Eurofish magazine 4 2013

www.eurofishmagazine.com

ISSN 1868-5943

August 4 / 2013 C 44346

Norway Preparing its seafood industry for the future Aquaculture in Russia: Three-fold increase in production by 2020 Species proďŹ le: Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) struggles to convince markets Guest pages: Interview with Paul Soto, Farnet Support Unit Team Leader is a member of the FISH INFO network

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In this issue

A concerted effort to lead the global seafood industry Norway: The seafood industry is an important component of the Norwegian economy providing jobs in remote coastal communities and exporting products worth NOK52 billion in 2012. The country produces 60 of the world’s farmed salmon and is well known for its wild fisheries for whitefish, pelagics, and crustaceans.

Supporting the seafood sector is a multifaceted research establishment, a formidable sales and marketing organisation, and sophisticated logistics. The government wants to build on these strengths to ensure that Norway maintains its pole position in 2050. Read how this is to be achieved on page 21

The EcoFishMan project has now been functional for the last two years during which time it has sought to develop an alternative to the established top-down approach to fisheries management in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) area. The system being developed is called a Responsive Fisheries Management System where operators themselves propose a management regime in order to achieve the objectives set by the authorities. Developing prototype systems has thrown up a number of questions that the consortium has tried to address including the difficulties of defining specific and measurable objectives for which the industry can be made responsible. Another issue is that operators may not have the capacity to take on management responsibilities. Read more about this project on page 19

EcoFishMan New species: While several species are potentially suitable for aquaculture most are unlikely to become blockbusters. There are a number of stages that a fish goes through before it is ready to be harvested and each is riddled with pitfalls. Even if all the technical and managerial challenges of production are surmounted, the fish must still be accepted by the consumer if it is to succeed. In the second part of his article on species of interest for the aquaculture industry, Dr Manfred Klinkhardt discusses some species the cultivation of which has succeeded to an extent, but which still need to overcome barriers, whether they are related to the availability of fry, an acceptable feed, or to the price of the fish on the market. Read more on page 27

Trade and Markets: The market for tuna has been seeing a rise in prices due to disappointing supply from the Western Pacific. In the Eastern Pacific, on the other hand, overall catches have increased slightly, with an increase in bigeye landings more than compensating for a fall in catches of yellowfin. Skipjack catches which form the bulk of the tuna fishery were stable. Rising prices for the raw material are having a knock-on effect on the prices of canned tuna in Japan and the US. In the latter, consumption of canned tuna has been flagging for successive years partly due to pricing as well as an image problem. In the EU importers are looking to sources in the ACP countries that attract 0 duty, which has benefited the Ivory Coast, Mauritius and Papua New Guinea at the expense of Thailand and the Philippines. Read more on page 37

Thawing the raw material is an important step in the seafood value chain as it has an influence on the quality of the final product. Whether the thawed item is going to be further processed or packaged immediately for consumption can also determine the thawing technique to be used. These are many and varied, ranging from simple low cost solutions such as leaving the frozen product to thaw in a room, to using sophisticated equipment that emits micro or radio waves to slowly warm the product. There are advantages and disadvantages to all the different methods and ultimately the choice is a trade-off between the requirement at hand and various other factors including price, space, and flexibility. Read more on page 45

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Table of News 6 International News

Events 15 North Atlantic Seafood Forum: Review of the pelagic session Raw material for fishmeal and oil diverted increasingly to human consumption 17 Thaifex – World of Food Asia, Bangkok, 22-26 May 2013 Booming attendance leads to further increases in floor space next year

Projects 19 EcoFishMan results after two years A management system that hands responsibility to the fisherman

Norway 21 Norway seeks to become the world’s leading seafood nation Strong focus on research, sustainability to propel the seafood industry

Aquaculture 27 Promising candidates for aquaculture Availability of fry is often a bottleneck in aquaculture 31 Encouraging prospects for aquaculture in the Russian Federation Legislative support for the sector is now in place

Trade And Markets 34 Emerging markets increasingly attractive for salmon Prices continue to recover strongly in 2013 37 Tuna – moderate demand, low supplies, and rising prices Tighter EU control on IUU fishing may affect shipments from Africa 40 Mixed global picture for cephalopods Is the octopus fishery off North Africa over-exploited?

Front cover credit: Per Eide Studio ©Norwegian Seafood Council

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Contents Fisheries 42 ComFish Regional Participatory Stakeholder Event, Santander, Spain, 23-24 May 2013 Improving trans-national cooperation within European fishing regions

Technology 45 Technologies for industrial thawing Thaw frozen fish faster and retain quality 49 Tomra Sorting Solutions deploys optical technology in a variety of applications Advanced seafood sorting solutions

Species 52 Meagre from Mediterranean aquaculture From niche product to mainstream?

Worldwide Fish News

Guest Pages: Paul Soto 8

56 Axis 4 fosters links between players in fisheries areas Triggering the dynamism of local communities

Albania

page

Belgium

pages

Brazil

page

6

Chile

page

13

55 Diary Dates

China

page

11

58 Imprint, List of Advertisers

Croatia

page

6

Denmark

page

10

Germany

page

14

Ireland

page

12

Italy

page

14

Latvia

page

12

Malaysia

page

7

New Zealand

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10

Norway

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8

Spain

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13

Sweden

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13

UK

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12, 14

Service

7, 10, 11 Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Croatia: GFCM meeting points out need to strengthen data collection The General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterraean (GFCM) held its 37th session in Split, Croatia. It was attended by 96 participants including Members, non-Members, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, and the FAO, among other bodies. At the opening session the meeting was addressed by Mr Ljubomir Kucic, Assistant Minister from the Ministry of Agriculture of Croatia, representing the host country, and by Mr Arni Mathiesen, Assistant Director General FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, who reiterated that the GFCM was the FAO’s strategic choice to implement fisheries policies in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

The report on the intersessional activities highlighted among other points the importance of data collection and submission systems. Three meetings were held in March and April which resulted in a critical analysis of GFCM databases, submission protocols and Member States’ data collection systems. Conclusions from the analysis included the need to take actions at national level to strengthen data collection systems and to improve communication. On the basis of scientific advice on 41 Mediterranean and Black Sea stocks the Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Committee reported that 23 demersal stocks were subject to overexploitation, while two of them and two small pelagic stocks were also

considered to be overexploited.

Drawing attention to the status of stocks in the Black Sea the EU delegate stressed the importance of introducing measures to reduce fishing mortality in this area.

The Chairperson of the Committee of Aquaculture (CAQ) mentioned the importance of enhancing the use of Allocated Zones for Aquaculture (AZA) to integrate aquaculture into coastal zones. He said that attention should focus on support to countries in the implementation of AZA and on cooperation between research institutions and other stakeholders to increase awareness on monitoring environment surrounding farms at sea.

The EU delegate drew attention to a recently adopted EU document

Strategic Guidelines for the sustainable development of EU aquaculture, which he recommended for consideration within the GFCM. The Egyptian delegate warned that enthusiasm for aquaculture should not be at the expense of fisheries activities in coastal lagoons and at sea. He also said that aquaculture should take into account the vulnerabilities of coastal lagoons. Several delegates then referred to the forthcoming report from the CAQ, Guidelines for the sustainable management of coastal lagoons in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The meeting also reviewed the programme of work for each of the different GFCM committees for the intersessional period 2013/2014.

Brazil: Conference highlights tilapia’s growing importance in Latin America The FAO, the Brazilian Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, and the state government of Rio de Janeiro, together with Infopesca are organising the World Tilapia Conference, 16-18 September in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The conference will include two events, a buyer-seller meeting, and a seminar on investment opportunities in Latin America.

Tilapia production has been drawing increasing attention, reports Globefish, with Asia, Africa, and Latin America all showing an interest in farming the fish. According to FAO statistics, global production of tilapia increased 77 from 2.2m tonnes in 2006 to 3.9m tonnes in 2011. Much of this increase could be attributed to China, the world’s biggest producer, but output in Indonesia, Egypt, 6

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

Brazil, and Bangladesh also grew substantially. Asia is thus the main supplying region and is also the biggest market for the fish, the subject of a presentation

by Fatima Ferdouse of Infofish at the conference in Rio. The event will open with a discussion on the strategic role of tilapia in the context of global fisheries and aquaculture, and will then move on to a session on the main markets and producing regions. The three conference days will include sessions dedicated to the marketing and sales of tilapia as well as to the regulatory and environmental challenges of production and there will be a special round table on Latin America as both a market and a producer of the fish. More information about the conference is available at www.infopesca.org/tilapia. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] UK: Several English inshore fisheries ready for sustainability certification

Malaysia: Research shows pond pH plays role in shrimp disease

Seafish recently released a report on the sustainability of English inshore fisheries, an important source of jobs and income for coastal communities. Over 450 English inshore fisheries were examined against the Marine Stewardship Council’s sustainability standard to map the stocks and assess their environmental and management status. The report shows that several species including trammel net caught sole in the Western Channel, North Sea herring caught by drift net and Thames Estuary cockle are ready to enter an MSC assessment. On the other hand a lack of data as well as limited management of

Early mortality syndrome (EMS) also known as Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome (AHPNS), a disease that has been decimating farmed shrimp stocks in large swathes of Southeast Asia, is caused by a bacterial pathogen that was recently identified by a team from the Aquaculture Pathology Laboratory at the University of Arizona. Now, the Global Aquaculture Alliance reports that further research

by Noriaki Akazawa, managing director of Agrobest Sdn. Bhd., a Malaysian aquaculture company, with assistance from Kinki University and the National Research Institute of Aquaculture in Japan,

www.eurofishmagazine.com

catches of red gurnard suggest that more needs to be invested to improve understanding of this fishery particularly as catches increase. The report also mentions examples of good local management practices that are reducing the impact of the fisheries on other species of marine flora and fauna, but also points out cases where a lack of data prevents a clear picture of the influence of fisheries on the surrounding environment from emerging. The report will provide useful input for the government as well for fishermen and local authorities, when moving to the next stage of seeking full sustainability for English fisheries.

has shown that the disease manifested repeatedly in ponds where the pH was between 8.5 and 8.8 and regressed when the pH was around 7. The research was conducted in aquarium trials with controlled levels of various parameters after reviewing water quality data from the ponds. The company grows Pacific white shrimp and black tiger shrimp in plastic-lined ponds and the first instance of the disease was noticed in 2011. Mortality in affected ponds was between 70 and 80, but it came down substantially when the pH was managed to avoid the critical zone.

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[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Albania: Butrinti Lagoon bivalve production meets EU safety requirements A project commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Protection in Albania, with financial support from the Italian Development Cooperation and technical implementation by WHO/Europe’s food safety programme and the WHO Country Office in Albania, has brought the country’s shellfish production in line with European Commission safety requirements, reports the WHO. The new status is one of the key outcomes of this four-year project which concluded at the end of May 2013 and will benefit both consumers and the Alba-

nia shellfish industry. Albania produces about 1,500 tonnes of mussels a year mainly in the Butrinti Lagoon, an area of 1,600 ha. As a result of the project Albania’s national capacity in food safety has improved and systems to reduce food safety risks during the production and harvesting of mussels have been introduced.

The Butrinti Lagoon is now certified for mussel depuration and purification, and the diagnostic capabilities of the lagoon’s laboratory have been strengthened to meet European Union reference laboratory standards for E. coli and Salmonella spp.

Albania produces about 1,500 tonnes of mussels a year mainly in the Butrinti Lagoon.

Norway: New concept to make cage farming operations safer and easier Aqualine, a maker of cage equipment for the aquaculture industry has been carrying out full scale tests since the beginning of the year of a new cage net concept.

The Aqualine Midgard System is an integrated cage net and distention system where the sinker tube is hung directly from the cage net.

A power winch system lifts and lowers the whole sinker tube and net in one simple operation. The commercial tests are taking place at locations belonging to Salmar, Marine Harvest, and Lerøy and follow extensive laboratory simulations. The tests show that because the cage net is evenly distended even during rough weather, the load on it is insignificant and it suffers no noticeable abrasion. The wear and tear on the net to cage attachment ropes is also insignificant. Test were carried out on a 157 m circumference cage net where 20 of the vertical ropes had been reinforced to carry the sinker tube.

Ten generator-powered winches were also installed to lift and lower 8

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

Midgard System at Salmar AS, location Reiråklakken, an exposed site in Ramsøyfjorden at Smøla in Norway.

the sinker tube and net and tests confirmed that the sinker tube and net were lifted evenly and did

not come in contact with the lifting ropes. With the new stystem fish farmers will welcome the

increased safety and ease with which they can carry out some of their most complex operations. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]

2013

WHITEFISH

WORLD CONGRESS Co-organized by FAO and CONXEMAR

Hake (Argentina, Peru, USA, South Africa, Namibia) Cod Alaska Pollock Haddock Hoki (New Zealand)

Aquaculture: Pangasius (Vietnam), Tilapia (China, Costa Rica)

Full panel of experts from top producing countries (Russia, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Namibia, South Africa, New Zealand and China)

worldwide. More than 300 delegates from 25 countries in 2012 World Congress

VIGO, September 30th 2013 Further information: www.conxemar.com

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] New Zealand: Hoki one of several stocks to develop positively

Denmark: ICES advice to be based on catches rather than landings in future

The latest comprehensive stock assessment of New Zealand stocks released by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) indicates there is “scope for increases in current catch limits”, says Dr Pamela Mace, Principal Advisor Fisheries Science for MPI. Hoki has shown the best performance.

A few years ago fears that the western stock was depleted prompted actions to promote its recovery.

These measures have resulted in a country wide resurgence of the stock that even exceeded management benchmarks. Hoki is

ICES, the scientific body responsible for providing advice on fish stocks to the European Commission, has changed the basis of its advice from what is landed to what is caught. The shift reflects the reality of fishing in fisheries management advice and will be more relevant to decision makers as their focus moves from landings to catches. Poul Degnbol, Head of ICES Advisory Programme, says that managing fisheries based on what is caught rather than what is landed makes a biological difference.

New Zealand’s largest fishery with 130,000 tonnes caught in 2012. It is exported all over the world in particular to Europe, China and the US contributing EUR103m (NZD170m) to the economy in 2010. Reports on several stock in addition to hoki were positive including West Coast South Island ling and hake, Southland blue cod, and Chatham Rise orange roughy.

The report cautioned however that stock sizes fluctuate with fishing and environmental factors and catch limits may change as assessments are ongoing.

In most cases, fish don’t survive after being caught, whether they are brought to land or discarded at sea. ICES advice is based on the compilation of relevant data and analysis by experts from ICES member countries. The data originate from sampling of fisheries and from research surveys. ICES will provide advice based on catches for all species for which sufficient data is available. This rules out species for which the extent of discards is unknown or cannot be reliably estimated.

Denmark: EcoFishMan final symposium March 2014 – now open for abstracts and registration The EcoFishMan final symposium will be held in Italy, Rome 3-6 March 2014 as part of the ICES conference “Information Needs for Sustainable Fisheries”.

By getting together with ICES at this FAO-hosted event, EcoFishMan hopes to increase its

impact and create awareness of the project and its work among a larger audience. EcoFishMan will have its own session at the conference. Speakers at the EcoFishMan symposium must deliver their abstracts before 31 August 2013. They are also

encouraged to submit manuscripts for publication in the ICES Journal of Marine Science.

Manuscripts must be submitted no later than 2 May 2014.

For more information about registration and abstracts visit: www.fisherydependentdata.com.

EcoFishMan

UK: Industry courses, safety practices strike gold at awards ceremony Scottish Sea Farms and the NAFC Marine Centre were winners at the recently held Crown Estate’s Scottish Marine Aquaculture Awards. The NAFC Marine Centre received the Aquaculture Supplier of the Year award, while Scottish Sea Farms pocketed the overall award for Innovation. The Marine Centre has developed and delivered a series of customised, industry-focused aquaculture courses. Alan Bourhill, the NAFC’s Senior Development

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Manager, said the award was a tribute to the professionalism and commitment to customer care shown by the aquaculture development team over the last few years. For Scottish Sea Farms the award was an acknowledgement of the company’s innovative safety and training practices including a purpose designed lifejacket and other investments in safety for staff working over water.

Scottish Sea Farms received nominations in other categories too

including the Stewardship award for the use of wrasse, a cleaner fish, for the biological management of sea lice, and the Aquaculture Seafood Product of the year award for its oak and applewood smoked salmon. Other winners included Stephen Cameron, managing director of the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group in the Outstanding Contribution to Industry category for having developed Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group from a cooperative

of bivalve farmers into one of the UK’s leading seafood companies.

The awards celebrate the achievements and successes of an industry that is vitally important to Scotland’s coastal communities.

Gareth Baird, the Crown Estate’s Scottish representative said that the winners had displayed exceptional innovation and commitment to their business and sustainability which will help the continued success of the industry.

www.eurofishmagazine.com

NT N T ER ERN NA A [ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]

China: Spotlight on high value products at Hong Kong exposition The Asian Seafood Exposition will have a special focus on premium seafood products when it returns to Hong Kong on 3-5 September 2013. The show is one of the most important in the region for producers and traders of fresh, frozen and packaged seafood. The decision to highlight premium seafood products stems from growing interest in China for higher value products such as lobster, crab, abalone, scallops, oysters, mussels and caviar. Increasing prosperity in

China is driving demand for premium products both domestic and imported, says Mary Larkin, Vice President of Seafood Expositions at Diversified Business Communications, the organisation that is responsible for the Asian Seafood Exposition. Consumption of seafood tends to increase as societies become wealthier and in mainland China seafood is traditionally considered both prestigious and healthy. The FAO estimates that seafood consumption per capita

in China will rise from the current 12 kg to 36 kg by 2020. China is also the world’s largest exporter of seafood selling USD17 billion worth to markets around the world.

Diversified Business Communications organises several trade events for the seafood sector including the European Seafood Exposition. The Hong Kong event is expected to attract 6,000 buyers from 50 countries and more than 150 exhibiting companies from 25

countries including China, Japan, Korea, Australia, Canada and the United States. Strong attendance can be attributed to Hong Kong’s status as a gateway to seafood markets in Asia including China, Taiwan and Vietnam, with 30-40 of imports being re-exported to these countries. In addition, Hong Kong is a dynamic and growing market in its own right with annual imports of USD2.5 billion according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

UK: Scientific advice confirms sustainability of herring fishery Scottish boats landed 40,000 tonnes of North Sea herring last year making it the second most valuable fishery for the fleet. The fishery has also entered the renewal process for its Marine Stewardship

Council (MSC) certification after having been certified for five years.

The industry was therefore pleased to learn that recent ICES advice for the fishery stated that the stock was being conducted in a sustainable

manner and that fishing pressure was below the recommended level.

Ian Gatt, chief executive of the Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association, said: “The Scottish pelagic sector is in the final stages of MSC

re-certification for this stock having completed a full five year term in the programme. So this latest advice from ICES is welcome given our continued significant investment in MSC accreditation.”

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NT N T ER ERN NA A [ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ]

Ireland: FEAP commits to the sustainable development of aquaculture At its annual general meeting in May the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers released a series of principles that are meant to ensure the future of the freshwater and marine aquaculture

sector. The principles address five areas, water resources, science, environment, economics, and consumers, and relate to the sustainable development of the industry.

Called ‘Streaming Sustainability in

Aquaculture’ the declaration was witnessed by Mr Simon Coveney, the Irish Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, who welcomed it as a clear indication that the sector will continue to provide

safe and nutritious food, create jobs and added-value in coastal and rural communities, and contribute to European food security. The annual general meeting attracted 42 delegates from 16 countries.

Latvia: Fisheries control policy overhauled with Commission help

Belgium: Atlantic research agreement signed by EU with US and Canada

An action plan has been developed by Latvian authorities and the European Commission to improve Latvian fisheries control efforts after Commission audits revealed the need to reinforce the control system. These instruments are deemed to be the most effective means of achieving results in the shortest possible period. The plan will help reinforce the control system and aims to ensure that Latvia has set up an effective administrative structure, with appropriate IT systems, and has allocated the resources at its disposal. The Latvian Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of

The EU, US, and Canada have agreed to join forces on Atlantic Ocean research to improve understanding of the ocean and better manage its resources. The collaboration will also look at the interaction between the Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans particularly with regard to climate change. Potential areas of cooperation include seabed mapping, ocean observation, and sharing of data. The EU and Member States invest nearly EUR2 billion in marine and maritime research each year. European strategy for marine and maritime research has identified the various

Environmental Protection and Regional Development have already introduced measures to tighten fisheries control, including the allocation of additional resources, and the restructuring of the catch data registration system. EU funding is being used to ensure remote access to the Vessel Monitoring System and to the electronic logbook data. Improvements to the control system will ensure compliance with EU law all along the fish management chain from sea to land. It will also benefit the fishers by preventing overfishing, increasing stock sizes and creating a level playing field.

constituents of the maritime economy including transport, shipbuilding, tourism, fisheries and aquaculture, energy, and the emerging area of blue biotechnology. The research strategy seeks to reconcile the promotion of economic growth with environmental sustainability and to reduce conflicts between the different areas of the maritime economy by promoting multidisciplinary and multi-sectoral research. The new trans-Atlantic agreement will also contribute to this by developing and implementing a shared vision for the Atlantic.

