Eurofish Magazine 5 2021

www.eurofishmagazine.com

ISSN 1868-5943

October 5/2021 C 44346

October 5 / 2021 Eurofish Magazine

Romania EUROFISH International Organisation

Pond fish farming faces challenges from climate change Latvia: Electronic catch reporting simplifies catch declaration NASF: Attendee numbers double as event goes virtual Guest Pages: Martin Gill from Lloyd’s Register on the future of certification is a member of the FISH INFO network

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EUROFISH INFOYU

INFOSAMAK INFOPÊCHE

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In this issue

Alexandar Parc

Romanian aquaculture and fisheries evolve on different fronts Pond fish farming is not usually associated with the use of technology. But in Romania this is changing. Partly because technology can reduce costs and increase efficiencies, but also because it offers solutions to some of the challenges the sector faces, such as the impacts of global warming.

Another development with potentially far-reaching consequences is the new legislation to govern the sector currently being discussed. Read more from page 23

Deep Vision/ Tim Petter Hansen

Brexit’s impact on British-EU seafood trade: The consequences for the seafood trade between Britain and the EU as a result of Brexit have been significant. Although goods can still be sent tarifffree between the two partners this is subject to qualification—goods from third countries may not always cross the border tariff-free. Eurofish International Organisation, the publisher of the Eurofish Magazine, organised a webinar addressed by experts from the UK on the changes that have and continue to take place since Britain and the EU parted ways. Read more on page 12 The North Atlantic Seafood Forum was held as a virtual event this year. Participants, whose numbers doubled compared with the last edition in 2020, attended sessions covering all aspects of the seafood industry from different perspectives. The review on page XY looks at research into mesopelagics, improving fishing gear, and offers another perspective on fishing at maximum sustainable yield. Read more on page 14 Land-based marine farming: From being used exclusively for freshwater farming recirculation aquaculture is increasingly being deployed to produce marine species as well. The advantages are significant, but so are the costs. Interest and investment in this form of production has skyrocketed, but the industry is young and not without risks. Read Dr Manfred Klinkhardt’s article on page 17 The administration of the fisheries sector in Latvia has undergone changes. New amendments to the fisheries law now empower local government authorities to issue all the documents a fisher needs to carry out his profession. A further development is the requirement for coastal fishers to report their catches electronically. Read more on page 45 The Albanian government with assistance from the European Union has embarked on a process of fleet renovation to make fishing vessels more sustainable, safer for the crew, and with improved handling of the catch. Developments in the fleet go hand in hand with new initiatives in the seafood farming area, where allocated zones for aquaculture have been identified Read more on page 48

rpmprogram.com

Transport and logistics are areas ripe for the introduction of energy saving technologies as they use vast amounts of energy in terms of fuel and electricity. Transport alone was responsible for over a quarter of emissions in the EU in 2017 and has not followed other sectors in gradually reducing its emissions since then. But ways to reduce transport’s impact on the environment exist and are becoming more widespread. Read more on page 51 Guest Pages: Martin Gill has worked in certification for years and is currently the head of Fisheries and Aquaculture Certification at Lloyd’s Register, a certifying body. Certification has become mandatory for companies in the seafood industry to prove, for example, the quality and environmental credentials of their products. For SMEs, meeting these requirements is often demanding, but there are ways to simplify this. Read more on page 55 EUROFISH Magazine 5 / 2021

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Table of News 6 International News

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12 The EU Britain seafood trade following Brexit, Eurofish webinar, 25 June 2021 Expect more friction before things improve 14 North Atlantic Seafood Forum goes digital Sharing insights on business, innovation, market initiatives, and sustainability

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17 Are recirculating aquaculture systems the future of mariculture?

Advantages and risks of land-based fish production

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22 FIAP supplies incubation equipment for professional and recreational use High quality products for efficient operations

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Romania 23 Awareness campaigns for fishers explain how they benefit from better control Updating electronic systems to combat IUU

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39 National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” Building aquaculture capacity around the Black Sea 41 SC Pirania SRL invests in value-addition New processing plant goes on-stream in October 2021 4

www.eurofishmagazine.com

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37 Datcu Matei Jr follows in the footsteps of his father and grandfather An integrated family-owned business

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29 At Aleksandar Parc technology plays an important role in the production Rearing large carp in two years

35 Services for tourists an important share of Doripesco’s operations Activities that make for a memorable vacation

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25 Carp farming in Romania New legislation to simplify regulation

32 Complex Delta Moldovei has two main lines of business, fish production and hospitality A fish farm with a range of tourist activities

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Contents 43 Păstrăvăria Valea Stânii Zaganu considers raising trout in the sea Can “Black Sea salmon” be produced in Romania?

(CC BY-SA 3.0) Map based on https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Location_European_nation_states.svg

by Hayden120 and NuclearVacuum

Latvia

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46 Latvian fishing companies target greater sustainability Making the most of EU funding opportunities

Albania 48 Since 2020 new fishing licences issued in Albania do not add to capacity New scheme to make fishing safer, more sustainable

Trade and Markets 51 The transport and logistics sector is undergoing a global transformation Green logistics protects the environment and the climate

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45 Latvia’s commercial coastal fishers now report catches electronically Self-consumption fishers to follow suit from 2023

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Worldwide Fish News IR

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Guest Pages 55 Blended audits that combine on-site and off-site inspections are the future Remote auditing is here to stay

Service 57 Diary Dates 58 Imprint, List of Advertisers

Scan the QR code to access the Eurofish Magazine website (www.eurofishmagazine. com), where you can also sign up to receive the Eurofish Magazine newsletter.

EUROFISH Magazine 5 / 2021

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[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]

Vegan alternatives in the food sector are on the increase in Spain.

Plant-based companies in Spain sold products worth EUR 86.5 million in 2020, an increase of 31 compared to 2019, according to La Vanguaria. Similar growth is being seen across the European continent and international supermarkets are taking advantage of this revolution in consumer habits.

According to researchandmarkets. com, the annual growth of the plant-based food sector in Spain will be 6.7 and will exceed 521 million euros within two years.

This year, the highest rate of consumption of vegetable alternatives in Spain are vegetable alternatives to milk (92), meat (84), yogurt (67), and cheese (43), according to international food awareness organisation, ProVeg. Seafood alternatives did not make the top list but Mimic Seafood,

wants to do their part in changing this. The Madrid-based startup’s Tunato product is manufactured from Finggerino tomatoes, a specialty tomato variety grown in southern Spain, along with olive oil, soy sauce, and algae extract, and is designed to replicate raw cuts of sushi-grade tuna. Our diet is vital to our health and that of our environment, so we believe that the time has come to offer more plant-based alternatives to fish and shellfish, says the Ida Speyer, Mimic’s founder. Although distribution of its tomato-based tuna was paused during the Covid19 lockdown, plans are now to resume sales in several Spanish cities by the end of the year.

Expanding to Denmark is also in the books and as well as working on a number of exciting new options to make healthy choices even easier for consumers.

©Mimic Seafood

Spain: Turning tomatoes into tuna

The plant-based fish market is tiny compared with that of meat and dairy, but it is growing rapidly as part of an increasing interest in all kinds of plant products.

EU consumption of fishmeal and fish oil has declined significantly over the last decade According to a new EUMOFA publication the EU produces between 400,000 and 600,000 tonnes fishmeal and between 120,000 and 200,000 tonnes of fish oil, or around 10-15 of the global production. Denmark is by far the largest producer in the EU, accounting for 40-50 of the total production. The Danish production is mainly based on landings of pelagic species like sprat, sandeel, blue whiting and herring. The fisheries for the raw materials destined for fishmeal and fish oil in the EU are limited by quotas and the demand for human consumption. The price level of European fishmeal and fish oil follows to a large degree global prices, which depend highly on production in South America (Peru). Over the past 12 years, European fish oil prices have on average increased

by 85 while fishmeal prices have increased 37. EU consumption of fishmeal decreased by around 40 from 2009 to 2020, to around 450,000 tonnes. Imports of fishmeal from non-EU27 suppliers decreased by 54 from 2009 to 2020. The difference between imports and exports is shrinking, but the EU is still a net importer of fishmeal. Imports from Peru decreased by nearly 90 in the period, to reach about 42,000 tonnes in 2020. EU27 exports of fishmeal decreased by 36 in the same period. EU27 imports of fish oil decreased by 19 to 217,000 tonnes from 2009 to 2020 while exports increased 15 to 174.000 tonnes. In 2020 around 72 of the exports of fish oil from the EU27 was exported to Norway. The report can be freely downloaded from the www.eumofa.eu website.

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FISHMEALL AND D FISH H OILL

PRODUCTION AND TRADE FLOWS IN THE EU

LAST UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 2021

WWW.EUMOFA..EU Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

According to a EUMOFA report, almost three fourths of the EU fish oil production is exported to Norway.

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Netherlands: Increasing product development and aquaculture solutions A leader in innovative feed efficiency solutions, Alltech Coppens, expanded their Aqua Center (ACAC) research facility's capacity for product development at the end of September. For over 20 years research at the ACAC has focused on the precise nutritional requirements of fish leading to the formulation of efficient, high-performing diets and the development of feeding strategies. Researchers at the centre are currently studying feeds for fish grown in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) to better prevent pollution, make operations more profitable, and reduce environmental impact. RAS represent complex environments where

slight variations in water quality parameters can significantly affect production output. Therefore, RAS feeds for species like African catfish must conform to more stringent criteria than feeds for any other type of fish farming. Catfish production is widespread in countries including Germany, Austria, Lithuania, Netherlands, and Hungary, with growing domestic markets as well as strong export sales.

Nutrient requirements and feeding characteristics of catfish are key to a farm’s performance. The increase in capacity at ACAC will enable research into, among other areas, which raw materials are best suitable for inclusion in catfish feeds.

The Alltech Coppens Aqua Centre digestibility research facility opens in its expanded form cater specifically to RAS systems.

Ireland: Using sonar-beaming drones to improve fishing gear The landing obligation was introduced in 2015 and came fully in to force in 2021. The purpose of the legislation was to encourage fishers in the EU to fish more selectively thereby eliminating discards. Using more selective fishing gear is one of the ways to reduce discards, but designing and testing new or modified gear is expensive and time consuming. BIM (Bord Iascaigh Mhara), an organisation that supports the Irish seafood industry, has tested side-scan sonar to see if it could be used to assess fishing gear modifications in place of evaluating the gear in a flume tank which is a more expensive undertaking.

Side-scan sonar is typically used to create an image of the seabed for detection, identification and mapping of underwater objects and bottom features. In a project supported by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, trials were carried out on board BIM’s research vessel and a fishing vessel and ultimately resulted in the development of gear modifications that reduced bycatch in nephrops trawls. While further work is needed to quantify differences in catches using the new gear modification and to achieve more consistent side-scan sonar imagery, the results of the study suggest that the technology could

Drones with special sonar equipment on board are being used to assess the efficacy of fishing gear modifications.

be used in the development of modifications to reduce seabed

impacts, for example, by reducing the bottom contact of trawls.

Latvia: Canned fish producer launches a new line of vegan products The market for vegan products is growing rapidly. A recent report by ƌĞĚŝƚ ^ƵŝƐƐĞ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ ĞƐƟ ŵĂƚĞƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƚŚĞ ŵĂƌŬĞƚ ĨŽƌ ĂůƚĞƌŶĂƟ ǀĞ ŵĞĂƚ ĂŶĚ ĚĂŝƌLJ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ ǁŝůů ƌĞĂĐŚ h^ λ͘ξƚƌů ďLJ μκοκ ĨƌŽŵ h^ λξďŶ ƚŽĚĂLJ͘ dŚĞ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ďĞŶĞĮ ƚƐ ŽĨ Ă ƉůĂŶƚͲďĂƐĞĚ diet are among the reasons for

ǀĞŐĂŶ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ͛ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ ƉŽƉƵůĂƌͲ ity. Now, Karavela, one of Europe’s ůĞĂĚŝŶŐ ƉƌŽĚƵĐĞƌƐ ŽĨ ĐĂŶŶĞĚ ƐĞĂͲ food will expand into a series of vegan seafood salads, spreads, and Ň ĂŬĞƐ͘ dŚĞ ŶĞǁ ƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐ Ăŝŵ ƚŽ ƐĂƟ ƐĨLJ ƚŚĞ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ ŐůŽďĂů ĚĞŵĂŶĚ for food that supports a sustainable

lifestyle. Plant protein has a much lower impact on the environment than products of animal origin, ĂĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ĞŶƚƌĞ ĨŽƌ ^ƵƐƚĂŝŶͲ able Systems at the University of Michigan, and Karavela says that its vegan products are based on plant proteins that are highly sustainable

ǁŝƚŚ ůŽǁ ĐĂƌďŽŶ ĨŽŽƚƉƌŝŶƚ ĞƐƟ ŵĂƚĞƐ ĨŽƌ ĐƵůƟ ǀĂƟ ŽŶ͕ ƉƌŽĐĞƐƐŝŶŐ͕ ĚƌLJͲ ing, and waste management. The new products will be presented at <ĂƌĂǀĞůĂ͛Ɛ ƐƚĂŶĚ ;,Ăůů ο͘λ ͬ ŽŽƚŚ Eƌ͘ κπςŐͬ κπλŐͿ Ăƚ ŶƵŐĂ͕ Ă ƚƌĂĚĞ ĨĂŝƌ for food and beverages in Cologne, 'ĞƌŵĂŶLJ ŽŶ σͲλν KĐƚŽďĞƌ μκμλ͘

EUROFISH .BHB[JOF

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]

The landing obligation (LO), which came fully into force in 2019, seeks to reduce bycatches and discards by encouraging the use of more selective gear and by demanding that all catches are landed. Discarding unwanted catches at sea is a substantial waste of marine biological resources and negatively affects the financial viability of fisheries.

The landing obligation encourages fishers to adapt their fishing patterns to avoid wasting resources. A recent study by DG MARE on the implementation of the landing obligation and its impact on discards concludes that countries have not taken the necessary measures to control and enforce the LO and that significant discarding still takes place. The study points

out that remote electronic monitoring using cameras on board is the most efficient and costeffective means of monitoring compared with traditional atsea and dockside inspections which only provide a snapshot of compliance at the time of monitoring. The study also found little to suggest that the LO had brought about changes in discarding practice and concluded that discarding was still taking place. Possible explanations for this are the complexity of legislation and the significant adaptations that had to be made on board. The results from the study will contribute to a report on the functioning of the CFP and its recommendations for improvement should prove useful to fisheries administrations and the industry.

Kyle LaFerriere / WWF-US

Belgium: Countries face challenges enforcing the landing obligation

A DGMARE study on the implementation of the landing obligation found that cameras on board were the most efficient and costeffective means of monitoring fisheries.

Poland: Fresh fish preferred on the Baltic Sea When Polish consumers travel to the seaside, they change their eating habits and consume substantially more fish than when they are at home. And fresh fish is more often an obligatory component of a holiday menu during a stay at the Baltic Sea. During summer, cod, flounder, halibut, and salmon reign on the menu of seaside restaurants and cafes. Following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions, Poles no longer want to eat fast, but want to spend time with family and friends and go to restaurants more often. Locally sourced fish bought straight from the vessel is more popular than products that have travelled thousands of kilometres, a choice that supports the domestic fishing industry. For years, Polish fishing organizations have been calling for consumers to choose home-grown sprats, herring, and flounder instead of exotic species.

Jacek Czauderna, President of the Polish Gastronomy Chamber of Commerce, says that despite the economic effects of the pandemic around the Baltic Sea, prices have increased only slightly and mainly due to the general increase in the prices of goods and services. Consumption outside the home is growing dynamically because domestic travel is increasing, but it is still lower than before the pandemic.

This is also influenced by the lower number of foreign tourists.

Among visitors to restaurants, he finds, the focus of consumption has changed with greater focus on quality, freshness, health, and whether the raw materials are sourced locally. The pandemic may have brought some benefits after all if consumers start rethinking their eating habits.

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The restrictions during COVID-19 have resulted in greater appreciation for eating out at restaurants with family and friends.

MEET

AGAIN!

GERMANY´S FISH FAIR SCOPE FORUM | AQUACULTURE FOCUS ON CLIMATE | CO2 REDUCTION www.fishinternational.com

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ] Invasive species colonise the Mediterranean Sea as it becomes more tropical The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2018, a biannual publication from FAO, mentions that climate change is producing shifts in the global distribution of species, a trend that is likely to continue.

Marine species have been advancing towards the poles at a rate of 72 km per decade. Climate change is thus contributing to the appearance of alien species in the Mediterranean Sea among other water bodies. Marine researchers such as Fiona Tomas Nash, a marine

ecologist at the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies say that the presence of more than 70 tropical species in the Mediterranean is clearly related to warming, reports The Guardian. Scientists are concerned that the presence of invasive species has implications for biodiversity, human safety, and fisheries. Rabbitfish (Siganus luridus), for example, is native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans but entered the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal. Apart from being

partial to algae, forests of which they can reduce to waste, they also have poisonous spines that can deliver an unpleasant sting. Another invader, the silver-cheeked toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) is poisonous to eat and attacks fishing nets to get at catches of commercially valuable cephalopods. Some of these alien species have the potential to become a resource. In the Black Sea the rapa whelk (Rapana venosa) is a commercially important mollusc caught, processed and exported to

Asian countries. Finding a use for invasive species may be the only way to deal with them. The UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change forecasts that conditions in the western Mediterranean Sea including the southern Adriatic Sea are likely to become more favourable for tropical species. Creating marine protected areas and restoring ecosystems may make these areas less vulnerable to global warming but are unlikely to prevent the spread of tropical species.

Italy: New GFCM report provides insights into bycatch Ecosystems in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea count nearly 50 species of sharks and 40 species of skates and rays. Collectively termed elasmobranchs they are characterized by low population growth rates and late sexual maturity making them less resilient to fishing pressure. Even when not a target species for fishers they are often caught as bycatch, a term widely used to refer to the part of catch unintentionally captured during a fishing operation in addition to target species and consisting of discards and incidental catches of vulnerable species. In terms of fishing segments, longliners are the biggest sinners responsible for 55 of the elasmobranch bycatch, followed by small-scales fishers (18), bottom trawlers (13), and pelagic trawlers (11). Bycatch is a threat not

only to elasmobranchs but also to other species and, more widely, to marine conservation efforts and the sustainability of fisheries. Despite the gravity of the issue little is known about the scale of the problem which hinders the adoption of measures to mitigate it. Now, however, the GFCM has published an overview of trends in the bycatch of seabirds, sea turtles, elasmobranchs, marine mammals and macrobenthic invertebrates (Incidental catch of vulnerable species in Mediterranean and Black Sea fisheries – A review), which reveals that that incidental catches are, for particular vulnerable species, fisheries and areas, significant, and therefore mitigation measures should be taken. The study is freely available at http://www.fao.org/3/cb5405en/ cb5405en.pdf.

Bycatch is a threat to vulnerable species and efforts to reduce it must be taken to protect ecosystems and make fisheries sustainable.

Lifting of restrictions in Denmark finally enable an in-person trade show—Danfish 2021 The Danish pavilion at DanFish 2021 will host more than 90 companies from the Fish Tech group in the Danish Export Association. Fish Tech brings together equipment manufacturers from the fisheries, aquaculture, and processing industries who will use the opportunities offered

by DanFish to market and promote their products to the large number of European visitors expected at

the trade show. Denmark has lifted all the restrictions imposed by the pandemic and DanFish will be a live in-person event, something that companies have been longing to return to after 18 months of virtual meetings. The exhibition will be held in Aalborg, a city at the centre of the whole North Atlantic and close to some of Europe’s key fishing and industry regions.

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More than 300 exhibitors, ranging from fishing gear suppliers to producers of sophisticated technologies and service providers such as ports and harbours, will be present from 23 mostly northern European countries. Exhibitors and visitors can also attend several seminars at the show. Surveillance in the fishing industry is one topic that will be addressed while another looks at the

fishing industry’s efforts to reduce its impact on climate. DanFish will be held on 13-15 October 2021 at the Aalborg Congress and Culture Centre. More information is available at www.danfish.com/en

[ INTERNATIONAL NEWS ]

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute will lead an effort to test new strains of sugar kelp on farms to measure their yield and quality.

