it is still the most controversial action in the whole slaughter process and it is viewed very critically by a lot of consumers. That is why it is very important that only methods are used that have been tested and officially approved by the authorities. Technical slaughter facilities have to be serviced and checked regularly to be able to guarantee their functionality. This is naturally of extreme importance in industrial slaughter facilities where thousands of fishes are killed every day. In order to save the fish unnecessary pain they have to be properly stunned or rendered “insensitive” before killing. Under practical conditions these two process steps, i.e. stunning and killing, are often closely linked. At present there are two main techniques that are used for fish slaughter: 1. Mechanical methods Mechanical techniques for stunning and killing fishes are very effective, safe, and supply irreversible results if they are used correctly. The intended effect is achieved by physical destruction of the brain structure by a slit, a shot (tuna) or a hefty blow to the head of the fish. These methods can be carried out either by hand or by machine. Machine solutions
are advisable particularly for large slaughter volumes because during manual work precision and effectiveness will decrease with time. If the fish is only stunned by hitting the next process stage (usually a gill slit to enable bleed-out of the fish) has to take place immediately afterwards before the fish wakes up again. 2. Electric methods The results and efficiency of these techniques depend on the amperage, pulse repetition frequency and the duration of the electric impact. They can thus be used both for stunning fish and for killing fish. If used correctly stunning with electric current is very gentle, and organic damages or increased mortality of the fishes is not to be feared. After electronarcosis the fishes wake up again unharmed after a short time. That is why killing must take place immediately after electrical stunning. One of the advantages of these methods is that they are suitable for use on fishes that are relatively difficult to kill, for example eels or flatfishes. The following methods for stunning or killing fish are frequently used for some specific species groups: • Blow to the head: cyprinids, wels catfish, salmonids, halibut • Brain stab or drill: salmonids, tuna • Free shot: tuna, swordfish • Electrical techniques: cyprinids, wels catfish, eel, salmonids, t ilapia
Manual and machine slaughter methods Fishes are probably the class of vertebrates that includes the
most forms, with species that vary enormously in shape and size. Flatfishes look completely different from salmon or eels, and sprats or sardines are smaller than cod or tuna. Apart from these differences, a lot of species differ greatly with regard to the firmness and structure of their muscle tissue. This makes it almost impossible to design universal slaughter and processing techniques that would work well for a lot of different fish species. Machine solutions have mostly been developed for a particular fish species and are then only suitable for other species if these have a similar shape and size and a comparable bone structure. The simplest way to get around the problem of different body shapes and other deviations from the norm (length, texture and hardness of the muscle flesh) is to kill and process the fishes by hand. In spite of all sensors, image recognition systems and electronic controls that constantly re-adjust all the tools there is probably no machine that is as flexible as an experienced person who can immediately find the right position for a blow to the head to stun the fish or the belly cut. On the other hand, machines have the advantage that they don’t tire, that they supply constant product performance and that they mostly cause less bacterial contamination than is the case during manual work… particularly since the slaughter process is one of the “unclean” areas of fish processing, in which the staff are constantly subject to wetness, blood and other dirt (slime, scales). This leads to a relatively high sickness rate: the risk of injury is high. Fish species like salmon that are produced in large quantities in aquaculture and can guarantee consistent full capacity usage of Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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[ TECHNOLOGY ] slaughter facilities seem to make even fully automatic slaughter lines a profitable option. In Norway a robot line recently went into operation. It was developed by the equipment suppliers SeaSide, SINTEF Trondheim and Slakteriet Florø, one of the biggest salmon slaughtering plants in the country. In the salmon slaughter line, image recognition systems and robotics ensure that the gill cut for bleeding – based on the size of every individual fish – is always optimally positioned. The salmon swim proactively into the slaughter line where they are first individually stunned by electricity. This prevents the anaesthetized fishes from getting pushed against or on top of one another which would make the correct throat cut difficult in spite of the image recognition system. Through the combination of exact positioning and electronarcosis the salmon can be killed in an ethically acceptable way, free from any stress and this leads to a particularly high product quality.
Slaughter machines for small and medium-sized companies However, it doesn’t always have to be a fully automatic slaughter line. There is a broad range of useful machines for artisanal use in smaller companies, too, which kill and process the fish. Such offers mainly address fish farming facilities that process and market some of the fish they produce themselves. Humane stunning and killing plants that work with electric current are in the meantime very widespread, for example. Systems from professional suppliers such as the German company FIAP or the British Ace Aquatect with their High Speed Humane Electric 54 Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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The throat cut is very important when killing large quantities of fish to ensure that the fishes bleed out completely and no contaminations remain in the fillet.