Belgium: Parties reach agreement on substantive issues in the CFP reform After intense negotiations the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament have come to an agreement on a Common Fisheries Policy policy for the EU. The agreement marks the culmination of a process that began with an ambitious package of reforms proposed by the European Commission in 2011. The agreement makes for a more sustainable fisheries policy where fish stocks will be brought above sustainable levels, discards will be banned, and decision making will be devolved to regional authorities.

Already from 2015 fishing pressure on some stocks will be set at levels that deliver Maximum 12

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

Sustainable Yield, while for the remainder MSY will be introduced by 2020. EU vessels fishing in foreign waters will be subject to the same principles as those that fish in EU waters. EU subsidies will be suspended or even withheld from Member States that fail to reduce fishing capacity in line with agreed targets. Other changes include the establishment of a new fisheries compliance committee and new measures to prevent vessels flag hopping, where owners change the flag under which the vessel operates.

by the latest figures on fish stocks in EU waters. From 47 last year (and 95 in 2005) the proportion of overfished stocks in EU waters in the Northeast Atlantic is now down to 39. Maria Damanaki, EU Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said: “These figures show that responsible fisheries management measures can and do work….” Profitability of the EU fleet has also increased by 40 since 2011 despite increased fuel costs, showing that fishermen’s incomes improve following reductions in overfishing.

Already efforts to limit overfishing are bearing fruit as documented

However, the fishing industry as represented by Europêche

and the Copa-Cogeca working party on fish had mixed reactions to the agreement. In a press release the two organisations expressed reservations about the prohibition on discards which they foresaw would lead to high costs in the short term as fleets invest in technical measures to implement the ban. They also had concerns about the goal of achieving MSY for all stocks by 2020 and about fleet capacity management proposals. On the other hand they welcomed the decentralisation of decision-making and the creation of an advisory council for aquaculture. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Sweden: New expedition to study coastal areas in Baltic launched On World Oceans Day on 8 June, the environmental NGO Oceana launched an expedition to study coastal areas of the Baltic Sea and Kattegat. The 2013 expedition follows similar events undertaken in 2011 and 2012 with the difference that those trips did not concentrate on the coast.

The new expedition will start

by studying areas in Denmark including in the Sound and will then move on to Sweden, Finland and Poland. The expedition will use divers, biologists, and other experts as well as a remotely operated underwater vehicle to collect and analyse the data from coastal regions in order to provide authorities with concrete

evidence of environmental degradation. Clumsy environmental policies that allow the leaching of nutrients from land to sea, overfishing, and discards are a threat to the unique plant and animal life along the coasts, says Xavier Pastor, Oceana’s managing director for Europe. Destructive fishing methods are still

permitted within protected areas in the sea. While nations around the Baltic Sea have been pioneers in establishing ambitious fishery and environmental policies, they are not always implemented optimally. One of the reasons often cited is a lack of knowledge and with this expedition the organisation hopes to change that.

Spain: FAO and Conxemar collaborate on whitefish conference Conxemar, the Spanish Association of Wholesalers, Importers, Manufacturers and Exporters of Fish Products and Aquaculture, will organise its trade show, also called Conxemar, on 1 to 3 October 2013.

The event, which takes place in Vigo, Spain, the biggest fishing port in Europe, is an international showcase for processors, distributors, and traders of frozen seafood. Manufacturers of freezing, refrigeration, and packaging machinery will also be displaying the latest versions of their equipment.

In addition to the trade event, Conxemar is also collaborating with the FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department in Rome to host a conference on whitefish. Called the Whitefish World Congress, it follows up on the success of the World Congress on Cephalopods that was also held in Conxemar in 2012. The whitefish conference this year will be held on 30 September, the day before the trade fair opens, and will discuss the situation in the world’s

main whitefish stocks with perspectives from North and South America, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Farmed whitefish, pangasius and tilapia, and their growing importance will also be addressed. China is the world’s biggest producer of tilapia with a production in 2011 of 1.4m tonnes. Africa is the biggest market for whole frozen tilapia from China, while the US is the biggest overall importer of the fish.

2013

WHITEFISH

WORLD CONGRESS Co-organized by FAO and CONXEMAR

Hake (Argentina, Peru, USA, South Africa, Namibia) Cod Alaska Pollock Haddock Hoki (New Zealand)

Aquaculture: Pangasius (Vietnam), Tilapia (China, Costa Rica)

Full panel of experts from top producing countries (Russia, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Namibia, South Africa, New Zealand and China)

In addition to resources the conference will also discuss supplies, markets, and utilisation of whitefish. Presentations will be interspersed with panel discussions that will bring experts together from all the main producing countries along with senior industry executives, representatives from institutions and governments. The conference is a not-tomiss event for all those interested in learning about the resource situation for whitefish and how it will evolve in the future.

worldwide. More than 300 delegates from 25 countries in 2012 World Congress

VIGO, September 30th 2013 Further information: www.conxemar.com

Chile: Third salmon company to earn three-star certification After recovering from the ISA crisis the Chilean salmon industry has been growing at a rapid pace for the last two years. Production in 2012 was 364,000 tonnes up from 221,000 tonnes the year before. Government and industry mandated measures have been introduced to reduce the risk of a recurrence of the disease. Many companies are going in for additional certification that commits them to environmental and social sustainability. Blumar Seafoods is the latest Chilean company to have its salmon processing www.eurofishmagazine.com

plant certified to the Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) standard developed by the Global Aquaculture Alliance. This makes it only the third Chilean salmon company to achieve what is called three-star certification. The first two stars refer to the company’s 11 BAP-certified salmon farming sites and to the four BAP-certified feed mills from where it sources feed. The company produces about 4,500 tonnes of salmon which is sold to retail and food service customers in the US, Europe, and Brazil.

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Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2013

13

[ NEWS INTERNATIONAL ] Belgium: EAS 2014 conference to focus on value addition The 2014 venue for the annual congress of the European Aquaculture Society will be Donostia–San Sebastián in Spain.

The event, a three day international conference dedicated to all aspects of aquaculture, will be organised by the European Aquaculture Society in cooperation with AZTI-Tecnalia, a technological centre specialised in marine and food research. The theme of next year’s conference

will be “adding value” This is a broad concept that can refer to processing and packaging of the fish or to processes that increase productivity. Adding value can also denote research that suggests ways of developing innovation or of being more innovative, or of making better use of infrastructure.

The conference will be organised into several parallel sessions

where abstracts can be presented.

As with all Aquaculture Europe events, there will be the EU Forum addressing research funded by the European Community and chaired by members of the European Commission; the EAS Student Group workshop to enable networking and exchange of ideas and finally the AE2014 Industry Forums, where the latest scientific findings related to a particular issue for aquaculture

producers in the trout, shellfish and marine fish sectors will be presented and discussed. Finally the event will feature an industry trade fair with Spanish and international companies presenting aquaculture-related products and services.

Italy: Overfishing may endanger fish stocks in more ways than one Surges in jellyfish populations may be contributing to the drop in fish stocks observed in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, reports the FAO in a new report, the Review of Jellyfish Blooms in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The report suggests that overfishing which removes the predatory species at the top of the food chain may create a vicious circle

as jellyfish populations expand and further reduce fish populations by preying on fish larvae and juveniles. Normally, only the impact of human fishing activities is taken into account in setting sustainable fishing limits, the report says. But jellyfish can also have a high impact on fish eggs and larvae, either directly or by competing for the same

food sources. They should thus be considered in any ecosystemsbased approach to fisheries management. Increases in jellyfish numbers can be attributed to overfishing, but also to other factors including ocean warming and eutrophication, which increases nutrients in the water.

The increasing use of sea walls to prevent coastal erosion and the

large number of tourist harbours also play a role as they provide the young of certain species of jellyfish with the ideal habitat. When natural predators are scarce ways need to be found to exploit jellyfish for human benefit. This will require more jellyfish research to find ways of utilising the medusae as a source of food or pharmaceuticals.

Germany: Enhancing safety at every step in the food supply chain In Europe today, consumption of chilled and frozen foods is rising by more than 10 per cent a year. But the large number of stages in the production process ‘from farm to fork’ – from farm producers to intermediate suppliers to final manufacturers, all through a range of transportation links, can sometimes result in problems caused by incorrect handling somewhere along the chain. Chill-On, a major EU-funded research project led

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Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

by the Technology Transfer Centre of Bremerhaven and involving 26 partners from 13 countries, set out to provide a solution to this problem. The goal was to achieve seamless control and monitoring of the supply chain from start to finish, thus allowing risk to be assessed, controlled and minimised.

At the heart of the system is an information management system accessed via the web known

as Tracechill. It is fed information from devices that assess the remaining shelf life of a product; that detect the presence of food pathogens and their virulence under the given temperature conditions; and that monitor temperature variations. In addition it receives information about the consignment from other sources.

Through this, users gain real-time information on the exact freshness and previous history of every single product, wherever it is on

its journey from farm to fork. In effect, this radical new system provides not just a ‘snapshot’ of any product at any point, but a continuous ‘video’ of its journey along the supply chain. Tests have already tracked Atlantic cod from Iceland to France, hake being transported from Chile to Spain, and frozen tilapia as it journeyed right through the supply chain to China. The project has thus contributed significantly to consumer health and safety.

www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ EVENTS ESE ] North Atlantic Seafood Forum: Review of the pelagic session

Raw material for fishmeal and oil diverted increasingly to human consumption Following the overview of different sessions and seminars during the 8th North Atlantic Seafood Forum in Bergen, the current issue of the Eurofish Magazine focuses on the NASF FAO Pelagic Industry Summit. Chaired by Iain MacSween, CEO Scottish Fishermen’s Organisation in the UK, this session highlighted the most important findings in the global pelagic sector in terms of production of fishmeal, fish oil and fish for consumption, trade outlook, prices and development of consumption markets.

The 8th North Atlantic Seafood Forum in Bergen, Norway, on 5-7 March 2013 brought together a large international audience. The ten seminars that comprised the event addressed every aspect of seafood giving a detailed picture of global developments in the industry.

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orldwide pelagic catches have been stable or following a slightly decreasing trend. As shown by Ragnar Nystøyl, Kontali Analyse, the total supply of pelagic fish went down from 5.7 million tonnes in 2010 to 5.3 million tonnes in 2012.

Although, the total supply of pelagics for human consumption has been unchanged at 3.9 million www.eurofishmagazine.com

tonnes during those years, the supply for fish meal and oil has decreased from 1.8 million in 2010 to 1.3 million in 2012. The major markets for pelagic fish for human consumption are Russia/Ukraine absorbing 1.1 million tonnes, followed by the EU and Africa (1 million tonnes for each market), Japan and Americas (0.4 million tonnes for each market). Fishmeal prices

have risen steadily during the year as a result of the scarcity, reflecting both lower catches and reduced fish meal production in Peru.

Prices for fishmeal and oil climb in 2013 The main reasons for high prices for fishmeal and fish oil in 2013 are low inventories in both Peru

and China, reduced quotas in North Atlantic on herring, and lower capelin quota. The drivers for the normalized prices are an increased share of raw materials for both fish meal and fish oil going to human consumption regarding, reduced growth in demand from salmon and shrimp, increased North Atlantic supply of blue whiting, and Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2013

15

the record-high fishmeal prices and record-low whitefish prices reflecting possible volume of whitefish going into fishmeal production and increased focus on substitution to vegetable, as in case with China. The upward price drivers for herring and mackerel in 2013 will be continued lower quotas in the North Atlantic (herring), high prices for fishmeal and fish oil, which sets a higher floor price also on the catch of pelagics for human consumption, increased awareness of the very good value/price relationships for both species and continuous development towards higher value per kg.

Putting pressure on prices are the market resistance towards the price level that peaked in 2012 for herring, highlighting that it is still a buyers market, and effects from the unclear situation around Atlantic mackerel suppliers. In addition, too large dependency on a few price sensitive markets, and the lack of product innovation and value-added category building, are also pushing prices downwards.

Overall, the major groups of small pelagics are well-positioned to benefit from the following trends: 1) an aquaculture industry with a growing demand for marine oils and proteins, 2) a strong demand for the same marine oils for direct human consumption and the functional food industry, and 3) increasing market opportunities for more direct human consumption of pelagic fish.

Peruvian anchovy stocks in good shape The situation in the Latin American supply and Peruvian pelagic industry was reviewed by Adriana Giudice, CEO Austral Group S.A.A. At present, the anchovy biomass is in good condition due to correct monitoring by IMARPE 16

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

(source: Norway Pelagic, NASF)

[ EVENTS ESE ]

Evolution of price of round frozen Norwegian spring spawning herring 350+.

(the Peruvian marine institute).

According the FAO reports, the anchovy is fully exploited (i.e. not over-exploited) and Peru was declared as the best country worldwide in the management of its fishery resources by the University of British Colombia in 2009. The successful implementation of the quota system allocated to each vessel based on their historical catches and their fishing capacity, resulted in solid improvements including less pressure on the resource, better planning of both fishing and production operations, re-direction of investments (mainly for human consumption), better quality fish meal and fish oil and safer working conditions for personnel.

However, there is always scope for improving artisanal and small-scale and residual fishmeal plants control. Other important trends were an increasing role in landings of anchovy for direct human consumption, preferably for canned purposes, and high variability in the case of jack mackerel and mackerel species.

In terms of exports, there was nearly no change in the value of fishmeal exported in 2011 and 2012 with export values at around USD 1.7 billion. The value of fish

oil exports increased by 26 in 2012, compared to the year before reaching USD 400 million.

The main markets for fishmeal exports in 2012 were China (50), Germany (15), Japan (9) and Chile (4). The main markets for fish oil exports from Peru were Denmark (34), Belgium (18), Chile (14), and Norway (11).

The government has declared its intention of promoting direct human consumption to reach 30 kg per capita per annum from today’s level of 19 kg. This objective is viewed as a cornerstone of social programs to eliminate malnutrition, taking into account that a shelf life of a canned anchovy product is four years.

A very important action was the implementation of the “Let’s eat fish” programme, which is mainly based on anchovy, and the introduction of anchovy meals in schools as a necessary component on the menu for kids.

High prices for mackerel and herring to continue in 2013 Significant reductions in the supply of pelagic fish from Norway in 2013 was confirmed by Tor Vikenes, CEO Norway Pelagic, the major player in production and

sales of pelagic fish for human consumption. This trend was mainly due to the 24 reduction of the NVG (Norwegian spring spawning) pelagic quota (-120 000 tonnes). The low price level of mackerel established during 2012 in combination with a 15 reduction of the mackerel quota will strengthen demand for mackerel and higher prices on mackerel products are expected throughout 2013. The price of herring products has stayed at a fairly high level during the past year and it is expected that these prices will continue in 2013 due to the huge reduction in the supply of NVG herring. The main challenges for the pelagic industry are: 1.

huge overcapacity in the Norwegian pelagic industry, reinforced by significant reduction in the quotas in 2013 and strong competition for catches; 2. to further strengthen the Norwegian position in the best paying markets since Norway has the cheapest, healthiest, and most energy efficient seafood, however, more customer-friendly products have to be developed in a closer cooperation with the processing industry. www.eurofishmagazine.com

Pelagics producers in CIS start to consolidate The situation in the CIS market was presented by Aleksander Moshensky, CEO Santa Bremor, the leading producer of pelagics in the region. Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan are the major market for pelagic fish products with a total annual consumption of over 1 million tonnes, including more than 500 000 tonnes imported. The market structure is characterized by 15-18 major importers-traders and 80-100 medium traders. In

the processing sector, there are 6 major producers, more than 50 medium producers and more than 500 small producers. The main trends, underlined by Aleksander Moshensky, were that the pelagic market in the CIS countries is still price sensitive where quality plays an increasingly important role. The number of importers and traders has started to decrease, and producers are starting to consolidate. Strong branding, strict costs control and ongoing innovation seem to be major success factors, while long term and close partnerships

(source: Norway Pelagic, NASF)

[ EVENTS ESE ]

Evolution of price of round frozen mackerel 400-600.

with raw material suppliers are essential features for market success.

Katia Tribilustova, Eurofish katia.tribilustova@eurofish.dk

Thaifex – World of Food Asia, Bangkok, 22-26 May 2013

Booming attendance leads to further increases in floor space next year

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haifex – World of Food Asia, a week-long food and beverage exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand could boast record numbers when the event concluded on 26 May. With 1,340 exhibitors and over 27,000 visitors from 125 countries, the organisers, Koelnmesse, highlighted a 15 increase in comparison to the previous edition of the event while spot sales were assessed at USD15m.

important Thai exports, but seafood is perhaps the best known.

The country is among the world’s biggest exporters of shrimp and canned tuna. In 2010 Thailand exported 400,000 tonnes of shrimp with a value of USD3 billion to the world’s main seafood markets, the EU, US and Japan.

Thaifex was inaugurated by Mr Nattawut Sikuar, the Thai Deputy Minister of Commerce, who said in his address that he hoped the event would help boost his country’s reputation as a centre of food production and a hub for related technologies and services.

Thailand is already a substantial exporter of food items with exports valued at USD28.5 billion in 2011. Rice, fruit and vegetables, and flowers are among the

Already two months before the opening all the 60,000 sq. m of space at the show was sold out, a record in the event’s 10-year history. This year the overall space was enlarged by 15 to accommodate the expected increase in exhibitors. Even so, enthusiasm for the show reveals there is further scope for expansion and for the 2014 edition another increase of 20,000 sq. m has been announced. The number of

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Data from the event is overwhelmingly positive

foreign exhibitors climbed by 50 to more than 600 exhibitors from international companies representing 47 of participation with 13 represented by local importers and another 40 by Thai exporters. This year, there were 20 country and regional representations, including China, Europe, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. New country pavilions included Brazil, Turkey and Italy.

Italy was represented by Federalimentare (the Italian Food & Drink Industry Federation), and Fiere di Parma, two bodies that collaborated with Koelnmesse giving Italy premier partner country status. Thanks to the collaboration almost 70 Italian companies exhibited at the show, a number that is expected to double by 2015, and they took over 600 sq. m of space. The partnership also Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2013

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[ EVENTS ESE ]

Thaifex – World of Food Asia concluded on a high note with all indicators – visitors, exhibitors, and space deployed – registering positive growth.

resulted in other benefits including a buyers’ programme where close to 20 buyers were invited from Asia and exposed to the Italian exhibitors. Federalimentare and Fiere de Parma had also organised four supermarket stores at The Mall, The Central, Big C and Siam Makro. To promote Italy’s products in the most relevant manner to Asia, a joint welcome reception party was organised, featuring the best of Italian and Thai cuisine created by Italian and Thai chefs.

Trade visitors were also treated to a series of cooking demonstrations and coffee tasting events at the Italian pavilion.

World of Seafood, a one stop shop for buyers This year also saw the launch of the World of Seafood, a section of Thaifex that was dedicated to the chilled and frozen seafood sector. Over 170 companies were 18

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

exhibiting here as well as country groups from China, Korea and Taiwan and the Korea Fishery Trade Association and the Taiwan Frozen Food Association making it an important stop for wholesale, distribution, retail, and food service buyers.

Exhibitors and visitors were not only able to witness developments in products and services within the food sector at Thaifex, but could also hear about recent innovations at specialised conferences on packaging, food safety, and the cool chain that were organised within the framework of the exhibition. High level speakers from some of the world’s biggest and most international food companies including Arla, Danone, and others, addressed the audience about packaging companies’ contribution to reducing packaging waste, and global food safety, among other topics. As

one of the world’s biggest exporters of crop and livestock products Thailand takes food safety very seriously. In the seafood sector the Thai Department of Fisheries has worked for several years developing a rigorous system of quality assurance and traceability that binds together producers, processors, exporters and buyers. Seafood facilities and the products manufactured there are inspected before being exported to ensure they are free of harmful agents. Shrimp, one of Thailand’s most important exports, is subject to Thai and international guidelines on best practise, which are applied to every step of the value addition chain.

Contests that entertain and enlighten The exhibition also included other sub-events such as competitions, which served both

to entertain and to inform. For instance, the Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge that brought competitors from several parts of Thailand as well as six foreign countries to compete showed the audience the skills of Thai chefs as well as new ways of using Thai ingredients. Another contest, the quest to find the perfectly roasted coffee bean, which was won by Indonesian, Thai, and Myanmar products in different categories, illustrated the growing importance of coffee in parts of Southeast Asia despite a strong tea-drinking tradition.