Seaweed farming is considered a sustainable way to diversify economies, provide nutritious food, mitigate the impact of nutrient-laden runoffs from land and from fish farming, and contribute to biodiversity. Seaweeds form more than a quarter of the volume of global aquaculture production. The institute will collaborate with two commercial farms in the north-eastern US to conduct two breeding and harvesting seasons from 2021 to 2023. The researchers will look for strains that show desirable traits such as taste and texture. The new strains have been jointly developed

by the institute and the University of Connecticut. The project will study the effect of genetics and the environment on kelp strains and train hatchery operators on how to grow see all year round. Seaweed has many uses as food, feed, and a source of energy. In addition, it does not have the same impact on the environment as traditional agriculture. Moreover, seaweed has several climate friendly attributes including buffering coastal pH and providing spawning and nursery habitats for marine life. The project is supported by the Bezos Earth Fund and the WWF, which is interested in the potential for seaweed farms to increase their productivity and the environmental and societal gains this would bring.

NOAA Central Library Historical Fisheries Collection/George Mattson

USA: Identifying desirable traits in new strains of sugar kelp

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute will collaborate with two seaweed farming companies to investigate traits such as taste and texture in new strains of kelp.

Presentations at Seagriculture reiterate algae’s blue bioeconomy potential The 10th edition of Seagriculture, an event devoted to marine algae farming, was held online this year. It featured over 25 speakers from 11 countries and attracted a record 180 registrations from 27 countries around the world. Speakers focused on the technical aspects of seaweed farming but also on marketing, sustainability, and future developments in the sector. The organisers, DLG Benelux, introduced new features with this edition, including a seaweed quiz, a special USA night session focusing on seaweed activities in the USA, and the European Union—Seagriculture Algae

Innovation Awards. The awards are a way of promoting algae and emphasise the importance the European Commission places on innovation in the sector which has the potential to contribute substantially to the blue bioeconomy and blue biotechnology. The EU’s algae initiative will be released in 2022 and is expected to pave the way for increased production and use of algae in the EU. With the awards the European Commission highlighted its commitment to the sector and offered entrepreneurs and academia the possibility to showcase their innovative services and products. Of the 16 innovations that competed for the awards, six were from Europe, while two of the three winners were from Asia, a region with the highest rates of algae production and consumption in the world.

With their small carbon and environmental footprint and their versatility, algae can provide sustainable alternatives to products in the food, feed, pharmaceutical, bioplastics, fertiliser, and biofuel sectors, among others.

An American edition of Seagriculture will be held on 7-8 September 2022 in Portland, Maine, a hub of the algae industry in America. The next European conference will be held on 29-30 June 2022 in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Distinguish yourself from the competition Discover how at www.ggn.org

EUROFISH .BHB[JOF

[ EVENTS ] The EU Britain seafood trade following Brexit, Eurofish webinar, 25 June 2021

Expect more friction before things improve The departure of the UK from the EU was never going to be easy. The EU is the UK’s main trading partner and disentangling a half-century-old relationship has proved as tricky as foreseen by some. The seafood sector on both sides is struggling to adapt to the new reality.

Staggered vs immediate implementation of requirements The difference was because the EU introduced all border requirements immediately on 1 January, while the UK elected to stagger their implementation. However, new rules on collecting VAT have convinced many smaller EU firms to sell less to Britain, and when sanitary and phytosanitary rules come into force in autumn, food supply chains will be further disrupted, notes The Economist. In addition, the departure of EU citizens from Britain has affected sectors such as food processing and hospitality where many of them were employed. The impact of Brexit on the seafood industry in the UK and the EU was discussed at a webinar organised

by Eurofish in June. The objective 12

was to clarify some of the likely implications of Brexit for seafood production, consumption, and trade, to highlight changes in rules and regulations, and to recommend how companies should adapt to the new circumstances.

Changes to procedures caused by Brexit usually only apply to Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) and not to Northern Ireland which is governed by the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP), said Ivan Bartolo, Regulatory Affairs Advisor at Seafish. This effectively keeps Northern Ireland in the EU to prevent a hard border between the province and the Republic of Ireland. But this comes at the cost of creating a border in the Irish Sea so that goods bound for Northern Ireland from Britain go through all the procedures that govern exports to the EU.

Trade may be tariff-free, but non-tariff barriers are a big hurdle Dr Francis Murray from Foresight Aquaculture provided some background on the UK’s accession to the EU back in 1973. Since then, eight EU countries have developed close fisheries-related ties to the UK translating into 6,000 jobs at the time of the Brexit negotiations, jobs that the EU wanted to retain.

As a member of the EU over 70%

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Seafish

T

he transition period from the end of January to the end of December 2020 shielded many seafood trading companies from what was to come because everything continued as before. However, starting from 1 January 2021 British seafood companies trading with the EU started to feel the impact of Brexit as exports to the EU faced several new requirements.

Exports the other way had an easier time of it.

Exporting bivalves from Britain to the EU has become more cumbersome since Brexit. Some producers have expanded their domestic market instead. Here, harvesting Pacific oysters in bags.

of UK exports of seafood went to the EU and there was a substantial trade in the other direction as well.

Seafood supply chains were highly integrated and EU fleets fished in UK waters. The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), the treaty governing the relationship between the partners, envisages a transition period of five and a half years of mutual tariff- and quota-free trade. However, as Dr Murray explained, this is a very

narrow agreement UK importers with supply chains that go through EEA countries may be subject to tariffs depending on the EEA country they go through and where they are processed. Norwegian fish processed in the UK, for example, cannot go tariff-free into the EU, nor can Russian fish processed in Poland enter Britain without tariffs. As a result, UK importers have been realigning their supply chains looking for alternative suppliers

[ EVENTS ] and even establishing processing facilities in the UK. In addition, Mr Bartolo pointed out, under the TCA imports in both directions may be tariff-free, but they are still subject to non-tariff barriers such as sani­ tary and health checks, customs declarations, IUU catch certifica­ tion, and entry through border control posts. Goods imported into the EU from third countries can no longer be freely exported to Britain unless they enter the EU through a customs transit procedure. They are then considered a direct import and qualify to enter Britain tariff free.

But a health certificate will still have to accompany the consignment and it can only enter Britain through a border control point (BCP).

More requirements and less flexibility affect small companies in particular Although requirements are being introduced gradually on the UK side, they are all in place in the EU and this situation has affected trade in both directions and has been particularly tough on small enterprises. The situation is fluid because it depends also on

b­ ilateral agreements the UK strikes with EEA countries that are not EU members (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), said Dr Murray. As exam­ ples of the phased implementation of regulations on the UK side, from 1 October 2021 goods from the EU will need to be accompanied by an export health certificate (using the new GB format) and be prenotified to the UK using IPAFFS (import of products, animals, food and feed system) and from 1 Janu­ ary 2022 entry into the UK will be via border control posts with the possibility of samples being taken and identity checks. New BCPs have been set up, existing facilities are being upgraded to accept sea­ food, and staff are being hired to deal with the increased tasks. EU companies exporting to UK must be on an approved list maintained by a new body, the UK Office for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Trade Assurance Catch certificates for wild-caught fish must be provided for exports to Britain. If more countries are involved than the vessel’s flag state and the destination, then, according to the IUU regulation, further documentation such as a

storage document or processing statement is also required. Export health certificates are documents signed and stamped by a veteri­ nary officer. This can be tricky as, for example, farmed fish is often harvested in remote places or at ungodly hours when a veterinary officer is not available. According to Mr Bartolo, Norwegian export­ ers have experienced delays of up to four hours and longer transport distances because of this require­ ment resulting in a lower shelf life for the product. The requirement to use IPAFFS will also be new for traders who import only from the EU as this has not been neces­ sary until now (traders import­ ing from outside the EU will be familiar with the system), but to assist them the UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs will organise training ses­ sions on how to use the system.

Carlos Da Conceicao, who works for a wholesaler and distributor of seafood imported mainly from Europe and Japan, illustrated the challenges traders face with Brexit. The additional paperwork, increased delivery times, and the use of agents all pushed up costs.

The company’s wholesale busi­ ness in Germany stopped com­ pletely because of the complex­ ity of the paperwork involved in bringing goods to the UK from the EU and sending them back to the EU again. The company now con­ centrates on the British part of its business and sources more fish directly from Cornwall and other coasts of England.

Exporters to the EU had very short notice In trade terms the UK is a net importer of fish and seafood and has been since 1984. In 2019 imports were valued at GBP3.5bn and exports at GBP2bn, figures that have stayed fairly stable since 2006. About two thirds of UK con­ sumption stems from imports from the EU and the rest of the world. In volume, the UK is a net exporter to the EU with a surplus of 104 thousand tonnes in 2019. Salmon, tuna, and cod are the UK’s biggest imports from the EU and Germany, Sweden, and Denmark its main importing partners in the bloc.

UK exports to the EU are mainly salmon, pelagics, and shellfish and France, Spain, and Ireland are the

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[ EVENTS ] main destinations. The volume of exports to the EU dropped following Brexit suggesting the impact of non-tariff barriers. This was not altogether surprising, said Mr Bartolo, as British exporters were given little warning of the scale of the changes and so were caught unawares when the new rules abruptly entered into force on 1 January 2021.

The single most exported species from the UK to the EU is farmed salmon and although export value in Q1 2021 increased 19% to GBP100m compared with 2020, exporters can expect losses from delays due to customs and health certification requirements as well as increased costs from paperwork, logistics, and veterinary procedures. Before Brexit small fishers could send a few pallets of fish across to the continent. This has now changed as exporters

need to be approved, they need to provide customs export declarations, catch certificate, and a health certificate signed by an officer all of which is time consuming and expensive. Jimmy Young from the University of Sterling added that in the case of live shellfish exports delays contribute to higher mortalities and the perception that the product is no longer as high quality and therefore commands a lower price.

A lack of certain specialists in Britain compounds the problems Some companies have hired customs agents to complete the formalities, but there is a shortage of these specialists, said Mr Bartolo. Catch certificates can be applied for online in a straightforward procedure and they are free.

For health certificates a fee must

be paid, and the certificate must be signed by a certifying officer who too are in short supply. Shipping a small consignment to the EU has thus become much more inflexible and expensive. Groupage is one way around the complications of a health certificate.

Here, several small consignments are bundled together into one that then gets a single health certificate. There are three groupage facilities in Scotland and two in England. For many companies both in the EU and the UK the additional certification is more burdensome than tariffs and will lead them to look for alternate supply chains or markets.

more or less overnight after Brexit.

The EU does not accept product from Class B waters in non-EU countries that has not been depurated or tested. The company now exports to Hong Kong and has also increased sales on the domestic market, but it suffered a very difficult six months and capacity is still not fully exploited.

For Mr Green the lack of notice and the impact on cash flow were the most severe irritants with Brexit, but he is earning a better unit price from his UK sales and is optimistic about the future as he sees increasing interest in shellfish, especially oysters, particularly among younger consumers.

James Green, owner of the Whitstable Oyster Company, an SME in Kent illustrated some of the issues his firm faced because of Brexit. An exporter of live oysters to France, his market vanished

As it adapts to the irritants Brexit has introduced, the industry is already discovering new opportunities. Time will tell if these compensate for what has been lost.

North Atlantic Seafood Forum goes digital

Sharing insights on business, innovation, market initiatives, and sustainability More than 1500 delegates from the seafood industry attended the North Atlantic Seafood Forum held 8–10 June. The 16th edition of the conference, convened in Bergen, Norway, hosted presentations by more than 160 speakers from 16 countries.

Presentations by scientists, industry experts, policy-makers, and CEOs from the global aquatic food industry (wild-caught and aquaculture) addressed common industry challenges, including consumer and market developments, seafood supply, sustainability, innovation, and finance, among other topics.

T

he conference, which has been billed as the world’s largest seafood business conference, was hosted by the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and other partners. This year, it 14

was entirely digital owing to Covid restrictions, but this limitation actually allowed more people to take part, up from approximately 800 the year before. Delegates were able to join sessions through a digi-

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tal conference platform and replay sessions later. Messaging functions, one-to-one video-meetings, and a meet-and-greet function allowed delegates to reach out to other delegates and companies.

Sessions included, among other topics, “Aquaculture and salmon: future production methods of cultured salmon,” “Shrimp seminar,” and “Sustainability seminar”.

During the “Ocean Science Day 2”

[ EVENTS ] session, which focused on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, six speakers gave keynote addresses, from the perspective of industry, management, and research.

stocks in the period 1997–2019, without weighting for catch or size, have shown improving trends in meeting the sustainability targets and increasing the biomass of stocks.

How to define “sustainability”?

Conversely, it has been shown that fishing at maximum sustainable yield (MSY) does not achieve its objective of sustaining ecosystem health. Fishing at MSY negatively affects the ability to achieve conservation and biodiversity targets, and it results in a loss of fish community biomass and a 40% risk of collapsed species. From the perspective of the social and economic impacts, fishing at MSY does not benefit most fishers worldwide.

The wages of average of fishers in the majority of countries (69%–95% of fishers worldwide) probably receive a wage below their nationally determined minimum living wage. Even if all fisheries in every country were managed to achieve their MSY, average incomes of 70% of fishers worldwide would still not meet minimum living wages.

The need for sustainable fisheries is universally accepted, but the definitions of sustainability often differ greatly. The usual ecological aspects (productivity and trophic structure, biodiversity, and habitat–ecosystem integrity) are part of almost every definition. Nevertheless, they overlook such aspects as the socioeconomic (viability and prosperity, sustainable livelihoods, distribution of access and benefits, regional–community benefits), social (health and well-being, sustainable communities, ethical fisheries), and institutional (legal obligations, good governance structure, effective decision-making).

Mark Dickey-Collas, Chair of ICES Advisory Committee, pointed to these various aspects (taken from a paper by Robert L. Stephenson and others (2018)) as he answered the question, “What is a sustainable fishery?” from ICES point of view.

He defined four measures to determine a sustainable fishery: (1) the fishery’s ability to support fish production; (2) its ability to maintain a sustainable impact on the marine ecosystem; (3) its ability to meet the social and economic aspiration of the fishers; and (4) sustainability in other contexts. Additionally, he pointed out that some countries have increased the objective of stemming biodiversity loss to actually improving biodiversity.

He cited Kevern Cochran who has written that sustainability is only attainable by meeting the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals in an “integrated and indivisible manner”. On the positive side, and very generally, he reported that all ICES

Licence to fish— political ramifications To the many components that must be considered in defining sustainability, he added the idea of political sustainability. For example, who has the right to fish where? He pointed to the current political notion that “big is bad”, referring to vessels and companies, and explained that their political acceptance often depends on how the public perceive them and how politicians use these perceptions to shape the debate.

Specifically, he mentioned the case of the pulse trawl, which uses electricity to shock fish out of the seabed. It was developed by, among others, the Dutch fishers to deal with shrimps and other organisms.

Its use has been banned in the EU for political reasons. But when ICES investigated, they concluded

that pulse trawling reduces environmental impacts on sole, plaice, cod, dogfish, and invertebrates on the seabed, reduces fuel consumption and CO2 production, and minimises seabed disturbance and the effect on sensitive species and habitats. Its use has been banned in the EU for political reasons.

In conclusion, he quoted Kristin N. Marshall and Phillip S. Levin from the 2018 book Effective Conservation Science to which they contributed. “Certainly, notions of sustainability are tangled with human values, and therefore, will vary among regions and through time. … Ultimately, truly sustainable fisheries are defined by a dialogue that gives voice to diverse values, and governance that fairly and equitably considers those values”.

Researching mesopelagic resources in South Africa Janet Coetzee, from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, South Africa, has had extensive experience with research on pelagic and mesopelagic species in the region. She reported on research that has been done on mesopelagic resources in the southern Benguela Current, which flows north off the coast of southwestern Africa. Its nutrient-rich waters ensure an abundance of marine life; landings in South Africa from the ecosystem amount to approximately 600,000 tonnes annually. A trawl experiment was undertaken in 2010 to 2011, and was resumed in 2017 to 2019, to determine if mesopelagic fish can stand alone as a viable alternative fishery. Small mesopelagic fish have not been a targeted species in recent decades and are now only taken as bycatch.

Small mesopelagic fish, which inhabit depths of about 200–1000 metres, play a very important role in

that ecosystem, where they occupy a mid-level position in the food web and play an important role in the transfer of energy from higher trophic levels to lower trophic levels. Further, approximately 50% of mesopelagic species are consumed by the Cape hake, the area’s most valuable fishery, so any exploitation of mesopelagic species must be carefully calculated.

Models give counter intuitive results Modelling work by Len Shannon at the University of Cape Town suggested that increasing the fishing pressure on mesopelagics to FMSY levels of about 0.33 increases the abundance of seabirds and most demersal fish species, including the important Cape hake. It also increases the abundance of important small pelagic fish species including sardine and anchovy, and rarely reduces biomasses in mesopelagic fisheries. This is probably because increasing fishing pressure lessens predation pressure or competition for zooplankton prey resources.

In 2011, an exploratory fishery was opened to determine the viability of expanding the scope of fishing small pelagics using midwater or pelagic trawlers.

This met with limited success, but it turned out that it was possible to effectively catch mesopelagic fish species, in particular lantern fish species, with the pelagic trawl method. Between 2017 and 2019, the catches were variable—the volume of fish landed as well as the catch rate, which could be as high as more than 70 tonnes per hour, but could also be less than 10 tonnes per hour. It became obvious that, to maintain the quality of the fish, trips had to be of a very short duration, ranging from 2 to 4 hours and not farther than

EUROFISH Magazine 5 / 2021

15

[ EVENTS ]

Maria Tenningen, a fisheries researcher at Norway’s IMR, presented “Innovations in sustainable fisheries technology”, a review of developments in fish capture technology. She emphasised that the developments depended on a combination of new technologies, knowledge of fish behaviour, and the current focus on sustainable fisheries. She identified some of the challenges with current capture methods: bycatch and discards, overfishing, habitat disruption, and CO2 emissions. Fishing gears and methods must be selected for the size of the target 16

She presented examples of innovations, which can be divided into three groups: Pre-catch 1–2, Early catch 2–4, and Gear modification 4–6. In pre-catch, the target fish are identified before the fishing gear is deployed, using acoustic methods to estimate school size and fish size and species. In early catch, fish are identified as they enter the fishing gear. In gear modifications, unwanted catch is released from the gear, catch size is limited, and bottom contact in trawling is reduced. The six concepts, except for number five, were developed, at least partly, under the Center for Research-based Innovation for Sustainable Fisheries. The programme ran for eight years, ending in 2019, and was financed by the Research Council of Norway.

Early catch 3: Scantrol Deep Vision is a subsea, stereo-camera vision system that identifies and measures fish in the sea without bringing the catch on board the vessel. It is placed in front of the codend of a trawl, recording fish as they pass, making it possible to count the fish entering the trawl and obtain a species size distribution. The system is currently being used in IMR surveys. Automatic image analysis that uses massive machine learning methods is currently being developed and tested. The control division is also working with an active selection system, which uses doors that can be opened and closed.

Careful about whom you let in Pre-catch 1: In addition to locating schools of fish, it is important to estimate the fish school size before it is caught, to prevent large catches from bursting gears and overwhelming the available on-board space.

Researchers at IMR have developed algorithms to calculate the size of schools and have made these algorithms available to sonar producers.

Pre-catch 2: Now, it is possible to resolve the size and species of individual targets using broadband echo sounders and narrow acoustic beams, which can be placed on the boat or the fishing gear. IMR now coordinates the

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Gear modification 4: In purse seine fisheries, it is desirable to have information about the fish in the net at an early catch stage, if that information cannot be gathered in the pre-catch phase.

A stereo-camera probe can be deployed in the net. Work has been done attaching sensors to the net as well as flying drums with echo sounders. Gentle release methods have been developed using a large opening in the purse seine so that the fish can freely exit the net, so improving survival.

Refining fishing gear Gear modification 5: As the codend fills, it expands to a accommodate a predetermined volume of fish. Then the codend closes. At the same time, the top of the seine opens, allowing fish to exit. In addition, a release mechanism opens the net, allowing the volume to increase.

Gear modification 6: The final example is reducing bottom contact in a demersal trawl, so called semi-pelagic trawling, where the trawl doors and sweeps are lifted off the seabed while keeping the trawl on the seabed using these manoeuvrable trawl doors that have hatches that can be opened and closed. This allows adjustment of the distance from the doors to the seabed. But catch rates of cod and haddock declined, probably the result of the doors and sweeps discouraging the herding stimuli. However, catches improved when cod schooled off the seabed. In some situations, this can be a very good solution to reducing bottom contact.

