Eurofish Magazine 4 2022 by Eurofish

, a member of the FISH INFOnetworkPublished by www.euroﬁsh.dk ISSN 1868-5943 August 4/2022 C 44346 N OS M K E RO H PÊ Fish games inform and entertain Croatian kids Sustainability takes on new urgency at ﬁsh international Turkey marks International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture Carps are now a source of value-added products Croatia

Conditions in the Black Sea result in the sh feeding a lot and growing rapidly. By the time they are harvested the sh weigh between three and six kilos. e sh is popular in Russia and Japan and the trade has given rise to a whole industry of production, processing, equipment, services, and ancillary companies in and around Trabzon that are organised into a cluster. e industry also has the bene t of research expertise at the govern ment sheries research institute and at universities in the area. Read more on page 57

When they reach 600 to 800 g the trout are brought to the sea for on-growing for about 6 months in the winter.

Turkish Salmon is the brand name under which Turkish rms are marketing their large sea-raised trout. is industry which has taken o in the last decade is based in cities on the shore of the Black Sea. Here, a number of companies have cages in the sea where they introduce rainbow trout raised in ponds or raceways on land.

In this issue

International sheries management is necessary for preserving sh stocks, maintaining high yields, and ensur ing equitable resource distribution. In addition to the challenge of illegal, unregulated, and unreported shing (IUU), the shing industry faces increased challenges from climate change and resurgent national egoism and consequently select countries are exploiting sh stocks at the cost of others. For example, in 2021, the EU called for sanctions against Norway because they increased their share of mackerel catch from 22.5 to 35 without authorization. Regulations and best practices are in place and agreed on by many nations, such as the FAO’s “Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries”, however, ensuring compliance to these guidelines is di cult. Gen eral high seas management is done by regional sheries organizations (RFOs) and regional sheries manage ment organizations (RFMOs). ese organizations help de ne catch quantities for commercially important sh, prescribe technical measures, and control compliance. However, despite the multiple RFOs and RFMOs some marine regions are not managed at all. ere needs to be better coordination of existing RFOs to strengthen their regulatory abilities. More countries with shing interests need to enter the relevant RFOs in order to ensure the rules and regulations are followed by all countries shing in the regions. RFOs have catch quotas however despite the available data, they are often heavily in uenced by economic interests and still pose a threat to sh stocks.

Commercial sheries and aquaculture in Croatia includes capture shing in the Adriatic Sea for pelagic and demersal species, farming of freshwater sh on continental Croatia, as well as marine farming of sh and bi valves. e country also has a processing industry that salts, marinades, or cans small pelagic species for the domestic and export markets. e precarious status of stocks in the Mediterranean has forced the implemen tation of measures intended to reduce some of the pressure and allow stocks to rebuild. In the Adriatic Sea these e orts include declaring the Jabuka Pit, a breeding ground and nursery for several demersal species, a sheries restricted area. Today, ve years later, the positive impact of that policy on important stocks can al ready be felt. ese and other spatial restrictions on shing mean that Croatia is well on its way to reach a UN target of limiting shing on 30 of its shing areas by 2030. Fishers too can see the bene ts of these measures although in the short term It may mean lower catches. On the island of Lastovo, for example, shers, who realise that shing sustainably will secure their occupations and give them a foothold in export markets, have established an association through which they will conduct joint activities. Read more from page 31

Electronic catch documentation and new technologies can be potential solutions to enforcing de ned quotas and more successfully manage shared sh stocks. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article from page 58

Beneﬁts of Croatian area closure apparent already

Under the heading, Responsible Production— e European Way, speakers at the biennial conference of the European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers speakers addressed topics ranging from the state of in dustrial sh stocks and the factors that impact them; the sustainability of shing these resources and the role of traceability and control; the threats facing small pelagic sh; emissions associated with the shery and with the processing activity that converts the sh into meal and oil, among others. e meeting was at tended by the members of the association, mainly representatives from shmeal and sh oil manufacturers and their suppliers. e many interesting and informative interventions and the panel discussions o ered the audience an overview of factors such as global warming, stock status, greenhouse gas emissions, policy initiatives, and public opinion, that will shape their industry in the years to come. Read more on page 24

EUROFISHMagazine 4/20223

Scientists use park to explore new frontiers

The show for all in the seafood industry Interzoo is a leading trade fair for the international pet industry

FishmealandFishOil 24

28 Pordenone once again hosts three aquaculture events Witness the future of farming today Aquaculture Europe annual conference, Rimini, 27-30 September 2022, Rimini FAO to organise a “Special Day”

SE EE LV DE UK IR NL BE FR CH AU SL UA BY HURO ES PT RU MT AL BG BA ME EL MD FYROM LU MA DZ TN LY CZ NO DK PL SI HR IT RS LT 4 www.euro shmagazine.com Table of News 6 International News Events 15 Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global, 26-28 April, Barcelona

Croatia 31 Croatia is well on its way to restrict fishing in 30% of fishing area in the Adriatic Restricting fisheries in the Jabuka Pit has had multiple positive impacts PP Orahovica invests further in its processing facility changes in consumption habits Abundant water will enable Krofish to significantly enhance Croatian trout output High quality fish for domestic and foreign markets Price, availability, and novelty contribute to trout’s popularity among the young Trout holds its own against marine species Friška Riba, a fishermen’s cooperative and producer organisation

21 fish international, Bremen, 4-6 September 2022

Comprehensive insight into sustainable industrial fisheries Aquaculture

The value of fish products in pet food emphasized at interzoo

Hybrid event should expand audience European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers’ conference, 1-3 June, Skagen, Denmark

EU-funded projects improve life on board A handful of fishers is working to make the fishery on Lastovo more sustainable New activities promise to boost the island’s economy Despite restrictions on activities Lastovo nature park is supported by island’s residents

Exploiting

Trend barometer for the seafood industry Nor-Fishing 2022 focuses on sustainable harvesting and use of wild marine resources

Main cover photo credit: PP Orahovica, Croatia

RU EG AM AZ KZ UZ IR IQ SA CY TM JO LB SY IL TR GE onbasedMap3.0)BY-SA(CChttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Location_European_nation_states.svgbyHayden120andNuclearVacuum EUROFISH Magazine 4 / 2022 5 Contents Worldwide Fish News 46 Fishery tourism presents a valuable experience with opportunity for local economic growth Combining tourism and fisheries development for a unique travel experience 48 Croatian couple increases awareness of the Adriatic Sea and its fish Influencing food choices through a children’s game 50 Croatian marine biologists develop a fish identification database An app with multiple uses 52 A Croatian processor uses relatively unknown fish species in his product assortment Innovative products for high-end customers Turkey 54 Minister of Agriculture and Forestry promotes Turkish fish at Baku event Seafood samples draw an enthusiastic response 55 Turkey organizes multiple events to commemorate IYAFA 2022 Small-scale fisheries play an important role in society 56 Salmon farming in the Black Sea increases rapidly Cluster of expertise forms in Trabzon 57 Turkey makes the most of the bounty offered by its seas New industry farming Mediterranean mussel takes off Fisheries 58 Strengthening regional fisheries management on the high seas The fight against IUU fishing remains the most important goal Technology 62 Craemer Group exhibits at fish international and Conxemar trade fairs High-quality load carriers for first-class fish catches GuestPages: 63MarijaVučković Climate change a key challenge for Croatian fisheries and aquaculture Innovative solutions necessary to build resilience Scan the QR code to access the Eurofish Magazine website (www.eurofishmagazine. com), where you can also sign up to receive the Eurofish Magazine newsletter. Belgium page12 Denmark pages8, 10 Estonia page10 Hungary pages7, 13 Italy pages6, TurkeyThailandSwitzerlandpage6SpainPolandNorwayNetherlandspage712pages7,8,10page14pages11,14page12page13

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Switzerland: Subsidy deal a step forward for managing overfishing

A 2021 report released by the FAO has identified 900 non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The report highlighted the Suez Canal and the Gibraltar Strait as primary pathways for nonindigenous species migration via means of species migration, accidental transport in the ballasts of ships, and purposeful transport for commercial uses. Climate change and changing temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea becomes favorable to non-indigenous species. The report identified that while most non-indigenous species pose severe economic and environmental threats, some have underlying economic potential. The FAO identified the Mnemiopsis leidyi as an example of a species that poses an economic risk. M. leidyi is indigenous to western Atlantic coastal waters, however, it has been present in the Black Sea since the 1980s. The presence of M. leidyi in the Black Sea has caused the biomass and abundance of plankton species to decrease drastically leading to decreased fish production. The most significant being anchovy production which resulted from the and only 19 benefits artisanal fishing. The WTO agreement is an important recognition that these subsidies are harmful and encourage overfishing, environmental destruction, and facilitate the disappearance of small-scale fisheries. The agreement will not completely ban fishing subsidies but primarily focuses on regulating illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing, limiting over exploitation of fish stocks, and increasing transparency within the fishing industry. Non-governmental organizations that have competitive advantage of M. leidyi over anchovies for food consumption. However, in Turkey, Spain, Albania, and other Mediterranean countries, the non-indigenous Callinectes sapidus (blue crab) presents potential economic opportunity despite the increased risk to biodiversity and the existing fishing economy. The blue crab is larger than most indigenous crabs, so it has successfully established in most coastal regions in Europe despite its Western Atlantic origins. The general demand for blue crab creates an economic opportunity amidst the devastation caused by the non-indigenous species. For some countries, this opportunity is more accessible than others. Turkey, for example, has been able to harness the demand for blue crab within the country and in external markets. This allows eradication efforts to be paired with economic opportunity. Meanwhile, Albania has limited to no demand for blue crab within the country, and for various reasons is unable to export it. Consequently, Albanian fishermen enjoy no benefits and are only harmed by the blue crab ripping their nets and killing their fish catches. been strong advocates for reform of fisheries subsidies have identified that the increased transparency and access to data that will result from this agreement is important in increasing social equity and marine conservation. An NGO, BLOOM, has criticized the agreement for its lack of an outright ban of subsidies, however, it recognises that subsidies that encouraged overexploitation of fish stocks are the most lobbied for by member states. In her speech announcing the agreement the WTO Director General OkonjoIweala identified that the agreement is a starting point for future negotiations for managing overfishing and will free up funds for investment in the blue economy. This investment will include nature-based tourism, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, maritime shipping, biotechnology, renewable energy, and seabed exploration. The agreement is an exciting step for international cooperation in sustainable development and fisheries management.

Non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean can be both a threat and a resource The World Trade Organization has resolved 20 years of negotiations between member states with the recent WTO subsidies agreement. The agreement will restrict subsides that encourage overfishing and facilitate potential investment in the blue economy. Currently an estimated USD $22 billion in subsidies per year is invested in fisheries and is responsible for encouraging overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices. Four fifths of this funding is allocated for industrial fishing

Blue crab is just one example of a non-indigenous species that is disrupting the Mediterranean fishery

The Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP) held its 54th Annual General Meeting in Budapest on 10 June. The meeting was chaired by the FEAP President, Lara BaraziGeroulanou, and welcome addresses were delivered by Dr István Németh, president of the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Interbranch Organization (MA-HAL), and by Péter Lengyel, Fisheries and Aquaculture director of Hungary Ministry of Agriculture. Pre-recorded videos from Gabriel Mato, MEP and Virginijus Sinkevi ius, EU Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans, and Fisheries, were played. Another practice adopted by the General Assembly of the FEAP included initiating workstreams that supported young aquaculture professionals following the conclusions of the AquaFarm fair that had taken place in Pordenone (Italy) in May. Additionally, Sigurgeir Bárðarson, from Fisheries Iceland (SFS), was elected as Vice president of the FEAP. The FEAP Award for Excellence in European Aquaculture was also awarded to Ms. Nancy Panteleimonitou for her exceptional contribution to the development of fish farming in Europe. Ms. Panteleimonitou has dedicated her career to producing and exporting top-quality fresh fish to the world through her company Galaxidi Marine Farm. Ms. Panteleimonitou and her team were instrumental in developing animal husbandry techniques and commercial hatchery know-how which formed the basis for the growth of many other companies in the industry. Ms. Panteleimonitou is also a generous philanthropist and has generously supported her hometown of Galaxidi (Greece) and the people who live there. The next plenary meeting of FEAP will take place in December in Athens.

Nancy Panteleimonitou (centre) is the 2022 recipient of the FEAP Excellence Award

Netherlands: Feed major documents commitment to sustainability Alltech Coppens, a global specialist in developing, producing and marketing fish feed and nutrition solutions, has published a report demonstrating how it contributes to a sustainable aquaculture industry. The 2022 Planet of Plenty™ Sustainability Report, the second to be published, details the company’s commitment to the responsible management of the world’s resources and the ambition for food for all, as well as to a safe environment, animals and plants for future generations. Through the careful management of resources, science, and by partnering with its customers, Alltech Coppens will support a sustainable aquaculture industry. We at Alltech Coppens continue to work on sustainability on many fronts, from reducing our own emissions and helping our clients reduce theirs to increasing transparency and providing more efficient feeds, which are increasingly adapted to specific systems and environments, says Ronald Faber, CEO and global aqua lead at Alltech Coppens. The report gives more insights into the progress of the company’s journey towards sustainability. A scoring system for feeds based on various raw material environmental impact criteria has been implemented, and knowledge of sustainability through research and systemspecific nutrition is constantly being Amongimproved.thecompany’s sustainability goals are zero waste emissions throughout the lifecycle of fish feed by 2030 and zero CO2 emissions throughout the product life cycle. The latter will be achieved through an uncompromising pursuit of energy saving and the utilisation of renewable energy. We have made significant progress compared to last year, and our aim is to further reduce emissions of our aquafeed production and the negative environmental and social impact of all our activities, says Mr Faber, who seeks not only to reduce the company’s negative impact but also to create a greater positive impact. Alltech Coppens has prioritised the SDGs of Life Below Water, Climate Action and Quality Education and, together with partners, is developing more sustainable alternatives to existing Thefeeds.Alltech Coppens 2022 Planet of Plenty™ Report can be read here: active.pdf?v=1655304947heidsrapport-2022-Final-Inter-Alltech-Coppens-Duurzaam-alltechcoppens.com/uploads/https://www.

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] EUROFISH Magazine 4 / 2022

Hungary: Greek aquaculture pioneer receives award at FEAP annual meeting

The programme, presentations, and a video recording of the event can be viewed at eries-webinar/dk/events/2022-06-artisinal-fish-https://eurofish.

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Denmark: Eurofish and FAO host artisanal fisheries webinar

To commemorate the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, Eurofish in cooperation with the FAO Subregional Office for Central Asia hosted on 15 June 2022 a two-hour webinar that highlighted successes in smallscale fisheries in Europe.

Rapa whelk processing an income source for marginalized women Nuri Basusta spoke on the development of rapa whelk fisheries in the Black Sea. Rapa whelk is a nonindigenous species to the Black Sea and is used for human consumption in parts of Asia. The species threatens indigenous populations of bivalves such as mussels and oysters. Rapa whelk is a profitable export, yet given its invasive status there remains very limited information on management strategies. However, rapa whelk exports have successfully provided economic opportunities for marginalized communities and women in Turkey. Valentina Cappanera shared the success of the tonnarella fishing practices to coexist with the environmental protection of the Portofino marine protected area. Tonnarella is a historic way of fishing that uses nets to catch the fish by exploiting the currents. The fishing has provided an opportunity to cooperate with science to create a biological record of changes in biodiversity over time. The cooperation between interested scientists and the fisherman is valuable for the data It generates. The presentations prompted a lively discussion with the active participation of the attendees emphasizing the importance of artisanal fisheries for communities around the world.

Speakers from five European sea basins, the Adriatic, the Baltic, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and the North Sea, presented stories that illustrated how small-scale fishers’ success often stems from collaboration and the ability to take initiatives.

Eurofish welcomed five speakers: Ante Sladoljev from Croatia, David Lange from Denmark, Erko Veltson from Estonia, Nuri Basusta from Turkey, and Valentina Cappanera from Italy. Ante Sladoljev discussed the success of small-scale fishermen in embracing EMFF funding and grants to, among other benefits, expand their business, gain access to resources, plan for long term development, and get new equipment. He also shared the development of a fishing cooperative that allowed small scale fishermen to develop a processing facility, be recognized as a producer organization, and gain a bigger market influence. Finally, he discussed the success of the “Fishermen Recommend” quality label. The label is designated for fish that are local, wild, and fresh. The label allows small scale fisherman to establish a greater foothold in local restaurant and tourism markets and thereby limit their individual carbon footprint from transporting fish. Small-scale ﬁshing is sustainable by measuresseveral David Lange spoke on low impact fishing in Denmark and the challenges in optimizing low impact fishing practices which are less effective but have less consequences in terms of bycatch, fuel use, and sea floor impact. Mr Lange highlighted the opportunities to increase the sustainability of fisheries by developing technology, labelling, public information, political initiatives, limiting quotas, and diversifying fisheries. The organization FSKPO, that he is a board member of, creates awareness of the issues among the public and supports the continued development of low impact fishing in Denmark. Erko Veltson discussed the diversification of the fish market in Estonia. The Estonian company, Stonefish, received an EMFF grant to develop a processing and sales facility for a diverse range of valueadded products including fishing equipment, processed fish, fish chocolate, and fish-based snacks. The company focuses on personal branding in telling the life story of the fisherman who catch the product and has successfully increased the opportunities for the local fishermen.

Translate science into sustainable farming Working together to Your ﬁsh feed specialist Find out more at: alltechcoppens.com/sustainability

Estonia: Potential wind turbine toleration payments for impacted fishermen

Denmark: News innovative technology for sorting seafood helps maximize profits Current utilization of aquatic biomass is inefficient. For the 5.1 million tons of biomass that is caught, only 1.5 million tons high quality product is produced. Therefore, up to 70 of aquatic biomass is either disposed of or converted into low value products such as animal feed. The EU funded product, WaSeaBi, has been tasked with identifying and developing infrastructure to develop high quality side streams for left over raw materials. The most recent technology allows for fish parts to be sorted while they are being filleted. Common practice for filleting pelagic fish allows all the off-cuts to be disposed of in the same bin. This contaminates any potentially edible or viable off-cuts with blood, enzymes, and intestines. Sorting the off-cuts by type allows for maximization potential economic value. The technology which has been developed in cooperation with Chalmers University of Technology, has been implemented at Sweden Pelagic AB. The CEO of Sweden Pelagic AB praised the product for its potential to extend the company’s product range and diversify the consumer base. Sweden Pelagic AB estimates that they will produce around 200-300 tons of herring mince this year, and they now have 5 cuts that can be sold for food production or as ingredients in minces, protein isolates, hydrolysates and oils. These new products have resulted in consumer interest for pan-ready and eat-ready products as well as from school kitchens and other public meal producers. This technology is assisting the fish industry in increasing efficiency and the economic value of each ton of fish catch.

Offshore wind energy is an important development for countries wishing to limit their reliance on natural gas, bring down energy prices, and move away from fossil fuel use. Objectives set out by the European Blue Economy and other sustainability goals will be dependent on clean energy transitions such as offshore wind farms. Estonia is planning for the development of a wind turbine farm, however, managing the risks to fisheries is proving difficult. Risk assessments have shown that wind turbines can cause large amounts of underwater noise and permanent electromagnetic fields, both of which may be harmful to fish. In original negotiations the Ministry of Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications proposed a €700,000 compensation the fisheries sector contingent on a proof of impact of wind farms on fisheries. The latest proposal has drastically decreased this number and now the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications is suggesting a €100,000-150,000 compensation for fishermen. This new proposal is being contested by the Ministry of Rural Affairs as it is seen as unfair to the fishermen. Regardless, the Estonian impact assessment for the effects of wind turbines on fisheries is yet to be completed. If the impact assessment finds that the wind turbines are in areas that will not impact fishing yields or there is limited overall impact, a significant Offshore wind turbines are the subject of on-going debate as Estonia works to develop more renewable energy. payment will not be required. The Ministry of Economic Affairs is hopeful and optimistic that this will be the case. Wind turbine farm permits and proposals are still being negotiated and the first wind turbine farm will not be built until at least 2028. With the significant potential for Estonian wind turbine farms and large number of pending proposals, negotiations with fish producers will remain ongoing. New technology that enables off-cuts from pelagic fish to be sorted could result in the creation of valueadded products.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] EUROFISH Magazine 4 / 2022 11

The Technological Centre for Aquaculture in Spain (CTAQUA) published a recent report which concluded that the fillets of aquaculture fish that are produced for human consumption do not contain detectible quantities of microplastics. This research provides valuable information on the growing microplastic concerns and their subsequent effects on human health. Microplastics are tiny, degraded forms of plastic that have decomposed in the ocean after the improper disposal of a larger plastic product. They can form from lost or broken fishing gear in addition to other nonspecific litter. The study tested 150 aquaculture fish from farms in Andalusia, The Canary Islands, Catalonia, Valencian Community, Balearic Islands, and the Murcia region. The researchers tested the water quality and quantity of microplastics in the water surrounding the fish farms, quantities of microplastics in aquafeed, and quantities of microplastics in the fish specimens. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTI) technology, which can be used to detect organic, inorganic, or polymeric materials, was used to detect the microplastics in the water and in the fish. Despite the presences of microplastic in the water surrounding the fish farm and in the digestive tracts of the fish, the researchers found no microplastics in the parts of the filets of the fish that are consumed. The research supports the assumption that even if the water contains microplastics, by nature

Microplastics are the result of excessive worldwide plastic use and waste of being fed aquaculture feed rather than being a member of the natural food chain, the aquaculture-produced fish will avoid ingesting high levels of microplastics because aquaculture feed prevents any biomagnification. This research contributes to the body of scientific work that is concerned with the effects of microplastics on human health. This includes a 2021 study that investigated the presence of microplastics in shellfish and found no microplastics in a shrimp species, but large quantities of microplastic in a squid species. The scientific research suggests that the question of the effect of microplastics on human health will be dependent on the type of fish consumed.