The competition was a chance for coffee growers and baristas to better understand the product and the demands of the market.

Thaifex promises yet more novelty at the next edition of the event, which will be held on 21-25 May 2014. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ PROJECTS ] EcoFishMan results after two years

A management system that hands responsibility to the fisherman Jónas R. Viðarsson, Matis, Iceland

The EcoFishMan project (www.ecofishman.com) seeks to develop an alternative to the established top-down approach to fisheries management in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) area. This alternative is based on results based management: delegation of responsibility to achieve defined objectives. The idea is to invite organised groups of fishermen with rights in a particular fishery (“operators”) to become involved in, and assume responsibility for, specific management and research activities.

The management plan developed according to the Responsive Fisheries Management System in the Icelandic case study applies to the small coastal fleet as illustrated by this vessel.

T

he system the EcoFishMan project is developing is called a “Responsive Fisheries Management System” (RFMS). In an RFMS, operators propose a management plan as a way to achieve specific objectives set by the authorities. The performance of the plan will be audited by an external agency. If the plan performs well, the authority will allow the operator to proceed with it. However, if problems

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are observed, the authority may request that revisions are made in order to achieve the defined objectives.

Prototypes use input from all stakeholder In the lifetime of the EcoFishMan project, four versions or “prototypes” of this approach will be developed and examined. Each prototype describes

how the RFMS works in practice. For instance, it will include guidelines for authorities and operators. Each prototype will be tested in a case study and then the lessons learned and feedback from stakeholders will be used to adapt the prototype accordingly. Stakeholders have been closely involved in the whole process with stakeholder meetings held so far in Italy, Portugal and Scotland.

The cases studies are the: – – – –

Icelandic demersal mixed fishery; Portuguese crustacean bottom trawl fishery; North Sea mixed demersal bottom trawl fishery; Mediterranean mixed demersal trawl fishery.

Prototype 1 has already been developed and tried out in relation to an Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

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AUTHORITY

Outcome targets

oo

Approved management plan

ImplementaƟŽŶ

ŽĐƵŵĞŶƚĂƟŽŶ

ASSESSOR

Assessment

Nielsen K N., Holm P., Aschan, M., 2012.

EcoFishMan Deliverable 4.1.

[ PROJECTS ]

OPERATOR The agencies and process in the Ecofishman prototype.

Icelandic fishery, and prototype 2 has been tried out in relation to both Icelandic and Portuguese fisheries. During the course of next year a modified prototype will be tested in the North Sea case and in the Portuguese case. In the end, a final prototype will be tried out for the Mediterranean case.

Management plan will achieve predefined objectives The authority and the operator (organised groups of fishermen) agree to achieve certain specific and measurable objectives. These objectives are called “Outcome Targets”. An Outcome Targets is for instance that the spawning stock biomass is to exceed a certain number (of metric tonnes). In the CFP area, this value will typically be the level, at which the stock is expected to generate a Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). MSY level is a focal biological Outcome Targets in the CFP area, because it is the sustainability target that the CFP is committed to achieve for each stock by 2015.

The focal element is the management plan, which is proposed 20

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

by the operators. The plan will function as a contract between the authority and the operators, and specify how responsibilities for specific research and management functions will be divided. An independent assessor will subsequently monitor whether the terms of the contract are fulfilled. The model hence includes three key agencies: –

–

The authority has the final responsibility for resource management. It specifies a set of specific and measurable goals (outcome targets) to be reached for a given fishery. In a single nation fishery, the authority could be the national fisheries administration. In an internationally shared fishery, the authority could be at a European or a regional level.

The operator proposes a management plan, which establishes how the outcome targets can be achieved through a proposed set of management measures. The operator may cooperate with researchers and/or the authority about the development of the plan.

–

The assessor examines the extent to which the outcome targets are achieved. For the operator, the assessment will provide a basis for drafting modifications. For the authority, the assessment may be a basis for implementing sanctions or rewards (depending on whether outcome targets have been achieved), or for revising outcome targets if this is required.

If a management plan is approved by the authority, the operator can proceed with its implementation. The operator may cooperate with the authority about details of implementing the plan (the authority may for instance supply enforcement services). During the implementation of the plan, the operator is responsible for collecting information required for assessing whether or not the Outcome Targets are achieved, and it may contract research services to this end. The documentation provided by the operator is reviewed by a competent assessor, which is institutionally independent from the both authority and the operator.

Questions regarding operator capacity remain Delegation of responsibility to resource users comes with the potential to address major problems with fisheries management in the CFP area, but it also raises major challenges. Among other things, the project consortium has learned about the difficulties of defining specific and measurable objectives for which industry can be made responsible. It is important to avoid defining too many such objectives as this will result in a new type of “micromanagement”. Another important question regards the issue of whether the operators will actually have the organisational capacity and resources necessary to assume significant management responsibility. To make results based management work, operators would require assistance from relevant experts, and arrangements that allow them to gain experience with planning and implementing management measures must be put in place.

Kåre Nielsen, University of Tromsø www.eurofishmagazine.com

NORWAY

Norway seeks to become the world’s leading seafood nation

Strong focus on research, sustainability to propel the seafood industry

Cod being hung up to dry to make stockfish, a traditional product made typically on the Lofoten Islands and exported to southern Europe.

Jean Gaumy, © 2010, Norwegian Seafood Council

Investments in research and development, education and training, and a renewed focus on sustainability and innovation will enable Norway to maintain its position as one of the powerhouses of the global marine sector in 2050. Government and industry together are discussing policies and considering measures that will prepare the Norwegian seafood sector to meet the challenges of the future and to maintain and even enhance its role in the Norwegian economy. As it evolves the sector will concentrate on greater value addition, new sources of raw materials, and novel ways of processing them.

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ith a mainland coastline of 29,000 km (over 100,000 km if island coastlines are included), Norway has an intimate relationship with the sea, which has played an important commercial, www.eurofishmagazine.com

nutritional, and cultural role in Norwegian society for centuries.

Ancient traditions of catching, trading, and eating fish combined with Norway’s natural geographical advantages have laid the foundation for a dynamic fish and

seafood industry. The number of seafood-related companies, the range of products, and the extent of the ancillary goods and services that have sprung from the seafood sector testify to its width and depth.

Contributing to the economy The sea and its bounty are inextricably tied to economic life in Norway. According to a report last year from the independent research Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2013

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organisation Sintef (Verdiskaping og sysselsetting i norsk sjømatnæring 2010 - en ringvirkningsanalyse, Sintef, 2012), in 2010 the value generated (in the form of contribution to GDP) by the Norwegian seafood sector, including ancillary industries, amounted to NOK46.5 billion of which the ancillary industries were about NOK18 billion. Norwegian exports of fish and seafood in 2012 amounted to NOK51.6 billion (EUR6.6 billion), an amount only exceeded by the value of exports from the oil/ natural gas industry, and metals. Norwegian seafood is exported to 130 countries in the world, says Christian Chramer, Director of Communication at the Norwegian Seafood Council, and of these the EU is the most important. In 2012, out of the ten most important markets for fish and seafood by value seven were in the EU. The seafood and related sectors employed 44,000 people in 2010 and is a vital source of jobs in coastal communities. The Oslo stock exchange is the world’s leading financial market for seafood. For the fish and seafood sector to continue to contribute to the Norwegian economy to the extent it does, and even to expand this role, it constantly has to evolve and develop, setting new standards, being visionary, and shaping events.

Demand for seafood set to rise Another study (Value created from productive oceans in 2050) produced by a working group appointed by the Royal Norwegian Society of Sciences and Letters (DKNVS) and the Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences (NTVA), points out that global population today stands at over 7 billion people and is expected to increase to more than 9 billion by 22

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

Kjell Ove Storvik, © 2010, Norwegian Seafood Council

NORWAY

The fishing fleet comprises 6,000 vessels of which the majority is small vessels with low catch capacities.

2050. Increasing prosperity, urbanisation, and growing awareness of the health benefits of seafood will drive greater consumption.

Demand for Norwegian seafood from global markets, where the size of the middle class is growing is projected to rise as Norway promotes its reputation for safe, high quality seafood from unpolluted waters. This will call for the production of increasing amounts of seafood. By building on its existing capabilities the Norwegian seafood sector can benefit enormously from this increased demand.

Invest in research and development What are the associations that commonly come to mind when thinking of Norwegian seafood?

For most, quality, variety, and health, would probably be at least some of the ways to characterise seafood from Norway, irrespective of whether it referred to white fish, pelagic fish, crustaceans, or salmon. This is no mere coincidence, but the result of sustained investments into research and development to improve quality, generate new products, and investigate the benefits of eating fish and seafood.

This science-based approach which has served Norway so well in the past is set to continue.

Torger Reve and Amir Sasson from the BI Norwegian Business School in a recent book (Et kunnskapsbasert Norge) call the Norwegian seafood sector a “global knowledge hub.”

Research and development is considered so fundamental to the continued success of the seafood industry that the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs on behalf of the government established a committee to draw up a proposal for an integrated research strategy for the overall field of marine science.

Called the HAV21 strategy committee, it comprised senior people from universities, research organisations, the administration, and private industry, among other institutions. In 2012 the committee published its proposal for a national marine research and development strategy that emphasised the importance of knowledge. The Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs in its own white paper (Meld. St. 22 [2012-2013], Melding til Stortinget, Verdens fremste sjømatnasjon) from 2012 has presented its vision of Norway as a leading seafood

nation, which is partly based on the assumption that there will be new and relevant innovations in the fields of fish health, fish breeding and technology.

Research and development has been recognised as an increasingly important criterion for success. Within the seafood sector, the aquaculture industry spends the most on research and development, but still greater efforts will be needed to increase the level of innovation in the sector as a whole in order for it to realise its full potential over the next 40 years. Farming species other than salmon and trout, for example, will call for more research and development to solve the challenges that are inhibiting progress in the sector. For shellfish these include quality issues, high production costs, and the presence of toxins in the water.

Research funding is mainly from public sources (64) followed by industry (25) among others and amounted in total to approximately NOK3.2 billion in 2011. This research itself is carried out by research institutes, universities, as well as the industry. If Norway is to maintain its position as a leader www.eurofishmagazine.com

Per Eide Studio, © 2010, Norwegian Seafood Council

Jean Gaumy, © 2010, Norwegian Seafood Council

NORWAY

Catches of cod are seasonal with a peak in the period January to April.

This can be a problem for the processing industry which seeks to supply all around the year.

The whitefish processing sector has been through several rounds of consolidation over the years with the result that there are now 10 filleting companies producing fresh and frozen fillets.

in the field of marine research, management, and industry, then investment in research should be stepped up, recommends the HAV21 report. It will be necessary to create more permanent research positions, make research careers in the marine sector more attrac-

pool of talent from which potential researchers can be drawn. Some of the areas on which research should be focused include the ecosystem, fish health and safe seafood, new marine raw materials, education and training, and technology. Prioritising these areas

tive, increase funding for research, improve ties between industry and the research establishment, and collaborate nationally and internationally on research projects.

Research institutes should also be more involved in education and training programmes to create a

(among others) will contribute to the realisation of the government’s vision of Norway as a leading seafood nation that use its resources sustainably, is innovative at every link in the value chain, and supplies very high quality products.

Researchers will also need to focus

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NORWAY

Per Eide Studio, © 2010, Norwegian Seafood Council

on building global networks and protecting intellectual property if Norway is to maintain its position as a force in the field of marine research.

Sustainability is key to a prosperous future The sustainability of the sector is also critical for its development.

As the HAV21 report says, the ocean is vulnerable and needs to be carefully husbanded if it is to continue to provide the foundation for Norwegian prosperity for the generations to come. Norway has a strong track record in fisheries management, says Petter Ustad, who is responsible for the marine sector at Innovation Norway, our research institutes such as the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen do excellent work, our fleet is the most modern in the world, and we exploit our resources sensibly. The precautionary approach has been a central pillar of modern Norwegian fisheries management and since 2009 has been given legal force.

Together with the ecosystem approach that takes into account the interplay between the different elements of the marine ecosystem, and the principle of maximum sustainable yield, which is harvesting at the highest level that a stock can tolerate over an indefinite period, these are essential parts of a sustainable fisheries management policy.

In the aquaculture sector there are issues such as fish escapes and lice infestations that continue to plague the industry. To increase the sustainability of fish farming the Ministry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs proposes in its white paper to monitor and measure the effect of lice and escapes on wild salmon stocks. When threshold values are reached it will trigger further measures 24

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

Saltfish is produced for export markets, but increasingly is sold locally for the production of salted and dried fish (klippfish), the biggest whitefish export earner.

depending on the seriousness of the threat. The use of fishmeal and fish oil in fish feed also has an impact on the sustainability of aquaculture. Use of these two ingredients has been steadily declining, but using fish and fish waste that would otherwise be discarded whether at sea or from processing operations would contribute to the sustainability of fish feed, as it would reduce the pressure on stocks of industrial fish.

Improved monitoring of marine resources and ecosystems including pollution levels will also reduce the environmental footprint of the industry. In any event, regulations on sustainability and environmental protection are likely to become more stringent and the fisheries and aquaculture sector will have to document that their activities conform to this legislation.

One of the unknowns in the sustainability equation is the impact of climate change, which could have unforeseen effects on the fisheries and aquaculture sector. For example, increasing water temperatures and icecap melting and the impact

of these on marine life at the lower trophic levels that sustain commercial fish populations is still very much conjecture and more work needs to be done to get a better understanding of the potential impacts of climate change on the marine environment.

Development hinges on ready access to capital Norway’s ability to slow climate change may be limited, but there are domestic constraints that also need to be removed for the sector to thrive. The seafood sector has the ability to build on its strengths, but needs to burnish its credentials in relation to the environment and improve its ability to attract talent. Qualified people may be drawn more to the offshore energy industry which offers higher salaries and more attractive locations in urban centres than the fishing and aquaculture sector. Access to capital is also a prerequisite for the development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector, and while finance for expanding production and capacity is available to the aquaculture and parts of the

fisheries sector, other segments find it more difficult. In particular, new industries that are associated with greater risks and longer payback periods will need to be able to raise capital.

Policies should aim at increasing interest in the sector The success of the Norwegian seafood sector stems partly from the extensive coastal waters which host the aquaculture industry.

However, growth in the sector may necessitate the sustainable exploitation of larger areas of water, which may conflict with other users of the coast and coastal waters. The aquaculture sector will need to explore the possibility of moving its activities further offshore as well as of establishing closed containment systems onshore so that it can grow without constraining or being constrained by other industries. This development too must be environmentally responsible and preserve the resource for future generations. The goevernment’s white paper suggests the www.eurofishmagazine.com

time may have come to prioritise the production of food in areas that are most suitable for this over other uses of offshore and inshore waters. This is already the case for agricultural land and the government plans to see how sea-based production can be optimised.

Policy changes such as these can have an enormous influence on the seafood sector particularly as it is so highly regulated. Formulating policy to galvanise interest in the sector would lead to greater investment and more rapid development.

If the measure outlined above are implemented, what is going to characterise the seafood sector in the future?

New species, techniques, and products The current core of the sector comprises several familiar industries – value chains based on capture fishing for finfish and shellfish; and those leading from salmon and trout farming; the production of feed; marine ingredients and marine bioprospecting; ancillary goods and services for these industries; and expertise in the form of education, training and research. In addition, there are new areas that are expected to further evolve over the next years and increase the sector’s overall contribution to GDP. These include value chains based on new farmed finfish and shellfish species; farming and harvesting of macro and microalgae; and the use of ranching, whereby productive parts of the ocean are seeded with certain species which are then allowed to grow naturally until they are harvested.

However, traditional products from the seafood sector will continue to provide the bulk of www.eurofishmagazine.com

both volumes and value in 2050, but it is anticipated that production of new species of finfish and shellfish will also increase significantly. Of these cod and halibut are already being farmed, but current volumes are insignificant.

Provisional sales figures for 2012 are 10,000 tonnes of cod and 1,700 tonnes of halibut, against which, sales of salmonids amounted to 1.3m tonnes. Increased volumes of farmed cod are contingent upon bringing the cost of production down to a level where the farmed fish can compete with the wild product. Another interesting area is the production of cleaner fish which are employed to reduce the level of lice infesting salmon. As salmon production grows it may be necessary to farm cleaner fish in order to prevent the depletion of wild stocks. Integrated multitrophic aquaculture, which combines the cultivation of different species so that the wastes of one species are used as inputs for the other, is a possible way of cultivating mussels. These could then be used for human consumption or as a by-product to be used as feed.

Marine ingredients, typically high value products such as oils, proteins, and biochemicals from marine resources, will become an increasingly important component of the seafood industry.

Valued at NOK5 billion today the sector’s contribution to GDP is expected to increase to NOK70 billion in value by 2050, while volumes increase from 0.9m tonnes to 4.4m tonnes. The larger volumes can be attributed to the increased volumes of fish that are forecast to be caught, farmed and processed in Norwegian facilities. The waste material including heads, livers, roe, milt, and belly flaps, will be increasingly used for human consumption as well as for fish and animal feed. In 2011 about 24 of the approximately

Lauritzen og Westhammer, © 2010, Norwegian Seafood Council

NORWAY

Research and development in the seafood industry is a prerequisite for the healthy growth of the sector.

820,000 tonnes of waste materials remained unutilised. Marine bioprospecting, the use of biomolecules derived from plants, animals, or microorganisms found in the ocean, is another potential source of marine ingredients. Proximity to the sea and a strong culture of ocean research could make Norway a leader in the field. A strong marine ingredients industry is also based on demand for feed, health foods, pharmaceuticals and other products that make use of marine ingredients. Research and development, new sources of marine ingredients, and higher status for products derived from waste will contribute to the development of the marine ingredients industry.

The cultivation of algae is another potential new activity for the seafood sector. This includes the farming of both macro and microalgae. Microalgae with

their high content of useful oils have a number of applications as sources of food and energy.

However, the identification of species with the most potential, and then their cultivation to give biomass in sufficient quantities are among the issues that have to be addressed. The development of an industry based on microalgae cultivation also calls for greater interest from the private sector and more publically funded research. Macroalgae are cultivated mainly in Asia and a small proportion is used for the production of health foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fertilisers etc. Norway has several species of macroalgae growing along its coast and has a history of harvesting and using them for human and animal consumption. It also has vast areas within its EEZ that could be used for the cultivation of macroalgae on a commercial scale. While Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2013

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NORWAY

microalgae cultivation will probably mostly take place in countries with more sunlight, Norway may benefit through the export to these places of its expertise in production technologies.

Macroalgae production could increase to up to 20m tonnes by 2050 from 200,000 tonnes of naturally harvested seaweed in 2010 if cultivation is permitted and if the necessary technology to exploit the biomass is developed.

consumption, waste material from the processing industry, and finally agricultural products. Limits on the first three mean that other sources will have to be investigated particularly those that offer the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids EPA and DHA. Potential sources include zooplankton such as krill and copepods, macro and microalgae, bacteria, yeasts, agricultural wastes and genetically modified plants.

Supporting the development of these fields will be expected advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and information technology. Altogether, the predicted outcome is a value generation by 2050 of NOK550 billion, a more than 10-fold increase over three and a half decades. In the past such predictions have been broadly on target. In 1999, for example, the prognosis was that capture fishery volumes would remain at about 2.7m tonnes, about the same level as in 1999, while values would increase from NOK20bn to NOK27bn. Although, both volumes and values of the different species varied from those predicted, overall in fact the forecasts were remarkably accurate.

The cultivation of valuable species in waters that are either naturally productive or are made productive by human intervention is another field that has potential in Norway.

This could include seeding areas that have natural upwellings of nutrients with species that could then be harvested when they reach commercial size (ranching). It could also mean the creation of artificial reefs to increase production or improving breeding technologies for high values species such as lobsters or scallops.

The presence of favourable conditions for these activities in coastal waters and the natural occurrence of suitable species mean that this could well be an activity that will develop in the future.

Exploring new sources of fishmeal and oil

Exploiting benefits of climate change to increase catches

Feed is a critical input for finfish aquaculture sector and if the volumes of farmed fish are to increase to 5m tonnes by 2050, the amount of feed that will be needed is predicted to be 6m tonnes. Fishmeal and fish oil are two of the constituents of fish feed and according to the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation about 1.4 kg of wild fish are needed to produce 1 kg of salmon. Current sources of raw materials for the production of fish feed include targeted industrial fisheries, discards from commercial fisheries for human 26

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

An increase in the value and volumes generated by the fisheries sector by 2050 can be attributed to a number of factors. The sector is based on the capture of pelagic and demersal finfish species as well as shellfish, including prawns, lobsters, and bivalves and will increasingly include catches of krill and copepods that form the lower trophic levels in the food chain. Norway is already well known for its ability to manage its fish and shellfish stocks and over the years still more

research will go into improving systems of management and developing new ones. The number of species and sizes that are harvested will increase. Climate change is generally expected to have a positive influence on the productivity of Norwegian waters.