Stunner with which they claim 85% of the trout in the UK are stunned or killed, today come up to all the legal requirements with regard to health and safety in the workplace, hygiene and animal welfare. In trout farming enterprises slaughter machines like the Salmofix can be very practical. This machine enables the gutting of 300 to 500 fishes in sizes of between 200 and 1,500 g in one work process in an hour so that when they come out of the machine they are ready for smoking. The slaughter head of the Salmofix opens the abdominal cavity with a clean cut and at the same time cuts through the throat. With the help of a vacuum the guts are then sucked out and stored in a hygienic container. A rotating brush at the same time removes the remains of the kidney. The slaughter machines are usually made completely of stainless steel and there is a sink with separate water supply so that the fishes can be thoroughly cleaned immediately
after gutting. All these tasks can be carried out one after the other in a single process without the fish having to be put down in between times. With 1,000 trout per hour the capacity of the fully automatic slaughter machine from AGK Kronawitter is designed for larger companies. This machine can also be used for other fish species whose body shape is similar to that of trout. The fish is placed onto a pick up facility in a forward direction and goes head first into the machine. It is held down so that the abdominal cavity can be cleanly cut open by fixed blades. At the same time both belly flaps are folded to the side so that a gripper can remove the guts completely. Finally a flexible scraper removes the kidney from the carcass and a brush removes any remains. This slaughter machine thus produces kitchenready fishes. The slaughter machine of the Danish company Boleto
Maschinenfabrik which works in a similar way is suited to trout, mackerel and other, similarly shaped fishes. Each individual slaughter machine is individually tailored to the needs of the customer so that depending on the fish species and size optimal slaughter results can always be achieved. A particularly challenging fish for slaughter machine developers is the eel, whose elongated, flexible body places high demands on the machine. The eel slaughter machine ST504 from Steen was specially developed for farmed eel in sizes from 110 to 200 g. This machine has a throughput rate of 24 eels per minute. The machine manufacturer Baader offers a very extensive programme of heading and gutting machines for various groups of fishes. The Baader 39, for example, is for heading and gutting Alaska Pollack and other white fishes in a size range from 25 to 40 cm. It does not only produce headed and gutted fishes (up to 200 fishes/ min) but also enables intact recovery of the roe. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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[ TECHNOLOGY ] Rudolf Maass + Partner celebrate 35 years of quality
High-speed slicers for the salmon processing industry In 1976 the independent sales representative Rudolf Maass founded in co-operation with Adolf Cavier the company Rudolf Maass + Partner KG in Hamburg. His vision was the development and production of a salmon slicer for industrial use. This was the genesis of the Maass Salmon Slicer CM 176. Through constant, intensive co-operation between producer and customers, the company’s range of slicers grew rapidly.
S
ince the company was founded 35 years ago Maass + Partner have focused solely on cold slicing technology. With its circular knife the Salmon Slicer CM 176 produced 95 slices a minute in 1976. Today this performance has increased to 350 slices per minute. The main attraction is that due to the automatic adjustment of the cutting angle the yield of slices of a usable size is maximised.
the first slicer of this model and filed for a worldwide patent. The unique feature of Maass machines is the circular blade that rotates horizontally with up to 350 rotations and at the same time turns around itself. It operates within a similarly round stainless steel casing into which the frozen salmon sides are fed from above at an adjustable cutting angle.
One machine, multiple choices
Less loss with greater flexibility
Maass + Partner have one basic machine in their programme, but this machine offers numerous possibilities: from the Maass Salmon Slicer MP 210 which produces 210 slices per minute to the top model CM 576 -350 with 350 slices per minute it can cut up to 380 kilograms of frozen smoked salmon per hour with one machine, which is about three tonnes a day in a one-shift operation.
Quite a lot has happened since the prototype was completed and demonstrated to potential customers in 1976. “Since then the machine has hardly changed in appearance”, explains Mr Berndt, “but we have increased slicing performance and reliability considerably and greatly reduced slicing losses. We give a written guarantee today for less than two per cent losses.” Considering that the company’s biggest customers slice up to 50 tonnes of salmon per day it is easy to imagine that every per cent less loss makes a very noticeable financial difference.
“We supply to salmon processors who are geared to high performance“, says Günter Berndt, one of the two company managers. “Due to today’s low margins in the processing industry it is the machine that has to earn the money, and only a high-speed machine can do that.” It is now 35 years since Rudolf Maass and his partner Adolf Cavier built www.eurofishmagazine.com
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Over the years there have been notable improvements as regards cutting angle, too, which today can be varied from eight to 45 degrees. Together with the shape of the salmon side the cutting angle determines the size of the slices.
Guenter H. Berndt, Managing Director of Maass + Partner, with Petra Jensen.
The salmon’s shape is, of course, determined by nature and as such cannot be influenced. A large cutting angle produces smaller slices, a small angle large slices. By varying the cutting angle it is thus possible to achieve more or less equally large slices from different sized salmon to meet individual customer requirements.
Clever engineering for increased yields Because fish is a natural product, it not only comes in different sizes but each individual salmon side is not in itself evenly shaped. Towards the tail end it becomes much thinner. As a result the slices towards the tail end get smaller and smaller and finally fall below the weight limit of five grams below which they are not allowed into the pack. In order to solve this
problem the Maass technicians came up with a solution of which they are particularly proud. The pre-set cutting angle is automatically decreased in the final third of the salmon. This means that the slices produced towards the flat end of the fish are longer than they would be if the original cutting angle had been maintained. The result is that more slices reach the necessary minimum weight. The technology behind this clever method for increasing yield is quite simple: when a salmon is fed into the machine an automatic salmon recognition system “sees” the salmon and triggers the slicing process. When the tail end of the fish moves out of the system’s view the machine “knows” that the final third of the fish is coming, and the angle is reduced. Once the side is completely cut the angle is automatically Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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[ TECHNOLOGY ] the buyer for which the salmon has to be frozen anyway it is more favourable to do this prior to slicing and thereby reduce bacterial growth.” He thus only sees soft slicing as an alternative for small local suppliers.
Retrofits always possible
Maass + Partner have one basic machine in their programme, but this machine offers numerous possibilities: from the Maass Salmon Slicer MP 210 which produces 210 slices per minute to the top model CM 576 -350 with 350 slices per minute.
returned to its original setting for the next salmon.