Spain: Microplastics ingested by aquaculture fish do not end up in edible tissues

AGAIN!MEET FORUM | AQUACULTURE FOCUS ON CLIMATE | CO2 REDUCTION www. shinternational.com GERMANY´S FISH FAIR

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From 11 to 13 October 2022, the 17th Infofish World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition will be held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. This is the premier convention of the global tuna industry. The event will be co-chaired by Ms Jan Tharp, the President and CEO of Bumble Bee Seafoods Co, and Dr. Chanintr Chalisarapong, the President of the Thai Tuna Industry Association. This The European Commission has published its annual sustainable fishing report. The report noted strong growth and success in the Northeast Atlantic and persistent challenges in the Mediterranean and Baltic Sea. The Northeast Atlantic has done well in the recovery of depleted fish stocks and has reported a fishing mortality ratio of below 1 for the first time. This means that the stocks in the Northeast Atlantic are being fished sustainably. The Mediterranean is MEPs from the EU Committee on Fisheries visited Sicily on 23-25 May to discuss challenges for the fishing sector with local authorities, the coast guard, local fishers and seafood representatives. The visit was specifically to the Mazara del Vallo port which is the largest fishing port in Italy. The visit was led by Pierre Karleskind, committee chair. The goal of the visit was to establish a better understanding of the challenges facing Italian fisherman from climate change, maintaining healthy yet profitable stocks, and fishermen safety. Combating year’s two-and-a-half-day event is titled, “Strengthening Resilience, Adaptability and Sustainable Growth in the Global Tuna Industry.” The conference creates a platform to present the challenges and opportunities facing the global tuna market while providing attendees with the opportunity to connect and network with representatives from all segments of the tuna industry. Six hundred attendees from 70 far behind with the fishing mortality ratio only falling below 2 for the first time. The Mediterranean fishery is facing significant obstacles with catch limits and enforcing landing obligations. The volume of unwanted catches remains very high, and the report suggested that member states are more concerned with adopting exemptions than improving selectivity. The Baltic Sea is facing a multitude of marine and environmental challenges that have inhibited progress illegal fishing and managing relations with neighboring countries’ fishermen were other objectives of the visit. A primary concern is the safety of fishermen especially after the recent seizure of boats by Libyan militias. The delegation will meet the owner of the boat Medinea which was seized by a Libyan militia in 2020. The seizure of the Medinea resulted in the imprisonment of 18 fishermen. Managing relations with Libya is becoming an issue of increasing importance as Libya has been illegally extending their control into international waters.

Belgium: Mediterranean, Baltic stock situation still precarious

The Mediterranean still faces significant obstacles surrounding sustainable fishing Italian fisherman face significant challenges regarding sustainability of stocks and safety. countries will attend the conference representing fishing companies, exporters, importers, canned tuna packers, governmental and non-governmental organizations among other industry stakeholders. The exhibition side of the conference will include 40 booths from companies and organizations. The conference itself features 49 speakers. Topics on the programme include IUU fishing, trade and market access issues, social accountability, fishery improvement products, sustainability efforts, and future developments in tuna farming. The tuna industry has been a consistent example of resilience, adaptation, and development of new technologies as it evolves, and this conference presents a forum to discuss strategies used to mitigate the challenge that the last year has presented and allow attendees to learn from each other. in sustainable yields and fishing practices. Eutrophication of the sea has hindered normal growth and recovery of marine specie’s and is proving to be a sustainability problem in addition to exceeded fishing limits. This has caused significant decreases in the quantity of fish, size of fish, and quantity of stocks. The report called for enforcement of catch limits and freeze capacity to continue to improve the sustainability of the yields in the Mediterranean and the Baltic.

Thailand: 17th Infofish World Tuna Trade Conference and Exhibition

Italy: MEPS visit Sicily to discuss industry challenges

Anchovies were Turkey’s largest export in 2021.

Turkey: National fishery production increases by 1.8% On 2 June, the Turkish Statistical Institute released its statistics on fishery products for Turkey in 2021. The total fishery production saw a 1.8 increase from 2020 to 2021 with a total of 799,851 tons of fishery products. Of this, 59 of these products were farmed while 32.8 were sea fish, 4.1 were other sea products and 41 were inland products. Aquaculture production was the primary factor for the overall increase in fishery products. Capture products declined 10 from 2020 to 2021 to reach 262,297 tons with the primary species being anchovy, followed by sprat and then horse mackerel. Inland fish capture had a 0.1 increase in production. Aquaculture had a 11.9 increase in fish products. The data for the fish products survey is collected monthly for large scale fishing operations and seasonally for small scale operations.

Hungary: Profitability of aquaculture sector hit by rising raw material prices

Javier Ojeda, the general secretary of the Federation of European Aquaculture Producers (FEAP), gave a presentation on the role of FEAP in advocating for European aquaculture. Sándor Szentpéteri, deputy state secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture of Hungary, spoke about the importance of aquaculture in Hungarian agriculture. Thereafter, István Németh, president of the Hungarian Aquaculture and Fisheries Inter-branch Organisation (MA-HAL), spoke about the results of Hungarian aquaculture, the role of pond aquaculture in maintaining natural value, and the dynamic development of intensive aquaculture. He spoke about the opportunities for Hungarian aquaculture related to the European Green Deal while emphasizing the difficulties of the sector, which are mainly due to the critically low level of profitability caused by rising raw material prices. In recent years, global aquaculture has also faced significant challenges both economically and in terms of sustainability. Yuan Xinhua, senior aquaculture officer, FAO, gave a presentation on the subject and objectives of the Shanghai declaration. To conclude the conference, László Váradi, president of the Hungarian Aquaculture Technology and Innovation Platform (HUNATIP), highlighted the most important messages of the conference and their European relevance. The focus of the conference was sustainable aquaculture and was intended to bring attention to the significant challenges that global aquaculture has faced economically and in terms of sustainability.

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SOLUTIONS

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] EUROFISH Magazine 4 / 2022 1

On 25-26 May 2022, the Research Center for Fisheries and Aquaculture (HAKI) of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE) organized its 46th annual National Scientific Conference on Aquaculture and Fisheries in Szarvas, Hungary. The conference discussed scientific results and an International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) celebration took place. The event provided a good opportunity to raise awareness on the problems of small-scale farmers and to strengthen the social acceptance of national sustainable aquaculture. The focus was on the global potential of aquaculture development, which was introduced by international and Hungarian experts. As part of the celebration of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, Haydar Fersoy, FAO Subregional Office for Central Asia, gave a presentation on the objectives and global action plan of the initiative which are draw the attention of governments and the public to make policy decisions that are essential for small-scale fisheries.

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Eurofish, ministry hold seminar day before Polfish On 13 September 2022, the day before Polfish, Eurofish is organising a seminar in cooperation with the Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The event will be held at Puro Hotel Gda ń sk

Poland: Polfish returns to Gdansk after two postponements

Polfish is the place to be for anyone interested in Polish fish processing or aquaculture.

Finally, the Spanish-based nonprofit, National Association of Women in Fisheries (Anmupesca) was awarded the thirdplace prize for excellence in innovation in fishing and aquaculture activity by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The nonprofit works to defend the economic and professional interests of women in the fisheries sector and they currently recognize 15,000 professionals. These are just a few highlights from the WATCH report; however, these are important examples of how Spain extensively celebrated and encouraged women in the aquaculture industry in 2021.

Old Town, ul. St ą giewna 26, 80-750 Gda ń sk. Participants will be able to visit the Polﬁsh fair the following days. For more information on the conference and the speakers please visit Euroﬁsh.dk.

The 16th edition of POLFISH - International Fair of Fish and Food Products, one of the biggest seafood events in Central and Eastern Europe will be held on 14-16 September 2022 in Gdansk, Poland. Held under the auspices of Poland’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, this year’s event will feature Polish seafood producers and importers exhibiting a range of traditional fresh, frozen, canned, smoked and marinated products in addition to deli and convenience food. The Polish processing industry is formidable with a production volume of 650 thousand tonnes worth EUR3.2bn at the end of 2021. Much of this is exported to the EU, where Polish fish processing has created a name for itself for its high quality. The last time the show was held, in 2019, it attracted 140 exhibitors from 13 countries and over 4,000 visitors. Polish suppliers of food processing machinery such as smokehouses, cooling, and packaging systems, as well as companies offering integrated solutions for entire processing lines including waste disposal. Machines and components used by the Horeca sector and in fish shops will be on display as well. Polfish also has a section focused on aquaculture that will include manufacturers of systems for fish storage and transport, and equipment used by fish farmers. Producers of farmed fish both marine species such as seabream and seabass as well as freshwater fish like carp and trout will also be present in this part of the show along with producers of fish feed for trout, sturgeon, and salmon. Polfish traditionally draws owners and managers of retail and wholesale stores, supermarket chains, discount stores as well as restaurants, canteens, and catering companies. The fair thus offers a one-stop shop for everybody interested in any aspect of the Polish fish processing or aquaculture sector. For more information visit https:// polfishtargi.pl/en/.

Spain furthest in recognizing women in fisheries and aquaculture

On International Women’s Day, 8 March 2022, the International Organization for Women in the Seafood Industry published their WATCH report. The WATCH report provides a summary of achievements in gender and seafood related news from 2021. The report identified 200 different stories from 60 countries, and Spain stood out as a country that is committed to recognizing the stories of women in fisheries and aquaculture in 2021. The report highlighted the appointment of Maria del Carmen Navas Guerrero to Vice President of the National Federation of Fisherman’s Guilds. Carmen Navas is the first female to be appointed to the vice-presidency and is a symbol for women in leadership roles and increasing gender equality in fisheries. In a different story, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Sustainable Development of the Junta de Andalucía, Carmen Crespo, and the president of the Andalusian Association of Women in the Fishing Sector signed an agreement which emphasized giving women visibility in the fishing sector, promoting specific training for women on new aquaculture technologies, and resources to improve their position in the industry. This agreement is an important step in the recognition of the value of women in the workforce and in the fish sector. Additionally, the municipality, Tarifa, dedicated one of its street names to the females who worked in the canning factories and docks which helped build the industry in the city. The street was named: “Las Estibadoras de conserveras”.

Mislov was established in 2001 in Kali on the island of Ugljan in Croatia to catch and trade the small pelagic fish, anchovies and sardines. From this beginning the company expanded into processing the fish at a processing plant it established in 2015, where the fish is frozen, marinated, or salted. With its three fishing vessels, its own fleet of refrigerated With the lifting of restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Mislov will resurrect plans to launch its anchovy products on the domestic market, says Marina Spralja (left), Sales Manager. trucks, and its own processing factory Mislov is a fully integrated company controlling the entire supply chain and thereby guaranteeing a very highquality end product. Bans on fishing are in force in January, February and in May so the company turns to the raw material it has frozen for use when there is no fresh product. Catches are regulated by quotas and by time, so

Mislov doo, VerticallyCroatiaintegrated from catch to final product

[ EVENTS ] Functional design for daily handling Fish boxes, large load carriers and plastic pallets for the ﬁsh industry www.craemer.com At andseaonshore 4. - 6. October 2022 Stand G-22 4. - 6. September 2022 Stand 5 K-22

Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global, 26-28 April, Barcelona

The show for all in the seafood industry Coverage of companies from some of the Eurofish member countries concludes in this edition of the Eurofish Magazine.

However, Mr Usta explains, the company has been exporting for the last three or four decades and this experience together with a commit ted team will help it also to export Sadiklar, SeekingTurkeybuyers of Mediterranean mussels

The covid situation of the last two years forced the company to postpone its plans and concentrate on its traditional activities of fishing and processing. The plans included a greater empha sis on the domestic market, while maintaining the existing focus on the company’s European customers. We felt it was not the right time to launch on the Croatian market the marinated and salted anchovies that we currently export to other EU countries, says Marina Spralja, the sales manager, as the pandemic had disrupted the mar ket significantly. The products are sold abroad in wholesale packaging and the idea was to sell them in retail packaging to the supermarkets and fishmongers in Croatia. Instead, the company concen trated on ensuring that there were no layoffs either at the processing facility or on the vessels at a time when the market was highly unstable. With the removal of restrictions and the return to in-person meetings, Mislov will revisit the plans it had postponed for the last two years.

T he company Sadiklar is based in Trabzon, Turkey on the shore of the Black Sea. Our main product, says Sabri Usta, the foreign trade manager, is the frozen boiled meat of rapana, a sea snail that inhabits the Black Sea. The meat is mainly sold to East Asia where, Mr Usta says, his com pany is one of the biggest suppliers and best-known brands. The raw material is fished by the company’s own vessels, but it also has contracts with independent fishermen and divers who are active all along the Turkish Black Sea coast. As a wild stock the catch volume varies from year to year, but the company has the processing capacity in place to handle any amount that comes in. There are no quotas on the spe cies and it multiplies rapidly so although there are some years when catches are low they are usually fol lowed by years of abundance.

this new product. The mussel pro duction is being increased in phases with a final production volume of 10,000 tonnes per year. that each vessel may catch 100 tonnes per month over 20 days and must stop when either limit is reached. Catches have been largely stable over the last years, according to Ms Spralja, but the fishing vessels do experience problems with dolphins and tuna which tend to scatter the target fish making them more difficult to catch.

The company has started on a new line of products, Mediterranean mussels, that are farmed on lines in the Black Sea. Although the mussels are farmed there is little to distin guish them from their wild coun terparts apart from the way they are grown. The spat attaches itself to the lines and draws its nourish ment from the water. Mr Usta is promoting this new product and hopes to identify potential custom ers to find out how they would want the mussels to be processed. Once this has been established, we will adapt our processing lines accord ingly, he says. Europe would be an interesting market for the company and there have already been some enquiries from Spain and Italy, but the Turkish market is also very big, so the company should always be able to sell its production there.

A product that saves 70% of the chemicals and 99% of the water that are used to clean processing facilities, 100% of the staff costs, and cleans 7,000 sq. m in the space of about 10 minutes sounds too good to be true. But that is what Alvar, an Icelandic company, promises buyers of its cleaning solu tion. It takes the form of a mist that is released into the room to be cleaned. As an aerosol it reduces bacterial counts dramatically, but also reaches areas that are difficult to reach by hand, such as the under sides of tables or other surfaces, the gaps between machines, and it even kills the bacteria that are pre sent in the air, which are impossible to clean by hand. So, if a typical cleaning team disinfects a building and then leaves, bacteria present in the air can settle on to the surfaces again and increase the risk of con taminating the product. Typically, a cleaning and disinfecting shift in a factory comprises two thirds cleaning and one third disinfection. The mist replaces the disinfection part which is where the saving of water and chemicals is made. It is already widely used in Iceland, says Daniel Fontane, the chief marketing officer, but we are now trying to export it. Once the system is installed it can be activated manually or pro grammed to run at any given time. The mist is released through a sys tem of nozzles connected to a net work of pipes and the company will calculate depending on the machin ery present, the kind of product, and the type of bacteria the density of the mist. The solution is thus custom designed for each factory so Alvar, MassivelyIceland reducing the cost of factory disinfection

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A disinfecting mist that attacks bacteria in the most remote corners of a processing plant. Sabri Usta, Foreign Trade Manager, Sadiklar

Exports of Turkish Salmon have increased by leaps and bounds over the last five years. the Black Sea being less saline than the Atlantic the fish are better suited to sushi, according to a representative from Turkish Salmon, an industry body. The fish is mainly exported frozen as it can be harvested only two months in the year, in May and June. Thereafter the water becomes too hot for the fish. The trout are placed in the sea in November and Decem ber when the temperature in the sea is the same as that of the fresh water and where the fish weigh 600-800 g. The harvested fish is processed into fillets, steaks, some is smoked, and everything is frozen and exported. Since growth depends on the water staying within a fairly narrow range of temperatures, global warming will have an impact on the fish. If it is too cold the fish does not grow and if it is too warm it may not survive. This year may give a preview of what to expect as the temperature in the sea has been fluctuating more than usual. that the payback time of the invest ment is less than one year. The sys tem is compatible with most of the chemicals currently being used by companies to disinfect their plants. So, installing the system does not mean a change in the chemical used, it just changes the way of delivery. The system is used mainly for food products and in rooms that are not constructed with very high ceilings because that would call for a lot of mist and the savings would be pro portionately smaller. The system has also been installed in fishing trawl ers which today are almost like pro cessing plants. In fact, new vessels on which the catch is processed are all equipped with the system, says Mr Fontane.

Turkish production of rain bow trout far exceeds pro duction of the two marine species, seabass and seabream, for which the country is justifiably well known. In recent years the rain bow trout produced in freshwater is grown to a certain size and then introduced into cages in the Black Sea for on-growing. Within a period of six months or so, a 350 g trout can grow ten times in size. This fish, christened Turkish salmon, has become a very popular export. Over the last five years exports have increased from virtually nothing to almost 60,000 tonnes that go mainly to Russia and Japan. Several Turkish producers are farming trout in the eastern Black Sea creating the largest industry-specific cluster in Turkey with USD1.5bn in investment, over 5,000 jobs, and an annual export value of USD135m. The sea-grown trout differs from Atlantic salmon in a couple of ways. It has less fat and Turkish

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T he biggest producer of sea bass and seabream in Croa tia, Cromaris has moved into the production of several other Mediterranean fish species includ ing common dentex and amber jack. According to Davide Fur lan, general manager of Cromaris Italia and country manager for South West Europe Markets, the key to the successful production of dentex ( Dentex dentex ) was the development of a special feed formulation, which reduced the Cromaris, DiversifyingCroatia

[ EVENTS ] EUROFISH Magazine 4/20221

into new species cannibalism among the fish that had plagued earlier attempts at breeding the species. Now, produc tion has started and this year we expect 50 tonnes, next year more than double, and our target is a few hundred tonnes, he says. The com pany has also started to produce amberjack ( Seriola dumerili ) from the Mediterranean. The broodstock is wild caught and the fish will be grown in cages in the sea. In Italy dentex is considered a luxury, while in Spain pagrus enjoys that distinc

FreshwaterSalmon trout grows rapidly in Black Sea

tion. Cromaris is also producing organic meagre as a sustainable alternative to the conventionally grown variety. The organic label is particularly popular in Switzer land where the company has good part of the market for organically farmed seabass and seabream. In France “bio” is important too, and Mr Furlan is looking at poten tial customers in Scandinavia as well for Cromaris’ range of organic seabass and seabream in modified atmosphere packaging. Of Cro maris’ production 60% goes to Italy, Spain is growing very fast, while France and Switzerland are mature markets. The company also produces a substantial volume of large seabass. Almost, 60% of the production is these large fish over 800 g, so we are looking for new channels to sell it, says Mr Furlan. Right now, we sell mainly to whole salers for the Horeca sector. They buy whole fish in bulk because they need them for catering, for carpaccio, and for other prepara tions that call for big size fish. We are also trying with retail ers, asking them to suggest to the consumer to select a single big fish to feed the family rather than two or three small ones. The unit price is higher but so is the yield in comparison to three small fish. With its wide range of species and sizes, Cromaris can sat isfy any demand for Mediterranean fish.

D espite the war in Ukraine one seafood company from the country man Ukrkharchopromcomplex LLC, Ukraine

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Olha Zhmuida (left), assistant to the director, and Rehina Haripova, CEO, of Ukrkharchopromcomplex LLC, a Ukrainian company that processes pikeperch and salmon for export to the EU. aged to exhibit at Seafood Expo Global. Ukrkharchopromcom plex has been operating for the last 20 years processing salmon and Ukrainian pike-perch among other species, in a 8,000 sq. m fac tory. In March this year the factory was subject to a bomb attack that destroyed the entire building and Davide Furlan, General Manager, Cromaris Italia with some of the new species the company has started to produce.

Rebuilding a bombed factory step by step

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all its contents including processing equipment and 250 tonnes of fish products, though fortunately with no loss of life, says Rehina Haripova, the CEO. Before the war the company was also manufacturing on contract for companies in the EU. These firms would send raw material to Ukraine to be processed into products they specified, such as fillets, portions, loins, or blocks. In addition, Ukrkharchopromcomplex imported salmon and trout eggs from the US and Denmark respectively for distribution on the domestic market. In 2020 the company invested in a tunnel freezer that took two minutes to freeze products. All the frozen production was processed in this freezer and EU companies that saw the results were very satisfied. As word spread Ukrkharchopromcomplex attracted more and more western companies that were interested in contract processing drawn by the high quality and the relatively low cost of labour. The only drawback was the logistics as Kyiv is further away than Poland or the Baltic states. Ms Haripova says that exporting to the EU from Ukraine does not attract any customs duty or other tariffs on the products because of an agreement between the Ukraine and the EU signed some three years ago. Before starting its processing operations, the company was one of the biggest importers of salmon for distribution on the Ukrainian market. Working with salmon made Oleg Bilodid, the general manager, realise that he could add value to the raw material and then export it back to Europe. The processing factory was certified to several international standards BRC, IFS, MSC, and ISO among others. In Europe the customers are mainly big importers and distributors who supply the retail chains and the food service Followingsector. the setback earlier this year, the company is rebuilding its factory step by step. Civilians are the first priority for receiving government support as many have been rendered homeless, but in the future Ms Haripova expects that some aid will be available to commercial establishments as well.

Interzoo is a leading trade fair for the international pet industry

Diverse options for pet food made from quality fish

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Christian Philip christian.unmack@eurofish.dkUnmack,

Fish-based pet products can provide owners with sustain able and healthy options for their pets. Many of the exhibitors present at Interzoo, the world’s leading trade fair for the interna tional pet industry, were present ing their food products for dogs, cats, and aquarium fish. Pet foods for dogs and cats are produced in massive volumes making these segments interesting for fish pro ducers. Additionally, the unit price of aquarium fish feed is many hun dred times higher than the unit price of fishmeal or even of fish for human consumption. Therefore, the fishing industry could profit from increased involvement in aquarium fish feed.

This year the exhibitions showed that there are now companies pro ducing fish-based food for dogs and cats. It is not just the cheap “trash fish” species that are used as ingredients but also higher quality products such as salmon. The pet food industry is more and more focused on mixing the fish with ingredients like sweet pota toes, pumpkin, spinach, blueber ries, hemp, aloe vera, and many other “high-end” ingredients. Pet food containing fish is also found mixed with turkey, lamb and beef. But the innovative pet food indus try does not just limit itself to fishbased proteins; krill, membranes from fish roe, micro- and macro algae can be present as well. These ingredients are sourced from many different countries. If not dried as whole small fish, the different parts, the skin, the heads, etc. of the fish are used as snacks or meals for dogs and cats. The snacks are made in different shapes; in cubes or round or they could be minced, cooked, and then formed into dif ferent shapes. If the snack is made of fish skin alone, it can be twisted or even braided. Moreover, fish oil is also often added as a supplement to the food by many producers. One of the species used for pet food is the round goby which is native to Central Eurasia, including the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. It has, however, established large non-native populations in the Bal tic Sea, several major Eurasian riv ers, and the North American Great Lakes. Their presence in these new environments has become a big problem for the ecosystems. Few people eat the round goby, but using these fish for dog and cat food gives coastal fishers a fairly good price for this bycatch, contributes to decreasing the population of this invasive species and thereby reduc ing its environmental impact. Fish-based pet foods are better for the pets Pet health is becoming more and more important to owners in lots of countries. The inclusion of

The value of fish products in pet food emphasized at interzoo As humans place increased value on the importance of what their pets eat, the pet industry becomes a very interesting business opportunity for the fishing industry.

