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In this issue

New developments suggest better times ahead The Latvian fishing sector is leaner and fitter today than it was some years ago, though this development has not been without a cost. Fewer fishing companies and less fishing vessels have shrunk the sector, a trend that is likely to continue for a few more years yet. On the positive side catches per vessel have increased to their highest level in 17 years contributing to the economic stability of the fleet. A new storage facility built by the biggest Producer Organisation (PO) started functioning at the beginning of the year. It is used for the storage of frozen blocks of herring and sprat and has already resulted in considerable savings for the PO. In a further development, a new fishmeal and fish oil plant built by the same PO will go on stream by the end of the year, opening up new possibilities for revenue generation. In the processing sector, canneries have seen a wave of consolidation following the ban on exports to Russia, but those that are left have emerged stronger, more diversified, and less vulnerable than in the past. Read more from page 30 Algae are not only something commonly eaten with sushi. They form a group of photosynthesising organisms that have a variety of applications – as sources of thickening and gelling agents, as food, as food supplements, and as sources of several mineral, vitamins and healthy fats. Asia has a long history of cultivating and consuming marine algae and is today the biggest market for algae consumed directly as food. In parts of Europe algae have also been used in the past, but mainly as cattle feed, fertiliser, or fuel. Today, however, Europeans are recognising the benefits of algae and are starting to consume it in different ways. This turn is leading to an interest in cultivating it. Some forms of algae yield healthy omega-3 fatty acids and are being cultivated for this reason. These products are not only beneficial for humans but are also a component in the diet of several farmed fish species. As aquaculture production increases it is likely the importance of these organisms will too. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article from page 26 Automation is becoming increasingly widespread in the fish processing industry. In some companies the reason to automate is to take strenuous or monotonous tasks out the hands of people so that they can be better deployed elsewhere, at others it is because labour is becoming increasingly difficult to find and retain. Automation also offers the advantages of consistent quality, high throughput, and increased food safety and as it evolves is getting smarter and ever more intuitive. Artificial intelligence, big data, the ability for machines to connect to each other and to the Internet, and to learn on the job are producing a quiet revolution in the fish processing sector by catalysing the development of equipment that can function almost independently of human supervision. Equipment will use the data received from all along the processing line to respond to situations as they develop, adapting to changes, and automatically correcting errors. Turnkey systems that link several machines together will benefit hugely from these developments, but they promise also to have an impact on standalone machines too. Read more on page 50 Grocery shopping online, a fledgling business in the west, is a thriving activity in China, where both frozen and fresh fish and seafood can be ordered online. Giant platforms such as Alibaba and its subsidiaries source seafood products directly from manufacturers in China as well as the rest of the world and sell them online. The short supply chains ensure quality and freshness and the food from abroad piques buyers curiosity about products and tastes from other parts of the world. However, online sales call for a vast ecosystem not only of suppliers, but also logistics providers, distributors, customs clearance, warehouses, quality controls etc. so that the ordered product can be safely and, above all, quickly be delivered to the customer. Because the product may be unfamiliar to the buyer it needs to be supplemented with information about its origin, characteristics, and ways of preparation all of which is relatively easy to provide online. Internet-based sales of fish and seafood in China have more than tripled in both 2016 and 2017 and are likely to grow further considering the convenience, the fact that more people are getting access to the Internet all the time, and that it represents an opportunity also to people living in remote locations. Read more on page 54

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Table of News 6 International News

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Events 17 Tuna 2018: The defining event for the global tuna industry Collaboration across the board can help to achieve sustainability

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20 WTO, Market Access, and Fish Trade workshop, June 2018, Belgrade Creating structures that could improve trade

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24 European Sturgeon Conference highlights plight of Danube sturgeon Joining forces to save the sturgeon

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Aquaculture 26 Algae and aquatic plants in global aquaculture High-quality food and industrial raw material

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30 Fishing and fish farming in Latvia move in different directions

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39 Gamma-A adapts to the demands of new clients Greater complexity characterises markets today 42 Hanters trades in block frozen pelagics and salted sprats Value-addition is the way to better earnings 44 Karavela can once again export to Russia Former market has changed in many ways 46 Vlakon is exploiting synergies from a broad portfolio of activities Farming fish for processing and angling Cover photograph courtesy of Vlakon

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Contents 48 Developing new analytical tools is one of the key functions of the Laboratory of Food and Environmental Investigations Ensuring the safety of food sold in Latvia

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Technology 50 Industry 4.0 conquers the fish processing sector Automated processing lines take over from traditional manual work

Trade And Markets 54 China importing more and more fish and seafood products Millions of consumers buy seafood online 58 Sustainability certificates: more than just a shopping aid? MSC holds a monopoly position within the European fish business

Guest Pages: Fred Kingston

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63 The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization facilitates international collaboration on fisheries resources Implementing an ecosystem approach to fisheries management

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Spain: APROMAR releases its annual “Aquaculture in Spain 2018â€? report APROMAR, the Association of Mariculture Producers in Spain, has published its annual report “Aquaculture in Spain 2018â€? on the evolution of the aquaculture sector in both Spain and Europe. The report highlights the status of the sector and encourages its development. Domestic production of rainbow trout in 2017 was estimated at 17.984 tonnes, with Castilla y LeĂłn, Andalucia, and Galicia being the main production regions. Production of aquaculture farmed seabass in Spain in 2017 was 21.269 tonnes, with the region of Murcia leading production with 6.990 tonnes, followed by the Canaries (5.900 tonnes), the Valencian Community (4.972 tonnes), AndalucĂ­a (3.261 tonnes), and CataluĂąa (146 tonnes). The average price for the first sale of farmed seabass stood at 5,18 euros / kg, an 8,6 drop from 2016. In contrast, farmed seabass production in Europe and the rest of the Mediterranean stood at 192.557 tonnes, a 9,1 increase from 2016. The 2017 seabream harvest produced a total of 13.643 tonnes, with the Valencian Community leading the production at 5.590 tonnes, followed by

Murcia at 4.356 tonnes, the Canaries at 2.063 tonnes, Andalucía at 980 tonnes, and Cataluùa at 654 tonnes. The average price for first sale was 4,87 euros / kg, a drop of 15,7 compared to 2016. Aquaculture production of sea bream in Europe and the rest of the Mediterranean in 2017 was estimated at 207.167 tonnes.

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Turbot production in 2017 was at 8.546 tonnes, with Galicia accounting for 99 of the production. The remaining 1 was produced in Cantabria. The production of croaker in the same year was 1.932 tonnes, most of it coming from the Valencian Community. The average price for the first sale of turbot was 8,54 euros / kg, a -0,5 change from the previous year. Globally, the total production of farmed turbot in 2017 was 59.616 tonnes, 13,8 less than the previous year. Aquaculture feed used in Spain in 2017 stood at 129.200 tonnes, 83 administered to marine fish and the remainder to freshwater species. To access the “Aquaculture in Spain 2018â€? report, visit: www. eurofish.dk/spain or apromar.es

The latest development of the Spanish aquaculture sector can be read in APROMARS’s Aquaculture in Spain 2018 report.

Latvian company cosponsors National Sardines Industry Congress 2018 in Philippines An important annual event for the Philippine seafood industry is being cosponsored this year by Latviabased PERUZA, a large manufacturer of fish processing equipment. The event is the 3rd National Sardines Industry Congress, held during 2-5 October 2018 in Zamboanga City on the Philippines’ southern island of Mindanao. The National Sardines Industry Congress actually consists of two events: the National Sardines Industry Trade Exhibit (held

during 2-5 October) and the National Sardines Industry Conference (3-5 October). This year’s theme is: “Third Year and Beyond: Continuing Remarkable Growth and Reforms�. The organizer is the SOPHIL Fishing Association, Inc. in coordination with the National Sardines Industry Foundation, Inc. PERUZA, which supports sustainable growth and reforms in the Philippines market, is a major sponsor. The central event of the Congress is the National Sardines Industry Conference.

PERUZA’s participation in the Exhibit showcases the company’s modern automated fish processing installations, which help processors ensure controlled production with increased efficiency. PERUZA specializes in processing technology for small pelagics, making the National Sardines Industry Congress an excellent place for the company’s expertise. Zamboanga City, the venue for the Congress, has been dubbed

the “Sardines Capital of the Philippines� and is at the heart of the Philippines sardine industry. Zamboanga Peninsula’s output of dried, smoked, and canned fish helps supply the entire country with affordable protein. Climate changes and high levels of fishing have created uncertainty in the industry, so it is important for processors to benefit from the latest efficiency-enhancing technology, as exhibited at the National Sardines Industry Congress 2018.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]

Following the resignation of former Fisheries Minister Per Sandberg, Prime Minister Erna Solberg appointed Harald Tom Nesvik as his successor. Harald Tom Nesvik is an experienced politician who was first elected to parliament in 1997, where he served as a parliamentary representative for Møre og Romsdal county for two decades, until 2017. He began his political career in the Progress Party Youth in the 1980s and has since held many political positions. From 2013 to 2017, he was the parliamentary leader of the Progress Party. From 2017 and until September 2018 when he was appointed Minister of Fisheries, he was head of public affairs

BĂĽrd Gudim, FrPMedia

New Fisheries Minister in Norway and government relations at Sølvtrans, the world’s largest wellboat company for transport of live salmon and trout. Mr Nesvik says that he wants to make sure that the industry provides good jobs. He believes the most important thing is that growth and innovation can come from within the supply industry and from those who work in processing plants and fish farms across the country. The Minister of Fisheries is responsible for fisheries and aquaculture management, seafood safety, health and welfare of fish, the framework conditions for seafood, as well as trade and market access for Norwegian seafood.

Harald Tom Nesvik, the new Fisheries Minister, stresses the importance to work for all of Norway.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Russia: Global Fishery Forum and Seafood Expo cements its reputation

From left, Ekaterina Tribilustova, Senior Market Analyst, Eurofish International Organisation, Aleksander Novikov, President, Union of Sturgeon Breeders of Russia; Inna Golfand, Project Management in Agriculture, NEO Center; Turgay Turkyilmaz, Deputy Director, General Directorate for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Turkey; Vasily Sokolov, Deputy Director, Federal Agency for Fisheries of Russia; Kim Shin Quon, National institute of research and development of the fisheries sector, the Republic of Korea; Cui He, Vice President and Secretary General, China Union of Seafood Processing Enterprises.

The 2nd Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia, the Russian fishery sector’s key event, was held in St. Petersburg on 13-15 September 2018. Over 1,100 participants attended the forum, where one of the main themes was the development of the Russian fisheries and aquaculture sector to 2050. Sectoral experts and members of official delegations attended the panel sessions where topics included fishing for straddling stocks, shipbuilding in 2050, the state of resources, global consumer markets, and promoting Russian fish

products to domestic consumers. The session dedicated to aquaculture aired some of the issues that will influence the development of the sector. By 2050, world population is forecast to grow to 9.2 – 9.5 billion, and competition for water, land, energy and other resources will increase contributing to rising prices for these key resources. Global aquaculture production is expected to be able to cover the gap between supply and demand for fish and seafood, but sustainability of the global aquaculture sector will be dependent on the

introduction of practices which improve sustainability –environmental, economic, and social – and at the same time provide more effective production. The Seafood Expo, a trade fair, hosted some 200 exhibitors of which about 40 came from abroad, 3.5 times more than in 2017. Companies from some 40 countries including Iceland, Japan, Mauritania, Morocco, Norway, the Republic of Guinea, South Korea, Turkey, and the US were represented. Cutting-edge

technologies in today’s fisheries industry were presented at the fair by companies from the fishing, processing, shipbuilding, and equipment subsectors. Also present were representative from sectoral associations. The opportunity to meet and learn about the latest developments in so many fields brought in some 3,000 visitors, according to the organisers. The forum and expo have established themselves as useful and informative events for the fisheries sector not only in Russia, but also outside.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Denmark looking to Brussels for bluefin tuna quotas Tuna are back in Danish waters after disappearing for nearly 50 years. Fisheries Minister Eva Kjer Hansen has already contacted Brussels to discuss fishing rights, the Danish daily Politiken reports. Ms Hansen reportedly stated that Denmark has thrown its hat into the ring. There is no doubt that it is exciting that the tuna are here and are a potential new fishing opportunities for the industry if an agreement on a quota to fish tuna can be achieved. Fishermen have caught and released over 80 large tuna in Skagerrak, in the last few weeks as

Tuna are back in Danish waters and the industry wants its share.

part of a research project. Obviously, Danish fishermen want to catch them as well and as soon as possible, with individual tunas

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weighing in between 200 and 300 kgs and selling for up to fourteen thousand euros on international markets. Recreational fisheries

will also be positively affected with new business prospects opening through tuna fishing trips.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]

Peter van der Sluijs

The invasive round goby is threatening Poland’s Great Masurian Lakes

The round goby’s presence in the Great Masurian Lakes has been confirmed by the Inland Fisheries Institute.

The round goby (Neogobius melanostomus), a small predatory fish, has been spotted several places around Poland’s Great Masurian Lakes. The round goby feeds mainly on bottom invertebrates but also on other fish, threatening native ichthyofauna. It is recognised as an invasive species originating from the coastal zones of the Black, Azov, and Caspian Seas. It began to spread throughout

Europe in the 1980s. Its presence was first discovered in Poland in 1990 in the Puck Bay, near the Hel Peninsula, most likely transported there via ballast tanks of ships. Since then, it has settled in the Vistula Lagoon and expanded up the Vistula river. How it arrived at the Great Masurian Lakes is still unknown, but migration through tributaries or accidental imports are the most likely causes.

The company Mikołajki Gospodarstwo Rybackie reported that a few individual gobies started appearing in fishing nets and anglers also started recording the catch of this uncommon species. The appearance of this invasive species in the Masurian lakes was confirmed by Prof. Šucjan Chybowski from the Inland Fisheries Institute, who runs, among others, cormorant

research. Research has shown round gobies appearing sporadically in the stomachs of Masurian cormorants. To reduce the spread of this species Masurian fishermen posted an online appeal to anglers, reminding them that the round goby is a pest and may threaten the native species of lakes and therefore should be eradicated when caught.

Excess salmon dumped in Far East Russia Record landings of salmon in Russia’s far east region Kamchatka have resulted in the dumping of the surplus fish in forests and along roads plaguing the region with the stench of rotting fish, Kam 24 news agency and the Moscow Times reports, with Videos online confirming this. According to the administration representatives, the fish ‘dumping’ was caused by accidental opening of a truck door pouring the fish out onto the road, but local residents say that dumping of fish has been going on for several years. In particular, one dumping area, about 14

kilometers east of the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, has allegedly grown popular with bears who enjoy the easy meals. This year (2018) has, even before end of the season, become the most productive in the 110 years in which catch data has been registered. More than 455 thousand tonnes of salmon has been landed in Kamchatka, breaking the previous record set in 2012, when 254 thousand tonnes of fish were caught according to the Federal Fisheries Agency’s Kamchatka branch.

Online videos confirm the stories from local residents that tonnes of fish are dumped on land.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] 2019 Baltic Sea ďŹ shing opportunities improve with increased quotas for plaice and cod

The FAO, two Ministries in Romania, EUROFISH, DSTF, IAD, and EIFAAC are arranging a conference in Bucharest, Romania on 13-15 November titled Regional Conference on River habitat restoration for inland fisheries in the Danube River basin and adjacent Black Sea areas. The event will include sessions on valuing inland fisheries resources, conservation and management, regulatory frame-work, along with shared country experiences from the region. The event will not only attract participants from the involved countries but is also expected to be visited by representatives from Azerbaijan,

The European Commission has adopted a proposal for fishing opportunities for 2019 for the commercially important fish stocks in the Baltic Sea with increased quotas for plaice, Western cod, sprat, Gulf of Riga herring, and the Main Basin salmon stocks. For the remaining stocks in the proposal the Commission proposes a reduction in quotas. Stakeholder efforts have in recent years succeeded in rebuilding important stocks in the Baltic Sea allowing 7 out of 8 catch limits to be set in line with the principle of maximum sustainable yield, covering 95 of fish landings in volume. An

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Romania: Conference on habitat restoration for inland ďŹ sheries Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and several EU Member States. Pro-gramme information and more is available on: http:// danube-conference.eurofish.dk E AT 18 E D 20 TH ber ania m VE SA Nove , Rom 5 rest -1 3 a 1 ch Bu

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River habitat restoration for inland ďŹ sheries in the Danube river basin and adjacent Black Sea areas

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VALUING INLAND FISHERIES RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT REGULATORY FRAMEWORK SHARED COUNTRY EXPERIENCES

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15. INTERNATIONAL FAIR OF SEAFOOD PROCESSING & PRODUCTS

GDAĹƒSK, POLAND

29-31.05

2019

organisation: Gdańsk International Fair Co. | monika.pain@mtgsa.com.pl | t. +4858 554 93 62 venue: AMBEREXPO Exhibition & Convention Centre | 11 ŝaglowa St., Gdańsk, Poland

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important stock for many smallscale fishermen is the Western Baltic cod, quotas of which have been low in recent years. The stock has increased substantially however allowing for a proposed increase in total allowable catches (TAC) by 31. Plaice stocks have also thrived leading to a TAC increase proposal of 43. Further action, however, remains necessary to ensure all stocks grow to levels that allow for sustainable exploitation. “We are proposing a balanced package that will ensure sustainable fisheries in the Baltic Sea. The good news is that important quotas for Western Baltic cod can

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] be increased, after several years of hardship for the fishermen. The sacrifices are paying off as the stock is recovering. As per usual, the picture is mixed, as this year we will have to reduce

the quotas for Western herring in order to make sure that it is soon in a better state� Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Karmenu Vella, said.

The proposed total allowable catches (TAC) are based on scientific advice from ICES and follow the Baltic multiannual management plan adopted in 2016 by the European Parliament and the

Baltic states. The Council will now examine the Commission proposal, and the European Ministers for Fisheries aim of adopting it during their meeting of 15-16 October.

Xufanc

India is expected to overtake China as leading farmed shrimp producer

Increased production will promote India to top farmed shrimp producer in the world.

India is set to overtake China’s top spot for farmed shrimp production in 2019-20, according to Ravi Kumar Yellanki, president of Society of Aquaculture Professionals. The Hindu reports Mr Yellanki announcing that India has already overtaken China in shrimp exports last year and are on par with regards to farmed shrimp production

and next year India will overtake China on this count too. While the shrimp production target for 2018 was estimated at 700.000 tonnes, India will certainly produce 650.000 tonnes, similar to China’s production. Shrimp production in China declined after the outbreak of the Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS) disease, which also

impacted Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Mexico, though not India. The country has huge areas of land available for new shrimp producers and several existing producers are planning to expand their capacity. The Waterbase, a local farming company, for instance, is setting up a new hatchery in

Chennai that will produce 250 million post larvae seed vannamei shrimp in its first phase. Test runs are already ongoing and commercial productions will commence in October this year. The second phase would double capacity. Last year alone, India exported over 400.000 tonnes of Vannemei shrimp, a 22 increase in quantity and 25 in value.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Belgium: interactive platform to calculate beneďŹ ts of sustainable ďŹ shing A new interactive tool, ‘Catchy Data’, has been launched by Oceana to show the potential socio-economic benefits of EU countries moving away from current fishing practices to more sustainable fishing. The launch comes ahead of a European

Commission seminar to mark the start of discussions on fishing limits in 2019 for the Baltic, deep-sea and Atlantic/North Sea fish stocks. The tool offers users estimates on the benefits of rebuilding

stocks and fishing sustainably; how catches of key commercial species could increase; how many jobs could be created; potential net profits and gains for related industries for each individual EU country. The data

demonstrates that if the EU were to fish sustainably it could fish almost 60 more in fewer than ten years, along with boosting EU GDP by nearly 5 billion euros and creating more than 90,000 jobs.

UK: Pollution and overďŹ shing top seafood consumers’ concerns A comprehensive study, which was undertaken by the research agency GlobeScan and commissioned by the UK-based Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), shows that seafood consumers across the globe are united in thinking that the biggest threat to the oceans is pollution, followed by overfishing. The study, the second of its kind, surveyed more than 25,000 consumers in 22 countries, who ranked pollution and overfishing as the most concerning ocean

issues. Globally, 83 of surveyed seafood consumers, agreed that we need to protect seafood for future generations. The study also shows that 72 of seafood consumers would like to see independent verification of seafood sustainability claims in supermarkets, 4 increase from 2016. Younger consumers (18-34) show slightly different profile, eating less seafood on average but being more worried about the effects of change on the oceans than their older

counterparts. Almost three-fourths of the respondents agree that in order to save oceans, we need to consume seafood from sustainable sources and an increasing number believe that people should switch to another type of fish if it is more sustainable (70 in 2018, up from 68 in 2016). One notable change from the previous study is that consumers, globally, have started putting price before sustainability as a motivator

for their seafood purchase decisions. However, consumers in Germany, Austria, China, Spain, UK, Switzerland, Italy and Sweden still place sustainability above price, regardless of age or gender. With a rising consumer focus on price, and with the findings that worldwide more than half of consumers reported eating seafood weekly, it is critically important that they have a range of clearly labelled sustainable options at the right price point.

Italy: AQUAFARM promotes sustainable production with new technologies Aquafarm, an annual international conference and trade show for aquaculture, algaculture, and the fishing industry, will return to Pordenone, Italy, on 13-14 February 2019. This year’s edition, its third, will be jointly held with Novelfarm, a conference and trade show for new growing systems, soilless and vertical farming. Last year’s show was an immense success, attracting 2.500 visitors from dozens of countries to hear 130 speakers at 21 conference sessions ranging from integration of fish breeding with plant culture to new genetic research and insights into regulatory frameworks and new technology. This year’s Aquafarm will again focus on sustainable marine production in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Sustainability in food production is of the utmost concern to industry members, consumers, policymakers, NGOs and

others, as everyone prepares for feeding a growing world population while promoting environmental health. As in last year’s show, Aquafarm will again present seminars on integrated production of fish and plants (seaweed), which is a fascinating topic because both types of products are growing in popularity, with dozens of new products from fish and plants (besides as food) being developed each year. By integrating their production processes, fish and plants can be produced more efficiently and at greater benefit to the environment.

show, visitors learned that such an aquaponics facility can use heat generated from the building’s air-conditioning system, and rainwater from its roof, to reduce costs. This year’s Aquafarm show will offer more seminars and expert speakers, to provide information on ever-evolving technologies, and the latest in new products

On the second day, 14 February, visitors are invited to attend a workshop dedicated to the Central and Eastern European aquaculture industry. The workshop, organized by Eurofish, will offer insights into this growing industry. Details will be available at www. aquafarmexpo.it.