Cold slicing maintains the integrity of the cold chain The product, explains Günter Berndt, is not only subject to the considerably warmer ambient air during the processing stage, but also to the heat energy that is produced during slicing, and this has to be taken into consideration, too. The main argument, however, is the packaging process itself. A lot of heat is produced when the packaging is sealed and this also impacts the product. And once the packed product is warmed up, argues Mr Berndt then it is not possible to cool it down again to the required temperature during the subsequent processes. As he points out, the portion packs are usually piled on top of one another and stored in large lots. Even very low temperatures in the storage depot would not penetrate through to the core of the batch where temperature would be too high. 56 Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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And the temperature would also be too high to maintain the integrity of the cold chain during the product’s journey to the consumer, says Mr Berndt. Experience has shown that temperature rises at every transport stage. This means that if product temperature is traced back through all the different stages, the salmon has to be very cold when packed. Slicing speeds like those achieved by the Maass Salmon Slicer CM 576 T are today only possible with frozen slicing technology for which the salmon is cooled down to a temperature of -8 to -14 °C. Maass + Partner with their performance-oriented industrial
customers have thus concentrated solely on this method and have never had a soft slicer in their programme. Mr Berndt does not see the fact that the salmon has to be frozen for slicing as a disadvantage: “Whether the salmon fillet is sliced fresh or frozen is becoming increasingly insignificant. The double-digit growth on the frozen market shows that customers accept the frozen product.” According to Mr Berndt, the low temperatures and the smooth slicing surface additionally decrease bacterial growth. So cold slicing made sense, particularly where longer delivery paths were concerned: “If you have to cover distances to
Rudolf Maass + Partner GmbH Company Fact File Rontgenstrasse 12 D 21493 Schwarzenbek Germany Tel: +49 4151 866 955 Fax: +49 4151 867 188 info@maass-slicers.de www.maass-slicers.de
Manager: Mr Günter H. Berndt Activity: Developing, constructing, customising, and installing high-quality, high-speed slicers and equipment for the salmon processing industry Markets: Global
Demand for Maass technology is good and Mr Berndt is very content with current business. “2010 was a good year. Our team puts together about two machines a month in our workshop, and then there’s service, spare parts supply, overhaul and repair, and retrofitting of older machines. Because slicing technology is constantly being further developed we make sure that the machines we sell can be retrofitted with the new technology. This is a binding promise he makes to every customer. Another trust-building feature is the guarantee which Maass gives for its machines, irrespective of the buyer’s location. With an export share of 95 per cent and customers in such far-away places as Japan and Chile this is sure proof of the company’s confidence in its own products. Says Mr Berndt, “our machines are so reliable that we can afford to do this. If anything does go wrong, one of the Maass employees has to deal with it. This requires flexibility, of course, but that is one of the team’s particular strengths. “In our company no one works only at a desk or only at the workbench”, he explains. “We do everything together, we’re a real team, and that’s our strength”. This flexible attitude extends to the service offered to customers. Twenty-four hours a day, 360 days a year. Spare parts that are ordered before twelve noon are dispatched the same day. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]
Salmon prices forecast to remain high
Can Chile sustain its projected growth levels? Chilean production of Atlantic salmon in 2010 was less than half of the levels registered in previous years. The available figures for harvests show that up to November 2010 there was a 54% reduction in aquaculture output. Salmon production in 2010 less than half in Chile Chilean production of Atlantic salmon in 2010 was less than half of the levels registered in previous years. The available figures for harvests show that up to November 2010 there was a 54% reduction in aquaculture output. A similar trend is observed in coho salmon (-51% up to November), and to a lesser extent, in trout (-21% in the same period). Trout is consolidating its leading position after the ISA virus spread among Atlantic salmon, and currently accounts for nearly 40% of all salmonids production. According to preliminary figures, total production of salmon and trout in 2010 totaled 287 500 tonnes, 22% below total production in 2009. The industry has gone through stringent transformations, which are expected to place it on the road to a sound recovery. However, the new structure has been criticized already by the coho salmon and trout producers as having higher production costs. Nevertheless, some companies are aiming to double production in 2011, while others consider the Chilean salmon sector as set for a longer term recovery, with higher production, and a recovery of www.eurofishmagazine.com
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profitability. Some forecasts, such as the one stated by representatives of the industry at the North Atlantic Seafood Forum, expect that the 2007 level of output will be reached by 2013.
Lower supply reflected in lower exports, while trade directions shift
The lower availability of raw material was reflected in a 20% drop in exported volumes, totaling 297 200 tonnes of salmon and trout sold to foreign markets. It is important to note that trout has surpassed Atlantic salmon as the main exported species, accounting for 42% of total volumes traded, and an even higher share in total exported value (44%). Overall exports of salmon and trout fell 2% in terms of value, totaling USD 2 061 million, following increases in average unit prices (of +21.5% for Atlantic and Coho salmon, and of +19% for trout). Perhaps more noteworthy is the shift in the direction of trade. Japan is still the main destination both in volume and value, with 144 000 tonnes worth USD 909 million. However, Latin America is now placed second, above the US, in terms of quantity, with 50 640 tonnes against 45 200
High raw material costs is driving the outsourcing of the smoking industry to Poland and the Baltics.
tonnes. However, the situation is the opposite in terms of value, while US purchases fell 20% to USD 448 million, 20% growth in purchases from Latin America to USD 347 million was not enough to surpass the US market. Interestingly, Latin American demand is driven by Brazil, which represents 76% of total trade in quantity. The region has become an important market for Chilean salmon, helped by strong economic performance, which is translated in a higher purchasing power. After Japan, Latin American markets showed a lower reduction in traded volume (-11%). Another difference is that, while Japan is focused on trout and coho salmon, Brazil demands mainly Atlantic salmon.
Some recent developments, such as the Free Trade Agreement signed with Nicaragua, indicate that the region is acquiring a position that it is likely to retain. In the meantime, import by the EU has fallen to 8 700 tonnes worth USD 72 million, which represents a marginal position in overall trade of salmon and trout during 2010, displaced by the consolidation of Latin America and the other main markets.
Demand seems not to be a problem for Chilean salmonids
Despite higher prices, demand for Chilean products does not seem to decrease. At the beginning of the year japanese consumption
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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] of fishery products was showing signs of recovery. However, the impact that the earthquake and following tsunami has on demand in the Japanese market is still to be seen. In contrast, the Latin American region and other emerging economies are taking a leading role. This could imply that in the mid-term, as long as production recovers, pressure on prices could be higher, as the Chilean industry would have to supply the markets that it has managed to keep, as well as those that it has gained in the recent years.