At Interzoo exhibitors presented many different fish-based pet food products and technologies for creating fish-based pet foods. sea-based proteins in pet food may contribute to better health. This should also eliminate the poten tial of adverse reactions generally associated with either food allergy or hypersensitivity (i.e., an immu nological response) or with food intolerance (non-immunological responses) to chicken meat. Pet owners are asking for more trans parency in terms of sustainability and animal health, thus placing the industry under pressure to develop suitable new products. These fac tors also drive many pet food pro ducers to use fish as the main pro tein source in the pet food. The pet industry prevents significant economic potential According to IVH/ZZF survey in 2021 on the German pet market alone there are 16.7 million cats (26 of households) and 10.3 mil lion dogs (21 of households). In addition, the IVH/ZZF survey revealed about 2.3 million aquari ums and 1.4 garden ponds in Ger many with fish that also acquire fish proteins. Among the many magazines focused on the pet industry, five comprehensive mag azines were distributed at Interzoo focused exclusively on pet food and animal feed technology, supple ments, supply chain and marketing. The day before Interzoo started, Petfood Forum Europe was held there for the first time and drew 250 participants. Here, suppliers to the pet food industry could learn about sustainable pet foods, pet humani sation with examples, pet food with high-end ingredients, healthy snacks, and consumers’ attitudes to the sustainability of products and packaging. On the last day of the fair, a jury of experts selected the best innovative ideas as part of the first Interzoo Fresh Ideas Contest. Prombyx from Germany won first place with the recycling of by-prod ucts of silk production as an alter native protein source for dogs and cats, the Sustainable People, also from Germany, established them selves in second place with biode gradable dog waste bags, followed by Protenga from Singapore at number three with sustainably pro duced insect protein, which goes to indicate that the pet business is an international phenomenon.

Trend barometer for the seafood MesseindustryBremenwillonceagain

fish international, Bremen, 4-6 September 2022

be the meeting place for the German and European fishing industry when it hosts “fish international” from 4 to 6 September 2022. The agenda for the conference will include trends in aquaculture and sustainability as well as news from and relevant to producers, traders, as well as gastronomy, and bulk consumers.

Held every two years, “fish international” is a reflection of what is currently occupying the fish industry at home and abroad. At present, the focus is on various aspects of sustainability as questions of climate protection have taken on a rapidly growing importance. This topic is relevant along the entire chain from raw material procurement from production and trade to the end consumer, says Sabine Wedell, who as project manager at Messe Bremen GmbH is responsible for fish international. Many companies have already developed practicable approaches for reducing CO2 emissions: Anyone who is still faced with unresolved issues in their business will certainly find information and potential partners for further action at our event, Sabine Wedell is convinced. Concepts and technologies for sustainable aquaculture How the advantages of sustainable closed recirculation systems and pond farming can be used in everyday operations, and how the products can be successfully

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This year, the scope and reach of the Nor-Fishing conference is poised to increase because the show will be a hybrid event – with both the traditional exhibition in Trondheim and a digital confer ence. Nor-Fishing digital will allow for a larger overall audi ence and will include a lives tream of the in-person event as well as digital exhibition stands. The digital platform will serve as a network and platform for all attendees to meet and build connections.

Hybrid event should expand audience

Nor-Fishing 2022 focuses on sustainable harvesting and use of wild marine resources

From 23 to 26 August 2022, the Nor-Fishing fair will take place in Trondheim, Norway. The event is an important forum of conferences, seminars, and the sharing of technological developments within the fisheries technology industry. These include innovations in technology, processes and services related to fishing, processing, transport, and marketing. marketed are among the central aquaculture topics both in the forum at Fish International and in discussions with exhibitors. For example, Andreas Mäck, Manag ing Director of Fresh Völklingen, not only represents his convic tion of the long-term success of closed recirculation systems, but also points out the challenges that still need to be overcome: “From a business management point of view, there are currently still too few examples of successful sys tems.” In particular, closed-loop operation and the technology required for it causes high costs. For Fresh Völklingen, Mr Mäck is betting on a closed-loop opera tion to breed yellowtail kingfish in order to provide the consumer with fresh and top quality fish in a market that is dominated by frozen products from the equator. The implementation of a closedloop operation will allow him to offer a fresh fish at a higher price. The exhibitors’ products cover the entire spectrum from aquaculture technology to the necessary equip ment for conventional pond and flow-through systems. In addition, the broad field of preparation and presentation of delicacies from freshwater and seawater is part of the traditional information offer ings at the fair. Other important topics are the marketing of farmed products and animal welfare, which is discussed in particular by environmental organisations and consumer associations. Fish on the menu is considered a quality feature for establishmentsgastronomic Fish and seafood are recognised as healthy foods in large parts of the population. In addition, many consumers rate the prepa ration of fish dishes as demand ing. Therefore, a separate section for fish on the menu is consid ered the first quality feature for gastronomic establishments. The use of fish products in gastron omy is another area of the top-class trade fair in Bremen with exhibi tors. Discussions in the media about fisheries that protect stocks or about compliance with envi ronmental standards and respect for animal welfare demand a sense of responsibility in the catering industry. Sabine Wedell says that in everyday restaurant life it is becoming increasingly important to have sound specialist knowl edge when purchasing goods and talking to guests. fish international offers the unique opportunity to obtain this expertise directly from specialists from business and sci ence as well as from the relevant trade associations. A survey con ducted by Messe Bremen among canteen kitchen operators, cater ers and other bulk consumers also shows that there is growing inter est in information about certifica tion according to the standards of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council and the Marine Steward ship Council. Opportunity to try new products As a trend barometer, fish inter national also presents numerous new products and preparations. Among other things, the snacking trend ensures that new enjoyable creations are constantly estab lishing themselves in the lunch offers of restaurants, in company canteens, in specialist food shops as well as on supermarket shelves. By tradition, and due to increasing nutritional awareness, fish plays an important role in this develop ment. From Bismarck herring to fish’n chips and sushi, fish prod ucts have long defined gourmet trends and are now doing the same with snack, Sabine Wedell states. All in all, fish international offers these trends, themes and tech nologies a broad scope with more than 10,000 square metres of exhi bition space. The event is open on Sunday and Monday from 10.00 to 18.00 and on Tuesday from 10.00. to 17.00. Further information and tickets are available at www.fishin ternational.de For more information visit: www. fishinternational.de/en fish international will provide a glimpse of trends whether in aquaculture or in the gastronomy sector.

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Content specific seminars and debates to informationdisseminate

Slate of awards to be given at the conference In line with previous Nor-Fishing conferences, during the opening ceremony, awards will be pre sented. These awards include the Nor-Fishing Foundation Innova tion Award, the Directorate of Fish eries Environment Award, and the Best Stand Award. The Nor-Fish ing Foundation Innovation Award celebrates a fishing equipment or services company which has the best innovative service or prod uct for the industry. Prize winners receive significant press and NOK 100,000. The Directorate of Fisher ies Environment Award is awarded to a supplier that developed the best solution to improve or safe guard the environment. Finally, the best stand award is given to the most attractive and efficient stand at the show. The last day of the fair will be Student Day. The exhibitions will be open and free for all students. The purpose of student day is to attract intelligent young people to the fisheries industry. There will be a separate student semi nar as well as opportunities for students to meet companies and organizations that are hiring new employees. The day is beneficial for students as well as participat ing companies. The student day is put on by the Nor-Fishing founda tion in cooperation with NTNU, Brohode Havbruk 2050, and other partners.

Nor-Fishing is an important meeting place for all members of industry In 2018, roughly 15,000 visitors from about 50 countries attended NorFishing. The large international presence and diversity of attendees makes the conference relevant for national and international busi nesses, fishermen, governments, government institutions, technol ogy enthusiasts, equipment suppli ers, product developers, research ers, and academics. More than 500 fisheries technology suppliers have been represented at previous NorFishing exhibitions. Nor-Fishing allows exhibitioners and attendees to meet other stakeholders in the industry, such as decision mak ers and procurement officers, and establish good, informal contacts with suppliers, buyers and col leagues from around the world. The event presents an expanded programme, consisting of a full-day conference on Monday, 22 August, the day before the exhibition opens. The program will be focused on the importance of productive and sustainable fisheries in solving global logistics and resource chal lenges. The relevance of this topic for attendees has been amplified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has increased the logistical challenges for people and indus tries worldwide. The outlook of this presentation will focus on the enor mous potential for the industry that is presented by these challenges. The program will contain three distinct parts. The first is resource availability and the effects of cli mate change. This will include discussions on the cooperation and coexistence of different sectors of the fisheries and aquaculture industries. The second is practi cal and technical perspectives, or more specifically, new fishing ves sels and harvesting technology that can help with sustainable harvest ing of species and the control of overfishing. The final section will be exploring the limiting factors of the extraction of raw materials. This will include the sustainability pres sures on financial institutions and ethical perspectives. The day will conclude with a panel discussion.

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Several seminars, mini-confer ences, presentations, lectures and debates are planned. These events are organized by the NorFishing Foundation, and various institutions, exhibitors and com panies. The seminars will primar ily focus on harvesting new marine resources, the green transition of fisheries and fish processing, and methods for future management of fisheries. The presentations will be very engaging as Nor-Fishing has assembled an impressive list of speakers including researchers and professionals such as Michaela Aschan from UiT, sustainability director Ragnhild Dragøy from Aker Biomarine, Elisabeth Gabri elsen from the Ministry of Fisher ies, and Secretary General Karoline Andaur from the WWF World Wild life ThereFund.will be debates held in both English and Norwegian to discuss the fisheries industry’s perspective on the world food crisis, logistical challenges in the wake of Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine, and poten tial solutions to ghost gear and plas tic pollution of the oceans.

Research plays a critical role in the development of greener solution for the fishing and processing industries (archive photo).

Comprehensive insight into sustainable industrial fisheries

The European association for Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers (EFFOP) held their general assembly and biennial conference in Skagen, Denmark on 1-3 June. The conference entitled "Responsible production-the European way" was addressed by speakers from academia, industry, and NGOs covering topics ranging from the science behind stock assessments, sustainability, collaboration between science and industry, and traceability. non-EU countries. and pro duce on average some 574,000 tonnes of fishmeal and 170,000 tonnes of fish oil a year valued at EUR1.2 billion/year. Fishmeal and fish oil are used primarily (65-70) as ingredients in the production of feeds for fish and crustaceans. They are also used in feeds for pigs, poultry, and pets. Fishmeal and oil provide the essential amino acids, min erals, phospholipids, and fatty acids that fish need to thrive and grow. According to the FAO, aquaculture production is pro jected to reach 109m tonnes in 2030 from 83m tonnes in 2018.

Production of carnivorous highvalue species such as shrimp, salmon, and trout, which are fed on extruded feeds contain ing fishmeal and oil, is also expected to increase. This leads to the question of whether the fish resources that go into the manufacture of fishmeal and oil will continue to deliver as demand on them increases.

I n his opening remarks, Frank Trearty, President of EFFOP and the CEO of Pelagia Kil lybegs, identified the importance of unity among fishmeal and fish oil producers in combating the challenges of rising infla tion, disrupted supply chains, changed energy availability, and climate change. He reminded attendees that the European fish meal and fish oil industry pro duced responsible, transparent, and traceable products that are healthful, nutritious, and afford able, and that with ingenuity and innovation the industry had all the ingredients to mitigate the challenges it faced. Can the supply of fishmeal and oil follow projected growth in aquaculture? Europe is a significant producer of fishmeal and fish oil account ing for 10-15 of the global fish meal production and over a fifth of the fish oil supply. Pro duction is based on landings of small, oily, short-lived species such as blue whiting, capelin, sandeel, Norway pout and sprat as well as by-products (trim mings) from the consumption fish processing sector. Mem bers of the EFFOP come both from EU member countries and European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers’ conference, 1-3 June, Skagen, Denmark

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Prof. Anna Rindorf, Head of Sec tion, Danish National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Section for Ecosystem based Marine Management provided her esti mation of the industrial fishery a decade from now. Empha sising the naturally high vari ation in biomass and the high Frank Trearty, Chairman of European Fishmeal, CEO, Pelagia Prof.KillybegsAnna Rindorf, Danish National Institute of Aquatic Resources demand not only from fisheries but also from fish, seabirds, and mammal, she said the primary factors that will impact fish stocks and fish management over the next ten years include climate, density dependence, quest for food stability, financial stability, MPAs and Brexit, and shifting policy objectives. Based on historical data of fish stocks she emphasized that often when one fishery experiences low stocks, other fisheries also expe rience low stocks. Therefore, as stock yields reduce, fishers can not shift fish stock in order to maintain yields. In the future, climate warming is predicted to change the distribution of fish stocks with few stocks expected to increase while most are expected to decrease. Overall, the decline in productivity in the North Sea will most likely decrease yields by 45-70 how ever there is a possibility that southern species will migrate north in numbers significant enough to constitute a fishable resource. Prof. Rindorf con cluded her presentation by say ing that despite concerns about industrial fishing's impact on the environment, there is not enough public awareness of the benefits of fishmeal and fish oil as low-emission products that are high in nutritional value.

ResourcesAnneMette Bæk, Managing Director, EFFOP

Fishmeal and oil are relatively low GHG emission products Sara Hornborg, a researcher at RISE, the Swedish state research institute, spoke about the life cycle assessment which is a tool to sys tematically measure a broad set of environmental impacts. Despite ini tiatives to standardise assessments of product groups, she cautioned that studies were unique, and the absolute values usually could not be compared without harmonisation. Focusing on fish feed, she gave the example of a life cycle assessment for 1 kg of Danish fishmeal and oil. The driver of greenhouse gas emis sions (GHG) is the raw fish material which requires fuel to be caught, then the second primary driver is the processing of the fishmeal or fish oil. However, the challenge with this lifecycle assessment is that it depends on the species and fishery that the fish originates from. Addi tionally, the energy source used in production will cause the green house gas emission to fluctuate drastically as coal has a much larger impact compared to renewable energy. She said that to minimize the emissions of the fishmeal and fish oil industry, suppliers should continue to switch to renewable or low emission energy sources. And coverage, may not be as dangerous as made out to be because copep ods, microscopic aquatic crusta ceans which form the feed of fish larvae, do not ingest microplastic particles, meaning one less route for microplastics to enter the food chain. The impact of ocean warm ing, he said, is likely to have a mixed impact on the food chain resulting in generally lower productivity with some species responding to climate change impacts such as stormier weather with higher productivity. As water temperatures increase, species are likely to migrate to areas with cooler water affecting the yields of fisheries. Another threat comes from negative public opin ion and to counter it the sector has to communicate the economic, social, and environmental sustain ability of the fishing industry and to become better at shaping the pub lic’s perception of the sector. The sustainability of fishing can only be guaranteed with full trace ability, said Anne Mette Bæk. The director of European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers, Ms Bæk is also director in Marine Ingredi ents Denmark, and she showed how the Danish organisation had implemented measures that enable responsible and transparent han dling of landings by the industrial fleet. The system involves three main groups: a third-party sur veyor who can provide unbiased measurements, government and regulatory authorities that verify the reported measurements, and the seller. The third-party survey ors control the scales and ensure that no manipulation of the mea surements has occurred in order to guarantee the quantity of prod uct for quota management as well as for the seller. Anne Mette Baek also discussed EFFOP’s industry standard for draining, weighing, and sampling unsorted pelagic landings. This new industry stan dard will promote traceability and she pointed out that fishmeal and fish oil have significantly less emis sions than soy. In Denmark, members of the Danish Pelagic Producer Organi zation (DPPO) catch and supply most of the raw material to the fishmeal and oil industry. Claus Reedtz Sparrevohn, the chief sci ence advisor for DPPO, suggested that scientific advice for fisher ies and ecosystem management could be improved significantly with the input of data from fish ers who have acoustic and fish eries data which can be used by the scientists. Given that the fish ing fleet covers 290,000 nautical miles in the course of a year the data should be used in scientific advice to a larger extent than today. He also noted that fisher men have knowledge on catch sampling, length and weight measurements, catch rates, gear development, and catch compo sition, all of which can usefully supplement the data collected by scientists. The second point he made was that collaboration between fishers and scientists should be governed by transpar ency, communication, mutual respect, and recognition of the fact that although the two groups have different interests, they are both fisheries stakeholders. Industry needs to become better at telling its story Ken H. Anderson, professor of theoretical marine ecology at the Technical University of Denmark spoke on some of the threats facing the fishing industry and the sever ity of each threat. Agreeing that scientists tend to deliver bad news for fishermen he emphasized that their data and research is impor tant for the long-term prosperity of the industry. He mentioned that microplastics, despite all the media

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Sara Hornborg, Department of Agriculture and Food, RISE Claus Reedtz Sparrevohn, Chief Scientific Advisor, Danish Pelagic Producers Organization

Prof. Ken Haste Andersen, Danish National Institute of Aquatic

Alexandre Cornet, Ocean Policy Officer, WWF, said that climate change was likely to lead to a decrease in global biomass of marine animals, a subsequent decrease in production of marine animals, shifts in com positions of marine species, and changes in the spatial distribu tion of marine species. These impacts could decrease maxi mum catch potential by an esti mated 25, decrease the safety of fish products for human con sumption, affect the livelihoods of fishermen, and further dis rupt the fishing industry. He said that traceability was important in providing the necessary data for regulators in order to ensure a level playing field for all fish ermen, evaluating the carbon footprint of different products, combating illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing (IUU), ensuring sanitary practices at different levels of the supply chain, and finally safeguard ing the livelihoods of fisher men. However, he added, there were significant challenges in ensuring traceability including the diversity of import controls within different EU states, fail ure by member states to imple ment obligations, limited coop eration within the EU market, differences in terminology, and a lack of effective control. A failsafe way of identifying species could reduce fraud Sorting fish by species is con tingent upon correct identifica tion which is not always easy. Whether done deliberately or unintentionally mis-identifying the fish can negate efforts to ensure transparency and trace ability. Einar Eg Nielsen, a pro fessor at the National Institute of Aquatic Resources presented a new potential solution to the challenges of identifying the species distribution in mixed catches. Using a DNA barcoding database, samples from the fillet or a fin can be tested to iden tify the species. In addition, in the case of mixed catches, Prof. Nielsen was able to use samples of the blood water (the water in which the fish had been stored) to carry out the DNA testing. The trials carried out by Prof. Nielsen and his team suggested that the method shows a high level of precision and factors such as species and fish size can be accounted for in relation to the proportion of DNA present in the sample. While the first results have been positive more trials are needed to validate the method and to study its reli ability in relation to maturity, sea area, and time of year of the Whilecatch. DNA analysis can abate fraud, threats to fisheries also come from predators like seals which are known to eat fish from stationary fishing gear and dam age the gear. In addition, two species between them consume about 4m tonnes of fish a year and so compete directly with fishers. Furthermore, a bycatch of seals frequently results in increased market restrictions. Jonas Viðars son, the director of the value crea tion division at Matis, an Icelan dic research institute, leads the Nordic Seals Project which has studied the impact of seals on fisheries and will suggest ways of mitigating them. Seal num bers have exploded in the Nordic region since a moratorium was imposed on hunting them some two decades ago. The project seeks to identify ways of control ling seal populations, including by sustainable harvesting, and will also analyse potential prod ucts and markets, whilst con sidering barriers such as animal welfare, policy and political cor rectness, food safety and toxins.

Deriving value added products from fish waste

Fishmeal and oil producers have ways to reduce their emissions Michael Lundgaard Thomsen, director, Aalborg Portland, Den mark’s only cement company and the country’s biggest indi vidual emitter of greenhouse gases discussed the efforts his Alexandre Cornet, Ocean Policy Officer, WWF Jónas R. Viðarsson, Director, Division of Value Creation, Matís

In the technical session of the conference Stefan Kirchner from GEA spoke about collagen, a pro tein that that provides structural support and is found in skin, tendons, and bones of animals and fish. Collagen is composed primarily of the amino acids, glycine, proline, and hydroxy proline of which the presence of the latter can be used as an indicator of collagen in a raw material. Collagen is used as gel atine in food applications where it increases viscosity, and as col lagen peptides which are used by the nutraceutical industry as a dietary supplement. The process of collagen extraction has three main steps, pre-treatment, for mation of gelatine, and the for mation of collagen peptides. The pre-treatment process depends on the type of raw material used: for fish skin, the pre-treatment is by washing with cold water, and for bones and scales the pretreatment is by demineralisation using acid. The collagen-rich material that results from the pre-treatment is subject to treat ment with heat or acid to give gelatine, which in turn is treated with enzymes to give the col lagen peptides. These are then cleaned, fractionated, concen trated and dried to give the final product that is put on the market.

transparency, increase trust with stakeholders, prove legality of practices, verify sustainability, and ensure correct handling for quotas. These standards are supplemen tary to any existing national legisla tions or international agreements; however, they are very beneficial for ongoing efforts to make fisher ies more sustainable, transparent, and traceable. Climate change impacts make implementation of traceability critical The role of traceability in ensuring stocks are sustain ably exploited is magni fied when considering the impact of climate change.

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company was making to reduce emissions. Many of those present at the conference fall into what Mr Thomsen called process industries which tend to be heavy emitters of GHGs, so what he had to say was followed closely by the audience. Mr Thomsen is also chairman of the energy intensive industries, a group that includes fishmeal and oil producers and on behalf of which he negotiates with the government on ways to keep a competitive process industry in Denmark. These industries are typically involved in cement, building materials, energy, transport, and food, where domestic and international competition is stiff as most of the outputs are commodities. They often use high temperature processes and are very energy intensive. He noted that a number of ways to reduce emissions are being discussed but that many of them are expensive to implement (such as electrification) or run, are not proven (such as green hydrogen or carbon capture and storage) or have other drawbacks. In process industries emissions come not only from the use of energy but also from some of the processes themselves. Recommendations from the energy intensive industries group to make production more sustainable include increasing energy efficiency using alternative fuels. Another way to increase sustainability is by reusing energy. At Aalborg Portland the excess heat is recovered and supplied to households. Developing new products that are more sustainable is another recommendation. The use of waste streams from biomass (like wood) as fuel as well as increasing use of gas and biogas and exploring the potential of carbon capture are also strategies that the company is following to reduce its emissions. The presentations and panel discussions at the European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers’ conference provided a wealth of information and much food for thought for everyone attending. EFFOP’s next biennial conference will take place on 5-7 June 2024 in Estonia.

Gold Sponsor SILVER Sponsor supported by

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JOINUSINITALYFORAQUACULTUREEUROPE2022 27-30SEPTEMBER2022 RIMINI,ITALY

Michael Lundgaard Thomsen, Director, Aalborg Portland Stefan Kirchner, GEA Westfalia

AquaFarm, NovelFarm, and AlgaeFarm held in Porde none, Italy were dedicated to innovations in sustainable food Pordenone once again hosts three aquaculture events Witness the future of farming Threetodayeventshighlight some of the innovations in food production to give an indication of the industry’s direction. and sustainable fishing industry. NovelFarm is entirely dedicated to new cultivation techniques, soil less and vertical farming, and this year it was accompanied by Algae Farm, an event dedicated to tech nologies and applications in algae cultivation. and useful technologies for indus try production. AquaFarm is the international exhibition-confer ence dedicated to aquaculture The AquaFarm event included presentations as well as workshops and company stands relevant to the aquaculture industry.