The level of knowledge regarding stocks and their dynamics, as well as about the marine ecosystem, is expected to improve and this will also play a role in regulation of catches. These factors may lead fishers to catch greater volumes than is the case today.

Adding greater value to products Greater value-added from the Norwegian processing industry is conditional upon developments in technology and expertise both within the industry as well as among suppliers. The value of by-products from the processing industry as well as waste raw materials will increase as they are used for the production of high-value items. However, adding value within Norway to fish bound for the European market faces a particular problem.

The customs regime in the EU imposes higher duties on products that have more added value.

As a result, most of the salmon exported to the EU is either whole or fresh or frozen fillets. More value addition to be done in Norway on products for the EU will depend on a change in the existing duty structure.

The political agreements that govern such issues are one of the hindrances that could complicate Norway’s objective of becoming a leading seafood nation. Increasing the production and sales of seafood depends on the market and in Norway’s case these are its export markets. Norwegian seafood is exported to 120 countries

in the world, says Christian Cramer, Director of Communication at the Norwegian Seafood Council, and of these the EU is the most important. In 2012 out of the ten most important markets for fish and seafood by value seven were in the EU. The importance of exports leaves the industry susceptible to influence from economic trends on markets – those that are in recession may not be able to absorb as much Norwegian seafood. Currently many EU countries economies are not doing well, and if this persists it could have an impact on the development of the seafood sector in Norway.

The report, Value created from productive oceans 2050, offers an estimate of the value generation potential in the seafood sector in 2050. Taken together fisheries, aquaculture, marine ingredients, and feed production, new farmed species, marine algae, and sea ranching, are predicted to grow to NOK230 billion in 2030 and 550 billion in 2050 including the value generated by ancillary industries.

The projected growth in volumes and values for the Norwegian seafood industry will also result in growth in the ancillary sector, suppliers of goods and services to the core of the seafood sector. These suppliers include manufacturers of vessels and related technologies, fishing gear, monitoring and control equipment, fish health products, feed, legal and financial services, transport and logistical services, etc. Increasing investments in research and development, higher levels of innovation, closer collaboration among suppliers, as well as increased professionalism, are expected to increasingly characterise the ancillary industries. These supplying companies are already exporting their products and this is expected to increase as the sector grows. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ AQUACULTURE ] Promising candidates for aquaculture

Availability of fry is often a bottleneck in aquaculture Although the spectrum of species produced in aquaculture is getting broader and broader only few of them succeed in asserting themselves lastingly on the markets. The ten most produced fish species account for nearly three quarters of the total volume of fish from aquaculture. New aquaculture species stand a good chance of market success in Asia, in particular, where consumers are generally open towards seafood. In contrast, consumers in western countries are often initially more cautious. This is the second part of a two-part article on potential aquaculture species. The first appeared in Eurofish Magazine EM3 2013.

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onsumption behaviour in western countries is rather odd: fish species that are easy to reproduce and farm, for example a lot of cyprinid species, attract only little interest whereas demand is high for species whose farming is very difficult and only partially understood, or is not even possible yet at all. One only has to think of eel or bluefin tuna which enjoy consistent popularity: demand for these species is in the meantime higher than supply. Both of them are produced in aquaculture but the necessary fry – glass eels and juvenile tuna – are still taken from natural stocks. The two species are thus farmed in capture based aquaculture which does not take the pressure off wild stocks but even weakens them.

Scientists all over the world are working intensively to discover

the secrets behind reproduction of such difficult species with the aim of meeting fish farms’ fry requirements through artificial reproduction and enabling better understanding and control of the technology required for reproduction. Although notable progress has been made in the reproduction of several tuna species in recent years it still doesn’t look as if a solution will be found in the near future.

The bluefin species from the Atlantic and the Pacific are of course particularly attractive for aquaculture. They account for only 0.9 of tuna catches from fisheries but they are very valuable, and demand for them is high, especially on the sushi and sashimi markets. It is thus hardly surprising that nearly all tuna farms have

A lot of the problems involved in tuna aquaculture have still not been solved. Although there has been progress in some areas tuna farming is still a long way from a real breakthrough. www.eurofishmagazine.com

specialised in these species. The juvenile tuna required for farming – mostly fishes weighing 15 to 45 kilograms – are caught very carefully in the sea and put into huge floating net cages measuring 100 m and over. The preferred fishing gear is the purse seine, or occasionally traps or rod and line with smooth hooks. In order to reduce stress the tuna are often taken directly within the fishing gear to the net cages – sometimes over distances of several hundred sea miles. The speed at which this is carried out should not be too high because otherwise the lactic acid concentration in the fishes’ muscles increases too strongly and with it the fishes’ mortality.

Younger tuna seem to be more resistant to stress than older ones.

On average, the tuna remain in the net cages for three to six months. During this time they are fed on low-priced fish species such as herring, sardines, anchovies, sardinella or mackerel which increases their weight considerably. They are usually only harvested to order when the quality and size – and the price – of the fishes is right. Several methods are used for removing the fishes from the net cages. In Australia and Croatia the net is narrowed down until the individual fishes

can be caught by hand. Undamaged fishes have the highest quality (“toro”). After killing and bleeding they are quickly cooled so as to avoid histamine development. The destruction of the spinal cord with a wire prevents spasms within the muscles when the fish dies which would lead to development of lactate and reduce the quality of the fish. If lactate concentration is too high the fish are termed “yake” (Japanese for “burnt”) and this makes them unsuitable for sashimi. In Malta and Spain the tuna are driven into a funnel shaped fishing net that is hung into the net cage. Electro harpoons are also used for harvesting.

Technology for “real” tuna farming is still evolving The first stages of this farming technology date back to the year 1985. In the meantime there are farms on most of the world’s continents. In the Mediterranean tuna are farmed all around Sicily and Malta, off Spain, Croatia, France, Tunisia and Algeria.

Production fluctuates strongly from year to year and can only be roughly estimated. Ten years ago 11,000 t are said to have been produced in the Mediterranean Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2013

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[ AQUACULTURE ] region alone. At that time this quantity was equal to about half of global production of tuna in aquaculture. In 2005 the FAO named worldwide production at 22,995 t. The aquaculture industry’s figure for the same year is higher, however: 32,500 t. In 2010 FAO statistics stated a total volume of 9,412 t, of which just under half, or 4,000 t, were Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus), 3,324 t were southern bluefin tuna (T. maccoyii), and 2,000 t were Pacific bluefin tuna (T. orientalis).

Japan is the main buyer of tuna from aquaculture. Although farmed tuna account for only 4 of the Japanese tuna market they are of huge significance because they are practically all (100) traded in the high-value toro segment (the toro share of tuna from the fishing sector is about 30). Japan’s sashimi market is in the meantime largely saturated, however.

The further development of tuna farming will thus depend on the development of new sales markets. There are hopes that this will be possible in the USA which buys at least 45,000 t of premium-quality tuna (sushi, sashimi, barbecue) every year.

Solving some of the problems that currently still restrict production increases will be decisive for the future development of tuna aquaculture. A particularly urgent need is for regular hatching of the fishes since that is the only way to meet the farms’ demand for fry without further weakening wild stocks.

Equally important is the development of a viable dry feed that corresponds fully to the nutritional requirements of the tuna.

Although progress has been made in both these areas in recent times we are still a long way from a breakthrough.

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Researchers at Kinki University in Japan (where the first farming experiments took place in 1979) have been particularly successful with hatching bluefins. In 1989 the fishes spawned for the first time in the cages and in 2002 the researchers succeeded in closing the reproduction cycle completely, when tuna that had been raised in aquaculture spawned and supplied eggs themselves for the first time. Because hatching tuna demands tremendous know-how and is very expensive it is still not possible to get by without using wild fry. Yellowfin tuna are produced artificially on a relatively regular basis, too. In tanks at the Achotines Laboratory of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (Panama) yellowfins have spawned nearly every year since 1996. The larvae and juvenile tuna are still being used for scientific experiments and farming experiments. The Stehr Group in Australia also attracted attention recently with their successes in farming Southern bluefin tuna.

The development of a dry feed that is suitable for tuna would make farming easier and more effective. Because wild fry are conditioned to eating fresh feed in the net cages, making it hardly possible to switch their nutrition to dry feed, they are currently mainly fed on trash fish or bait. This feed is often supplied frozen which leads to considerable expenses for storage, transport and feeding. Apart from that, the feed conversion ratio (FCR) is very high with values between 10 and 15. In other words it takes 10 to 15 kg of fresh fish to produce one kilogram of tuna. In the meantime the first commercial pellet feed products are available on the market (for example Cargill / USA offers a complete tuna feed containing 45 protein and 20 fats that are protected against oxidation by a special technique)

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Optimistic aquaculture experts prophesized similar success for cobia as for salmon but this has unfortunately not come about so far.

but these products have still not been able to assert themselves in practice in capture-based aquaculture.

Cobia and yellowtails still too expensive for the mass market Whilst tuna farming is still in its infancy the production of other high-value species such as cobia (Rachycentron canadum) or yellowtails (Seriola spp.) has become almost routine. The firm white flesh of the cobia which is also traded under the names black salmon, runner, black kingfish, crabeater, cubby yew, prodigal son or sergeant fish is similar to that of blue merlin and is not only in Asia in high demand for sushi and sashimi. The fish grows very quickly and can grow from a 5-gram fingerling to a sales weight of 5 kg within just a year. Optimistic aquaculture experts predicted for cobia similar success as for salmon but this has so far not come about. For the vast majority of consumers the fish is simply too expensive: its sales price is around 15 USD/kg. So although the number of farms is increasing worldwide production is only growing slowly. According to FAO statistics a good 40,000 t were farmed in 2010, particularly in Taiwan and China which contributed more than 90 to total production. The relatively high price of the fish results from its feed requirements,

for cobia is a predator that mainly eats fish, and accordingly needs protein-rich feed. Apart from that, raising the fry is not easy, and farming technology still has room for development. The larvae initially have to be fed on zooplankton and later this is switched to dry feed. If the feed isn’t exactly right, the young fishes start eating one another. If it proves possible to stabilize the early stage of farming and further reduce production costs cobia stands a good chance of future success. After all, with an FCR of about 1 this fish reaches a marketable size of 5 to 7 kg in just one year. Salmon takes three times as long.

Yellowtails (Seriola spp.) are to be found in the same league as cobia. All Seriola species stand out for their white, tender, tasty meat.

Because yellowtails from aquaculture have a high fat content their meat is popular in Japan where fat is considered a particular quality feature, and farmed yellowtails are therefore even more appreciated than their wild counterparts which are often leaner. The market prices for farmed yellowtails are thus about twice as high as for wild catches. In 2010 nearly 160,000 t of yellowtails were produced worldwide in aquaculture. Japan contributed 139,000 t to this total.

Japanese farms mainly produce Seriola quinqueradiata. Although it is already possible to hatch this species artificially most of the www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ AQUACULTURE ] fry still come from wild catches (capture based aquaculture). This is likely to change soon because Japan now restricts the removal of wild juveniles in order to protect wild stocks. In recent years, however, even the permitted volume of about 40 million juveniles (30-100 g) was rarely fully used. The catch figures were often only 25 to 30 million fishes.

In the meantime other countries have recognized the market potential of the Seriola species and now two further representatives of this genus are being produced in aquaculture: yellow-tail kingfish (S. lalandi) and amberjack (S. dumerili), for example in Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Ecuador und Vietnam. Spain had begun testing production, and Italy, Croatia, Greece, Malta and France have also tested farming possibilities.

The fish are mainly produced in floating net cages. A light current, clean water and constantly high temperatures (the fishes stop eating at temperatures below 15°C) are essential for good growth. If fed well the fishes grow quickly.

Fry weighing 50 g can reach weights of 200 to 700 g in a few months and up to 2 kg are possible after seven months. The fishes are mainly fed on fish. The FCR is somewhere between 5 and 7. If accordingly conditioned, fishes also eat dry feed.

Dashed expectations among many caviar producers Some fish species that are still largely unknown in western countries have been farmed for a long time in Asia. One such is snakeheads (Channa spp.).

The low-fat, white meat of these fishes and the fact that the fillets are almost boneless would www.eurofishmagazine.com

Yellowtails are already produced in Europe, too, but still in relatively small quantities.

presumably give them good market chances in Europe. The Channidae family (snakeheads) comprises 12 species that are to be found almost throughout the whole of South East Asia. All Channa species are air-breathers and so they can be farmed in swamps, water channels, rice fields, oxidation ponds and other waters with low oxygen concentrations without problems.

Production volume of these fishes increased more than thirty-fold within a decade. However, there are only a few companies that have specialised in Channa farming, which requires a lot of experience because snakeheads immediately become cannibalistic if the feed quantity and quality is not right. In the farms they are usually fed on fish waste and innards from poultry slaughter. Instead of being produced in specialised farms Channa are thus sooner produced as a sideline in rice fields and other water reservoirs. Production volume is likely to grow further if it is possible to solve the bottleneck in fry supply. Channa take care of their young: males and females build the nest and watch over their young together. They mostly spawn at the beginning of the monsoon rains.

It is possible to stimulate maturity using hormones but this is hardly done in practice at present.

A number of sturgeon species (Acipenseridae family) have been counted among the promising

More than eight sturgeon species are produced in aquaculture worldwide (see next page). In the meantime so much caviar is produced that the prices for standard qualities have fallen considerably.

candidates for aquaculture during the last two decades. The collapse of the fishery for wild sturgeon and the possible profits from caviar awakened in investors and unfortunately in some speculators hopes that the difficult, expensive farming of these fishes could prove worthwhile and produce attractive profits. Since 1997 trade with sturgeon and sturgeon products has been regulated by the Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. 23 sturgeon species were listed on the CITES annex list II, two species are even on list I. Since then it has been necessary to have special approval to trade sturgeon and sturgeon products on the world market (“CITES permission�). According to FAO statistics

328 t sturgeon were produced in aquaculture worldwide in 1990.

This figure had risen to just under 20,000 t in 2005 and production today probably amounts to much more than 40,000 t. China is by far the biggest producer. Whether sturgeon production will continue to increase at the same rate in the future seems questionable since the expected profits from caviar often remained behind expectations. There are numerous different reasons for this: quality problems, too much caviar on the markets, and low demand, presumably partly due to the financial and economic problems in some European countries. It seems that consumers in these countries can soonest do without caviar in such difficult times.

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[ AQUACULTURE ]

Sea cucumbers can also be farmed in polyculture. They feed on organic residues in the bottom sand and thus contribute towards the improvement of water quality.

Demand for special aquaculture products is often only regional Promising candidates for aquaculture are not only to be found among fishes but also in other animal groups, for example echinoderms which are very popular in individual markets and promise high profits. Sea urchin roe, for example, is one of the most expensive seafood delicacies in the world. In Japan some sea urchin species and sizes are traded for 6 to 7 USD per piece, their roe costs 340 USD/kg and more. Because the wild stocks of these sea urchin species are often overexploited, aquaculture offers an attractive alternative. However, farming these creatures in aquaculture is not easy and hardly any of the attempts to date have been really successful. People have tried to produce sea urchins in polyculture together with fishes, for example: the sea urchins were to feed on the algal growth that developed on the nets. In practice, however, this feed often proved insufficient, particularly since the algae were covered over with fish faeces. On top of that it was no longer possible to clean the nets by hand due 30

to the risk of injuries caused by the sea urchins. Despite such difficulties interest in sea urchin farming remains high, however.

In Norway an automated system has been developed for sea urchin farming. It consists of a floating raft from which lattice-work boxes are hung into the water like the rungs of a rope ladder. The boxes are hauled to the surface for feeding and controls. Due to the high level of this system’s automation only two operators are needed to manage a farming facility measuring 3,000 square metres. At least six sea urchin species are farmed in China, mostly Strongylocentrotus intermedius, which was introduced from Japan in 1989 and is the most commercially important species. It is mainly produced in the coastal provinces Liaoning and Shandong. During farming, use is made of submerged cages which hang down into the water from rafts. Young sea urchins measuring 1 to 1.5 cm in diameter can grow to a marketable size of about 5 cm after 12 to 18 months. They are mainly fed on kelp algae. In some countries sea cucumbers (Holothuria) are

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The roe of some sea urchin species is popular on a lot of markets but most of the products offered come from wild catches.

also very popular, particularly in Asia, where, in addition to shark fins, abalone and swim bladders of fishes, they are one of the “four treasures of the sea”. Today a lot of wild stocks are overexploited or exhausted, some species are under CITES protection. The price for live organisms of the sea cucumber species Apostichopus japonicus, the most important of the 20 species that are eaten in China, rose four-fold in recent years to 25 USD/kg. Due to strong demand they have been farmed in China for decades, but aquaculture did not begin on a large scale until the mid-1990s. Sea cucumber production also has to cope

with supply problems of stocking material. In just under two weeks the cucumbers go through eight development stages from the blastula to the juvenile sea cucumber and have to be fed on three microalgae for their first feed. The feed density has to remain at a consistently high level and the temperature must not deviate more than 3°C from the optimum. Sea cucumbers are sediment eaters and as such they reduce organic contamination on pond beds and below aquaculture facilities. For this reason they are also produced in polyculture with shrimps or suitable fish species. mk www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ AQUACULTURE ] Encouraging prospects for aquaculture in the Russian Federation

Legislative support for the sector is now in place Throughout the course of history Russia has been a leading maritime and fishing nation due to its territorial and geographic characteristics and its place and role in global and regional international relations. Although the end of the 20th and the start of the 21st century was a period of crisis for the Russian fishery industry, it has more recently demonstrated stable positive dynamics and growing volumes of catches and fish production.

The Russian Federation’s extensive water resources are to be better exploited for the benefit of the aquaculture sector.

T

oday the traditional harvesting of fish and seafood has reached a point when it is difficult to increase volumes.

The volume of catches in the Russian Federation amounted to 4252.6 thousand tonnes in 2012. At the same time, accessible fishing resources in the Russian Federation are limited

www.eurofishmagazine.com

to 4.5-5 million tonnes including low-value and unprofitable species.

Production vastly lower than potential According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the same situation

can be observed globally and the general annual volume of fish production is growing solely owing to aquaculture. Countries where aquaculture is substantially supported at the national level have managed to strengthen their food security. In the Russian Federation, the current situation needs to improve drastically. Russia is

responsible for only 0.2 of the world aquaculture production. At the same time, Russia possesses the world’s largest water resources suitable for aquaculture activities – it is 225 thousand square kilometres of lakes, 43 thousand sq. kilometres of water-storage reservoirs, and 520 thousand kilometres of river surfaces, as well as Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2013

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[ AQUACULTURE ] vast marine coastal waters (Fig. 1). According to Rosrybolovstvo, the Federal Fisheries Agency, there are about 2.5 thousand business entities of different patterns of ownership (mostly small and medium-size businesses) engaged in aquaculture.

However, commercial aquaculture production in the Russian Federation is around 130-140 thousand tonnes (Fig. 2), and mariculture production apparently cannot clear the 10 thousand tonnes hurdle. On average, one aquaculture farm produces around 58 tonnes of fish products a year, which is a small volume, comparable to one day’s catch by a trawler. Historically, aquaculture has developed primarily in the Southern, Central and North-Western Federal Districts. In the Southern Federal District there are about 800 aquaculture enterprises. In 2011, the region produced 39.4 thousand tonnes, which equals 33.8 of the total grown volume. Products are mostly supplied by Rostov Oblast (17.6 thousand tonnes, 48 farms), Astrakhan Oblast (10.5 thousand tonnes, 123 farms), and Krasnodar Kray (7.9 thousand tonnes, 557 farms). Major species are carp and herbivorous fishes. About 340 farms in Central Federal District produce about 24.4 thousand tonnes of aquaculture products.

Here commercial production volumes are considerably lower than in the Southern Federal District, though the same species are grown − carp and herbivorous fishes. In 2011, Belgorod Oblast supplied 6.8 thousand tonnes of commercial products, Moscow Oblast 3.2 thousand tonnes, and Lipetsk Oblast 2.5 thousand tonnes.

Fig. 1

Inland water resources in the Russian Federation in thousand sq. km

Federal District favour the development of intensive aquaculture, i.e. farming of valuable species (trout, whitefishes) in cages or tanks. In 2011, commercial production volume in the region equalled 24.5 thousand tonnes. In the Republic of Karelia there are about 45 fish farms which in 2011 produced 9.1 thousand tonnes of fish. In the same year, 38 farms in Leningrad Oblast produced 5.1 thousand tonnes, while 10 fish farms in Murmansk Oblast grew 8.9 thousand tonnes of fish. Development of aquaculture in North-Western Federal District is one of the priorities as it is an unpolluted region that could potentially be a source to substitute fish imports from abroad. In spite of favourable

climate and environmental conditions for aquaculture development in North Caucasian, Volga, Urals, Siberian, and Far East Federal Districts, this sector has not developed in these districts.