Lower salmon imports in the US
Overall imports of salmon in the US in 2010 fell 3% in volume totaling 234 000 tonnes, but given a 12% increase in unit value, the value of imports totaled USD 1 822 million (+8%). Imports of Atlantic salmon accounted for 75% of total imported volumes and 78% of total value, with 176 400 tonnes worth USD 1 439 million. The average unit value of Atlantic salmon imports grew 14% in a year-on-year comparison. The US Atlantic salmon market was dominated by three main players, Canada, Norway and Chile; however, each country focuses on different market niches. Canada accounted for 44% of total Atlantic salmon imports, and supplied mainly fresh whole salmon (91% of total sales to the US). Norway was placed second, with a 20% share in terms of volume, focusing on the fillet market, with 66% of exports to the US being frozen fillets, while 33% were fresh fillets. As for Chile, the market trend is similar to that of Norway, although the focus on fresh fillets is more pronounced; 78% of Chilean exports to the US were fresh fillets, while 16% were frozen fillets. Recently, the Norwegian salmon industry announced 58 Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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At the North Atlantic Seafood Forum in Oslo one of the forecasts made was that the 2007 level of output would be reached by 2013.
its intention of resuming actions against the imposition of antidumping duties on whole salmon exports to the US, effective since 1991. This could help Norwegian producers regain market share in this segment. In 2010, Norway was the top supplier in both the fresh and frozen Atlantic salmon fillets segments, with 41% and 44% shares respectively. Chile, once the main player in both segments, is now the second supplier of fresh fillets with a 39% share, and the third supplier of frozen fillets with a 17% share, after China (25%). Prices of fresh fillets showed significant increases from mid November 2010, and have remained stable from the beginning of 2011 until mid February, when they began to increase again. By mid-March quotations for Norwegian salmon were 20% higher. Frozen fillets, on the contrary, have remained stable since prices showed a minor reduction at the beginning of the third quarter 2010.
Good outlook for domestic production
Higher supply seems likely in the US market
Recently, a fishermen’s cooperative from Alaska obtained Friend of the Sea certification for its king and coho salmon fisheries. The cooperative uses the trolling method, enabling each fish to be captured individually. According to Alaskan authorities, the outlook for the 2011 season is very good, as a result of a combination of favourable environmental conditions and the management measures adopted. It is forecast that 203 million fish will be caught this season. Captures of pink salmon are expected to grow 25% to 133.7 million fish, while forecast for sockeye salmon captures is 45 million fish (+11%). Californian authorities also expect good salmon runs this year, and preliminary projections indicate that captures could grow as much as 200%, from the 245 000 fish projected in 2010 to 729 000 fish.
The recovery of the Chilean industry, as well as the positive outlook for domestic salmon fisheries, indicates that supply of salmon to the US market could be higher in 2011. This, despite targeting different market segments, could ease the pressure on prices, which have shown an upward trend in the fresh fillets segment, while the whole fish markets have remained stable with a slight upward trend in some products. Currently, supplies are adequate for slow demand. This could drive prices down, which, in the midterm, could see demand pick up.
EU
Reduced production levels in 2010 caused a tight salmon market with high prices. Demand was good throughout the year in spite of some resistance from processors and consumers to the more expensive value-added products. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] 21% but since 2009 has been overtaken by the US, which has seen imports from the UK and Norway bounce upwards as a result of the cut-back in Chile’s production.
Markets
Norway, the leading producer and exporter of Atlantic salmon, saw export volumes grow close to 10% in 2010.
In 2011, despite the usual weekly fluctuations, Atlantic salmon prices have been remarkably stable during the first quarter, oscillating around NOK 40 CFA Oslo. The forward market expects Atlantic salmon prices to soften somewhat over the next quarter and then drop during the autumn and winter. Similarly, 2012 and 2013 forward prices (in NOK) are expected to be 23% and 33% lower than present levels. The trout market remains undersupplied as Norwegian farmers give priority to salmon production and Chile’s producers are still much below historic production levels.
Norway The leading producer and exporter of Atlantic salmon saw export volumes grow close to 10% in 2010. Higher prices during the year led to a significant increase in values, up 33% to NOK 30.5 Billion. Trout exports dropped 35% in volume as producers switched to salmon because of the high prices. As a result, trout prices also strengthened during the year. Norway’s exports of Atlantic salmon in January-March 2011 were 207 000 tonnes (round weight equivalents), slightly down (-3.1%) from the same period in 2010. However, values www.eurofishmagazine.com
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were up 17.1% to NOK 7.5 b illion (EUR 1.0 billion) as a result of the higher prices. Export volumes to the EU, Norway’s largest market with 65% of sales, declined slightly (-3.6%) during the quarter but volumes shipped to the US fell dramatically, from 13 700 in 2010 to 7 900 this year (-43%). The reason for the latter is improved conditions in Chile with Chilean salmon exports to traditional markets increasing again, including to the USA. The comeback of Chile in the US market is seen particularly in the fresh fillet market where Norway’s shipments dropped 58% during the quarter. Norway’s fresh fillet exports to the Japanese market, however, showed a significant increase of 73%. Norway’s first quarter trout exports in 2011 were down in both value and volume. Average export prices rose 27%. The main markets for Norway’s trout, Russia and Japan, were both weaker during the quarter, whereas trout shipments to the EU grew by a surprising 27%.
UK
Salmon export volumes from the UK rose a healthy 14% in 2010. France, traditionally the main market for fresh exports, grew by
EU
The EU is still growing in terms of salmon consumption although the high price for Atlantic salmon is forcing processors in particular to look for alternatives. This explains in part the strong growth in imports of frozen salmon products from China. Cost is also driving the outsourcing of the smoking industry to Poland and the Baltics. During the first quarter of 2011, Norway’s salmon exports to EU-27, although up in value by 17%, fell back almost 4% in volume.