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Strong support from local stakeholders The three events were promoted and supported by important collab orations, including the AquaFarm partnership with API, the Associa tion of Italian Fish Farmers, AMA, and the Mediterranean Aquacul ture Association, which represents fish and shellfish breeders. AISAM (Italian Association for the study and applications of microalgae) collaborated in the drafting of the AlgaeFarm conference pro gramme. Chamber of Commerce of Pordenone and Udine and ITA (Italia Trade Agency) supported the three AquaFarmevents. in Piazza contin ued until 28 May in the centre of Pordenone in collaboration with MIPAAF. In the evening, a show cooking and tasting was open to the public. In the morning, edu cational workshops for students were held to allow them to dis cover the quality of Italian fish Inproducts.2023 Aquafarm will be an independent event from on 23 and 24 March, while Novel Farm will be on 26 May. For more information please visit: AquaFarm: www.aquafarmexpo.

Significant growth in attendance According to the organisers, AquaFarm and NovelFarm are growing every year, nation ally and internationally, a clear sign of how the topics dealt with truly represent strategic issues for the nutrition of the future. The total number of registered entries increased by 15 since the last event in 2020. Participation by interna tional visitors and speakers was also high revealing the impor tance of the topics at the three Afterconferences.thecontinued success of the three events, Pordenone Fiere has become a key location for discussions on agricul tural technologies and the food industry. NovelFarm has now become the reference event in Italy and southern Europe for new generation agricultural crops, in a protected environ ment, vertical farm and hydro ponics, say the organisers. The conference-events saw a total of 120 exhibitors (35 from abroad) who were hosted in Halls 4 and 5 of the Exhibition Cen tre, for a total of 6,900 square meters of exhibition space. A fundamental component of the event was the conference pro gramme on the most impor tant trends in the sector (i.e. European programmes, energy costs, sustainability, innovation, digitalization).

NovelFarm:it/en/ www.novelfarmexpo. AlgaeFarm:it/en/ en/algaefarm-algaeculture-event/www.aquafarm.show/

The European Aquaculture Society's annual conference this year is titled "innovative solutions in a changing world".

The FAO is engaged in global actions that aim at assisting its Member countries in developing sustainable food industries and securing access to a healthy diet to all. The FAO recognizes that in current and future development of each sector of the food industry, the access to applied production innovations, appropriate governance and support policies along with economic and market forces all play, is important at the national, regional and global level. FAO, with its key mandate focused on food production, provides the global discussion and knowledge-sharing platform along with tools and guidelines that will enable countries to develop their aquatic food production industries. This includes ensuring that production and distribution of their products will help meet global environmental, social and economic sustainability issues.

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The FAO special day topics of discussion The event will focus on several relevant international processes and discuss their implications on the development of the European aquaculture sector.

The first topic will be moderated by Austin Stankus and Matthias Halwart and is titled, “The Global Processes on Sustainable Aquaculture: what does it mean to European stakeholders?” It will focus on the outcomes of the Global Conference on Aquaculture Millennium +20 including the Shanghai Declaration and a review of European Aquaculture. The second topic is, “Genetic Resources in Aquaculture: Managing them Better”. Moderated by Graham Mair and Daniela Lucente, this presentation will discuss key issues for the current management of genetic resources in European aquaculture. The third topic of the day is titled “Markets for Aquaculture Products – Recent Changes and Trends” and will be moderated by Marcio Castro de Souza who will present the main market trends in the aquaculture industry. Finally, in line with ongoing recognition of the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture the final discussion will be moderated by Alessandro Lovatelli and titled “Small in Scale, Big in Value: Celebrating the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture.”

This year’s annual Aquaculture Europe event, hosted by the European Aquaculture Society, is focused on discussing issues faced by industries that use marine, brackish, and freshwater resources. The event will focus on strategies for the development of the European Aquaculture sector in a responsible and climate neutral way. Aquaculture Europe will feature sessions on European Aquaculture as well as an international trade exhibition, industry forum, student sessions and activities, workshops, and updates on EU research.

globalcommitmentFAO’stofoodindustrydevelopment

Aquaculture Europe annual conference, 27-30 September 2022, Rimini FAO to organise a “Special Day”

One of the special sessions and workshops is the FAO “Special Day” organised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The event will take place within the conference programme on Wednesday, September 28. The theme for the day is “International Processes and their Implications to the European Aquaculture Industry”. Special day is in line with the

Restricting fisheries in the Jabuka Pit has had multiple positive impacts

The Jabuka Pit, where a sheries restricted area was created in 2017, has shown a signi cant improvement in the biomass of demersal species in the area with over ow effects bene ting the surrounding parts as well. The FRA is subdivided into three zones, each with different shing restrictions. into three zones; in the core Zone A any recreational and professional fishing activity with bottom-set nets, bottom trawls, set longlines and traps is prohibited. In Zone B fishing with bottom-set nets, bottom trawls, set longlines and traps is prohibited from 1 September to 31 October each year and allowed (for a maximum of one-two fishing days per week depending on the gear used) the rest of the year, provided that the vessel and/or its master is in possession of a specific authorization and that historical fishing activities in the zone can be demonstrated. In Zone C fishing with bottom-set nets, bottom trawls, set longlines and traps as well as recreational fisheries are prohibited from 1 September to 31 October each year and allowed the rest of the year if the vessel and/or its master is in possession of a specific authorization and if historical fishing activities in the zone can be demonstrated. In zone C, bottom trawls are entitled to fish only on specific days and hours and only two days a week. Restricting fishing in the Jabuka Pit was an undertakinginternational Dr Igor Isajlovi , a scientist at the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split, is an expert on demersal fisheries who has been measuring the effect of the restrictions of fisheries in the Jabuka Pit. Only a small number of vessels are allowed to operate in that area, he says, as they need to get a special authorisation. The pit is a breeding GFCM

Croatia is well on its way to restrict fishing in 30% of fishing area in the Adriatic

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Over the last five years (201620) the Croatian fishing fleet has remained largely stable in terms of the total number of vessels both large and small, according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. The number of largescale vessels declined by nearly half to 323 units in 2017 and stayed around that level for the next four years. The small-scale fleet increased slightly in 2017 to 7,236 vessels, a number that remained more or less unchanged to 2020. About a fifth of the fleet consists of vessels with very limited activity. Pelagic species dominate catch volumes Catches of small pelagic fish (sardines, anchovies, chub, jack, and horse mackerel) account for 90 of the total Croatian catch, demersal species for about 6 and crustaceans and molluscs for about 3. In terms of individual species sardines contribute with the greatest weight, alone accounting for 70 of the total, followed by anchovies. Among the demersal species, catches of hake have dominated in the years 2020 and 2019. Since 2017 fishers targeting demersal species have had to deal with the creation of a fisheries restricted area (FRA) in and around the Jabuka Pit, a region in the Adriatic between Croatia and Italy that is breeding ground and nursery for demersal species, in particular hake and Norway lobster. The FRA is divided Stocks in the Adriatic are in better shape today than they were a decade or two ago and scientists are hopeful that the situation will continue to improve.

Both fisheries and aquaculture should also reduce their own contributions to changing climate by reducing their emissions and adopting approaches that make the economy of these activities more circular. Recycling nets and other fishing gear, for example, greater use of renewables, upgrading vessels to use less energy are some of the measures that will reduce the sector’s carbon footprint. In the aquaculture sector, Dr Leon Grubiši , the head of the oceanography institute’s laboratory for aquaculture, has been working on the AdriAquaNet project (EU Interreg Italy-Croatia) to explore the efficiency of feed formulations that will be more sustainable than currently used products. As a member of a team of researchers he studied the impact on seabass growth performance and gut health of diluting conventional protein sources (fishmeal and vegetable protein) with poultry by-product meal and insect meal. Among other conclusions, the results demonstrated that plant-based diets supplemented with meal from black soldier fly larvae either alone or in combination with poultry by-product meal have great potential as an alternative Mario Bartulin, a small-scale sher who focuses on valuable species and high quality, selling his catch at the sh market in Trogir.

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CROATIA ground for most of the demersal species including the two important species for Croatian fishers, hake and Norway lobster. It is one of the main spawning and nursery areas in the Adriatic he says. Declaring the area an FRA was a protracted affair that took years of negotiation and only succeeded in 2017. In fact, twice before in 2015 and 2016 Croatia had tried to close the area bilaterally with Italy, but these efforts only lasted a year. in the end, it was the work of NGOs, scientists from universities and institutions around the world, the GFCM, and the EU that enabled the creation of the FRA. Ultimately, says Dr Isajlovi , the plan is to have 30 of the fishing area in the Adriatic under some kind of restrictive management. Croatia has almost reached that already. Dr Isajlovi points out that the channel areas between the islands are completely closed to bottom trawling for six months in the year, and are only accessible to vessels with small engines of up to 184 kW and for only on two days in the week. The Velebit channel, a strip of water separating the mainland from the islands of Pag, Rab, and Goli Otok, is also completely closed to bottom trawling. Several restrictions are thus already in place. Furthermore, the Croatian coast is more than 5,000 km long and according to EU regulations bottom trawling is forbidden in areas within 1.5 nautical miles of the coast (and within 3 nautical miles where the depth is less than 50 m). This significantly enlarges the restricted area in the Croatian part of the Adriatic. Adriatic fisheries show positive developments While fish stocks in the Mediterranean are almost all overfished, Dr Isajlovi considers that over the last few years several positive developments have been seen in the Adriatic including a reduction in fishing effort, an increase in spawning stock biomass, and a reduction in fishing mortality, and he is confident that the situation will continue to improve in the future. Although recruitment shows a negative trend, he attributes that to climate change. Stocks are still overfished, but they are in much better condition then they were 10-15 years ago, he declares. The restrictions in the Jabuka Pit also have an impact on pelagic stocks especially in the central part of the Adriatic. The biomass of demersal species has increased significantly in the FRA and because of the overflow effect the improvements can be noted in demersal fisheries in the surrounding areas. The status of rays and sharks too is improving suggesting that the entire ecosystem has benefited from the restrictions. Climate change complicates the recovery of fish stocks in the Adriatic as effects such as higher water temperatures or increased acidity interact with human-caused impacts like pollution. This can lead to increased frequency and lethality of phenomena such as eutrophication. In addition, scientists at the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries have noted the increase in invasive species from the Red Sea and even the Indian Ocean. These are not just fish but also crustaceans and parasites. Climate changes also has an impact on the physiology and biology of native species. The spawning season of bogue (Boops boops), for example, a semi pelagic white fish of the Sparid family, has become about two months longer. Pero Ugarkovi , also from the institute, points to the migration of species such as amberjack and grouper from the southern to the northern Adriatic as an indicator of warming waters. Growth in the biomass of blue fish (Pomatomus saltatrix), a predatory species, to the point where it has become one of the biggest predators in the Adriatic, is another consequence that may be attributable to climate change. Climate change also has some advantages However, some impacts of climate change are benevolent. Deepwater rose shrimp, one of the most valuable species in the Mediterranean, was mainly caught in the southern Adriatic, but can now increasingly be found in the central Adriatic where it is becoming one of the most important species in the demersal fishery. Over the past several years this crustacean has become the second or third species by weight in demersal catches in the central Adriatic. Moreover, the increase in primary production due to warming waters is favourable for the growth of mussels, and for the cultivation of species such as seabream. The prolongation of the warm season when the fish feed the most has meant that the production cycle can be abbreviated from 24 months to 17-18 months with the support of a selection process in the hatchery. Since climate change is an inescapable fact, we have to adapt by changing our fisheries and aquaculture strategies and by reducing human-induced stressors to make stocks more resilient, says Dr Isajlovi

Euro sh Magazine 4 / 2022 33 CROATIA feed for seabass. Not only would it be more sustainable, but it also preserves the growth performance and health of the fish, while maintaining the nutritional value of the fillet for human consumption1 Sustainability of fish feeds can be optimised withoutperformancecompromising In their paper to be published in the Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, the authors also refer to studies that show the successful replacement of plant ingredients with poultry by-product meal and meal from black soldier fly in fishmeal-free seabream diets. Other work has demonstrated that replacing 15 protein of plant origin with insect or yeast proteins yields significantly higher growth performance and feed intake among juvenile seabass. The use of processed animal proteins, meal based on trimmings from the fish processing industry, and insect meals to replace fishmeal to the extent possible support sustainability and the principles of the circular economy. Fishmeal and fish oil are produced from capture fisheries of small pelagic species and have long been the principle ingredients in fish feeds. However, the sustainability of these fisheries has been called into question as aquaculture production has grown over the years. Demand for fishmeal and oil has pushed up the price of these products adding to fish farmers’ production costs. As a result of these developments, the last couple of decades has seen mounting interest in alternatives that offer similar performance and gut health as well as less environmental impact, without increasing costs. Croatian vessels by type (number) 20162017201820192020 TOTAL VESSELS (1 + 2) 7,746 7,559 7,573 7,614 7,555 1. Ships 628 323 307 336 325 2. Boats 7,118 7,236 7,266 7,278 7,230 Croatian Bureau of Statistics Croatian catches and production in tonnes (selected species) 2020 2019 2018 1 TOTAL (2+21+25+31) 70,973 63,883 69,831 2 Fish (3+10) 68,940 61,824 67,513 3 Pelagic (4+5+6+7+8+9)fish 65,057 58,010 63,814 4 Pilchard 50,134 45,134 46,267 5 Anchovy 9,781 7,995 13,251 6 Bluefin tuna 900 822 679 7 Atlantic chub mackerel 1,966 2,116 1,807 8 Jack and horse mackerel 1,755 1,585 1,464 9 Other species 521 358 346 10 Other fish 3,883 3,814 3,699 21 Crustaceans 925 1,017 1,179 25 Shellfish 176 254 393 31 Molluscs 932 788 746 Croatian Bureau of Statistics 1 Plei et al. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-022-00725-z From left, Pero Ugarković, Dr Igor Isajlović, and Dr Leon Grubišić, scientists at the Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries in Split.

The PP Orahovica fishponds have been producing fish for more than hudred years under the different political dispensations. After Croatian independence from Yugoslavia in 1991 the farm was renovated and modernized to improve the yields and to make the farm more efficient. Today the ponds are part of a nature reserve, so the area is free of industry and of agriculture meaning that the surroundings are quiet with no danger of pollution or of agriculture run-off contaminating the ponds. The ponds are also a magnet for water-loving birds, animals, and Demand for carp, a traditional species consumed in continental Croatia, is evolving. Consumers are looking for more convenient products that are easy to prepare, and some companies are obliging.

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PP Orahovica invests further in its processing facility

Exploiting changes in consumption habits

That said, Mr Gadzo has noticed that the weather is changing and becoming more unpredictable. He and his colleagues in production have noticed that there are issues with diseases, with weather that is too warm or too cold, and with the availability of water, in contrast to the past. The company has some 6,000 ha of pond surface at locations spread across continental Croatia between Zagreb

Jakov Beslic Gadzo, Sales Manager, PP Orahovica plants and thus contribute to the biodiversity of the area. At the farm many developments have been pioneered that have enabled production per hectare to increase to the highest in the region, says Jakov Beslic Gadzo, the company’s sales manager. All the ponds, for example, are linked to one another and to a computer system by optical data cables so that a number of operations, such as feeding, can be carried out automatically or by remote control. The feed that is given to the fish is specially formulated with low fat and high protein to give a high-quality final product that reflects the feed the fish has been given. The feed is sourced from commercial suppliers with whom the company is in constant dialogue to ensure that the nutritional requirements of the fish, which have been identified based on many years of production, are taken into account by the feed suppliers. The experience that the production managers have gathered over the years has led them to devise a formula for the feed that results in the best possible fish meat with a high protein and low fat content. Feeding with cereals as is done traditionally, says Mr Gadzo, results in a high fat content which is not what our consumers want. While some fat is desirable when smoking the fish, when selling it fresh it is less attractive. Weather plays a significant role in determining market size of fish At PP Orahovica it typically takes two years to produce a marketsized fish. However, the size is ultimately determined by the natural conditions on the farm. If the warm weather starts early in the year it extends the feeding time, and conversely, if the cold weather extends into the spring it reduces the time the fish feed resulting in smaller fish at harvest. Carp does not eat when the weather is cold, so an extended winter can do a lot of damage. If the temperature is right the fish feed from May to August and are then harvested starting from September. However, cold weather in May leaves only three months for the fish to feed which impacts their size at harvest. Even if summer is delayed the fish must be harvested in September—they cannot remain on the farm for another year. Firstly, it would mean no deliveries to customers; it would also affect the entire cycle of operations if a batch of fish was not harvested on schedule; and finally it would result in fish that were too big for the market and therefore difficult to sell.

C roatia is famous for its coastline and the islands along the coast which are a magnet for tourists. The country attracted over 17m foreign tourists in 2019 (arrivals were down the next two years) drawn by the weather, the beaches, and the seafood. Local seafood at the coast is sourced from the sea but further inland, on the continental part of Croatia towards the north, freshwater fish such as trout and carp are also produced. Among the biggest carp farmers in Croatia is the company PP Orahovica a part of an agricultural corporation with interests in cereals, wine, and hazel nuts. Ponds set in a nature reserve, so risks from pollution are minimal

Euro sh Magazine 4 / 2022 35 CROATIA and Osijek close to the Croatian borders with Hungary and Serbia. Some of the sites are placed close to rivers from where the ponds can draw water, but others are dependent on the rain. If that is delayed or fails altogether it can cause a lot of hardship. Partly to mitigate this the company is acquiring more water surface and investing in renovation and digitalisation. The investments are very big as ponds that have remained unused for years need a lot of renovation mostly with heavy machinery to make them productive again. The work includes building dykes, draining the ponds, cleaning and disinfecting them and finally restocking them. Production increases slightly each year PP Orahovica is part of the Agro Invest Group that has divisions for cereals, wine, and hazel nut production. Fish farming, which is a more recent line of business, falls into the overall food category. The company recognised the need to preserve nature as well as provide employment and a healthful source of protein to the local population, factors which played a role in the decision to branch into fish farming. The choice has proved to be a good one as the fish side of the business is now the second largest in terms of turnover after cereals. Every year we expand our pond water surface a little, says Mr Gadzo, and production too increases by 10 or so a year. As is typical with pond farming the common carp is grown in polyculture with other carp species, bighead, silver, and grass carp. These species feed on the vegetation in the pond helping to keep the water clear and preventing the formation of silt. They are also products in their own right but are traditionally not valued as highly as carp. Despite that, the ability to offer a range of species to a buyer is an advantage, says Mr Gadzo, and because they are produced in smaller and smaller volumes, the price is in fact moving upwards. As the market changes, companies need to adapt Another trend on the market is that traditional ways of buying carp as a live or a whole round fish are changing. Families are becoming nuclear so buying a single large fish is being replaced by a preference for conveniently gutted and cut fish. Sales of modified atmosphere packaged steaks, fillets, and portions, that are ready to cook are increasing every year, reports Mr Gadzo, driven by consumer demand and by the retailers responding to these changes in consumption habits. To accommodate the evolution in customer behaviour, PP Orahovica established a processing facility in 2016. Since then, it has invested regularly in upgrading and expanding the facility which culminated in 2021 with the installation of new processing machinery worth EUR665,000 (HRK5,000,000). The facility processes some 50 tonnes of fish a day into fresh, frozen, and smoked products and a line of breaded products is planned.

The sh from the ponds are harvested and weighed and then transported to the processing facility where they will be converted into convenience products for sale through supermarkets.

Carp has traditionally been consumed in connection with festivals like Christmas and Easter, but today consumers would like to buy it more often than during these two periods. This calls for planning by all the links in the supply chain, feels Mr Gadzo. Farmers need to plan their production so they can harvest more often and retailers need to plan their promotion campaigns to attract consumers when the fish is available. The market for carp is evolving and companies that evolve with it stand a good chance of persuading their customers to eat more fish not only for its taste, quality, and health benefits but also for its convenience.

Area of ponds: 6,000 ha Production volume: 4,000 tonnes of freshwater ﬁsh per year

Another aspect that is changing gradually relates to availability.

PP Orahovica Stjepana Mlakara 5 33515 Orahovica Tel.:Croatia+385 33 673 351 Fax: +385 33 673 info@orahovica.hrwww.pporahovica.hr125

Sales manager: Jakov Beslic jakov.beslic-gadzo@pporahovica.hrGadzo

OrahovicaPP

Products: Fresh, frozen, smoked steaks, ﬁllets, portions Markets: Croatia, Poland, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia Employees: 300 employees Brand: Panona Mare

Abundant water will enable Krofish to significantly enhance Croatian trout output High quality fish for domestic and foreign markets

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P roduction in Croatia of common carp, the dominant freshwater farmed species, averaged some 2,000 tonnes a year between 2016 and 2020. Croatian fish farmers also grow trout. Total production of this species has been more or less stable averaging 400 tonnes a year for the last five years (2016-20) although the water surface devoted to trout production has fallen by 20 to 35,300 sq. m, according to the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. However, trout production is likely to increase in the future with the reactivation of the ponds owned by the company Krofish in the district of Otok.

Major investments in renovationrebuildingand Denis Erceg, the new operator of the ponds, has the capacity to produce 600 tonnes of fish at the site in Otok and a further 600 tonnes at another site further downstream if he so desires. If he succeeds in his ambitions to produce at full capacity he will singlehandedly have increased the production of Croatian trout by 300. The ponds at Otok date back to the early 80s when they constituted the biggest trout farm in Yugoslavia. However, the ponds had not been used for five years before Mr Erceg took over the facilities in October 2021 renovating the A trout farming company is relying on imported eggs, high quality feed, and a rich supply of rapidly flowing water to produce large trout. If all goes to plan production from the farm will at least equal the current national total.