The 17th North Atlantic Seafood Forum will be held 8–10 March 2022. The event will combine both a digital and a physical conference, allowing delegates to participate either digitally or in Bergen in person.

3. Deep Vision stereo-camera system for catch 4. Catch control in purse seine Gear

Improving fish capture equipment

Center for Research-based Innovation in Marine Acoustic Abundance and Backscatter Classification (CRIMAC), whose main focus is on using broadband and acoustics in fishery science.

Pre-catch

It emerged that the codend design is key. Large meshes allow better flow through the trawl, but they also allow the small mesopelagics to escape, requiring a much smaller codend mesh to counter the backpressure that builds up in the trawl. Overall catch rates were too low for this operation to be a viable fishery. But perhaps similar efforts will benefit from these experiences, which highlighted the need for fishing close to port and the development of more efficient trawl systems. In areas where mesopelagic fish might be exploited, it is obviously vital that the important trophic role of the species be considered.

species, and they must control catch quantity to meet the fishing gear and vessel capacity.

These measures will maintain catch quality and reduce environmental impact.

Early-catch

30 to 60 miles from port. Most of the fishing was done during the day, when the fish were deeper in the water column and aggregating at higher densities. The optimal trawl speed was determined to be 2.5 to 3 knots. Owing to substantial seasonal migration, most of the catches were taken in summer and autumn, with the fish moving out of the preferred fishing area during winter.

Maria Tenningen, IMR, Norway

William Anthony

[ AQUACULTURE ] Are recirculating aquaculture systems the future of mariculture?

Advantages and risks of land-based fish production Until now, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) have mostly been used to produce freshwater fish species such as eel, African catfish, tilapia, zander or sturgeon. Now, however, an increasing number of projects for land-based RAS that are designed for marine fish are emerging. For salmon alone, the planned capacity is over half a million tonnes. Investors are fuelling this development, but are their profit expectations actually justified?

C

ritics never tire of pointing out the environmental consequences of open net pens in aquaculture. Metabolic products, food residues and chemicals enter the sea and endanger local ecosystems, and escapes can damage the genetic integrity of wild fish stocks. In

open aquaculture operations, fish are also subjected to many hazards due to toxic algal blooms, environmental pollution, parasites and “imported” diseases. These kinds of risks are still increasing, because climate change and global warming are accelerating such developments. Land-based,

recirculating aquaculture systems with integrated, highly efficient biological water recycling, or “RAS” for short, could be a way out of this dilemma. These systems can be almost completely sealed off from the surrounding environment, meaning that they do not constitute a threat to

the biological diversity around them. Pollution and emissions are retained by the efficient filtering technology or converted into non-harmful substances. It is almost impossible for pathogenic germs and parasites to enter a system like this, which is so insulated from the environment.

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[ AQUACULTURE ] on land or that are planning to establish such land-based facilities can look back on an excellent year, as significant investment in these technologies has taken place.

Land-based aquaculture systems are currently seen as alternatives to traditional production processes using ponds, net pens or channels.

These features make land-based aquaculture production systems a real alternative to traditional aquaculture processes, in which aquatic animals are kept in open systems (net pens), ponds or channels. Particularly since fish production on land offers exactly what consumers want: Value creation chains with full traceability, on-site production, short transport routes and a reduced carbon footprint. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers also want as few people as possible to have had contact with food they will later eat. What sounds convincing in theory, however, cannot always be fully implemented in practice.

RAS are in fact highly effective systems that are tailored for production performance, but they are also extremely unnatural systems that do not leave any room for sentimental ideas about nature. Operating them requires a lot of energy and technical effort, and they are often prone to disruptions and are extremely demanding of the production regime. Managing the health of the fish does not allow for even the smallest error. For salt water recirculating aquaculture systems, the construction and material technology requirements are even higher than for freshwater RAS systems, because everything must be “seawater resistant” in order to not break down due to corrosion after a short period of operation.

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High willingness to invest in salmon farms on land Despite the high costs and technical requirements associated with the operation of land-based RAS systems, the level of enthusiasm for this demanding technology is high, and is currently increasing even further. Many analysts expect the future of aquaculture to lie mainly in the land-based technology segment. What already functions perfectly well in the freshwater sector must now be adapted for marine fish species. The fact that they are largely free from dependence on locations directly by the water is a decisive advantage for these operations. RAS systems can be built wherever there is access to water and energy sources, and in particular in locations close to profitable markets. Even desert climates no longer present an obstacle to the construction of RAS systems.

Pareto Securities, a Norwegian company that monitors equity and investor markets, has confirmed the enormous interest of the financial sector in investing in aquaculture. Even in 2020, the year of the pandemic, shares in the salmon producer Lerøy gained 20 percent in value, and Salmar gained as much as 30 percent. Bakkafrost posted gains of 20 percent after taking over the Scottish Salmon Company. According to Pareto, companies that produce salmon

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The salmon industry is in fact a core area and growth driver for land-based fish production. The Atlantic salmon is one of the most profitable fish species for aquaculture. The salmon farming industry generates over 15.4 billion US dollars in revenue every year. RAS systems are becoming more popular, although their economic feasibility has not yet been convincingly demonstrated. Facilities on land have always been used for the freshwater phase of salmon cultivation, up until smoltification.

However, given the biological risks and the increasing costs of combating sea lice during salmon growout in net pens in the sea, many companies are more prepared to extend the on-land cultivation phase and to populate marine fish farms with larger smolts. Instead of 100-150 gram smolts, marine pens are being filled with smolts weighing 500 grams or more. This almost halves the time the salmon spend in the sea, and thus the time window for a sea lice infestation to take hold. However, some companies are going one step further and

want to move the entire salmon production chain, i.e. including the marine cultivation phase, on land in indoor farms. The first land-based farms in Poland, Denmark, Iceland, China, Canada and the United States are already in operation and are demonstrating that this path is feasible in principle, although perhaps with mixed success.

Technical potential has still not been fully exploited On the one hand, salmon cultivation on land is a measure that makes sense as it reduces costs and biological risks. The growth of the fish can be better controlled, expensive live transport is unnecessary and the entire cycle from egg to market-ready salmon is under the control of the cultivator.

Fish escapes into nature can be completely ruled out. These advantages lend land-based RAS systems an image of a green, sustainable and environmentally friendly technology that does not pose a threat to natural ecosystems. On the other hand, marine aquaculture projects on land present an enormous challenge. Their energy and maintenance requirements are very high, which results in huge costs.

The cultivation of salmon in fresh water in land-based systems up until smoltification is to be significantly extended in order to reduce the risky period of time that the fish spend in the sea.

[ AQUACULTURE ] Experts have calculated that landbased salmon facilities would need to have a minimum production capacity of 5,000 tonnes per year in order to be really profitable. Biologists warn that fish kept in closed tanks can release hormones that accelerate early maturity and affect the taste of the flesh.

Such problems can be overcome, claim the proponents of landbased aquaculture. For example using modern sensors that collect comprehensive data on water quality and feed consumption, as well as health, wellbeing and fish growth in real time. It is claimed that artificial intelligence and statistical models will soon be able to support facility operators in the science-based automatic management of RAS production.

With the help of modern deep

learning tools that can record thousands of video sequences of normal and abnormal fish behaviour, developers want to teach the computer about “species-appropriate” fish behaviour, turning the computer system into an early warning system for fish health.

Many projects worldwide with huge production capacities The global boom in land-based salmon farming seems to be unstoppable, with some projects almost appearing to be excessive in scale.

Such as the Bluehouse facility, located 65 km southwest of Miami (Florida), which went into production in 2011. It now produces only 3,000 tonnes of salmon per year, but is to be expanded to become the world’s largest land-based

Hatcheries often keep the parent generation of salmon in basins on land, because spawning maturity can be much better controlled under these conditions.

fish farm. Its owner, Atlantic Sapphire, wants to increase production to 222,000 tonnes by 2031, which would meet 41% of the current US demand for salmon. Atlantic Sapphire has already invested 400 million USD in its US facility and plans to spend a total of 2 billion USD.

Florida salmon is popular with US consumers. Salmon fillets from the Bluehouse brand retail for 12 US dollars per kg, more than double the price of some Norwegian imports.

But the competition is never far behind. Whole Oceans is investing 250 million USD in a land-based RAS

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[ AQUACULTURE ] managers behind it, is to be Chile’s first land-based salmon farm. It is planned that investment of 46 million USD can produce 4,000 tonnes in the first year and 24,000 tonnes in the third year.

The RAS manufacturer AquaMaof has reclassified the “Global Fish” facility in Poland, which was originally planned for tilapia, into a 600 tonne R&D facility as a model project for salmon.

in Maine which is to supply approximately 50,000 tonnes of salmon per year. Nordic Aquafarms is also building two facilities in the USA. At its Belfast (Maine) location, initially 16,000 and later as much as 33,000 tonnes of salmon are to be produced per year. Almost 23,000 tonnes of salmon or steelhead trout are planned to be produced at its second location in Genius (California).

Nordic Aquafarm also opened one of the largest land-based salmon farms in Europe in 2020, with an annual capacity of 6,000 tonnes.

Salmon Evolution’s RAS, which has received approval for a fixed biomass of 13,300 tonnes and annual production of 28,800 tonnes of salmon, is even bigger. Losna Seafood Norway is planning a landbased salmon farm with an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes. The investor Geir Nordahl-Pedersen even wants to blow up a mountain to create enough space for some 30 fish tanks. And in northern Norway, Andfjord Salmon is building one of the world’s largest facilities for organic salmon cultivation, which is designed as a flow-through facility, however, not an RAS. It is to have a capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year. In Skagen, the northernmost city in Denmark, the construction of a land-based salmonid cultivation facility began in 2020, which is designed for a capacity of 3,300 tonnes. The operators of two landbased farms in Jutland, Danish 20

Salmon (salmon) and Sashimi Royal (yellowtail amberjack), who founded Skagen Aquaculture together, are behind the project.

Switzerland is another country where salmon is produced in recirculating aquaculture systems.

Swiss Salmon in Lostallo produced approximately 300 tonnes in 2019.

The range of species suitable for land-based farms is relatively small The independence of land-based systems on any location also makes highly unusual sites possible, for example in the desert. In the Jebel Ali port in the United Arab Emirates, the Fish Farm facility is cultivating 600 tonnes of salmon per year in 34 tanks, and this quantity is to be increased to 1,000 tonnes. The Crown Prince of Dubai is said to be behind the project. A 90 million USD indoor salmon farm project by Viking’s Label for 5,000 tonnes of salmon in the United Arab Emirates is scheduled to go into production in 2020. The Danish technology company Nordic Aqua Partners wants to build an RAS in Ningbo in eastern China that will initially produce 3–4,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon, and in 5 years up to 20,000 tonnes.

The fish is intended for the region surrounding Shanghai, Hangzhou and Ningbo, which is home to more than 100 million people. The Bordemar project of the Tumbes peninsula, which has former EWOS

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A 25 million euro project for 2,500 tonnes of Atlantic salmon is planned for the Vologda region in Russia.

The Kuterra facility of the indigenous Namgis Nation on Vancouver Island is being expanded by 1,500 tonnes per year, and land-based indoor facilities at the island location in Öxarfjörður produce some 1,200 tonnes of salmon per year. The spectrum of marine fish species for land-based aquaculture is not solely restricted to salmon, however. The Kingfish Company, a Dutch cultivator of yellowtail amberjack (Seriola lalandi), is increasing the capacity of its land-based farm in Kats from around 1,250 to 2,750 tonnes. The company is also investing almost 100 million euro in the construction of a kingfish farm in the USA (Jonesport, Maine), which should supply 6,000 tonnes of kingfish per year.

This marine fish species is clearly particularly suitable for marine RAS systems, as Sashimi Royal is also cultivating yellowtail amberjack in Hanstholm in Denmark. The farm reached its full capacity of 1,100 tonnes produced annually in 2019.

Interest in shrimp farms is particularly high in Central Europe.

In addition to salmon and yellowtail amberjack, sea bass and gilthead sea bream and occasionally turbot and even sole are cultivated. For some years shrimp has also been cultivated, which is almost always the brackish water species white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The quantities produced by shrimp farms are relatively low, and seldom exceed 10 to 30 tonnes per year, but this drawback is compensated for by the relatively high market value for crustaceans. Prices per kilo for freshly caught shrimp of between 50 and 90 euro are in no way unusual. Swiss Shrimp actually costs 99 CHF for 480 grams, which corresponds to more than 190 euro/kg. At the Grevesmühlen site in northern Germany, two more shrimp farms are operating again after HanseGarnelen took over an insolvent operation. In Glückstadt, the foundations have been laid for an 85 tonne HanseGarnelen shrimp farm, and in Langenpreising near Munich, Crusta Nova is producing shrimp species from the Pacific. While “Garnele 1” (“Neue

The “Global Fish” construction methods with lots of concrete and plastic facilitate largely problem-free conversion from fresh water to more aggressive salt water.

[ AQUACULTURE ]

Like spawning cod, the offspring are also kept in land-based facilities until they are large enough for net pens at sea – sometimes in flowthrough systems and sometimes in RAS systems.

Meere”) in Gronau in Lower Saxony began cultivating shrimp in March 2020, “Förde Garnelen” has already been in existence for some years and announced in 2019 that it wants to increase its production from its current 5 tonnes to 50 tonnes. In Eurasburg in Swabia (Aichach-Friedberg district), white shrimp have already been in cultivation since March 2017 ( although in limited quantities) by VITAshrimp and in 2018 the first shrimp farm went into operation in Niedenstein in the federal state of Hessen.

In Austria, there is a shrimp farm that has been producing 10–12 tonnes of white shrimp per year that is marketed as “Alpine shrimp from the Tyrol”, and in Rottenmann (Steiermark) an RAS designed for 60 tonnes of “mountain shrimp” went into operation. The same annual capacity is claimed for the Swiss Shrimp farm in Rheinfelden (Aargau canton) in Switzerland.

However, in July 2021 the company announced that it wants to acquire 7.4 million euro in new capital in order to double its capacity to 120 tonnes. Swiss Shrimp has already invested 23.1 million euro in its operations to date according to its own figures.

The marine RAS sector is therefore currently undergoing positive developments, which is confirmed by the increasing range of system technologies that are available. These range from smallscale turnkey container systems such as the “ocean[cube]”, for the annual production of approximately 6.5 tonnes of fish, to large-scale custom systems, as designed, for example, by AquaMaof, the high-tech RAS supplier.

Although a lot more is technically feasible nowadays, investing in land-based aquaculture systems, in particular marine RAS systems, remains highly financially risky.

Only a few operations have made the leap to financial profitability to date.

company is still in the red in 2020.

Great British Prawns, the first and only shrimp farm in Great Britain, went into insolvency in summer 2019 barely two years after the start of production. In Poland, Jurassic Salmon ran into production problems practically from the start, and its planned capacity has still not been reached. The Bluehouse project also reported difficulties. 200,000 salmon had to be “emergency harvested” due to problems with the water quality, a construction fault caused a fish die off event. Danish Salmon, the Danish salmon cultivator, did report a profit in 2018 for the first time since 2012, but production at its land-based farm in Hirtshals still does not always go according to plan. The original production target of 2,000 tonnes per

year has still not been reached.

In 2019, Danish Salmon produced 1,200 tonnes in the 7,500 square metre farm. And the bad news keeps coming. In July 2012, Atlantic Sapphire, which operates a land-based recirculating aquaculture system for salmon cultivation in Hvide Sande in Denmark, reported another mass fish die off.

Due to an error in maintenance works on the filtering system, almost 400 tonnes of fish that were to be harvested in the second half of 2021 were destroyed. This corresponds to 17% of the annual quantity harvested at Hvide Sande.

So there is still plenty of room for development, if land-based marine recirculating aquaculture systems do end up actually shaping the future of aquaculture in a decisive way. mk

Financial risks must be taken into account Ecomares, which was the first marine RAS in northern Germany to produce turbot, only survived for a few years. The Fluxx2 shrimp farm in Grevesmühlen went into insolvency a few months after starting production. The marine fish farm in Völklingen (Saarland) proved to be a money pit and a financial disaster. Following its privatisation, the situation did stabilise, but according to reports, the EUROFISH Magazine 5 / 2021

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[ AQUACULTURE ] FIAP supplies incubation equipment for professional and recreational use

High quality products for efficient operations As production from the aquaculture industry increases in volume, demand for high quality, robust, and well designed equipment for the sector is rising too. For farmed fish and seafood producers, a one-stop shop for all their equipment needs has several advantages.

P

rofessional equipment is indispensable to commercial fish farmers, who want to ensure their operations are as efficient and productive as possible. FIAP, a German supplier of high-quality aquaculture equipment offers ambitious fish farmers a wide range of professional solutions that caters to their every need from egg incubation to grow out, harvesting, processing, and marketing. All the equipment is of the highest quality as the company is fully aware of the importance of sturdy, reliable products for the smooth running, and thereby the profitability, of a fish farm.

Take, for example, the incubation process. In December and January, trout breeders prepare their hatcheries for the upcoming breeding season. In this context, FIAP hatching troughs and their matching egg inserts have acquitted themselves very well in terms of the successful incubation of salmonid eggs and the subsequent feeding of fry. The company’s robust hatching troughs are made of high-quality glass fiber material with laminated reinforcements. The inner walls of the trough have a smooth finish making it easy to keep them clean and hygienic, and the trough comes supplied with a tube drain (DN 50) and seal.

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The hatching troughs are made of glass fibre with smooth inner walls to facilitate cleaning. They are available in two sizes to house either four or seven egg inserts.

The egg inserts are fabricated from tough, easy-to-clean plastic. The stainless steel sieves (base and outlet, Ø 1.5 mm) are fixed firmly in place. An insert holds approx.

10,000 trout eggs or 6,000 to 8,000 salmon eggs, which are incubated in the water that flows continuously from one tray to the next.

The hatching trays are available in two sizes, for four or seven egg inserts. To further facilitate hatchery operations, the FIAP profibreed range includes accessories such as egg tweezers, egg pipettes,

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and an egg counter. These strong and easy-to-clean instruments greatly simplify processes such as counting and culling when hatching eggs thus making the entire workflow smoother.

FIAP now also offers a new profiair FlexLine hose that enables effective low-pressure aeration.

The special nature of the hose ensures a pattern of extremely fine bubbles with a very low loss of pressure, which in turn enables the use of energy-saving

aeration units, thereby reducing costs. Air distributed this way provides an efficient dispersal of oxygen in the water. The advantages of this system are obvious: the hose is extremely flexible (e.g. variable cable length, ring shape), very robust and highly effective.

To match the hose, FIAP offers the most common connection parts as a set, so it can be used both by professional farmers and hobbyists.

For more information visit www.fiap.com

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Awareness campaigns for fishers explain how they benefit from better control

Updating electronic systems to combat IUU Legislation related to fisheries and aquaculture in Romania is going through a significant change with the existing fisheries law being split into separate laws for fisheries and aquaculture. Farming of fish and seafood in the Black Sea is now receiving official attention and new regulations governing fishing are leading to initiatives that aim to better monitor fisheries. Steering all this and more is Gheorghe Stefan, State Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, whose years of experience in the fisheries administration as well as the private sector should stand him in good stead in his current role.

Only two of the Black Sea riparian countries are members of the EU and subject to CFP rules on fleets, monitoring, and control. How do countries with varying national legislation on fisheries issues adopt a common position on the management of joint resources in the Black Sea? It is true that the international context of the Black Sea has its particularities, this bringing both challenges and opportunities in managing fish stocks that are jointly exploited. However, during the last years, with the assistance of the EU Commission and GFCM important progress has been done towards a cooperation on all levels, administrative, regional, and scientific. All the riparian countries have assumed in international events from 2016 to the present day that a common approach is essential for the sustainable management of the resources all the fishermen exploit.

Fish stocks in the Black Sea are highly threatened for a variety of reasons some natural, but several man-made. As an EU Member State Romania does not lack the legislation and regulations needed to improve their status. How can implementation of existing laws be improved to benefit fish stocks?