France
France, the largest market for salmon in the EU, grew by 4% in volume in 2010. The fresh categories are showing the strongest growth, partly because of the decline in Chilean frozen salmon exports. Norway remains the principal supplier dominating the fresh whole (71%) and fresh fillet (91%) categories. The rapid growth of China’s frozen fillets exports, which has now reached 40% of imports, is significant. A large share of this is Pacific species rather than Atlantic. In the smoked category, Poland dominates with 73% of French imports. All other foreign suppliers, including Scotland, have seen their share diminish as a result. This is all the more remarkable as the share of Poland only a few years back was less than 5% of the import market. French domestic smokers continue to target the top segments but are more affected
by higher costs than f oreign suppliers. During the first quarter of 2011, Norway’s exports to the French market dropped.
Germany
German import volumes were flat in 2010 (+0.6%) after a large increase in 2009 (+19%). The German market is price sensitive and demand was held back by high prices throughout the year. Norway dominates overall followed by Poland, which has captured the smoked segment. China is also showing strong growth in the frozen category, reaching almost 18 000 tonnes last year. During the first quarter of 2011, Germany’s imports from Norway fell back 4% in volume.
Japan
Imports were flat in 2010 in both the fresh and frozen categories. Norway dominates the fresh Atlantic segment and Chile the frozen Pacific category. Imports from Chile were only slightly down from 2009 (-8.3%), as Chilean producers continues to give priority to the Japanese market for its coho exports in particular.
Outlook
Chile’s salmon production is increasing but it is unclear how much will come to market this year. The production goals for 2012 and 2013 set by Chile’s salmon industry are ambitious but whether the rapid projected growth can be sustained longterm is still open to debate, both in Chile and in Europe. Prices will therefore remain high for most of the year and only weaken when additional supplies from Chile reach the market during the second half. FAO GLOBEFISH
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[ AQUACULTURE ]
Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture Chapter Three: Fish species in recirculation
A
recirculation system is a costly affair to build and to operate, and production must be efficient in order to make a profit. Selecting the right species to produce and constructing a well functioning system are therefore of high importance. Essentially, the aim of the production is to sell the fish at a high price and at the same time to keep the production cost at the lowest possible level. Water temperature is one of the most important parameters when looking at the feasibility of fish farming, because fish are cold blooded animals. This means that fish have the same body temperature as the temperature of the surrounding water. Fish cannot regulate their body temperature like pigs, cows or other farmed animals. The water temperature is therefore of major importance when it comes to fish farming. Fish simply do not grow well when the water is cold; the warmer the water, the better the growth. Different species have different growth rates depending on the water temperature, and fish also have upper and lower 6 Degr. C
lethal temperature limits. The farmer must be sure to keep his stock within these limits or the fish will die.
Optimal rearing conditions give higher growth rates Another issue affecting the feasibility of fish farming is the size of the fish grown in the farm. At any given temperature, small fish have a higher growth rate than large fish. This means that small fish are able to gain more weight over the same period of time than large fish – see Figure .1. Small fish also convert fish feed at a better rate than large fish see Figure .2. Growing faster and utilising feed more efficiently will of course have a positive influence on the production costs as these are lowered when calculated per kilo of fish produced. However, the production of small fish is just one step in the whole production process through to marketable fish. Naturally, not all fish produced in fish farming can be small fish, and 16 Degr. C
Compared to other farmed animals there is a large variety of fish, and many different fish species are farmed. In comparison, the market for pigs, cattle or chicken is not diversified in
the same way as fish. The consumer does not ask for different species of pigs, cattle or chicken, they just ask for different cuts or sizes of cuts. But when it comes to fish, the choice of species is wide, and the consumer is used to choosing from a range of different fish - a situation which makes many different fish species interesting in the eyes of any fish farmer. Over the past decade some hundred aquatic species have been introduced to aquaculture and the rate of domestication of aquatic species is around hundred times faster than that of the domestication of plants and animals on land.
Only a few species become success stories Looking at the world production volume of farmed fish, the picture is not in favour of a multi species output. From the figure it can be seen that carp, of which we are only talking of some different species, is by far the most dominant species. Salmon and trout are next in line, and this is only two species. The rest amounts
1 0,95 0,9
8,0 7,0
0,85 0,8 0,75 0,7
6,0 5,0 4,0 3,0 2,0 1,0 0,0
0,65 0,6 0,55 0,5
0
10
20
30
40
Figure 3.1 Growth rate of rainbow trout at 6 degrees and at 16 degrees C as function of fish size. 60
the potential for growing small fish is therefore limited. Nevertheless, when discussing what kind of fish to produce in recirculation systems, the answer, first and foremost, will be small fish. It simply makes sense to invest money in fry production, because you get more out of your investment when farming small fish. The cost of reaching and maintaining the optimal water temperature all year round in a recirculation facility is money well spent. Keeping fish at optimal rearing conditions will give a much higher growth rate in comparison to the often suboptimal conditions in the wild. Also, it is important to note that all the advantages of clean water, sufficient oxygen levels, etc. in a recirculation system have a positive effect on survival rate, fish health, etc., which in the end gives a high quality product.