Having considered the current situation with aquaculture development in the Russian Federation, the Russian Government and Rosrybolovstvo have undertaken several measures since 2011 aimed at helping the sector. As a first step the Government of the Russian Federation developed a draft law “On Aquaculture” and submitted it to the State Duma.

The draft law passed in a first reading on March 25, 2011 and was finally approved by the State Duma this spring. The law will

help to solve issues regarding property rights on aquaculture species grown in water bodies of commercial importance as well as issues regarding assignment of these water bodies to business entities for growing aquaculture species. The purpose of the law is to promote the effective use of aquatic resources in the Russian Federation.

Federal budget can support the aquaculture industry Simultaneously, starting in 2014 Rosrybolovstvo has enabled financial support to aquaculture farms within the framework of the State Programme of the Russian Federation “Development

Aquaculture could substitute imports Climate and environmental conditions in the North-Western 32

Fig. 2

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Aquaculture production in Russia in thousand tonnes. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ AQUACULTURE ] of the Fishery Complex,� which was adopted in March this year and which includes a subprogramme aimed at creating favourable conditions for aquaculture development. It serves as the basis for the development and implementation of regional programmes for aquaculture in the Russian Federation. The programme stipulates both direct state investments and subsidies to the budgets of the districts of the Russian Federation from the federal budget to co-finance expenditure commitments aimed at the support of aquaculture.

Besides, the programme makes provision for the development of an insurance system against risks in aquaculture like loss of income for commercial products in case of unfavourable natural events or fish price volatility.

The programme includes plans to stimulate research, implement new developments, prepare information materials, organize information support for fish farms, create a databank of fish cultural and biological feasibility

Fig. 3

Planned increase in annual aquaculture volumes in the Russian Federation in thousand tonnes.

and biotechnologies, maintain a register of fish farms, and develop aquaculture in general through fishery technology parks. This will help to concentrate intellectual and financial resources, to partly solve the staffing problem at fish farms, to shorten the time of implementation and expand scientific research, and to accelerate the use of equipment and the development of aquaculture in the country. Consistent and systematic implementation of

the above-mentioned measures together with clear legislation will help to utilize by 2020 most of the currently unused aquatic resources in the Russian Federation that are suitable for aquaculture, and will bring investors to the sector. According to an estimate from experts, by 2020 annual production volumes in aquaculture would grow from 140 thousand tonnes to at least 410 thousand tonnes, i.e. three-fold in 8 years (Fig. 3).

Prospects for the aquaculture sector are optimistic and its development is a critical lever that will promote the economic development of the country, provide employment, contribute to food security, and provide the Russian people with high-quality, sustainably produced fish and seafood.

Federal Agency for Fisheries A.A.Krainy, S.V. Maksimov, S. V. Simakov, V.A. Belyaev

There are today about 2,427 companies in the aquaculture sector in Russia producing 130-140 thousand tonnes. www.eurofishmagazine.com

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] Emerging markets increasingly attractive for salmon

Prices continue to recover strongly in 2013 The recent upward price trend is taking place against a backdrop of one of the largest ever increases in production volume in 2012, evidence of a genuine strengthening of underlying demand. Emerging markets are also presenting increasingly attractive opportunities and suppliers are generally optimistic about 2013. The situation in Chile remains delicate, however, with further industry consolidation looking likely as producers try to adapt to the new regulations while fighting rising costs and the continuing threat of disease.

P

rices have been moving strongly upwards at the beginning of 2013, continuing the dramatic recovery that took place in late 2012 from the low levels reached during the previous year. Reduced production growth of only 2-3 is estimated for 2013, and this is expected to see prices hold at close to current levels for the time being before falling back slightly after Easter and in the second half of the year, when most of the Chilean production will come to market. Overall, forecasters anticipate a substantial year-onyear increase in prices compared with 2012. The outlook for Japanese prices remains uncertain, but the gap between the US and Europe has now closed to the point where Chilean producers should be approaching the break-even point.

Norway leads the way in increased salmon production

Norway led the estimated 22 growth in world farmed salmon production in 2012, producing an additional 178 000 tonnes (WFE, Kontali) on the back of good early-year water temperatures to take the total to 1.18 million tonnes. Export volumes were also up, with Norway exporting 965 100 tonnes (product weight) of fresh and frozen salmon in 2012, a 34

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In 2012 Norwegian exports of salmon to Central and Eastern Europe increased with Russia almost overtaking France as the top destination. Here, fresh salmon in a Riga supermarket.

19.3 year-on-year increase compared with the previous year’s figure. Depressed prices meant the increase in export value was only 1.8, however, to NOK 28.9 billion.

Concentrated marketing efforts and temptingly low prices resulted in a 17.3 increase in the volume of exports to the EU, but value was down 1 overall. The year also saw a significant rise in exports to Central and Eastern Europe. Russia, with around 134 000 tonnes

imported from Norway, has almost overtaken France as the top destination for Norwegian salmon.

The situation for Norwegian producers began to improve steadily towards the end of the year and the positive trend has shown no sign of abating in the first two months of 2013. In fact, Norwegian salmon exporters set new records for total export values in January (NOK 2.7 billion) and February

(NOK 2.5 billion). These figures represent respective increases of 43 and 20 compared with the same months in 2012, while the 76 600 tonnes exported in January is also a new record for volume.

The February export price of NOK 37.61/kg for fresh whole salmon is the highest since May 2011.

Norwegian producers are expected to cut back on production in 2013 mainly as a result of lower water www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] temperatures and biomass restrictions. The outlook for Norwegian salmon remains positive in the long run, however, as the high demand should not be overly dampened by the higher prices, while competition from cheaper Chilean product still remains limited in European markets. Rising production costs are a concern but will only threaten profit margins if demand weakens significantly.

Trout exports also grow

The value of Norwegian trout exports increased to NOK 1.7 billion (USD 304.8 million) in 2012 because of strong growth in volume, which totalled 56 000 tonnes, a 43 jump from 2011. With an export growth of 60 in volume to Russia, Russia is fast increasing its relative share of Norwegian trout exports. In total, 55 of Norwegian trout exports went to this market in 2012. Other big trout markets were Japan and Belarus.

Chilean exports increase in volume, fall in value

2012 was a difficult year for the salmon and trout industry in Chile, mainly resulting from the significant drop in international prices. At the end of 2011 the average FOB price was USD 8 410/tonne while this year average Atlantic salmon prices were USD 6 230/tonne, a 26.2 drop in comparison with 2011. Total salmon and trout exports for 2012 comprising frozen, fresh, canned, smoked and salted products went up to 488 500 tonnes, at a total value of USD 2.9 billion, a 25.5 increase and a 4.4 drop respectively. Japan was the main destination throughout the year for Chilean salmon and trout, importing around 195 000 tonnes for a total value of USD 1.1 billion.

The USA followed with 105 000 tonnes worth USD 807 million. www.eurofishmagazine.com

Atlantic salmon was the most exported species during the year with 232 700 tonnes exported at a total of almost USD 1.5 billion. In terms of quantity, a substantial year-on-year increase of 37.9 was recorded, while the corresponding increase in terms of value was 16.2. Silver salmon was the second most exported species at 118 100 tonnes (a 4.9 increase) valued at USD 554 million, a decline of 14.1. In the case of rainbow trout, exports for the year went up to 141 100 tonnes, a 7.9 increase in comparison with 2011. However, in terms of value, a 16.2 decrease was registered, a consequence of the low international prices. Frozen salmon and trout were the main products exported in 2012, followed by fresh and chilled products. The cumulative exports for frozen salmon and trout in 2012 were 335 100 tonnes, an increase of 18.8 in comparison with 2011.

The total value was almost USD 1.9 billion, a decline of 7.3. Fresh and chilled salmon and trout, in contrast, increased even more in volume, and also in value, compared with 2011, with exports of 140 400 tonnes (+54.8) valued at USD 863 million (+16.3).

From an industry point of view, 2013 is seen as being challenging for the sector. Local supply is likely to decrease in the short term given the adjustments made by the industry during 2012 in production levels, and experts and several companies agree that this will allow prices to recover.

Eastern European smokehouses have become major suppliers to Western European supermarkets.

year around 13 600 tonnes of dead fish were disposed of from farms off the coast of Scotland, according to the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA). However, the UK saw good growth in salmon exports in 2012, with total volume increasing by 12.7 compared with 2011, to 97 600 tonnes (excluding smoked). Total value of these exports remained more or less stable year-on-year at USD 575 million as a result of the lower prices. A drop in exports to the USA was compensated for by a boost in exports to most minor markets, while domestic consumption also increased. Of particular note is an upsurge in exports to the Asia, especially China, which have increased twelve-fold in three years and are still rising.

Disease affects

Record production from Faroe Islands

UK salmon production stagnated in 2012 and is expected to decline in 2013. Stocks in Scottish farms have been badly hit by the spread of amoebic gill disease blamed on warmer sea temperatures, and last

Production of farmed salmon in the Faroe Islands hit a record high in 2012. The total amount produced in 2012 was 62 800 tonnes in gutted weight compared with 49 600 tonnes in 2011.

This represents an increase of

production in the UK

more than 20. In the first three quarters of 2012, the total volume of salmon exports reached 41 400 tonnes, a 29 increase over the same period in 2011. The increase in value was only 4, however, up to a total of DKK 1.28 billion. The main market for Faroese salmon is the USA, taking an approximately 19 share of the total value. The UK (14) and Germany (12) are the next two largest markets.

Exports to the USA and the UK are almost entirely whole fresh salmon, while Germany imports primarily frozen portions.

Irish salmon production is largely organic

In 2012, 12 440 tonnes of salmon was produced from Irish licensed sites, worth EUR 75.7 million. Six companies operate more than 30 sites between them, ranging in capacity from 500 to 5 000 tonnes production. Production occurs along the length of the west coast. More than 80 of all Irish salmon production is grown to certified organic standards. Most of the harvest is sold as ‘HeadOn-Gutted’, with further processing into fillets, steaks and other

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] value-added products as demand requires. Up to 20 of sales by volume are on the home market, while exports are mainly to EU countries such as France, UK, Germany, Belgium and Italy, as well as to Switzerland and the US.

The main issue facing the Irish industry currently is capacity.

Production has been adversely affected by occurrence of amoebic gill disease in stocks but increasing production site capacity is the most urgent issue, with a growing organic salmon market that current Irish production volumes come nowhere near supplying adequately. The state agency BIM is seeking a licence for an offshore production unit to be tendered out to the most suitable operator.

If granted, the licence would allow for a 100 increase in current production over three years and would also pave the way for other offshore site applications

Sushi drives global demand for salmon

Greatly increased production volumes in 2012 were absorbed by the market even as prices rose, although the full consumer reaction to rising prices may not be seen until later in 2013. The processing industry is particularly vulnerable to raw material price increases as higher prices can be passed on to retailers only with difficulty and with a significant time lag. The increase in global demand for salmon can be attributed to a combination of attractive prices, product development, extensive marketing campaigns and a global shift towards healthy yet sustainable seafood choices such as salmon sushi. Another encouraging trend is the continuing development of increasingly important markets in Russia, Poland, China and Brazil, which collectively imported almost 36

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500 000 tonnes of salmon products in 2012, more than Japan and the US combined. Russia in particular has seen spectacular growth in salmon imports, while Poland’s smokehouses have become a major supplier of products for Western Europe and domestic consumption is also on the rise.

Of the traditional markets in Europe, Japan and the US, it is Europe that is currently looking the most promising for producers, with a better price situation supported by strong and growing demand in core markets such as France and the UK, and better possibilities for expansion.

Salmon almost as popular as tuna in France

France imported 7.7 more salmon in 2012 compared with 2011, a total of 169 900 tonnes.

This increase was driven almost entirely by higher imports of fresh whole salmon, although imports of fresh fillets and smoked went up also. In contrast, imports of frozen product declined. Lower prices in the first half of the year meant a year-on-year drop in total import value of 12 to USD 1 billion, but improved demand towards the end of the year saw a corresponding rise in prices. According to the Norwegian Seafood Council, salmon is close to overtaking tuna as the most popular seafood in France in terms of household consumption. Norway remains the major supplier, accounting for 61 of import volume in 2012. In 2012, Germany registered a 2.6 year-on-year decline in the volume of salmon imports, down to 118 100 tonnes. Imports of fresh salmon, almost entirely from Norway, were down 15.9.

Lower prices overall resulted in a large drop in total value of some 24. However, these figures are

likely to be somewhat misleading, as household consumption figures point to a strong response from German consumers to the cheaper product on offer, particularly for smoked. Poland dominates this high-value segment, mainly processing and re-exporting Norwegian salmon, and Polish-origin imports represent 24.9 of total volume and around 38 of total value.

Farmed salmon displaces wild in Japan

Year-on-year growth of 7.3 in Japanese whole salmon imports in 2012 saw total volume (excluding fillets) rise to 178 200 tonnes.

The major component of this increase was frozen salmon from Chile, as producers pushed up volumes once again, but Norway appears to have strengthened its position in the Japanese market for fresh Atlantic salmon and Norwegian-origin imports of fresh salmon were up by 34 to 26 400 tonnes. Meanwhile the return of Chilean supply led to a drop in competing frozen Pacific imports from the USA and Russia.

A similar performance in 2013 will be difficult for Japan’s Chilean suppliers, however, in the face of further increases in Chilean production later in 2013 and the recent strengthening of the Chilean peso versus the yen. Japanese whole salmon imports in January 2013 were 3.4 down year-onyear in quantity terms, and 37.8 down by value.

US market dominated by Chilean salmon

In 2012, the USA imported 280 800 tonnes of salmon products, which represented a rise of 16.9 compared with 2011; the total value of imports during 2012 rose slightly by 2.1, to USD 2 billion. The bulk

of the USA’s salmon imports in 2012 came from Chile, with 98 100 tonnes imported at a total value of USD 800 million. Canada was in second place with 94 900 tonnes worth USD 570 million, followed

by China and Norway with 33 000 tonnes (USD 213 million) and 16 000 tonnes (USD 155 million) respectively. The main exporter of fresh and chilled salmon to the US was Canada, exporting 90 900 tonnes of its total salmon exports in fresh and chilled form at a total value of USD 515 million.

Chile followed with 73 900 tonnes worth USD 564 million. For US exports, a 24 increase in quantity was noted, but the value dropped by 11.4 in comparison with 2011 when international prices were relatively higher. In January 2013, US imports of salmon were up 21.2 year-onyear in terms of volume, to 26 500 tonnes. The increase in value was 18.5, to USD 189 million.

Prices expected to weaken later in 2013

The cutback in Norway’s production should bring some balance back to the market in 2013, and prices are expected to remain relatively high on the back of strong demand in most major markets. Some weakening of prices is likely in the second half of the year when the bulk of the Chilean supply will reach markets, while at the same time a reduction in marketing effort and delayed consumer response to higher raw material costs could dampen demand somewhat later in 2013. Chilean producers, with the US and Japan as their primary export destinations, are in a more challenging position, and will need to be ready to seek new markets in the long run for their still booming production.

FAO GLOBEFISH www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] Tuna – moderate demand, low supplies, and rising prices

Tighter EU control on IUU fishing may affect shipments from Africa Tuna prices have increased further for delivery to Asian canners, indicating lower supplies than current demand. This rise may influence prices in other regions in Latin America and Africa. Following this trend canned tuna prices are also on the increase.

Meanwhile the sashimi tuna market in Japan is firming up in preparation for the spring festival in April/May. The USA market for noncanned tuna has been stable throughout the last year and this trend may continue in 2013 as well.

In 2012 Spain imported 57 000 tonnes of tuna loins, 17% less than the previous year. At this plant tuna is imported from around the world and processed for the local market.

O

verall supply from the Western Pacific has been disappointing, pushing tuna raw material prices higher. With fluctuations between USD 2 350 in October 2012 and USD 1 900 in January 2013, the frozen skipjack tuna price www.eurofishmagazine.com

for delivery to Thailand was back up to USD 2 300/tonne in late March, a clear indication that low supply is meeting good demand from Asian canners. In the Eastern Pacific, the two-month long fishing ban ended on 18 January and 46 tuna purse

seiners were allowed to fish again in these regional waters. Current fishing remains good, especially off Peru and Ecuador. Skipjack tuna prices are also stable at USD 2 200/ tonne at Manta, Ecuador, but may increase by April.

Catches stable in Eastern Pacific According to Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission, 525 068 tonnes of tuna were caught in the Eastern Pacific up to 2

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] December 2012. Ecuador had the highest catches, accounting for 41, followed by Mexico at 24. Skipjack tuna catches were stable compared with the previous year at 254 842 tonnes while yellowfin tuna catches declined by about 5 000 tonnes in 2012 to 200 367 tonnes. Bigeye tuna catches increased by more than 7 000 tonnes in the same period totalling 50 191 tonnes. Improved catches of yellowfin tuna have been reported in the Indian Ocean, which has eased pressure on prices. Reportedly in March the ex-vessel prices in Seychelles softened to EUR 2 200/tonne (10kg and up). Compared with February, prices of skipjack tuna have also declined to EUR 1 680, FOB Seychelles.

Yellowfin tuna in Italy and Spain is being traded at EUR 2 600 in March, the same as the previous month, whereas skipjack tuna prices have climbed back to EUR 1 800 CFR Spain. As of 6 March, 14 575 tonnes of cooked and frozen tuna loins have entered the EU under the 2013 zero duty quota of 22 000 tonnes. With patchy improvement in catches, fishing in the Atlantic Ocean has remained relatively poor despite the reopening of the ICCAT FAD Fishing Exclusion Zone on 28 February. Catches may improve further, while the March ex-vessel prices in Abidjan are firm at EUR 1 600 for skipjack tuna and EUR 2 400/tonne for yellowfin tuna.

Japanese imports of frozen bluefin tuna fall steeply in 2012

The total import volume of fresh and frozen tuna into Japan last year was 247 160 tonnes, which was close to the volume imported in 2011 (246 889 tonnes). However, the recovery in imports of fresh 38

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Pieces of tuna loin are packaged for the retail and food service sector.

bluefin tuna and bigeye tuna is significant, whereas supplies of frozen northern bluefin tuna were particularly low. The positive trend in the frozen tuna loin market continued with higher imports in 2012 compared with the previous years. Last year’s improved catches in the Western Indian Ocean (particularly by Taiwanese longliners) resulted in a 30 rise in frozen bigeye tuna supplies (imports) compared with 2011, which pushed auction prices lower in the Japanese market. It was a good opportunity to increase sales volume at affordable prices. Imports of frozen bluefin tuna were the lowest in the decade, with an 86 decline compared with 2011.

US demand for non-canned tuna increases in 2012

It is evident from import data that demand for non-canned tuna in the USA improved in 2012 compared with previous years. Imports of fresh/chilled dressed tuna and

frozen loins were higher by 7.8 and 32 respectively, showing distinct consumer preference for the shelf-stable frozen tuna loins. US annual imports of frozen tuna loins for non-canned usage increased from 17 316 tonnes in 2011 to 22 837 tonnes in 2012; the leading suppliers were Indonesia, the Philippines and Viet Nam. The canning industries in the US also imported cooked loins, which brought the total volume of loin imports to 65 000 tonnes last year.

Frozen yellowfin tuna steaks and loins treated with carbon monoxide (CO) and sent to the US market could face a tariff charge, if the US Customs change the classification of treated tuna to a prepared or preserved product, Seafood.com reports. The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are looking at making the change nationwide, which would raise the tariff from virtually zero to 12.5. US Customs have already implemented the change at one port, where an American

importer, Sea Delight, received an invoice for duty owed. Currently, yellowfin tuna imports, both treated and untreated, are considered to be raw fish or fillets, which are duty free.

Higher raw material costs reflect in canned tuna prices

With the skipjack tuna price expected stay above USD 2 000 for the rest of the year, many tuna packers have started adjusting their selling prices or reducing the product content to absorb increasing production costs.

The largest canned tuna producer and exporter, Thai Union, has already announced that it will increase its canned tuna price slightly this year to offset the higher raw material prices, higher labour wages and the strengthening baht. Japan’s market leader, Hagoromo Foods, will raise the prices of its 165 gram canned tuna products by up to 6.1 from May this year while it will also reduce the content of its www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] 80 gram canned tuna to 70 grams from June while maintaining the price. In France, Adepale, the country’s association of seafood processors, has urged retailers to push up lagging retail prices.

Canned tuna declines in popularity in the US

With canned tuna consumption declining in the US over the years, major suppliers have been facing challenges in finding a balance in pricing. Industry players estimated that American tuna consumption shrank by about 12 last year as a result of economic uncertainty, higher retail costs, overall consumer dissatisfaction with product quality and mercury related issues. The recent voluntary product recall by Bumble Bee and Chicken of the Sea because of packaging problems could further erode consumer confidence.