Gheorghe Stefan, State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Romania

The environmental changes we all have observed in the last decade imposed a duty on actors, all over the world, to take action together, to include measures to mitigate climate change, and where the mitigations is not a solution, to find appropriate means of collaboration, of communication with the fisheries sector, to raise awareness on the effects of the exploitation of fisheries resources excessively. As the new EMFAF regulation states, all the projects funded will have a component on climate and environment preservation, supplementary measures to reduce the effects of fisheries,

by bringing added value on environmental level. Romania is no exception, we will pay much more attention on this segment, and we will increase the awareness of the actors in the fisheries sector by arguing that a normal prevention attitude is the only thing that will prove its effects on the long run for this activity, a passive attitude is no longer an option.

The Marine Strategy Framework Directive aims to achieve Good Environmental Status of EU marine waters by 2020. Has Romania achieved this goal, and

if not, when is the expected target date and what measures are being implemented to achieve this?

The EU‘s framework for marine environmental protection is one of the most comprehensive and ambitious worldwide, but it needs to be beefed up to be able to tackle pressures such as overfishing and unsustainable fishing practices, plastic litter, excess nutrients, underwater noise and other types of pollution. The Black Sea is important for fisheries, but we must not forget that this basin has a vital importance for transport, Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2021

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commerce, oil exploitation, food supply, and much more. Romania is involved in the application of this Directive through many institutions, and although the fisheries sector is not precisely targeted, the measures taken into consideration will contribute to achieving these goals, with the collaboration of the scientific sector.

The Sofia declaration of June 2018 emphasised the importance of several goals relating to data collection, ecosystembased fisheries management, and the elimination of IUU fishing among others. Now, over three years later, what progress has been made towards achieving these goals in Romania?

Together with the EU Commission and GFCM Romania can say that it took the necessary measures to align to the declaration provisions assumed together with the riparian countries of the Black Sea in 2018. All the GFCM recommendations adopted since were in the spirit of achieving these goals. We have improved the quality of the data collected, we are in process of developing an electronic system for fisheries activities and reporting, we salute the new control regulation and we are preparing for its implementation through technological preparation, increase of administrative capacity of NAFA and other steps.

The size of the active fishing fleet has a bearing on the state of the resources being targeted.

Are you satisfied that the size of the Romanian fleet is commensurate with the resource or does the fleet ideally need to be reduced? What are the best ways to achieve this and which fleet segment will be most affected?

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From the beginning, I would like to state that I consider the Romanian fleet is the second smallest in the EU, and there is no space or possibility to reduce it. Moreover, we feel there is a high need to increase it, and I had a discussion in this respect with the DG of DG MARE, Ms Charlina Vitcheva in June this year. The National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (ANPA) sent a letter asking for support in this matter as well. In comparison with other Black Sea fleets, Romania has enough sustainable resources, but the fleet has not the capacity to absorb it.

Talking about fair play, it would be a good idea to balance at least the two fleets of the member states, given that the resources shared are somewhat similar, and the rules are respected in the same way.

The revised fisheries control regulation calls for electronic tracking system for all fishing vessels, fully digitised reporting of catches with electronic logbooks and landing declarations for all vessels. What is the administration’s position on these requirements and how do you anticipate fishers will respond?

Romania has an obligation by 2022 to implement an action plan destined to remedy the deficiencies identified in the fisheries control system, which we are in the process of achieving. However, due to the Covid pandemic things are going slower than anticipated, but we are making progress and we remain confident that we will manage to meet the deadlines.

Regarding the control regulation provisions, in order to mitigate the IUU issue and to better control the fisheries, at least in the Black Sea, we are preparing for an update of the electronic systems and we are planning awareness campaigns for the fishermen in

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order to educate them better on what control means, that there is not a burden, but a means of a good management and a preservation of the stocks for them to be able to exploit for as long as possible.

Legislation governing fishing in Romania is to be split up into two separate laws, one dealing with fishing and the other with aquaculture. Apart from potentially simplifying the administration of these two areas, do you foresee any advantages for fishermen and fish farmers from this change?

The idea of separating the two domains, even if the concept is the same more or less, was that the two segments, fisheries and aquaculture, have different technical and practical specificities, different means of control are deployed at different pace, the data is collected in separate purposes, and of course the management is done quite differently, respecting both the EU legislation but also national legislation as far as the inland fisheries are concerned and fresh water aquaculture. So, to establish proper and adapted sanctions, provisions, to harmonise with the other control institutions the general aspects, we considered this to be a solution. The actual advantages and maybe disadvantages will be defined after its approval and its actual application, maybe after a period of five years.

Farming of bivalves and of trout in the Black Sea is starting in Romania too. How does the administration support such initiatives? Can entrepreneurs expect a low level of bureaucracy and uncontested access to space in the allocated zones in the sea?

Romania has great potential.

There is a new beginning in the

marine aquaculture sector led

by NIMRD‘s new Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) which was put into operation within the Marine Living Resources Department. The RAS will be the starting point for new aquaculture experiments at the Romanian coast, a project supported by the GFCM through the Aquaculture Demonstrative Centre (ADC). Also, the centre and its projects aim at raising awareness at the European level of the importance of marine aquaculture in the north-western Black Sea area. ADC has an important role in targeting commercial species in Romania. We are confident that with the support of all institutions involved the bureaucracy will be reduced and the actors interested will be able to start projects and investments which will definitely contribute to an increase in the sustainable production and marketing of Romanian fish and seafood in the EU and maybe, why not, worldwide.

Romania was one of the five founding members of Eurofish.

As someone who knows the organisation well, which are the areas where you could envisage collaborating closer to bring about mutually desirable outcomes for the Romanian sector?

Over the years, I know Romania has sought the expertise of Eurofish every time a need was identified for the kind of service you are so good at providing. And here I am referring to international event organization, market studies, best practices exchanges, information brochures, etc. Given the new EMFAF Regulation and the strategy Romania is elaborating with the help of the World Bank, we will definitely find common ground and ways to benefit from your assistance in the following years.

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Carp farming in Romania

New legislation to simplify regulation The farming of carps and associated species in earthen ponds is a staple feature of the Romanian aquaculture sector employing some 2,300 people. Over the last years the industry has had to contend with a combination of bureaucracy, climate change, and, most recently, the pandemic, but positive trends are also visible in terms of the use of technology, a longer fish growing season, and last but not least, proposed new legislation that should reduce red tape.

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quaculture production in Romania currently comprises the farming of carps and associated species in traditional earthen ponds as well as the production of trout in ponds, raceways, or recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS). Common carp accounts for the bulk of the farmed fish production although over the four years to 2020 production of common carp has declined 20% to slightly over 3,600 tonnes.

Production of bighead, silver, and Prussian carp has remained largely stable over the period at about 5,200 tonnes.

Income diversification is the way forward for many Fish farmers with carp ponds are diversifying into recreational and tourist friendly activities. Building restaurant facilities where they serve their own fish adds significant value to the production and offering accommodation as well makes it a package deal with entertainment, food (and drink) and a place to stay. To attract tourists, they offer bird and animal watching, recreational fishing, boating, as well as hunting and even wildlife photography.

The fishponds and the surrounding areas contribute to biodiversity by drawing huge numbers of birds and animals, an asset

Companies add value to the fish they produce by opening restaurants where it is served. A restaurant also brings another source of income to the company.

that pond owners would like to exploit. It may also help to offset the costs of predation caused by this wildlife.

For these ecosystem services that ponds provide farmers have been trying in vain for years to get compensation. According to the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (ANPA) Romania does not have payment schemes or aid for environmental services provided by fish farms, especially

pond farms. But in the new strategy of the sector and in the new financial framework 2021-2027 an eco-scheme is envisaged on this principle, but without establishing a specific support formula.

Whether this type of aid will be a pillar of the Common Fisheries Policy or will only be a measure of support in the operational programme, there is no doubt that this type of support is needed, especially in the context of new European strategies, feels ANPA.

Better feeds to increase yields Some pond farmers are using special feeds to increase the yields of common carp from their ponds.

When young, the fish are fed with extruded feeds to accelerate growth, but when they reach the one-summer stage the extruded feed is replaced with a mixture of cereals, that can also include peas, sunflower seed meal, and soya concentrate for protein. The switch Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2021

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in feeds can be attributed both to the direct cost (cereal mixtures are cheaper than extruded feeds) but also to the cost of predation. A fish fed on extruded feed that then gets eaten by a bird represents a greater cost than if the same fish had been fed on cereals. Some farmers use extruded feeds for the juveniles but look for products that do not contain ingredients based on raw materials from terrestrial animals.

These ingredients have an impact on the texture of the flesh that they wish to avoid. Despite the use of extruded feeds during part of the lifecycle, carps are still a very environmentally friendly, low carbon, and sustainable food, and more so than other farmed species, says Catalin Platon, the executive director of Romfish, the Romanian Fish Farmers’ Association.

Interest in onsite common carp hatcheries is growing Currently many farmers carry out natural controlled reproduction to

produce common carp larvae. This involves placing males and females in small reproduction ponds where they release their gametes. When the fertilised eggs hatch the larvae grow to fingerlings which are then collected and placed in the growing ponds. Some farmers want to establish their own hatcheries, bringing the reproduction process and the first growth phase indoors. For a farmer with a sufficiently large production and the necessary space to put up the necessary buildings this should not be difficult. The process will be more controlled and mortalities lower. Traceability will improve so that fish can then be tracked all the way back to certain broodstock and farmers can breed fish that have been selected for certain traits such as rapid growth or flesh quality. However, hatcheries are only feasible for common carp. Breeding Chinese carps (bighead, silver, grass carp) is more complicated and farmers depend on the national Fish Culture Research and Development Station (Nucet) or a private company for these fingerlings.

Romanian aquaculture sold production Species

2017 t

2018 t

2019 t

Common carp

4,539

4,357

4,191

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3,647

Bighead carp

2,771

2,548

2,870

2,237

Silver carp

1,854

1,692

1,465

1,743

862

730

975

1,120

Grass carp

89

164

143

178

European catfish

46

28

53

62

Sturgeons

252

53

94

84

Sander

Prussian carp

124

62

78

70

Pike

20

17

21

16

Trout

2,078

2,476

2,618

2,636

161

175

340

357

0

0

0

0

12,796

12,302

12,848

12,150

Other species Mussels Total

Source: ANPA

Labour shortages spur creative solutions With high yields per hectare and substantial production, farmers also start to consider greater value addition. Putting up a restaurant

Catalin Platon, executive director of Romfish, the Romanian Fish Farmers’ Association 26

2020 (estimated) t

is one way of increasing the value of raw fish flesh, another is to start processing the fish. Some farmers are already processing the fish into a variety of products for sale in supermarkets and fish stores, while others are using their restaurant kitchens to experiment with new product ideas that can be sold at the restaurant or through their own shops. A processing plant is a bigger commitment, but some fish farmers see the potential and are willing to invest, although others feel that their business is fish production not fish processing. However, fish processing along with other fish related activities, whether it is farming, fishing, or working in a restaurant, all face labour shortages.

Romanians are unwilling to work in these fields and so labour is being imported, not from neighbouring Ukraine, Belarus, or Moldova, but from countries in Asia. While companies are generally happy with their foreign employees, bringing them in is not straightforward, misunderstandings regarding qualifications are common, and there is a period of adjustment that both sides have to go through before the

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Extruded feeds are used for their performance and the rapid growth they can achieve.

new staff reach the necessary productivity.

Climate change is an issue of great concern Another issue that carp farmers have been struggling with is the climate. Whether it can be directly attributed to global warming or not, climate change and extreme weather events are a reality. For an industry that is dependent on water and temperature, a drought or extreme heat can have far-reaching consequences. Many farmers face water shortages for parts of the growing season and have resorted to using pumps, aerators, and even building dikes to recirculate the water.

Some have even converted their ponds into farmland for crops as they do not have the water to fill them. Higher temperatures can also contribute to algal blooms

which can harm or kill the fish, so farmers have to monitor the water and its temperature closely. At the same time this year the temperature in May and June was lower than usual which affected the reproduction. Changing climate does however have a positive side to it, says Mr Platon, which is the longer growing period. As the growing season for carps is in the summer, if this is prolonged the carps grow more during the year, and if the winter is correspondingly shorter, then the fish lose less weight than they would during a long winter (as they are not fed in winter). The lack of water and predation by birds are possibly the most serious issues the pond farming industry faces today.

ANPA acknowledges the problem that farmers face with water and is aware that it becomes

increasingly difficult for farmers to remain competitive in these circumstances. It sees part of the solution as identifying ways to respond to these challenges and to tackle their effects, such as by optimising the use of technology, and implementing best practices on fish farms. The shortage of water for farms is exacerbated by the lack of consultation by the authorities when drawing up management plans for river basins which prioritise all the other users of the water above fish farmers. ANPA’s solution is to have a permanent dialogue with the authority responsible for water management and in the medium term to make integrated management territorial development plans, so that allocated zones for aquaculture (AZA) have a clear role and fish farmers can better cope with the effects of climate change.

Technology plays a role In mitigating climate change impacts The use and optimisation of technology on carp farms is among the ways of countering the impact of climate change, according to ANPA. Carp farming has in the past been a relatively low tech activity, but this is gradually changing and the use of technology is becoming more widespread. For some farmers technology offers a way to cut costs and to increase the sustainability of their operations. This could, for example, involve installing solar panels or windmills to run the pumps and other electrical infrastructure on the farm. Sensors to monitor the parameters of the pond water, oxygen, pH, temperature etc., are becoming more common on pond farms. This data Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2021

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can feed into farm management software that then determines how much feed the different ponds should receive. The use of technology extends also to the harvesting and weighing of the fish, whereby the weighing machine sends the weight wirelessly to the software which then plugs it into the accounting programme with which it is integrated to give an overview of the stock for sale. Technology in the shape of standalone machines is also increasingly being deployed. Automatic feeders, aerators, pumps, reed cutters, winches, cameras to monitor the ponds 24/7, and drones can all be seen on carp farms today representing a quantum shift from the time carp farming was an all-manual affair. These improvements together with the use of extruded feeds and of cereals should contribute over time to higher yields, increased production, and reduced dependency on labour. A more competitive sector is also likely to reduce carp imports which in 2020 amounted to 3,400 tonnes, according to Eurostat.

New aquaculture law should simplify administration Bureaucracy and red tape have bedevilled the sector for decades, says Mr Platon. Farmers still only have title to the dikes between the ponds and neither own nor have a lease for the land beneath the ponds. This makes it difficult to approach a bank for a loan as the farmer cannot provide the farm as collateral. An effort to allow farmers to buy the land got bogged down after two transactions and has not progressed for years despite applications from many farmers. A proposal to split the fisheries law into one for fishing and one for aquaculture is 28

in parliament but will probably be modified in the parliamentary process and is likely to take at least a couple of years before it is enacted. The new law, to which Mr Platon together with Marian Munteanu, president of the Romanian Fisheries Association contributed, envisages less bureaucracy with a single institution in charge of the sector. This would not only help carp farmers but would also promote fish and shellfish farming in the Black Sea where the current lack of legislation prevents aquaculture facilities from being placed.

Covid’s impact on fish farmers was nuanced The effect of the pandemic on the carp sector was mixed. Some carp farmers with restaurants did not notice any particular impact on their restaurant sales. For members of Romfish, the Romanian Fish Farmers’ Association, the declaration of the lockdown on 16 March 2020 could not have come at a worse time as it was just before a period of peak sales. Our members saw drops of 20-40% in sales depending on whether they were supplying supermarkets, their own shops and restaurants, or fishmongers, says Mr Platon.

Those selling to supermarkets suffered the most. However, sales picked up again in late spring and stayed high all the way to September. Sales for the first nine months in 2020 were in fact better than in 2019. The decline started in the last three months of the year and Romfish members ended the year with a 5% drop in sales volume though value remained stable. Covid however has contributed to the rise in cereal prices which farmers could feel in 2021.

Moreover, for processors exporting their products, the cancellation of tradeshows has been a heavy blow as these are important

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Mariana Munteanu, president of the Romanian Fisheries Association

venues to launch and promote products and meet potential customers.

Campaigns to promote fish consumption planned Common carp is a popular fish, but Romanians in general are not the most enthusiastic consumers of fish and seafood. With a per capita consumption of just 8 kg per capita in 2018, as opposed to an EU average of 24 kg, there is a lot of scope for improvement.

According to ANPA, fish consumption is a tradition in some parts of the country but lifting consumption in general calls for a multi-institution strategy to educate young people about

the benefits of eating fish and fish products. ANPA has planned several initiatives supported by the operational programme to increase fish consumption.

These include consumer information campaigns, awareness campaigns, brochures to be distributed in schools, thematic camps, and other events that will highlight the health benefits of eating fish. Pond farmed fish will be given special attention as this is almost an organic product, produced at low density and with benefits for the environment in terms of ecosystem services.

Fisheries Local Action Groups will also be encouraged to spread the message at the local level of the benefits of increased fish consumption.

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At Aleksandar Parc technology plays an important role in the production

Rearing large carp in two years The carp farm Alexandar Parc specialises in raising large fish. Investments in technology contribute significantly to smooth operations.

C

arp farming is generally not associated with complex technology. An activity that has been carried out for hundreds of years, the fundamentals of carp production have remained largely the same since historic times. But look closely and the picture appears more nuanced. True, carp farmers are not using the kind of sophisticated recirculation equipment used by some farmers to raise trout, but they are far from standing still.

When it comes to deploying solutions that enhance yields, protect their fish, make their production more efficient, or reduce its environmental impact, carp farmers too are breaking new ground.

Extruded feeds are responsible for rapid growth Alexandar Parc a carp farm in Giurgiu south of Bucharest and next to the Danube produces large common carp for retail chains, fish mongers, and fish processors.

Owned by Alexandar Kostov, the farm is managed by Cornel Mihai Mocanu who has a doctorate in aquaculture engineering. The main product is two-summer-old common carp of 3-4 kg together with a small proportion of silver carp which is stocked mainly to keep down the levels of vegetation in the ponds. The market-sized fish are produced in a short cycle of two years which is achieved with extruded feeds. These high energy feeds do not contain proteins derived from terrestrial animals. Instead, the protein needs

Dr Cornel Mihai Mocanu, farm manager of Alexandar Parc, a producer of large common carp.

are met from concentrated soya.

According to Dr Mihai this leads to a slightly different (and better) texture of the fish flesh. The drawback is that feeds without animal protein are slightly more expensive than those that include it. According to Catalin Platon, the executive director of Romfish, the national association farmed fish producers, at issue is whether the farmer is producing fish in a two-year cycle or in a three-year period. In the latter extruded feed is given to the fish in the first summer to grow them as rapidly as possible. Larger fish are less vulnerable to predators such as cormorants.

In the second and third summers the diet is switched to a mixture of cereals, peas, sunflower meal

and other ingredients which is cheaper than extruded feeds. The cost of fish lost to predation in the second and third summers is thus lower than if the fish had been fed on extruded feeds. In a two-year cycle, however, the fish is fed on extruded feeds so that it can reach its target weight in two years. At Alexandar Parc the extruded feed supplied to the fish contains 30% protein and 9% fat, which is of vegetal origin. The fat is important for the proper development of the brain and nerves, says Cornel Mihai, as fats are an important component of these organs.

The feed comes from Serbia, where experience with extruded feeds for carp is more extensive, according to Dr Mihai. The feed is cheaper too than comparable

feeds from Poland and transport costs are lower because Serbia is closer. On the other hand, since Serbia is outside the EU the taxes are higher. The fish reach a weight of 350-400 g in the first summer but in the second summer the starting weight is about 330 g. The difference is due to the weight loss over winter when the fish hibernate at the bottom of the pond and do not feed.

Rearing larvae is being considered for the future The starting material is bought from Nucet, the Fish Culture Research and Development Station. This is either 3-5-day old larvae or 21-day fingerlings. The fingerlings from Nucet tend to be small at Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2021

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An automatic feeder enables the fish to be fed 10-12 times a day.

2-3 individuals per gram. If Dr Mihai buys the larvae he can grow them to 5 g individuals in the space of 21 days which gives a higher survival rate than the fingerlings from Nucet as the latter are smaller. But at Alexandar Parc attempts are also being made to breed larvae or fingerlings for the production. Fish have therefore been bought from different farms to prevent inbreeding and possible genetic defects and they will be crossed with male fish from Nucet. Today, there are very few farms that produce larvae or fingerlings for on growing as most farmers depend on Nucet for their supply.