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0
0,2
0,4
0,6
0,8
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Figure 3.2 Feed conversion rate (FCR) of rainbow trout in a recirculation system, related to fish weight at 15-18 degrees C. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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[ AQUACULTURE ] to some ten species. One therefore has to realise that although there are plenty of species to be cultured, only a few of these go on to become real successes on a world-wide scale. However, this does not mean that all the new fish species introduced to aquaculture are failures. One just has to realise that the world production volume of new species is limited, and that the success and failures of growing these species depend very much on market conditions. Producing a small volume of a prestigious fish species may well be profitable as it fetches a high price. However, because the market for prestigious species is limited, the price may soon go down if production and thereby availability of the product rises. It can be very profitable to be the first and only one on the market with a new species in aquaculture. On the other hand, it is also a risky business with a high degree of uncertainty in both production and in market development. To give general recommendations on which species to culture in recirculation systems is not an easy task. Many factors influence the success of a fish farming business. For example, local building costs, cost and stability of electricity supply, availability of skilled personnel, etc. Two important questions though should be asked before anything else is discussed: does the fish species being considered have the ability to perform well in a recirculation facility; and secondly is there a market for this species that will fetch a price high enough and at volumes large enough to make the project profitable. The first question can be answered in a relatively simple manner: seen from a biological point of www.eurofishmagazine.com
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New Series Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture The Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture is the result of a collaboration between E UROFISH, Thomas Moth-Poulsen, FAO Fisheries Officer for Central and Eastern Europe, and Jacob Bregnballe, Akva Group, who authored the book. The stringent environmental restrictions to minimize pollution from hatcheries and aquaculture plants in northern European countries have sparked the rapid technological development of recirculation systems. However, recirculation also secures a higher and more stable aquaculture production with less diseases and better ways to control the parameters that influence growth. State-of-the-art of the recirculation methods use far less water than conventional flow-through farms and sophisticated filtering technologies are used to treat the water. Recirculation systems thereby offer two immediate advantages: cost effectiveness and reduced environmental impact. However, running these systems calls for additional skills and training and the hope is that the Guide to Recirculation Aquaculture will provide readers with some useful insights into the workings of recirculation systems. The Guide will be serialised over the next issues of the Eurofish Magazine. It is also available as a hard copy from the shop on the EUROFISH webite, shop.eurofish.dk, for EUR35. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to recirculation aquaculture (EM6 2010) Chapter 2: The recirculation system step by step Components in a recirculation system -Fish tanks -Mechanical filtration (EM1 2011) -Biological treatment (EM1 2011) -Degassing, aeration, and stripping -Oxygenation -Utraviolet light -Ozone -PH regulation -Heat exchange -Pumps -Monitoring, control and alarms -Emergency system -Intake water Chapter 3: Fish species in recirculation Chapter 4: Project planning and implementation Chapter 5: Running a recirculation system. Chapter 6: Waste water treatment Chapter 7: Disease
view, any type of fish reared successfully in traditional aquaculture can just as easily be reared in recirculation. As mentioned, the environment inside the recirculated fish farm can be adjusted to match the exact needs of the species reared. The recirculation technology in itself is not an obstacle to any new species introduced. The fish will grow just as
Chapter 8: Case story examples Salmon smolt production in Chile Turbot farming in China. Model trout farms in Denmark Recirculation and re-stocking Mega farms References Appendix - Checklist when implementing a recirculation system.
well, and often even better, in a recirculation unit. Whether it will perform well from an economic point of view is more uncertain as this depends on the market conditions, the investment and the production costs and the ability of the species to grow rapidly. Rearing fish with generally low growth rates, such as extreme cold water species, makes it d ifficult to
p roduce a yearly output that justifies the investment made in the f acility.
Competition is global Whether market conditions are favourable for a given species reared in a recirculation system depends highly on competition from other producers. And this is
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[ AQUACULTURE ] not restricted to local producers; fish trading is a global business and competition is global too. Trout farmed in Poland may well
have to compete with catfish from Vietnam or salmon from farms in Norway as fish is easily distributed around the world at low cost.
It has always been recommended to use recirculation systems to produce expensive fish, because a high selling price leaves room for higher production costs. A good example is the eel farming business where a high selling price allows relatively high production costs. On the other hand, there is a strong tendency to use recirculation systems also for lower priced fish species such as trout or salmon. The Danish model farm concept is a good example of recirculation systems entering a relatively low price segment such as portion sized trout. However, it is necessary
for such production systems to be huge, operating in volumes from 1,000 tonnes and upwards, in order to be competitive. In future, perhaps growing large salmon will move from sea cage farming to land-based recirculation facilities for environmental reasons. Even an extremely low priced fish product such as tilapia will probably become profitable to grow in some kind of recirculation system as the fight for water and space intensifies. The suitability of rearing a specific fish species in recirculation depends on many different factors, such as the profitability, environmental concerns, biological suitability etc., see Figure ..
Figure 3.3 Global farmed fish production. Source: FAO.
Species
Current status
Market
Atlantic salmon
Easy to culture. Smolt grown in recirculation is successful. Growing large salmon in recirculation might be a future success.
Global market dominated by Norwegian producers.
Rainbow trout
Easy to culture. Recirculation widely used from fry rearing up to portion size fish.
Tough competition often based on local market conditions.
Pike perch
Difficult to culture. Larval stage troublesome. Grow-out relatively straight forward.
Fair prices. Demand expected to grow as wild stocks fall.
Sturgeon
Easy to culture. Requires skill in larval rearing and in harvest of caviar.
Good market conditions for meat and caviar.
Eel
Successful species in recirculation. Reproduction is not possible. Wild catch of fry (elvers) is necessary.
Limited market with varying price levels.
Barramundi
Requires knowledge in larval rearing. Relatively straight forward in growout.
Sold primarily in local markets at a fair price.
Grouper
Requires knowledge in larval rearing. Relatively straight forward in growout.
Sold primarily in local markets at good prices.
Seabass/seabream
Larval phases require skill. Grows well in recirculation.
Tough market conditions.
Turbot
Skill required for larval rearing. Grows very well in recirculation
Fair market prices depending on local market conditions.
Sole
Not yet fully developed new species in aquaculture. Different obstacles.
High prices
Cod
Fry rearing successful in recirculation. Grow-out of larger cod needs further development.
Prices fluctuating still depending on wild stock catch.