The latest civil class action against Starkist filed in the federal court in California may also bring negative publicity to the industry. In the suit Starkist is accused of systematically under filling and selling short-weighted chunk light tuna in water based on “pressed tuna cake weight”, which is still the standard applied in the USA. For many years tuna packers, including Starkist, have requested the US authority to amend the canned tuna standard to “drained weight”, as is the case in Europe, Japan and elsewhere. However, the use of additives to increase the moisture content of tuna meat in the US complicates the issue.

The downward trend in the US canned tuna market is apparent in the declining imports, which dropped by 14.3 in volume in 2012. The import value (USD 761.3 million), however, went up by 5.8 as a result of increasing tuna prices worldwide. Imports of normally www.eurofishmagazine.com

popular canned light meat tuna in brine went down sharply by 20.4 while imports of tuna in pouch dropped only slightly by 1.1. Thailand remained the top supplier of canned and pouched tuna to the USA but it’s shipments to the market were down by almost 18 last year.

European importers look to ACP countries

The rising canned tuna price has prompted EU importers to look for cheaper alternatives, including products from ACP countries that have 0 import duty. As a result, there were sharp increases in supplies of canned tuna last year from countries such as Mauritius, Côte d’Ivoire and Papua New Guinea, while imports from Asia, particularly from Thailand and the Philippines, dropped significantly. In 2012, canned tuna supplies from Côte d’Ivoire to the EU increased by 31 while from Papua New Guinea they were up by 38.5, which somewhat offset lower imports from Thailand (-44.3) and the Philippines (-7.8). Thus, the overall imports of canned and prepared/ preserved tuna into the EU (HS 160414) in 2012 were only down by 3.5 in quantity, but the value went up by more than 14.4 over that of 2011, amounting to 447 579 tonnes valued at USD 2.47 billion.

Supplies from Africa, however, could be disrupted as the EU authorities have recently tightened up on shipments from West African countries that are suspected of engaging in illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. These measures could cause delays and rejections, driving buyers to seek other sources, unless a speedy solution is found.

Côte d’Ivoire increased its shipments to France by almost 42

overtaking Spain as the number one supplier. Imports from Spain dropped by more than 36 last year. Seychelles also managed to send more (+23.3) products to France while supply from Thailand was reduced by half.

UK, Germany imports of canned tuna fall in 2012 More canned tuna from African countries also reached the Italian market with supplies from Côte d’Ivoire and Seychelles going up by 35 and 14.5 respectively.

Spain remained the number one supplier, but its shipments fell by 8.5 resulting in overall imports into Italy declining slightly by 2.5 in 2012. Germany bought more products from Papua New Guinea (+40.2) but this still could not compensate for the sharp drop in supplies from Ecuador (-39), Indonesia (-27.3) and the Philippines (-9.7); however, the latter retained its position as the top supplier to the market. Canned tuna imports into the UK also declined by 6.7 largely as a result of lower supply from Thailand (-46.6), although more shipments were recorded from the Philippines (+12.7), Mauritius (+2.6) and Ghana (+2.0).

Early this year the EU finally agreed to increase the annual import quota for pre-cooked tuna loins to 22 000 tonnes from 15 000 tonnes at zero duty for three years. European canners, mainly in Spain, quickly snapped almost all the allotted duty-free quota within the first quarter of the year, mainly from Thailand, Viet Nam, China, Indonesia and the Philippines. Last year Spain imported close to 57 000 tonnes of tuna loins, 16.8 less than the previous year, while Italy imported around 31 000 tonnes, down by 8.8 during the period under review.

Volume of Thai canned tuna exports decline by a fifth

Thai canned tuna exports also suffered major setbacks in other markets. Last year the country’s tuna exports dropped significantly by 20.5 in quantity over 2011. In value terms, however, the exports were only slightly lower by 1.5. The US remained the largest buyer for Thai canned tuna but shipments to this market were down by more than 30 in 2012. Shipments to European destinations also posted negative growth except to Italy, which grew by 16.3. Other destinations that showed positive export growths in volume were Libya (+167.5), Papua New Guinea (76.8), South Africa (23.6) and Lebanon (+7.7).

Stable demand for canned tuna expected in US, EU

This year the competition from fresh salmon in the Japanese sashimi market seems to be less pronounced because of lower salmon imports - a situation that favours fresh tuna sales. As for canned tuna, demand in the major markets, particularly the US and EU, will remain flat this year. As the skipjack tuna raw material price is likely to stay at levels above USD 2 000/tonne, tuna packers are expected to make further price adjustments for their canned tuna products to absorb the increasing costs.

Meanwhile more eco-labelled canned tuna sourced from pole and line fisheries, and fishaggregating-device-free fishing are expected to become available in major supermarkets in Europe and North America in the coming months.

FAO GLOBEFISH

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] Mixed global picture for cephalopods

Is the octopus fishery off North Africa over-exploited?

The economic crisis is affecting sales in Europe, where imports are down. The picture is mixed with regard to octopus supplies. The EU claims stocks off North West Africa are over-exploited, but at the same time octopus shipments from Morocco and Mauritania are up.

The Japanese market picked up in 2012.

T

he situation regarding the octopus fishery off North West Africa (Mauritania and Morocco) is somewhat ambiguous. On the one hand, the EU Commissioner of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, has claimed that this fishery is over-exploited. On the other hand, recent shipments of frozen octopus, particularly from Mauritania, seem to suggest that landings are good at the present time. The facts may be disputed, and it may all come down to a game of political positioning.

The new fisheries agreement between the EU and Mauritania does not include the operation of the Galician cephalopod fleet in the local fishing grounds “due to over-exploitation”. Some sources say that the catches are made

by Mauritanian flagged vessels, but the country’s industrial fleet is registered in third countries, mainly China. In other words, it may be that Chinese interests are moving in on the Mauritanian octopus industry.

Huge increase in Chinese imports of octopus According to Chinese statistics, imports of octopus into China during November last year increased dramatically to 672 tonnes valued at USD 4.3 40

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Morocco was the main supplier of octopus to the Italian market in 2012, displacing Spain and Mexico.

Croatia too exports octopus (pictured) to Italy.

million. Compared with imports in November 2011, this represents a threefold increase by volume and a fourfold increase by value. Spain was the main supplier, followed by Morocco.

However, China exported much more than it imported. Figures for November 2012 show that China exported 5 248 tonnes of octopus during that month, at a value of USD 36.5 million.

The main destinations for these shipments were the Republic of Korea, which took 69 of Chinese exports and Japan, which reduced its imports from China.

Prices paid for Chinese octopus were quite variable, though. The Republic of Korea paid USD 4.74 per kg in November, while Japan paid USD 12.40 per kg (FOB China).

Japanese imports of octopus increased significantly in 2012, from 38 400 tonnes to 47 400 tonnes (+23.4). Mauritania shipped considerably more octopus and increased its importance as the main supplier to Japan. In 2012, Mauritania exported 21 400 tonnes to Japan, an increase of 57 over 2011. Morocco also had

a slight increase in shipments to Japan. China, on the contrary, lost market share and shipped 18 less octopus to Japan.

Spanish imports of octopus in 2012 declined by 12.3, mainly because of the supply situation, although most probably the economy should bear its share of the responsibility for this development. The main suppliers to Spain were again Morocco, Mauritania and Portugal, and shipments increased from all three sources. Imports declined from India, Senegal, Mexico and Viet Nam. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] Italian imports of octopus also declined in 2012, by 16.7.

Morocco took over as the main supplier and increased its shipments to Italy by 43, while Spain and Mexico saw reductions in their shipments to Italy by 22 and 45 respectively. Octopus prices now seem to have stabilized both in Japan and in Europe.

Since September last year there has been no movement in either market. With the present supply situation, it is expected that this stability will continue for some time.

Peruvian exports of squid reached record levels Argentinean vessels have reported good catches south of latitude 44 at the beginning of the season. According to data provided by the industry, jiggers are catching about 20-25 tonnes each per day. However, the sizes caught were rather small (S and SS). Despite the good catches, fishing companies are apprehensive about the market and also about the increase in operational costs. Peru has reported that its exports of squid, jumbo flying squid and cuttlefish have exceeded expectations. In 2012, exports reached a record value in spite of the global economic crisis. The main reason given for this positive result is diversification of markets. Growth in Asian markets is pointed out as very important for the export growth. However, exports to traditional markets such as Spain also grew. The main destinations for Peruvian cephalopods were China (34.8 of the total), Spain (16.8), Republic of Korea (14.3) and Thailand (5.7).

Peruvian squid exports went up by an impressive 87.1 during www.eurofishmagazine.com

the first eleven months of 2012, to reach USD 370.4 million. The expected forecast was only USD 260.2 million for the whole year.

Japan increased its imports of squid slightly (+1.6) in 2012 compared with 2011. This was the highest import figure since 2007.

However, in January, imports dropped by 20 in volume and 15 in value. Imports in January 2013 amounted to 2 168 tonnes valued at USD 15.9 million (CIF Japan). The main suppliers to the Japanese market in 2012 were China (45 of total imports), followed by Peru (11.3) and Chile (10.5). While shipments from China were stable compared with 2011, there was a decline in shipments from Peru and Thailand, and a significant increase in shipments from Chile (+108).

Italian imports of squid fell by 11 in 2012. Lower shipments from the main suppliers Spain (-5.3) and Thailand (-13.5) were registered. Most suppliers had to accept lower shipments, except China, which increased slightly (+4.5).

Prices generally stable in Madrid In February, prices for South American squid on the Madrid market went up. Prices for fresh squid also went up in early February. For all other products, prices were stable. Thai imports of squid fell significantly in December.

Imports were down by 30, to 6 308 tonnes during the month.

Total Thai squid imports for 2012 amounted to 60 805 tonnes (all product varieties), worth more than USD 138 million. The average import price per kg was USD 2.27 CIF Thailand. The main suppliers of squid to the Thai market were Myanmar, China, Viet Nam and Peru. Thai exports of squid in 2012 amounted to 34 500 tonnes worth

USD 228 million. The average export price was thus USD 6.61 per kg FOB Thailand. The main markets for Thai squid were Taiwan Province of China, Italy and Japan.

Spanish squid imports rose by 10 in 2012. Most of this increase was due to a strong increase in imports from the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) (+40.5), while other suppliers such as China, the USA and Morocco registered declining exports to Spain. The number two and three suppliers (India and Peru) registered slight increases in shipments to Spain in 2012. USA imports of squid continued to grow in 2012, albeit at a modest pace. Imports increased by 5.3.

There were only minor changes in shipments for the main suppliers, but new suppliers appear to have entered this business.

China is still by far the main supplier, accounting for over half of all US squid imports. After five years of substantial growth, US exports of squid declined by 22.5 in 2012. The main markets were China and the Philippines.

However, there was a decline in imports from China by 10.5.

Other important markets such as Spain and Peru also registered declines.

Squid prices in Europe declined considerably towards the end of 2012. On the Japanese market squid prices were more stable.

Japanese cold storage holdings are still very low, although they vary seasonally. Nevertheless, Japanese buyers seem to be holding back and avoiding building up inventory. Cuttlefish prices in Japan are still high, but over the past few months they have stabilized a bit. Although there were some ups and downs, the trend now is flatter.

Spanish imports of cuttlefish continue to decline Supplies of cuttlefish have been more or less stable, and the market is quiet. In Japan there has been very little movement. Japanese imports in 2012 were practically the same as in 2011, although there was a slight shift among suppliers, with a smaller amount of product being imported from Thailand and Viet Nam, and more from Morocco.

On the European market, the picture was slightly different. In Italy, little movement was registered, as imports were stable at almost 25 000 tonnes. There was also very little change in the relative positions of the main suppliers. In Spain, on the contrary, another decline in imports was registered. With the exception of a minor increase in imports in 2010, Spanish cuttlefish imports have been declining for the last six years. In 2012, imports declined by 14.3. Most of this was due to a smaller amount of product being imported by India (-38).

European crisis affects demand for cephalopods The European economic crisis is obviously having some effect on demand in Europe, and therefore it is expected that sales will be slower for the next few months. Squid prices have stagnated and will be weaker in the immediate future. There is uncertainty about the supply of octopus, but prices seem to be stable, and demand in Japan is slightly better. For cuttlefish the market looks slow and prices will probably remain at a relatively high level.

FAO GLOBEFISH

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[ FISHERIES ] ComFish Regional Participatory Stakeholder Event, Santander, Spain, 23-24 May 2013

Improving trans-national cooperation within European fishing regions ‘Sharing of common stock among nations’ was the topic chosen for the fourth ComFish Regional Participatory Stakeholder Event (RPSE) held in Santander, Spain, in May 2013. Aimed at tackling specific fisheries issues of the European Atlantic waters, such as those relating to species caught in the Bay of Biscay and along the Iberian Coast as well as in the Celtic Sea basins, the event brought together a variety of stakeholders from the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and the UK.

The ComFish meeting in Santander, Spain was held in a converted lighthouse surrounded by blue seas and rocky cliffs.

T

he Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Coast stretch from southern Brittany to the south of Spain. The Celtic Seas include the English Channel, the Irish Sea, the Celtic

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Sea and the waters west of the British islands. Fishing is a key activity in Galicia (Spain), South Brittany (France), the Basque country (France and Spain) and the Lisbon region (Portugal).

Small pelagics is the commodity group which is mostly caught in these waters, with sardine species fished most widely, followed by Spanish mackerel, blue whiting, jacks, hake, and

albacore tuna. There is still an active fishing industry, with local small-scale fishing in the Bay of Biscay, for instance, as well as deep-sea fleets based in Brittany and Galicia. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ FISHERIES ] Ellen Sax, ProBio Partners, the Netherlands

Professionally facilitated meeting The conference venue, a former lighthouse surrounded by crystal blue water and dramatic cliffs, was the perfect location chosen by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, the host of the event.

Organised in a dynamic yet informal manner, and with the help of a professional facilitator, the meeting enabled debate, reflection and effective participation on key issues relevant to European fisheries. In this context, representatives of government, industry, associations, research and NGOs had the opportunity over one and a half days to share their thoughts in an open and participative manner and finally reached consensus over a series of specific topics. After the opening remarks made by the director of the hosting organisation, the project coordinator introduced the project’s background, objectives and methodology to the participants. The overarching aim of the project, namely to contribute to improve the trans-national cooperation within the main fishing region in Europe was emphasised. Ultimately the results of fisheries research will be shared among stakeholders, contributing thus to enabling suitable solutions for the development of sustainable fisheries.

Furthermore, the audience was introduced to the specificities of small pelagics fishery with focus on main species (sardine, anchovy, mackerel and horse mackerel), distribution and availability of stocks, fishing quotas and management plans. Grouped in smaller teams, and with the help of ad-hoc rapporteurs chosen for each group, all the participants had the opportunity to express their opinions. “The fact of sharing information and www.eurofishmagazine.com

Small pelagic fish just landed at a small port in France close to the Spanish border.

perspectives among the different stakeholders involved in fisheries management in such an open and participatory way made the meeting very enriching for all the participants” was the opinion of Patricia Sanchez Abeal, communication officer at the European

Fisheries Control Agency. A series of challenges (both specific and common to the European Atlantic fisheries) as well as possible solutions have been identified and grouped into four major themes: political, social, management and scientific.

Fishing effort should be commensurate with resource At the political level the need for improving cooperation between countries (e.g. in data exchange) concerning the migration of

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[ FISHERIES ] species was highlighted among other issues. Moreover, international agreements need to be “translated” at regional management levels, so that the fishing efforts are adjusted to the availability of resources. At European level, more investment is needed in science, specifically in data collection as well as in systems to control the usage of total allowable catches in explosive fisheries.

“The ComFish meeting provided a good opportunity to debate pelagic fishing issues with other stakeholders. Although communication between representatives in the pelagic sector is by no means perfect there is a functioning structure organised mainly through the Pelagic RAC. Lessons learned from the pelagic model may well improve communications in other sectoral groups” was the opinion of Ian Gatt, Chief Executive, Scottish Pelagic Fishermen’s Association.

Among the social aspects support to small scale fishermen to organise them more efficiently and to enable them to participate in the decision-making process was underlined. Concomitantly, greater involvement of stakeholders, particularly the regional advisory councils and local groups, is also desirable, as well as improving the transparency of the decision making process through longer public consultations. Stronger links between research and education are needed to effectively communicate the health benefits associated with consuming fish, as well as information concerning labelling and eco-labelling. There are many good examples of good management initiatives at national/local level. These include the Portuguese working group on sardine fishery, regional fishermen organisations in the UK, and the 44

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The event brought together stakeholders from the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and the UK to discuss issues related to fisheries in the Bay of Biscay, the Celtic Sea basins and along the Iberian coast.

Mediterranean sandeel fishery in Catalonia. However, at regional/ sea basin level and considering the high dynamism of the pelagic species, the management issues become more complex (e.g. how to establish long term management plans that can be adjusted to the specificities of stocks; how to implement management practices that are transparent, adaptable to the variability of data, as well as relevant to the nations involved).

Communicating the knowledge is as important as acquiring it “Science is key for fisheries; we need to improve and increase our knowledge to manage resources in a sustainable way. But the communication of knowledge is equally relevant because we are managing public resources, investing public money in research programmes and advising for management

plans that establish how, who, when, how much and where these resources can be exploited.

Therefore it must be explained to our society the arguments which drive the decisions taken around fisheries management. For this reason, the communication of the science related to those tasks must be understood as a main component of the fisheries management” felt Carlos Montero Castaño, the Spain and Portugal Fisheries Officer of the Marine Stewardship Council. Scientific advice is given on catches of fish stocks, where sufficient data are available, but this is not possible in cases where the discard amounts are not known or cannot be reliably estimated. There are many challenges related to the amount and quality of data available especially for smaller stocks. From the scientific perspective understanding the interactions between the ecosystem and the pelagic stock is needed, as well as understanding their

annual life cycle, the patterns of migration of high mobile species (e.g. mackerel) or the trends of the environment, such as climate change.

The event was an excellent opportunity to provide answers to questions and possible solutions to problems for the European Atlantic Fisheries, but it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to contribute to their practical implementation. The purpose is not to provide easy “one size fits all” solutions, but to stimulate innovative thinking and to contribute to finding the right answers.

Stay tuned for the following workshop on Mediterranean fishery scheduled to take place in September 2013 in Sicily, Italy. For further information please see www.comfish.eu.

Anca Sfetcovici anca.sfetcovici@eurofish.dk www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Technologies for industrial thawing

Thaw frozen fish faster and retain quality Thawing is an essential part of many industrial production processes. It affects both material yield and the quality of the final products and thus ultimately the efficiency of the entire process. As freezing is used more and more in the fish industry, the significance of the technical procedures required for industrial thawing (the reverse process) increases to the same extent.

D

uring freezing, heat is removed from a product. To thaw the product again, the flow of energy has to be reversed, i.e. heat has to be put back into the product. The two are opposing processes and they differ in some details. Whereas during freezing the prime aim is to reach the target core temperature in the product as quickly as possible (“shock freezing”), a lot more factors have to be considered during thawing. This makes thawing the more sophisticated and more complex process, particularly with regard to the possible influence on, and the predictability of, the final results. Many of the problems that can occur during thawing are directly connected to heat transfer in frozen products. Heat transfer is a relatively slow process and the larger and thicker the product is, the more time it takes. It can be accelerated by increasing the thawing temperature, but that would also damage the product itself. The longer the thawing process lasts, the higher the risk that bacteria and microbes will develop and spread in the product. Longer thawing times also lead to more drip loss which changes the texture of the fish tissue. The media that are used to transfer heat to the product, such as air, water or steam, also play a role here. And under industrial conditions there www.eurofishmagazine.com

Thawing in still air is the simplest and cheapest way of defrosting products, but it is also among the slowest.

is often the additional problem of insufficient space for thawing and the fact that the process should not be too labour intensive.

A number of other factors influence the thawing process, too: the composition of the frozen products, their water content, and the proportion of fat, protein and minerals they contain. It also makes a big difference whether the fish will be cooked and eaten immediately after thawing, or whether it is to undergo

processing to a convenience product with a correspondingly long shelf-life that will be eaten later.

Already the time required to thaw frozen products often proves to be a bottleneck which can slow down the production processes of manufacturing companies or even bring them to a halt. If, for example, raw material was not thawed in time or not in the quantities needed for subsequent processing stages it is hardly possible to supply the missing quan-

tities in a short time. To shorten the defrosting time, it is common in many companies to temper some of the ingredients to have them “on hold” for production.