The joint event with Novelfarm will highlight vertical farming, which is of growing interest to fish and plant producers, because it enables production in a smaller horizontal space (such as inside a building or even on its roof). At last year’s Aquafarm

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on display by the show’s exhibitors.

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]

Friend of the Sea

Consumers are choosing sustainable ďŹ sh oils

Sustainably certified suppliers have increased almost 500% over a three year period.

The size of the global omega 3 supplement industry has grown enormously in recent years. Evidence shows that more and more consumers worldwide are demanding fish oils and nutrients which are not only healthy and of high quality but are also respectful of the marine environment. This trend

is reflected in ecolabel Friend of the Sea’s latest data showing that 439 companies voluntarily adhere to the Friend of the Sea’s standards for fish oil, fishmeal, fish feed and omega-3 supplement, compared with 76 companies in 2015, an increase of around 478. Certified oils originate

mostly from approved Peruvian anchovy fisheries and fleet (29) and Antarctic krill (22), while European sardine and European anchovy represent 8 and 7 respectively, chub mackerel 7, and Atlantic cod 3. The remainder derives from various species such as mackerel, cod, salmon,

tuna and squid. Of the 439 enterprises marketing Friend of the Sea labelled products, 17 are processors, while 83 are distributors. The top 5 countries represented are the US, with over 50 of total FoS certified supplements (268), France (24), Canada (23), Norway (20), and UK (14).

Iceland ďŹ shing revenues are down despite increased catches Catch revenues from Iceland’s fishing fleet fell by more than 17 per cent last year despite higher volumes, says Statistics Iceland. Although an explanation is not given, the three month strike by the country’s deep sea fishermen, which stretched into February

2017, will have influenced earnings. Icelandic vessels landed 1,177,000 tonnes, 9 more than in 2016. The total revenue was 110 billion Icelandic kroners (ISK) or 860 million euro, down 17 compared to

the year before. The 2017 breakdown in catches were 426,000 tonnes of demersal fish ( down 7), 718,000 tonnes pelagic fish (up 20 due to increased capelin catch) and 22,000 tonnes of flatfish (down 8), while 10,600 tonnes of shellfish (down 16 due

to declining stocks) were caught. The outlook for exports of Icelandic seafood products forecast a 7.5 growth this year, the highest growth rate since 2013, according to the Central Bank of Iceland Monetary Bulletin, Fishupdate reports.

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SALMON SHOWHOW 6 FEBRUARY 2019

EXPERIENCE SMARTER PROCESSING Join us in Copenhagen | marel.com/SSH

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] UK: New website to highlight women’s role in ďŹ sheries The Women in Fisheries project has just unveiled a new website, women-fisheries.com, which will pool findings on women’s roles in contributing to the survival of fishing families and the fishing industry, and hopes to shed light on women’s roles, identities, and wellbeing. The project will primarily collect data from Newfoundland in Canada and the UK. Women in Fisheries is also hoping to understand how small-scale fishing families are adapting to environmental and financial pressure. Dr Madeleine Gustavsson from the University of Exeter’s European Centre for Environment and Human Health,

who is heading the study notes that small scale fishing vessels make up 80 of the fishing fleet in the UK while only accounting for 4 its national fishing quota. This will weaken the many local communities that depend on fishing if not prioritised by the government. The website will provide a platform for women to share their stories and contribute to this research. “We want to hear from as many women involved in fisheries as possible, whatever their roles might be.â€? Dr Gustavsson said. The site features news on the project’s progress and its latest research and hear about other efforts to improve recognition of

Women in fisheries are urged to share their experiences and thereby contribute to a research project on female participation in the fishing industry.

women in fisheries on local and international levels. The project is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council in the UK until the end of 2020 and

works with local producer organisations, the network of women in fisheries and aquaculture, (AKTEA), and Low Impact Fishers of Europe (LIFE).

Slovenia: A small drop in ďŹ sheries related employment Around 300 persons were employed with fishery economic activities in 2017 according to the latest statistics published the Slovenian Statistical Office. That is a 6

drop compared to the year before, driven by reduced inland fish farming and marine fishing while mariculture showed a small increase of 3. Of the total employment a little

less than half were full-time jobs while the rest engaged in other economic activities, like tourism, trade, catering, etc. The size of the fishing fleet remained the same with 171

registered vessels according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food. Their total gross tonnage was 604 GT and total engine capacity 8,821 kW.

Turkey: New minister leads renamed ministry The Turkish election on 24 June 2018 endorsed the result of the 2017 referendum in which Turks voted to convert to a presidential form of government. The new system brings several changes including a new ministry structure and new ministers. The former Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock has been renamed the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and will be led by Bekir Pakdemirli, the new minister. Mr Pakdemirli graduated from the Faculty of Business Administration in Bilkent University, then completed an MBA from Başkent University. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics from Celal Bayar University. Mr Pakdemirli has worked in several sectors including food, agriculture, livestock, technology and

the automotive industry, where he has established and managed various companies. Among the strategic targets laid out by the Minister is the longterm sustainability of the fisheries sector. In a message to commemorate the start of the new fishing season on 1 September after a four and a half month prohibition, Mr Pakdemirli said that the main objective of the ministry’s fisheries policy was to protect fish resources in marine and inland waters and to promote sustainable fishing methods. He urged people to remember that natural resources were not infinite and if future generations were to benefit from them, it was necessary to protect and utilise them

Bekir Pakdemirli, the new Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, has a doctorate in economics.

with care. He also referred to the scientific research that Turkey carries out in the fisheries sector which ultimately assists policy makers and fishermen in making

decisions. In conclusion he mentioned the haelth benefits associated with fish and seafood and recommended that they be consumed in abundance.

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[ EVENTS ] Tuna 2018: The deďŹ ning event for the global tuna industry

Collaboration across the board can help to achieve sustainability Organised by InfoďŹ sh in collaboration with FAO and other partners Tuna 2018 was a packed event with over 50 speakers split in to ďŹ ve sessions spread over two and a half days. EuroďŹ sh Magazine has elected to divide the vast volume of information from the event into two editions, the ďŹ rst one in August. What follows here is a review of the sessions focused on sustainability, market access and technology in the tuna industry.

T

he International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) brings together scientists, the tuna industry and the WWF to promote the sustainable use of tuna stocks using sciencebased methods to reduce bycatch and environmental damage. The foundation’s ultimate objective is for tuna fisheries to be certified to the Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) sustainability standard.

Tuna fisheries using fish aggregating devices may be able to gain MSC certification At the Tuna 2018 conference in Bangkok Victor Restrepo, ISSF Vice President, Science discussed the need to improve fish aggregating devices (FADs), which are commonly used in tropical purse seine tuna fisheries. Tuna’s natural propensity to gather around objects floating on the surface led to the development of dedicated floating objects, nowadays often equipped with technology that measures biomass beneath the FAD and transmits this information to a vessel. As a result, fishing with FADs has vastly improved the efficiency of purse seining. However, FADs are also associated with negative

ecosystem impacts including non-target bycatch and catch of juvenile tunas and the efficiency of FAD fishing may also contribute to the unsustainable exploitation of tuna stocks. Dr Restrepo pointed to a recent ISSF report that summarises best practices for topical tuna purse seine FAD fisheries that aim for certification to the MSC standard. These include complying with flag state and RFMO reporting requirements, reporting data on FAD use, supporting science-based limits on the overall number of FADs used, restricting use to non-entangling FADs only and encouraging the use of biodegradable FADs, develop a FAD recovery policy, and implement further mitigation efforts for silky sharks, a particular concern in FAD fishing. These measures in combination with others by regional fishery management organisations, such as a ceiling on the use of FADs, or spatial or temporal closures, should assist tuna fisheries to achieve MSC certification.

stakeholders – producers, processors, and retailers – that uses the private sector and market principles to improve the sustainability of a fishery. Key Traceability, UK, is a partner in the Pacific Tuna Longline FIP that aims to ensure sustainable fish stocks through effective management and with minimal environmental impact. Iain Pollard from the company suggested that participation in FIPs were a way of meeting requirements, such as traceability, food safety, workplace safety and labour conditions, sustainability etc., in the world’s major seafood markets, the US, EU and Japan. Participating in a FIP means partnering with customers, NGOs and the flag state

Participating in a FIP can meet requirements on certain markets

A tuna Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) is a coalition of

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authorities. It requires a strong shark finning policy backed by effective monitoring through greater cooperation with RFMOs or electronic surveillance, as well as the use of certain kinds of approved gear (hooks, leaders etc.). Worker conditions should meet international best practice and vessels should be registered on the ISSF Proactive Vessel Register. Finally, FIPs should actively advocate for conservation measures, communicate with national authorities, and cooperate with other sustainability initiatives. A FIP may thus mean significant changes in the way of doing business but are a way of meeting market requirements and of improving fisheries’ sustainability.

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Infofish

[ EVENTS ]

Organised every two years by Infofish in collaboration with FAO, the tuna conference series is arguably the defining event for the global tuna industry. The next edition of the event is scheduled for the last week in May 2020.

Labour practices would improve if existing legislation was actually implemented The debate on the sustainability of tuna fisheries refers not only to the biological sustainability of stocks, but also to social sustainability i.e. the conditions experienced by crews on board fishing vessels. In Spain, OPAGAC, an association representing 40 purse seine tuna vessels catching roughly 300,000 tonnes of tropical tunas per year has, together with other stakeholders, developed a standard, AtĂşn de pesca responsable (APR), that complies with the Work in Fishing Convention of the International Labour Organisation,

reported the OPAGAC managing director, Dr Julio MorĂłn Ayala. The association has also allied with the WWF on the global tuna FIP to achieve MSC certification for all OPAGAC catches by 2021. This will necessitate the adoption of harvest control rules and the evaluation of management strategies as well as of ecosystem impacts. The bycatch of vulnerable species and the effects of FADs on ecosystems will be evaluated and mitigation measures put in place. In addition, monitoring, control and surveillance (MCS) will be improved and non-compliance penalised. Dr MorĂłn pointed out that many of the international guidelines and recommendations regarding working and

living conditions aboard fishing vessels already existed, but that countries needed to ratify or implement the legislation. The APR standard responds to the concerns that many markets are displaying with regard to poor labour practices in the fishing industry. Forced labour and abysmal working conditions are also closely associated with IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated) fishing which continues to plunder fish stocks. In combating this challenge the EU has an important role to play as the world’s biggest seafood market. Countries which fail to comply with EU requirements may find their seafood products

banned from entering the EU, which is an effective threat, said Roberto Cesari, head of IUU Fisheries Policy Unit, DG MARE. He highlighted improved governance, strengthened MCS, and improved traceability through the supply chain, in third countries, as some of the results of the EU IUU policy.

Cooperation among all stakeholders can benefit the environment and labour The fourth session at Tuna 2018 was titled Sustainability, Environment, and Eco-labelling in the Tuna Industry linking it directly to the subtitle of the

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[ EVENTS ] conference programme Braving challenges: Towards a traceable and sustainable tuna industry. The session was chaired by Audun Lem, Deputy Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy and Resources Division FAO and included interventions by three companies of particular relevance to the tuna sector (Walmart, Thai Union, and Tri Marine) as well as NGOs. Thanks in part to efforts by NGOs and the media, public concerns about the sustainability of seafood products are taken seriously by many in the industry. And the concept has extended to labour practices as the exploitation of workers at sea and on land in some countries and certain sectors of the industry has come to light. Public pressure, the need to avoid negative publicity, the realisation that resources are not infinite, and a genuine desire for change have all contributed to the development of sustainability strategies at many companies. At Walmart, for example, all fresh and frozen seafood sold in the US both farmed and wild is now sustainably sourced. The company’s ‘light and white’ canned tuna sold in the US and Canada will by 2025 be sourced from certified fisheries or from fisheries in FIPs. Companies are also working together more closely with NGOs and other bodies to try and address sustainability issues more effectively. Both Walmart and Tri Marine collaborate with the Seafood Task Force, Tri Marine also works with ISSF, Thai Union has signed an agreement with Greenpeace and has joined the Global Ghost Gear Initiative. Companies are also working with each other to implement environmental and social standards, for example the Global Salmon Initiative, an initiative promoting sustainability backed by 15

salmon producers, who between them represent approximately 50 of global salmon production, celebrated its 5-year anniversary on 15 August 2018. The emphasis on cooperation rather than confrontation to achieve sustainability also extends to labour practises in seafood supply chains. Thai Union’s sustainable strategy SeaChange states, as one of three overarching objectives, that workers are safe, legally employed and empowered. To achieve this the company would actively seek out NGO, government and industry partners, said Darian McBain, Global Director of Sustainable Development at Thai Union. Walmart’s Responsible Sourcing programme includes goals to support the dignity of workers in the retail value chain by collaborating with industries, civil society organisations, governments, and international organisations. The company is committed to working with suppliers, other companies, governments and non-profit organisations to improve worker conditions.

animals caught in the gear. Thus far the initiative has developed a global data portal with an app for reporting and tracking lost gear; it has also established a best practice framework to manage fishing gear; and has developed ways of scaling and replicating solutions to the challenge. Solutions to track gear are also being used in other contexts as the final session on innovation and trends in technology for the tuna industry showed. Les Shortall, Market Development Director Maritime at Inmarsat told the audience that sustainability called for traceability, enforcement, and should provide benefits to fishing communities. Satellite-based solutions, he said, can provide all three, a point that was emphasised by Faustino Velasco CEO, Satlink, Spain, a provider of satellitebased voice and data services. These can provide data on catch composition, fishing vessel position, labour conditions on board,

Abandoned fishing gear is among the greatest threats to marine life

The Tuna 2018 conference was an event bringing the latest developments in multiple areas to the audience and fostering a discussion on how the industry should evolve in the years to come. Many of the participants will be keenly awaiting the next edition of the event scheduled for the final week in May 2020.

18 FISHFORUM20

This collaborative approach also underlies the Global Ghost Gear Initiative which seeks to tackle the problem of derelict fishing gear, for marine life the most harmful form of marine debris. According to Ingrid Giskes, Chair of the Global Ghost Gear Initiative, ghost gear claims an estimated 5-30 of harvestable fish stocks globally thereby threatening food security. By bringing NGOs, the fishing industry, other private sector actors, academia, and governments together the initiative will focus on reducing, removing, recycling, as well as rescuing

10-14 DECEMBER ER 2018 FAO HEADQUARTERS, TERS, ROME - ITALY

Better science for better advice Healthy seas and sustainable fisheries Economic analysis and technology for societal benefit

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discards, bycatch among others enabling transparency and effective management. The company is using machine learning to enhance electronic monitoring of purse seiners and longliners and the technology can also be used to monitor FADs. Technology is also being used in the shipping industry, where Maersk last year launched Remote Container Management, which allows conditions inside a container to be monitored remotely from origin to destination. Any deviations in the conditions beyond set parameters inside the container will be reported immediately and can be acted on.

A ďŹ rst-of-its-kind event encompassing oceanographic, social and economic science and ďŹ sheries research. A forum to build a lasting network, discuss research trends, integrate scientiďŹ c knowledge in decision-making and identify priorities to shape the future of Mediterranean and Black Sea ďŹ sheries.

Giving voice to the wide community of scientists, managers, researchers, engineers, academics and practitioners. An opportunity for young scientists to join the community. Keynote speakers, thematic and transversal panels, scientiďŹ c sessions, workshops, side events, poster session, call for abstracts.

Information and registration: FishForum2018@gfcmonline.org www.fao.org/gfcm/FishForum2018

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[ EVENTS ] WTO, Market Access, and Fish Trade workshop, June 2018, Belgrade

Creating structures that could improve trade The WTO, Market Access, and Fish Trade workshop was an initiative to boost capacity in the areas of market access and ďŹ sh trade. It was intended for government ofďŹ cials and other stakeholders.

Participants at the WTO, Market Access, and Fish Trade workshop held in Belgrade, Serbia had a wealth of information to take back with them from the event.

The potential impact of climate change on the global trade in fish Split into four session the workshop started with an overview of the implications of climate change for the fish trade by John Ryder, FAO. The impact of climate change on fish supply is complex and varies from region to region, he said. In addition, it is likely also to influence employment, income and nutrition, particularly in countries that are more dependent on fisheries and aquaculture. Shifts in the distribution and availability of fish is likely with changes in climate, with consequent impacts on accessibility of fish, fishing techniques and thus the nutritional habits of local communities. These impacts are likely to be more pronounced among artisanal fishers and will also

affect consumers, producers and exporters. Dr Ryder showed that a belt centred around the equator, an area which includes many developing countries, is the zone where climate change is most likely to occur. North and south of this belt climate change will be less severe. Changes in the distribution of fish stocks are likely to put international agreements under pressure and fish trade patterns may also be affected with countries more dependent on fish trade more vulnerable than those that are not. Not only fish prices but also the costs of infrastructure and services required for production, processing, and distribution of fish products are likely to change. Research has shown that crop prices could increase by 2-35 by 2050, a range that may also be applicable to fish prices. Dr Ryder concluded with a reference to a

comprehensive technical paper just released by the FAO titled Impact of climate change on fisheries and aquaculture, which can be freely downloaded from fao.org.

Tariffs are one of the main ways of regulating trade Unlike the unforeseen impacts on trade brought on by climate change, the WTO, which regulates international trade, tries to ensure predictability and transparency. Clarisse Morgen from the WTO gave an introduction to the basic principles underlying the WTOs’ trade rules, which are non-discriminatory, so that all members commit to submit each other’s products to the same customs and other trade formalities, and that imported products are treated

the same way as domestic products in terms of taxes and regulations. Tariffs are one of the main instruments for regulating trade, and fish and fish products attract different tariffs from different countries. She also pointed out that the WTO also regulates not-tariff measures, such as technical barriers to trade, sanitary-phytosanitary measures, subsidies etc. In 2016 trade in fish amounted to USD135bn (including intra-EU trade), which amounted to 0.9 of total global trade, a figure that has increased from 0.6 in 2008. She reported that while tariffs on fish were generally low, instances of non-tariff measures being used on fish and seafood imports were becoming more of an issue. Moving to fish subsidies Dr Morgen said that the negotiations on this topic in the

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[ EVENTS ] WTO were to try and increase fishing activities’ sustainability, which subsidies can jeopardise. She described the negotiation process which, due to significant differences among the members, ultimately only resulted in a work programme and reaffirmation of existing notification obligations, under which countries provide the WTO with a list of subsidies they have in the fisheries sector.

Fish and seafood products that are marketed and sold in the EU must conform to the rules of the CMO. Since imports from third countries account for over 60 of food fish consumption in the EU, the CMO has a huge influence on the European seafood market.

Fish and seafood contribute significantly to nutrition and incomes in many developing countries Stefania Vannuccini, FAO highlighted fish and seafood’s contribution to food security, defined

as when “all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food‌â€? She showed how a steady decline in undernourishment since 2003 reversed in 2015 both in terms of the absolute number of undernourished people and as a

The EU’s Common Fisheries Policy regulates all aspects of the fisheries sector Within the EU, subsidies to the fisheries sector are governed by the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), the set of rules that define the management of European fishing fleets and fish stocks. Frangiscos Nikolian, DG MARE presented the CFP explaining how different instruments created by the CFP (Total Allowable Catches, control measures, the landing obligation, the Common Market Organisation (CMO), among others) all contribute to achieving the overall aims of the CFP – sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, a dynamic fishing industry, a fair standard of living for fishing communities, selective fishing fleets, and fisheries that minimise their impact on the environment. Speaking about the CMO, he said that it tries to ensure the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources; it creates a level playing field for all products marketed in the EU, meaning that some products do not have an unfair advantage or are measured against different criteria from others; and finally it guarantees that consumers are provided with reliable information about the product, its origin, mode of production etc.

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[ EVENTS ] proportion of the global population. At the same time, she showed the contradiction of millions of nutritionally deficient children co-existing with billions of obese or overweight people. Fish could have an important role in addressing some of these discrepancies as it is a source of several vital vitamins and minerals as well as healthy fats and protein. In developing countries fish provides nutrients where they are needed most. These countries are also major exporters of fish and seafood. Net exports from these countries were close to USD40bn in 2013. In contrast, net exports of coffee, the commodity with the second highest net exports, was only USD15bn. However, growth in trade volumes is likely to be significantly slower in the decade 2017-26 than in 2007-16, the reasons for which are not fully understood. A possible cause she mentioned could be the increase in fish prices. FAO’s fish price index records a fairly steadily increasing trend since 2004 that is expected to continue over the coming decade. While this may be good news for producers and traders it could ultimately have an impact on the total sales of fish as well as reduce consumption. Ms Vannuccini said that future demand for fish and seafood would be influenced by several factors including income, population growth, and a continuous increase in trade, while future supply would depend heavily on aquaculture.

An elaborate system to reduce risks to public health For seafood exporters from third countries, the EU is a hugely important market. Their products must, however, meet various EU food safety and quality

assurance requirements. These are steered primarily by a couple of EU institutions, DG Health and Food Safety, and the European Food Safety Authority, but other EU bodies are involved as well. John Ryder, this time wearing his food safety hat, informed the audience that the main principle behind granting imported fish and seafood access to the EU market is that they follow the same processes and procedures in their manufacture and are of the same quality and safety as fish and seafood produced within the EU. This is ensured by inspectors who regularly audit the systems and procedures put in place by the local competent authority including, for example, monitoring systems and laboratories. Inspectors will also visit factories to confirm that claims by the competent authority about a processing plant are grounded in fact. A credible competent authority needs a legislative framework that is equivalent to that of the EU and it must have the power to enforce regulations. In addition, it needs access to laboratory services and an effective inspection system with trained personnel. The EU also has about 300 border controls where documents are inspected, the identity of the consignment confirmed, and occasional samples are taken for further testing. Dr Ryder mentioned the RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) system which sends information across the EU if a problem is detected at a border thereby reducing the risk to public health.