Figure 3.4 Different species reared in recirculation with a few comments on the current status. 62
Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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Diary D at es 16-19 August, 2011 Aqua Nor Trondheim, Norway Tel.: +47 73 56 86 40 Fax: +47 73 56 86 41 Mailbox@nor-fishing.no www.nor-fishing.no
6-8 September, 2011 Asian Seafood Exposition Wanchai, Hong Kong custserv@divcom.com www.asianseafoodexpo.com 12-13 September, 2011 Tuna Vigo 2011 Vigo, Spain Tel.: +34 986 469301 Fax: +34 986 469269 creboredo@anfaco.es www.anfaco.es 13-16 September, 2011 World Food Moscow Moscow, Russia Tel.: +44 207 596 5086 Fax: +44 207 596 5113 tony.higginson@ite-exhibitions.com www.worldfood-moscow.com 15-16 September, 2011 International Carp Conference 2011 Kazimierz Dolny, Poland Tel.: +48 668 815 097 www.aller-aqua.pl
22-24 September, 2011 Icelandic Fisheries Exhibtion Kópavogur, Iceland Tel.: +354 567 6004 Fax: +354 567 6044 bjarni@icefish.is www.icefish.is
4-6 October, 2011 CONXEMAR Vigo, Spain Tel.: +34 986 433 351 Fax: +34 986 221 174 conxemar@conxemar.com www.conxemar.com
10-14 October, 2011 Agroprodmash Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7 499 795 3735 Fax: +7 495 609 4168 piskareva@expocentr.ru www.agroprodmash-expo.ru
12-14 October, 2011 DanFish International Aalborg, Denmark Tel.: +45 9935 5542 ed@akkc.dk www.danfish.com
18-21 October, 2011 AQUACULTURE EUROPE 2011 Rhodes, Greece Tel.: +32-9-2334912 Fax: +32-9-2334912 mario.stael@scarlet.be www.easonline.org
17-19 November, 2011 Busan Int. Seafood & Fisheries Expo Busan, Korea Tel.: +82 51 740 7518 Fax: +82 51 740 7360 bisfe@bisfe.co.kr www.bisfe.com
12-14 February, 2012 Fish International Bremen, Germany Tel.:+49 421 3505 264 wedell@messe-bremen.de www.fishinternational.com
25-28 February, 2012 Mediterranean Seafood Exhibition Rimini, Italy Tel.: +39 0541 744 225 o.foschi@riminifiera.it www.riminifiera.it
26-29 March, 2012 Alimentaria Barcelona Barcelona, Spain Tel.: +34 93 452 18 00 alimentaria-bcn@alimentaria.com www.alimentaria.com
23-24 May, 2012 Aquaculture UK 2012 Aviemore, Scotland, UK Tel.: +44 1862 892188 info@aquacultureuk.com www.aquacultureuk.com
7-9 June, 2012 Future Fish Eurasia Izmir, Turkey Tel.: +90 212 347 10 54 Fax: +90 212 347 10 53 info@eurasiafairs.com www.eurasiafairs.com
11-13 June, 2012 AquaVision 2012 Stavanger, Norway Tel.: +47 9137 7825 post@blueplanet.no www.aquavision.org
1-5 September, 2012 AQUA 2012 Prag, Czech Republic worldaqua@aol.com www.was.org
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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Josip Suic, Croatian Directorate of Fisheries
New campaign to increase domestic fish consumption Since Josip Suic, acting director in the Croatian Directorate of Fisheries, took up his position life has been busy. The Croatian elections, strikes, and the final stages of the accession negotiations with the EU all combined to ensure a memorable first few months in office. Despite a full plate he managed to find the time to briefly discuss the Croatian fisheries sector with Eurofish. Are not sports fishermen and commercial freshwater fishers competing for the same resource? How is this conflict dealt with and what role do you see for anglers in Croatian rivers in the future? Commercial freshwater fisheries in Croatia nowadays are very limited, both in terms of fishing areas, number of licences, as well as the catch quota. It is allowed only on the Sava River where there are only 9 licences, and on the Danube (within Croatia) where there are currently only 28 licenses. These rivers are typical slow flowing cyprinid rivers, with two major spawning grounds (Lonjsko polje on the Sava River and Kopacˇki rit on the Danube). These spawning grounds are the biggest wetlands in this south-eastern part of Europe, with significant biological and ichthyological potential for the whole area. As these two great rivers have such potential, and scientific studies which show the good quality and quantity of fish stocks, there is no reason why sports and commercial fishermen should compete. Furthermore, according to the management plans for these fishing areas, the catch quota is shared equally between sports and commercial fishermen. Despite this, over the last 10-15 years there have been 64 Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2011
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some incidents, mainly due to the growing trend of protection and conservation among sports fishermen and their refusal to accept the need for a certain amount of freshwater fish to be offered legally through fish-markets. But it is mostly only based on principles and not as a result of objective conservation need. These waters are still relatively rich, but some steps should be made towards an integrated management approach with neighbouring countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia). For the scale of commercial fisheries in the same fishing area on these bordering rivers is much bigger than in Croatia. Although after the war Croatia largely decreased the scale of commercial freshwater fisheries (to illustrate, before the war, in the 80’s, in the city of Vukovar alone there were 40 commercial fishermen), it should remain a traditional, cultural and ethnological activity in this country. On the other hand, the role of sports fishermen (anglers) in the future should be to combine the ever increasing demand for recreation in nature with conservation and responsible behaviour. Through science-based management and implementable laws, both the government and the stakeholders (anglers and commercial fishermen) should be able to restore and maintain fish stocks. During the
Josip Suic, Acting Director, Croatian Directorate of Fisheries.