Using extruded fields has a significant impact on the yield. At Alexandar Parc 4-5 tonnes of marketsized common carp are produced per hectare and the output of grass carp and silver carp comes on top.

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The yield of one-summer-old carp is 6 tonnes per ha. The high yield is primarily due to the extruded feed but conditions in the pond also play a role. One of the critical factors is the oxygen level of the water. To maintain this at the right concentrations Dr Mihai has to use aerators because the amount of water available to the farm has fallen due to poor rains that have also contributed to a drop in volume of water in a dam lake feeds the farm. Now we do not get water from the dam, so he has resorted to pumping water from the river.

At about 4 kg in weight the common carp produced on the farm are large, but in Romania apparently most buyers like large fish.

The production is sold to supermarkets, processing plants, fish

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mongers and directly to consumers who come to the farm because they like the taste and texture of the fish and its proportions. The owners of ponds that cater to anglers are also keen on these large fish, Supplying to these customers means harvesting fish throughout the year, also in winter. The company has hired three people from Nepal and is looking at employing three more. Finding Romanians to work in fish farming is increasingly difficult and companies are turning to countries in Asia including Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh to address their needs for labour.

But they are also turning to greater automation. At Alexandar Parc, for instance, feed is delivered to the fish not the traditional way by shovelling it out of a vessel in the pond, but by using an automatic

feed cannon mounted on a trailer pulled by a tractor. The tractor moves slowly up and down the dikes and the cannon shoots the feed into the pond at regular intervals. This mechanisation of the feeding process allows the fish to be fed 8-10 times a day against twice a day when the feeding was carried out manually.

Solar panels to reduce electricity consumption The shortage of water means what water there is has to recirculate.

Small dams are put up and the water is aerated and pumped back into the ponds. The aerators are equipped with big engines to provide the requisite oxygen content. The farm also uses drum filters to prevent unwanted eggs

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Fish congregate at the edge of the pond to feed on the pellets dropped there by the feeder.

and species of fish from entering the ponds. The only fish acceptable in the ponds are common carp and silver carp. The ponds are prepared carefully before the fish are introduced. They are dug up with tractors and bulldozers and then disinfected to eliminate other fish. Lime in used to balance the pH and remove the organic by products of the fish respiration and digestion. The level of natural feed in the water (zooplankton) is measured in spring as this will influence the amount of supplementary feed that is given to the fish. They prefer the natural feed, so if that is abundant we should give less supplementary feed as it will not be eaten, says Dr Mihai.

He is also working on a project to install solar cells at the farm as this will help with the expenses

for electricity. The aerators at 3.5 kW each guzzle a lot of power and there are 50 of them, so he expects solar power will knock a quarter off his electricity bill.

Sensors in the ponds transmit a wealth of information on oxygen, pH, and temp levels of the water.

This information can automatically feed into farm management software which then drives the aerators. Once the software has been adapted Dr Mihai expects many of the processes on the farm to be automated as, he says, it is much better to have everything coordinated by computer to prevent mistakes. The software can calculate the volume of feed that needs to be given each day, the growth and can deliver reports of all kinds—also for the authorities.

When the fish is harvested, as it is weighed, the weight is sent wirelessly to the software which is also connected to the accounting software so that production can be linked to marketing and sales. The nets used for harvesting are knotless to prevent damage to the fish.

The use of technology also extends to winches that reel in the nets Alexandar Parc Comuna Schitu, Jud. Giurgiu Romania Tel.: +40 21 3509020 Fax: +40 21 3509019 Owner: Alexandar Kostov Farm manager: Cornel Mihai Mocanu Deputy manager: Sashko Rizov

when the fish is being harvested, a process that in the past depended on men hauling the fish in.

Another machine cuts the weeds in the pond. For security, a drone is used for surveillance from the air while a camera that functions both during the day and at night keeps a watch on the farm 27/7. Who can say carp farming is not high tech?

Activity: Pond fish farming Area: 160 ha Yield: 5-6 tonnes/ha of common carp Species: Primarily common carp, limited volumes of silver carp Average size: 3.5-4 kg/common carp Customers: Selgros, processors, fishmongers, direct sales

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Complex Delta Moldovei has two main lines of business, fish production and hospitality

A fish farm with a range of tourist activities Of the estimated twelve thousand tonnes of fish sold by Romanian aquaculture farmers common carp (Cyprinus carpio) accounts for just under a third. Carp is typically produced in polyculture with other species in large earthen ponds in Romania. This form of farming has a centuries-old history in many of the countries in Central and Eastern Europe including Romania, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

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n Romania, one of the companies producing fish in ponds is Complex Delta Moldovei near Iasi in the northeast. Run today by Radu Huian, a lawyer by training, the farm comprises 1,200 ha divided into 16 ponds of which three are large. The production of fish uses 900 ha, while 300 ha have been repurposed into agricultural land for the production of cereals used as feed for the fish.

Feed based on cereals give the fish a special taste A natural diet supplemented by cereals give the fish a distinct taste says Mr Huian, one that, in his opinion, is better than the taste of carp fed on extruded pellets based on fishmeal and fish oil. Water is the other parameter that influences the taste of the fish and at Complex Delta Moldovei it is of high quality. In addition to common carp, the species grown in the ponds include bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), silver carp (H. molitrix), and grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) as well as the predatory species pike (Esox lucius), pike-perch (Sander lucioperca), and European catfish (Silurus glanis).

Production amounts to some 170 tonnes of market-sized fish of which 50 tonnes is reserved for angling 32

Radu Huian, the owner of Complex Delta Moldovei, a fish farm that offers several activities for tourists.

enthusiasts. Many pond fish farmers stock one or sometimes more of their ponds for recreational fishers. The anglers pay a fee to fish the ponds and for farmers this is a way of diversifying their income stream.

At Delta Moldovei, Mr Huian would like to double the production of common carp from the current 50 tonnes by 2023. Demand for common carp is high in Romania which makes up the shortfall in domestically produced fish by importing from neighbouring countries. Mr Huian feels that consumers are

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likely to prefer a high quality locally farmed product to something that is imported. In the meanwhile, he is pushing the consumption of bighead carp, a fish that is not as popular common carp.

Promoting the consumption of bighead carp He does this at his newly opened restaurant where many of the items on the menu use bighead carp. Run

by Mr Huian’s wife, the restaurant

is another way of diversifying the sources of income. A restaurant offers several benefits as it is a way of adding value to the production from the farm—all the fish sold at the restaurant comes from the farm. In addition, it gives Mr Huian a direct link to his customers so he can promote different fish species and different recipes and from the feedback he gets from the customers he has an immediate understanding of what is popular and what is not. Serving tasty products is naturally good for the reputation

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One of the more than 200 species of birds that find shelter on the farm. Swans, however, unlike many of the others, do not prey on the fish.

of the farm and the fish that is raised there, but equally importantly is that products which prove to be a hit in the restaurant can then be commercialised and sold through the company’s own fish shops, through other fishmongers, or even through the retail chains.

Yet another advantage is that while the fish shops tend to attract an older generation of consumers the restaurant pulls in younger people including families with small children. This group tends to eat less fish than older people, so introducing them to fish prepared in different ways in pleasant surroundings is a way of encouraging fish consumption and of exposing young

children to the taste. Hopefully, they will continue to appreciate it even as they grow older.

Pond fish farming has benefits for the environment Mr Huian plans also to use social media to promote the consumption of bighead carp. Apart from the taste and the health benefits for the individual, bighead and other pond-reared fish species are generally good for the environment because they have a low carbon footprint. Moreover, fishponds provide a number of ecosystem services such as increasing

biodiversity and water management. These values can be used to promote the fish on social media and create awareness among consumers about how they contribute to mitigating global warming and climate change by eating fish grown in ponds. Common carp is grown using natural controlled reproduction in small ponds. Males and females are identified and placed in the ponds where they release their gametes. When the eggs hatch the larvae grow to fingerlings which are then collected and moved to the growing ponds. For the Chinese carps (bighead, silver, grass) the Fish Culture Research and Development Station (Nucet)

in Romania is the main source of the young fish. Mr Huian is interested, however, in establishing his own indoor hatchery for common carp so that he has more control over the process. This will ensure a better survival rate, a faster growth rate, and bigger fingerlings for introduction into the growing ponds. The size of the fish is important in the context of predation by birds, as smaller fish are more vulnerable.

Predatory birds are the fish farmer’s bane Birds, cormorants and pelicans in particular, are a clear and present Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2021

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The farm comprises 16 ponds with a total area of 1,200 ha.

Feed is shovelled from the boat into the pond.

threat to fish farms. Since the mid-90s their number has been increasing and little can be done about it as they are protected under EU law. This banned hunting and numbers have multiplied.

Apart from killing and eating fish, birds also wound them making them vulnerable to infections and rendering them impossible to sell.

Attacks by birds also frighten and stress the fish. Many years ago as a state-owned enterprise the farm was producing more than 1,000 tonnes of fish and Mr Huian attributes at least half the fall in output since then to the birds. The other half he blames on the acute shortage of labour and to some extent on poaching. The labour issue is liable to get worse before it gets better, he fears, as the NextGenerationEU stimulus package will draw workers into infrastructure projects at the expense of industries like his. Faced with a lack of people he tried to bring employees from Bangladesh but was not successful. He looks to Asia as workers from neighbouring countries

reduces the water level in the ponds and increases the water temperature. The density of the fish in the pond increases which can require the input of oxygen or the use of aerators. In Mr Huian’s case the dam lake stopped providing him with water as it prioritised the villages it was also supplying. As a result, water had to be pumped from the river adding to expenses. In addition, the drought reduced the harvest of cereals pushing up prices and making the supplementary feed for the fish

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such as Moldova or Ukraine would rather move to countries in western Europe where the wages are higher than in Romania.

Warming has both benign and malign effects Another issue that is affecting the production is related to global warming. On the positive side warmer weather has increased the growing period for the fish. Carp usually grow in summer when the water is warm, the fish are active, and they are fed. In winter when the water freezes the fish hibernate at the bottom of the pond.

Metabolic activity slows down, and they tend to lose some weight.

Warmer conditions shorten the winter period and extend the number of days when the fish can grow. On the other hand, drier weather affects the volume and flow of water in the river and the dam lake that feed the farm. This has multiple impacts on the production. Less water to the farm

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SC Piscicola srl Str. Pescarilor, Nr.32, Sat Larga-Jijia, Com. Movileni, Jud. Iasi Romania piscicolaiasi@gmail.com Owner: Radu Huian Area: 1,200 ha of which 300 ha used for cereals

more expensive adding further to costs. In fact, it was the lack of water that made Mr Huian decide to convert 300 ha of ponds into fields for growing cereals.

With the planned increase in production Mr Huian is contemplating a processing facility to produce value-added products. But he is well aware that the issues of labour, poaching, water, and predation need to be addressed before embarking on another activity.

Production: 170 tonnes total of which 50 tonnes of common carp. Remainder is bighead, silver, and grass carp, predatory species Fish shops: 3 Tourist facilities: Hotel with 12 rooms, restaurant, angling, boating Employees: 20 on the farm, 10 in tourist activities

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Services for tourists an important share of Doripesco’s operations

Activities that make for a memorable vacation Surrounded by the Carpathian mountains, Halchiu, close to Brasov, is the site of Doripesco’s headquarters. Twenty years on the Romanian market, the company’s activities today span from fish farming to fish processing, livestock rearing, a hotel, restaurants, and a variety of tourist-related activities.

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ounded by Dorin Crizbasan, Doripesco started as a fish farming company producing carps and other species of fish in traditional ponds.

Early on Mr Crizbasan realised the importance of adding value to the production rather than selling it as raw flesh and today the processing facility produces a range of delicacies based on the fish from the farm. The products are characterised by the use of traditional recipes and have been recognised nationally and internationally. Smoked bighead carp from Tara Barsei, for example, has received the EU label Protected Geographical Indication, a further seven products qualify for the Traditional Speciality Guaranteed, an EU label that highlights the way the product is made, and the company’s traditional carp caviar salad has received the Romanian national protection certificate.

Natural, a theme that runs through the products The fish are grown in ponds that form part of a Ramsar site and a Natura 2000 site. These designations emphasise the contribution the ponds make to nature and stipulate that activities on site may not jeopardise the environmental balance between the

Dorin Crizbasan, managing director, Doripesco

ponds, the fish that grow in them and the other plants, birds, and animals that inhabit the area.

The importance of nature is also communicated through the products, which use only natural, high quality, and fresh ingredients. The traditional products are based on the company’s own bighead carp and rainbow trout which are salted and smoked with spices or made into pastrami or even combined into a roulade. Carp eggs are used to make the roe salad. These traditional

products are only a small part of the many different items the company produces. The processing facility is certified to the IFS standard and products are exported to France, Germany, and Italy, but it is the national market that absorbs most of the production. The company has agreements with all the major retail chains including Kaufland with 141 stores across the country, Carrefour, Auchan, Metro, Selgros, and Penny, and supplies them with products under

the Doripesco brand as well as under the retailers’ own labels.

In 2021, in response to changes in distribution introduced by the pandemic, the company entered into partnerships with an online ordering platform and an online retailer. New recipes are developed regularly, says Ruxandra Coc, the executive director, with the help of professional chefs. In 2021, for instance, four new products were developed including one for people who did not want a strong taste of fish.

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In common with other companies in the sector Doripesco suffers from the lack of people willing to work in the fish business. They therefore contracted a company which supplied them with four workers from Nepal, who made up for their lack of qualifications by being quick and willing workers. We are very pleased with them, says Ms Koc, so much so that she plans to bring their wives to Romania, and to hire some more.

Tourist activities an important part of the business Farming fish, processing, and distribution are an important part of the company’s operations. In addition, the company has branched into services for tourists including accommodation, restaurants, and activities.

These offer synergies with the other operations. For example, as a Ramsar and Natura 2000 site the fish farm is a magnet for bird and animal wildlife. Tourists can stay at the company’s hotel, eat at the restaurants, and go birdwatching to see some of the over 200 species of birds that populate the area. Recreational fishing is also a very popular pastime, and the company caters both to seasoned anglers and to beginners. A pond close to one of the restaurants is stocked with large carps and other fish for anglers to catch and this has been so popular that the company has started organising competitions and other events for anglers to attend. In 2021 events to raise money for charity as well as professional competitions for anglers are among the 50 events scheduled. The company also works with kindergartens to show children around the farm, and then take them to the restaurant to sample fish 36

dishes. This creates awareness among the children about pond fish farming and the role it plays in nature as well as the benefits of fish consumption. And if they enjoy the taste hopefully another generation of fish lovers is created which would be good for the kids, the environment, and the sector.

A hotel with a dozen rooms is conveniently located a short distance from the ponds. The ponds are ringed by the Carpathian mountains and the natural beauty of the area attracts tourists who come for the chance to consume the company-grown fish, explore the surroundings, and participate in the activities offered which also include hunting and wildlife photography tours. Today, tourism related activities account for almost a quarter of the company’s turnover.

The number of restaurants is set to grow further Restaurants are a significant part of that. The tourist complex attached to the angling ponds boasts a new restaurant, Corabia, the Romanian word for ark, which is shaped like a vessel. In addition, a fast-food outlet combined with a kiosk was established last year. The complex is on the main road and passers-by in a hurry can stop for a quick bite to eat or for something from the kiosk. Further up the road towards Sighisoara is another restaurant at the site of the company’s trout farm. The farm is managed by Simona Crizbasan and supplies trout to both the restaurants and the processing plant. Trout is also sold through the company shops and independent fishmongers in the area.

The fish is typically grown to about 350 g, a process that takes

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Ruxandra Koc, executive director, Doripesco

9 months. Eggs are imported from Denmark and placed in the hatchery where they stay until the young fish reach a size of 8-10 cm after which they are placed in raceways for on growing to market size.

Doripesco has ambitious plans for the future including the modernisation of the fishponds with the help of European Funds, and the opening of a new restaurant in Brasov. Ms Kok, who is keen on restaurants, would like the new eating place to also represent

S.C. DORIPESCO S.A. Str. Bisericii, nr. 224, 507080 Halchiu, Brasov, Romania Tel./Fax: +40 268 481682/481581 office@doripesco.ro www.doripesco.ro www.deltadincarpati.ro Managing director: Dorin Crizbasan Executive director: Ruxandra Koc Operations (fish): Farming, processing, sales and distribution

a novel way of doing business, namely by operating it as a franchise, as she feels this is the way to expand this side of the company’s activities. Developments in Doripesco’s business continued in 2020 and 2021 despite the pandemic, but the cancellation or postponement of trade fairs over the last 18 months has been a major irritant. Ms Koc greatly looks forward to these events restarting soon so that she can continue promoting Doripesco products and services to an international audience.

Main species: Common carp, bighead, silver, grass carp, trout Operations (tourism): Accomodation, restaurants Tourist activities: Angling, birdwatching, wildlife photography, hunting Other activities: Bottled spring water under the Armonia brand; livestock farming of pork and beef Employees: 120

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Datcu Matei Jr follows in the footsteps of his father and grandfather

An integrated family-owned business The Matei family has been associated with fish for at least three generations as fishers in the Black Sea, farmers of carp in ponds, and now, in addition, as fish processors, and owners of a popular fish restaurant along the coast near Constanta.

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atcu Matei Sr is a former Black Sea fisherman.

Until the revolution in Romania he together with his teams caught up to 150 tonnes of fish a year. But since then, catches have declined drastically and today the total Romanian catch of finfish from the Black Sea is about 200 tonnes. Since prospects in the fishing business looked bleak, Mr Matei invested in a carp farm in 2004. The farm comprises a single pond of 400 ha of which 300 ha is exploitable water surface which is supplied with water through a channel from the Danube. The farm produces about 50 tonnes a year, a mix of common carp, bighead, silver, and grass carp.

Increasing the volume of production is not without risks

Datcu Matei Jr and his family—wife, parents, uncles, and cousins—run the family businesses including fishing, processing, a fish farm, and a seafood restaurant.

The fish is all delivered to the family restaurant, where demand is in fact more than he can supply. To make up the difference he buys fish from another farmer to supply the restaurant as he is wary of increasing the production from his own pond.

His diffidence stems from his dependence on the water from the Danube. If the water level falls it will affect the flow to his farm and with more biomass in the pond there is a higher risk of mortalities. Pumping water from the river is also not an option as

the distance is too great. Another issue is the species mix. Common carp and bighead both feed on naturally occurring zooplankton in the water. Increasing the volume of common carp may come at the expense of the bighead which grows faster and reaches large sizes which are appreciated by the restaurant.

Mr Matei Sr has thus to strike a balance between the risks and the rewards.

Fish from the farm is supplied to the restaurant every couple of

days. The fish are trapped in nets and 1-1.5 tonnes are harvested at a time, which is enough for the restaurant for two or three days. Small but regular harvests ensure customers at the restaurant only get very fresh fish—as he says, fish that doesn’t see the fridge is best! The pond is stocked with one summer and two summer old fish, though with more of the latter as they are less vulnerable to predators. This gives the mix of fish sizes that the restaurant needs.

Demand is constant throughout

the year, so Mr Matei plans his production accordingly and is spared from having to harvest large quantities and then look for buyers. Farmed fish forms only some of the items offered on the restaurant menu. Located a few meters from the Black Sea makes it obligatory to sell marine fish as well. Supplying Black Sea fish is the task of Datcu Matei Jr, who, like his father and grandfather, has become a fisherman.

He has been fishing now for 20 years and for the last 10 has been on his boat every day. Fishing Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2021

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is far more unpredictable than farming, a fisher can never tell precisely what and how much he is going to catch. Besides, it is seasonal. The restaurant is open almost round the year and to supply what is on the menu some of the fish must be frozen so that guests can order off-season fish as well.

Nets are laid in consultation with other fishers Mr Matei Jr uses fixed gears in two locations, one 500 m and the other 1,000 m from the shore. He has a third net as well but cannot use it as he does not have the staff. Weather permitting the nets are emptied each day a task carried out by a team of four or five people. This is usually done very early in the morning to remove the fish from the net before predatory birds get to them. The nets must also be cleaned now and then as they get clogged with algae and jelly fish. Fishers coordinate where they lay their nets to avoid

conflicts and they must also observe rules such as maintaining a two km distance from coral reefs. The mesh size of the gear is subject to regulations and in addition there are spatial and temporal restrictions, as well as minimum size limits. Despite following these rules, prohibited species can still end up in the nets, but they can then be released alive and undamaged into the sea. The fishery is monitored by the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture. Mr Matei Jr records the catch and declares it to the authorities.