Sustainability today can ensure enough fish tomorrow Victoria Chomo, FAO, addressed another aspect of fisheries and aquaculture – sustainability,

which, she pointed out, is critical if an estimated global population of 9.7bn people is to be fed in 2050. Since fish is such a highly traded commodity she made a case for using markets to promote sustainable fisheries and block illegally caught fish, mentioning certification, traceability, international agreements as among the market measures that could help achieve these aims. Certification comes in many forms from private to public as well as the FAO’s guidelines for voluntary certification. The increase in certification schemes is spurred by concerns about stock depletion and the potential rewards such a scheme offers in terms of market access and in some cases a price premium. Certification is also being pushed by the private sector, NGOs, consumers, and governments. There are some concerns that certification is in fact a technical barrier to trade masquerading as a benefit for sustainability. However, there are other benefits from ecolabels, Dr Chomo suggested, including long-term supply contracts, access to major markets as well as new or niche markets, and potentially less competition since certified products may compete mostly with other certified products. Traceability, which is also linked to certification, is a means of blocking illegal fish from entering markets, and thus indirectly promotes sustainability. It is another method of using the market to promote responsible fishing and one of the ways it works is through catch documentation schemes (CDS), that track the fish all the way through the supply chain from the point of capture. These schemes ensure that fish are harvested in conformity with national, regional,

and international management measures and they combat IUU fishing by limiting access of illegally-caught fish to the market, thereby reducing the incentive to engage in this kind of fishing. By fighting illegal fishing, CDS protects the livelihoods of legitimate fishers and safeguards their communities.

For the world’s second largest exporter of seafood, much depends on market access Market access is an important issue from a Norwegian perspective – today exports of Norwegian seafood go literally to the whole world, 140 countries, and the value of exports to its largest markets amount to almost EUR10bn. The country exports both farmed and wild fish and seafood, but while the value of capture fisheries exports has grown only slightly over the last decade, the figure for aquaculture has multiplied three-fold. Seafood today is Norway’s largest export apart from oil and gas. Norway is unusual in that it exports the overwhelming bulk of the seafood it produces, 95, while the global average is 35, reported Ane Storvestre Bjørkum from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries. All of which only goes to show how important market access is not just for the seafood sector but for the economy as a whole. Norway negotiates market access through the WTO, but also by signing free trade agreements with individual countries or groups of countries. With the EU, Norway’s most important partner in the trade of fish and seafood, Norway has an arrangement through its membership of EFTA (European Free Trade Association) and the EEA (European Economic Area). Despite these agreements non-tariff

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[ EVENTS ] barriers to trade can occasionally be an issue. Veterinary and sanitary measures, other technical measures, as well as political sanctions can all have an influence on market access and structures are needed to prevent such barriers from arising in the first place or for resolving them rapidly if they do come up. Some of the other issues Ms Bjørkum mentioned that affect Norwegian seafood exports include sustainability requirements in important markets such as the US and the globalisation of food trends, which in some ways makes it easier to market and promote Norwegian seafood.

Selling to foreign tourists in your own country is an export in all but name Non-tariff barriers on fish trade are not an issue affecting Norway alone. Their use is increasing said Robert Hamwey, UNCTAD, and exporters of seafood from other countries face the same problem. However, average applied tariffs for fish and seafood have generally been going down. Dr Hamwey recommended exporters to put efforts in to finding new markets. This would entail improvements in quality, handling, packaging, storing, and shipping and the ability to deal with non-tariff barriers among other efforts to become a successful exporter. But he also made a strong case for selling to tourists on the domestic market saying that everything consumed by tourists was an export, but without the irritants of customs, duties, tariffs, or non-tariff barriers. Other problems, such as exporting cheaply in bulk to wholesalers who then repackage the product and sell it further with a significant mark-up, would also disappear. Some of the challenges

in terms of quality, safety, handling, storing etc. would of course still apply, but UNCTAD has successfully executed a number of projects that focused on selling fish and seafood to tourists.

Coordinated marketing strategies could polish the image of farmed fish Ekaterina Tribilustova, Eurofish, spoke about the perception among consumers of farmed freshwater fish which amounts to some 22 of total aquaculture production in the EU or 287,000 tonnes. Environmental concerns about the impact of aquaculture and reports on fish contaminated with dioxins, pesticides, all tend to affect consumers’ perception of farmed freshwater fish. On the other hand, fish have a positive

image in terms of healthfulness, so for many it is a question of balancing the benefits with the potential risks. Freshwater fish, she said, lack a strong and attractive image among consumers. This can be remedied with a coordinated approach by various aquaculture sectors and subsectors to marketing and promoting farmed fish. These strategies should highlight the benefits of eating fish in terms of the environment (less resource intensive production than any other animal protein) and of human health (a source of valuable minerals, vitamins, fats and protein). In addition to technical presentations, the workshop included interventions from representatives of 10 countries in the region, who provided an overview of

The WTO, Market Access, and Fish Trade workshop provided food for much thought among the participants. While the event was useful for all attendees, for representatives from countries seeking to boost their trade in fish and seafood with the EU or other countries, it provided concrete outputs which they could take home to discuss with their governments. Implementing these will hopefully bring them a small step further in their quest greater trade.

Regional workshop analyses strengths and weaknesses

Event concludes with recommendations to boost ďŹ sh trade The WTO, Market Access, and Fish Trade workshop was organised by EuroďŹ sh together with FAO, WTO, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Serbia, and the Serbian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The meeting was inaugurated by State Secretary Velimir StanojeviĂŠ, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management of Serbia with opening remarks by Mirjana MiĹĄcĚŒeviĂŠ, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, Victoria Chomo, Senior Fisheries and Aquaculture OfďŹ cer, Regional OfďŹ ce for Europe and Central Asia FAO REU, and Behnan Thomas, EuroďŹ sh. The meeting was held in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, on 19 and 20 June 2018 (on 21 June there was an excursion to a ďŹ sh processing facility) and was attended by some 60 participants

Velimir StanojeviĂŠ, State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management; Mirjana MiĹĄcĚŒeviĂŠ, Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Victoria Chomo, Senior Fisheries and Aquaculture Officer, Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia FAO REU from across the region. Apart from the technical presentations there were presentations from 10 countries (Serbia, Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Montenegro, Moldova, Macedonia, Turkey, and Ukraine). These were

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the national fish trade including its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. These were condensed into a series of recommendations that should ultimately contribute to strengthening the sector and increasing fish trade.

analysed using a SWOT model that led to a series of recommendations that, if implemented, could lead to improved food quality, the overall development of the ďŹ sheries and aquaculture sector, and higher exports.

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[ EVENTS ] European Sturgeon Conference highlights plight of Danube sturgeon

Joining forces to save the sturgeon Benedikt Mandel

Vienna played host to the European Sturgeon Conference on 9-10 July 2018. The event, jointly organised by Austria as part of its EU Presidency and the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR) was attended by about 50 representatives from national administrations, EU and international institutions, academia and NGOs, who discussed the conservation of sturgeon stocks in Europe and proposed ways to better manage the resource.

Participants at the European sturgeon conference represented a variety of stakeholders.

T

he overall objective of the conference was to raise awareness of the challenges facing sturgeon conservation and to set out a comprehensive action plan for sturgeon conservation and restoration in the Danube Basin, as well as across Europe.

The sturgeon, a “living fossil� Sturgeons are a unique species of fish whose origins can be traced back over 200 million years. Having undergone relatively little morphological change during this vast expanse of time, they

are a remarkable evolutionary success story: dinosaurs became extinct, yet sturgeons continue to thrive. Despite their longevity, today sturgeons are considered to be one of the most endangered species in the world. Just as in other parts of the world where endangered species such as rhinoceros and tigers need to be protected, it is equally important to ensure the sustainability of one of Europe’s most endangered species – the sturgeon. This unique fish is extremely sensitive to environmental conditions and is therefore considered to be a good indicator of a healthy river system.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) over 85 of sturgeon species are classified as being at risk of extinction, thereby making them more critically endangered than any other group of species. Threats to their survival are numerous, the most serious being over-exploitation and poaching (exacerbated by poor fishery management and insufficient legal enforcement of fishing bans) and migration routes blocked by dams. The loss or degradation of habitats, and pollution are also major problems that are a cause for serious concern.

A Danube-wide strategy for the sturgeon With their long reproductive cycles and extensive migratory patterns, sturgeons are extremely sensitive to environmental pressures, making them valuable indicators for healthy rivers. The ICPDR has long realised the importance of this unique fish and at a Danube Ministerial Conference in December 2016 the organisation declared sturgeons a flagship species. This was followed by an announcement adopting the ICPDR Sturgeon Strategy at the annual meeting in Vienna in December 2017.

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[ EVENTS ]

The beluga, or great sturgeon (Huso huso) is the most famous member of the species, primarily due to the caviar trade. The juvenile pictured can grow to a length of seven meters and live up to 118 years of age.

ICPDR chivvies countries in to doing more for the Danube

Protecting the Danube The International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River is an international organization consisting of 14 cooperating States and the European Union. Since its establishment in 1998, it has grown into one of the largest and most active international bodies engaged in river basin management in Europe. Its activities relate not only to the Danube River, but also the tributaries and ground water resources of the entire Danube River Basin. The ultimate goal of the ICPDR is to implement the Danube River Protection Convention, and make it a “livingâ€? instrument. Its mission is to promote and coordinate sustainable and equitable water management, including conservation, and improvement and rational use of waters for the beneďŹ t of the Danube River Basin countries and their people. The ICPDR pursues its mission by making recommendations for the improvement of water quality, developing mechanisms for ood and accident control, agreeing on standards for emissions and by assuring that these measures are reected in the Contracting Parties’ national legislations and are applied in their policies. The key messages of the European Sturgeon Conference can be accessed here: https://danubis.icpdr.org/document/18861 Read more here about sturgeons: http://icpdr.org/main/activities-projects/ sturgeons-danube-basin

The objective of this initiative is to create a strategy that will strengthen efforts to ensure the survival and recovery of sturgeons in the Danube river basin. The principal aims of the strategy are: – to raise awareness of the sturgeon’s plight – to promote existing and future projects, initiatives and EU Directives to enhance environmental conditions for the sturgeon – to develop solutions specific to the problems that the sturgeon is currently facing.

the plight of the sturgeon, using clear, simple everyday language. The annual Danube Day is a good example of this and it will play an important communication role with the slogan “Save our Danube Sturgeon�. A first follow-up step to promote the strategy and stimulate activities was the organization of a European Sturgeon Conference under the Austrian EU Presidency, which took place in July 2018 in Vienna. The event provided an opportunity to review the state-of-play and discuss concrete actions.

The strategy is part of an ongoing initiative to promote action to be taken both within and outside the mandate of the ICPDR. Cooperation with experts and stakeholders throughout Europe is considered a priority for the success of the strategy. One of the strands of the strategy is to promote public awareness of

Similar efforts currently being undertaken throughout Europe are beginning to show the first signs of success, indicating that there is yet hope for the sturgeon. The ICPDR’s Sturgeon Strategy is starting to bear fruit and this can only be good news for the long-term future of the Danube’s most iconic species.

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[ AQUACULTURE ] Algae and aquatic plants in global aquaculture

High-quality food and industrial raw material Anyone who sees algae only as the basis for Japanese miso soup or as a coating for sushi and temaki underestimates the importance of this important group of seafood organisms. Due to their colloidal and gelling properties, algae and algae products are contained in many more food and industrial products than the average consumer often suspects. Demand for these products is in the meantime so high that it can only be met through the targeted production of algae in aquaculture.

T

he term "algae" is the collective term for a large, diverse group of mainly photosynthetic organisms that are not necessarily closely related. The species spectrum ranges from unicellular microalgae species such as Chlorella and Spirulina algae to giant multicellular forms such as kelp, which in individual cases can grow up to 70 metres long. This diversity already explains why even among experts there is no generally accepted definition for algae. Some biologists also include cyanobacteria, which do not even have a real cell nucleus, as "blue-green algae" in this group. Algae lack structures such as roots or leaves which are typical of the majority of terrestrial plants. Although most algae contain chlorophyll and carry out photosynthesis there are also unicellular heterotrophic and even parasitic forms that are completely dependent on external energy sources. Marine algae contain large amounts of minerals and trace elements, especially iodine (one kilogram of algae contains as much iodine as ten cubic metres of seawater), important vitamins (including B12) and a small amount of high-quality fat which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. This alone puts some types of algae on a par with, or

Marine algae contain large amounts of minerals and trace elements, important vitamins (including B12) and high-quality fat, which is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids.

even superior to, other foods. In the 17th century it was also discovered that many red algae have strong gelling properties. This is due to the two gelatinous phycocolloids agar and carrageenan which have similar gelling properties to gelatine that is derived from animal raw materials. Agar-agar is obtained from about 40 red algae, mainly from species of the genera Gracilaria and Gelidium. Such agar-rich red algae are also often referred to as agarophytes. Species containing carrageenan are grouped

together under the term carrageenophytes. The food industry uses both substances as thickening and gelling agents, for example for canned meat, jams, cream dishes, soups and some dairy products (yoghurt). In the past, the red alga Chondrus crispus (Irish moss) was the main source of carrageenan. Today, however, it plays only a subordinate role because species of the genera Eucheuma and Kappaphycus are far more important. Brown algae have valuable ingredients

to offer, too, especially alginates (salts and esters of alginic acid), which due to their colloidal and gelling properties are used in the food, textile and chemical industries, in cosmetics and medicine (e.g. as adhesives in dentistry and surgery), in paper manufacture and in photography. The gelling power of some brown algae alginates is up to ten times stronger than that of potato starch. Few consumers would guess that industrially produced foods often contain substances that have

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[ AQUACULTURE ] Thickening and gelling agents based on algae E-Number

Name

Origin

Use

E 400

Alginic acid

Extract from brown algae

Puddings, soft drinks, ice cream

E 401 E 402 E 403

Sodium alginate Potassium alginate Ammonium alginate

Na-, K- und NH4-salt of alginic acid

Barbecue sauces, pre-treated semi-hard cheese, desserts, ice cream

E 404

Calcium alginate

Ca-salt of alginic acid

ArtiďŹ cial cream, ice cream

E 405

Propylene glycolalginate

Propylene glycol ester of alginic acid

Spice dressing, reďŹ ned cottage cheese, readymade salads

E 406

Agar-agar

From red algae

Frozen confectionery with raspberries

E 407

Carrageen

From red algae

Milkshakes, alcoholic beverages, baby food, cream spray, frozen confectionery

been extracted from algae. The EU list of authorised food additives (“E numbers�), which are used to regulate or stabilise the practical and nutritional value of processed foods, also contains some substances that are produced from algae. Like all additives, algae extracts also require official approval which is only granted if there are no health risks. For consumer information any additives used must be declared on the product label.

Algae for direct consumption or as food supplements In Asia, algae have been valued for many centuries as highquality, healthy food for human consumption. And demand has gradually risen. Japanese cuisine uses more than 20 types of algae

prepared in various ways ranging from traditional kombu, nori and wakame to “kanten� as agar-agar is called in Japan. On average, every Japanese today consumes a remarkable 4 kg of algae per year and demand is in the meantime so high that the country‘s own algae production is no longer sufficient so that considerable additional quantities have to be imported. Demand is also growing in other Asian countries, however, and this densely populated continent has become the most important market for algae and algae products.

also becoming more important among health-conscious Europeans. Many Far Eastern nutritional trends from sushi to dim sum play an important role here and they have increased acceptance especially among young consumers. Seasoning salts, mustard and ready meals are enriched and refined with algae powder, algae are found in pharmaceutical preparations and food supplements, and some people even eat them as salads. Algae rightly have a reputation for promoting health. Alginic acids can bind toxins in the human body and

help eliminate them. Fucoidan which is found mainly in various species of brown algae is said to strengthen immune defence, wakame is said to thin the blood, and nori algae, which are wrapped around sushi rolls, are said to have antibacterial effects. Slimming products, too, often contain algae or extracts of algae. One reason for this is that many algae have a high fibre content which stimulates metabolism. Certain substances from Laminaria seaweed (kombu) are said to bind cholesterol in the chyme (the fluid which passes from the stomach to the small intestine, consisting of gastric juices and partly digested food) and thus prevent it from being absorbed by the body in the intestines. And there’s no contradiction in saying that “thickeners� such as carrageenan, agar or alginates can help a person slim. They absorb water in the intestine and swell, thereby reducing the energy density (calorie content per unit of weight) of the food which leads to an earlier feeling of satiety.

Not so long ago, things looked quite different in Europe. Although algae were used in former times in some regions it was mostly only as animal feed, as fertilizer in agriculture, dried as fuel, or as filling material for mattresses. However, in the meantime algae are

Top ďŹ ve most important algae and aquatic plants (by volume) in 2015 Species/group

Scientific name

Volume (in t)

Eucheuma seaweed

Eucheuma spp.

10,463,539

Japanese kelp

Laminaria japonica

8,026,782

Warty Gracilaria Wakame Laver (Nori)

Gracilaria spp. Undaria pinnatiďŹ da Porphyra spp.

3,881,382 2,296,468 1,845,534 Source: FAO, Figis

Demand for algae is growing in Korea, Japan and other Asian countries. In some of these countries there are already attractive convenience products with a snack character.

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[ AQUACULTURE ] Of the nearly 40,000 macroalgae species known worldwide only about 40 to 50 species are used for aquaculture. The exact number is difficult to determine because the FAO production statistics contain unspecific groupings such as “Plantae aquaticae” (aquatic plants) and “Rhodophycea” (red algae) which do not allow conclusions to be drawn about the species actually recorded. However, as in the case of fish, crustaceans and shellfish, only a few species account for the bulk of aquaculture production of algae and aquatic plants. Total algae production in 2015 was 29.36 million tonnes of which the top five alone contributed 90.3%.

Algae cultures require relatively little effort Marine algae have been cultivated in Asia for centuries. The following factors are of key importance when selecting a location: ∑ Salt content: algae produced in aquaculture are usually highly marine species that do not grow or do not grow sufficiently at salinity levels below 30 per thousand. ∑ Temperature: many algae thrive best at 25 to 30°C, and over the course of the day the temperature should neither rise too high (e.g. at low tide) nor sink too low (e.g. at high tide); locations between the low tide line and offshore reefs are particularly suitable since they offer protection against excessive wave impact. ∑ Water movement: water movement transports nutrients that are necessary for growth of the algae so the current at the site should neither be too weak (too few nutrients) nor too strong (causing mechanical damage to algae). ∑ Bottom structure and vegetation: a muddy bottom

The floating raft method is used in water zones that are too deep for the fixed off-bottom line method. However, the current should not be too strong.

i­ndicates little water movement, a dark bottom absorbs the incident sunlight and thus worsens the light supply for the algae; the natural vegetation should not be too abundant on the site because it would “steal” nutrients from the algae cultures. ∑ Light conditions: algae need a lot of light to grow and even in clear water the light supply is often only optimal at a depth of 30 to 50 cm, which is why algae are usually cultivated directly below the water surface. ∑ Maintenance and care: algae cultures must be regularly freed from competing growth, poorly growing and dead algae must be removed, and algaeeating animals must be kept away from the cultures. Before a final decision is taken on site location a trial ­production is usually carried out over a period of several months. If the daily average growth rate of the algae

during this time is 3 to 5% the culture in that location can be considered worthwhile. Some sea urchin species and algaeeating fish can cause considerable damage to cultures (e.g. species of Siganidae (rabbitfishes) or Tetraodontidae (puffers). The phenomenon called “ice-ice” is also much feared. The name stems from the white colouring of certain areas of the affected

algae, where it then breaks apart. The causes of ice-ice are still controversial. Some believe it is a bacterial or viral disease, others blame it on physical stress or changing environmental conditions at the site. The cultivation of algae in a­ quaculture is usually carried out using one of two methods, the off-bottom line method and the floating raft method.

Algae are considered „slimming products“. Certain substances from Laminaria seaweed (kombu) are said to bind cholesterol and prevent it from being absorbed by the body in the intestines.

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[ AQUACULTURE ] drying by the toughness, tear resistance and flexibility of the product. If the algae are still too moist during storage mould can develop, but if they are too dry they can hardly be pressed into the bales that are customary in commerce with the technical means of the farmers.

Microalgae are a source of omega-3 fatty acids

The investment required for the establishment of algae farms is not very high which means that this form of aquaculture is often practised in poorer rural regions.

Off-bottom line method This method is suitable for the shallow water area below the low tide line, as long as it can still be reached on foot at low tide. To cultivate algae wooden poles are driven into the bottom 5 to 10 m apart and approx. 3 mm thick nylon lines or polypropylene ropes are drawn between them. They should be 20 to 30 cm from the bottom and so deep in the water that they do not fall dry at low tide. The algae seedlings are fastened to the ropes every 20 to 25 cm. Depending on the type of algae being cultivated they should have a certain minimum size at this time, for Laminaria (kombu) for example 50 to 150 g. After 6 to 8 weeks the kombu has increased its weight tenfold and can be harvested. This can be done either directly on site or by releasing the rope and removing the algae on land. Other types of algae that sprout again if parts of the plant are left on the rope can be harvested several times. Floating raft method This method is suitable for protected water areas with moderate currents that are too deep for the fixed off-bottom line method.