last years, sports fisheries in Croatia have attracted foreign tourists due to the variety of clean waters and healthy fish and I am sure that fishing tourism will become a significant part of Croatia’s tourist attractions in the years to come. Fuel prices have been causing problems for the industry across Europe. Are there ways that the government can help reduce the burden on fishers and is it doing so? Croatia recognized this problem years ago. Producers in agriculture and fisheries (fishermen) can purchase blue diesel fuel which is priced lower than the regular
d iesel fuel, because it is free of taxes. According to their annual needs, there are quotas, which can be altered two times per year and system of electronic cards. But still the price is too high. The main problem is that the proportion of fuel costs in the overall product price differs significantly between farmers and fishers. In agricultural production the cost of fuel is only 5-10%, while in fisheries it is 50-60%. What changes have been seen in the composition of the fleet in recent years? First of all, I should point out that for its fisheries Croatia has www.eurofishmagazine.com
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access to 55,349 sq. km of sea that comprises 12,498 sq. km of coastal waters, 18,981 sq. km of territorial sea and 23,870 sq. km of protected fisheries and ecological zones. Although Croatia has a lot of potential in the fisheries sector, as a percentage of GDP it is less than 1%. Regarding fleet renovation, during recent years 15 new ships over 15 m LoA have been built, mainly for the catch of small pelagic fish (pilchard and anchovy). Also a significant number of fishermen, for their own safety and to reduce costs, have decided to put new engines in their vessels, which are more efficient and less fuel consuming. The price of fish on the market is high, at the same time the fisher is getting only a small part of the value of the fish. How can this be reconciled? Establishing fish wholesale markets should offer more choice, and therefore ensure more competition, and, on the other hand, reduce the number of middle men on the market. The creation of wholesale markets is realized with Government support, but also fisheries associations and local administrations. Croatia has a very well-indented coast, with almost 6,000 km of coastline and 1,200 islands, so it is very hard to find locations for the fish wholesale markets, that are close to fisheries communities (more than 270 landing places), as well to the fishing grounds. By covering the main county centres on the seaside, fishermen will benefit from them, and get the best value for their catches. To ensure that the fish wholesale markets function in line with EU standards, the sea port infrastructure should be set up, as well the administration of markets and manufacturers organizations. www.eurofishmagazine.com
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While seabass, seabream, and tuna dominate farmed fish production, the freshwater aquaculture industry in Croatia is primarily carp and trout farming. Are efforts being made to increase consumption of freshwater fish? During the war, and in the years after, Croatia lost some of its traditional eastern markets for carp. Also we recognized another issue - traditionally low consumption of freshwater fish, and a problem connected to that mainly caused by the lack of processed fish products (fillets, smoked fish etc) on the market. In the last decade some measures have been undertaken, to help improve the production of fish and fish products. Also, we adopted the national programme for increasing production and consumption of fish and fish products in 2003, but it is a long-term process. Recently this Ministry is placing great effort in reducing the fees for water usage in freshwater aquaculture, since this presents a major cost for the producers. Since trout, pike, pike-perch, wels and other species are predominately sold fresh, and carp often live, producers are exploring the production to fillet, smoked or semi-processed fish, in order to add value to the product, but also to simplify the preparation of fish meals and thus directly increase the consumption of freshwater fish. Finally, Croatia should improve its marketing system, based on the application of common market standards and producer organisations. What efforts are being made to increase fish consumption in Croatia and to get segments that typically eat less fish (such as young people) to consume more? This year we are preparing a new campaign for increasing of
production and consumption of fish. Taking into account the fact that the consuming of fish in coastal part of Croatia is an old tradition, we expect that market improving would lead to increase of consumption. More and more expanding tourism brings additional demand for fish and fish products, so we conclude that the market is far from being saturated. Organized market should be based on the existence of adequate capacities and equipment for storage, cooling and freezing on the vessels, secure port infrastructure, collection and distribution of fish, supplying of vessels, and finally sufficient storage and freezing capacities on the land. Not having such infrastructure, among other reasons, results in reduced consumption of fish and fish products. Most of the fishing vessels are less than 15 m, only few vessels have adequate rooms for storage, cooling and freezing of the fish on the sea, which limits the access of fresh high quality fish to the market. Also the fishermen unload their catch in ports that are not adequately equipped (ice-machines, freezers, specialized vehicles, cranes etc.). Ports, vessels and market objects have to find new and efficient solutions for the improving of product quality, including full implementation of HACCP and ISO standards. All the measures that the fisheries administration is currently undertaking towards renewing the fishing fleet, fishing tools and gear, establishment of fisheries associations-cooperatives, fish wholesale markets etc, along with a new campaign, will surely have an impact on the market and increase fish consumption. How would you say Croatian seafood cuisine distinguished itself from the gastronomy of other Mediterranean countries?
Basically, Croatian seafood cuisine does not differ very much from the seafood cuisine of other Mediterranean countries. One should rather say there are many variations of the same dishes within Croatian seafood cuisine, due to the differences in local communities along the coast or on some islands, their traditions and habits. Of course, it is characterized by historic influences: the coastal region bears the influences of the Greek, Roman, Illyric, later also Italian and French, and mainland cuisine is more characterized by the earlier Slavic and recent contacts with Hungarian, Viennese, also Turkish cuisine. Nowadays, the seafood cuisine could be roughly divided into two regions: Istra and Kvarner cuisine (Northern Adriatic) and Dalmatian cuisine (Mid- and South Adriatic). A common point is that fish and seafood reign along the coast, but the interior part (hills) is devoted to meat dishes. Istrian and Kvarner dishes are often a blend of inland and coastal cooking. Main dishes are scampi buzara – a mixed dish based on local scampi (prawns) stewed in tomato, olive oil and white wine sauce. Also, many dishes in Istria are made with truffles, perhaps Istria’s most famous gastronomic speciality. The traditional wine soupragout (jota) and vegetables and bean soup (manestra) are typical winter dishes. I have to mention the famous prosciutto, dried ham, which is prepared differently in Istria and in Dalmatia. The main characteristic of Dalmatian cuisine is the brief thermal preparation of food (boiling and grilling) and plenty of fish, olive oil, vegetables and herbs found near the sea, for which this cuisine is considered to be very healthy.
Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2011
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