Now and then fisheries inspectors will inspect the catch— unless he is fishing for turbot.

This is a quota species and the inspector must be warned in advance if the fisher is targeting turbot, so that on his return the catch can be inspected. The main species caught are sprat, anchovy, horse mackerel, goby, and shad which is caught in the spring. The family also owns a processing facility where the fish is smoked, salted, or marinated.

It is also here that the fish can

Located on the coast close to Constanta, the restaurant is, financially, the most important part of the business.

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Romanian commercial fisheries in the Black Sea (tonnes) FAO English name

2018

2019

2020

European anchovy

32

47

72

Turbot

58

54

70

Mediterranean horse mackerel

29

18

27

Marine fishes nei

12

5

19

Red mullets

8

4

12

Gobies nei

5

9

10

Others

41

40

20

Mussels

231

159

117

7,330

6,815

4,116

7,745

7,150

4,463

Rapa whelk

Source: ANPA

be frozen and stored for use in the restaurant later. Although a large proportion of the catch is used in the restaurant some is also sold to fishmongers.

allow him to commercialise his operations has to be debated in the Romanian parliament. It will then probably be modified and only then can it be enacted if there is enough support

Fishing for turbot and mussel farming are additional activities

Fishers resist attempts to organise

Emptying the nets placed close to the shore represents only one kind of fishing. Mr Matei also fishes for turbot and has a mussel farm. For each activity he has different vessels. Four simple boats with outboard motors for the near-shore fishing; two vessels for the mussel farming, including a big one to harvest the mussels; and a new vessel to fish for turbot, which he has christened Far Far Away. Turbot too he catches using fixed gear with a 200 mm mesh that is laid some 60 nautical miles from the shore.

At this distance he can manage a fishing trip in a day, three hours each way and two hours of fishing. The mussel farm is not yet a commercial enterprise. Mussels are harvested in the third year and although the farm is up and running the legislation that will

The processing plant is one of only two reception facilities along the coast, says Mr Matei. Most of the roughly 15 coastal fishers in Romania land their catch on the beach and wait for customers. There used to be a processing factory in Constanta, but this closed down some years ago and fishers have few options than to sell their catch to private customers. Organising the fishers into an association would give them a bigger voice, but they are notoriously reluctant to work together.

Mr Matei said he tried to start a discussion but there was no response, so he concentrated instead on his own business as he could see that selling from the beach would not lead anywhere.

A popular restaurant and a small but effective processing facility are the fruits of that decision.

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National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa”

Building aquaculture capacity around the Black Sea At the end of October last year, the National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” (NIMRD) celebrated its 50th anniversary. The institute carries out fundamental research in marine ecology, environmental protection, and management of marine bioresources in the Black Sea and other marine areas. Oceanography, as well as marine and coastal engineering are also disciplines in which fundamental and applied research is carried out at the institute.

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n 2017 the institute was selected by the GFCM to host a shellfish aquaculture demonstration centre (S-ADC) in the Black Sea, while a second centre is hosted by the Central Fisheries Research Institute in Trabzon, Turkey. NIMRD’s long history of research in the biology, ethology, and ecology of invertebrates as well as in marine aquaculture made it an obvious choice to host the centre. Projects that researchers have carried out over the years have given them much experience in different aspects of vertebrate and invertebrate species of commercial interest. In addition, the institute has well equipped laboratories to process samples and carry out investigative procedures, as well as a research vessel for collecting fisheries and oceanographic data. The Turkish centre focuses on the cultivation of turbot and trout in the Black Sea. For restocking of turbot the two centres will work together to identify the fish suitable for broodstock by studying their genetic profiles. These will be used at ADC Trabzon to breed and create a stock which can then be released into the sea or used by companies interested in turbot aquaculture.

Online aquaculture workshops prove enormously popular Developing aquaculture in the Black Sea, whether shellfish or

From left, Dr Valeria Abaza, Dr Laura Alexandrov, Dr Victor Nita, Dr Magda Nenciu, all NIMRD, and Catalin Platon, Romfish

finfish may also help workers in Romania’s fishing industry who have lost their jobs as the sector has shrunk. According to Victor Nieta, the head of the Department of Marine Living Resources at NIMRD, if these workers could be retrained to work in the aquaculture industry, it would benefit both them and the industry. The ADC has held three training workshops so far in 2018, 19, and 20 and another is being planned for October this year. The workshops are aimed at different stakeholders including small enterprises, authorities, NGOs, scientific institutions, and associations.

The first workshop comprised five theoretical and practical modules that addressed mussel biology, cultivating systems, quality management, monitoring services and licensing. It attracted 11 participants from five Black Sea riparian countries—Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey, and Ukraine. In 2019 the workshop was expanded with an additional session each on mussel diseases and country reports and the participants from all six Black Sea riparian countries (the five mentioned and Russia) attended. The pandemic and the restrictions it triggered pushed the training

online in 2020 making it far more accessible. The programme drew a massive response. With technical support from the GFCM, five NIMRD researchers made live presentations on techniques and technologies in aquaculture for approximately 1,500 people.

Microbiological classification reveals three “A” sites NIMRD was also responsible for initiating the microbiological classification of Romanian Black Sea waters, a prerequisite for the cultivation and harvesting of Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2021

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shellfish, and critical to unlocking Romanian potential for farming in the Black Sea. The process involved bringing together all the relevant authorities and ministries and putting together an interministerial agreement for the classification of production and relaying areas of live bivalve molluscs. Experts from the ADC conducted a shoreline survey to verify the presence of potential sources of e-coli contamination. The final outcome was that all three bivalve production and relaying areas in the Romanian Black Sea were classified as “A”, i.e., having the least contamination. NIMRD was also involved in the first designation of an allocated zone for aquaculture (AZA). The suitability of the area for aquaculture was assessed in terms of whether there were overlapping claims by users, the presence or not of landbased sources of pollution, water depth, whether the substrate was suitable for anchoring farm facilities, and whether it was sheltered from storms. The results of the investigation showed the eastern part of the area studied as being suitable for finfish farming, while the entire area could be used for shellfish cultivation. However, a formal definition of this AZA needs to be coordinated by the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (NAFA) with the other authorities involved in aquaculture licensing procedures. Dr Nita hopes that NAFA will one day use the findings from this work to officially declare Romania’s first AZA.

Romania’s only mussel farm tied up in red tape In the meanwhile, the S-ADC has provided consultancy services to establish the first operational mussel farm on the Romanian coast. Built on the site of a former mussel farm that closed 40

NIMRD

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The American blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is an invasive and destructive species in the Mediterranean. This specimen was caught in the Black Sea, although lower water temperatures make it unlikely that it will establish itself.

in 2016 for want of a microbiological classification for the water, the new farm has been established by a fisherman, Datcu Matei, who has started growing mussels on ropes. The production has not gone commercial yet as some legal twists remain to be sorted out, but Dr Nita has entered into an agreement with Mr Matei to develop a research project at his site that will be based on the use of environmentally friendly integrated marine trophic aquaculture.

According to this concept species at different trophic levels are reared in a system so that the uneaten feed and waste from one species is a source of food, fertilizer, and energy for another.

In another project, the S-ADC was commissioned by a private enterprise to study whether rainbow trout could be raised in the Black Sea. The results were quite staggering, says Dr Nita, as the fish grew 10 times their size in the space of a few months. He has also done some experiments with the American blue crab

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(Callinectes sapidus) which is an invasive species in the Mediterranean. A specimen found by a Black Sea fisher was placed in a tank at NIMRD and Dr Nita carried out some experiments that established that it liked several species of fish and also that if the temperature dropped to 18-19 degrees it would lose its appetite, move slowly and try and bury itself in the sand.

While scientists and fishers from some countries in the Mediterranean have found that the crab can damage fishing gear and preys on gillnet catches as well as mussels and oysters, Dr Nita feels that in the Black Sea it is unlikely to be a problem as conditions are not ideal.

Shellfish Aquaculture Development Centre National Institute for Marine Research and Development “Grigore Antipa” Blvd. Mamaia no. 300 900581 ConstanĠa 3 Romania

In the future, the ADC is expected to become a hub for the promotion of aquaculture in the Black Sea and for meeting the riparian countries’ requirements for aquaculture development, training, and awareness creation.

Among topics being considered for future workshops are new species for shellfish aquaculture and adapting mussel farming technologies to the specificities of the environmental conditions in different parts of the Black Sea. To execute this, however, Dr Nieta would appreciate support for foreign lecturers to participate in the training. He also seeks GFCM support to simplify the licensing procedures for shellfish farms in Romania.

Tel.: +40 241 543288, +40 241 540870 General Director, NIMRD: Dr Valeria Abaza S-ADC Director: Dr Victor Nita

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SC Pirania SRL invests in value-addition

New processing plant goes on-stream in October 2021 Common carp is traditionally grown with other freshwater species in large ponds. The fish feed on the naturally available flora and fauna in the pond supplemented typically with cereals grains. For faster growth and higher yields farmers also supplement the natural feed with extruded feeds typically during the first year of growth. These are complex feeds in which cereals are ground up and mixed with proteins, vitamins, and minerals, among other substances.

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iadem Vasile Atodiresei, the managing director of SC Pirania, has been using these extruded feeds for years. At his farm in Botosani he has now reached a yield of two tonnes/ha which is about the maximum he can obtain.

Any expansion in production would only be possible with more ponds.

In 2018 he took over a farm near Iasi whose owner was retiring. The farm is being renovated and within a year he expects to reach the same productivity as in Botosani.

Windmills, solar cells to generate power for intensive production Currently, at the new site intensive production is limited to 10 ha of which 3.5 ha is used to produce market-sized fish, and the rest for one-summer-old fish. The extruded feed he has been using this year is obtained from Aller Aqua, a Danish feed manufacturer with a plant in Serbia, and has a protein fraction of 30%. Mr Atodiresei plans to extend the intensive cultivation to the rest of the farm but is constrained by the lack of electricity. Apart from the feed itself the time and frequency of feeding also influence the growth rate of common carp. To increase the frequency of feeding the plan is to deploy feeders or automatic distributors.

In addition, intensive production

Diadem Vasile Atodiresei, the owner of SC Pirania, produces over 10% of the farmed fish in Romania.

calls for the use of aerators. These improvements require electricity and Mr Atodiresei is considering windmills and solar panels, which are both climate friendly and likely to be eligible for support from European funds. Conventional sources of electricity are so far away that laying cables would be very expensive, he says.

Common carp is the main species, in addition he produces bighead, silver and grass carp, some European catfish, pikeperch, crucian carp, paddlefish and has plans for a small production of tench at the Botosani

site. The fish is sold live as this is what consumers prefer. In summer, in particular, the weather is so hot that customers are suspicious of fish on ice considering it to be of lower quality than live fish. Once the weather gets cooler, however, fish on ice is acceptable. The preference for live fish means that supermarkets maintain tanks where they store live fish and consumers can select the specimen they want. If desired by the customer the fish can then be stunned, slaughtered, and gutted.

The production from the Botosani site amounts to about 950 tonnes of fish per year, while at the new

farm it is about 450 tonnes. This makes Mr Atodiresei the biggest producer in Romania. While the fish is currently sold live or fresh on ice, he is also looking at adding value to the production. A small processing plant is approaching completion at the new site and production there should start in October or November. In the first instance, the value-added items will be smoked, marinated, and salted products all handmade the traditional way. If the products are well received by the market, the plant and the range of items produced will be expanded. The processing plant is to be managed Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2021

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The fish are guided into a trap from where it is relatively easy to harvest them.

by Mr Atodiresei’s daughter who has been studying in England and returns to Romania shortly.

Lower water levels, higher temperatures complicate production For Mr Atodiresei climate change with its contribution to water scarcity and higher temperatures portrays a serious threat. He grew up in the region around the newly acquired farm site and sees how the climate is changing. Some impacts, such as the longer growing season, benefit farmers. But heat presents a danger to the fish, the water becomes too warm, oxygen levels fall, and the fish can die. Of the last ten years, issues with water negatively influenced his operations in seven. Availability shrank to 60-70% of his requirement. In the small ponds he could recirculate the water using pumps, but in the large ponds mitigation is difficult.

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One way to conserve water is by not draining the pond at harvest time, although this makes harvesting more difficult. Fish farming, despite its dependence on water, is prioritised lower than other users when supplies falter. Fish farmers also resent the fact that they get less support funding than the agriculture sector, and that they continue to struggle with bureaucracy and political issues. Currently, a draft aquaculture law is winding its way through parliament, the first time that aquaculture will have its own law. However, it is expected to take three years before it is finalised and enacted.

When that happens, the hope is that there will be less bureaucracy for fish farmers to contend with, and that a single institution will oversee the sector instead of several.

The pandemic scarred Mr Atodiresei’s business to some extent. He experienced a 16% drop in sales

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but with a massive effort managed to recoup most of his losses. The EU’s fisheries fund also helped, though payments were made only 18 months after he had filed for compensation. Now, however, he hopes to be able to concentrate on the new phase of the business—the value-added items and their production, marketing, and sales. Already, he has one shop in Iasi and another three associated with the Botosani farm and he

SC Pirania SRL Str. Gen. Gh. Avramescu nr. 31 Sc. B ap.16 Botosani Romania Tel.: +40 744 644 874 office@pirania-srl.com www.pirania-srl.com Owner: Diadem Vasile Atodiresei Farm area: 580 ha in Botosani, 388 ha in Iasi

distributes to all the retail chains in the province of Moldova. Further into the future he can envisage a fish restaurant that also offers a line of takeaway products based on fish such as burgers and shawarmas which should appeal to young people. It is important to get the next generation interested in fish and fish products because they are healthful, and produced in ponds, they are also good for the environment, he says.

Production: 950 tonnes (Botosani), 450 tonnes (Iasi) Species: Common carp, Chinese carps (bighead, silver, grass), crucian carp, European catfish, pikeperch, paddlefish Clients: Carrefour, Auchan, restaurants Own shops: 4 Product: Live fish, fresh on ice Employees: 50-50 in Botosani, 45-50 in Iasi

ROMANIA

Păstrăvăria Valea Stânii Zaganu considers raising trout in the sea

Can “Black Sea salmon” be produced in Romania?

On-growing trout in the Black Sea is well established in Turkey, but conditions along the Romanian coast are different and there are administrative issues to be addressed before cages can be placed in the water.

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he production of carps (common, bighead, silver, Crucian) dominates aquaculture production in Romania. Between 2017 and 2020 the share of these species in the total was never less than 70%. Production of these species has fallen, however, from 10,000 tonnes to an estimated 8,700 tonnes over the same period. In contrast, production of rainbow trout has crept up over the same period from 2,100 to 2,600 tonnes and its share of total aquaculture production has risen from 16% to 22%. This is all the more impressive considering that trout farming began in the 90s while carps have been cultivated for centuries.

And it seems as if there is scope for trout production to increase still further. According to Eurostat, Romanian imports of trout in 2018-20 averaged 4,550 tonnes per year.

An idea for recreation evolved into a commercial proposition Although some trout is produced in recirculation systems, production is typically in raceways that draw water from a spring or a river. Close to the town of Slanic between Brasov and Bucharest, Vasile Todosia has taken over a trout production facility deep in the Carpathian mountains. Over the last eight years he has modernised the farm using his own funds and EU money and this year he expects to reach the target production of 200 tonnes of table-sized trout. Mr Todosia has a background

Vasile Todosia, the owner of PĄstrĄvĄria Valea Stânii Zaganu, a company farming and processing large rainbow trout.

in construction and initially when he bought the farm, he envisaged it as a small place for recreational purposes. However, he soon realised that it also offered a commercial opportunity as demand for trout in Romania exceeds the supply. He therefore visited farms in Italy and France and then hired an Italian consultancy company to design the project. The farm is supplied by two springs with a water temperature of 6 degrees Celsius in winter and 12 degrees in summer. The consultants made their calculations based on the 200-tonne output which they thought was feasible with this supply of water and recommended the equipment that would be necessary to achieve this. The investment

amounted to some EUR1.2m and included a hatchery, which is stocked with eggs from suppliers in different countries—Poland, France, Italy, and USA—with whom Mr Todosia works in parallel as they offer different advantages.

Cooperative of six famers for joint feed procurement and marketing Today Păstrăvăria Valea Stânii Zaganu produces some 30-50 tonnes of fingerlings and is among the biggest suppliers to the industry. An adequate supply of water at the right temperature is critical for the success of the farm. While

the supply from the springs is generally good, fluctuations do occur depending on the level of rainfall and of snow in winter. To insulate the production from these variations Mr Vasile has taken certain precautions. For example, he has installed a biofilter which allows the water to be recirculated during periods when the supply is low.

The low water temperature is perfect for the hatchery, however he reckons that it adds about a month to the on-growing stage of the fish compared to a farm using water at 18-20 degrees Celsius. Thus, it takes 13 months to reach a 300 to 350 fish. However, the fish are typically grown to between 500 and 800 g which takes a further 1.5 to Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2021

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ROMANIA

2 months. On the other hand, the cold spring water contributes to fry immunity and survival rates which are 90-95%. Water from a spring is also less likely to carry pathogens than water from a river. Păstrăvăria Valea Stânii Zaganu is not the only farm in the area. There are at least five other trout producers, each with its own water supply so biosecurity is not an issue. Together with Mr Vasile these other five farmers have formed a cooperative, so that they can jointly procure feed and other inputs and also market the fish. Translated into English the common brand under which the production is sold is “fish from my country.” Three of the members of the cooperative including PăVtrăvăria Valea Stânii Zaganu have their own processing plants.

The products made at the three plants are different, but they are all sold under the same brand. Apart from the advantages of joint buying and marketing, cooperatives enjoy more generous terms from state support programmes than do individual companies, and they also receive tax concessions.

Black Sea trials give spectacular results Currently, the company’s processing factory produces smoked trout and trout roe in jars. One of the products, a cold-smoked fillet, is made from a 2 kg fish. This is an unusually large size for rainbow trout raised in freshwater as it takes two years to reach this dimension.

Mr Todosia raises a small batch of fish to that size just to be able to offer this cold-smoked product.

The costs of rearing a 2 kg fish are high and he is looking into the possibility of on-growing rainbow trout in the Black Sea. This is an activity that has developed over the last years in Turkey, where companies big and small have been placing rainbow trout in cages in the Black Sea. The well oxygenated water 44

The farm is set deep in the Carpathian mountains at a height of about 700 m. Electricity is supplied by a generator and a turbine powered by water from the spring that supplies the farm.

and the rough conditions encourage a 300 g trout to grow to 3 kg in the space of nine months. Mr Todosia worked on a trial with Victor Nieta, the head of the Department of Marine Living Resources at the Romanian National Institute for Marine Research „Grigore Antipa“. A small batch of rainbow trout with an average weight of 250 g was placed in tanks with water pumped from the Black Sea. The fish were introduced into the tanks in September and by May they had reached 2.5 kg. However, while the results in the trial were impressive, several factors need to be taken into account when placing the fish in the sea.

Romania’s coastline is different from Turkey’s which has more sheltered areas where cages can be placed safely. This is important particularly in winter when storms can be severe and last for days. The Romanian continental shelf is such that the water is quite shallow for several nautical miles out to sea. Mr Todosia would like to place cages at a depth of 35 m, which would be about 7 km offshore, says Dr Nita.

Moreover, in Turkey the trout farms

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where the fish are grown in freshwater are relatively close to the Black Sea, while from Păstrăvăria Valea Stânii Zaganu the fish must be transported about 300 km. Mr Todosia plans for a production of 1,000 to 1,500 tonnes of fish in the Black Sea if all the administrative and technical can be resolved.

International certifications will soon be in place In the meanwhile, the farm will soon be certified to the ASC standard. This comes on top of the Carrefour quality standard that is already in place. Implementing the standards is helped by a software package that is used for

Păstrăvăria Valea Stânii Zaganu Owner: Vasile Todosia Tel.: +40 722 513713 vtodosia@gmail.com Farm production: Rainbow trout (150-170 tonnes), fingerlings (30-50 tonnes) Product size: 500-800 g, 2 kg

the production. Developed by a an equipment supplier together with two feed producers the software ”manages, optimises, and tracks production” on the farm.