Here, the algae are cultivated on floating rafts which can be constructed in various ways. Usually bamboo frames measuring about 3 x 3 m are used. The lines or ropes are fixed parallel to each other about 15 to 20 cm apart. After the seedlings have been attached the structure is anchored 50 cm below the water surface. Buoys at the four corners of the frame keep it afloat, and heavy anchor stones on the bottom hold the structure in the desired position. Both culture systems are available in many forms and construction variants which are adapted to the possibilities and necessities of the location. Special care is required during harvesting and drying of the algae in order to obtain high-quality products. The algae must be free of sand and dirt. To achieve this they are stacked on screen grates or the entire line is hung up so that the algae can dry like laundry. After 2 to 3 days in the sun the algae have lost so much moisture that their weight has shrunk to a third. During drying, salt crystals escape from the algae and these must be removed (salt is a quality defect). Experienced farmers recognize the correct degree of

For a long time Spirulina was the only microalgae species (cyanobacteria, blue-green algae) among the most frequently produced algae and aquatic plants. Spirulina consists of individual cells which are arranged in long, corkscrew-like left- or right-hand twisted chains (diameter between 0.005 and 0.012 mm). Each cell in this spiral coil propagates through cell division so that the spiral becomes longer and longer. When the Spirulina coil reaches a length of about 0.5 mm, it breaks into several parts that continue to grow according to the same pattern. This produces a dense algae pulp in a relatively short time which can be easily strained, concentrated and then used. Spirulina algae have been used for food for centuries in Central and Eastern Africa (Lake Chad) and Central America (Lake Texcoco). Spirulina has a high nutritional value and contains lots of minerals and vitamins. Dried Spirulina algae have a relatively high protein content of between 55 and 67, depending on their origin and quality. Being a fresh water algae, however, it does not contain iodine. Also worth mentioning is the vitamin content, especially B12. Spirulina is produced in aquaculture in many countries and annual global production amounted to 89,524 tonnes in 2015. In the tropics, Spirulina is produced using very simple means

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even in poor villages. This algae is usually cultivated in concrete or plastic tanks measuring nearly 3 x 6 m and not deeper than 20 to 30 cm. The water is enriched with nutrients, adjusted to optimum pH values and inoculated with algae using a starter culture. Then, in a relatively short time, the algae develop into a mass which must be stirred regularly. The denser the algae pulp, the more often it has to be stirred. Several methods are used for harvesting. The simplest way is to fill the algae pulp into close-meshed gauze bags and then press out the water using pressure, for example by laying weights on top of the bags. The algae mass is then dried in the sun or with hot air until the algae have become a greenish powder. In the future, micro- and macroalgae are likely to become even more important because some species can replace not only fishmeal but also the scarce fish oil that is slowly becoming a bottleneck in the production of fish and crustaceans in aquaculture. In the medium term, algae concentrates are expected to replace up to one third of the omega 3-rich oil in fish feed. Evonik, a specialty chemicals company, and Royal DSM, a science-based company operating in the fields of health, food and materials, plan to invest 200 million US dollars in a plant for the industrial production of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA from natural marine algae. The plant at the Blair (Nebraska) site in the USA is scheduled to go into production in 2019 and expected to supply 15 per cent of the EPA and DHA requirements of the global salmon farming industry. The feed manufacturer Skretting is already using algae oil in salmon and trout feed in pilot trials. MK &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

Fishing and ďŹ sh farming in Latvia move in different directions The Latvian ďŹ sheries sector, a term that encompasses capture ďŹ shing, aquaculture, and ďŹ sh processing, has seen several changes over the last few years. While the proďŹ tability of the ďŹ shing industry has increased, the decline in the number of ďŹ shermen and the number of ďŹ shing companies has continued. The processing sector is still wrestling with the consequences of the Russian ban on imports, but individual companies have had success with ďŹ nding alternative markets for its products. Production from aquaculture has increased slightly as more companies have come on to the market.

T

he fisheries and aquaculture sector in Latvia includes a wide range of fish-related activities. This diversity is reflected at retailers where the display at the fish counter of a big supermarket can contain a staggering variety of smoked, marinated, fresh, and salted products to say nothing of the cans, jars, trays, vacuum- and modified atmosphere packaged fish and seafood on the shelves. Annual consumption of fish and seafood in Latvia at 26.3 kg per capita (according EUROSTAT and EUMOFA,2015) is higher that the EU average and is based on products manufactured from locally caught fish as well as on imported raw material.

Fishing sector has well-defined fleets Latvian fishers operating in marine waters are classified into three groups: coastal fishers with vessels up to 12 m in length (a few

exceed this length) and who fish no more than 20 m from the coast in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga; offshore fishermen who fish in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga and whose vessels typically measure between 12 m and 40 m; and finally the high seas fishing fleet which operates primarily in the areas of CECAF (Fishery Committee for the Eastern Central Atlantic), NAFO (Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization), and NEAFC (North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission). Vessels in this fleet segment are typically 40 m and above. Catches by the coastal fleet have hovered around 3,500 tonnes in total on average over the last five years. This is about 5 of the total (offshore + coastal) catch in the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea by the Latvian fleet. According to the EU fleet register there are currently some 600 active vessels in the Latvian fleet up to 12 m.

Latvian fishing fleet Fleet segment

Latvian quotas in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, tonnes Year

Herring

Sprat

Cod

Salmon*

2010

23,095

52,565

5,018

38,783

2011

22,569

39,949

5,715

32,965

2012

18,630

31,160

6,564

16,153

2013

18,956

34,583

5,983

14,335

2014

22,650

32,080

6,745

9,049

2015

25,404

29,548

4,967

12,644

2016

23,712

27,990

3,973

12,644

2017

22,023

36,107

2,838

12,644

2018

21,966

36,289

2,627

12,012

*individuals Source: Ministry of Agriculture.

These target a number of species, of which the most important in volume terms is Gulf of Riga herring which is 75-80 of the total. Coastal fishers catch this with trap nets in the period from April to July, when the fish move to the coast to spawn. Other important species are flatfish (flounder,

2015 Total

Tonnage, GT

turbot), salmon, and cod. Herring, cod, sprat, and salmon are regulated by quotas. Small quantities (about 50 tonnes) each of vimba, bream, smelt, eelpout and perch are also caught. A proportion of the smallest coastal vessels are used for sustenance fishing, that is, the fishers catch

2016 Capacity, kW

Total

Tonnage, GT

2017 Capacity, kW

Total

Tonnage, GT

Capacity, kW

Fishing fleet in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga:

63

7,103

18,403

57

6540

17091

55

6218

17067

Of which, trawlers 12-24 m

12

535

2,424

12

535

2424

11

331

2091

trawlers > 24 m

44

5,960

14,568

43

5854

14226

42

5736

14535

vessels using net as main gear > 24 m

7

608

1,411

2

151

441

2

151

441

Fishing fleet in coastal area High seas Total

612

735

4,442

610

733

4444

609

734

4460

11

16,838

20,455

12

21245

25607

11

20440

26115

686

24,676

43,300

679

28518

47142

675

27392

47642

Source: Ministry of Agriculture

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for self-consumption rather than for commercial purposes. However, over half the commercial fishers cannot manage economically on fishing alone and must hold a second job.

increased by 45 to 3,822 tonnes (just over 6 of the total catch from the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga), almost three quarters of which was herring. Some 10 of the national herring quota and 5 of the cod quota is reserved for the coastal fishery.

The Latvian coast is some 530 km long and coastal fishing vessels generally use passive or polyvalent gears to fish and the catch is intended for the local market. A fishing trip lasts usually less than 24 hours and is highly dependent on the weather. The national fishing regulations determine the number of static gears per coastal municipality, says Evalds Urtans, President of an association of coastal fishermen that represents some 70 of the approximately 200 active coastal fishing enterprises in Latvia. Some species targeted by coastal fishers are also caught with active gears, flounder for example with seine nets and cod with a specialised cod fish net. Altogether there are about 10 different types of static gears including pond nets, fyke nets, fish traps, and hooked lines. The fleet is an important source of employment particularly in small coastal communities. In 2016 total catches by the coastal fleet

Multiannual plan for cod and herring in the Baltic draws mixed reviews In 2016 a multiannual plan for cod herring and sprat in the Baltic Sea was introduced in an attempt to ensure harvests that allowed stocks to be restored and maintained above levels which give the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY). The plan also sought to minimise negative impacts on the ecosystem, to contribute to the elimination of discards and to the implementation of the landing obligation. Two years on, Normunds Riekstins, Director of the Fisheries Department, is somewhat circumspect about the plan’s achievements. “There were higher expectations of the plan at the time we were preparing it,� he says, “we do not see a big difference between the periods before and after the

Normunds Riekstins, Director of the Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture

plan was implemented.� The plan has been revised since it was implemented and thus has

not given the stability that the administration and the industry had hoped to see. Some of the

Catches in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, tonnes 2015

Total Cod

Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga

Coastal area

Total

60,007

2,626

62,633

94

2,998

2,904

Use of quota (%)

2017

Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga

Coastal area

Total

56571

3822

60393

Use of quota (%)

Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga

Coastal area

Total

63882

3499

67381

Use of quota (%)

55

2655

62

2717

65

2388

35

2423

77

22

0

1708/5

1708/5

17

0

1171/3

1171/3

18

25,266

98

23310

2801

26111

97

22899

1863

24762

100

30,501

97

28101

2

28103

100

35774

3

35777

98

124

2,096

not applicable

1729

194

1923

not applicable

1162

417

1579

not applicable

43

1,151

not applicable

504

41

545

not applicable

1079

143

1222

not applicable

365

617

not applicable

272

717

989

not applicable

580

1035

1615

not applicable

Salmon (pieces/t)

137/0.4

Baltic herring

23,278

1,988

Sprat

30,493

8

Flounder

1,972

Smelt

1,108 252

Other species

2016

1190/3.6 1327/4.0

Source: Ministry of Agriculture

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Catches in high-seas (Mauritania, Morocco, NEAFC and NAFO areas), tonnes 2015 Horse mackerel

6,879

Mackerel Sardinella

2016

2017

28,356

25,217

6,657

7,692

14,630

124

2,801

933

Sardine

412

2,941

2,989

RedďŹ sh

538

1,243

562

Other species Total

4,062

9,386

6,202

18,672

52,419

50,533

Source: Ministry of Agriculture

facts on the ground, for example, stocks moving from one area to another, are difficult to take into account when defining policy. In September at Baltfish, where the eight EU Member States surrounding the Baltic Sea discussed fisheries issues, this and other topics were debated in the hope of finding common ground. The European Commission has already published its proposals for the TACs for 2019, but Mr Riekstins feels the proposal for Eastern Baltic cod is so stringent that it is difficult to accept because of its socioeconomic impact. One alternative might be to close the fishery altogether, another would be to make smaller the reduction envisaged in the Commission’s proposal. With regard to the migration of Eastern Baltic cod to the Western Baltic, Mr Riekstins suggests that Latvian fishers, who normally do not fish in Western waters, could be permitted to catch a specific percentage there. These are only ideas however, he stresses, and will first have to be discussed at the Baltfish meeting. In any case, Latvian fishers generally do not venture into Western waters, but there is a system of quota swaps under which Latvian fishers can exchange quotas that are less interesting for them for quotas that are more lucrative.

Skinny cod continues to be a puzzle The Eastern Baltic cod has for some years now been small and skinny, a condition which scientists are striving to explain. Overfishing is not the cause, says Mr Riekstins, nor is it a drop in the food that cod preys on. There are other factors at play here, including perhaps climate change, parasites, or other as yet unknown influences. Didzis Ustups, Head of the Fish Resource Research Department at the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health, and Environment (BIOR) points to the quality of the cod liver which is also very low. All the countries around the Baltic are therefore collecting data about the occurrence of parasites on cod. During the big Baltic international trawl surveys that are carried out twice a year aimed at cod and flatfish, information about the condition of the cod liver is also collected. These surveys are coordinated by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and are used to gather information on fish stocks, fish health, and environmental parameters (temperature, salinity, zooplankton etc). The data from the surveys are used ICES to produce the scientific advice that forms the basis for the Total Allowable Catch that are decided at the European level for

the individual countries. Among its other obligations, the Fish Resource Research Department translates the scientific advice into more accessible language for the benefit of the ministry officials. But apparently not all cod are affected. According to Mr Urtans that cod caught near Liepaja or Klaipeda (in Lithuania) is sometimes in good shape. He wonders whether that can be attributed in part to the invasive round goby on which the cod feeds. Round goby is not popular for human consumption in Latvia but fishermen have found markets for this species in Romania, Bulgaria, and Ukraine and are even switching from their traditional targets such as herring to round goby. Last year they caught over 1,000 tonnes and are looking at ways to add greater value to the fish rather than just freezing it. In 2018 the catch is expected to exceed 1,500 tonnes.

New proposal for Control Regulation is popular in some quarters The Fisheries Control Regulation lays down the rules that ensure the EU Common Fisheries Policy is followed in practice. The control system is used to combat IUU fishing, to enable data collection, to monitor the flow of fisheries products through the supply chain, and to harmonise the application of rules and sanctions across the EU. The European Commission has now proposed a number of changes to the regulation to simplify and strengthen it and make it more coherent with the revised Common Fisheries Policy. In Latvia, as well as in other Member States, the changes to the regulation are currently being discussed among stakeholders. Among the refinements proposed is a more reliable and complete fisheries data

Didzis Ustups, Head of the Fish Resource Research Department at the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health, and Environment (BIOR)

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system, including fully digitised reporting of catches, applicable to all EU fishing vessels (including vessels below 12 metres), and an electronic tracking system for all vessels. Electronic monitoring of vessels below 12 m meets a mixed reception in Latvia. Inarijs Voits, the President of the Fishermen’s Association, which has 12 members with 67 of the national herring quota, 73 of the sprat, and 63 of the cod is enthusiastic about the idea saying some kind of vessel monitoring system needs to be installed on these vessels, though the technology used, whether with transponders on board or with mobile telephones, can be left to the owner. In other countries, he says, “if you are catching fish from

stocks regulated by quotas, you must have such a monitoring system on board.� According to him, the introduction of these systems led, in the space of a few years, to an increase in quotas as the incidence of IUU fishing decreased. By introducing this monitoring to the sub-12 m fleet very useful and accurate information can be provided to the control agencies, he adds. However, Mr Voits’ enthusiasm for monitoring on board coastal vessels should perhaps be viewed in perspective. Differences of opinion between offshore fishers and coastal fishers exist in several countries, as, for example, any meeting at the Baltic Sea Advisory Council will

reveal. Offshore fishermen often feel that coastal fishers are subject to less intrusive regulation and yet compete with offshore fishers for many of the same species. Mr Voits, who represents offshore fishers, questions how coastal fishers can survive, when they have on average just over three kilometre of coastline per company, which, in addition, is shared with recreational fishers. That is a very, very small territory for one company, he emphasises, and the income it generates must be correspondingly low. Perhaps they combine fishing with other jobs, he muses. Normunds Riekstins is, however, of the opinion that monitoring coastal fishing vessels will mean more bureaucracy for coastal fishers to deal with. Even if the monitoring is not with transponders that have to be installed on the vessels, but by using the fishers’ mobile telephones can pose complications as many of them are unlikely to be sophisticated users of technology. The proposed regulation will also encompass the marine recreational fishery, where the quantities caught are so minor that it would be an unnecessary burden for both the fishermen and the administration. Evalds Urtans, whose members will be the most affected, feels that the expenses associated with this control will be way higher than the results it achieves.

As fleet declines profitability of individual vessel climbs

Inarijs Voits, President of the Fishermen’s Association and Chairman of the National Fisheries Producer Organisation

The offshore fishery in the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea is the most important fishery in Latvia. Not only are the catches the largest of all the fleets, but in addition, the offshore fishery supplies valuable raw material to the Latvian processing industry. The latest edition of the Annual

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Economic Report (AER) on the EU Fishing Fleet (STECF 17-12, August 2018) reports that vessels in the offshore fishing fleet fall primarily into the 12 to 18 m segment, and operate mainly in the Gulf of Riga, or into the 24 to 40 m segment which is active in the Baltic Sea. The profitability of the offshore fleet increased in 2015 however this may partly reflect the steadily declining trend in the number of vessels in the fleet. Inarijs Voits, maintains his own statistics showing developments in the offshore fishery. Since 1999 the number of active vessels as well as the number of fishing companies has declined steadily. In 1999 there were 222 active vessels, a number that has fallen to 55 in 2018, a drop of 75. If this trend continues, he feels, by 2025 the fleet will comprise just over 40 vessels. Nor will they be new – if in 2018 the average age of the fleet was 31.4 years, he calculates that by 2025 it will reach 38 years. The decline in the number of vessels is matched by the reduction in the number of fishing companies. This fell by 79, from 122 in 1999 to 28 in 2018. Mr Voits is pleased however with the economic performance of the fleet which has improved over the last couple of years. His calculations show that the average catch per vessel in 2000 was 352 tonnes, which 17 years later had increased to 1,140 tonnes. Higher catches per vessel stem primarily from the decline in the number of vessels over the years. The higher catches per vessel mean that the owners have more money to invest in improving the quality of the fish. All the association’s pelagic trawlers have been supplied with insulated tubs and ice and many vessels have also started unloading the fish from the codend using pumps. The fish is pumped into tanks, mixed with &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

not a problem as the volume of bycatch is within the permitted limits. However, this fish is not available for human consumption so some other way of utilising it needs to be found and because the volume is small, finding a way to use it is not readily apparent.

250

200

150

100

50

0

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

Fish products, including canned ďŹ sh export Fish products, including canned ďŹ sh import Latvian ďŹ sh products trade balance

ice, and then put into the insulated tubs in the hold. The attention to temperature regulation and the lack of manual handling results in a very high-quality product. The increase in the catch per vessel is very welcome, but Mr Voits, who has 46 years of experience in the sector, foresees a future with just 10 or 11 companies and fewer than 30 vessels, each catching 2,000 tonnes of fish. This kind of consolidation is viewed with mixed feelings by the state as well as by society at large, says Mr Riekstins, but he concedes that not much can be done against it.

Proposal to reduce cod TAC next year causes alarm While the pelagic fishery is doing well, the cod fishery is another story. Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification has been suspended for the Latvia trawl Eastern Baltic cod fishery, which is a threat for the five companies that only fish cod (the remainder fish both cod and pelagics). The BSAC recommendation for an EU TAC in 2019 of 18,168 tonnes is 36 below the 2018 TAC of 28,388 tonnes and Mr Voits is concerned that the

extent of this decrease may drive some of these five companies to bankruptcy. Better than that would be for the EU to close the fishery and pay compensation to these five companies, he feels, though he acknowledges this will not be easy to achieve. Mr Riekstins too thinks that if the reductions in the quotas are so large then Latvia will probably support a closure of the fishery and compensation to be paid to the fishermen. The cod fishery has a small bycatch of undersized cod which should be landed under the terms of the landing obligation. This is

The improved economic profile of the pelagic fleet is borne out by the AER which shows that for the Baltic Fleet as a whole a slight increase in revenue in 2015 together with a decrease in operating costs (such as fuel) contributed to a modest net profit. Several of the reasons cited in the AER for the improved performance of the Baltic Sea fleet apply also to Latvia’s offshore fishing vessels. In addition to lower fuel costs and fewer vessels (thanks either to decommissioning schemes or to fishers stopping their activities), some stocks are being fished at MSY levels (such as the LFPO pelagic trawl sprat) and are thus at sustainable levels, and European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) support schemes aimed at increasing the value-added of products, all may have contributed to greater profitability. The latter has been a trend for some years now, says Normunds Riekstins, with fishers making use of the opportunities offered by the EMFF to build facilities that will help maintain the quality and freshness of the fish, to freeze and to sell it. Fishers are also establishing processing facilities themselves, for example, to freeze the fish, to salt it, or fillet it and thereby create a higher value product. Refrigerated trucks to transport products and renovation of piers and landing points are some of the other projects aimed at maintaining quality that have been carried out

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with the help of support from the EMFF.

New storage facility and fishmeal plant benefit from EMFF support The National Fisheries Producer Organisation, the board of which Mr Voits chairs, has built in January this year in Ventspils a 64 cubic m refrigerated storage facility with six rooms for storing frozen herring and sprat. The total investment was EUR3m of which EUR1.5 was support from the EMFF. After selling 3,000 tonnes the storage currently holds 4,700 tonnes of product. Each member of the PO has the right to store fish that is frozen by the individual company in the facility. Before the facility was built the PO was forced to rent commercial storage at different locations around the country. Having one facility that meets all the PO’s needs has meant greater convenience and a substantial saving in costs. Mr Voits reckons turnover will be about 6,000 tonnes a year. The PO has built a fishmeal and also a fish oil factory some 30 km from Ventspils which is expected to start operation in December this year. The building is ready, and the machinery was installed in September. The fishmeal factory will be the latest of several such plants in the Baltic, but Mr Voits says that it is necessary considering the challenges faced by his members to export the fish as well as to sell it to the Latvian processing industry. The processing sector is a shadow of its former self. Inarijs Voits recalls a time when the processing industry exported 102 thousand tonnes of products, today it has reduced to a quarter of that. The

number of companies has fallen as markets shrink and costs, particularly those of labour, rise. The continued closure of the Russian market has hit the sector hard, says Mr Riekstins. At the same time the Russian market today is different from what is was a decade ago. Devaluation of the rouble has made foreign products too expensive for all but a small fraction of the population. Canneries in Latvia are therefore suffering from over-capacity and are working very hard to find markets in other parts of the world and have had some success in selling to France, Japan, USA and the Middle East. They are also exploring new product possibilities designing new products and adapting old ones for these new markets. These developments in the canning sector made it imperative for the PO to complete the fishmeal and fish oil plant and to start production as soon as possible this year so that members could sell their fish to the PO if the processing industry could not take it. Ultimately, the question is where the fish can fetch the best price – from a processor or from the fishmeal factory. Mr Voits thinks the processing sector will suffer also in the future from labour and market issues, which is likely to have an impact on its ability to pay for raw material and, as a result, he expects to be able to offer fishermen a better price for their fish than the processing industry. The factory will process some 12,000 tonnes of raw material, both waste from the processing industry as well as lower quality sprats and herring that are typical of the summer months. This quantity is part of the fleet’s catches for which the fishermen

have no market. By converting it into fishmeal the PO should be able to export it to, for example, China. Although the administration would like to see the fishmeal factory being used by all the three Latvian POs, this is unlikely to happen anytime soon as one of the other POs is building its own plant. This will be the last fishmeal plant to be supported by the EMFF as the government in consultation with the sector has decided that no further support should go to building new fishmeal facilities. Support from the EMFF has been critical to the development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Latvia and in the 20212027 period the administration would certainly like to see a continuation of some of the opportunities offered by the fund. We would like the support that the fund provides not only for fishing, but also for aquaculture and processing to continue. However, there is talk of changing the support from grants to other financial instruments, where the capital is repaid, which Latvia is not happy with. For the sector this support is very important, says Mr Riekstins, as it still faces a number of challenges and if it were to change from grants to loans I feel the industry would be reluctant to make use of it.