Denis Erceg, entered the trout farming business partly because he was struck by the natural beauty and peacefulness of the area surrounding the trout farm. raceways and rebuilding the 700 sq. m hatchery, where he intends to produce a new generation of trout every few months. The current owner is not interested in fish farming and so has given Mr Erceg a long-term concession to run the farm. The strength of the farm lies in its water which comes from a spring a couple of hundred metres away. We get 6,000 litres of water a second, says Mr Erceg, throughout the year in both winter and summer. Moreover, this copious quantity of water is at the perfect temperature—a minimum of 7 degrees C in winter and a maximum of 13.5 degrees C in summer. As the water stems from a spring the risk of disease is minimised. This water will be fed to the hatchery which has been completely disinfected and is waiting for the installation of new incubators. Eyed eggs from Poland and the US all female and all triploid will be introduced into the hatchery. The benefit of triploid eggs is that the fish are sterile and because of this they tend to grow bigger as less energy is spent on reproduction. The inability to breed ha the added advantage of allowing the genetic conservation of local populations even if the fish escape. Production will be carbon neutral By September the farm should be fully functional and Mr Erceg expects to produce some 150 tonnes of trout in the first year of operations. Already the first generation of eggs has hatched and the fry have been introduced into tanks in the hatchery. And within the next couple of weeks the second lot of eggs is expected to hatch. The low temperature of the water makes it possible to use the hatchery also in the summer. The production is intended both for the local market and for export thanks to the high product quality. In time, Mr Erceg also expects to invest in value added products such as fillets and modified atmosphere packaged products. He also intends to reduce the carbon footprint of the production by using the rapidly flowing water to generate electricity. With 6,000 litres of water per second I do not need to invest in solar panels because the water will generate more than enough electricity to supply my needs, he states. The water supplying the farm is not only fast flowing but also highly oxygenated. At the outlet of the water from the farm it has an oxygen content of 8 mg/l, a level usually associated with the inlet water, according to Mr Erceg. The more the oxygen content the better the fish will thrive as they need oxygen for the metabolic processes that make them grow. Since the natural level of oxygen in the water is as high as it is there is no need to use aerators or liquid oxygen to supplement it. However in the hatchery a degasser is used to strip the water of carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

Good farming conditions and quality feed will deliver a productsought-after

Krofishposition.has a good chance of realising the ambitions of Mr Erceg. With bountiful water, a clean operation, high performing feeds, and thorough biosecurity, production should follow the plan. The last part of the equation is the market, and whether that responds to the product as envisaged remains to be seen.

Krofish Ruda https://krofiinfo@krofi+385Croatia21238271Otok913337654sh.hrsh.hr/en

Owner: Mr Denis Erceg Production: Rainbow trout Size: 330 g and above Annual volumes: Currently 150 tonnes, target 520 tonnes (10 tonnes per week) Water source: Spring Flow: 6,000 l/sec Product forms: Fresh, ﬁlleted, MA packaged No. of employees: 9 A water ow of 6,000 l per second gives plenty of scope for expanding the production when the need arises.

The quality of the fish is closely correlated to the feed. At Krofish the feed is sourced from the Italian factory of a reputable supplier. We use high-energy feed and premium feed and we can see the results when we gut the fish. With these feeds the stomach of the fish is smaller than it is with cheaper feeds which means that the proportion of waste is less. Even a small difference in the volume of waste generated per fish can make a big difference to the total volume of saleable fish meat. Demand for bigger individuals is increasing. A couple of years ago the typical market size was 250 g, but today this has increased to 330 g (three pieces per kilo). Consumers are also looking for greater convenience, for example, fillets, and it is easier to fillet a large fish than a small one. Mr Erceg counts on being able to produce a market-sized fish within 11 months from the time the fry start to feed. Although this is a rapid rate of growth, the high quality feed and the good growing conditions on the farm should make it feasible. Quality is also influenced by the natural flow of the water in the raceways. This is rapid forcing the fish to swim just to stay in the same place. The constant motion has a beneficial effect on the muscle tissue and thereby the texture of the meat which is firm and not flabby as a result contributing to the high quaity of the fish. Production will be clean too with as little impact on the external environment as possible. Waste generated will be removed by truck and disposed off and the water at the outlet will have no polluting impact. Close collaboration with feed supplier For Mr Erceg the farm is something of a dream come true. After 30 years in the tourism industry the farm is a place where he can commune with nature. When he first saw it he was sold. It is a place without a cell phone signal, he says, all one can hear is the sound of the water and the birds, and there are very few people. This has the disadvantage that if there is a problem on the farm there are not many experts who can help solve it. Mr Erceg depends therefore on his feed supplier who has the necessary experts who can offer him advice and even visit the farm if necessary. One of the main challenges currently is not a technical one though. It is inflation which has pushed up the price of several important inputs like feed, fuel, and electricity. And while the market price of fish has also increased it has not done so proportionately.

Mr Erceg hopes that by finding markets for the fish in western EU countries where he can charge a higher price, he will be better able to defray the increase in costs. He is fully aware that reliability of supply is critical for retailers and is therefre looking at a production volume of 10 tonnes a week or 520 tonnes a year. To achieve this, production will follow a regular cycle that will be initiated several times in the year. With these volumes he hopes to bring down his unit cost of production and improve his competitivity. The biggest Croatian retailer imports trout from neighbouring countries where, he says, production is subsidised. The majority of EU countries support their own production, he complains, leaving Croatian producers in a very unfavourable

Euro sh Magazine 4 / 2022 37 CROATIA

The venerable age of the farm is not its only distinguishing characteristic, it is also, for now, the biggest with regard to annual production which amounts to 120 tonnes. This distinction is under threat from Krofish, a newly established trout farming company, which intends to produce 150 tonnes in its first year alone. Increasing the production at Ritterman doo is not currently feasible because of constraints on the water Watersupply.onthe farm is drawn from a river that runs through Solin, but this water is also used by the local municipality to supply to the town’s inhabitants. In times of shortage people take priority over fish and the company must make do with a smaller allocation. It is not possible to do anything about this, Mr Ritterman says, so we have to manage. For now it has not meant any significant adjustments but in five years he expects the problem to get more acute especially in summer. If this turns out to be the case, he will either have to reduce the feed given to the fish or reduce the volume of fish on the farm. What about recirculating the water? Mr Ritterman would like to make the necessary investments to reuse the water, but first some debts have to be repaid which would then create the necessary financial space to explore watersaving measures. The company has so far not looked at the possibility of getting support from EU funds to make these investments. This is not to say that no investments have been made since the company was formed in 1995.

Buildings have been renovated including the office area and the storage area for the feed and the Styrofoam boxes in which the fish are packaged. Better qualified staff following a change in generations Another change has been in the average age of the workforce which has declined from about 60 to about 30 as younger staff have been hired to replace the older ones as they retired. This also meant the workforce is more professionally qualified as most of the older staff did not have relevant qualifications, mainly because they did not exist. In the 70s and 80s educational institutions in the area did not offer the programmes or courses that a technician would need to work on a freshwater fish farm. This may also be attributed to Solin’s proximity to the coast. Schools here would focus on programmes relevant to marine fish farming, leaving the freshwater business to institutions in the continental part of the country. The younger employees who joined the company

F inding a trout farm in the middle of a town is unusual to say the least, but in Solin close to Split on the Croatian coast a company has been operating a trout farm close to the city centre since the 90s. The farm works much the same way as it did when it was originally established in the 80s, but back then it was a state-owned company. With Croatian independence Mr Ritterman bought the farm from the state in 1995 when he established the private company, Ritterman doo. Today the company is run by Luka Ritterman and his brother, the sons of the founder. They form the third generation of Rittermans to operate the ponds, as in the days when it was a state-run farm it was their grandfather who managed the production. Fullyproductionintegrated Since the time it was owned by the state, production of trout at the farm has been fully integrated. The company has its own broodstock for egg production, a hatchery and a nursery for the fry, grow out raceways for the production of market sized fish, and even a shop to sell the final product. This approach means the company reduces the risk of importing diseases to the farm and is free from the import duties levied on supplies (such as eggs) from outside the EU. The feed comes from a Located just 300 m from the sea, the trout farm Rittermann doo sells its fish to restaurants up and down the Croatian coast successfully competing with purveyors of marine seafood.

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Price, availability, and novelty contribute to trout’s popularity among the young Trout holds its own against marine species

Luka Ritterman, Director, Ritterman doo, a company producing trout for the Croatian market.

Danish company with whom the company has been working for the last three years. The farm, according to Luka Ritterman, is the oldest still-functioning trout farm in Croatia. There may be older farms, he adds, but they no longer operate.

Ritterman doo Zvonimirova 78 21210 Solin Tel.:Croatia+385 998 205 152, +385 21 210 trotta.com.hrinfo@trotta.com.hr077 Director: Luka Ritterman Activity: Trout farming Production: 120 tonnes Product form: Whole round on ice, gutted on ice, smoked Brand: Trotta Ritterman Employees: 8 Production is fully integrated from broodstock (pictured) to nal product.

Euro sh Magazine 4 / 2022 39 CROATIA tend to have attended schools where they learned something about this business. Whether located in a rural or an urban area fish farms attract predatory birds and Ritterman doo is no exception. It is a serious issue, says Mr Ritterman, because the birds are protected and we are not allowed to harm them in any way. Even scaring the birds with small explosives is not permitted though this is not because the birds are threatened, but because the sound is likely to annoy the neighbours who can Beingcomplain.located in the city thus has both disadvantages and advantages. Neighbours can complain about bird scaring noises, but they are also likely to stop by at the shop to pick up some freshly harvested fish. In fact, the shop is responsible for 15 of the sales. The remainder is sold business to business with most customers coming from the retail sector and some from the food service sector. Restaurants form another category of customers and are particularly active in the summer when Croatia plays host to millions of tourists. The company supplies restaurants at many of the most visited areas along the coast from Zadar to Dubrovnik. The product takes two forms both fresh on ice: whole round fish packaged in 6 kg boxes forms the bulk of the deliveries, and gutted fish, which is preferred by the restaurants and one of the supermarkets. The average weight is typically 250 g but Mr Ritterman expects to increase the size to 300 g minimum and up to 400 g. This will increase the unit price, currently HRK40/ kilo (EUR5.3) in the company store, but despite that sales are expected to be easier. Ritterman doo does not process the fish itself, instead it has an agreement with a processing firm based near Zagreb (400 km away) that specialises in smoking fish. From Solin gutted fish is sent by road to Zagreb, where it is smoked and/or the caviar extracted and then returned to Solin. This is a convenient way of doing business, feels Mr Ritterman. He pays for the service, which is very good, and is spared from having to establish his own processing facility yet can sell the product under his own brand.

New hatchery planned for end summer 2022 The farm’s hatchery is at another location 1,200 m from the growout facility. The grow-out facility houses the broodstock and the eggs are stripped here, fertilised, and then taken to the hatchery. Once the eggs hatch and the fry are about a month old, they are brought back to the grow-out site and introduced into small tanks. This poses some challenges as the hatchery site is located on the water source and therefore may not be owned by the company, which means staff does not have free access to the hatchery. Mr Ritterman would therefore like to build a new hatchery at the grow-our site at the end of summer this year. The new hatchery will feature a recirculation system and all the equipment that entails, pumps, a biofilter, UV filter etc. This will be the first step in gradual shift to recirculation that the company would like to make. Outlet water from the farm goes directly to the sea which is a mere 300 m away from the company’s facility. Although it is, so far, under no legal obligation to analyse the water that leaves the farm it is careful about what and when it releases the water.

The fish takes 18 months to reach market size of 250 g. However, increasing the average size to 350 g will not mean a longer growing period as Mr Ritterman will reduce the number of fish in each raceway. With the lower density he counts on the fish reaching the bigger size in about the same number of months especially if he also uses a higher performing feed. The company completes a single production cycle in the year; the hatchery is operational from September/ October until December the same year. Every week, during this period, the broodstock that are ready are stripped, so that the hatchery receives eggs about 20 times over the course of three months. Fish is supplied throughout the year with Lent, Easter, and then summer followed by Christmas being the periods when demand peaks. Despite the location so close to the sea and therefore the competition from marine fish, Mr Ritterman finds demand for trout has been good. In fact, he says, there are many people from the nearby Croatian islands who come to the shop to buy trout. One explanation could be the reliability of supply that sellers of marine fish may not be able to match, and anther could be the price; the farmed product is cheaper than wild fish. In addition, Mr Ritterman thinks that younger consumers are more willing to try something different, so even if they have grown up on marine fish, he still sees a fair number of them at his shop.

Plans to start processing operation to add value

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EU-funded projects improve life on board

Getting fishermen to work together is no easy task at the best of times. In countries where there is no tradition of organisation within the sector the task is made doubly difficult by mutual suspicion, and the strong individualistic streak that fishermen exhibit. In Croatia fishers have come a long way since the country’s independence in 1991 and since they joined the EU 22 years later. Several cooperatives, associations, or producer organisations have been established partly in response to the incentives offered by the EFF and later the EMFF, and partly in recognition of the fact that more can be achieved through collaboration than as individuals.

Linda Zanki Duvnjak, Manager, Friška Riba, a recognised producer organisation and shing cooperative of professional demersal and pelagic shermen. tonnes valued at roughly EUR3.3m. The cooperative buys and sells fish, promotes the production on domestic and foreign markets, does the bookkeeping, purchases equipment for its members and keeps them informed about changes in laws and regulations, and lobbies on their behalf to promote and defend their interests.

Cooperative is responsible for fish trading operations

The cooperative was recognised as a producer organisation in 2020, one of only three in the country. The PO coordinates the supply and marketing of the members’ products and by collectively managing the members’ activities, encourages more sustainable fishing. Today the cooperative is based at the fishing port of Brižina near Split, where the construction of a modern new facility for the collection, storage and processing of fish landings was inaugurated in August 2021. The construction cost some HRK37m (EUR5m) of which about a quarter came from the state budget and the remainder from the EMFF, while the Port of Split also made a small contribution. The building hosts the offices of the cooperative and was designed to meet all the requirements of the fishermen as far as possible. It is thus equipped with refrigerated as well as frozen storage and a large room where the fishers can repair their nets. In addition, there are couple of ice machines with a capacity of 6 tonnes/day. The entire facility is monitored by closed circuit television for the safety and security of the staff and the products that are stored there. Lina Zanki Duvnjak, the manager of the cooperative, is responsible for the sales and marketing of all the fish caught by the fishers; she also applies for EMFF funds to support the fishers in their operations, for example, in improving the safety or comfort on board fishing vessels. As members of a PO these investments are co-funded by the EMFF to the extent of 75, while as individuals the limit is 50.

The fishermen’s cooperative Friška Riba was recently recognised as a producer organisation. This gives benefits in terms of the co-funding fishers receive when they apply for support to upgrade the safety or security on board their vessels

The fish is currently not processed, but the cooperative would like to build a processing plant to add value to the product. The cooperative owns a plot of land located some distance from the port but close to the highway which will favour the rapid distribution of the product to the market. The plant will start by producing individually quick frozen (IQF) small pelagic fish and crustaceans. A project to construct the processing plant has been approved by the competent authority, but since then prices have increased and Ms Duvnjak fears that the estimated price of EUR1.35m has increased signifi-

Fisherscantly. are still joining the cooperative. To do so they must pay

The Friška Riba fishermen’s cooperative was established in 2007 by professional fishermen from Split and the surrounding areas including from some of the nearby islands. Today the cooperative comprises 22 professional fishers using purse seines, trawls, and longlines to catch a wide range of species from small pelagics (sardines, anchovies, mackerel) to high value demersal fish (hake, monkfish, octopus etc.), and shellfish such as deepwater rose shrimp and nephrops. Catches in 2021 amounted to about 5,000

Friška Riba, a fishermen’s cooperative and producer organisation

Friška Riba Fishing Cooperative and Producer

Manager: Ms Linda Zanki Duvnjak Members: 22 Gears: Purse seines, trawls, and longlines Catches: Demersal, pelagic Species include: Hake, monkﬁsh, octopus, deepwater rose shrimp, nephrops, sardines, anchovies, mackerel Volume: 5,000 tonnes (2021) Value: EUR3.3m (2021) facilities but pay the full price. Compared to the other two POs, Friška Riba only has a port with storage facilities, while the other two have processing facilities too. They are also bigger in terms of the number of members. The issue of discards is not one that affects the pelagic fishery, but the demersal fishery does land some fish that would otherwise be discarded. This fish is sold to other companies who process it into fish meal and fish oil. Fishers will go out on a fishing trip but may not come back to their home port. They will land the catch at the nearest port and then either send it by land to the PO or deliver it directly to the customer. Whatever the fishers catch is sold The cooperative has new facilities in the port of Brižina near Split.

https://www.friska-riba.hr/friskariba1@gmail.comCroatia21212PutOrganisationBrižina5KaštelSuc´urac

Euro sh Magazine 4 / 2022 41 CROATIA EUR180 per year and then one percent of the annual turnover (for trawlers it is 2). The fishers are kept informed of the possibilities offered by the EMFF and if they are interested, for example, in a vessel upgrade such as an ice machine on board, Ms Duvnjak and her colleagues in the PO administration will complete all the necessary paperwork. Not all projects are approved though. For example, an application to stick solar panels on the roof of the building was rejected. The cooperative offers a list of services, each with a certain price, for example, a kilo of ice costs HRK1.5, leasing a refrigerated vehicle is HRK437.5, and so on. Members of the cooperative get a 20 discount, while non-members can avail of the through the cooperative, though a fisher may occasionally have a private arrangement with a buyer. Tuna skipper is pleased with his membership Neven Žuljevic´, the skipper of tuna purse seiner, who has been a member of the cooperative since 2010 has found it very useful. Being able to repair his nets indoors and the availability of ice are very useful. In addition, he got support to mount a crane on his vessel, and to switch to thermal windows all of which was worth some EUR133 thousand, and all the paperwork was completed by the PO secretariat. Mr Žuljevic´ is supervising the preparation of his vessel to catch bluefin tuna for fattening. An observer is on board the vessel to make sure that all the ICCAT (International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas) regulations are observed and that the fishing is in line with the recovery plan for the species. The vessel will operate all around the coast of Croatia and in international waters in the Adriatic Sea until about the end of June. It has a quota of 3.5 tonnes and is part of joint fishing operation with a few other vessels that are all catching for the same Croatian farm. The observer estimates the volume of tuna that is transferred to the farm by reviewing the video that documents the Neven Žuljevic´, the skipper, and Toni Šimic´, one of his crew members, with Linda Zanki Duvnjak in front of Mr Žuljevic´’s vessel as it is prepared to sail to catch tuna for a tuna farmer. process. The footage is taken with a stereoscopic camera equipped with special software that enables the number of tuna to be estimated as well as the approximate weight. He will make sure that all the steps that ensure the legitimacy of the operation are followed. In the Adriatic, fishers may catch tuna of 8 kg and above and any smaller fish may be no less than 6.4 kg and cannot make up more than 7 of the overall catch. This is different from the rest of the Mediterranean where the fish have to be a minimum of 30 kg in size. This is because tunas are caught in the same period over the entire region. And at this time only smaller tuna can be found in the Adriatic, the bigger ones have migrated to the Mediterranean. All the information that the observer collects will ultimately end up with ICCAT. The duration of the fishing operation depends partly on the weather. When it gets windy then fishing is abandoned because there is a high risk of Mrmortalities.Žuljevic´is just one of the members of the cooperative who is satisfied with its performance. According to Ms Duvnjak other fishers show an interest in joining the cooperative as well. The benefits membership confers seem to have overcome some of the resistance to organisation that fishers have exhibited for many years.

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Getting fishermen to work together is an uphill task at the best of times, and when they come from an island, converting them to the idea is even tougher. But that is precisely what Antonio Divoje, a fisher from the island, is trying to do. He is trying to persuade like-minded fishers on the island to create a cooperative. But, as he puts it, this is a small, isolated island and the mentality of the people is a little special. Getting his fellow fishers to share the idea of a cooperative that obliges them to fish sustainably and where co-management is one of the basic principles is therefore not easy. When presented with the idea and the reasons behind it, all the fishermen agree, but from there to actually sign up is a big and near insurmountable step for most of them. Above all, they want to see the results before they decide whether to join or not and, in addition, there are different interests at stake, so some may never be convinced. Young people leave the island and seldom come back The island has a fixed population of 600-700 people. In the summer though this number increases 2-3 times because people from the mainland own summer cottages here and occupy them in the

After a couple of years his younger brother decided to join him and so they invested in a 10 m vessel. The bigger boat is safer, has a covered deck and as a result can also be used in winter when it can get quite cold out on the water. As

The island of Lastovo is four hours away from Split by ferry and the entire island has been declared a nature park. Here, Antonio Divoje, a fisherman concerned with sustainability, has initiated a fishing and agriculture cooperative that will add value to its products in part by creating a story about the island and the nature park.

New activities promise to boost the island’s economy

season. Among the permanent residents the number of young people is disproportionately low because they have to travel to other cities to complete high school and university and they rarely return. Mr Divoje himself was an exception. He finished his high school in Split studying pharmacy and then went on to university where he studied dentistry. He spent two years of the programme in Split and a third year in Sarajevo and then, unable to see himself working in this field, he quit. He returned to Split, where he worked in a pharmacy for a year and then moved to a hospital pharmacy in Rijeka for a further three years. In the end he decided he wanted to work for himself and returned to Lastovo. The island dwellers are familiar with fishing and with boats either because they are anglers themselves or because somebody in the family is an angler or a professional fisherman. Back on the island Mr Divoje therefore decided to become a fisherman. He started a small business, bought the license of a retired fisher, got a small boat and the gear and started fishing in 2018.

Antonio Divoje’s concerns about the sustainability of shing on Lastovo prompted him to establish a cooperative that would open up opportunities to make more with less sh.

A handful of fishers is working to make the fishery on Lastovo more sustainable

This means that the fishers have different incentives and interests and makes it difficult to convince them to change their ways. The fishers themselves have to see that the way they are working cannot go on, says Mr Divoje. Fishers who have diversified their sources of income—doing a little fishing, running a small restaurant, renting a cottage to tourists—will not take kindly to being asked to fish differently. They have to realise for themselves that changes made now will ensure that they can fish in the future. Antonio Divoje has spoken with all the potential members of the cooperative but realises that he has to show them some material benefits of joining.

A year ago, Antonio Divoje was on the verge of quitting to concentrate instead on his own business, now the headway he has made has changed his whole perspective and revived his determination to future proof the fishery on Lastovo.

Then there are limits on the gear, gillnets may not be more than a prescribed number of meters, longlines are restricted by the number of hooks, and pots by the number of pots. In the nature park there used to be restrictions on fishers from other islands, but that was changed a few years ago and it was during this process that Mr Divoje was selected to represent the commercial fishers of Lastovo. This gave him a solid insight into administrative matters, legal issues, and how things functioned in government. With the help of WWF-Adria and the administration of the nature park a document was drawn up reducing the number of gears that could be used in the area of the park. This showed him how fishers could contribute to reducing fishing pressure. He hoped that this would inspire sports and recreational fishers to also reduce their activities to the same extent, but this did not happen. This is currently the biggest problem that the commercial fishers are facing as they have given up some of their opportunities to catch fish, but the other fishers have not, and apart from being inequitable this has economic consequences for the commercial fishers. He is waiting for the ministry of environment to reduce the pressure imposed by the sports and recreational fishers on the stock. For the last two or three years Mr Divoje, again with the help of WWF-Adria, has been trying to form a cooperative of fishers. This will enable fishers to contribute to decision-making more effectively, give them a voice, show them that it pays to work collectively, and also reduce expenses.