During tempering, the core temperature of -18°C, which is normal for frozen products is raised to about -10°C. The product is still frozen, but it can be stored for about a day in the refrigerator and then be thawed as required in a much shorter time. With every degree that the temperature rises, however, the risk of premature

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[ TECHNOLOGY ] cooled to about 0-2°C and stored until further processing or sale.

The simplest method, which does without complicated technology, is thawing in still air. This involves spreading out frozen fish or frozen fish blocks on appropriate materials in a room and then waiting. It is an extremely slow process that is suitable only for small product quantities because the temperature in the room should not exceed 18°C. By the time a frozen product has completely thawed under such conditions the outer layers have often already dried out and decay processes have begun. Although the method is very cheap it is rather unsuitable for industrial purposes.

For tuna defrosting in air is one of the most common ways of thawing.

spoilage of the product increases too, because certain microbes grow better under higher temperatures. This means that great care must be taken when tempering that the temperature is kept permanently at the desired level and does not increase too strongly. A lot of industrial thawing facilities already have this additional option, and are able to keep the products at exactly the right temperature.

Carefully metered heat supply should protect against local overheating The thawing methods available today can be roughly divided into two groups. The first group includes all methods in which the thermal energy is supplied from the outside and penetrates through the surface into the frozen product. The medium used can, for example, be heated air or water in the form of an immersion tank or a sprinkler to spray the water onto the frozen fish.

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A typical feature of this method is that the fish is always thawed from the outside to the inside, whereby thawing speed decreases over the course of time. This is mainly due to the fact that thawed fish is a relatively poor conductor of heat.

The thawed tissue layers on the surface constitute a kind of insulation that protects the inner core which is still frozen. The thicker the layer of already thawed tissue is, the more effective is its insulating effect and therefore the longer the thawing time. This effect can be seen clearly in the temperature curve which rises more and more slowly in the course of thawing.

For this reason, in the case of block frozen products the outer layers should be removed as soon as this is possible without causing damages.

The thawing methods in the second group are characterized by the fact that here the heat is generated directly within the tissue, i.e. the frozen food thaws in the inside and outside at the same time. This method uses the resistance or

the absorbent capacity which the body tissue of frozen fish displays to electric current, radio waves or microwaves. A major advantage of these techniques is the significant reduction in thawing times.

The disadvantage, however, is that the energy sources are difficult to control, with the result that local overheating of the fish flesh can occur. Regardless of the thawing method care must be taken to avoid heat accumulation because this will lead to quality losses.

Quality suffers already as from a temperature of 20°C, and when the temperature rises above 30°C the first proteins will denaturalize in the fish’s body and the texture of the fillet will change. Although the thawing process should not take too long to keep drip loss as low as possible, it should not be too strongly accelerated either, for example by using high temperatures, because then the delicate fish tissue will suffer. Ideal thawing temperatures for most species are between 5 and at most 10°C. Once the product is thawed, it should be immediately

Reduce drip loss, prevent development of microbes Thawing times can be considerably shortened if the air is kept in constant motion, for example by using fans. Industrial machinery manufacturers offer a wide range of air blast systems ranging in size from small one-trolley chambers for a few kilograms to voluminous thawing rooms for several tonnes of frozen goods. Their constructional design is almost always the same or at least similar. The frozen fish is laid out on shelf racks in high trolleys (2 meters in height, for example). The larger the surface of the frozen fish or the frozen blocks and thus the greater the contact with the ambient air, the more quickly the product can thaw. For this reason, the distances between the shelf racks in the trolleys should be approximately twice the thickness of the product to enable the air to circulate evenly throughout. The air is slightly warmed and enriched with moisture to improve the transfer of heat energy to the fish and to prevent its drying out. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ TECHNOLOGY ]

A modified version of thawing in air is possible with vacuum equipment that operates at low temperatures and with high humidity.

When the air is evacuated from the airtight unit the moisture condenses, is deposited on the frozen fish product and releases a significant amount of heat which speeds up the thawing process.

This method is particularly effective because the condensing water vapour penetrates into even the tiniest gaps and cracks in the frozen fish blocks. These systems are often equipped with sterilization units in order to prevent the development of bacterial organisms. Modern vacuum thawing systems are not only gentle to the products because they transfer the heat evenly onto them and keep them constantly moist, but also very hygienic.

An alternative to thawing in the air is to use water. This can be done by direct immersion, by spraying water onto the frozen fish, or by a combination of the two methods. Water as a medium for transferring heat energy during thawing has several advantages. It is a denser medium than air; it can be heated well, and the thermal energy is stored longer.

From an energy point of view it thus makes more sense to run the water in a circuit and use it a number of times over. The water has close contact with the product that is to be thawed because it wraps itself around the fish closely www.eurofishmagazine.com

3X Technology

Sensors monitor the thawing process, especially the temperature curve and humidity. If necessary, the ambient air is cooled. Air blast thawing systems allow “just in time” thawing of frozen products so that they are available at exactly the time they are required.

This method is suitable for both batch processes and continuous thawing within processing lines.

Products are often thawed by immersing them in a water bath. The water has the advantage of keeping the product surface moist, but this method is best used for whole fish as fillets left lying in water can lose flavour.

and transfers heat effectively.

However, these advantages are counterbalanced by some disadvantages. Fish fillets that are left lying in water for a longer period are washed out and lose flavour and so this thawing method is more suitable for whole fish. It is also problematic that microbes accumulate in the heated water, and these can contaminate all the fish during thawing. This is especially true for systems where the water is used several times.

At its simplest, defrosting in water can be carried out in a tank with a continuous flow of water. Automated thawing systems have their own sensors and control units to enable continuous monitoring of all important process parameters and thus their optimal adjustment.

Thawing systems in which frozen blocks are thawed by spraying with water are often constructed so that

the outer layers of fish fall off the block onto conveyor belts so that they can be removed immediately.

Another advantage is that the fish remain moist and the skin surfaces which are often germ-laden are constantly rinsed. Some thawing systems combine the immersion and spray methods with each other. Here the frozen fish are usually in baskets which circulate alternately through an immersion bath and a kind of shower facility in which water is sprayed from above onto the baskets. This is very effective because the heat is transferred directly and distributed uniformly over the entire surface of the product that is to be thawed.

Modern technologies shorten thawing times Electric thawing methods are even faster and more efficient.

They have hardly been able to

assert themselves in industrial practice yet, however, because the technology required is relatively expensive, both to purchase and to operate. An extremely effective way to thaw frozen fish products, and probably the fastest of all, is based on the electrical resistance the frozen blocks display to flowing current. In “dielectric heating” the frozen fish blocks are literally jammed between two parallel metal plates between which current flows. Frozen fish is a poor conductor of electricity but the electric resistance decreases rapidly once the fish is warmer.

The basic principle of this thawing method resembles an electric heater in which the filament heats up when electricity passes through it. Due to its high thawing capacity dielectric heating is especially suitable for large quantities of fish or applications that need to respond flexibly to changing

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3X Technology

[ TECHNOLOGY ]

The Rotex thawing system from 3X Technology allows the temperature of the water to be controlled giving optimal yields and product quality.

demand requirements, for example dining establishments that are suddenly confronted with large numbers of guests. For optimum thawing results the blocks should be packed uniformly thick and homogeneous so that the current can heat them evenly. If the frozen blocks are not evenly packed this can lead to local overheating and the associated quality losses.

Continuously operating dielectric thawing systems are able to thaw a tonne or more frozen fish in an hour. However, this advantage is very quickly outweighed by the effort and costs caused by this thawing technique, so that it is rarely used in practice.

Radio frequency defrosting works in a comparable manner only that the heat in the frozen product is not produced by the direct action of current, but by high-frequency radio waves that oscillate at several million cycles per second (up to about 80 MHz). With radio frequency thawing the frozen 48

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product passes on a conveyor belt through a tunnel in the upper and lower part of which (above and below the conveyor belt) two plate-like metal electrodes are arranged. They are connected to a radio-frequency generator which produces the high-frequency oscillating radio waves. Their energy sets the dipolar water molecules in the frozen fish in motion, the molecules rub against each other and thereby produce heat throughout the product, not only on the surface but also deep inside, regardless of the thickness, size and shape of the fish, or its thermal conductivity. In this way the fish thaws quickly and evenly.

The heating within the product can be controlled by the amount of electric voltage applied to the two electrodes, and the speed of the conveyor belt.

Because thawing with radio waves is relatively fast, the losses through drip loss remain low and microbes can hardly develop.

Due to the good control of the process this method can not only be used for defrosting, but also for tempering frozen products. Since radio waves can penetrate non-metallic materials, frozen products can often even be thawed directly in their packaging, for example in cartons, polystyrene boxes or polythene bags. The high speed of continuously operating radio frequency defrosting systems allows frozen raw materials to be included in production lines according to “just-in-time” criteria. Compared to traditional thawing techniques that are based on air or water and often require larger thawing rooms RF systems also require much less space for the same capacity.

Thawing systems that work with microwaves have similar benefits. The basic principle behind them is largely similar to that of the microwave ovens which are to be found in almost

every home kitchen. Unlike the domestic devices, however, the industrial systems usually operate continuously, so that frozen products are thawed within just a few minutes. The electromagnetic field of the microwaves is generated by a magnetron like those that are also found in radar systems. This thawing method is particularly suitable for thawing thinner frozen products, because the waves are proportionately absorbed in the upper layers of the frozen products. However, modern industrial systems are designed so that the “outside warm inside cold” effect hardly occurs and the products are thawed evenly.

It is particularly important that the electromagnetic field is not too strong so that the product is not overheated or even partially cooked during thawing.

When used correctly, microwave thawing delivers perfect results.

Taste, smell, texture and colour of the fish flesh are not changed and the nutrients are retained.

Added to this, the method is very fast. A standard block of frozen fillets at a temperature of -18°C can be thawed in less than 5 minutes. Continuous thawing systems that work with microwave or radio frequency technology are mostly available with capacities ranging from 100 kg to 12 tonnes per hour.

The question as to which is the best thawing method can hardly be answered objectively because the decision for one or the other technology should be based solely on the actual operational situation, the required performance and necessary flexibility, plus various other factors. Therefore, it would be more correct in this context to speak not of the best, but of the most appropriate, thawing technique. mk www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ TECHNOLOGY ] Tomra Sorting Solutions deploys optical technology in a variety of applications

Advanced seafood sorting solutions Optical sorting refers to the use of optical technology to separate a flow of products into different streams based on certain criteria.

The technology is an indefatigable and less error-prone replacement for manual unhygienic sorting and it does not take long to cover the cost of the investment.

I

n the seafood processing industry sorting is often necessary at different junctures; for example, as the raw material enters the production, during processing, and before packaging. The first sorting procedure will ensure that only raw material that meets the specific requirements of the company enters into the production process, while the second round of sorting will filter items that are poorly processed or that are defective and need to be discarded. A last check sorter can also be implemented before packaging for products to be sent to the end customer. The usefulness of this technology has led several companies to develop commercial applications that are used in different fields, apart from food processing; these machines may be found in the mining, and recycling industries, and pharmaceutical industries among others.

Start in reverse vending machines In Europe one of the prominent manufacturers of sorting equipment is the Norwegian company Tomra. Founded in 1972 in Asker, Norway, the company started with the design, manufacture and sale of reverse vending machines, the devices used in supermarkets to collect empty beverage containers from customers. From the collection of beverage containers the company graduated into material recovery including the pickup, transport and processing of empty www.eurofishmagazine.com

Tomra Sorting creates high-tech solutions that efficiently separate good from bad in a flow of products.

beverage containers for beverage producers in the US and Canada.

Tomra today has two main business areas: collection solutions, which include the streams reverse vending, material recovery and compaction; and sorting solutions, including recycling, mining, food and specialty products.

While collection solutions are the older business line and responsible for the bulk of the company’s revenues, the sorting solutions business area grew from 25 to 35 of the group’s total operating revenue between 2011 and 2012.

Tomra’s sorting solutions that are deployed in the recycling

business enable material processing facilities to sort materials such as plastic, metal, household waste and paper rapidly and efficiently, while in the mining industry sorting machines identify and stream precious materials, minerals, or gemstones away from the dross.

In the food business Odenberg machines were used to sort large products such as potatoes and carrots, but it was only in 2012 with the acquisition of a Belgian firm, Best, that the company developed a capacity to provide sorting solutions for smaller products like dried fruit and nuts, fruits, vegetables, French fries and chips, and many other products. Best came

with a portfolio of proprietary detection mechanisms including special technologies, like Detox™, which is used to detect aflatoxin, a toxic fungus that can infect nuts and dried fruits. Another technology developed by Best is Fluo™ that uses the fluorescent features of products to give a better contrast between items and thereby improve the efficiency of detection.

Sixty-five types of sorting equipment The sorting solutions make use of sensor-based technologies to identify, separate, and stream

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[ TECHNOLOGY ] products. The equipment is typically constituted of a scanning technology and a machine platform. The latter comprises all the parts of the equipment apart from the scanner. By combining different scanning technologies with different platforms Odenberg and Best, within Tomra Sorting can offer more than 65 varieties of sorting machines. Of course, for each product the company knows which is the most efficient combination of scanning technology and machine platform to be used. In the seafood sorting side of the business the main technologies used are cameras, lasers, and x-rays. The cameras can sort based on colour; differences in colour such as black spots on shrimps, discoloured flesh, anything that deviates from the pre-programmed colour spectrum can be sorted out of the batch. Cameras can also detect unusual shapes, that is, if the product scanned is too big, or too small, too curved or too straight, it can be rejected by the system. While cameras can reliably distinguish external characteristics of the product scanning technologies based on lasers go a step further. A laser too can sense differences in colour, but in addition, it can examine the texture of the product and determine whether it is hard or soft and even measure the moisture content. This ability makes it a useful tool to determine the presence of impurities that are not visible to the camera. The shell of shrimp, for example, is transparent and may not be visible to a camera, or even a human eye for that matter, but because it is hard while the shrimp meat is soft it can be detected by a laser. Poorly peeled shrimp or shell that has inadvertently gotten mixed with the product can thus be identified by a laser and removed from the product flow. This ability makes 50

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laser scanning an ideal tool when there is a risk of transparent impurities or contamination of the same colour as the product.

Combining different scanning technologies for better results X-ray scanners are also used by the seafood industry. Like the scanners at airports used for people and luggage x-ray sorting technology is based on the varying extent to which different materials absorb x-rays. Softer materials let x-rays pass through while dense substances absorb them. These differences can be used to detect the presence of impurities such as shell, glass, metal, or stone inside a product such as scallop meat or mussel meat. X-ray scanning poses no health hazards for either the operator or the product, stresses Johan Germeys, Market Unit Manager for seafood. Although it uses high voltages to generate the x-rays, the scanning machine is designed and built to international standards and is completely insulated from its environment. While the x-ray scanning technology is usually a separate piece of equipment, the camera and laser scanning technologies can also be combined into a single machine, called a dual machine or one using dual technology. By combining a camera with a laser, for example, the seafood would be sorted to remove all discoloured or misshapen objects as well as to remove unwanted objects such as shell or by-catch. This makes these applications particularly useful in vessel-based facilities as fishermen want to reduce the amount of unusable material they bring back to shore as it uses up space and increases fuel consumption. If the material is sorted as it comes on board the by-catch can be discarded at

After the scanning technology has identified a faulty product, a jet of air will shoot it on to a reject belt to be discarded.

once. We are seeing increasing interest in our seafood sorting solutions for on-board purposes, says Mr Germeys. In the South Pacific Ocean sorting solutions have been installed on vessels targeting greenshell mussels and in the South Atlantic Ocean they are used by the scallop fishing and on-board freezing vessels.

Tomra’s sorting solutions for seafood are already commonly used in the shrimp and prawn processing sector, and to sort mussels, scallops and tuna. The company has had to respond and adapt its products to changes in the seafood market which in the case of shrimp, for example, have been marked. Johan Germeys recalls how the machines were first implemented to sort coldwater shrimp (Pandalus borealis) in markets in Canada, Greenland, Iceland, and Scandinavian countries. But with the spread of shrimp farming during the last decade in Asia and Latin America, there was a wave of consolidation among the coldwater shrimp processors and the sorting machines had to be developed to sort warmwater varieties. In addition, while in the past it was typical for a company to process only one kind of shrimp, today processors import shrimp from different

parts of the world and they can be different species, so the sorting machinery has to be programmed to deal with different species of shrimp.

Belt vs. free fall For the seafood sorting solutions there are essentially two machine platforms that can be combined with the scanning technologies. One of them, Genius™, has a horizontal belt on which the product is laid prior to scanning.

A belt-fed scanner is used for wet products – peeled shrimp, scallops – as it gives better stability and product handling. Genius™ can combine cameras and lasers to scan different sides of the product in different inspection zones. After being scanned the machine’s software sends a signal to one or more of the high speed precision air ejectors that sends a millisecond blast of air to remove the offending product to the appropriate reject stream.

The Genius™ platform is modular and so is easy to adapt precisely to the customer’s requirements.

With belt widths that vary from 64 cm to 2 meters and a speed of 3 m/s the sorter can process up to five tonnes of material an hour.

The second platform used for seafood is called Helius™ and it differs www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ TECHNOLOGY ] line which may already have a spreader. In any event Tomra Sorting can provide a total solution that includes the sorter, the infeed system, and the reject and accept belts. The company also develops the software that runs the machines which includes training the machine to recognise what is to be rejected. Today’s sorters can connect to the internet and in case of problems engineers from the company can log onto the machine and investigate the issue.

Coldwater shrimp is one of the first products for which Tomra Sorting developed a solution. Here, the difference between the sorted and the unsorted shrimp.

These sorting machines have typically an efficiency in the range of 95-97 with low figures for bad in good and good in bad.

But the biggest advantage of the machine is that it is quicker, more accurate, and ultimately cheaper than manual sorting.

To get an accurate picture of the areas in the world with the most potential for sorting solutions, the company has set up a unit that will analyse the global seafood market to identify future developments.

Mussels too can be sorted so that any discoloured or damaged pieces are discarded. The scanning technology is programmed to reject based on criteria keyed in by the operator.

from Genius™ mainly in that the scanner is not belt fed. Instead the product free falls towards the inspection zone, where it is

scanned by multiple lasers from all angles. The ability to scan the product from all sides as well as the sorter’s small footprint are two

Tomra Sorting Solutions NV Company Fact File Researchpark Haasrode 1622 Romeinse Straat 20 B-3001 Leuven Belgium Tel.: +32 16 740 363 Fax: +32 16 396 390 www.tomrasorting.com www.bestsorting.com Market Unit Manager Seafood: Johan Germeys www.eurofishmagazine.com

Marketing Manager Food and Specialty Products: Björn Weyts Products: Sorting solutions for the seafood industry Seafood currently sorted: Shrimps, mussels, scallops, tuna Markets: USA, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, Asia Scanning technologies: Camera, laser, x-ray, among others Brands: Odenberg, Best

Focus shifts from product to market

of the advantages of the Helius™.

In other respects it functions like the Genius™.

Infeed systems determine sorting efficiency Crucial for both Genius™ and Helius™ is the infeed system that distributes the product prior to scanning as uneven distribution can impact the efficiency of the sorting. Tomra Sorting offers its own infeed solutions, usually shakers or vibro-conveyors, which spread the product into a monolayer for optimal sorting.

But the sorters can also be integrated into an existing processing

Tomra will continue to refine and develop its sorting solutions, both the hardware and the software, emphasises Mr Germeys, but while in the past the company developed the product and then looked for the market where it could be implemented, the focus today is on finding out from a customer where the problem lies and then working together to develop a solution tailored to that specific issue. Nowadays, every machine that leaves our factory is customised to the individual needs of the client. We have a 100 people working in research and development and so are well equipped to respond to any challenges the market may throw at us.

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

51

[ SPECIES ] Meagre from Mediterranean aquaculture

From niche product to mainstream?

Meagre (Argyrosomus regius ), also called croaker, has been highly valued as a consumption fish since ancient times. However, the catch volume from the fishery cannot satisfy demand. Production of the species in aquaculture began in France and Italy at the end of the 1990s and in the meantime nearly 20,000 tonnes are supplied annually. Meagre is still considered a niche product but its potential is by no means exhausted yet.

I

t would be lying to describe meagre as a particularly striking or attractive fish. Its body shape with its two dorsal fins is perch-like, its sides and belly are pale to silvery white, its back and fins brownish or grey-black. The only spot of colour is to be found on the inside of its mouth cavity which in live fishes has a yellow or orange shimmer. What makes this fish so popular is its firm meat that renders it suitable for frying, baking or grilling but also for steaming, smoking or even marinating raw. It has a strong aroma and does not spoil easily because due to its moderate fat content it is less susceptible to oxidation.