Lack of young people in the fisheries sector is a threat One issue confronting the sector and for which no solution seems to be in sight is that of the lack of young people in the industry. Mr Voits says young people are not willing to work in the fishing or processing industries on

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account of the hard work, the relatively low salaries, and, with regard to the fishing, the lack of prospects. Today the average age of fishermen is about 54 years and without young blood joining the industry the long-term outlook is bleak. This is also one of the reasons that the number of vessels and the number of companies has been declining – there is no one to take over. Normunds Riekstins adds that the constantly diminishing of cod quotas also act as a detriment to young people who might otherwise be interested in fishing. It could lead to the complete loss of this segment, he fears, as existing fishers leave it and new ones do not enter the trade. He points to different ways of interesting young people in the fisheries sector, for example, by promoting it in schools, and by staging seminars, events, conferences etc. These are organised by the Fisheries Network, a part of the Rural and Agricultural Consultation Centre which falls under the Ministry of Agriculture and is supported by the EMFF. In connection with the 100 years anniversary of Latvia as a Republic, there will be an event in Riga along the Daugava river highlighting rural areas coming to the city. As part of the event there will be a special section highlighting fisheries, again organised by the Rural and Agricultural Consultation Centre, which will inform school children and young people about the fisheries and aquaculture sectors through hands-on activities. But the underlying problem of young people getting access to quotas remains. Even if they are interested in a career in fishing, unless they inherit or can afford to buy quotas they will not be able to fish.

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Tome hatchery is a part of the national scientiďŹ c institute

Breeding ďŹ sh for restocking purposes BIOR, the Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health, and Environment, can trace its history back to the 1940s. Since then the institute has been through several rounds of restructuring resulting today in a national research centre in the ďŹ elds of public and environmental health as well as food, ďŹ sheries, and veterinary medicine. The institute is an acknowledged leader in the Baltic region with excellent theoretical and applied research capabilities within these ďŹ elds and is also the National Reference Laboratory for state monitoring programmes.

B

roadly speaking, in the fisheries and aquaculture field BIOR consists of a department of research into fish resources, and the fishfarm Tome. The Fish Resource Research Department is responsible for studying fish stocks in Latvian waters in the Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Riga, as well as in inland waters, to ensure that they are used sustainably. The department contributes to the information on stocks regulated by European legislation that provides a scientific basis for decisions regarding annual total allowable catches (TAC) in the EU. It also monitors the condition of stocks that are not regulated at the European level evaluating the influence of commercial fishing, angling, and of the environment. The data

on fish stocks collected by the institute are part of the national programme for the collection of fisheries data for which the institute is responsible. In addition to this biological research the department also carries out economic analyses of the fishing fleet, fish processing industry, and the aquaculture sector.

New centre for training fish farm staff is service to aquaculture industry The fish farm Tome is primarily a hatchery and on-growing facility for several fish species that, once they reach a certain size, are released into the wild. In early 2016 Tome established an Aquaculture Research and Education Centre where courses, and

One of the pilot recirculation systems at the Aquaculture Research and Education Centre, part of the Tome hatchery.

seminars are organised to give theoretical and practical training to people, both experienced and otherwise, working on aquaculture farms. Marcis Ringis, who is responsible for the day to day running of the centre, says that as far as he knows there are no institutions of higher education that provide such training, so the centre is offering a useful service to the aquaculture industry. The centre currently has four employees and well-equipped facilities for conducting training programmes, a few rooms where students or others can overnight, and experimental recirculation systems, where pilot studies are being carried out. The centre is working with other institutes both within Latvia and outside to bring external experts to teach or

otherwise contribute to the educational programmes that the centre is conducting. The commercial aquaculture industry in Latvia is focused on freshwater species and most of the training at the Aquaculture Research and Education Centre is connected with these. However, as Didzis Ustups points out, government hatcheries rear a large number of the anadromous marine species, salmon and sea trout, for release into the local rivers, so there is a vast body of knowledge concerned with the initial breeding stages of these species too. In addition, there is currently a project on rope farming of blue mussels at a site between Liepaja and Ventspils on the western coast. The project

The Tome hatchery is the biggest in a network of five state-owned hatcheries that are used to breed fish for restocking.

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Releases from all hatcheries in 2016 in thousands of ďŹ sh Brown trout Burbot Grayling Pike Pike-perch River lamprey

60 530 30 1507 1,067 10,786

Salmon

709

Sea trout

422

Vimba

448

WhiteďŹ sh

107 Fisheries Department, Ministry of Agriculture

is exploring both the possibility of farming blue mussels for commercial purposes but is also looking at producing mussels for environmental purposes to filter the water of nutrients and reduce eutrophication. The centre is running two pilot recirculation systems one for cold water species and the other for warm water species. Trials are currently being carried out with burbot and pike-perch. The latter in particular is a very interesting species and the centre is keen to produce fingerlings that can be on-grown on a farm. The centre is working together with HAKI, a research institute in Hungary, on the cultivation of pike-perch, as they too have expertise with this species, which can grow in water from 22 to 26 degrees C. The centre is also conducting trials with carp varieties that are being conducted on fish farms. These trials are now in their third year and the idea is to show fish farmers how they can get better results. In this specific instance the trials are to show farmers how to improve growth rates and also how to protect the fish from predatory birds. Another project that is currently running is one to determine the

effects of a disinfectant on a biofilter. These substances are often used to disinfect fish that are infested with parasites, but they can also have a negative impact on the organisms in the biofilter of a recirculation aquaculture system. The project intends to show whether or how much of a dose of disinfectant a biofilter can tolerate under certain conditions. While sea lice are a well-known pest on salmon, similar parasites are also found on freshwater fish, says Mr Zingis, such as rainbow trout and occasionally carp. In addition, the centre conducts tests on fish feeds at the behest of fish farmers to establish how effective they are and how they can best be used. Among the facilities is also a small laboratory equipped with microscopes and other equipment that is mainly used by students for testing the water and for parasites. For more complex tests samples are taken and sent to the BIOR campus in Riga.

fry, and smolts of salmon and sea trout as well as eggs, larvae, and fry of other species. Each autumn workers at the hatchery work together with fishermen to collect spawners from the river Daugava. The eggs and milt are stripped from the fish, the eggs fertilised, and then placed in the hatchery to start the cycle. Once they reach a certain size the fish are released in to rivers and their migration is analysed and the intensity of their return is monitored. A reproduction programme measures smoltification of salmon and sea trout to determine the best time of release into the wild. Tome is the oldest hatchery in Latvia dating from 1929 and was set up to compensate for a power station that was built in 1935 on the neighbouring Daugava river. It is one of a network of five hatcheries. The other four (Dole, Pelci, Karli, and Brasla, which is a subunit of Karli) were built in other river basins and restock them. Lampreys, rainbow trout, whitefish, pike, sturgeon, vimba, brown trout, and pike-perch

Hatchery was built to compensate for a power plant that blocked migration of salmonids The main activity at Tome is the production of eggs, larvae,

Ivars Putvikis, Director of the Tome hatchery.

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are some of the other species that are bred at the hatcheries. Inland waters support a commercial fishery as well as angling, says Didzis Ustups, and fishermen target the fish that have been released. Catches of salmon and sea trout in the last years show an increasing trend with catches of sea trout increasing particularly in the coastal fishery. Salmon on the other hand after being released can swim all around the Baltic, so if the intention is to develop the coastal fishery then releasing sea trout is more useful, says Dr Ustups. The hatchery is currently holding mainly young salmon in various stages – larvae, fry, and juveniles, which are usually released when they reach 30-35 g in weight. The fish are raised on artificial feed, but they do not seem to have trouble adapting to natural feed when they are released. Mr Putvikis, the Director of the facility, has observed that within 10 minutes of being released the juveniles are snapping after mosquitoes and other prey. Mortality

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Two species of sturgeon are reared at Tome, bester and Atlantic sturgeon.

rates of the fish after release are currently unknown, says Ivars Putvikis, but we are doing everything possible to reduce it! This includes making the releases at night, acclimatising the fish

to the river by first submerging them into the water in a net, and then releasing them in the middle of the night to reduce the threat of seagulls and other avian predators.

The laboratory at the Aquaculture Research and Education Centre is used for simple procedures. More complex analyses are done at the BIOR laboratories in Riga.

Fish from the hatchery travel to Poland and Sweden before returning to breed To identify the fish the adipose fins are clipped so that when they return it is easy to tell whether the fish in question is wild or reared in a hatchery. The hatchery also uses T-bars to tag the fish with information and which should then be returned to the hatchery when the fish is caught. Tagged fish have been found in Polish and Swedish waters before returning to the river in which they were released. In the Daugava river the salmon are all reared, but in the Gauja and Venta rivers the salmon populations are a mix of wild and farmed salmon. ICES, the International Council for

the Exploration of the Sea, says Latvia has nine wild salmon rivers, the most important of which is the Salaca, which drains into the Gulf of Riga. The whole purpose of the activity is to maintain the salmon stock in the Daugava river, says Dr Ustups. Without it the stock would not survive due to the presence of hydroelectric power stations on the river. The network of hatcheries performs an invaluable function in maintaining stocks of different species of fish for the benefit of the environment as well as of fishermen and anglers. Salmon from the Daugava also plays another role. It has been used to restock rivers in Poland, Germany and will now be tried in Estonia thus adding a symbolic link to the ties that bind Baltic States together.

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Gamma-A adapts to the demands of new clients

Greater complexity characterises markets today Smoked and canned Riga sprats are one of the best-know seafood products to come out of Latvia. To be sure they were most famous in Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union, but now manufacturers are successfully introducing the product to markets that have hitherto not been exposed to them.

S

prats are synonymous with Riga and the Latvian canning industry. Smoked Riga sprats in oil are a delicacy that is still highly prized in many Eastern European and Central Asian countries, where a taste for them was developed during Soviet times. The popularity of the product in these parts of the world was a boon for the canning industry in the years after independence when canned sprat manufacturers could count on a ready market for their products. In some ways this sowed the seeds for the restructuring in the sector, when some of the biggest individual markets (Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus) closed down in 2014 as a result of political differences between Russia and the EU. Total exports of canned fish to these three countries slumped

from EUR37m in 2012 to virtually nil in 2016. On the other hand, the diaspora from post-Soviet Union countries provides a ready market for Riga sprats. The company is developing rapidly in countries like the US that have large populations originating in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. American retailers carry these products as they are popular with these ethnic groups. In addition, the exports are going to Canada, Columbia, Scandinavia, Africa, the Middle East, Japan, Taiwan, China, Australia and New Zealand.

Glass jars and cans with transparent lids are trending The result has been a massive consolidation in the industry with

Igors Puzs, Senior Export Manager at Gamma-A.

the number of canneries shrinking dramatically. Of the ten or so that are left many had realised the risk of putting all their eggs in one basket and had begun diversifying into other products, and new

markets, and different packaging already before 2014. The company Gamma-A was established in 1995 and has been a regular exhibitor and visitor at international seafood trade fairs for a decade,

Smoked sprats being carefully placed in jars. The final product looks as pictured on the right and is very popular in many markets.

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Sprats are threaded on to a spoke and placed in a frame. Several frames are arranged on a trolley which goes in to the smoking unit.

where it has been seeking new partners and customers for its products. The company specialises in sprats which it fishes with its own fleet of vessels in the Baltic Sea. Owning the vessels enables it to control the quality of its products at each step in the production chain from the raw material to the end result. Igors Puzs, the senior export manager explains that the company is currently packaging its products in mainly three receptacles, glass jars, aluminium cans, and cans made from tin plate. The tin plate cans are made by the company itself at a special production unit where coiled steel is cut and shaped. Tin plate is steel coated with tin and Gamma-A also uses lithography to print labels, brands, product information etc. on the can. The aluminium cans on the other hand are produced in other parts

Smoked sprats just removed from the smoking unit. The smoking is gentle which explains the silvery colour of the fish.

of Europe and are imported. Because the volumes of aluminium used today in our factory are relatively modest it is not viable to invest in aluminium can making facilities, says Mr Puzs. Aluminium cans and those made from steel have other differences too. Although both are excellent packaging materials resistant to the acidic properties of foods and giving the can contents a long shelf life, steel tends to be slightly heavier and more robust. On the other hand, aluminium is easier to recycle. But ultimately says Mr Puzs consumers in some countries are used to using aluminium cans and are unlikely to want to change. What is interesting for them is the glass jars, he adds. The company started using glass jars eight or nine years ago when another product line failed to take off and all the glass jars from that line either had to be used for

packaging fish or be discarded. In a somewhat unexpected development the jars proved to very popular in all the countries, where they have been introduced. It is not hard to see why. The jars give a good view of the attractively arranged product within, which is critical as consumers eat with their eyes first! Both the lid and the sides of the jar offer a convenient surface that can be printed on.

Riga Gold is joined by Riga Silver The company uses both fresh and frozen raw material. The boats land the fresh fish which is then processed immediately, but sometimes when the weather is unstable the vessels cannot go out and then frozen fish is used in the production. However, the average consumer is unlikely to be able to tell whether the raw

material is the one or the other. The processing operation is the same whether the fish is fresh or frozen. The latter goes through an additional step at the start to thaw it. The fish is then threaded onto spokes which are arranged on a trolley which then goes through a smoking unit. The smoking process is typically one and a half hours – it varies slightly depending on the size and fat content of the fish. The main production is smoked sprats, but since it has been exploring new markets the company has also had to adapt its production. Not all countries have a tradition of eating smoked fish, in some it is a niche product rather than a product that is consumed daily, says Mr Puzs, so we have also begun drying the fish to give a silver product rather than the golden colour that emerges when the fish is smoked. In fact, Riga Gold, Gamma-A’s best-known brand, alludes to the golden colour of the smoked sprat. Today the company also processes other species including mackerel, sardines, saury, and tuna, but sprats are the main product and the species with which the company has the most knowledge and expertise. Today the company catches all the sprats it needs with its own vessels. In the past when it had three processing plants operating it would need to supplement its catches with purchases from other fishing companies. Today, however, there are two plants in operation. Most of the fish that the company’s fleet catches lands in Kurzeme or the neighbouring ports of Ventspils or Liepaja and is then transported to the factory in Riga or the plant in Roja, a couple of hours away. The fleet comprises two kinds of vessels, the Baltica which has a capacity of about 30 tonnes, and a smaller one of about 10 tonnes

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Processing sprats is a labour-intensive process.

which is used mainly in the Gulf of Riga. The fish from the Gulf is almost all Baltic herring rather than sprat, but that too is used in the company’s production. In the peak catching season from November to March, when the water is cold and the fish is of the best quality with a high fat content, part of the catch will be frozen to ensure the availability of high quality raw material at times when the vessels cannot go out to fish due to weather conditions or when it is outside the fishing season. This frozen raw material is kept in a modern cold store in Kurzeme owned by a producer organisation of which Gamma-A is a member. The fishing season has a bearing not only on the fat content, but also on the contents of the guts. The fish is smoked and canned whole without first removing the guts, which is another reason that raw material caught in winter is more suitable than that caught at other times of the year. The guts and their contents

are less in winter, says Mr Puzs, which also adds to the quality.

Sprats and herring are the main smoked products To smoke the sprats Gamma-A uses traditional wood smoke. Locally sourced alder wood is chopped up into chips which are placed damp into the smoking unit to generate the smoke. We do not use any liquids or other methods of smoking says Mr Puzs and the process is carefully monitored to ensure the level of potentially harmful chemicals such as benzopyrene is kept within legal limits. It is only sprats and herring that are smoked, the other species that are processed at the factory are canned fresh with various sauces. Once the fish is smoked it is placed in cans or jars and salt is added along with oil or a sauce. Adding salt at this stage allows for very precise dosing and the salt content can be indicated very accurately on the label. In

contrast, when smoking other fish the salt is usually added before the smoking process. The cans or jars are sealed and then placed in autoclaves where they are subject to high temperatures and pressure to sterilise the product. In the past the company sold huge volumes of its products to a single customer, for example, in Russia. Today, that has changed. The customers are more numerous,

Gamma-A Ltd Traleru str. 30 Riga LV-1030 Latvia Tel.: +371 6 7615142 Fax: +371 6 7353889 info@gamma-a.lv www.gamma-a.lv Senior export manager: Igors Puzs Technologist: Andis Zviedris

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but the volumes are smaller. Each client has his own product and packaging specifications, and Gamma-A has had to get used to this new and highly demanding business environment, where a shipment to the same client will often contain small quantities of different kinds of cans or jars. Mr Puzs concedes it is not easy but is optimistic – what does not kill us can only make us stronger, he says.

Vessels: 8 Packaging: Cans, jars Species: Sprats, herring, saury, mackerel, sardines, tuna Products: Smoked sprats and herring in different oils/ sauces; other species canned in different sauces Markets: About 40 countries in North and South America, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia, and Oceana.

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Hanters trades in block frozen pelagics and salted sprats

Value-addition is the way to better earnings The company Hanters based in Liepaja is involved essentially in two activities. It has two ďŹ shing vessels which target sprat and herring in the Baltic Sea and it processes this ďŹ sh into frozen blocks or salted ďŹ sh.

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he fishing fleet in Latvia has been downsizing regularly over the past couple of decades as catches have fluctuated up and down while costs have only moved in one direction. These are among the factors that have contributed to the decline in the number of fishing vessels and companies in the sector. This development has a positive side to it however. With fewer vessels to divide the catch between, those that are left are catching more fish and becoming more profitable.

the catch might be suitable for salting. Natalija Lilienfelde, the director, says that it would not be before October that fish suitable for freezing can be caught. The lower quality fish caught in summer can be used to be made into animal feed, but earnings on this product are too low to make the fishery economically viable. Of course, another reason is that the company has a limited quota and would like to use it to catch the best quality fish for which it can get the best price rather than fish of lower value.

Fish caught in summer is The frozen blocks are typically best used as animal feed sold to canneries, who thaw the In Latvia Hanters is one of the approximately 25 fishing companies left in the sector that is still active. The company’s two 25 m vessels catch sprat and herring in the Baltic Sea with trawls, an activity that has been ongoing since 1996. The fish is then either frozen into 10 kg blocks or salted in plastic tubs. The sprat and herring fishery is seasonal, starting at the beginning of September. During the summer months it is possible to catch, but due to the warmer water, the fish is of poor quality with less fat and softer flesh making it prone to damage when it is caught. This year the company was planning a trial fishery already at the end of August to see whether

fish and process it into cans. This could be companies in Latvia, but Hanters’ primary markets are in Ukraine and Moldova for this product. Since the Russian ban on imports from the EU in 2014 the company has not been able to sell to Russia or the other two countries, Kazakhstan and Belarus, that are in a customs union with Russia. This was difficult for Hanters as like for many other Latvian companies in the fisheries sector, Russia was an important market for its products. However, says Julija Rozhkova, the sales manager, every cloud has a silver lining, and when Russia shut down we increased our efforts on the Latvian market. Latvian canneries, many of which were also dependent on

Natalija Lilienfelde, Director, and Julija Rozhkova, Sales Manager of Hanters, a sprat fishing company that processes the catch in to block frozen and salted sprats.

the Russian market, have now found customers in other parts of the world including Japan, Israel, and the United States, and this has proved also to be beneficial to their suppliers.

Salted sprats are appreciated more in the former USSR The volumes of salted sprat that are produced are relatively minor in relation to the frozen product. Over the latest spring-summer season Ms Lilienfelde says that the company manufactured about 1,500 tonnes of frozen fish, but only 200 tonnes of salted sprats. This is because the company has only been manufacturing the product for the last three years.

Finding markets and building a reputation take time particularly when a similar product is being produced by several companies just across the border in Estonia. The market for salted sprats exists mainly in the countries of the former Soviet Union and its neighbours, where the taste is well known and appreciated. All producers have to therefore compete for the same group of consumers. In western European countries it is generally unknown. Producing salted sprats is also an intricate procedure that calls for a lot of experience if it is to be done well. It is like a sensitive child, says Ms Rozhkova, that needs special care and attention if it is to turn out well in the end. Ms Lilienfelde is closely involved

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At the processing facility sprats are frozen into blocks for customers in Latvia, Ukraine, and Moldova.

in the manufacturing process as she has a background as a food technologist and thus has a professional interest in how to achieve the best product.

Separating sprat from herring for a higher value product This perhaps begs the question of why the company decided to manufacture salted sprats in the first place? Hanters is primarily a fishing company. Dealing in fresh or even frozen fish is financially not as rewarding compared to trading in fish that has more value addition. The salted fish is intended to add a value-added

product to the company’s portfolio, says Ms Lilienfelde. Another prerequisite for the more valuable product is that it is not a mix of sprat and herring. This is not often an issue as typically sprat is fished during the day and herring at night. However, if there is a large proportion of herring in the catch it can be sorted to separate the two species. Usually however the fraction of herring in the catch is very minor, and besides, says Ms Lilienfelde, herring in the Baltic Sea has been getting smaller and smaller, which further obviates the need for sorting in case there is a mix of the two species in the catch. In 2018 the company has a quota of 2,300 tonnes of sprat and

400 tonnes of herring. Most years, all the quota is fished. In fact, if the quality of the fish is very good, then Hanters will try and obtain additional quota from another fishing company, if it is not fished out. The National Fishing Manufacturers Association (Biedriba NZRO), a producer organisation, with which Hanters cooperates helped to build the factory for fish salting. In turn, Hanters closely cooperates with the producer company Silverfish, so that the buckets display the name Silverfish as the distributor of salted sprat. The salted sprats are sold in 5 kg buckets to companies

that then repack them in smaller packages for the retail sector. Production of the salted sprats starts with the preparation of a mixture of salt and a conserving agent. This allows the fish to mature for three months without spoiling. The fish is delivered by truck to the factory and is mixed with the salt by hand. The salted fish is then placed in buckets in refrigerated chambers and could be kept for a maximum of three months. The fish can be kept for longer, but this would call for a higher percentage of salt in the product. For a three-month maturity the level of salt used is 8-10 as this is what is preferred by the company’s customers.