Cooperative has already initiated several projects In March this year at a meeting Mr Divoje finally got the seven people which is the minimum needed to establish a cooperative. However, two of them are from the agriculture sector and not fishermen at all. This however offers more opportunities to the cooperative. By combining agriculture and fishing the cooperative could invest in value added products that exploit the fact that they come from an island and a nature park creating an attractive story. The cooperative is already looking at opening a shop where it can sell fish as there is currently no such place on the island. The shop would create a position for one person and is a big step for a body that did not even exist a few months ago. The learning curve is steep as the members have to familiarise themselves with operating a shop, with rules and regulation, financial matters, and marketing but they get a lot of support from WWF-Adria and from other NGOs. Exporting the fish is another exciting possibility as it will mean better prices and so the fishers will be able to reduce the amount they must catch. The other advantage is that it would be a year-round activity and not dependent on the tourist season.

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There are about 40 professional fishing licences on Lastovo, of which the active fishers number some 25, and of these about 10 are fishing for their livelihoods.

Antonio Director,DivojeFishing Cooperative Nocna Morina Tel.: +385 98 575 866

A shop is being renovated to sell sh and ultimately other products to local consumers and to tourists. he fished, Antonio Divoje began increasingly to feel that he needed to switch to more sustainable fishing practices. When he started, he fished only with gillnets, but over time he has switched more or less completely to longlines. The seabed around Lastovo is varied with areas of sand, rocks, or corals. This diversity is attractive for different fish species and is part of the reason why the island was declared a natural park. However, if a fisher is targeting a single species there are not many places to fix the nets. Fishing with longlines has less of an impact on the environment and he sees gillnets as not being as sustainable. Every year in the summer season the demand for fish increases, he says, and we will not be able to sustain our stocks. Strong support from NGOs is critical Fishing on Lastovo is regulated by national laws which specify the gear that can be used. For example, some types of gillnets can be used throughout the year but not other kinds. Fishing is also regulated temporally—certain species may be caught at some times of the year but not at others.

Currently, the seagrass, birds, and bats are being monitored, says Ms Horvat, so we have scientists

The Lastovo archipelago comprises 46 islands, islets, and cliffs with a total area of some 200 sq. km of which about a quarter is land. The archipelago is located in the middle of the Adriatic four hours by ferry south of Split. Four of the islands are relatively large, Lastovo, Prezba, Mrcara, and Krucica. The geographic variation combined with the island’s relative isolation make it highly biodiverse, one of the most species-abundant areas in the Mediterranean, according to the WWF. The presence of meadows of Neptune grass (Posidonia oceanica), a breeding ground, nursery, and habitat for many species of marine life contribute to this biodiversity. This richness is not confined to the water. On land too there is a profusion of plants, animals, and birds, including several migratory species. Park contributes to EU targets for protection of nature The UN Convention on Biological Diversity proposes to protect by 2030 at least 30 of land and seas of which one third should be strictly protected meaning undisturbed by human intervention (today only 3 of EU land and less than 1 of European MPAs are strictly protected). Following this, the European Commission

The area encompassing the island of Lastovo and its neighbouring islands was declared a nature park by the Croatian parliament in 2006. The densely forested island, its fertile soil, the variations in the sea bottom of the surrounding Adriatic sea, the diversity of marine flora and fauna, and the rocks, reefs, and cliffs in the water were among the reasons that the area was accorded this designation.

Alexandra Carol Horvat, Head Ranger, Lastovo Nature Park plans to protect at least 30 of EU land and seas by 2030 to stop the decline in animal and plant species numbers and to restore carbon sinks. Nature parks like the one on Lastovo are the small steps that contribute to the realisation of the commission’s strategy. Alexandra Carol Horvat, the head ranger of the Lastovo Islands Nature Park, says that the ambitions of the commission’s targets mean that there are many no-take zones in the sea in the park area, which has an impact on the fishers in the short term. But if they can see over time that stocks are thriving, they may come to resent these restrictions less. The protected sea area forms a band around the coast and includes several shallow areas with sea grass meadows.

Scientists use park to explore new frontiers

The Lastovo island is also the site of island trapped waves, a derivation of coastal trapped waves, a well-known oceanographic phenomenon. These waves influence the transport of nutrients from the depths of the sea to the surface and are now the subject of study by scientists from an international consortium of institutions led by a professor from the biology department at the University of Zagreb. According to Ms Horvat, this upwellng is normally a seasonal occurrence but on Lastovo it happens on a daily basis and may partly explain the biodiversity and volume of marine life in the area.

Despite restrictions on activities Lastovo nature park is supported by island’s residents

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Multiple roles played by the park administration Management of the nature park is based on a management plan that stretches over a period of 10 years and among other measures also specifies the frequency and type of monitoring to be carried out. The plan is revised each decade and it also spawns an annual plan which governs the day-today operation of the nature park.

Assisting efforts to rebuild noble pen shell stocks Among the projects the park participates in is one to try and revive the stock of noble pen shell (Pinna nobilis) a large clam, the population of which in the Mediterranean has been decimated by disease. Traps to capture pen shell larvae have been suspended from buoys in the water and at the end of the year these will be removed and studied to see if any larvae have been captured. In 2021, however, there were none. The study is based on the assumption that somewhere in the waters surrounding the island there may still be live pen shells. This clam favours seagrass meadows of which there are several in the area, so there may actually be some individuals present in the seagrass. In fact, until two or three years ago there were a number of pen shells in the sea, says Bruna Rizvanovi , a member of the park administration. When they spawn, the larvae are carried by the waves and could end up in the traps which have been placed in an area with strong currents. Traps were placed at 15 sites across the Adriatic and resulted in the capture of 15 larvae from three locations in 2020. These are now at the Pula Aquarium which has become a leading institution for maintaining young and adult individuals in quarantine under controlled conditions.

Lastovo

The nature park also qualifies as a Natura 2000 area both for habitats and for birds. Agriculture is practiced on the island to supply the restaurants and households with crops such as potatoes, tomatoes, beans, olives, and grapes. The park’s administration is responsible for educating visitors and the resident population about nature and its protection. Keeping the park clean, maintaining the paths and other tourist infrastructure is also among the duties of the park administration, as is providing logistic support for the scientists working on projects in the park. Rangers are responsible for law enforcement too, which demands that they are out in the field most of the time keeping an eye on the park and the visitors. In summer this can be quite demanding as there are many visitors and Ms Horvat is therefore very glad for the support she gets from the local people. It reflects the bond that exists between the local population and the island, without which doing that job would be more difficult, she says. In general, the type of tourist that visits Lastovo is interested in nature and the opportunities offered by the park to walk, cycle, go angling, or diving in attractive surroundings. These tourists appreciate nature and will usually try not to exert unnecessary impact on the environment. Permits for recreational and sport fishing, the latter is with spear guns, are issued by the park administration, while commercial fishing licenses are the preserve of the ministry of agriculture. Recreational and sports fishers are monitored by the rangers who check to see if they have permits, that they are using the prescribed fishing gear, that they are not exceeding the daily catch limits, that minimum size regulations are being observed, and that only permitted species for the period are being caught. Today the daily catch limit is 5 kg, but the park is considering reducing that to 3 kg.

Tourist arrivals on Lastovo were less affected by the pandemic falling by “only” 33 compared to the year before, while for the wider region the drop was 60. This illustrates the kind and the origin of the tourists who arrived on Lastovo. Ms Rizvanovi explains that they came mainly from Slovenia and other neighbouring countries by boat, while to Dubrovnik, a highly popular destination on the coastal mainland, tourists come by air or in cruise ships both of which were affected by the lockdowns. In normal years Lastovo attracts mainly Slovenians, Croatians, Germans, Italians, and Poles. The park is involved in different projects, for example it is part of a Fisheries Local Action Group that has applied for a vessel that the park will use to tackle emergencies at sea and removal of marine litter. Another project involves a variety of shearwater gull that lays its eggs in the crevices between rocks. The eggs were threatened by rats and the aim of the project was how to save the eggs. The solution was to trap the rats and remove them from the area. In the nature park fishing is highly regulated. Some gears such as purse seines and trawls are forbidden, while others such as nets or longlines are permitted but are subject to limits on the length or the number of hooks. The park administration had regular meetings with the fishers where the strictly protected zones and their location were discussed. The conclusion was that the park would not implement notake zones until a new regulation governing strictly protected zones was implemented by the ministry of environment. Striking a balance between nature protection and the interests of residents including fishermen calls for compromise on either side. Regular meetings are a way of finding mutually agreeable solutions that everyone can live with, and Lastovo shows how principles and pragmatism are not mutually exclusive. Nature Park Trg sv. Petra 7 20290 Ubli Otok Lastovo Tel.: +385 20 801 www.pp-lastovo.hrinfo@pp-lastovo.hr252 Total area: 196 sq. km Sea surface: 143 sq. km Land area: 53 sq. km Islands, islets, cliffs: 46 Highest peak: 418 m Head of the Department of Natural and Cultural Heritage: Jelena Matokovi Head Ranger: Alexandra Carol Horvat Bruna Rizvanović, Sales and Marketing, Lastovo Nature Park

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Effect of pandemic on tourism was modestrelatively

Combining tourism and fisheries development for a unique travel experience

Zdenko Jakus, a Croatian sherman presents a trap he has developed. Mr Jakus supplements his income as a sher by offering shing tourism (archive photo).

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Fishery tourism presents a valuable experience with opportunity for local economic growth

Tourism to Croatia is dominated by summer travel and demand to see Croatia’s extensive coastline and terrific views of the Adriatic Sea. Croatia also has a significant fishing industry comprising both commercial and hobby fishing. Small-scale fishermen usually own a single vessel and depend on their catches for their livelihoods. Intrepid offers a unique opportunity for tourists to experience and understand smallscale Croatian fishing, while at the same time supporting these small-scale fishermen.

A company focused on sustainable and adventure-based travel Sonja Prvan, an Intrepid employee, explains that the company is a designation management company (DMC), which means that the company is the operational head of agencies that run trips in their own locations. The focus is sustainable travel which means small groups (trips with a maximum size of 12 people), staying and dining at as many local restaurants and hotels as possible, and using local transportation services. The company offers unique excursions and activities planning entire vacations, except for flights, ranging from seven days to 14 or more days. Many of the trips are point to point, so they have a mix of adventure, nature, culture, big cities, and remote scenery. They have specific types of trips based on food or culture depending on the destination. An important objective is to minimize the carbon footprint of all their trips so as to maintain the carbon neutral status that they have had since 2010, and they have been certified to the B Corp standard for social and environmental performance. This also means working to encourage other companies to become carbon neutral through guides and sharing their strategies. Large demand from tourists of all ages As a large international tourism company, Intrepid serves customers of all ages. A majority are Australian, especially before the pandemic, however, many Americans, British, and Canadians also travel with them. The average age of their customers is 50 years and the trips demand a lot of activity. Compared to other organized travel, the trips are also more expensive because Intrepid DMC (formally Peak DMC) is an international travel agency based in Melbourne, Australia. The company specializes in adventure tourism in a diverse range of countries and activities tailored to different customer groups. In Croatia the company partners with fishers to offer fishing tourism that benefits, fishers, tourists and the environment.

A growing opportunity across coastal regions in Europe After the success of the first fishery tourism partnership in Lastovo, Croatia, the company has expanded the opportunities and is continuing to look for places and partnerships to add to their programme. Interested customers can now also partake in fishing tourism excursions in other part of Croatia as well as on Sicily, Italy. The implementation in other areas has been gradual to ensure quality control and to implement the feedback from the customers as well as the fishermen. However, given the observed success for the fishermen, there is significant motivation to implement the experience in other fishing communities. As the fishery tourism expands to other parts of Europe, Intrepid has the added chance to educate fishermen and influence management of overfishing, bycatch, and marine waste. For example, in trying to expand the opportunity to Greece, Intrepid and the WWF hosted a workshop for Greek fishermen. The workshop aimed to include as many fishermen in the opportunity as possible and increase education on conservation tourism. The workshop celebrated the effect of fishing tourism on conservation as well as on participating fishermen’s profits. The fisherman who the WWF connects Intrepid with are often already involved in conservation efforts and practice sustainable fishing, however, this partnership provides a chance for mutual improvement. Communication of ideas, concerns, and criticisms allows both the tourism industry and fisheries to become more sustainable. Maggie maggie@eurofish.dkLiebich,

Euro sh Magazine 4 / 2022 47 CROATIA the customers pay a premium to know where their money is going and to ensure a positive societal and environmental impact from their travel. As responsible tourism becomes more and more of a priority for visitors, the demand for opportunities such as the trips provided by Intrepid is increasing. Intrepid partners with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to ensure a positive impact from their tourism. The WWF recommends organizations or individuals for Intrepid to work with. This serves to uplift local industry and provides additional economic opportunity to individuals while offering unique travel opportunities for customers. In Croatia, with the help of the WWF, the company has started offering fishing-based tourism opportunities. The project started with a partnership between Intrepid and a fisherman in Lastovo, Croatia. The fisherman adapted his boat for tourism, and now supplementary to his fishing, he brings tourists on his boat and teaches them about fishing in Croatia. He explains the importance of sustainable travel, the challenges of running a small-scale fishing operation, the Adriatic Sea and the endangered species in it, and the general life and lifestyle of a fisherman. The fisherman then takes the group with him to fish and demonstrates how he catches fish using a net. One benefit of fishing tourism is that the fisher supplements his income and therefore can manage economically from catching fewer fish. In 2019, one of the fishermen that the company partnered with was able to fish less because he gained enough additional money through hosting tourists. The partnership is an opportunity for fishermen to diversify their income and have more economic stability during poor or unstable fishing years. For the tourist, Catches are sold on the market or also prepared for the tourists who accompany Mr Jakus on his boat (archive photo). it provides an interesting local interaction as well an enhanced education on the region and genuine cultural exposure.

A simple memory game with anpurposeeducational The first product that Marina and Filip created was a memory game intended for children ages 3-8. The set that they released consists of 12 different organisms, and 24 total cards for the children to play the memory game with. The game comes with a brochure that contains educational material for each species A young couple has developed a game for young children and their parents that will inform about fish in the Adriatic with the goal of encouraging the consumption of seafood.

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Croatian couple increases awareness of the Adriatic Sea and its fish

Influencing food choices through a children’s game

D espite Croatia’s 1,777 kilometers of continental coastline (and roughly 4,000 km of island coastlines) and the importance of fishing for coastal communities, overall national seafood consumption remains surprisingly low. Per capita seafood consumption in Croatia is lower than in other Mediterranean countries. Marina and Filip Maksan, a Croatian couple, were aware of this underconsumption of seafood and additionally recognized a general lack of understanding surrounding seafood products and local species. Together, with local graphic designers and producers, Marina and Filip have created a children’s toy with the intention of educating young kids on the different fish in the Adriatic Sea and to remove the mystery surrounding fish species and increase individual willingness to consume sea products. By creating a product that encourages young children to try unfamiliar fishery products they hope to increase demand for fish products as a protein source for Croatians. The origins of the game When co-founder of the product, Marina, was taking a course on business and marketing, she was given an assignment to create a blog. Given her husband’s position in the private fish processing industry, she decided to make her blog about fish. She wrote on the importance of eating fish, information on fish, and guides on how to prepare specific products. The blog created a significant following among Croatians including chefs, people in the food industry, and people interested in fish. The blog caused her to realize that many Croatians do not know very much about fish or how to prepare it. She eventually shut down the blog but remained aware of this lack of knowledge among many in the country. While on maternity leave with her first child, Marina noticed that there were not very many products targeted at children related to fish or sea organisms. So, she and her husband created their game.

Marina and Filip Maksan, a young Croatian couple, have developed games for children that teach them about marine life.

In the development of their product, Marina and Filip decided to make it a purely Croatian enterprise. They found Croatian graphic designers who they worked with to design the cards. They found a Croatian photographer for their marketing and images of the species for the brochure. Marina and Filip wrote the brochure themselves, however, they collaborated with a woman who works in childcare to ensure the language was accessible for very young kids. Finally, they partnered with a Croatian printing company to produce the product. The 100 Croatian origin of the product makes it a desirable product for Croatian stores as well as for tourists interested in shopping locally, despite the product only being in Croatian. Just a hobby for the entrepreneurial couple Despite the large amount of work required to launch the game and continue developing new games, this business remains only a hobby for Marina and Filip. Filip primarily focuses on communicating with stores where they will sell the game and on dealing with legal aspects of their company. Marina deals with the media, marketing, and communicates with newspapers. Marina is a researcher at the university and really enjoys her profession and wishes to continue. Her husband has moved away from the private sector and now works for the Croatian ministry of agriculture. Their day jobs have encouraged them to keep the company small and only offer the product in a limited number of stores to avoid being overwhelmed. Large opportunity for growth and development for future products Their busy work schedules have not stopped them from continuing to develop new products. Shortly after the release of the memory game, they created a 36-piece jigsaw puzzle with different species and a different brochure. They have also developed a separate set of the memory game that is not solely focused on the Adriatic Sea, and therefore, contains information on 12 new organisms. They are already developing ideas for a game that is focused on freshwater species. Marina works in research on microplastics, and she has mentioned that a game related to microplastics, and waste may be a potential next step. The demand for the game is very high because there is nothing similar on the Croatian toy market. In November 2020, their company saw very high sales as parents and grandparents were shopping for Christmas gifts. After the surge in sales at the end of 2020, they remained very active in 2021. The success of the game has resulted in a degree of media attention which further increased public awareness of the product. They are optimistic that sales will increase further in the summer season when tourists flood into Croatia. Their success shows that people want to learn more about the sea and the fish they can eat, and just need an accessible way to acquire this knowledge.

Euro sh Magazine 4 / 2022 49 CROATIA that is depicted on the cards. The informational text was written by Marina and Filip, and they have received significant feedback on the value of the information. The text has even been used to supplement biology courses for older children or provide more general information on local species for the general public. The products have encouraged parents to feed their family a fish featured in the game, and they have made people more aware about what fish is available to eat. The game allows parents to playfully introduce fish to their children and removes some of the children’s uncertainty when confronted with something new to eat. The game also helps parents who wish to educate their children on the sea. Marina and Filip have received questions from parents on other ways to get their children to love fish or to love the sea, and even on how to encourage children not to litter or be wasteful. A completelycompanyCroatian

Maggie maggie@eurofish.dkLiebich, A couple of pieces from the 24 piece memory game that teaches children about different sea species.

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Once completed and launched, Sea ID, as the app is called, could be a valuable resource for recreational and sport fishermen and scientists across Croatia. By simply taking a picture of a fish, the Sea ID user will be able to identify and receive information on the species that they have caught. Using contributions from fishers and scientists, the Sea ID team

An app currently in development by three undergraduate students and two postgraduates will use contributions from fishermen, citizens, and scientists to create a large database of fish populations in the Adriatic Sea

Croatian marine biologists develop a fish identification database An app with multiple uses

Funding is critical particularly in the early phases of development Developing a resource of the size and scale that the developers hope Sea ID will be, is not easy or cheap. The group that is working on the development of this project are all students at the University of Split. Two team members, Kristina Odžak and Sandi Kavara, explained that their team includes five people from the University of Split and they are researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students with degrees in marine biology as well as economics and IT.

Kristina Odžak and Sandi Kavara, two marine biologists are part of a team developing Sea ID, an app that can be used to identify marine species, among other capabilities. is working to develop a comprehensive database for marine species in the Adriatic. When users photograph a fish that they either saw at the fish market or caught, it will identify the fish, its potentially applicable current management measures and then the photograph and its location data will be added to the database. This project aims to help people learn more about fish species in the Adriatic Sea, bolster scientific knowledge about them, and contribute to conservation and sustainability efforts.

Most of the activity in the group is fishermen asking for a fish to be identified and often the suggested identification is incorrect. This app would provide a group for recreational fishermen that accomplishes everything that Facebook groups do in a much more inclusive manner. At an Ocean Hackathon 2022 competition the app developers surveyed 610 different people in 48 hours. Analysing the responses showed an overall interest in the product and demand for a resource that makes fishing data and fish identification accessible to all. If fishermen’s contributions are successfully secured, the data collected by the fishermen can then be studied by scientists. This data collection will allow scientists to obtain real time information in a visually accessible form. Data will include volume caught by the fishermen, GPS location, length of fish, and time spent catching the fish. This data will enable scientists to track migratory patterns or other behavioral traits. The last potential user group is tourists and other consumers. Tourists can use the app if they go fishing in order to learn about the species in the Adriatic Sea. The app will also work for fish being sold in fish markets. Users can photograph a fish in the market and verify that it has been correctly labeled and make sure that they are not paying for one species and being given another. This allows the app to be both a scientific and lifestyle resource.

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Most of the funding for the project comes through an organization called Oceanus, a student-run, non-governmental organization that helps student groups secure funding for marine biology and fisheries related projects. The app on which users can photograph a species and receive an identification will be free for all users. This will help ensure that the database can be developed, and that people will continue to contribute to the database. Access to the database for scientists or sport and recreational fishermen wishing to see where fish were caught will cost money. Currently, in the early phases of the project, they have 73 members subscribing to the software each of whom pays HRK50 (EUR6.65) per year for access.

Maggie Liebich, maggie@eurofish.dk

A potential solution for overfishing and illegal fishing practices Illegal fishing in Croatia, especially recreationally, is an ongoing issue. This app could help manage some of these issues. For fishermen, this app will allow them to avoid catching fish out of season or endangered species. Some degree of illegal fishing occurs because the fisherman doesn’t realize that the species he has caught is out of season or is endangered. This app will allow a fisherman to verify what species he has caught and what the regulations around the species are. Following proper identification of the species, he can then either release the fish or retain it. Illegal fishing, however, also poses a challenge for the app developers. Illegal fishermen have no incentive to use the app and if they are intentionally breaking fishing regulations, they will not use the software. For tourists or non-fishermen users, the app also will work as a resource to educate people on sustainable fisheries and regulations in place to manage fish stocks. Getting a fishing license in Croatia does not require the fishermen to learn very much about the regulations in place. Most of the time, the fisherman is responsible for learning about the laws and following them. Recreational fishers who use the app could familiarize himself with the relevant laws. A generalized app with a large possibility for growth Currently for the prototypes being developed, data being collected for the app is focused on marine organisms. The group working on the project is primarily marine biologists, so they are limited to marine species. The developers plan to stick to their generalized approach in order to attract a larger potential group of users of the product. Including freshwater species as well as the capabilities to identify marine species beyond fish are also potential routes for further development. The goal will be to identify all sea organisms including crabs, mollusks, and algae. Most apps currently on the market do not offer any identification beyond fish species so this generalization will add to the versatility of the app. Also, they hope to expand the database to the entire Mediterranean Sea and have widespread use across Europe. Evidently, the greater the capacity of the program and the more data that is collected, the better the science can be, and the more effective the conservation efforts.