The meagre is often seen as a typical Mediterranean fish species. With the exception of the south eastern region, where it is relatively rare, it can be found almost all along the Mediterranean coast, but its geographic range is much greater. In the north it extends as far as the south coast of Ireland and the North Sea (individual fishes sometimes even get into the Norwegian fjords), and the southern boundary is said to be at about 6° latitude in the Gulf of Guinea. It has even been known to have swum into the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.

Although meagre can occasionally be found at depths of 200 or 300 metres they usually prefer shallower regions with depths of about 15 to 20 metres directly 52

Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2013

The orange-yellow colouring of the mouth cavity is a typical feature of the meagre (Argyrosomus regius).

off the coast. There they like to be close to the bottom between stones and other structures that offer a hiding place and thus protection. Although the meagre is an oceanic marine species the fishes sometimes swim into brackish water, too, for example into tributaries of the Nile delta.

Outside of spawning time the fishes mostly live in smaller groups that can unite to form larger swarms near rocky cliffs or shipwrecks on the sea bottom.

Other species are also attracted as if by magic to these habitats so that the meagre can find plenty

of food there. In addition to the structure of their habitat and the availability of food, temperature is a particularly decisive factor for determining the location and behaviour of the fishes. Temperatures and their course trigger maturing processes and spawning times as well as influencing migration routes when the fishes are looking for feed. Meagre prefer temperatures of between 17 and 21°C, and tolerance limits are reached at 14 and 23°C. If temperatures are above or below these levels the fishes almost stop eating and become increasingly lethargic. Meagre are predatory

fish and eat just about everything that they can overpower, but preferably smaller fishes such as sardines, silversides or young mullets (whose swarms they will often follow) but also shrimps that are swimming freely in the water. At the time of catching the fishes are mostly about 50 cm long but they have been caught at lengths of one and a half metres.

The record for this species is said to be 2.3 metres and over 100 kg in weight. Males live to a maximum age of 15, females up to 20 years. Particularly large examples are mainly found off the coasts of West Africa. www.eurofishmagazine.com

[ SPECIES ]

The firm white meat of the meagre makes this fish ideal for frying, baking and grilling but it can also be steamed, smoked or even marinated raw.

Robust, undemanding and fast-growing Every year in spring the mature fishes gather off certain coasts to swim together into shallow marine bays and estuaries to spawn. In the southern Mediterranean they spawn from April to July, further north usually somewhat later.

Meagre use special muscles that are attached to their swim bladder to produce characteristic sounds ranging from a low-frequency hum to a muffled drumming that are even perceivable outside the water. These sounds are rather like that created when a person strokes their fingers over a tightly filled balloon. In the opinion of a lot of behaviour scientists the sounds are used for acoustic communication. The fact that the sounds are uttered more frequently and more intensely during spawning time is in line with this assumption.

In the Mediterranean meagre do not become mature until they are two or three years old.

Their fertility is relatively high.

First spawners produce nearly 200,000 eggs that measure about one millimetre in size. Females measuring just over one metre in www.eurofishmagazine.com

length can even produce nearly one million eggs. Under normal temperature conditions that are equal to around 20°C during spawning time the larvae have eaten up all of the yolk sac four days after hatching and then begin active feeding. They initially remain close to the coasts and feed on the rich supply of plankton there but in autumn they swim into areas with water depths of 40 m for the winter where more consistent conditions prevail than in shallower waters. At this time, i.e. just a few months after hatching, the young fishes are often more than 3 cm in length and change from a pelagic to a bottom-dwelling existence which is characteristic of this fish species.

market value, particularly larger ones weighing more than 2 kg.

There is a disadvantage, however: the meagre is a predatory fish and as such requires protein-rich feed.

Meagre farming is still a young branch of aquaculture: the fishes have been produced as a target species in aquaculture for only a few years. Up to 2007 annual production volume remained in the range of just a few hundred tonnes. Then it rose by 4,000 t per year in the years 2008 and 2009, reaching 15,000 t in 2010. Egypt, which has long been the biggest aquaculture nation in Africa, is the country that is behind this three-fold production increase.

The FAO statistics name Egypt’s meagre production in 2010 at slightly more than 12,000 t.

The fast growth of the fishes during the first months of their lives – something which is not unusual for nearly all the larger fish species – naturally constitutes a favourable precondition for aquaculture. Additional positive aspects include the facts that meagre is not very demanding, and even grows well at moderate temperatures of around 20°C, as well as that the fishes have a high

Optimistic forecasts for aquaculture production This is all the more surprising given the fact that very little information on the technology of hatching and farming meagre as developed in the south of France during the 1990s actually became public. At that time the French built up a stock of spawners and were the first to raise fry in a spe-

cialised hatchery. That was in 1996. Production was low at first but already in 1997 commercial aquaculture production started.

What seemed very promising at first did not develop as hoped for, however, and the production level has even stagnated during recent years. Spain alone had a respectable production figure to report in the year 2012: 1,640 t, though even this was 43 lower than in 2011.

Following the early successes, production in France dropped again to 400 t (2010) and production in Italy, where there is a good market for this fish, does not even reach 100 t (according to FAO statistics). In theory, meagre offers consumers and producers almost everything they could wish for. It tastes good, and slaughter yields are high, it is healthy, it has a high nutritional value with a low fat content, and its firm white meat can be prepared in almost any way. In practice, however, this branch of farming has not really got underway and remains rather sluggish, despite an observation made recently by M.C. Monfort in an FAO study (Studies and Reviews. General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean.

No. 89. Rome, FAO. 2010. 28p.)

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

53

Dr Hayri Deniz, Kilic Seafood Production and Trade Inc.

[ SPECIES ]

Meagre has several assets as an aquaculture species. It is not very demanding, grows well at moderate temperatures of around 20°C, and has a high value, particularly larger ones weighing more than 2 kg, but volumes of farmed fish are limited by a lack of fry and the problems of introducing a new species on to the market.

that meagre was ”one of the best potential candidates for large scale farming in Europe”. So what is the reason for the fact that production has not really got off the ground?

Meagre are produced both in tanks on land and in floating net cages in the sea. The number of facilities in which this fish species is farmed is relatively low.

It is often even only produced as a side-line of the regular programme in which mostly dorade and bass are farmed. Because demand for fry is still relatively low there are not many hatcheries that have specialised in meagre. There was allegedly only one company in the south of France in 2004 that offered meagre fry on a regular basis. In her FAO study Monfort named the number of young meagre that were sold from the hatcheries to European fish farms in 2008 at 8 to 10 million. According to her calculations that is sufficient to produce 14,000 to 18,000 fishes weighing 2 kg (under the assumption that overall mortality is equal to 10).

Although this result is not poor it is nevertheless too few to call mass production.

Farming meagre takes the same course as for other fishes in 54

Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2013

aquaculture. The fry are generally supplied at sizes of between 3 and 10 grams and are first put into small tanks or net cages for three months until they have reached a size of about 100 g.

It is only after that the actual grow-out phase begins, and the technology for this is very similar to that used when farming dorade and bass. In land-based facilities the meagre are mostly put into round and elongated concrete tanks whose walls are lined with plastic to prevent skin injuries. With stock densities of about 50 fishes per cubic metre the fishes reach weights of 1 to 1.2 kg within about two years.

The target weight, however, is two to three kilograms since these fishes sell better. With volumes of 1,000 to 2,000 cubic metres the net cages for farming meagre in the sea are relatively small compared to salmon cages that offer 15,000 cubic metres capacity and more. Recently farmers have even begun keeping meagre in completely submerged cages that are 10 or 20 metres below the water surface.

The living conditions in these cages are particularly good for meagre but they cost more and produce less fish because they are only stocked with 10 to 20 fishes per cubic metre.

Urgent need to expand sales markets The feed required for producing meagre is typical of a large number of marine fish species. It contains 45 to 48 protein and 20 to 25 fat.

The daily feed quantity (at water temperatures of over 18°C about 1-2 of fish biomass) is distributed in two or three portions spread over the day. In intensive farms the feed conversion ratio is 1.6 to 1.7. Because meagre grow badly during the winter and the feed they consume is mainly stored as abdominal fat younger fishes are often taken out of the sea cages in late autumn when the water there becomes cooler and transferred to tanks on land until spring. Meagre are comparatively robust and not particularly susceptible to disease.

In spite of this, care must be taken when handling the fishes for they soon lose scales through mechanical stress and are quite susceptible to eye injuries that can lead to blindness.

Apart from the necessary investment in farm installations and equipment it is feed and fry that constitute the biggest cost factor when farming meagre. The species is today still often produced as a side-line in dorade and bass farms to extend the product range.

Market prices fluctuate with the seasons, supply volume and the size of the fishes between 5 to 7 EUR/kg for smaller fishes and 8 to 14 EUR/kg for fishes weighing over 2 kg. If the fishery lands large quantities of meagre the price can be even lower. Meagre is thus to be found in the medium price segment and so has to compete with other marine fishes such as haddock, hake or cod. If production volume rises the price for meagre would tend to fall further in the future.

This is certainly not likely to motivate commitment among potential investors, particularly since the market for meagre is still relatively small. The majority of fishes, both from the fishery and from aquaculture, are sold in Italy and southern France. Spain is also becoming more important. It would seem to be necessary to expand the markets if more meagre are to be produced in aquaculture. Interest in this fish is growing: at least it is now offered occasionally in a lot of European countries, mainly in superior restaurants and sushi bars. This is admittedly only one segment of the important sales channels for fish, but it is a start.

After all, consumers have to get to know new fish species first, before they can like them. mk www.eurofishmagazine.com

D ATE S DIARY DATES 9-12 August, 2013 Aquaculture Europe Trondheim, Norway Tel.: +32 9 233 4912 www.was.org

Vigo, Spain Tel.: +34 986 433351 Fax: +34 986 221174 conxemar@conxemar.com www.conxemar.com

13-16 August, 2013 Aqua Nor Trondheim, Norway Tel.: +47 73 56 86 mailbox@nor-fishing.no http://nor-fishing.no

5-9 October, 2013 Anuga Cologne, Germany Tel.: +49 221 821-2240 Fax + 49 221 821-993410 anuga@koelnmesse.de www.anuga.com

3-5 September, 2013 Asian Seafood Show Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel.: +1 207 842 5504 customerservice@divcom.com www.asianseafoodexpo.com 4-7 September, 2013 Riga Food Riga, Latvia Tel.: +(371) 67067500 Fax : +(371) 67067551 rolands.nezborts@bt1.lv www.bt1.lv/bt1/rigafood 16-19 September, 2013 World Food Moscow Moscow, Russia Tel.: +44 (0) 207 596 5086 tony.higginson@ite-exhibitions.com www.world-food.ru/en-GB

7-11 October, 2013 Agroprodmash Moscow, Russian Federation Tel.: +7 (499) 795 3799 Fax: +7 (495) 205 7210 centr@expocentr.ru www.agroprodmash-expo.ru/en 9-11 October, 2013 DanFish Aalborg, Denmark Tel.: +45 99 35 55 55 info@akkc.dk www.danfish.com 10-12 October, 2013 Shanghai International Fisheries & Seafood Expo 2013 Shanghai, China Tel.: +86 21 67759097 Fax: +86 21 64516467 lewis.liu@gehuaexpo.com www.sifse.com

23-24 September, 2013 Developmental trends and diversification in European Aquaculture Bremerhaven, Germany Tel.: +49 471-94646741 abbel@bis-bremerhaven.de www.aquaculture-forum.de 28 September – 3 October, 2013 World Seafood Congress St. John’s, NL, Canada Tel.: +1 709 778 0345 Fax: +1 709 778 0670 Heather.Manuel@mi.mun.ca www.wsc2013.com 30 September – 3 October 2013 Whitefish World Congress + Conxemar 2013

Fax: +86 10 58672600 info@seafarechina.com www.seafarechina.com 7-9 November, 2013 EXPO PESCA & ACUIPERU Lima, Peru Tel.: +511 201 7820 (202) Fax: +511 201 7820 (209) thais@amauta.rcp.net.pe www.thaiscorp.com 21-23 November, 2013 Busan Int. Seafood & Fisheries Expo Busan, Korea Tel.: +82 51 7407518 Fax: +82 51 7407360 bisfe@bexco.co.kr www.bisfe.com 10-13 December, 2013 Asian-Pacific Aquaculture Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tel.: +1 760 751 5005 worldaqua@aol.com www.was.org 9-11 February, 2014 Fish International Bremen, Germany Tel.: +49 421 3505 260 Fax: +49 421 3505 681 info@fishinternational.de www.fishinternational.de 31 March – 3 April, 2014 Alimentaria 2014 Barcelona, Spain Tel.: +34 93 452 10 39 alimentaria-bcn@alimentaria.com www.alimentaria-bcn.com 7-11 June, 2014 World Aquaculture 2014 Adelaide, Australia www.was.org

22-24 October, 2013 Seafood Barcelona Barcelona, Spain Tel.: +1 207 842 5504 customerservice@divcom.com www.seafoodbarcelona.com

25-27 September 2014 Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition 2014 Smarin, Kopavogur, Iceland Tel.: +44 1329 825335 mrasmussen@mercatormedia.com www.icefish.is

5- 7 November, 2013 China Fisheries & Seafood Expo 2013 Shanghai, China Tel.: +86 10 58672620

14-17 October, 2014 Aquaculture Europe 2014 San Sebastian, Spain 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

GUEST PAGES

Axis 4 fosters links between players in fisheries areas

Triggering the dynamism of local communities Remote coastal communities that are dependent on fisheries have been facing a number of challenges, including diminishing catches, low prices, increased competition, higher costs and they are further constrained by the need to exploit the resource sustainably. At the same time these rapidly-evolving developments affect different communities differently and call for a response that is calibrated to the specific needs of the community and the area. Under Axis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund local players from the private, public, voluntary and community sector connected with fisheries come together and form a Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG). By designing and implementing local development strategies, the FLAG works towards addressing some of the particular problems of its area. Supporting this process is the Farnet Support Unit, a technical team established by the European Commission to assist in the implementation of Axis 4. Farnet refers to the European Commission, Member State administrations, the national fisheries networks and the FLAGs. In this interview Paul Soto, Team Leader of the Farnet Support Unit, talks about the effect of Axis 4 on the development of fisheries areas.

The European Fisheries Fund’s Axis 4 started to actively deploy local partnership principles for the benefit of fishing communities in 2009. Broadly speaking, how can this approach contribute to the sustainable development of fisheries area?

Axis 4 is trying to do things differently when it comes to supporting fishing communities. For example, with Axis 4, the decision on which project to support is devolved to a local partnership (the Fisheries Local Action Group or FLAG), i.e. a group of people who are active locally and join together to work towards the development of their area.

Another feature of the Axis 4 approach is that these partnerships select projects on the basis of a local strategy, which they have drawn up and agreed on.

This ensures that projects are in line with strategic objectives and that FLAG actions are coordinated and contribute to sustainable local development. Because the strategies are developed by local actors, and designed to address local needs, there are 56

Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2013

many different types of strategies implemented by FLAGs, from those with a primary focus on the different stages of the fisheries value chain, to those that explore new ways of creating local jobs or improving the local environment.

Today there are more than 300 Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) across the EU, reflecting a wide diversity of fisheries areas. Is this level of activity more or less in line with the expectations at the start of the 2007-2013 programming period, or has the response been disappointing?

When we started, it was estimated that there would be around 250 FLAGs across 21 Member States.

Currently, there are over 300 FLAGs up and running, so we are very pleased with what has been achieved, and with the dynamism that has emerged in local fisheries areas. In many areas, the demand was greater than the budget available, so there could have been even more FLAGs and more projects. Axis 4 represents, on average, only 13 of the European Fisheries

Paul Soto, Team Leader, Farnet Support Unit

Fund (EFF) budget, and is much smaller in some countries, which means that the funds available were not sufficient to respond to all the needs identified. However, it was up to the Member States to decide on the amounts to be allocated to the different Axes, so the

situation varies from one country to another.

There have been significant differences between Member States in terms of the speed of establishing FLAGs. Why are some countries better than others at doing this www.eurofishmagazine.com

GUEST PAGES

and how can FLAG formation be encouraged in situations where it is needed?

This is the first time that fishing communities have been given the opportunity to manage EU funds themselves, and moving from a centralised approach to a bottom up process has represented a steep learning curve for all those involved. The setting up of Axis 4 was very challenging for fishing communities and local stakeholders, but also for the various administrations in charge of the management of the programme, and this created some delays in the implementation process. That being said, most of the delays were due to issues linked to the administration of the programme in certain countries, and not because of lack of demand from the ground.

The key to speeding up the implementation process is, firstly, to make sure that administrative systems are well designed, and that there is good coordination between the different level of decision-making (central, regional, etc), and, secondly, to ensure that support structures and national networks are in place and available to assist FLAGs in the early stages of their development.

FLAGs have so far supported over 3,700 projects in the EU and yet, in some countries, some with a high number of FLAGs, there are very few or even no projects.

What are the reasons for this and what does it mean for the FLAGs and the fisheries communities in those countries?

The fact that there are still only a small number of projects in some countries is mostly due to the issue mentioned earlier. Devolving www.eurofishmagazine.com

decision making powers to the local level has been more challenging in some countries than others and this has caused delays. But even in these countries, stakeholders have been working to develop projects on the ground for quite a while now, so we expect these late starters to catch up pretty fast, once the process gets underway.

The projects set up under Axis 4 are probably not all enjoying the same degree of success. How do you assess the success or otherwise of a project, what criteria do you use?

It is true that the quality of projects varies and, as in any programme, there are some that are better than others. However, the success of a project can only be truly assessed at the local level, by looking at the extent to which it responds to the need or opportunity identified. In the Fisheries Area Network (FARNET), we try to highlight projects that are innovative in terms of how they contribute to the development of fisheries areas, and that also have a high degree of transferability (i.e. could be replicated by other local communities around the EU). These projects are considered as good practices and are made available on our website in many different languages.

In general, what has the evaluation of projects showed? What lessons have been learned and what will be done differently when the new seven-year programming period and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) start in 2014. What will this mean for Axis 4 and the projects that have been initiated under it?

Axis 4 is evaluated with the other EFF Axes in a number of different

ways. One of these is an interim evaluation that all Member States had to carry out in 2010, in the middle of the implementation period. However, because of the time taken to set up the programme, the evaluation of Axis 4 projects was not possible at that stage. Many of the interim evaluations did, however, highlight the positive dynamic that Axis 4 generated at local level, fostering linkages between local economic actors that were not used to working together, which have the potential to generate new ideas for the development of fisheries areas. Indeed, in Axis 4, the set up of FLAGs and the work they carry out in their areas is just as important as the projects they generate.

In addition to the mid term evaluations, some Member States (France, Finland, Poland) have taken the initiative to launch independent evaluations. In France, for example, the main added value of Axis 4 (which represents only 3 of the EFF budget) has been to foster better linkages within the sector (between the various segments of operators - shellfish farmers, fishermen, shellfish gatherers,...) and between the sector and other actors of economic development.

In addition to the above, DG MARE is launching this summer a study on the results of Axis 4 and its first findings will probably be available in early 2014.

As for the EMFF, the lessons that have been learned at all stages of the implementation process in this period will help to ensure that the next programme starts much earlier, giving more time to local actors to develop their projects and implement their strategies. Axis 4 in the next period will not be called Axis 4 anymore, but will offer even more flexibility

to fishing communities to use community led local development, including in helping them respond to the challenges associated with the implementation of the new Common Fisheries Policy (landing obligation, Maximum Sustainable Yield, etc.).

FLAGs will have to reapply to be selected in the next round, but there is a desire not to lose the experience that has been gained in this current period.

What makes a remarkable FLAG? What steps should it take to improve the chances of success of its projects? And what course of action would you recommend to fishers, farmers, and others on the ground, who are interested in augmenting or diversifying their sources of income?

The people behind the FLAG are what make it remarkable. If you have motivated and dynamic people behind a FLAG, then you are already halfway there. They will be the ones ensuring that the whole community mobilises behind its fisheries sector and that enable the area to move together towards a better future. As for recommendations, the crisis has been very tough for many sectors in Europe, with credit lines drying up and markets stagnating or even receding. The fisheries sector has also had to contend with restrictions on the catch, high fuel prices and difficult market conditions. The main recommendation from FARNET is that FLAGs offer local fishermen a lot of flexibility and can support them in many different ways. We have just developed a leaflet and a guide which contain many examples of the added value of Axis 4. This is a good place to start for fishing communities that would like to learn more about the potential of Axis 4.

Eurofish Magazine 4/ 2013

57

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Eckhard Preuß

Aleksandra Petersen

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ISSN 1868-5943 www.eurofishmagazine.com

ISSN 1868-5943

June 3 / 2013 C 44346 August 4 / 2013 C 44346

Romania Norway Investments in trout farming sharply boost

production Preparing its seafood industry for the future Aquaculture in Russia: Three-fold in production by 2020 European Seafood Exposition: Hasincrease a new name from 2014

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