Replacing twjo vessels with one may lead to greater efficiencies The company is toying with the idea of replacing its two vessels with a single one. Either by selling one of the existing vessels or by selling both and purchasing another. A single vessel would have lower costs than two vessels and it would be better utilised as it would spend more time at sea to fish the same quota which is currently split over two vessels. However, these are currently only ideas and it will be some time before they are realised.

Hanters Ltd Vanes Street 21A Liepaja LV-3405 Latvia Tel.: +371 29421161 Fax: +371 63425139 info@hanters.eu www.hanters.eu Machines stand unattended as processing slows down in summer when catches of high quality raw material is not possible due to the higher temperature of the water.

Director: Natalija Lilienfelde Sales manager: Julija Rozhkova

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Quota: 2,300 tonnes sprat, 400 tonnes herring Vessels: Two 25 m trawlers Products: Frozen ďŹ sh (1,000 – 1,500 tonnes); salted sprat (200 tonnes) Markets: Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia Employees: 6 (per vessel); 6 (for processing)

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Karavela can once again export to Russia

Former market has changed in many ways Janis Endele, Marketing Director in the canning company Karavela reckons that the ban by Russia on Latvian canned ďŹ sh was as much a decision to retaliate against EU sanctions as an emotional response to what he considers unnecessary slights inicted by the Latvians. His company is the only ďŹ sh cannery that since the end of last year has been allowed once again to export its products to Russia after a four-year hiatus.

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uring that period the company has focused on breaking into markets in other countries, mainly in the EU, but also in the United States, and Asia. These attempts have been aided by the EMFF which has supported promotion activities for Latvian products on other markets, such as attendance at trade fairs.

Restarting exports is no cakewalk The approval to restart exports to Russia came as a surprise, he says, however for the first three months we could not send anything there as we had prior commitments to customers in the EU. Instead the company spent this time familiarising itself with the new rules and regulations that had come into force since the ban was imposed in 2014. In April the first shipment was made, but the volumes so far have been very small. Over the next months more activities are planned and in the middle of September the company will also attend a trade fair in Russia. However, Russia has been a tumultuous market for the company with currency crises in 1998, 2008, and 2014-16 and the ban on imports in 2014. This has made Mr Endele and his partner in the company, Andris Bite, wary of investing too

much in to Russia-focused activities. Things can change from one day to the next, he says, and when the environment is so unpredictable one has to be cautious. In addition, the domestic canned fish industry in Russia has increased in size and there are a few facilities producing very highquality products. In Latvia at the same time production costs have increased in particular those of labour which have doubled over the last five years and which are a major component of the canned sprat production. As the only Latvian canning company that is currently permitted to export to Russia, Karavela can choose its partners there. As a Latvian company it also has certain advantages over Russian firms making similar smoked sprats. The experience in this kind of production, the fresh raw material, the quality of which is improving all the time as the fishermen implement measures to preserve the quality, the fact of having sold to demanding western European markets, all give Karavela a lead. Moreover, the ban also suspended supplies of frozen Latvian sprat to Russian processors, so they had to rely on Russian vessels for the raw material. These would then have to start implementing the same kind of quality measures their

Janis Endele, Marketing Director in Karavela, keeps a record of all the trade fairs he has attended. The effort has resulted in customers in many parts of the world.

Latvian counterparts are already very familiar with and this will take time.

The Russian market has changed in many respects Four years ago, spending power in Russia was roughly comparable to what it was in parts of Europe. Since then however the collapse of the rouble has made imported products vastly more expensive. Mr Endele recalls how in 2014 a big supermarket on a Friday evening had 50 check-out counters and the average wait was 20 minutes, while four years later

the number of counters had fallen to 20, shopping trolleys are emptier, and shelves are filled with value products. In other words, the market has changed. If four years ago the Latvian industry was selling 100m cans of smoked sprats to Russia, today Mr Endele estimates it would not be more than 5m cans. The product is premium, the price is higher, and there are fewer who can afford it, he explains. This also contributes to the company’s reluctance to invest heavily in Russia. While Karavela and some of the other companies in Latvia are doing relatively well the

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Karavela realised in time that dependence on a single market was a risky proposition. Today its markets are diversified with no more than 10% exposure to any single client.

canning industry in general is going through a wrenching period of change. From 24 factories four years ago, today there are perhaps six or seven, says Mr Endele. The loss of markets, increased labour and other costs, the need to reinvent old products, and create new ones are among the factors that have forced a restructuring in the canning industry. While new markets show potential, some, Japan, for example, are growing too slowly in terms of volumes. If a company does not have the volumes it cannot cover its costs. And these costs are constantly increasing. Companies need laboratories, quality control systems, and certification before they can operate on international markets. Certification companies, for example, now want to introduce unscheduled visits to audit a company’s facilities. This will add to the expense of operating a factory. A company may be able to absorb these losses for a while, but at some point will run out of funding if volumes do not develop fast enough. The company produces 6m cans a month with 240 employees, while other

worked well until the eastern market collapsed, which pushed the company into focusing its efforts on the west. The realignment included a new department for research and development that worked on inventing and refining new products for western customers, marketing and promotion efforts for western countries, exploring the potential in countries in other parts of the world among other initiatives. Little by little these moves paid off and today the company has the capacity in terms of sales, R&D, and quality control to satisfy its existing customers as well as take on new projects.

companies that focus on sprats produce perhaps 800,000 cans a month with 200 staff.

Foresight, planning, and some luck lie behind company’s success Among the reasons Karavela has done well is because it historically has processed Atlantic fish, while smoked sprats, the mainstay of the industry has been processed by several companies. This compelled Karavela to look for other markets, other products, and ways to contain costs long before other companies realised that depending on a single product and market was highly risky. The company also happened to be at the right place at the right time, for example, when it stepped into the Scandinavian market to fill up a gap left by another producer of canned fish that had pulled out. For a while, sales to western markets covered the companies fixed costs while sales to eastern markets, and to countries where sales were modest, created the profits. This arrangement, although not comfortable, was better than a life or death situation, and it

Major western supermarkets are important customers Karavela is working with some of the major supermarket chains in the west selling its flagship products tuna and sprats in cans with transparent lids. Some of the company’s products are even used for promotion activities carried out by these supermarkets. Among the company’s priorities now are to start working with some of the smaller chains that have noticed the popularity of some of these products at the big retailers. The

Today Karavela looking at the Latvian canning industry is all too aware of the dangers of depending too much on a single country or customer. We have seen from other companies what it can mean, and so we restrict our exposure to a maximum of 10 per client, says Mr Endele.

Karavela Ltd Atlantijas Str. 15 LV 1015 Riga Latvia Tel.: +371 67 496 400 Fax: +371 67 496 401 kaija@kaija.lv www.kaija.lv Co-owners: Andris Bite, CEO; Janis Endele, Marketing Director

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company is also looking at Africa as a potential market and will visit a trade show in Kenya later this year, and will also be at Conxemar in Vigo in October, a very important event for the Spanish market. In terms of product volumes the largest today at 60 of the total is canned mackerel. Production of sprats has reduced by half or more. The reason is that the raw material for canned mackerel is expensive, but the production line is completely automated, while for canned sprats, the raw material is cheap, but the product requires lots of expensive manual labour. Thus, 12 people can produce 75,000 cans of mackerel in a shift, but 70 people produce only 25,000 cans of sprats. Opening another line for the sprats would help, but the company cannot find the staff to operate it and national politics prevent the country from importing more labour.

Sales manager: Sanita Legajeva Products: Canned ďŹ sh, marinated ďŹ sh, smoked ďŹ sh in cans Raw materials: Mackerel, tuna, herring, sprats Production volumes (2017): 60m cans Certifications: BRC, IFS, MSC Markets: Germany, UK, Sweden, Denmark, Russia, Japan Employees: 240

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Vlakon is exploiting synergies from a broad portfolio of activities

Farming ďŹ sh for processing and angling Production from ďŹ sh farming in Latvia, though modest, is increasing slowly but steadily. In the ďŹ ve years from 2012 to 2016 output increased one and a half times to over 1,400 tonnes. Production of carp is responsible for much of this increase, but other species such as rainbow trout and sturgeon have also contributed.

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quaculture in Latvia has traditionally been dominated by ponds where carp is cultivated often in polyculture with other species. With the development of recirculation aquaculture systems more high value species are being farmed including rainbow trout and sturgeon as farmers make use of support from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) to invest in this technology.

Aquaculture using pits created by mining activities Some entrepreneurs have, however, discovered fish farming via an unusual route. The company

Vlakon was established in 1998 by Ms A. Kozule and is located in the Rezekne region along the main highway between Riga and Moscow and some 60 km from the border, where it owns approximately 200 ha of land. Mr G. Jevsikovs manages the company started by offering anglers the chance to fish in ponds that it maintained, where they can try and catch rainbow trout, sturgeon, pike and other lake fish. Later it became involved in stone quarrying. The sand and gravel that is mined is used to lay roads, while the stone is used for building purposes. Excavating this material leaves large pits in the soil which, if they are deeper than 10-12 m, tend to fill up naturally

The hatchery was designed and built by Mr Jevsikovs with only little help from experts. Today the hatchery is five years old.

due to the height of the water table in the region. The presence of water in the pit makes further excavation financially unattractive, so the idea came up of using the pits to farm fish and specifically large rainbow trout, carp, and catfish. The water that flows into the pits is very pure, says Mr Jevsikovs, taking a mouthful to prove his point. And when it is cold it is diverted to the pond containing rainbow trout, while if it is warmer it is used to farm carp. The water entering the pits is about 8 degrees centigrade, while rainbow trout require 14 to 16 degrees. In summer as the water warms up under the influence of the sun cooler water can be pumped in to maintain the optimal temperature.

Georgijs Jevsikovs, manages the company Vlakon, which has interests in a range of fishrelated and other activities.

Stone quarrying has resulted in the excavation of pits that are used to farm fish.

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A wide range of processed products

The rainbow trout are grown to a large size. They tend to weigh at least 2 kg before they are harvested.

One of the ponds contains some very large four-year old rainbow trout. Water from a reservoir pond is being pumped into the pond and the fish, which are almost motionless, face the current much as they do in the wild. Rainbow trout production starts with eggs that are imported from a Polish supplier. These are incubated in a hatchery, now five years old, that Mr Jevsikovs built himself combining information from the Internet with some help from experts. Some 600,000 eggs are hatched every year and when the larvae reach one to one and a half grams they are placed in larger basins where they grow to about 15 g. They are then moved to large circular tanks where they grow further to 70 g or, if there are not too many, to 100 g. At this stage they are moved to the grow-out ponds. The carp production on the other hand relies on juveniles from an external hatchery which are then introduced in to ponds and allowed to grow.

Diversification of income Today Vlakon produces about 100 tonnes of rainbow trout and a similar amount of carp.

The trout is typically over 2 kg per specimen. The company is a good example of one that has diversified its activities to create additional sources of income. To attract tourists in summer a large lake has been excavated where people can swim or even relax on a beach – created, naturally, with sand from the quarrying activity. One guesthouse exists already and a second one is under construction, and there is a playground for children. Anglers can fish in two ponds, one of which is stocked with rainbow trout, while the other has carp, pike, and catfish. If they catch anything the fish has to be paid for, the price depending on the species. Last year the company hosted a fishing competition that drew almost 50 participants, including some from Russia and Belarus, looking to catch some large fish. Anglers are drawn by the prospect of impressive catches of which there have been several over the last few years. According to Mr Jevsikov, the record so far for trout has been 8 kg, for carp 21.5 kg, and for catfish 34 kg. Anglers and their friends or families can dine at the restaurant which can cater to large groups of people at the facility itself

but can also cater for events held outside. The facilities are popular with visitors. On a warm weekend there could be as many as 400 people using the beach and swimming in the lake, while the angling draws as many as 200 people, says Mr Jevsikovs. However, he adds, it is very seasonal, starting in spring, peaking in summer, and then tapering off in fall. Most of the visitors are from the surrounding towns, so it is perhaps useful that the Latgale region, where Vlakon is located, has the biggest population (304,000) of all the five Latvian regions with the exception of Riga.

Vlakon Ltd Rezekne County Latgale Latvia zorromans@inbox.lv www.pertnieki.lv Manager: Georgijs Jevsikovs Tel.: +371 2635 0226 Fish production: Rainbow trout ~100 tonnes, carp a little less Fish related activities: Breeding, angling, ďŹ sh processing, import,

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The processing facility was established two years ago and produces a very wide range of products including fresh, salted, and marinated fish, as well as high-value products like pates, fish sausages, and trout roe. These are sold in jars, or vacuum-packaged for a long shelf life. Smoking is an important part of the processing activities and smoked products are characterised by the addition of only salt, no other preserving agents are used. The smoking is light to ensure that the level of benzopyrene is well within the permitted limits. As a result, the colour of the smoked products is more silvery than golden. The fish that is farmed on site forms part of the raw material, the rest is imported fish typically from the North Atlantic, but also from other sources. For the moment the production is sold mainly in Latvia with some export to Estonia and the company is exploring the German market. Vlakon also has its own outlet just off the Riga- Moscow highway and close to its facilities, where it sells the entire range of products. The location is convenient for travellers on their way to or from the nearby city of Rezekne.

sales and marketing of ďŹ sh products Other activities: Stone quarrying, agriculture, metal working, tourism, food service Employees: 200 in total Markets for fish products: Latvia (mainly in and around Riga), Estonia Customers: Fishmongers, small shops

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Developing new analytical tools is one of the key functions of the Laboratory of Food and Environmental Investigations

Ensuring the safety of food sold in Latvia The Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health, and Environment focuses on ďŹ ve areas of research: chemical, environmental and veterinary sciences, public and environmental health, and ďŹ sheries. Supporting this research effort are specialised laboratories for food and environment investigations, animal diseases, and medical microbiology.

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eaded by Vadims Bartkevics, the Laboratory of Food and Environmental Investigations is reputed to be among the best in the Baltic Sea region. It also doubles as the Latvian national reference laboratory. This implies that laboratory scientists develop new analytical methods and are responsible for the state monitoring programme, which ensures that food products comply with European and Latvian legislation.

Several functions under one roof The laboratory has four main directions of research – microbiology, chemistry, parasitology, and radiology. In terms of fish products analyses that are carried out follow European legislation and test for toxic elements, pesticides, and dioxins. The laboratory also conducts analyses for the Ministry of the Environment to measure the presence of harmful substances in

Preparing samples to be analysed is an important part of the analysis procedure.

the environment. These could for example be mercury, brominated flame retardants, dioxins, and other persistent organic contaminants. Finally, the laboratory conducts research into fields that are of interest to the scientists working there.

Vadims Bartkevics, Head of the Laboratory of Food and Environmental Investigations

The monitoring programme initially was fairly modest in terms of its scope. Five or six years ago the monitoring of Baltic salmon for dioxin was initiated. The idea was to prepare scientific recommendations for Latvian consumers. Since then however the monitoring has been extended to novel contaminants including

industrial chemicals, pharmaceutical compounds, and brominated flame retardants, a category of substances in which there is a lot of interest across Europe. This research has been published in several prestigious international journals. As analytical chemists, what is interesting from a scientific point of view is to develop new analytical methods to detect contaminants, says Dr Bartkevics, as these substances are only present in very low concentrations and the tools to detect them must be correspondingly sensitive. The laboratory is therefore equipped with extremely sophisticated devices that can detect

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The Laboratory of Food and Environmental Investigations is extremely well equipped in keeping with its status as the national reference laboratory.

even minute quantities of the substance in a sample. With the help of these machines scientists develop methodologies which can then be applied to occurrence testing of real samples. The development of these methodologies also serves an educational purpose, which is another aspect of the laboratory’s work, as the staff include many students.

Weighing the pro and the cons of consuming fish is more art than science Despite the occasional presence of substances in fish or seafood that may be dangerous for human consumption, if they exceed certain levels, Dr Bartkevics emphasises at the outset that the benefits of consuming fish tend to outweigh the disadvantages, but, he adds, that reliable models to evaluate the risks versus the benefits are yet to be developed. If, for example, cod liver is highly contaminated with dioxin, it is at the same time a source of beneficial omega fatty acids. Working out the net benefit (or otherwise) is not an easy question to answer. In

general, of all the contaminants in Baltic salmon, from a risk assessment point of view, he feels that dioxins probably represent the biggest threat. Novel compounds, that have only recently started being tested for, are also seen. Because they are novel, however, toxicology data on them is sparse and this makes it a challenge to calculate the risk. Efforts to gather this data are likely to bear fruit as the concentrations of these novel compounds are increasing even as those of dioxins are falling compared to historical levels in the 1960s and 70s. There is still, however, a certain degree of noncompliance among food samples, which may be due to more stringent legislation regarding the permissible levels of dioxins in food.

paper bleaching, or waste incineration. Flame retardants, on the other hand, are deliberately added to products, which are discarded when they reach the end of their useful life. Waste processing plants could then be behind the presence of these substances in the environment. Natural phenomena such as rains, wind, tides, and currents could also have a role to play in the distribution of these pollutants, picking them up in one place and depositing them in another. For example, the chemical used to prevent the growth of algae on ships’ hulls is used essentially for

Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health, and Environment Lejupes str. 3 Riga, LV-1076 Latvia

The stability of certain pollutants makes them more hazardous

Tel.: +371 67620513 bior@bior.lv www.bior.lv

Dioxins have several pathways to enter the food chain. Industry is one of the most important sources, not that they were produced intentionally, but rather as a by-product to certain processes, such as pesticide production,

Head of the Laboratory Vadims Bartkevics Areas of research: Chemical, environmental and veterinary

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that single purpose, but it can be found at very low concentrations in sediments and in fish almost everywhere. Although there is practically only one source of this substance, it can be seen in different products suggesting that even if only used locally, these substances tend to spread. The main problem is they are often very stable, and if they get into biota samples they will stay there a very long time. But by assessing the risk, the Laboratory of Food and Environmental Investigations performs the vital task of ensuring that food sold in Latvia is safe for consumers.

sciences, public and environmental health, ďŹ sheries Laboratories: Food and environment investigations; animal diseases; medical microbiology Services: A variety of analytical and monitoring services are offered

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[ TECHNOLOGY ] Industry 4.0 conquers the ďŹ sh processing sector

Automated processing lines take over from traditional manual work Processing machines and plants have dominated everyday work in the ďŹ sh industry for decades. They have taken over tedious and strenuous tasks, they can handle large quantities in consistent quality, and they meet high consumer safety requirements. Where in the past individual machines were used to support selective processes, today whole processing lines dominate the picture. What are the advantages of such systems?

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ish and seafood are natural products that can vary in shape, size and quality. It was these individual differences that for a long time made them seem unsuited to machine processing. Even simple jobs such as heading and gutting, but in particular filleting, were always carried out by hand. And that’s why it was a real sensation when the ingenious mechanical engineer Rudolph Baader, who had founded the company “Nordische Maschinenbau Rud. Baaderâ€? in LĂźbeck Schlutup in 1919, presented the world’s first heading and deboning machine for herring at the LĂźbeck fisheries exhibition in 1922. This masterpiece of engineering technology replaced

eight women during herring processing and with its development the company revolutionised fish processing and gave the starting signal for mechanisation in the fish sector. In the following years, many more machines were developed for gutting, heading, filleting, skinning or trimming the fish and they always represented the state of the art at the time of their launch. The first fish skinning machine was launched in 1928. In 1930 followed the first stockfish (dried cod) machine, and three years later the company presented the first model of a filleting machine that was finally perfected in 1951, a whitefish filleting machine.

With swarm fish species such as herring, several machines and lines are often arranged parallel to each other to enable the enormous quantities to be processed quickly.

In the fish processing sector individual machines are being replaced more and more by processing lines that perform increasingly complex tasks.

And since 1955 the company’s fish processing machines have been in operation on board factory vessels. The original heading and deboning machine for herring was over the years further developed and is today a modern high-performance machine that cuts up to 24,000 herring fillets per hour. Single machines, so-called standalone systems, were for a long time the standard in fish processing, but over the years they were increasingly replaced by processing lines that were capable of taking over not only monotonous manual work but, increasingly, much more complex tasks. Automation gradually became an

intrinsic part of fish processing. Baader is one of the pioneers in this field, too. For the salmon processing sector the company offers a suitable machine for every single work stage and together they can be combined to complete processing lines. One removes the fish’s head with a perfect U-cut before a filleting machine fillets the salmon carefully to achieve a high yield. Another machine pulls out the pinbones, yet another removes the skin and if required also the underlying grey layer of fat. The subsequent trimming machine is fitted with an optical control system that assesses every fillet separately according to individual specifications prior to the cut. And soft separators

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[ TECHNOLOGY ] production system that meets the client’s expectations.

The continuous flow of aquaculture products such as salmon provides optimal conditions for the automation of processing.

separate leftover meat from the fish’s skeletal structures.