App name: Sea ID Purpose: Identify Adriatic ﬁsh species; create a database from user inputs; combat illegal ﬁshing

Developers: Kristina Odžak, Marine ﬁsheries; Sandi Kavara, Marine biology and technology, University of Split; Andro Rudan, Marine biology and technology, University of Split; Andrija Kević, IT engineer; Ana Maria Vujević, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split.

A prototype hinging on the contributions of many different groups The versatility of the program allows for a variety of user groups to benefit while also relying on the contributions of each user for its success. The primary objective of the software is to provide a resource on which users can take a picture of a fish they caught and have it identified. This then will allow scientists and fishermen to look at the data and see where the majority of an individual species was caught or if there were any changes to the migratory patterns or habits of a species. For the app to be successful and have a sufficiently sized database, it will require contributions from many recreational fishermen. Recreational fishermen are the user group that is catching the most fish and the greatest diversity of fish which will help the scale of the database. The success of the project depends on fishermen using the app, however, there is limited incentive for the fishermen. The app is free, so it does not inhibit them from contributing to the project, however, many of them do not care to identify the fish they are catching. The primary benefit for fishermen who contribute to the program is the development of a fishing community. Currently, fishing communities are dependent on Facebook groups and these Facebook groups can be exclusive, as users need to be invited, and are often very disjointed.

Innovative products for high-end customers

At his processing facility, Mr Drazin has an industrial cooker, a recent investment, that he uses to process species like saddled seabream, octopus, tuna, and chub mackerel, as

C roatia has a long history of catching and processing fish especially the small pelagic species, anchovies and pilchards, which are caught in large volumes. The fish are typically salted, marinated, or canned, but over time new products have been developed and marketed often with great success. Riba Drazin is among the companies devising traditional products with a new twist. Established in 2013 in Kaštel Kambelovac in Dalmatia by Zivko Drazin, a small-scale fisherman, the company represents the town’s heritage as a centre for fishing

Živko Dražin, a former fisherman, is the founder and owner of Riba Dražin, a Croatian company that uses locally-sourced raw materials as well as imports to create a range of innovative products for sale on the domestic market as well as for export. A Croatian processor uses relatively unknown fish species in his product assortment

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Octopus salad next to a squid sauce that can be made into a quick yet tasty risotto. and fish processing. As tradition dictates, at Riba Drazin all the processing is done by hand and the quality of the final products is guaranteed by the freshly caught raw materials that Mr Drazin sources from a network of local fishers who operate in the Adriatic. Adding value to little-known species

Euro sh Magazine 4 / 2022 53 CROATIA well as seabass and seabream.

There is also a smoking oven which is used for some species of shellfish, mainly mussels, and anchovies that have been salted. The anchovies are salted the traditional way by layering them in barrels with salt, then filleted, and finally smoked. Mr Drazin also marinates and then fillets the chub mackerel, placing the fillets in jars with oil. This is not a common product, but it has proved to be popular. Another innovative item is cuttlefish cooked and diced and mixed with a sauce containing the ink. This started as an idea of Mr Drazin’s which was then developed into a formal recipe in collaboration with a technological institute and a chef. Packaged in a glass jar, the product is intended to be mixed with rice to prepare a quick yet tasty risotto. This is particularly popular with the upmarket restaurants and hotels, who are among the company’s main customers. Another unusual product is marinated saddled seabream ( Oblada melanura ), which is filleted and then packaged in jars with oil. With these products Mr Drazin is adding value to species that are relatively unknown encouraging consumers to discover preparations using varieties of fish and shellfish that are not commonly used. The lack of popularity of these species is partly because the volumes caught are not large. Mr Drazin can use them because he adds value and sells at a relatively high price. Using regional, national, and international events to promote products Some of the local restaurants buy directly from his store, but Mr Drazin also attends regional fish fairs and culinary events in Croatia to promote his products across the country. He has a contract with one of the large retail chains and, in addition, has been actively seeking out markets abroad. To this end he exhibited at fish international in Bremen a few years ago. The pandemic had an unmistakeable impact on the business as restaurants, a big group of his customers, were forced to close. To assist companies like this that were acutely affected by the restrictions induced by the virus, the municipality in Split provided an area so that firms from the area could display and sell their products directly to consumers. Like processors across Europe, Mr Drazin also opened a webshop in a bid to augment direct sales. The response was tepid with only a couple of sales a week, though this may also be because credit cards are not accepted. Now that the restrictions have been relaxed completely the webshop is no longer being promoted because the traditional business has started up again and Mr Drazin is concentrating on that. The restaurants in the area that he supplies are highly dependent on tourists and operate mainly during the season, once the season comes to an end the company shift its focus to restaurants in continental Croatia that tend to remain in business throughout the year, so that the typical fall in sales that comes in the winter season is manageable. Brand stems from name of popular product The company’s brand, PepeFiš, is the name of its flagship product, a pungent sweet pepper stuffed with a salted anchovy and stored in olive oil. The combination of sweet and sour, heat, salt, and oil is a memorable one and the product is one of several that incorporate vegetables and herbs, many of which Mr Drazin cultivates himself, such as olives and capers. By combining traditional products with new ingredients and by developing products from uncommon fish species, Mr Drazin has carved out a rewarding niche for himself. Riba Drazin Biskupa Frane Franica 78 21214 Kaštel Kambelovac Tel.:Croatia+385 92 102 www.riba-drazin.com.zivko.drazin@st.t-com.hr8065

Owner: Živko Dražin Activity: Processing ﬁsh and seafood Volumes: Anchovy and sardine 4 t; seabream 2 t; octopus 2 t Employees: 10 (of which processing 6, sales 2, accountant 1) Brand: PepeFiš Markets: Croatia, Slovenia Turnover: EUR350,000 Živko Dražin, the founder and owner of Riba Drazin, a producer of high-end seafood products.

Vahit Kiri çi, the Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry was in Baku, Azerbaijan for the International Agriculture Fair where he celebrated the success of Turkish seafood exports.

Turkey is interested in increasing its fish trade with Azerbaijan in particular by exporting more fish and fish feed. He said that consumption in both countries is currently around 6-7 kg per capita, about a third of the global average, and it is the responsibility of both countries to increase this amount.

Seafood samples draw an enthusiastic response

Turkish exports seafood around the world Seafood products from Turkey can be found in international markets due to their high quality and standards. They are exported to more than 100 countries, including EU countries, Japan, USA, Russia, China, South Korea and countries in the Middle East.

Seabream, seabass and salmon produced in Turkey were served to attendees at the 15th International Agriculture Fair in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

The minister stated that aquaculture was one of the fastest growing food production sectors in the world, and policies were being developed and implemented to increase aquaculture production in line with the targets of the Turkish ministry. Aquaculture production in the country which totalled 61 thousand tonnes in 2002, increased by 670 to reach 471 thousand tonnes in 2021, while the share of aquaculture in total seafood production increased from 9 to over 50. He stated that Turkey is ranked first in Europe in seabass, seabream and trout production, and it continues to maintain its position as the leading country in the region.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry promotes Turkish fish at Baku event

The minister thanked the President and ministers of Azerbaijan for their unwavering support for the event, the people of Azerbaijan who participated, and the Turkish producers and exporters who also supported the show.

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A t the International Agriculture Fair in Baku, Vahit Kirişçi the Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, held a speech emphasising that the threshold for wild caught fish had been reached and that now the industry should focus on ensuring sustainability through new methods of production rather than by increasing fishing. He stated that aquaculture could reduce the pressure on wild fish stocks while helping to meet the need for protein from aquatic animals.

Small-scale fisheries play an important role in society

In his speech at the meeting, Dr Mustafa Altug Atalay, General Director for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Turkish Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, said that the Turkish aquaculture sector made a significant contribution to human well-being, by providing access to safe, healthful, and sustainably produced food from aquatic resources, and that it also plays an important role in reducing poverty in rural areas. He aimed to draw attention to all the people working in the fishery sector by building awareness on the importance of aquaculture and fisheries.

The events were held as a result of collaborations between Akdeniz University, Mediterranean Fisheries Research, the Production and Training Institute, and Isparta University of Applied Sciences. The first event was carried out in cooperation with Akdeniz University, Mediterranean Fisheries Research, Production and Training Institute (MEDFRI), and the FAO. The event was held on the Akdeniz University campus on 15 June 2022 and focused on local challenges and approaches in fisheries and aquaculture in Antalya and neighbouring provinces. The event was aimed at small-scale fish farmers, fishermen, fish farmers and other local actors in the fisheries and aquaculture value chain. The second event was held at Isparta University of Applied Sciences on June 16, 2022, in cooperation with the FAO.

A series of events was held in Turkey to commemorate 2022 as the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture, an FAO declaration which aims to highlight the economic and social importance of the sector and its contribution to food security.

TURKEY Euro sh Magazine 4 / 2022 55

On 19 November 2021, the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture (IYAFA) was officially launched. IYAFA is an opportunity to showcase the potential and diversity of small-scale fisheries and aquaculture, and to facilitate partnerships within and outside the sector to make it more resilient means saving both small and large fisheries and urged participants to “hear the cry of the fish”. UN IYAFA launch meeting held in Mu la Province, Turkey on 24-25 March 2022

Viorel Gutu, Subregional Coordinator for Central Asia, noted that FAO is the leading organizer of IYAFA 2022 events, and said that FAO supports the common welfare of humanity, the creation of healthy food systems, and that it contributes to the fight against poverty by amplifying traditional fisheries and aquaculture production. Mr Gutu stated that as part of the campaign FAO will work to raise awareness about the importance of traditional fisheries and aquaculture. It will also strengthen the industry’s science-policy interface. And finally, it aims to strengthen partnerships with stakeholders in the sector through activities carried out during the Inyear.order to raise public awareness about IYAFA 2022 within the region, a workshop was held in Antalya and another in Isparta on 15-16 June for planning and policy development surrounding increasing aquaculture production in Central Asia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.

O n 23 February 2022, 45 participants from 17 different regions in Turkey, in cooperation with the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, WWF-Turkey, Sürkoop (Central Union of Fisheries Cooperatives), and the FAO, came together to express their views on the purpose and effectiveness of the IYAFA platform. IYAFA has made progress in some areas Haydar Fersoy, Senior Fisheries and Aquaculture Officer, FAO Subregional Office for Central Asia, emphasised the importance of small-scale aquaculture, and said that IYAFA 2022 had increased global focus on small-scale fisheries. He noted that IYAFA had not contributed to the development of partnerships and cooperation among all stakeholders to the extent that was originally expected. At the meeting, WWF reported that small-scale fisheries create value for local development due to the lower negative impact on the marine ecosystem, the high diversity of opportunities such as fishing tourism, and the increased role of fisherwomen. Drawing attention to the value of protected areas for our future, the representative from Sürkoop said that preventing overfishing Turkey organizes multiple events to commemorate IYAFA 2022

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The harvest of Turkish “salmon” produced in cages begins in May and continues throughout June. Due to the environmental characteristics of the Black Sea, the fish are placed in cages in winter for six months, between November and May, when they weigh 500-800 g. They show exponential growth rates in the sea. By the time they are harvested the fish can weigh between 2.5 and 5 kg. The waters of the Black Sea generally create a suitable environment for trout farming. Compared to other seas in Turkey, the Black Sea is cooler throughout the year. The salinity in the Black Sea is also below that of other seas. This is due to the abundant rainfall in the Black Sea and the large amount of fresh water brought by the streams flowing into the sea. This environment is suitable for the different growth stages of the fish.

Many events are organized in order to increase recognition of this label in foreign markets.

Economic success of Turkish sea-raised trout

Turkish Ministry remains focused on sustainability and transparency Trout farming activities, which started in cages in the Black Sea in the 1990s, led the private sector to profit-oriented trout farming in the Black Sea in 2018, with the technological developments in aquaculture in the open seas. The ministry follows these studies closely and acts as a guide for the breeders to ensure a controlled development. One of the regulations issued by the ministry in a joint decision with producers is that these fish produced must be branded as “Turkish Salmon”.

In the face of the increasing export demand for these fish, which are increasing in popularity on the international market, attempts are being made to ensure the sustainability of the fish stocks by establishing new production facilities and increasing the current production quantities and capacity utilization ratio. For the sustainable development of this market a balance must be struck between protection of the Black Sea habitat and its use.

S ince 1960, when Turkey started aquaculture production, it has been following international innovations in the field of fish farming, keeping up with the new technologies and contributing to these developments through its universities, state institutions and the private sector. One of the most recent innovations is the production of Turkish “salmon,” which is in fact rainbow trout reared on land and then introduced into cages in the Black Sea for its final growth. When sold this fish takes its place at fish counters next to the imported salmon that is commonly seen in the market.

The production of these farmed fish, which are not different from imported salmon in terms of nutritional value, increased by 120 to 40 thousand tonnes in 2021 compared to the previous year. Approximately 85 of this product was exported to various countries. Turkey‘s target salmon production in 2023 is 100 thousand tons. Due to the appreciation for Turkish salmon by international consumers, efforts are being made to establish new farming facilities and increase current production amounts and capacity utilization rates to meet increasing export demand.

on 15 April in Turkey, farmed fish from the Black Sea region is the primary product in the shops.

Salmon farming in the Black Sea increases rapidly Cluster of expertise forms in TrabzonAfterthefishingbanwhichstarted

Turkish sea-raised farmed trout is comparable in nutritional value, appearance, and taste to farmed salmon and presents signi cant economic opportunities for Turkish aquaculture.

In Turkey, as in other parts of the world, efforts to increase the share of protein from the sea encourage the development of fishing and aquaculture. Bivalve aquatic products especially mussels are considered the most valuable source of marine protein after fish. However, due to the negative environmental conditions and because of fishing pressure there has been a steady decrease in mussel stock volumes. New strategic plan to increaseproductionmussel Until 2018, almost all mussel production was obtained by fishing from natural mussel beds. In order to reduce the fishing pressure and to increase production, a new plan was developed under which suitable areas for aquaculture in the seas were identified and entrepreneurs who wanted to produce mussels were allocated a space in which to farm mussels. The plan also took into account the protection of existing stocks, the sustainability of production, and tries to ensure a stable contribution to the economy. As a result, 26 farms have started to produce Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) following the stipulations of the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. The Mediterranean mussel is found in widespread natural deposits on the Marmara, Turkey makes the most of the bounty offered by its seas New industry Mediterraneanfarmingmussel takes off

TURKEY Euro sh Magazine 4 / 2022 57

Gülser Fidanci, Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, gulser. fidanci@tarimorman.gov.tr

Turkish companies have started farming Mediterranean mussels in response to a new plan drawn up by the government. Current production is about 21,000 tonnes, but this is expected to increase to 38,000 tonnes following investments by the companies.

Turkey has created the legal and physical infrastructure to start farming Mediterranean mussels. Annual production capacity will be in the range of 40,000 tonnes Aegean, and Black Sea coasts and has the privilege of being the most consumed species in the country. It is also the most cultivated bivalve species and a healthy, reliable and sustainable product. Although mussel farming is a new field for Turkey, it has the potential to grow rapidly offers investors an interesting opportunity. Farm area must be thoroughly studied before production begins The farms produce 20,600 tonnes of mussels a year on an area of approximately 200 ha. It is expected that annual production capacity will reach 38,000 tonnes with the completion of the investments by 13 enterprises with a capacity of almost 18,000 tonnes during the investment phase. The management of bivalve farming in Turkey is carried out within the framework of the aquaculture regulation. During the application process, the physical and oceanographic characteristics of the marine area where the mussels will be farmed are evaluated according to the parameters specified in the official communiqué on the quality standards of waters in which shellfish are grown. In addition to these basic requirements, a technical report is prepared by the faculties or fisheries research institutes that provide training on aquaculture, regarding the field, species and method of aquaculture. The technical report also evaluates the abundance of toxic algae and the possibility of biotoxin accumulation in the area, as well as the suitability of the marine environment in terms of nutrient content.

The fight against IUU fishing remains the most important goal

[ FISHERIES ]

The high sea is not a lawless zone for the ﬁshing industry, since most regions are managed and regulated by regional ﬁsheries organisations (RFOs) F ishing is now organised using management plans almost everywhere in the world. The challenges for fisher ies management are enormous, as it should ensure sustainable fishing with permanently high yields and distribute the avail able resources equitably. Ulti mately, then, it must balance what is biologically feasible with what is economically desirable. If fishing authorities – depending on their authority, their commit ment and their financial options The disputes surrounding the unauthorised increasing of quo tas by some European states for the exploitation of mackerel in the North East Atlantic, which was not agreed upon internationally, shows how difficult this can be even among civilised nations. The devil is in the details. Traditions and laboriously negotiated com promises waver as soon as there are changes. And these seem to be unavoidable in times of climate change and resurgent national egoism. Rather than renegotiating – have sole national responsibil ity for the resources, this largely works quite well. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea introduced 200-mile wide Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) in 1982. But fish stocks do not care about sovereign terri tories. They migrate freely, and this is where the problems can begin, because changing fish locations force interested fish ing nations to distribute catch quotas between themselves in a reasonable way. catch quotas, countries are going their own way in order to benefit at the cost of others. In 2021, the EU fishing industry called for the first sanctions against Norway, which increased its share of the mack erel catch quota from its previous level of 22.5 to its current level of 35 without the agreement of the other coastal states. The fishing dispute between France and the UK as a result of Brexit is likely also not finally resolved. Such conflicts give a hint of how difficult and arduous fisheries

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Strengthening regional fisheries management on the high seas

There have certainly been some successes in the fight for more sustainability in the fishing industry. Particularly where fisheries management has national responsibility for the fish resources in its country’s own territorial waters. Far from the coasts on the open sea, these tasks are often performed by regional fishing industry organisations, which, however, have many problems to deal with. The gap between goals and results is very wide.

[ FISHERIES ] management in distant marine regions located outside of the national EEZs can be. Fishing on the high seas is difficult to regu late and can hardly be monitored even with large deployments of materials and personnel. Still, some initiatives have led to improvements in some areas. For example, the UN has ensured that large-scale driftnet fishing has been banned worldwide. The Convention relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks has since been ratified by more than 30 states and has thereby entered into force. The FAO’s “Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisher ies” from 1995 has since been cited and recognised by the majority of states as a code of conduct for responsible and sustainable fish ing. However, whether everyone actually follows it in practice on a day-to-day basis is an entirely dif ferent question. Greater commitment is explicitly called for Despite some difficulties, how ever, the high seas are not a law less zone for the fishing industry, since many of these regions are managed and regulated by regional fisheries organisations (RFO), also known as regional fisheries management organisa tions (RFMO). Their main objec tive is the organisation of regional fishing activities on the high seas with the goal of sustainable man agement of resources. RFMOs define the allowed catch quan tities for commercially impor tant fish species in their area of responsibility, prescribe tech nical measures to limit fishing effort and also try to reasonably control compliance with these regulations. Therefore, generally, they take on a quite similar role to fisheries management within national EEZs. Membership in these bodies is open to all states with an interest in fishing in the respective region, since the RFOs are open to both neighbouring countries in the region (coastal states) as well as more distant countries whose fleets are active in these regions (DWFN, Distant Water Fishing Nations). There are currently around 17 RFOs cover ing large areas of the world’s seas, and some even overlap. While some RFOs have only advi sory functions, the majority of them have direct management powers and specific mandates as part of regional fisheries manage ment. However, these tasks are not uniformly regulated for the RFOs and they intervene in fish ing industry processes at differ ent levels. This not only applies to technical measures such as catch and fishing effort restrictions, but also controlling obligations that are required to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fish ing (IUU). In addition to the RFOs with a purely advisory function, a rough distinction can be made between two further groups of RFOs. One group, which includes five RFOs, primarily deals with the management of highly migra tory fish stocks, particularly tuna (tuna RFOs) but also other large species such as swordfish and marlin. The areas of responsibility of ICCAT (Atlantic), IOTC (Indian Ocean), WCPFC (West and Cen tral Pacific), IATTC (East Pacific) and CCSBT (southern bluefin tuna) cover a good 90 percent of the world’s seas. The other RFO group, in contrast, focuses mainly on the manage ment of pelagic and demersal fish stocks as well as other liv ing marine resources in specific geographical regions. For exam ple, the NEAFC in the North East Atlantic, NAFO in the North West Atlantic or SIOFA in the South Indian Ocean. Some of the organisations mostly deal with the conservation of specific fish species within their geographic area of responsibility. NASCO, for example, has the goal of pro tecting wild salmon in the North East Atlantic and the CCBSP aims to sustainably manage pol lack stocks in the central Bering Sea. This small number of exam ples might lead one to believe that RFOs primarily concentrate on commercially valuable spe cies that are of great importance for human consumption. This is only partially true, however, since some RFOs, such as the WCPFC, in addition to managing tuna stocks, are also committed to conserving sharks, seabirds and turtles that are affected by fishing. Greater participation is helping to close gaps The fact that some marine regions are not managed by RFOs, although large-scale fishing takes place within them, is a significant It is practically impossible to effectively manage small-scale ﬁshing with more than 3 million small boats worldwide with traditional methods. EUROFISH Magazine 4/202259

In Morocco, attempts are being made to obtain more reliable data for the management of regional coastal ﬁsheries with the help of chip cards. possible catch quotas are then estimated and suggested. Final decisions, however, are usually made on a consensus basis. In plain language, this means that the responsible fishing industry experts can only begin work ing out their implementation plans and catch quotas for the next year after all member states have agreed to the recommended measures. This procedure is often subject to justified criticism, since, unfortunately, the RFOs’ catch quotas are sometimes not strictly based on scientific knowl edge, but instead are determined according to political criteria and economic opportunity. In order to keep jobs in the fishing indus try or to better exploit the capacity of fishing fleets in the short term, the responsible parties often set

[ FISHERIES ] shortcoming in the organisation of fishing on the high seas. Some times multiple RFOs in other regions feel responsible for the resources, which can then lead to confusion and undermine the effectiveness of management measures. In the fight for a more sustainable fishing industry and better protection of the marine environment, international fish eries management must therefore be organised in a more targetoriented manner, and the work of the RFOs must be better coordi nated. There are certainly options available to do so, since new RFOs can be founded at any time if needed on the basis of inter national agreements or deals. However, it is more important and makes more sense to support and strengthen the existing RFOs

This would likely also ensure that all participants complied more strictly with the rules and requirements of the RFO and only engaged in fishing within the per missible limits. But how can the RFOs succeed in organising their work in often huge marine regions, in order to be able to reasonably reliably estimate the state of fish stocks? Blanket statements in this regard are difficult to make, since almost every fishing organisation is structured differently. Usually, they have sub-commissions or committees that deal with spe cial topics and questions. One of these bodies is usually respon sible for the collection of scien tific data on fish stocks in the region, on the basis of which through committed cooperation. Currently, the main burden of responsibility for the provision of financial resources for the scien tific stewarding of fish stocks and the exchange of data about the fishing industry falls primarily on economically stronger countries, many of which, however, also have large fishing fleets. The EU is very heavily involved as well as the USA and Japan. The EU, repre sented by the Commission, works in all five tuna RFOs as well as a further 13 non-tuna RFOs and is one of the most important play ers in fisheries management on the high seas. However, it would be very helpful if more coun tries with fishing interests in an RFO-managed region actually entered these organisations and actively cooperated within them.