Mr Todosia is very pleased with the tool which calculates daily how much feed the fish should be given and produces reports on the levels of various parameters. The software also maintains traceability from the egg to the final product which was particularly useful when applying for the Carrefour quality label. The processing plant too will soon be certified to the IFS standard. Once the standards are implemented Mr Todosia can begin on the next phase of development which is to start exporting his products.

Processed products: Fresh gutted fish on ice, hot and cold smoked trout, trout roe Brand: Fish from my country Certifications: Carrefour quality; ASC (farm) and IFS (processing facility) will be implemented shortly Farm employees: 3

LATVIA

Latvia’s commercial coastal fishers now report catches electronically

Self-consumption fishers to follow suit from 2023 Some new amendments to Latvia’s Fisheries Law entered into force in July 2020. They delegated the issuing of coastal and inland waters fishing licenses to local government authorities. This institutionalised the “one-stop shop” principle, where the documents a fisher needs (including lease agreements for fishing rights and its annual lease protocol indicating fishing limits, as well as the fishing license) can all be obtained from the local government authority rather than from multiple bodies as was the case before.

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ll the data necessary to issue the documents should be entered into the electronic information system “Latvian Integrated Fisheries and Control System,” commonly known as the Latvian Fisheries Data System, by the local government authority which will then be able to print the necessary documents directly from the system. The system brings all the data related to fisheries management together into a single repository. The fisheries control and management institutions, including the State Environmental Service, Nature Protection Board, Ministry of Agriculture, and the local government authority, have direct access to all the information stored in the system on legal fishing activities in Latvian waters. One significant advantage of this digitalisation is that it eliminates the need for paper circulation. The changes were part of a reform of the fishing license issuing procedure and were supported both by municipalities and fishers’ associations.

Inland water fishers can provide catch data electronically if they desire The changes also called for amendments to the relevant Cabinet of Ministers regulations.

The amendments confer on local

government authorities the right to issue fishing licenses and paper fishing logbooks (in cases where fishing data are not reported electronically) for fishing in inland (including private waters) and in Baltic Sea coastal waters. The amendments also oblige coastal fishers to enter their catch data electronically into the Latvian Fisheries Data System. From 1 January 2021, the requirement is mandatory for commercial fishermen, but it will be also mandatory for self-consumption fishers from 1 January 2023. The option to provide catch data electronically also exists for inland water fishers but is voluntary. Many fishers use the system because they find it very convenient, user friendly, and believe that it is quicker than filling in a paper logbook. They need just to connect to the Latvian Fisheries Data System and enter the catch for a specific day. Fishing logbook information other than catch volumes are automatically taken from the fisher’s data entered into the system when the fishing license was processed.

Before implementing the electronic catch data reporting, the Ministry of Agriculture organised several training sessions for local government authorities and fishers on how to use the Latvian Fisheries Data System. A manual was

Since 1 January 2021 commercial coastal fishers have to report their catches electronically using the Latvian Fisheries Data System, a platform for all fisheries management related data (archive photo).

also developed and published on the ministry website and ministry experts are available to assist in the case of any technical problem.

Training and information activities should continue for selfconsumption fishers In the beginning the Latvian Fisheries Data System struggled with teething problems that had to be rapidly solved. Fishers had a long period when they were requested to use electronic catch data reporting in a test environment, but only very few fishers responded. As a result, unforeseen problems cropped up

when the system became operational. However, IT specialists, fisheries experts, and the fishers themselves cooperated to address these challenges. More than a year has passed since the introduction of electronic catch data reporting. While the technical issues have been successfully overcome, new challenges loom. For example, the mandatory electronic catch data reporting by self-consumption fishers which enters into force on 1 January 2023. If the introduction of the system for commercial fishers is any guide, training and outreach work for fishers should continue, and the use of a test environment should Eurofish Magazine 5 / 2021

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LATVIA

be encouraged to smoothen the transition process.

Electronic reporting benefits both fishers and authorities Electronic catch data reporting assists the competent authorities to carry out their control functions, and also saves fishers time when registering catches and when processing fishing documents. All the relevant documents and catch data are available in the Latvian Fisheries Data System at any time, so paperwork is reduced, and the system ensures catch data reporting conforms to the European Union’s fisheries Control Regulation. Moreover, use of the system is free of charge. Fishers benefit additionally from the system as it maintains a

A fisher’s catch summary data per current month and whole year. These data are available both to the fisherman himself and to the competent authority.

records of their past catches too.

They can thus use the system for their own needs, for example, to develop business plans for their company, to prepare

various reports using system data, to gather ready insight into their activities, and to facilitate their submissions to public authorities.

Work on improving the Latvian Fisheries Data System to make it even more user friendly continues in cooperation with local government authorities and fishers.

Latvian fishing companies target greater sustainability

Making the most of EU funding opportunities The National Fisheries Producer Organization is the largest producer organization in Latvia. Established in 2004, its members include the largest fishing companies in Latvia. They operate in the Latvian fishing ports Ventspils, Roja, Skulte and Liepaja. Today the organization’s members total annual turnover is over 40 million euros. The main products are frozen fish in blocks, frozen IQF, fish in various marinades, fish meal and fish oil.

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his year, due to the high demand of fish for human consumption, the organization is focusing on the quality of fish, for canned fish producers. The PO has a MSC certified sprat in the Baltic Sea and MSC certified sprat and herring in the Gulf of Riga. An MSC chain of custody certified cold storage is also situated in the port of Ventspils. Sustainable fishing is a priority for the organization.

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Maintaining product quality during transport This year the organisation invested 1.5 million euros in transport facilities for frozen products, acquiring nine trucks with refrigerated semi-trailers. Temperature-controlled transport enables different demands on trailers to be met while maintaining the freshness and quality of the fish. At the same

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Viesturs Ulis, Chairman of the Board, National Fisheries Producer Organisation

LATVIA

public authority was suspended for several months. The issues that have arisen from this should be urgently addressed in the new programming period, otherwise it may have an irreversible effect on the producer organization and the fishing industry in Latvia.

Status of Baltic Sea pelagic stocks is generally positive

The cold store is certified to the MSC chain of custody standard as the fish products stored are from MSC certified stocks.

time, stringent hygiene and environmental requirements represent a particular logistical challenge.

All this progress has been made thanks to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) of 20142020 under the support measure ‘’Added value, product quality and use of unwanted catches’’. The PO absorbed the entire support of 7 million euros available to one beneficiary within the whole period. In addition, under the support measure ‘’Fishing ports and landing sites’’ the organization absorbed 5 million euros.

Automation should reduce dependence on labour In the future fisheries producers are looking at the introduction of more advanced technologies and robotics in fish processing. Thank to EU funding measure ‘’Innovation’’, work has already begun on a pilot project ‘’Development of automated solutions for manual labour replacement in fish processing’’. It is expected that several new projects in robotics will begin in the next year.

In the next five-year period, there are plans to establish a fishing

vessel repair dock where vessels up to 60 meters long can be repaired. This will allow fishermen to buy larger fishing vessels that will not have to be repaired hundreds of kilometres away.

Sustainable sources of energy for vessels are on the cards The new 2021-2027 planning period will provide new opportunities for the development of the fisheries sector in Latvia. The increase in the price of electricity and gas forces industry to focus on using renewable resources.

Alternative energy sources are being sought and much more attention will be paid to the green environment. Currently, most of the fishing fleet uses diesel engines. A way must be found to replace diesel with renewable energy engines. This green course should be priority over the next 10 years.

This year, the organization faced shortcomings in its operation.

Some European tax authorities do not understand how the organization works and as a result, tax recovery from the

Compared to last year, Latvian quotas for herring in the Gulf of Riga have increased by 15% (21 230). While the sprat quota in the Baltic Sea increased only by 6% (30 817). Despite the pandemic, catches in the first half of this year were very good. Some companies were able to catch 70% of the annual limit. The European Commission has already published a proposal for a Council Regulation fixing for 2022 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Baltic Sea and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/92 as regards certain fishing opportunities in other waters. According to the proposal, next year’s herring quota in the Gulf of Riga will increase by 21%, while the sprat quota in the Baltic Sea will not change.

However, scientists allow an 18% increase in catching opportunities for sprat suggesting that fishing in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga is sustainable. The Gulf of Riga herring catch advice for 2022 is higher due to the strong 2019 year class. The Baltic Sea advised catches for sprat in 2022 could be increased compared to those for

2021 mainly because of the two above-average fish year classes of 2019 and 2020. Unfortunately, the biomass of the stock of eastern Baltic cod and western Baltic herring is below Blim. Therefore, only by-catch and scientific fisheries are permitted for these stocks in 2022 so that catches in 2022 will not exceed the TAC set for both stocks. This is something what we should consider.

This year due to the eastern Baltic cod targeted fishery ban, some of the fishermen had to stop cod fishing and scrap their cod fishing vessels. Fishermen who scrapped fishing vessel received EMFF support for the permanent cessation of fishing activities. The timely transition to fishing for other species and support from EMFF made it possible to keep the fishing companies alive and safeguard their employees.

All users benefit from a healthy marine ecosystem Like agriculture and forestry, the fishing sector depends on a healthy environment, in this case, on marine biodiversity, but current fishing practices are not always sustainable. While the pressure on fished species is obvious, these activities can also damage the marine ecosystem as a whole if carried out inappropriately. We need to do our best to make fishing more sustainable and our seas healthier. This is what the National Fisheries Producer Organization actively targets in its work.

National Fisheries Producer Organisation (NFPO) Chairman of the Board (and Managing Director, Latvian Fisheries Association): Viesturs Ulis

Phone: +371 67570000 Mobile: +371 27888886 zv.flote@et.lv

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ALBANIA

Since 2020 new fishing licences issued in Albania do not add to capacity

New scheme to make fishing safer, more sustainable According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), the Albanian fishing fleet consists of 720 vessels, based in the four main ports, Durresi, Vlora, Saranda, and Shengjini. About 3% of the fleet is scattered along several landing points on the Albanian coastline. The main species targeted by the fleet are deep-water rose shrimp, European hake, European pilchard, surmullets and European anchovy according to MARD and INSTAT.

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n 2020 the Albanian government stopped issuing fishing licenses for vessels with a length over 12 meters. From 5 December MARD will not issue new fishing licenses for trawlers, purse seiners, hydraulic dredgers, hook and line vessels, or for any other type of commercial fishing license.

New licenses will be issued only for fishing vessels with a gross tonnage and engine power less than or equal to a fishing vessel with a valid fishing license, as its replacement; or sunken vessels, which had a valid fishing license, as a replacement. Also, all new bottom trawlers need to be younger than 20 years old, due to the average age of the Albanian fishing fleet.

Modernising one of the oldest fleets in the Mediterranean The Albanian fishing fleet is one of the oldest in the Mediterranean, according to the GFCM (2020), with an average age per vessel of 38 years followed by Croatia (39 years), Slovenia (41 years), and Israel (46 years). In this regard MARD with the assistance of the European Union has prepared a grant scheme in support of the fishing fleet. Actions include the design and implementation of an investment grant scheme for the fishing fleet with the purpose to improve 48

its sustainability without increasing fishing effort. The scheme provides grants that, together with beneficiaries’ co-funding, aim to improve navigation and safety (e.g., radiosatellite equipment), food safety (e.g. cold storage), make fishing more sustainable (e.g. gears), and reduce environmental pollution (e.g. engines). The specific objective of this initiative is financial support to increase the safety of fishermen on board fishing vessels during navigation, improve the economic performance of the fishing enterprises by adopting measures aimed at energy saving and better cold storage of the catch, and decreasing negative impacts on the environment such as water pollution and over exploitation of stocks.

The identification of AZA should boost aquaculture production

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Aquaculture in Albania is an important sector with great potential to benefit coastal communities by providing nutritious food and positive socio-economic outcomes. Total production from freshwater, brackish water, and the marine environment has steadily increased over the recent years from 3 450 tonnes in 2012 to 6 258 tonnes in 2018 valued at about EUR19m (FAO). The main production systems are sea cages

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for seabass and seabream (3 500 tonnes) operated by 12 companies all working in the Ionian Sea in the Vlora / Sarande region of southern Albania. The production of trout was around 1 800 tonnes

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last year due to a new cage farm in an artificial dam lake. Mussel production from concrete facilities in the Butrinti lagoon as well as from two long line facilities in the Adriatic Sea was 1 000 tonnes.

ALBANIA

Salted anchovies are produced by several Albanian processors. These labour intensive products are typically intended for the EU market.

Allocated zones for aquaculture (AZA) are defined as “a marine area where the development of aquaculture has priority over other uses” and they are therefore primarily dedicated to aquaculture. The identification of an AZA results from zoning processes through participatory spatial planning, whereby administrative bodies legally establish that specific spatial areas within a region have priority for aquaculture development. In the Mediterranean region, the role of AZA as a planning tool is acknowledged as providing a suitable framework

for the sustainable development of aquaculture in dedicated areas.

The establishment of AZA contributes to the sound integration of aquaculture within marine spatial planning and coastal areas, that is key to the prevention of conflicts over the use of marine space.

Aquaculture could bring economic and nutritional benefits to coastal communities

in coastal areas and is a prerequisite to issue new aquaculture licenses and leases. The latter are essential for a regulatory and administrative framework dedicated to aquaculture that can ensure the sound and sustainable development of the sector. Currently, the Albanian aquaculture sector generates about 600 direct jobs including full- and part time work as well as all the indirect

employments in ancillary economic activities along the value chain (e.g. processing, distribution, retailing, packaging, equipment, feed industry, food service, tourism, etc.). Albania has great potential to further develop the sector given the availability of coastal areas which could host aquaculture facilities in AZA for both finfish and shellfish production. An expansion of the

The establishment of AZA ensures better integration of aquaculture

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Seabass and seabream production is concentrated in the Ionian Sea in southern Albania. Here fish are fed with an automatic machine that shoots the feed into the cage.

EUROFISH Magazine 5 / 2021

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ALBANIA

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aquaculture sector would generate further direct and indirect employment along the whole value chain while at the same time contributing to increase the protein intake from heathy fish and seafood products.

The AZA along the Albanian coastal area have been clustered in four macro sub-areas, Shëngjin, Durrës, Vlorë, and Sarandë. They are categorised in two main groups—for finfish and shellfish. The AZA proposal was made taking into account a series of parameters including (i) the absence of conflicts with other uses of maritime space, (ii) absence of negative interactions with the environment or sensitive habitats (e.g.: Posidonia bed) or marine protected areas (iii) no overlapping with maritime traffic routes, fishing areas, military areas or other types of activities, (iv) absence of any other aquaculture facilities, (v) the absence of major sources of contamination in the vicinity, (vi) sufficient water depth 50

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that favors the dispersion of catabolites produced by aquatic organisms reared, (vii) a substrate suitable for anchoring aquaculture facilities, and (viii) low exposure to storm surges. In addition, the adoption of allowable zones of effects (AZEs) near the aquaculture facilities would ensure the spatial dimension of environmental protection.

Allowable zones of effects are areas of seabed or volume of the recipient water body in which the competent authority may allow the use of specific environmental quality standards (EQS) for aquaculture, without irreversibly compromising the basic environmental services provided by the ecosystem.

The EU is the main destination for exports of processed seafood The processing industry currently comprises 30 companies producing numerous types of processed fish products that are destined for export. The principal processing

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centres are in Elbasan, Lezhe, Durrës, and Shkoder. These companies are approved by the EU and process fresh fish collected from the national fishing fleet. Imported raw material arrives either in the form of frozen blocks or already salted in barrels. The main species of fish processed are small pelagics, such as sardines, and anchovies, as well as deep-water rose shrimp, squid, etc.

markets. Handling involves sorting by size, icing and boxing, and distribution. There are a number of small municipality-run retail fish markets nationwide where wholesalers presenting their products for sale.

The application and enforcement of market legislation that harmonises with EU legislation is very important for the future development of the sector, particularly as the EU is the most important destination for these products followed by the Balkan countries, and the domestic market. Producers have the capacity to process 4 500 tonnes of anchovy but Albania’s exports of anchovy to the EU are capped at 1,600 tonnes thus penalising production capacity and employment in the sector.

The remaining fish processing facilities process fresh fish for both the domestic and foreign

Even though affected by the pandemic situation, imports and exports increased by around 10% in 2020, compared to 2019. In 2020 25 635 tonnes of fish products with a value of EUR82m were imported into Albania.

More than 89% of the fish product imported was fresh fish. The main species imported were deep-water rose shrimp, common shrimp, northern shrimp, European pilchard, and European anchovy. Albanian export of fish products in 2020 was 16,331 tonnes, with a value of EUR104m. Around 51% of the seafood exported was fresh fish.

Exports increase in 2020 compared to previous year despite the pandemic

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] The transport and logistics sector is undergoing a global transformation

Green logistics protects the environment and the climate The movement of freight has a significant influence on the sustainability of shipping and has developed into one of the most important areas in the transport sector. The term “green logistics” is frequently used in this context, which describes a combination of measures and technologies that aim to organise and monitor freight shipping in a way that protects the environment and climate.

Packaging should be extensively reduced and, if possible, recyclable, compostable, or better yet, composed of edible materials.

For manufacturing companies, transport within and outside of their operation is indispensable to ensure that the required materials are available at the right time and in the right place and that a stable production flow is guaranteed.

However, when considering transport convenience often wins over environmental concerns, and the potential for optimisation when it comes to the environment is seldom fully exploited.

Lorries frequently take inefficient

routes to supply customers with goods that they urgently require, and forklifts wander across warehouses because orders are coordinated either poorly or not at all.

The costs of these empty journeys may be low in each individual

case, but they add up over days and weeks. This reduces operational profits and also damages the environment, since the transport sector bears a significant amount of responsibility for the climate crisis. Transport causes a

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] routes efficiently and to coordinate sensibly. Under these conditions, it is almost unavoidable that journeys will be undertaken with vehicles that are not full.

Digitalisation offers more efficient options

The optimal exploitation of transport capacity is the core area of green logistics, because empty journeys harm the environment without actually moving goods.

quarter of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU. Energy accounts for approximately 40 percent of the total costs in this sector. Maritime and inland waterway vessels, rail transport, lorries, logistics buildings, storage and conveyor technology, refrigeration, packaging and loading equipment consume enormous quantities of energy. Lighting can also be a “resource hog”, for example, if an entire warehouse is illuminated even though only a small corner of it is actually in use.

Like the rest of the economy, transport companies are naturally under pressure to reduce their CO2 emissions and become more sustainable, for example, by reducing water and soil pollution, land use and the number of transport accidents, as well as limiting noise levels. These responsibilities are not just in the interests of wider society, they also serve companies’ own fundamental interests, at least since carbon emissions are subject to 52

a tax in many countries. Sustainability is hardly a new topic for transport companies, but the industry is nevertheless only making slow progress in implementing the required measures.

For example, CO2 emissions from road haulage have increased by more than 20 percent since 1995, although engines today require less fuel and vehicles are much more efficient. Advances in this area have been far outstripped by the rapidly increasing numbers of vehicles on the roads, however.

The climate goals for the transport sector can really only be reached if vehicle fleets are drastically reduced.

Meeting these kinds of demands does not seem realistic, however, and it appears that fleets are in fact still growing. On the one hand, transport solutions are subject to climate, environmental and social demands and they should effectively contribute to levelling off the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere. On the other

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hand, the economy requires a high degree of flexibility in transport chains, which should function reliably under all conditions. The recent fiasco of the 20,000 TEU container ship Ever Given and the associated blockage of the Suez Canal showed how fragile and disruption-prone globally networked value creation and logistics chains in the global economy are. However, the transport sector is indisputably one of the biggest causes of environmental problems worldwide. This is because vehicles drive half empty in order to meet tight delivery deadlines, and their emissions impact us and the environment. The transformation of our preferred shopping culture, with its fast delivery options, is also responsible. This results in an associated increase in delivery traffic, because the goods need to be delivered as quickly as possible, often on the same day. The constant time pressure makes it almost impossible for transport companies to plan orders and

But increasing energy and raw materials prices make the need for action more urgent. A transformation in social values is also taking place, which is pushing environmental policy topics to the forefront like never before.

The number of customers looking out for environmentally friendly products as well as transport and logistics services is growing.