Processing lines must harmonize throughout One doesn’t have to be an expert to see that the benefits of mechanisation and automation of processing systems within the fish industry can be huge. Well maintained machines don’t tire, and they work longer and with consistent accuracy, coping with cold and humidity in adverse working environments. With the help of sensors and other monitoring systems, errors in the work processes (missed tolerance targets, product defects or even rejects) are detected immediately. This enables imperfect products to be removed from the process and any necessary adjustments can be made. At least in theory‌ In practice the challenges associated with complicated and increasingly complex processing lines are often enormous. Viewed in its entirety

a processing line is much more than the sum of the individual machines it contains. This is true not only from a control aspect. The more processing machines are combined to form a large plant, the more demanding their overall behaviour becomes, and the more difficult it is to manage and monitor the whole process. Each machine has its own motion sequences and dynamic loads. Simultaneous and parallel functions result in complex movements, control and regulation characteristics that must be precisely coordinated and accurately synchronized. It makes little sense to combine “sprinters� with “long-distance runners� because this will inevitably lead to material jams or long waiting and downtimes at certain positions in the overall process. The art of designing a whole processing line consists above all in positioning the individual components and connecting them with one another

in such a way that will result in the emergence of a new, functioning unit. An engineer who designs good stand-alone machines will not necessarily be equally skillful at developing whole processing lines. Requirements in this area are much more complicated – something which usually becomes apparent very quickly if new functions and components are simply added to an existing system or if the new processing line is to be installed within a confined space. Not many specialists are capable of taking up such challenges and fulfilling all requirements satisfactorily from start to finish. The existing systems and processes have to be carefully examined and analysed before a new layout can be developed. A sound knowledge of the legal regulations, standards and quality requirements of the products that are to be manufactured is also of key importance. Without this it will not be possible to build a powerful end-to-end

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Suppliers of complete processing lines for the food industry (in the broader sense) and the fish industry (in the narrower sense) must be able to offer a broad range of services ranging from the conceptual development of an idea, its engineering and construction to the final manufacture, assembly and installation of the technology. Such projects rarely end with the commissioning and functional testing of the line because a lot of suppliers also offer qualified after-sales service and are the first point of contact in the event of problems. They are also responsible for the training and instruction of operating staff as well as the routine maintenance of the systems. This practice has advantages for both sides. The system supplier maintains contact with the customers, can upgrade and improve the technology as required and has better access to possible follow-up orders. The advantage for the customer is that they have a fixed contact point and will be able to get help quickly in the event of technical breakdowns.

Turnkey processing solutions or built-to-order However, such “one-stop shopping� or “all-round carefree� packages can take technology manufacturers and suppliers – and in particular small ones – to the limits of their capabilities. To avoid having to develop completely new products for every order they frequently offer turnkey systems in addition to “builtto-order� solutions. Whereas in the case of built-to-order solutions the processing line is developed, built and installed according to the customer’s exact &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

[ TECHNOLOGY ] specifications, turnkey systems are finished products that can be sold to the customer immediately. The term “turnkey� describes products or services “off the peg� that are available for immediate use. The process of buying a car can be used to compare the main features of the two concepts. In the case of a turnkey car, the customer accepts the vehicle from the dealer as it is. All they have to do is get in, turn the ignition key and can then drive off immediately. With built-to-order the car buyer attaches great importance to certain features, such as colours, rims or seats. The vehicle then has to be assembled and built by the manufacturer according to the specific requirements chosen by the customer. Both options are basically possible but they require different amounts of effort and lead to different costs. Turnkey projects are, of course, also variable service packages that can cover all work steps from the initial idea to the completion of the plant or operation. On request they might include, for example, the concrete space planning, construction coordination and the complete installation of the plant technology. The financial savings associated with turnkey projects will only be fully effective if there are several identical or at least similar orders. This can be the case on fishing and processing vessels which are often built in small series or with similar design. It is not difficult to conceive of the fact that the installation of a processing line on board a ship that is in constant motion, perhaps even lurching in rough seas, represents the highest art of plant construction. For good reason: there is not much available space for the installation of the machines, and the necessary work area and escape routes must remain free for the staff.

Despite all mechanisation and automation people are still indispensable in some areas, for example during nematode control at the light table.

Conventional construction methods with straight-line throughput of the processing material (which are often typical onshore) are seldom possible under the confined space conditions of a ship. Here, functional areas are separated vertically and horizontally, belts and lines run above and next to each other and, for space reasons, some machines are realized in drum or carousel design. When fish is processed elsewhere than on board a ship one rarely finds several functions concentrated in a very confined space. But on a factory vessel every square metre has to be put to optimal use to ensure optimum material flow within the processing line. Conveyor belts branch out, separate and reconnect, the material flow is divided, and the fishes are sorted and allocated according to species and size. The raw material passes through several stations

and processing steps in succession until the desired items are finally produced. As if that weren’t challenging enough, the designers of such processing lines also have to make sure that the intricate system they have devised is also easy to clean and disinfect. The hygiene requirements applicable to fish processing on land must, of course, also apply at sea. In view of the extreme complexity of the tasks involved it is hardly surprising that only a few highly specialized companies are capable of handling such orders.

Changing consumer preferences necessitate a high degree of flexibility Beside the development of the machines for the intended

processing task the biggest challenge in the planning and installation of a processing line is probably the control system. Perhaps it would be more fitting in this context to call it an “information processing system� because modern control systems are not only responsible for the acquisition and processing of signals from the running process but also enable the exchange of information between the linked systems and (via corresponding interfaces) with the operating staff. The main purpose here is the safe, orderly and efficient execution of the intended processing tasks. The system records and processes two types of data. On the one hand, it picks up all the data for processing, compliance with target values, or the detection of any undesired external influences. On the other hand,

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Optimar

[ TECHNOLOGY ]

Fitting processing lines into the cramped conditions on board a ship requires special knowledge and a lot of experience.

the system monitors and stores important operating data on temporal and quantitative functions, such as the efficiency of the machines, material availability, product jams, or quantities processed per unit of time. This information is displayed in tabular or graphical form on a touch screen monitor so that the operator can intervene and make any necessary corrections if a parameter deviates significantly from the target value. The control system is connected to the company network via an interface which enables direct monitoring of production in “real time�. The market for processing machines and lines is highly globalized and very competitive. It can be tempting for users to buy individual processing machines from different manufacturers and then try to link them up to form a line. This can save investment costs, but there

are potential drawbacks: it is rare that all components will interact smoothly. Turnkey solutions have the advantage that they can be implemented quickly, thereby saving a lot of time and ultimately money. And “turnkey� does not mean that one has to do without individuality in the resulting products. Modern systems are quite flexible and offer the user numerous options, which is reflected in productivity, yield, quality and profitability. An example of this are the complete lines for the production of brine and marinades for fish processing. Such systems can today mix both light brines and heavy marinades homogeneously. Flexibility of processing options is becoming more important because consumer preferences can soon change, resulting in different batch size requirements. The shorter the changeover times for another product, the faster the investment in a new processing line will pay off.

Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things offer new possibilities In the context of the future project “Industry 4.0�, which describes the comprehensive digitization of industrial production, the processing sector will change even more rapidly than before. Processing machines and lines will be interlinked with modern information and communication technology resulting in “intelligent� digitally networked systems that enable largely self-organized production. This networking makes it possible to optimize not only one production step but practically the entire value chain. The Internet of Things aims in the same direction. IoT is the popular collective term for technologies of a global infrastructure in the information society which make it possible to network physical and virtual objects with each other and to let them work together using information and communication technologies.

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Baader, which played a major role in initiating these developments in the fish processing sector some 100 years ago, is still one of the world’s leading innovators in this field today. Their range of services now includes the setting up of complete state-of-the-art and fully automated processing plants, for example for salmon from aquaculture or mass species from fisheries such as cod or pollock. Since the end of May 2018, for example, Norwegian salmon producer Lerøy has been operating a new highly automated salmon processing plant which is to process around 70,000 tonnes of salmon per year. The degree of automation is unique worldwide. Hardly any people are needed in the entire production area. The slaughter and processing lines are almost fully automated. Selfpropelled forklifts transport the finished products, and the huge amounts of data for traceability and analysis purposes are stored in the cloud. MK &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] China importing more and more ďŹ sh and seafood products

Millions of consumers buy seafood online China is already today the world’s largest single market for ďŹ sh and seafood. According to FAO statistics the country consumes 38% of global production from ďŹ sheries and aquaculture. And demand is set to increase further, for China’s middle class is growing and wages are rising. With more money to spend the Chinese use all available channels to fulďŹ l their desires. The role played by online shopping in the Chinese food sector became clearer at NASF.

S

ince Deng Xiaoping set in train the transformation of China’s economy when he announced a new “open doorâ€? policy as a political programme in 1978 China’s economic success has been impressive. And the reforms are benefiting the population. With an average GDP/capita of USD 8,123 in 2016 China was only just behind Russia and Brazil. Real wages have risen by nearly 500 since the turn of the millennium and, according to preliminary estimates, were equal to USD 10,700 in 2017. There are, of course, still considerable differences between urban and rural areas but China’s middle class, which is mainly concentrated in the big cities, already includes more than 109 million people. By 2021, more than half of urban households are expected to have moved into this affluent population group. All the major market trends that influence important international developments are visible in China: increasing urbanisation and growth of a well-qualified middle class, rising demand for energy, food and water. Added to this a shortage of important resources, which leads to higher costs for the extraction of raw materials and furthers environmental pollution. There is also an unmistakable trend towards digitization. Only in terms of transparency does

China’s opening-up policy still falter considerably. As purchasing power increases, the demand for high-quality products grows, and this is driven not only by actual need but also by a desire to acquire status symbols and luxury. Speaking at NASF in Bergen Michael Evans, the President of the Alibaba Group, listed items that have become important for middle-class Chinese: body care and cosmetics, good food, a nice home, foreign travel, more fun, education and clothing. He suspects that the barren years prior to the reforms are a motive for the enormous consumerism and high brand affinity of the Chinese who are now eager to enjoy whatever is available. The average Chinese citizen sets great store by good, healthy nutrition, spending about 40 of their income on food. They are particularly fond of high-quality foreign products, including fish and seafood of all kinds.

Development of per capita seafood consumption in China between 1961 and 2015. Figures for 2016 to 2020 are based on preliminary forecasts.

Per capita consumption of seafood to rise to 39 kg by 2020 The Chinese market for seafood is already today the largest in the world and it will continue to grow. Since the economy opened up in

US exports of Alaska pollock products to major regions of the world. Asia’s share, especially China’s, increased by 9 percentage points between 2013 and 2017.

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] China than in the same period the previous year. Demand was also increasing for cheaper species such as Alaska pollock. Torunn Halhjem (Trident Seafoods) already sees this trend as a new market driver which is increasingly redirecting the flow of goods and products from traditional markets to Asia. Even pangasius (which is gradually losing its market shares in the USA and Europe) is welcome to consumers in China and Hong Kong where market shares are growing as demand for fish in Europe declines.

Trade flow of pangasius products from Vietnam in important markets. Decreases in the EU and the US were fully offset by China and Hong Kong.

1978 per capita consumption of fish and seafood has increased sevenfold. In 2016 it was close to 35 kg/capita which was roughly equivalent to average per capita consumption in France which is 34 kg. According to current forecasts, however, consumption in China is expected to rise to 39 kg/capita by 2020. This value is allegedly already exceeded in large cities, which indeed seems quite credible when one looks at the country’s purchase volume. From January to April 2016, imports of fish and seafood to Shanghai, China’s second largest city, for example, amounted to 34,000 tonnes an increase of 34.7 over the previous year. Demand is particularly high for marine species, and an increasing proportion of supply comes from imports. Salmon, groupers and oysters, scallops, lobsters and other shellfish are very popular with Chinese consumers. Fish consumption is not yet quite as high in rural regions, where fresh water species from aquaculture continue to dominate the fresh fish assortment on the markets.

A recent study by Rabobank comes to the conclusion that China’s aquaculture production will for various reasons stagnate in the near future. One contributing factor is the introduction of stricter environmental laws. Severe water pollution in China led the government to tighten environmental legislation. An aquaculture ban was imposed over large areas of the country and numerous fish farms had to close. With these measures the world’s largest seafood producer is taking the risk of losing its competitive advantages on both the domestic and the world market. The Rabobank study assumes that China’s export surplus of USD 10 billion in the seafood sector will decrease sharply over the next decade. This would probably lead to an increase in imports and redirect the flow of goods on the world market even more strongly to Asia. The Chinese market already absorbs huge quantities of food. China is not only the largest country in the world but also the largest export market for food

and beverages. According to the China-Britain Business Council, China’s food imports amounted to $482.2 billion in 2014, with seafood imports exceeding $20 billion. In the meantime, these quantities are likely to be significantly higher. By way of comparison: in 2017 the entire food retail sector in Germany achieved a turnover of 183.5 billion euros, which is approximately equal to 227 billion USD. China’s food imports alone are thus twice the size of total annual turnover of the German food retail trade!

Consumer confidence in local fish products has fallen Ragnar Nystøl (Kontali Analyse), who gave a talk about current developments in the salmon market at NASF, reported that Norway had increased its salmon exports to China, Hong Kong and Vietnam by 15 between 2015 and 2017, equal to an increase of 17,000 tonnes in volume terms. And demand in China was still growing. In the first two months of 2018 Norway supplied seven times more salmon to

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According to the Rabobank study the major problems facing China’s aquaculture sector are outbreaks of animal diseases, severe environmental pollution, and an increasing shortage of cheap labour. Although China’s onechild policy officially ended in December 2015 its consequences are still felt today. The average age of the population is rising and the number of Chinese of working age is falling by 3 to 4 million per year, leading to higher wages and rising production costs. The ubiquitous environmental pollution and excessive use of medicines to combat diseases on the farms have shaken the confidence of many Chinese consumers in products from local aquaculture. China’s shrimp industry, for example, is suffering from this effect. Whereas the country was a big shrimp exporter in the past it has to import shrimps today to meet the huge national demand. The overall situation is further aggravated by the fact that a significant proportion of China’s inland and coastal waters are overfished.

Alibaba enables online food shopping for the masses Both traditional and new channels are used for sales of fish and &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]

Michael Evans, President of the Alibaba Group. Chinese customers want to be “entertained�. They are always looking for something new and the story behind the product must be right, too.

seafood products. In rural areas outdoor weekly markets still dominate the scene with fresh products from local production. In the cities these markets have been replaced by gigantic shopping malls, supermarkets and hypermarkets which offer not only fresh fish but also frozen products and convenience, partly from local production, but partly from imports, too. At the same time, online sales of fish and seafood are becoming increasingly important, providing even consumers in remote locations with direct access to a wide range of products from Chinese and international suppliers. Not every new development or turbulence that shakes the market momentarily marks the beginning of a new trend. But while Western countries are still pondering the possibilities, opportunities and limits of online food trading this sales

channel has long become everyday reality in China. The conditions for this consumer-friendly form of trade are extremely favourable in China. According to official figures, about 730 million Chinese had access to the Internet in 2017, and more than one in two of them (380 million) shop regularly online. And even this figure is probably much too low: Alibaba director Michael Evans said at NASF that China’s largest internet mail order platform has over 580 million active buyers in its customer base. One of the special features of the Chinese online market is that 81 of buyers go online via smartphone. Young people in China spend a lot of time looking at their smartphones and are extremely internet-savvy. Product search and price comparisons, ordering and payment of invoices – everything

is done via touch screen‌ often on the way to or from work. The share of online sales of seafood products is growing significantly. The Tmall Global and JD.com Global platforms, both part of the all-powerful Alibaba Group, are of key importance here. They easily outshine western providers such as Amazon in online food distribution. Online sales of fish and seafood in China more than tripled in 2016 and 2017 alone. Frozen products account for 80 to 90 of the total, but business with fresh products is also growing.

Alibaba dispatches 60 million online orders every day Alibaba has built up a comprehensive “business ecosystem�, says Michael Evans. It covers all areas of life and all customer needs. The package goes far beyond

mail order and also includes digital media, local services, banking and finance, and logistics. The core competence, however, remains online trade which covers everything from “sandwiches to Maserati�. 60 million parcels are dispatched every day, and the Alibaba Group’s annual turnover today exceeds 500 billion USD. Despite this rapid development, Michael Evans doesn’t think the group has reached its limits yet. The shopping behaviour of Chinese consumers is no different from elsewhere in the world: people are always looking for something new, if possible at bargain prices; in addition, the story behind the product must be right, because the customers want to be entertained, too. Alibaba Group Holding, founded in 1999, serves these needs with its various subsidiaries. For

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] example Alibaba.com (businessto-business), AliExpress (businessto-customer), Taobao (online auction house), Ant Financial (financial services), Alipay (online payment system), AliYun (web service for cloud computing and data management), juhuasuan. com (platform for discount offers), amap.com (online card service) and other Internet-based trading and service platforms. Trade in seafood and other food products is mainly conducted via the online department store Tmall.com which was founded in 2008. Tmall claims to be the largest B2C website worldwide and China’s first address for luxury food. Product orders are shipped directly to customers in China and are delivered within three days at the latest. Sales promotions, an area where western suppliers quickly fail, are routine and perfectly organized at Tmall. Everything runs smoothly, from the selection of suitable products and targeted marketing to ordering, customs clearance, quality controls and shipping logistics. A few years ago, a promotion campaign with seafood from Alaska was presented at NASF 2015 as an example. Five selected products were offered over a period of eleven days. The offer included Kamchatka crabs, white halibut and scallops. The 4,000 packs of yellowfin sole sold out within 36 hours. A total of 26,000 shoppers took advantage of this offer of high-quality products and their feedback on the campaign was absolutely positive with 4.8 out of 5.0 possible points.

Modern seafood retail concepts in “New Retail� stores Wherever possible, Alibaba purchases seafood products directly from the producer and in the meantime sells them not only

The old tradition of Asian markets with their rich offer of fresh, live and dried seafood products is complemented in China by online trade.

online but in the big cities in its own shops, too. These “New Retail� stores, which mainly offer fresh (sometimes even live) seafood products from all over the world, combine the old tradition of Asian markets with modern trading methods. Short, direct supply chains ensured quality and freshness, Michael Evans explained, and also satisfied the growing demand for premium food that meets young consumers’ tastes. Chinese consumers are curious about and very interested in food from Europe, America and elsewhere and are eager to shop at the “New Retail� markets. However, since they are rarely familiar with the products on offer or don’t quite know what to do with them all products are equipped with bar or QR codes that provide important information on the origin and typical characteristics, preparation and consumption options via an app. The shopping process itself is also service-oriented. Customers can stroll through the market and if they find a product they want to buy they just have to scan

the corresponding code into the app, enter the desired quantity or grade and everything else is done by the staff in the background. No heavy baskets, no trolley pushing. The customer doesn’t see his purchases again until he reaches the checkout when leaving the shop. The cashier just examines the app briefly and debits the invoice amount from the customer’s online account. If they want, customers can have the seafood products they have bought prepared on site at “New Retail� by professional chefs and they can even eat them in the store. Chinese customers were demanding and expected this kind of service, said Michael Evans. But most of them were willing to pay for it. While individual online services in western countries are still hesitantly experimenting with food deliveries Alibaba and its platforms have long since perfected this idea in practice and made it a worthwhile business. The economic interests of the Alibaba Group now extend

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far beyond China. The Group recently announced that it will invest an additional $2 billion in the Southeast Asian online shopping giant Lazada to drive e-commerce development in the region. Founded in Singapore in 2012 and serving over 560 million consumers the company is considered the leading online shopping portal in Southeast Asia with presence in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The investment strengthens Lazada’s integration in the Alibaba ecosystem and is an expression of confidence in the growth prospects of the Southeast Asian market. Alibaba acquired control of Lazada as early as 2016 and increased its stake to 83 percent in 2017. But Alibaba’s expansion course is still not over. In August 2017, Alibaba invested $1.1 billion in Tokopedia, Indonesia’s largest online marketplace. In November 2017 the Group announced a good one-third stake in Sun Art Retail Group, the largest operator of self-service department stores and supermarkets in the People’s Republic of China. MK &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] Sustainability certiďŹ cates: more than just a shopping aid?

MSC holds a monopoly position within the European ďŹ sh business The oceans are overďŹ shed and aquaculture is bad for animals and the environment. News like this showers down on consumers in a never-ending stream‌ with the result that anyone who wants to play their part in contributing to sustainability and environmental protection but doesn’t want to do without ďŹ sh and seafood is often at a loss. Sustainability labels promise help and orientation but their very abundance is already confusing. Which label is really reliable, which one deserves our complete trust? usually consist of the following claims: – Fishing and fishing methods are sustainable, overfishing is avoided – Fishing is selective, which minimizes unwanted by-catches – The ecosystem is not damaged and effective measures are in place for environmental protection and nature conservation – Fisheries management and the setting of fishing quotas are based on scientific evidence Certification standards must be sufficiently flexible so that they

“Sustainability certificates� are particularly important for fish and seafood. They guarantee to consumers the clean, correct origin of the product.

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here is certainly no shortage of labels, seals of approval and certificates for foodstuffs. Some of them guarantee the specific origin of a product, others make references to its particular quality, and yet others point out special features of the product, for example its high health value, or the absence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or of colorants and preservatives. Labels,

seals and logos have become popular marketing tools, offering information, instructions or warnings to support consumers in their purchasing decisions. In the fish and seafood sector “sustainability certificates� are of paramount importance: they ensure consumers that the procurement or production of the products – whether they come from fisheries or aquaculture – has been clean and correct, i.e. in accordance

with the pertinent rules and regulations. The message behind the label is that anyone who buys the product can have a clear conscience. However, consumer confidence has to be earned. The market for seals and certificates is a lucrative one, teeming with suppliers who all promise more or less the same, or at least similar, things. In the fisheries sector, these

Originally a classic B-2-B label GlobalG.A.P. has in the meantime entered the B-2-C range with its GGN seal for aquaculture.

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] certification and logo usage fees and donations. Greenpeace, as a notorious critic that does not consider any sustainability label for fish products to be fully recommendable, points out conflicts of interest with the industry and doubts the independence and incorruptibility of the MSC. In the financial year 2015/16 the MSC allegedly generated 73 per cent of its revenues from certification fees and only 24 per cent from donations from non-profit foundations. Greenpeace presumes that anyone who is so heavily dependent on the revenue from certifications might tend to turn a blind eye when a standard is not fully met.