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[ FISHERIES ] catch quantities above limits that scientists deem to be sustainable, thereby damaging stocks in the longer term. This alone is bad enough, but in addition there is the lack of will ingness of some states to comply with the approved catch quantities and other decisions of the RFOs.

The size of the regions that RFOs are responsible for on the high seas makes comprehensive con trols simply impossible. Infringe ments against applicable law and regulations are therefore mostly only accidentally discovered. Some ships fish more than they are allowed to, in the ports a blind eye is turned when catches are landed and the responsible authorities report incorrect figures to the RFOs. In some locations, the will ingness to punish such infringe ment and to hold the perpetrators accountable is simply not present. Although the RFOs play a central role in the fight against IUU fish ing on the high seas, they have until now not managed to prevent overfishing and preserve healthy fish stocks. This is of course not their fault alone, since in some member states the political will to support these goals is lacking. Even in the region covered by the NAFO (Northwest Atlantic Fish eries Organisation), which was founded in 1949 and is one of the most effective RFOs in the world, they have not yet succeeded in implementing all nature conserva tion and management measures as planned. Since 2005, they have even had to issue complete fishing bans for nearly a dozen different fish stocks within their region. Technology is making it more difficult for black sheep to engage in illegal business Despite some mistakes, deficits and inadequacies, however, the fisheries organisations remain indispensable. After all, RFOs are the only international bodies dealing with the management of economically important fisheries on the high seas. To improve their work, all interest groups that value the sustainable exploitation of resources should cooperate even more closely with these organisa tions in order to strengthen their influence on the fishing indus try. Especially since the RFOs are making significant efforts towards more effective management. They wish to intensify controls at sea using technological means and close loopholes for illegal fishing. Instead of costly fishing observers on board, the positions and catch areas of vessels are to be monitored in future using sat ellite tracking. Electronic catch documentation systems make it possible to assign the catches in a more targeted way to specific ves sels and catch areas. The lists of approved fishing vessels for indi vidual regions that every RFO has can be improved. It would defi nitely be helpful for monitoring if the data from the legal vessels was recorded in a comprehensive register, all the more so as many are registered with more than one RFO and operate in different regions. Not every idea is helpful, however. The attempt to prevent regional overfishing by limiting the number of catch days at sea, for example, has proven to not be very effective. Some fishers then acquired more modern and powerful vessels, which were able to catch just as many if not more fish in the shorter time available, which counteracted the intended Comprehensiveeffect. monitoring and effective controls for the fishing industry at sea and in the ports are decisive instruments in fisheries management. From a longer-term perspective, they also contribute to better protection of fish stocks and marine ecosystems, which then allows for stable or even higher fishing yields. According to the FAO, 4.6 million fishing vessels are active on global seas, of which, however, only around 64,000 have a length of over 24 m, making them suitable for use on the high seas. These indus trial fishing vessels can theoreti cally be monitored by observers on board, although this would of course be costly. For small-scale fishing, as practised globally by 12 million fishers with millions of small boats, however, it is not pos sible to monitor and review all of them to the same extent. But there are also opportunities for these regional fisheries to improve con trols and management by trans ferring more responsibility to the regions themselves. New management ideas with the same goal Instead of centralised fisheries management concepts, specific groups of users, some fisheries cooperatives or individual fish ers have long had the right to exclusively exploit a geographi cally limited area of the sea. This principle of privately organised self-management is called comanagement or territorial use rights in fisheries (TURF). The responsible group of users can manage the resources in their area of responsibility indepen dently and therefore also deter mine the extraction quantities themselves. It is therefore in their own interests not to over fish the stocks in order to be able to continue to earn a regular income in the future. This form of self-management is particu larly suited to marine resources and species that remain in one location and are not highly migratory. Otherwise the moti vation for fishing in a way that protects stocks would probably be less, because in the end other users could also profit from the self-imposed catch limits. Another method for monitoring regional coastal fishing that has already proven itself in salmon fishing in Alaska is now also being tried out in Morocco. Fishers receive chip cards that they use to clock in to automated stations in fishing ports when travelling out to sea and clock out again when they return. With the help of the cards, the catches landed can also be more accurately registered and allocated by the authorities. This means that fisheries management obtains important data on catch quantities, fish species and sizes, fishing effort and the preferred regions for exploitation, and from this data a much more precise picture of the situation at sea can be derived. In contrast, the suggestion of banning all fishing activity on the high seas has poor pros pects for success, because the situation would be difficult to manage, associated with high costs and could not really be comprehensively monitored. Instead, in future the fishing industry should be restricted to the Exclusive Economic Zones. This rigorous strategy would mean, however, that economi cally important high-sea spe cies such as tuna and swordfish or marlin would largely disap pear from fish counters, which would provoke significant resist ance. For these reasons, there is no way around strengthening regional fisheries management on the high seas. After all, sus tainable fishing that is oriented towards the permanent secur ing of resources offers both eco nomic and environmental and social benefits, thus benefiting everyone.

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Craemer Group exhibits at fish international and Conxemar trade fairs

is includes some new inno vations in pallet and pallet box design. New in the portfolio are the TC Palgrip® pallet with fullsurface anti-slip deck and two pallet box models: the extremely robust SB3 and the large-volume CB3 with industrial dimensions 1200 x 1000 millimetres and a volume of 610 litres. Craemer exhibits at upcoming events Craemer will be showing these robust, one-piece injection moulded load carriers along with other innovations and classic storage and transport contain ers at the fish international trade fair in Bremen (hall 5, booth K-22) and the International Frozen Sea food Exhibition (Conxemar) in Vigo (booth G-22).

[ TECHNOLOGY ]

Fish boxes tend to be taken for granted, but they are critical for the quality and shelf life of the ﬁsh. In addition, they need to be robust enough to completely protect their contents in the face of the demands of very harsh environments.

High-quality load carriers for first-class fish catches

GroupCraemer

Craemer’s new pallet box models (background) the SB3 (left) and CB3 are available in industrial size with closed or perforated walls and three longitudinal runners or nine feet. Fish boxes (foreground) in various sizes and shapes are characterised by innovative design, high impact resistance and excellent load-bearing capacity.

T he success of the fish ing industry depends on various factors. Qual ity and reliability are closely linked to the fishing vessel and the crew, as well as to the pro cessing and logistics systems on land and at sea. Craemer fish boxes have been an inte gral part and essential guarantor for safe and smooth operations in this process chain for more than 40 years. The boxes are injection-moulded from pure, food-safe PE and are designed for daily use, both at sea and on land. They meet all the techni cal and hygienic requirements of the international fishing in dustry. Thanks to their high impact resistance and excellent load-bearing capacity, the fish boxes are ideal for a wide range of applications—from fishing to processing to trading. The innovative box design allows space-saving nesting and stack ing, thus significantly reducing freight costs. Functional design for daily handling In addition to sh boxes in vari ous sizes and designs—with indi vidual labelling, lids or bottom perforations—the shing indus try has various plastic pallets and pallet boxes at its disposal.

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successful implementation of the multiannual plan. In addition, the reconciliation of the Common Fisheries Policy objectives against the objectives from the aspect of the biodiversity protection surely present both, a challenge and an opportunity. The ambitious goal of reaching 30 of the marine area protected by 2030, 1/3 of which strictly, is a target without precedent. How ever, it is expected that eventu ally, the positive results of such an approach will be substantially reflected also in fisheries. Having said this, I only need to reaffirm our strong dedication to reaching the goals set and express our hope that the whole process will be built upon national inter-sectorial consensus and a strong regional However,cooperation.among the key chal lenges that Croatian fisheries and aquaculture will face in the forth coming period is climate change. Extreme weather events are affect ing the abundance and distribu tion of fisheries resources and the suitability of some geographical locations for aquaculture systems. The increased variability in levels of precipitation and changes in air and water temperatures will affect the productivity of rivers, lakes and floodplains. These are some of our main concerns today. For that rea son, we have developed National Aquaculture Development Plan with goals, activities and interven tions that includes climate change Marija Vučković, Croatian Minister of Agriculture of quantity, and especially in the value of exports. Comparing 2021 and 2019, exports increased in value by 31. Compared to 2016, produc tion in aquaculture increased by as much as 53 in quantity and 45 in Fromvalue.

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Innovative solutions necessary to build resilience

the aspect of resource man agement, our main challenge remains stopping and reversing the negative trends with respect to the status of the stocks. The Mediterranean Sea is facing a serious situation from this aspect and we are dedicated to continue our efforts at all levels to gradu ally reach the desired results. On a sub-regional level, in the Adri atic Sea, the evidence are there proving that we are on the right track with the GFCM multiannual plans in place for the dominant fisheries. Following the GFCM multiannual plan for demer sal fisheries adopted in 2019, it seems that the persisting decline of demersal stocks has been stopped and encouraging signals are there particularly in terms of decreasing the fishing mortal ity and increase of the biomass. In the small pelagic fishery sec tor, there is a new and ambitious GFCM multiannual plan adopted last year and the focus is now on improving the scientific work as the fundamental precondition for

Climate change a key challenge for Croatian fisheries and aquaculture

GUEST PAGES

You have been the Croatian Minister of Agriculture since 2019. This position encompasses a number of responsibilities including fish eries and aquaculture. What do you consider the main challenges and opportunities in the Croatian fisheries and aquaculture sector since your appointment? We live in challenging times and operate in market disruptions as never seen before. We are fully aware of the current demanding circum stances and difficult situation faced by the fisheries and aquaculture sector through the increase in total costs, including energy costs. Pre cisely for this reason, and in order to mitigate the economic and social negative effects on Croatian fisher ies and aquaculture sector, as well as to financially help, we implemented a number of measures intended for entrepreneurs in the fishing and aquaculture sector, including all sub-sectors of production and com mercial fishing at sea, freshwater aquaculture and mariculture. How ever, the general indicators in Croa tian fisheries and aquaculture sector continue to show positive trends - despite the mentioned market dis turbances and the fact that the past few years were marked by the Covid19 pandemic. We are recording a positive trend in the foreign trade balance of fishery products in terms Marija Vučković, the Croatian Minister of Agriculture, has held her position since 2019. An economist by training, Ms Vučković has been active in politics since 2006. At the Ministry of Agriculture her brief includes agriculture, fisheries, forestry, and rural development all of which present their own challenges. Croatian fisheries and aquaculture, like the sector in other countries, has to contend with increasing prices, climate change, the war in Ukraine, and market disturbances brought on by the pandemic, among other issues. Ms Vučković indicates here the priorities of her ministry within fisheries and aquaculture and points to some of the positive trends in the sector.

aware that market potential that we have is still not fully used and we intend to work continuously on increasing con sumption of fisheries and aquacul ture products by using promotion campaigns and support measures that will contribute to the product recognition on the market.

The particular task of reaching the consensus around the idea which is not expected to yield immediate and direct result that can be positively reflected in fisheries needs to be strongly argued and based upon a robust set of scientific proofs. It takes significant effort and consumes a lot of time, but the unanimous support is the only guarantee of the success. Not long after the establishment of the Jabuka FRA, scientists started

liquidity for further business opera tions and preserving jobs, the Min istry of Agriculture is continuously working on finding the most appro priate solutions and responses to this very difficult situation which sector is facing with. Till now, we have implemented several support measures, which were available for fisheries and aquaculture sector taking into account the possibilities provided by the EU regulation. Such support was available for undertakings act ing in fisheries, aquaculture and processing sector as a state aidboth de minimis and notified state aid scheme, where support was granted for income foregone and/ or additional business costs caused by extraordinary events. Due to the consequences of the pandemic that the fisheries sector is dealing with, a total of HRK 272 million (EUR 36m) in support was paid to strengthen the resilience and sustainability of our fishermen and producers in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

The Croatian EMFAF Programme strategy is aimed at encouraging transition to sustainable fisheries, including achievement of sustain able level of fish stocks, reduction of unwanted catches, mitigation of climate change and mitigation and elimination as much as pos sible the risks triggered by climate change (climate change adapta tion) and strengthening the com petitiveness and profitability of the sector. Together with sustainable fishing and aquaculture, aim is to foster the establishment of effi cient and well-organized markets, to encourage the consumption of fishery and aquaculture prod ucts and the activities of producer organizations. We plan to continue with necessary infrastructure investments, investments in fish ing ports and landing sites, aqua culture facilities and processing facilities.

In addition to the planned activi ties aimed primarily at the imple mentation of the CFP, we also envisage measures intended for environmental and nature pro tection, which are very impor tant, especially protection of the marine environment. As far as the status of the Program, it is in the process of being formally submit ted to the Commission, following the submission of Croatian Part nership Agreement, which is a precondition for submission of all programmes. What impact has the soaring cost of energy had on Croatian fisher ies and aquaculture and has the ministry implemented measures to mitigate these effects?

With these measures, a temporary suspension of fishing was made possible, compensation was paid to reduce the value of sales, but we also ensured liquidity for further operations and job preservation through HRK 23 million in support that was used by more than 800 Inentrepreneurs.addition,we are now prepar ing for the implementation of specific support measures intro duced in the framework of EU funds, namely the new European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquacul ture Fund for 2021-2027 period but hopefully also under the European Maritime and Fisher ies Fund for 2014-202 period for which amendments of the Regu lation (EU) No 508/2014 are cur rently under co-legislative pro cedure at EU level. Such specific measures are aimed at mitigating the negative effects, in particular Also, one of the challenges we want to address with the Program is to foster the development of very sensitive local communities, espe cially those dependent on fisheries and aquaculture. In 2014-2020 pro gramming period, we have estab lished FLAGs which have become one of the important partners in the local community and which imple ment praiseworthy projects for their local communities in order to develop them. We want to continue this trend and further strengthen their status and their results.

GUEST PAGES perspective and aims at strength ening the resilience of the entire aquaculture sector and mitigating climate change by applying inno vative technologies that contrib ute to the vision of low-carbon Wedevelopment.arealso

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The newly established European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquacul ture Fund (EMFAF) for the period from 2021 to 2027 is key to ensur ing the proper implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy. What is the status of the opera tional program for Croatia, what priorities and objectives will it be targeting, and who will be the potential beneficiaries?

The increase in fuel prices has greatly affected fishermen and farmer’s cost and consequently there has been an increase in the prices of fishery and aquaculture products. Nevertheless, increase in product prices can not compen sate the energy cost and cannot ensure survival, less alone profit ability of the fishermen. In addi tion, producers (processors) and HORECA sector are turning to importing cheaper fish. In order to mitigate negative economic and social effects on the fisheries sector and to financially support the sec tor, primarily in terms of providing market disturbances in fisheries and aquaculture sector, caused by Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. Similar as it was the case for COVID-19 crisis, this mechanism enables EU support in the form of compensation for additional costs and/or income foregone due to market disrup tions and negative effects in sup ply chains. What are the risks that marine protected areas and the use of sea-based windmill parks or other renewable energy sources will reduce the area available to Croatian fishers to ply their trade? Does the administration envisage ways of compensating fishers for the loss of their fishing grounds? As already mentioned, designation of protected areas does not have to be perceived as an activity in conflict with fishing and Marine protected areas represent the repositories of biodiversity and provide for the conservation of the entire ecosys tems within the protected area, but outside as well. Let me remind you of the Jabuka Fisheries Restricted Area (FRA) example which proved to be a surprisingly successful one. The secret of its success lies in the fact that the area is precisely tar geted as one of the most important spawning and nursery areas in the Adriatic basin. Also, the important factor was that the initiative was strongly supported at all levels – sci entific, administrative and sectorial.

GUEST PAGES noticing positive trends with regards to the quantitative and qualitative composition of the catches but also the undoubtful recovery of the entire ecosystems, within the protected zone with the spill-over effect to wider surrounding area, where fishermen witness signifi cantly better catches. Now, already 4 years after the continuous imple mentation of the protection regime in the Jabuka Pit, the positive trends persist and we hope that in the future it will be safe to claim that this measure was a turning point in the overall status of demersal stocks at the basin level. Jabuka Pit FRA, as of the last year recognised at the GFCM level as a permanent regime, is beyond any doubt the example of how it is possible to strike the right balance between the need for protection and the responsibility towards the status of the biological resources on one side, and the responsibility towards the survival of the fisher ies sector, on the other. This par ticular example demonstrates that scientifically based and precisely targeted measures can yield effects beyond expectations, regardless of the mere size of the area protected. As for the issue of the sea-based windmill parks, this topic, under the circumstances, surely deserves seri ous consideration and in depth intersectorial consultations. With this in mind, the proclamation of the Exclu sive economic zone last year, indeed marked a beginning of a new era and opened space for new opportunities for development also in the sector of renewable energy sources. Remote electronic monitoring by placing cameras on board fish ing vessels is being tried in dif ferent European fleets as a way of controlling fishing behaviour. Many fishers feel that the pres ence of cameras is a violation of their privacy. Are any trials being conducted in Croatia? What is the view of the administration on the use of this technology? REM (Remote electronic monitor ing) with cameras on board is still not implemented on Croatian fish ing vessels. However, the proposed amendments to the Control Regula tion have been discussed for a long time, the obligation for REM installa tion with CCTV (on-board cameras) should be compulsory for a “mini mum percentage” of vessels which have been identified as “posing a serious risk of non-compliance” with Landing obligation. The fact is that it is very difficult to control the landing obligation and that the use of REM could be one of the possibilities and also interactions with marine mam mal bycatch and can provide more complete fisheries data. This data can be used for decision-making regarding fisheries management and protection measures. We are witnessing the increased use of CCTV in everyday life such as traffic, shops, public institu tions and space and we do not see a problem that they are applied on fishing vessels, but with clear crite ria and the obligation in respect of the privacy with data collected in accordance with GDPR. Accord ing above mentioned, we expect from EC the implementing act with detailed rules on requirements, technical specifications, installa tion, maintenance and functioning of the REM system and the period for which the REM system has to be implemented. Those rules need to ensure that CCTV footage, if used, should only concern the gear and the parts of the vessel where fish ery products are brought on board, handled, stored and discarded. Climate change is already having an impact on the cultivation of fish in earthen ponds as water temper atures increase and rainfall gets more erratic. Production in the sea could also be affected by higher temperatures, acidification, lower levels of oxygen, and algal blooms. How do you see the aquaculture sector developing in Croatia given these negative impacts?

As already mentioned in the introduc tion, climate change is one of the key challenges in the coming period, and the ministry’s planning documents define a number of measures to assess the possible impact of climate change and emphasize the impor tance of implementing necessary measures to adapt to and produc tion practices to improve the system for collecting and making available climate change data by establishing a single platform for all relevant stake holders. This will encourage projects aimed at investing in environmentally sustainable intensification of aqua culture production systems, such as recirculation systems, which pro vide controlled breeding conditions with shorter production cycles while ensuring safe product and resilience to climate change. In order to alleviate the existing problem with insufficient water in freshwater ponds, activities were undertaken to ensure as much water as possible in rainy periods by encouraging the arrangement of supply channels and accumula tion of excess water and by invest ing in the reconstruction of existing embankments in fishponds. As for mariculture, so far, according to production data, which still have a growing trend, it can be concluded that farmers are coping well with cli mate change. As a result of climate change, new predatory species have emerged that are damaging white fish farms, and regular cage inspec tions and the establishment of stronger nets were needed for main tained water circulation by regularly cleaning the nets on the cages. Although per capita consumption of fish in Croatia is respectable, it is below the EU average despite the country’s long coastline and hundreds of islands. Given the benefits of eating fish what efforts is the ministry making to encour age the consumption of fish and seafood in Croatia? Apparent consumption of fish ery and aquaculture products per capita in the Republic of Croatia amounted to 19.30 kg per capita in 2020, while in 2019 it amounted to 20.02 kg per capita and in 2018 to 18.06 kg. These are the num bers from research conducted by Ministry of Agriculture and the outputs are very similar to those made by EUMOFA (19,19 kg per capita in 2018 and 20,82 in 2019, 2020 is not yet included). In 2020, we recorded a slight decrease in visible consumption compared to 2019 by almost 4. The main rea sons for this result lie in a number of factors, the most important of which is the increase in raw mate rial input to processing facilities due to higher demand for canned products and the fact that the HORECA sector was partially closed, both caused by COVID-19 pandemic measures. The average per capita apparent consumption in EU countries is 23,97 kg per cap ita which puts Croatia a little below average but right in the middle of the scale. To our opinion, this is not a bad result. Given the availability of our marine and land resources in combination with strategic activities aimed at increasing the production and processing of fish ery and especially aquaculture products, our assumption is that the consumption of fishery prod ucts in the coming period should continue to grow, especially with intensified marketing activities and the encouragement of short cold supply chains with the crea tion of a producer organization that will more easily than individu als place larger quantities of prod ucts on the market.

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Eurofish Magazine 4 2022

Articles inside

Climate change a key challenge for Croatian fisheries and aquaculture

Turkey makes the most of the bounty offered by its seas

Craemer Group exhibits at fish international and Conxemar trade fairs

Strengthening regional fisheries management on the high seas

Salmon farming in the Black Sea increases rapidly

Turkey organizes multiple events to commemorate IYAFA 2022

A Croatian processor uses relatively unknown fish species in his product assortment

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry promotes Turkish fish at Baku event

Croatian marine biologists develop a fish identification database

Croatian couple increases awareness of the Adriatic Sea and its fish

Fishery tourism presents a valuable experience with opportunity for local economic growth

Despite restrictions on activities Lastovo nature park is supported by island’s residents

A handful of fishers is working to make the fishery on Lastovo more sustainable

Friška Riba, a fishermen’s cooperative and producer organisation

Abundant water will enable Krofish to significantly enhance Croatian trout output

Price, availability, and novelty contribute to trout’s popularity among the young

PP Orahovica invests further in its processing facility

Croatia is well on its way to restrict fishing in 30% of fishing area in the Adriatic

Aquaculture Europe annual conference, Rimini, 27-30 September 2022, Rimini

European Fishmeal and Fish Oil Producers’ conference, 1-3 June Skagen, Denmark

Pordenone once again hosts three aquaculture events

Nor-Fishing 2022 focuses on sustainable harvesting and use of wild marine resources

Interzoo is a leading trade fair for the international pet industry

Seafood Expo Global and Seafood Processing Global, 26-28 April Barcelona

fish international, Bremen, 4-6 September 2022

International News

EUROFISH Magazine 4 / 2022