States are also intervening into processes with strict environmental regulations. More and more companies are taking responsibility and committing to becoming more environment and climate friendly as part of their corporate social responsibility policies. The transport and logistics sector is undergoing radical change and is searching for room to manoeuvre to implement sustainable solutions. Particularly in the fish sector, however, the search is difficult, since fresh, perishable products require seamless and individually tailored transport.

Retail and other business customers expect transparency, flexibility and reliability. In this context, the solution to many of the problems lies primarily with digitalisation.

Digital tools and platforms can contribute to the optimisation of travel routes, fuel saving and the prevention of empty journeys.

Finally, all of this is part of a bundle of measures that characterise the key area of “green logistics”.

Green logistics, also known as ecologistics or ecology-oriented logistics, has still not been fully and consistently defined. The term has been in more frequent

[ TRADE AND MARKETS ] use recently, but is often interpreted differently. Green logistics means redesigning the strategies, structures and processes of all logistics processes to be more environmentally friendly and to use resources more efficiently.

The main goal is to reduce the environmental impact and minimise the ecological footprint.

Green logistics is expanding the term “logistics” to include an ecological component. To be precise, green logistics refers not only to the environmental credentials and efficiency of transport and distribution systems, but also includes areas such as the use of resources, packaging, storage and waste management.

Companies that are certified in accordance with ISO 14001 have demonstrated that they have implemented an environmental management system and follow the basic principles of green logistics. This includes a wide range of measures that make significant interventions into day-to-day work processes.

Transparency is the foundation for more efficient and less resource-intensive planning. In order to plan in advance, coordinate journeys to save energy and prevent bottlenecks in intra-company transport, monitoring of all transport in real time is indispensable. Complex tasks such as this can only be tackled through digitalisation in all company areas. Warehouses, vehicle fleets and administrative buildings must be planned, converted or modernised in accordance with the unwritten principles of green logistics and the state of the art.

Ecologically harmless construction materials and efficient water and energy consumption are just as important in this context as the use of alternative energy sources, for example, the installation of a solar panel system on

warehouse roofs to even out temperature fluctuations, or, in huge warehouses, only using targeted lighting of certain areas. Automation can also improve energy efficiency and lead to measurable savings. The use of robots in packaging and storage prevents accidents that are almost unavoidable when these tasks are done manually.

Always keep the entire chain in view An important core area of green logistics is the vehicle fleet, whose fuel consumption and emissions damage the environment. Electric vehicles are currently only suitable for short distances, but some fish dealers are already delivering to their customers in cities with electric delivery bicycles and e-vans. Such initiatives may still represent little more than the proverbial drop in the ocean, but these positive examples are being really noticed and recognised. In order to achieve actual measurable reductions in CO2 emissions however, much greater efforts are required on a global scale. This includes all sectors of the transport industry, i.e. road, rail, air and river and sea transport. “Green vehicle routing” is a particular challenge for the globe-spanning transport industry, which aims to ensure that the advantages of green logistics measures in one area do not have negative consequences for other areas. The goal is to achieve winwin solutions that benefit all stakeholders. An example of possible problems that can arise as a result of steps taken by one side alone is the “slow steaming strategy” of maritime shipping companies. It seems entirely reasonable from an environmental point of view for container ships to travel a few knots slower over the world’s oceans. The reduction in speed in maritime traffic reduces fuel consumption,

saves costs and reduces exhaust emissions, thus benefiting the environment. Particularly if ship engines are supported on specific routes using SkySails (fully automatic towing kites) and are operated in a more environmentally friendly way. On the other hand, slow steaming increases shipping times and places additional time management demands on global long-distance supply chains. If some companies then use more ships in order to ensure continuous supply, this of course contradicts the original goal of implementing more “ecological supply chains”. A comprehensive approach to green logistics in the area of environmental protection and resource conservation therefore always means seeking sensible compromises to ensure a reasonable balance between all stakeholders.

Right from the project planning stage it should be kept in mind that decisions at this level also have consequences for downstream logistics. For example, the size and dimensions of products influence their volume and weight. This indirectly defines the maximum number of products and the capacity of the planned load carriers, such as containers. Such strategic decisions offer enormous savings potential as the following example shows.

The edible proportion of a fish is usually significantly below 50 percent. Transporting gutted and headed fish or fillets instead of whole fish therefore reduces CO2 emissions per unit weight of product by at least half! Storage strategy in large goods distribution centres for retail chains is just as important. If products that are in high demand are concentrated in a limited area, this can save on transport routes, energy and time spent picking deliveries. Another point that is currently receiving a lot of public attention

in connection with plastic waste in the oceans is the type and quantity of packaging materials.

For many foods, including fish products in particular, packaging can probably never be entirely dispensed with. In this case, this makes it even more important that products are designed so that packaging is extensively reduced and, if possible, recyclable, compostable or even edible materials are used. However, recyclable packaging should not be the first choice when selecting materials, because recycling also requires resources and energy.

Reverse logistics is creating new business areas The recycling and waste disposal markets have benefited from changing environmental priorities and new market opportunities are being created for the transport and logistics sector.

While traditional logistics mainly organises the forward distribution of goods from producer to consumer, the growth of recycling has created a new subsector of green logistics , which deals in “reverse distribution”, or the transport of waste and used materials. This area of the circular economy is demarcated from traditional logistics using terms such as reverse logistics, reverse distribution or reverse flow logistics. Ecology-oriented green logistics is both input and outputfocused. “Input-focused” means that right from when the products are being manufactured, care is taken to ensure the economical and responsible use of natural resources. “Output-focused”, on the other hand, means that packaging and products are disposed of in environmentally friendly ways after they are used. Although reverse logistics contributes to traffic, it provides an important

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[ TRADE AND MARKETS ]

Containers are the preferred means of transport for global trade. Their CO2 footprint should be calculated according to the voluntary standard UNE-EN 16258.

contribution to making logistics greener. To improve the overall situation, journeys must be better coordinated, more environmentally friendly drive systems must be promoted and road, rail and maritime traffic must be optimally networked. However, intelligent, holistic logistics concepts such as these continue to be rare exceptions.

Consumer behaviour influences future developments In practice, a reverse trend is currently observed. Value-creating activities are carried out in lowwage countries and less stock is kept on-site, which reduces costs but places increased demands on logistics and the environment. Particularly since the time window for deliveries is becoming ever narrower. Modern logistics facilitates door-to-door (DTD) services, which are often combined with just-in-time 54

(JIT) delivery. But the pressure on deliveries requires faster times within distribution systems, which can often only be achieved using less energy-efficient and more environmentally harmful means of transport. The vicious circle of DTD and JIT strategies and ever greater pressures on the environment due to increasing traffic can best be broken by a return to a regional model and using local suppliers. Regional products may be somewhat more expensive, but these costs are usually readily compensated for by lower transport costs and significantly less severe environmental and social consequences.

Although the economic and ecological advantages of green logistics are obvious, many companies still do not see the need to change their logistics business processes.

Many continue to work with handwritten lists and undertake long routes and empty journeys.

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Making the change to sustainable, green logistics even seems threatening to some, because it is associated with additional investment and the disruption of longestablished routines. Part of the responsibility for this stagnation also lies with the markets. Customers seldom demand sustainability and are often only interested in price and reliable and speedy delivery. However, if customers do not care whether green logistics is implemented, the motivation for change is lacking. The hope of some companies that the changes needed will somehow not apply to them is unlikely to be fulfilled.

However, it is not just companies but also society and consumers who must make a contribution to solving the problem. For states and governments, this primarily means adapting transport infrastructure to the new requirements. Traffic jams on roads slow down transport, and trains and

ships are often delayed. Container ships only arrive on time about 50 percent of the time. This is actually quite a good result, but still shows that, in half of all cases, ships do not arrive at ports at the scheduled time. The lack of reliability forces companies to keep stock levels higher in order to have a buffer to secure daily production needs, but this frequently indirectly damages the environment. In particularly urgent cases, transport and logistics companies must fall back on air and lorry transport, which are some of the least environmentally friendly forms of transport. Depending on its speed and load, a lorry emits an average of 7 times more nitrogen oxides and 17 times more particulate matter per kilometre than a mid-range car.

We as consumers can also make an effective contribution to green logistics. Most importantly through our consumer and purchasing behaviour. Demanding that the full range of fresh products be available in supermarkets even on a Saturday evening right before closing contributes to goods spoiling, wasted energy and potentially to unnecessary delivery journeys. The increased popularity of online shopping has even more serious consequences for the environment.

Online transactions are the most important source of growth for courier, express and parcel (CEP) services, but these consume more energy than other retail activities.

The “last mile”, i.e. the last section of the route that goods travel to the customer’s door, increases the number of journeys, harms the environment and causes the highest costs for parcel delivery.

If the logistics sector is to become more environmentally friendly, energy-efficient and sustainable, it also needs help and cooperation from us, the customers. mk

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Blended audits that combine on-site and off-site inspections are the future

Remote auditing is here to stay The certification of food including seafood has ballooned over the last three to four decades as consumers seek reassurance and retail chains, which dominate grocery shopping in developed economies, accommodate these needs. Certification, which originally attested only to a product’s quality, can now cover a range of attributes. Martin Gill, Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture at Lloyd’s Register, a major certifying body, examines here some of the issues surrounding certification and outlines its development in the years to come.

Certification in the seafood sector can broadly be divided into business to business, such as ISO, GLOBALG.A.P., IFS, or BRC, and business to consumer, for example, MSC, ASC, Label Rouge, or organic labels. Where can a (small) company go for advice to understand which certification is the right one for its operations? Can certifying bodies play an impartial role here?

There are indeed many standards which can relate to the seafood sector—a quick search on the internet will show an array of opportunities for businesses. While it can be daunting at first, there are some tips for small companies on how to navigate the assurance world.

Firstly, businesses should be guided by the market they intend to sell their products into. Major brands and retailers, for example, will often specify which standards they require before they will commit to a business partnership. If seeking support from certification bodies, it is important to note that they must remain independent and act impartially, particularly if they are asked for advice on how to implement—or whether a business should indeed apply for—a standard. They can explain the content of the various standards available and offer guidance on the evidence required from the standard owners. It is important to remember that standards are created and monitored to enable businesses of all sizes to reinforce their credibility, through independent audits and certification.

For many seafood businesses the certification process is very time consuming and generates huge costs for expensive external consultants and for the audits. Is it possible to reduce the burden of certification by collecting several certification schemes into one? Can certifying bodies play a role in unifying standards? Do you see a consolidation among standards in the future? Do you have any ideas that could help reduce or optimise the total certification load on companies?

Many seafood companies participate in more than one standard, to allow them to meet the requirements of their customers further along the supply chain. These may be third party accredited standards (both B2B and B2C), or second party private standards, such as retailer supplier approval standards. I believe that most, if not all, certification bodies would welcome the opportunity to reduce the burden of multiple audits for farms and processing plants. Here, there is often significant duplication of the assessment criteria, meaning audits take longer than is potentially necessary. There is an opportunity for similar standards to be benchmarked against each other to measure the equivalence of clauses that are common or have the same intent. Here, significant time and cost savings to seafood businesses can be achieved, particularly as businesses are often audited to multiple standards. Initiating such a change lies with the owners of the various standards, and their willingness to engage with each other.

Martin Gill, Head of Fisheries and Aquaculture at Lloyd’s Register

It is clear, however, that standard owners and certification bodies have an important role to play in agreeing the core criteria of the common requirements within standards across the seafood industry.

Most small seafood businesses and small-scale fishermen have problems implementing certification schemes for economic reasons and a lack of manpower and education. This limits them from market access to, for instance, supermarket chains. Can you identify ways in which small-scale businesses can be part of certification programmes—or will they simply be left out of lucrative markets segments because they are small?

Several of the key standards in the seafood space operate ‘Improvement’

or ‘Improver Programs’, such as the Fishery Improvement Programs (FIPs), or Aquaculture Improvement Programs (AIPs). These are non-accredited programs that allow small-scale businesses to access advice and assistance to improve their systems and operations to be able to meet standards or customer requirements. These programs often utilise the power of those in the private sector, such as retailers, processors, and producers, to incentivise positive changes towards sustainable practices in fishery or aquaculture operations. They seek to make these changes long-lasting and futureproof.

An Improver Program looks to identify key issues impacting the industry— such as environment and sustainability issues—and recommends priority actions to be undertaken. From there, the program oversees the adopted

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action plan. Crucially, they provide an easier way for potential purchasers within the seafood supply chain to access consistent and reliable information about a small-scale operation. This is particularly important as small-scale producers—which are often crucial links in the wider supply chain—may struggle to meet the current international standards available, for reasons such as having a smaller team or local economic factors.

Certification schemes and labels have proliferated over the last years as companies have progressed from having product quality certified to seeking certification for issues related to the likes of environmental, animal welfare, and social conditions. What can companies expect to have to certify in the future?

One of the great areas of global concern is around the issue of plastics in the ocean. Marine and estuarine operators, as well as commercial fishermen and fish farmers, can expect to be put under more scrutiny regarding how they manage and reduce their impact. To support the industry, the world’s best-practice standard for Responsible Plastic Management (RPM) was launched last year. The RPM Standard and Program allows organisations to demonstrate their commitment to taking proactive steps to better measure, reduce and re-use the plastic coming into—and going out from—their business.

Another area of focus is the health and social welfare of those working on fishing vessels. Again, help is on hand thanks to the recently launched Responsible Fishing Vessel Standard (RFVS). With the support of industry partners, including, Lloyd’s Register, RFVS will enable commercial fishing vessel operators to provide assurance of safe working conditions and operational best practice. It is the world’s firstindependentcertificationscheme looking at the health and social wel56

fare of fishing vessel workers, and provides assurance against concerns over potential human rights issues within some sectors of the industry. RFVS is open to fishing fleets and vessels of all sizes around the world, and suppliers and retailers involved in the seafood industry are being encouraged to consider specifying certification to the RFVS as part of their procurement considerations.

The future will probably demand the whole seafood sector to document its CO2 footprint and its efforts from year to year to reduce CO2 in the future. Do you see any opportunities within certification to help the seafood sector cope with this future demand?

In the future, we can expect to see more demand for companies in the seafood sector to show their commitments to reducing carbon emissions. Fishing vessels, in particular, are significant CO2 producers, as they continue to use diesel engines, and as such it is likely that operators will come under pressure to move towards more efficient engines.

We can also expect seafood organisations to focus more of their attention on verification services which provide accuracy and credibility to claims around reduced energy and water use, carbon footprint and plastics. Positive steps towards verifying claims have been made, with the aforementioned RPM Program and Standard a prime example of demonstrable actions.

Remote auditing offers several advantages over visits by an auditor to a site but how do certification bodies view their standards being audited from thousands of kilometres away? Does an audit conducted remotely have precisely the same level of credibility as one conducted on site?

Various lockdowns and restricted movement for both domestic and

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international travel since the Covid19 pandemic made in-person site inspections and audits almost impossible to undertake. This created a clear dilemma for standards owners, particularly those with participants that were due an audit to confirm the continuation of their certification. The problem was not exclusive to the seafood sector, with all industries and standards facing the same difficult decisions. It was completely unprecedented—was it right that some organisations faced having their approval removed due to the lack of auditing? For many standard owners, the short-term answer was to allow extensions of their certificates, while a solution was worked on.

At Lloyd’s Register, we very quickly realised an alternative solution was required to ensure audits could be delivered remotely. A remote audit platform already existed within Lloyd’s Register’s shipping and engineering divisions. Here, our teams use technology, such as drones and cameras, to inspect difficult-to-reach equipment. As such, our innovation team quickly adapted and developed a remote, mobile phone appbased platform which could be used in other applications. This development—alongside the willingness of many standard owners to adopt and accept remote auditing as a credible alternative—has allowed companies to maintain their certification during this difficult period. It’s important to highlight the credibility and accuracy of remote auditing, which has continued to prove itself since it was introduced in 2020.

Looking towards the future, there is room for flexibility, where a hybrid approach could significantly support the auditing process. For example, in-person audits have clear benefits for inspecting a farm or processing facility. Having the ability to physically assess the state of the facilities will allow auditors to clearly see the strengths and weaknesses. However,

this does not mean the industry will revert to pre-Covid practices— remote auditing is here to stay and is a very useful and effective tool available to certification bodies. Document reviews, where farms and factories are required to show proof of robust management systems, particularly lends itself to remote auditing. Here, documentation and data can be uploaded via a remote platform and assessed in a more convenient and flexible timeframe.

This combination of both in-person and remote auditing has its clear benefits, however, not all standards will be able to permanently work in this way. Standards looking at social welfare, for example, will likely require in-personauditing,particularlywhen considering worker interviews and the need to ensure workers are able to speak freely about their safety and working conditions.

Can a remote audit replace an on-site audit in its entirety or does the remote audit typically form only a part of an auditor’s assessment? Do the costs of conducting an audit fall when it is conducted remotely?

There are clear cost saving benefits associated with remote auditing. In addition to the obvious travel costs occurred during in-person auditing, the time required for staff to supervise auditors on site can also be reduced. For the auditor, the real benefit is being allowed time to review and study documented evidence in full detail, without the pressure to complete within a certain timeframe while on site. A blended approach is likely to become more commonplace in the future. Potentially, using a local independent auditor—who can act on the lead auditor’s instructions— may also become popular moving forward.

In addition, we may also start to see standard owners consider changes

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to the length of the certification cycle. For example, it is feasible for certificates to be renewed every three to five years, instead of annually. In these scenarios, the participant’s level of compliance during the initial audit phase could be risk assessed. Where they demonstrate good and trusted compliance, the subsequent surveillance audits could be potentially carried out remotely during the interim years.

The business services entity in Lloyd’s Register has recently been acquired by Goldman

Sachs Asset Management. What were the reasons for the divestment and what impact will the new ownership have on conducting audits in the fish and seafood industry?

The decision to sell was driven by the need for greater focus and investment on both sides of the business to maximise the potential. In Goldman Sachs Asset Management, we have a globally admired business, who believe in our strategy and will back us to deliver it. As an independent business, LRQA (Lloyd’s

Register Quality Assurance) can be more agile, as the sector experiences rapid digital transformation and we see major opportunities to partner with clients to manage risk, protect brands, minimise complexity and find cost, time and administration efficiencies.

For the seafood sector, critically, we retain our deep technical expertise, as well as the integrity we bring to our work. However, the services we offer adapt, aligned to our vision of being a leader in digitally-enabled assurance. We saw

during the pandemic the transformation of our remote auditing capabilities and our clients are recognising the benefits of digital assurance and inspection, where it is the right approach. The acquisition will allow LRQA to increase its focus and investment in these areas—using technology to deliver more efficient and effective audits, inspections and assurance services; using data to transform risk management approaches; and recognising that increasingly, we need to assure both digital and physical assets.

DIARY DATES Restrictions imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic may cause changes. Readers are advised to check the event websites for the latest information.

5-8 December 2021 World Aquaculture 2020 Singapore mario@marevent.com www.was.org

4-7 October 2021 Aquaculture Europe 2021 Madeira, Portugal mario@marevent.com www.marevent.com

5-7 October 2021 Conxemar Vigo Vigo, Spain Tel.: +34 986 433 351 conxemar@conxemar.com https://conxemar.com/en

13-15 October 2021 DanFish Aalborg, Denmark +45 99 35 55 18 ehe@akkc.dk www.danfish.com

8-12 November 2021 World Aquaculture 2021 Merida, Mexico mario@marevent.com www.was.org

13-15 February 2022 fish international Bremen, Germany Tel.: +49 421 3505 260 info@ fishinternational.de www.fishinternational.de

13-15 March 2022 Seafood Expo North America Boston, USA Tel.: +1 207 842 5590 sales-na@seafoodexpo.com www.seafoodexpo.com

10-12 April 2022 Conxemar Brussels Brussels, Belgium Tel.: +34 986 433 351 conxemar@conxemar.com https://conxemar.com/en

26-28 April 2022 Seafood Expo Global Barcelona, Spain Tel.: +1 207 842 5590 sales-global@seafoodexpo.com www.seafoodexpo.com

1-3 June 2022 Polfish Gdansk, Poland Tel.: +48 58 554 93 62 monika.pain@mtgsa.com.pl http://www.polfishfair.pl/

8-10 June 2022 Icelandic Fisheries Exhibition Reykjavik, Iceland Tel. +44 1329 825 335 jmiller@mercatormedia.com www.icefish.is

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