Complex of ecological guidelines and social aspects

In 2015, more than 20,000 MSC certified fish products were sold in 82 countries worldwide.

can be adapted quickly in the event that the legal or biological framework conditions change. With regard to credibility and trust it is also important that the certification process is carried out by independent agencies according to transparent criteria. Nearly all the current certificates are based on recognised standards such as the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the FAO Guidelines for the Eco-labelling of Fish and Fishery Products, which then quasi constitute the foundation for sustainability seals. In general it can be said that the more companies a certificate

provider can convince of the value of its standards, and the more of them it can win over, the more important and marketrelevant it will be. The market is highly competitive, with not only private associations and organisations now vying for acceptance from companies and end consumers but in the meantime also some state labels. An unequal competition, because although large private certifiers such as the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) act as non-profit organizations they naturally have to secure their financial existence through

Even Friend Of The Sea (FOTS), the only certification system that marks products from both fisheries and aquaculture with the same logo, is not fully approved. Although in principle, Greenpeace sees the FOTS standards as a useful approach to sustainable fisheries with regard to socioeconomic aspects, traceability, or the fight against IUU fishing they would like to see substantial improvements in the quality of evaluations: The certification procedure was not transparent, the test process and reports were poor and lacked uniformity, so that the award of the seal was difficult or even impossible to understand. Furthermore, there was no independent body that examined the accuracy of the evaluations and audits carried out in the fisheries sector. Any complaints or appeal procedures were not only unclear but also expensive, entailing costs of up to 62,000 euros, and the results were not publicly accessible. Other nature conservation associations

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raise criticisms too, but praise the fact that, in addition to ecological guidelines, FOTS takes social aspects into account. Moreover, unlike the MSC, the FOTS seal was only awarded after fulfilment of the requirements and not already during the transition phase. On the positive side, about half of FOTS-certified products come from traditional fisheries and small-scale producers. Apart from rather vague requirements for the sustainability of feed, the ecological demands for aquaculture were across the board almost higher than those demanded by the ASC seal. However, this still doesn’t change the fact that many European retail chains hold the ASC logo in higher value. In contrast, major retail chains in North America prefer the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s BAP (Best Aquaculture Practice) standards which signify food safety and social responsibility, responsible treatment of the environment and nature, animal health and animal welfare. With typical American self-confidence the Global Aquaculture Alliance claims that its BAP is the most trusted, comprehensive and proven aquaculture certification programme for third parties and the only programme that meets the requirements of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), the Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP) and the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI). In June 2018, 2,079 companies in 34 countries on six continents worldwide were certified according to BAP standards. What makes BAP in some ways unique is the possibility of certifying all the different stages in the production chain from hatcheries and aquaculture farms to feed mills and processing plants. The standards are &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] formulated to cover virtually all fish, crustacean and mollusc species produced in worldwide aquaculture. They are scientifically sound, stringent and are constantly updated to meet changing aquaculture challenges. Seafood products from BAP-certified companies are listed in over 150 retail and food service companies. Despite its undeniable quality, however, the label attracts little interest on the European market. Only in Great Britain does it have a certain significance, as also in Poland, Norway, Turkey and Iceland where a few companies are BAP-certified, especially those that supply products to the USA.

Iceland and Alaska try to score points with national certificates The state labels that have been introduced in recent years (in Iceland and Alaska, for example) have mostly shared the same fate as the BAP label. In Iceland, where the fishing industry is a key pillar of the national economy, sustainable and responsible fisheries management is a state concern and is as such implemented rigidly. The excellent condition of Iceland’s marine resources is a vivid manifestation of this stringent policy which is based on national law and international agreements. With

Alaska’s fishing industry has a very good reputation. Its sustainability standards are unique and recognized worldwide.

the “Statement on Responsible Fisheries in Iceland� which was adopted in 2007 the country’s authorities met the needs and desire of trade and the market for seafood products from sustainable sources. The IRF (“Iceland Responsible Fisheries�) label guarantees buyers that the products they are buying originated in Icelandic waters and were caught sustainably. The standards of the IRF programme are based on internationally recognised FAO guidelines from which the IRF Technical Committee developed assessment requirements which were then integrated into an ISO 65 certification programme managed by the Irish Global Trust Certification Ltd, an independent certification body with ISO accreditation for such projects. The Iceland Responsible Fisheries Foundation operates as a non-profit organisation on a cost basis, Icelandic fisheries are certified by third parties, and the assessment process is fully transparent at all stages. It would hardly be possible to do more and there is nothing to be said against considering the IRF logo equal to the MSC seal. This also applies to the Responsible Fisheries Management Certification Programme (RFM) of the State of Alaska. The commitment to sustainable fishing is even laid down in Alaska’s constitution. The Alaska RFM Programme is a voluntary certification that includes Chain of Custody standards as well as sustainability standards for fisheries. The RFM programme complies with FAO guidelines for responsible fisheries management and is one of the few programmes to have an accredited certification process according to standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 17065). Alaska’s RFM was

the first certification programme to be recognized by the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) benchmarking tool. The RFM programme is in accordance with all 143 applicable GSSI Essential Components. As in Iceland, marine fisheries in the USA are conducted solely according to scientifically based fisheries management plans which ensure that overfishing is avoided, overfished stocks are rebuilt, and by-catches and interactions with protected species are avoided. The social and economic consequences for fishing communities are also taken into account. All fishing grounds are permanently monitored, regionally managed, and subject to ten national sustainability standards, irrespective of who is fishing there, whether recreational fishermen, small local fishermen or large fishing vessels that catch and process millions of tonnes of fish. Like the Icelandic IRF logo, Alaska’s RFM seal stands for sustainable management of marine resources on a scientific basis and compliance with legal standards of environmental protection. Apparently this is not enough, however, because the Alaska pollock fishery in Alaska is also certified by the MSC. Although the goals, content and values of the IRF and RFM standards leave little to be desired they play only a minor role in the European seafood business. Real competition in the field of sustainability and eco-labelling has long since ceased to exist. And there is little hope that benchmark tools such as the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) that examines which certification programmes best meet the stringent requirements of the internationally recognised FAO guidelines will be able to make purchasing decisions easier for

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] making a small contribution to the conservation of fish stocks in the world’s oceans.

In the meantime, some certification organizations, here ASC, BAP and GlobalG.A.P., are trying to cooperate in certain fields in order to avoid duplication of testing efforts.

buyers. This benchmarking could (in theory) provide more clarity in the certification of fish and seafood and increase confidence in certified seafood products. In practice, however, the retail trade and other customers in Europe (or perhaps to put it more correctly in Central Europe) have long since committed themselves unilaterally to the MSC and ASC. In the meantime it doesn’t much matter how good or trustworthy other certificates are, whether state, private or third-party – without the blue MSC logo or the turquoise ASC seal, fish and seafood products hardly stand a chance.

Strengthening market presence through consumer involvement It would not be fair to blame this one-sided focus, which has virtually led to the two labels’ monopoly position in Europe, solely on the big market-dominating retail chains. In fact, the certification organisations themselves are partly to blame because of the similarity of their standards and claims. If the certification standards, criteria and evaluation systems differ only marginally

in minute details (which probably only proven experts but no normal consumer can either perceive or evaluate) it seems to make sense to commit to one system and then promote that more strongly. Greater variety in this area is not helpful and even confusing for consumers and makes orientation more difficult for them. The special value of sustainability certificates such as the MSC label is largely based on the fact that they involve consumers. When someone buys a fish product with the distinctive blue MSC seal they become part of a positive chain of effects that contributes to the protection of fish stocks and the health of the oceans. The better known a seal is, the more it is accepted by customers, and the greater its effect will be. Only few consumers are actually interested in whether the by-catch rate in the swarm fishery – one of the points criticised by opponents of the MSC label – should be 3, 6 or 8 per cent or whether some criterion is perhaps too lax or poorly formulated. All they want is the certainty that by purchasing the certified fish product they are

The requirements and criteria of the sustainability labels must of course be defined precisely, but at the same time simply and comprehensibly. After all, the consumer should know what the label stands for and he must be able to trust that the advertised criteria are actually conscientiously observed in practice. It has taken a lot of time, effort and money to raise awareness of the MSC and ASC among the population to such an extent that the majority of consumers now know what the labels stand for. Hardly any other label enjoys such a high level of trust, and this explains the importance and special market power of these standards. If it were only a matter of sustainability and the protection of the marine environment other labels would probably have just as much to offer. But in practice it also depends on market presence, awareness and trust – and in these areas MSC and ASC currently have no real competition to fear.

High costs often exclude small producers from certification For retail chains, processors and the various players in the chain of custody other factors are also important. Above all the costs, because almost every new label is associated with additional financial expenditure. The certification process and ultimately the use of the logo are subject to fees; products that are entitled to bear the logo often have to be transported and stored separately and marked unmistakably. This effort is often disproportionate to the benefit. State labels such as Iceland’s IRF

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or Alaska’s RFM are undoubtedly good but only make sense if consumers know enough about their origins to enable them to acknowledge the commitment the countries make to sustainable fishing. Another problem is that comparatively few fish and seafood products are available under the two labels. While the MSC certificate asserts a “universal claimâ€? and has gained global significance (currently 12 of worldwide catches are MSC-certified, by 2020 the share is to increase to 20, by 2030 to one third of world catches), IRF and RFM are rather “regionalâ€? seals whose value remains geographically limited. Of course, there are still fish and seafood products from sustainable fisheries or aquaculture that are not certified and do not carry a seal. Certification is a very costly business and not every company can pay several thousand euros or even fivedigit sums for the test procedure. Perhaps another important point to note: certificates such as MSC, FOTS, ASC or BAP aim primarily at improving the level of sustainability of fisheries and aquaculture and protecting the marine environment. Although some labels also include minimum social standards in their criteria it would be preposterous to expect them to solve all problems in this area and measure their value accordingly. Of course we cannot close our eyes to such issues as the elimination of forced labour, exploitation, unfair wages and similar practices, all of which must be combatted and reduced. But however good a certificate might be it will not be able to achieve this on its own: these challenges can only be solved by responsible policies on the part of the states concerned. MK &VSPlTI .BHB[JOF

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News

Abidjan Declaration airs the possibility of a new RFMO The 10th Ordinary Session of the Ministerial Conference on Fisheries Cooperation among the African States bordering the Atlantic Ocean (ATLAFCO) was held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, on 28 August 2018. The session was preceded by an experts’ meeting held

on 26 and 27 August. InfopĂŞche participated in the meeting as an observer. The Ministerial Conference adopted a draft resolution called the Abidjan Declaration which commits States to strengthen ATLAFCO through, inter alia, a study of the possibilities of

anchoring ATLAFCO to the institutions of the African Union and of upgrading it to the status of a Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO). The declaration also recommends consolidating the “Voice of Africa� through better coordination on

fisheries issues at CITES meetings, active participation in international organisations in which member states are represented, as well as the harmonization of positions to better reflect their interests and promote the “Voice of Africa�.

OfďŹ cers from the Philippines ďŹ sheries administration develop new analytical skills As part of capacity building services for member countries, INFOFISH carried out a two-day training programme on Market Intelligence and Market Analysis for marketing officers from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development, the Philippines. The programme took place from 27-28 June 2018 in Quezon City. The training was aimed at providing exposure on accessing trade data, analysing trade data and market information, market intelligence and performing a market analysis. About 56 participants from the 13 regions in the Philippines took part in this programme. Participants from each region were required to survey the wholesale markets, retail markets and wet markets in their respective region for prices of fish, the type of species available, and

Participants from the ďŹ sheries administration in the Philippines honed their market analysing skills at a training programme organised by InfoďŹ sh.

pose questions to consumers. The information was presented in the form of a market analy-

sis during the training. Similar training programmes are being planned for other member

countries through the Training for Trainers Programme in the coming year.

Events

Conference on habitat restoration in the Danube to be held in Bucharest FAO, two Ministries in Romania, EUROFISH, DSTF, IAD, and EIFAAC are arranging a Regional Conference in Bucharest, Romania on 13-15 November on river habitat 62

restoration for inland fisheries in the Danube River basin and adjacent Black Sea areas. The event will hold sessions on valuing inland fisheries resources, conservation and management, regulatory

framework, along with shared country experiences from the region. The event will not only attract participants from the countries through which the Danube flows, but representatives from Georgia,

Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and some EU Member States are also expected to attend. Information about the event is available at danube-conference.eurofish.dk, where it is also possible to register.

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The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization facilitates international collaboration on ďŹ sheries resources

Implementing an ecosystem approach to ďŹ sheries management Regional Fisheries Bodies are critical for the sustainability of ďŹ sheries, where international cooperation is required to conserve and manage stocks. These organisations provide a tool to administer resources that are shared or straddling between national zones or between these zones and the high seas, or exclusively on the high seas. The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) is one of these bodies and it aims to ensure the sustainable use of ďŹ sheries resources in the NAFO convention area and to safeguard the marine ecosystems which host these resources. The organisation is comprised of a Commission, a ScientiďŹ c Council, and a Secretariat, the latter providing services to the ďŹ rst two bodies. The current head of the Secretariat, Fred Kingston, discusses here some of the issues facing NAFO. NAFO was established almost 40 years ago to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of groundfish, shrimp and pelagic redfish fishery resources in the regulatory area. What is the status of the stocks in the area and are they being fished sustainably? During its 40-year history, NAFO has had mixed success in sustainably managing the fish stocks, but as a result of applying the experience gained over that time, many recent trends have been very positive. Many of NAFO’s groundfish stocks suffered collapse during the 1980s and 1990s and, in order to allow recovery, NAFO introduced fishing moratoria on several stocks. Some of these stocks, for example, cod on the Flemish Cap (3M), have since recovered and are now at healthy levels. Others, such as the Grand Banks (3NO) cod, remain in a depleted state, but through continued moratoria and bycatch limits, fishing mortality on these stocks has been kept very low and if environmental conditions become favorable, recovery can be expected to occur. The shrimp stocks on the Grand Bank and Flemish Cap increased

dramatically in the years following the collapse of the groundfish, possibly as a result of decreasing stocks of their predators. The shrimp stocks have since declined and this may be attributed to recovering stock of predatory fish as much as to fishing pressure. The initiatives and recommendations coming from the NAFO scientific community prompt research on fisheries and environment. What recent initiatives has NAFO taken to improve the science/policy interface? Since 2010, NAFO has set up a number of joint working groups, bringing together scientists and fisheries managers to work on complex technical issues such as the application of the Ecosystem Approach to fisheries management. These have been very useful in allowing dialog between scientists and managers and helping the managers to formulate appropriate management responses. One such recent success has been the development of a revised management strategy for Greenland halibut: this was largely achieved through

Fred Kingston, Executive Secretary, NAFO

the work of the joint Scientific Council/Commission Working Group on Risk-Based Management Strategies (WG-RBMS) in addition to considerable work by the Scientific Council. In 2011 NAFO published its first Performance Review. What are key NAFO’s strengths, weaknesses, challenges, and successes, but also what are the areas for improvements? The first Performance Review of NAFO in 2011 had 225 recommendations. Since then, all

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of the recommendations have been addressed. At the 2017 Annual Meeting of NAFO, it was agreed that NAFO would launch its second Performance Review. During the past year, six Performance Review Panel members (three external and three internal members) have examined NAFO and have determined where they believe NAFO can improve, as well as where NAFO has been successful. The second Performance Review was presented at the Annual Meeting in Tallinn, Estonia for adoption by NAFO Contracting Parties. &VSPlTI '-'?/4+

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Many, if not all, of the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) take decisions by consensus among Contracting Parties. This can dilute the measures being decided and slow down the decision-making process as everybody has to be taken on board. Has compliance in the NAFO regulatory Area improved over the years? At NAFO’s Annual Meetings, efforts are always made to come to a consensus amongst Contracting Parties. To minimize the delay, the Standing Committee on International Control (STACTIC) meets twice a year to review and update the enforcement measures. Since the inception of the Annual Compliance Review in 2004, it can be noticed that there has been a considerable improvement on the compliance of the vessels and of the Contracting Parties in their reporting obligations. IUU fishing is a significant threat to legitimate fisheries, the environment, and to honest fishermen in many parts of the world. In addition, it is often associated with other illegal activities such as smuggling and human exploitation. What level of IUU fishing does the NAFO regulatory area face and how is it dealt with? The NAFO IUU List is comprised of vessels listed by both NEAFC and vessels that were sighted by NAFO Surveillance. Since 2006, however, there has been no sighting of vessels suspected of engaging in IUU activities in the NAFO Area. Article 54 of the NAFO Conservation and Enforcement Measures (NCEM) outlines the measures necessary to deter, prevent and eliminate IUU fishing, including (but not limited

to) prohibition of entry into the NAFO designation ports. It must be noted that in 2016, the NCEM relating to port States and IUU (Non-Contracting Party Scheme) were enhanced to align the measures with the FAO instrument Agreement on Port State Measures to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. Climate change is influencing the distribution of fish resources so that stocks are disappearing from some areas and appearing in others. This can lead to disagreements amongst nations or blocs about how these resources are shared. How serious an issue is in NAFO’s area, and is there a mechanism to resolve it? We have no evidence that large scale changes in the distribution of stocks in the NAFO Regulatory Area have occurred in response to climate change. However, there are indications that the overall productivity of the Grand Bank ecosystem has declined in recent years and this may be associated with large scale oceanographic changes and changes in the composition of the plankton, which is at the base of the food chain. If this is part of a long term trend, it may have very serious consequences for the fisheries so the Scientific Council is monitoring the situation closely. The work of NAFO scientists has a considerable bearing on fishermen. How does NAFO include fishers in the stock assessment and decision-making process? NAFO scientists working on stock assessment can engage fishermen in the collection of fisheries data, and scientists also utilize fisheries dependent data to complement

the data collected through scientific surveys.

translate ecosystem-level advice to practical management measures.

Interests of the fishing industry are represented through consultation within the respective delegation. Representatives of the fishing industry can also be included in the official delegation of Contracting Parties.

In the early 1990s, the collapse of the cod stocks around Newfoundland resulted with implementing a precautionary approach to fisheries management. How is NAFO trying to implement the precautionary approach?

Ecosystem approach to fisheries management is a holistic approach to management that represents a move away from systems that focus only on the sustainable harvest of target species, towards systems and decision-making processes that balance ecological wellbeing with human and societal well-being, within improved governance frameworks. How is NAFO trying to implement the ecosystem approach? In 2015, NAFO developed and adopted the Ecosystem Approach Framework (EAF) Road Map. The NAFO EAF Road Map provides a guide to the implementation of an ecosystem approach to fisheries management in the context of the general principles of longterm sustainability of fisheries resources, best scientific advice, precautionary approach and so on, as outlined in the new Convention. NAFO is currently comparing single-species stock assessment advice, including additional factors to be considered and integrating trophic level interactions and climate change predictions. The NAFO Scientific Council has recently produced a sample ecosystem-level advice which provides synoptic overview both ecological features of each Ecosystem Production Unit (EPU) within the NAFO area. Discussions are ongoing with regards to how to

In 2004, the NAFO Fisheries Commission adopted a Precautionary Approach Framework (PAF) to guide fisheries management decision making. The PAF is used for improved protection of resources, and to determine appropriate resource management measures in the absence of sufficient scientific data. In 2014, the joint Fisheries CommissionScientific Council Working Group on Risk-based Management Strategies (WG-RBMS) was established. This group enhances the application of risk-based assessment approaches when evaluating management strategies, as well as implements the broader use of the NAFO Precautionary Approach Framework. As Executive Secretary of NAFO what are your priorities for the organisation? The priorities of the Organization are outlined in the NAFO Convention and it is up to the Contracting Parties of NAFO to make decisions based on these priorities through the Commission and the Scientific Council. The NAFO Convention also outlines and explains the mandate of the NAFO Secretariat, as well as the general role of the Executive Secretary (Article VIII). As Executive Secretary and Chief Administrative Officer of the Secretariat, I manage employees and employee-related issues of the Secretariat, as well as other duties and functions of the Commission as they may prescribe.

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DIARY DATES 8-12 October 2018 Rybpromresurs 2018 Moscow Russia Tel.: +7 499 795 39 87 lina@expocentr.ru rybpromresurs.ru/en/

17-19 October 2018 High Energy Mariculture Conference Corfu, Greece Tel.: +44 1329 825335 jbatchelor@mercatormedia.com www.offshoremariculture.com/europe

18-20 October 2018 Future Fish Eurasia Izmir, Turkey Tel.: +90 212 347 10 54 info@eurasiafairs.com www.eurasiafairs.com

23-25 November 2018 CroFish Porec, Croatia Tel. +385 52 427 427 Fax. +385 52 427 426 info@croďŹ sh.eu www.croďŹ sh.eu

6 February 2019 Marel Salmon ShowHow Copenhagen, Denmark Tel.: +45 99 86 40 00 salmondivision@marel.com www.marel.com/salmonshowhow

17-19 March 2019 Seafood Expo North America Boston, USA Tel.: +1 207 842 55 04 customerservice@divcom.com www.seafoodexpo.com

7-9 May 2019 Seafood Expo Global / Seafood Processing Global Brussels, Belgium Tel.: +1 207 842 55 04 customerservice@divcom.com www.seafoodexpo.com

13-15 November 2018 FoodTech Herning, Denmark Tel.:+45 99 26 99 38 jj@mch.dk www.foodtech.dk 13-14 February 2019 AQUAFARM Pordenone, Italy Tel.: +39 347 8365191 marco@studiocomelli.eu www.aquafarm.show 13-15 November 2018 River habitat restoration for inland fisheries in the Danube River basin and adjacent Black Sea areas Bucharest, Romania Tel.: +45 333 777 55 danube-conference@euroďŹ sh.dk danube-conference.euroďŹ sh.dk

5-7 March 2019 North Atlantic Seafood Forum Bergen, Norway Tel.: + 47 22 87 87 00 jjl@nor-seafood.no www.nor-seafood.com

29-31 May 2019 Polfish Gdansk, Poland Tel.: +48 58 55 49 362 monika.pain@mtgsa.com.pl www.polďŹ shfair.pl

9-11 February 2020 fish international Bremen, Germany Tel.: +49 421 3505 264 wedell@messe-bremen.de www.ďŹ shinternational.com

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